Dear Friends, We have reached another pivotal point in our history with the launch of Spreading Our Roots: Oakwood Campus Expansion. After years of thoughtful planning, the projects and initiatives we have underway are transforming the campus into a robust community where students experience a love of learning in fresh, new ways. This campaign will be the first of its kind for Oakwood and will be necessary to complete the school’s new liberal arts building, gymnasium, and playfield. The time is right. The need for active learning and critical thinking to create a bold, entrepreneurial spirit in our students has never been more apparent. With rising enrollment, it is imperative that we have facilities that are equal to the outstanding quality of our academic programs. Your gift will propel a bright, new generation of gifted, young people into vital leadership roles in our community. Widespread support from parents, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends ultimately advances our school’s ability to provide enhanced hands-on learning opportunities and expanded extracurricular offerings for our current students as well as sustaining this excellence decades into the future. This campaign is a resounding call to invest in our remarkable school and make it possible for future generations of Oakwood students and faculty to excel and discover, to imagine and pioneer, to lead and transform. We will unite as a community to create an even better Oakwood and amplify our impact on the world—both locally and globally. Participation by all parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends will be vital to our success. Explore the information in this brochure to learn more about this ambitious project. Please join in supporting Oakwood by making a meaningful gift to Spreading Our Roots. Each gift—no matter the size—makes a difference and moves us closer to achieving our goals. Watch Us Grow! With gratitude,
Michelle R. Helvey Head of School www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
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ur story began in 1959, when Gwen Riches, an educator and artist, gathered her children and their friends for an afterschool arts program in her Los Altos home. As the children happily played, practiced, created, and performed, word began to spread. Mrs. Riches and her husband welcomed more and more children, eventually expanding the circle to hundreds of students. The Riches’ family home became Pinewood School, which still thrives today in Los Altos. Founded and managed by Gwen Riches’ eldest granddaughter and her husband, Oakwood School in Morgan Hill began as a preschool through eighth grade school. In 2005, the high school grades began and in 2009, Oakwood graduated its first senior class. Today, the preschool through twelfth grade school flourishes on a 30-acre campus. As Pinewood’s younger sister, Oakwood carries on the educational tradition set forth by our “founding mother”—shaping our students’ growth with intention, intelligence, and unbounded joy.
Oakwood feels like family. That’s because we are a family. We’ve been one from the beginning.
When people visit the campus, they feel there is something quite special at Oakwood. The reason for this is no secret. When children are taught in a small and nurturing classroom environment by subject-focused teachers who love what they do, wonderful things happen. Add to that a strong curriculum, broad extracurricular opportunities and beautiful facilities and you have an educational opportunity that is unmatched in the area.
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s Oakwood School evolves, we must simultaneously develop and protect our beautiful 30-acre campus, melding existing space with the changing needs of our academic program and mission. We are actively stewarding the natural beauty of our campus and ensuring that we use all corners of our campus as practically and productively as possible. With every investment we make in our campus, we are teaching our students to be better caretakers of a small corner of a world they and their peers will one day inherit in full.
Growing a Culture of Philanthropy
We imagine a campus strategically updated to meet the needs of today’s students, providing a modernized scholastic environment with multi-dimensional learning areas and performing arts spaces, as well as a true community gathering space in the new student center. Facilities for physical education, health, sports and training will promote fitness for life, enhance performance, and fortify the Oakwood athletic legacy. These new spaces align with the school’s practice of balancing academics, athletics, and the arts. With your support we can continue providing an education and opportunities that allow each student to develop into their authentic, best selves. To help us evolve a master plan that is both functional and formative, we initially seek to raise $5 million. Without your support of our mission, your volunteerism, and your investment in our school, the ability to enhance all that Oakwood has to offer would not be possible.
www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
Oakwood School– A Place That Is Mission Driven
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ince its founding, Oakwood School has sought to create an educational environment where students can grow as expressive, thoughtful, high-achieving, self-aware, considerate young people who are prepared to lead meaningful lives as contributing, conscientious community members. As students learn, they acquire academic stamina, intellectual maturity, self-confidence, and a high standard of behavior. This vision is characterized by a commitment to five key tenets:
• Ensure that all students learn every
subject from passionate experts so that they receive far more than textbook coverage, inspired to delve deeper by the enthusiasm and leadership of educators teaching what they love and only what they love;
• Create a disciplined and jubilant
culture of confident self-expression most visibly in the performing arts, but infused into every aspect of learning at Oakwood, so students develop into their best, most authentic selves;
• Uphold high academic expectations to
inspire the kind of intellectual stamina that leads students to think critically and creatively, and engage actively with their studies;
• Sustain strong moral examples because
the core values of this school family —including respect, service, honesty, kindness, and citizenship—never go out of style; and
• Lead children through a proven, flexible
curriculum that inspires unbridled exploration by encouraging students to try their talents and explore their limits within a culture of kindness fostered by expert, caring teachers and staff members.
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hen the school first opened its doors in 1998, students attended classes in a long row of portable classrooms while they watched their future school buildings being built across the parking lot. In 2005, Oakwood School welcomed its first freshman class, and by 2007, the high school students moved into a beautiful new classroom building that felt like a more grown-up version of Oakwood.
Balancing Academics, Athletics & the Arts
The Arts have always been a cornerstone of an Oakwood education. Over the past few years, Oakwood athletic programs have also grown significantly and will continue to do so as the upper school expands. For the past twenty years, no building on campus has had more use or demand for both performing arts and athletics than “The Barn.” It has lovingly served as the school’s gymnasium, theater, and assembly hall for preschool through 12th grade; and as Oakwood continues to grow, these demands are only increasing. The high school, too, has outgrown its initial building and has been borrowing lower and middle school classrooms to fill its expanding needs. The lower and middle school are also growing, and these rooms will soon be needed again and not be available for high school use. As Oakwood looks to the future, adding to the current campus is vital in order for Oakwood to provide the best education possible to its current students and also to attract new students seeking the best school in the area so that the school can grow to its full potential. Ensuring that our campus meets the needs of our program is vital if we are to continue our mission and vision of providing an exceptional well-rounded education along with remaining the leading independent school in the area.
www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
New Additions For Students to Grow and Thrive
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s the 2015-16 school year was starting, the school’s administration began working on how to best meet the needs of its current and future students—determining that two additional buildings, and a playfield will provide the facilities that will enable Oakwood School students to grow and thrive well into the future.
A Liberal Arts Building Oakwood students from first through twelfth grades study drama, take part in plays and musicals, and learn a variety of increasingly complex visual arts techniques. The 34,089 sq. ft. liberal arts building will not only answer Oakwood’s growing artistic space needs, including lower school music and drama, but will also provide additional classrooms for upper school English and history courses. At the heart of the building is a dedicated theater that will seat 200 people. The new stage, theater, and neighboring classrooms will be a home for our sought-after performing arts and music programs, as well as provide a needed meeting place for larger groups of students, teachers, and parents. This building will not only house performing arts spaces, but much needed studios for visual art and digital art which will foster innovation, collaboration, and creativity. Our talented students will be able to turn their technological dreams into reality with a new makers lab, which is also included in this space. A versatile classroom and workshop, the makers lab will provide the tools and instruction for students to build whatever they can imagine. Image by Eden Lance Illustration
An Upper School Gymnasium Currently, lower school and upper school students share the gymnasium on most school days for their physical education classes. Gym space after school is also at a premium, and teams do not have adequate practice and game space. An additional gymnasium, boasting 20,912 sq. ft., will allow for lower school students to have full use of the current gym during the school day. Upper school students will not only have a new dedicated space for school-day P.E. classes, but equally important, will have additional space for after school athletic practices, games, and even the ability for Oakwood to host tournaments. The facility will feature locker rooms, team rooms, weight and cardio rooms, as well as office space for our athletic and physical education staff. These enhancements will ensure our Hawks are an athletic force in the community! Image by Eden Lance Illustration
“Every day is a happy day at Oakwood.” –Oakwood student
www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
A Playfield and Track Oakwood has long planned on building a playing field and track on the northern part of the campus. A new field that will meet the needs of upper school athletes and increase opportunities for lower school P.E. students has become increasingly important. The competition field will accommodate soccer, football, track, field hockey, and lacrosse teams. Expanding Oakwood’s athletic program is essential to the development of our students. One of the great benefits of a small school is the opportunity to make a big impact at a competitive level. At Oakwood, our athletes are encouraged to reach new heights through team spirit, comradery, and leadership. Balancing our campaign efforts in all facets of education is a major priority, and provides a timely opportunity for athletic growth with comprehensive team spaces and training facilities—giving our athletes every possible advantage with a community dedication to health and wellness.
Image by Eden Lance Illustration
By the numbers: 11 New team rooms,
200 Seat theater
locker rooms, cardio & weight rooms, and office spaces added in Gymnasium
55,000+ Additional
square footage on campus with additional buildings
750 Total student
capacity after new buildings are completed
5
Sports can utilize playfield & track
100%
15 Month construction
effort for Liberal Arts Building and Gymnasium
14 New classroom and creative spaces added in Liberal Arts Building
100 Percent participation
needed from our parents, alumni, alumni parents, faculty and staff, and friends
Campaign Leadership Team Spreading Our Roots will be led by our volunteer campaign leadership team in collaboration with Oakwood School’s development staff. Collaborative leadership is a powerful force in ensuring Oakwood is poised to complete its campus master plan vision. We are thankful to these parents for their generosity and dedication to making our fundraising efforts a success. Visit www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow to learn more about the dedicated team helping us lead the way on this important endeavor.
1 Opportunity to
Grow With Us in Oakwood’s inaugural capital campaign
www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
Donor Bricks and Tiles
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s in the past, Oakwood is offering the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on our campus, with the option of purchasing donor bricks and tiles. With your gift of $500, $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000 to Spreading Our Roots, you may celebrate, honor, or commemorate—the message and the words are up to you! Please consider making an investment in students’ lives which will have an immediate impact on our current community as well as on generations to come. With your contribution, you have the opportunity to—
• • • •
Commemorate your family’s years at Oakwood Give as a graduation gift to a senior Recognize a teacher or alumnus/alumna Memorialize a beloved family member or friend
The location for the paving tiles will be determined as we get closer to the completion of our campaign. Brick and tile size are determined by your total campaign gifts to Oakwood School. Please contact Melissa Barrow at: mbarrow@oakwoodway.org for the inscription form or with any questions.
am constantly surprised and “Iimpressed by the incredible, diverse talents of the Oakwood students. ” –Oakwood teacher
There are naming opportunities available at an array of donation levels, so consult our list below to see where you can leave an indelible mark on our beloved campus.
Naming Opportunities
Liberal Arts Building
Gymnasium
Existing Spaces
Suggested Gift Amount Building........................................$1,000,000 Theater............................................. $500,000 Lobby................................................ $250,000 Visual Arts Studio Classroom.... $100,000 Digital Arts Studio Classroom.. $100,000 Makers Lab...................................... $100,000 Student Center............................... $100,000 Stage................................................. $100,000 Music Classrooms (2)......................$75,000 Drama Classroom............................$50,000 Upper School Liberal Arts Classrooms (7)..................................$50,000 Dressing Rooms (2).........................$25,000 Green Room......................................$25,000
Suggested Gift Amount Building........................................$1,000,000 Court................................................ $250,000 Lobby................................................ $100,000 Boys’ Locker Room....................... $100,000 Girls’ Locker Room....................... $100,000 Boys’ Team Room.............................$50,000 Girls’ Team Room............................$50,000 Visiting Team Room........................$25,000 Weight Room....................................$25,000 Cardio Room.....................................$25,000 Concessions Stand...........................$25,000 Bleachers.............................................$25,000
Suggested Gift Amount High School Building.................. $500,000 Lower School Gym........................ $500,000 Office Building............................... $350,000 ECE Building.................................. $250,000 Lower School Building................. $250,000 Middle School Building............... $250,000 Preschool Building........................ $150,000 Tennis Courts................................. $100,000 Library.................................................$75,000 Sports Court......................................$50,000 Lower School Science Lab..............$50,000 Middle School Science Lab............$50,000 High School Science Lab................$50,000 Lower School Classroom................$25,000 Middle School Classroom..............$25,000 High School Classroom..................$25,000
This is your chance to create a lasting legacy for the future of Oakwood School.
Playfield Track..............................................$3,000,000 Artificial Turf Field....................$2,000,000
www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
Donor Recognition
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akwood School appreciates all donations, regardless of amount. Individuals who are able to give at higher levels make a tremendous difference and the school provides special recognition. All donations made to the school receive recognition as outlined below. Thank you for your support! Head’s Circle Donations of $25,000 and Above
Patrons’ Circle Donations of $2,500 - $4,999
Invitation to Head’s Reception Bench on the Oakwood Campus Tile on the Oakwood Campus (12” x 12”) Name included on the Oakwood Giving Tree Recognition on the published Oakwood Donor List Member of Leadership Circle
Tile on the Oakwood Campus (12” x 6”) Name included on the Oakwood Giving Tree Recognition on the published Oakwood Donor List Member of Leadership Circle
Founders’ Circle Donations of $10,000 - $24,999
Brick on the Oakwood Campus (8” x 8”) Name included on the Oakwood Giving Tree Recognition on the published Oakwood Donor List
Bench on the Oakwood Campus Tile on the Oakwood Campus (12” x 12”) Name included on the Oakwood Giving Tree Recognition on the published Oakwood Donor List Member of Leadership Circle *Donors at the Leadership Circle level ($2,500 and above) will be invited to a special recognition event in fall 2019. **All alumni gifts are included in Alumni Club and receive donor recognition at level of gift as outlined on this page.
Trustees’ Circle Donations of $5,000 - $9,999 Tile on the Oakwood Campus (12” x 12”) Name included on the Oakwood Giving Tree Recognition on the published Oakwood Donor List Member of Leadership Circle
Spirit Club Donations of $1,000 - $2,499
Hawk Club Donations up to $999 Donations of $500 or more receive a brick on the Oakwood Campus (4” x 8”) Recognition on published Oakwood Donor List
Alumni Club All donations** Name included on Oakwood Alumni Giving Tree Recognition on published Oakwood Donor List
T
hank you for your interest in supporting Oakwood School. We are fortunate to have a wonderful tradition of philanthropy from parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends. This commitment to our school allows for the continued excellence and achievement that is the hallmark of an Oakwood education.
Ways to Give
Like nearly every not-for-profit, independent school, Oakwood relies on annual fund gifts, capital campaigns, and event support to supplement tuition, bolster the scholarship program, enhance learning, and extracurricular opportunities, and support construction and renovation projects. Donations are vital to the ongoing academic and financial health of the school. Please read on about the many ways that you can support Oakwood School. Any questions about Oakwood fundraising can be directed to the Development Office at giving@oakwoodway.org. On behalf of the entire community, thank you for your generosity and participation in giving to Oakwood School!
best way I have found to explain the “The positive impact Oakwood has had on my children’s lives is to say that they have flourished at Oakwood. There is no more apt description of their transformation. –Oakwood parent
” www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
Cash or Credit Card Donors may make gifts by cash, check, or credit card. You may make your donation online using our secure site at: www.oakwoodway.org/support/make-a-donation. If you would like to make a pledge and arrange for automatic monthly charges to your credit card, you may also arrange for this online or you may contact Melissa Barrow, Director of Development at mbarrow@oakwoodway.org or 408.782.7177 ext. 255. Alternatively, you may mail your donation to the school: Oakwood School Attn: Development Office 105 John Wilson Way Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Pledges A multi-year pledge enables you to maximize the impact of your campaign commitment. A payment schedule of 3-5 years is encouraged to help families fulfill their desire of making a most meaningful gift. To inquire about pledges, please contact Melissa Barrow, Director of Development, at mbarrow@oakwoodway.org or 408.781.7177 ext. 255.
Oakwood School is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All gifts to the school are tax deductible to the extent of the law.
Gifts of Stock Oakwood School gratefully welcomes gifts of stock. Donors may avoid capital gains taxes by transferring stock directly to Oakwood. The account information below should provide everything needed to complete a transfer to our school. IMPORTANT: Please let Director of Development, Melissa Barrow, know in advance of your transfer so your gift may be processed in a timely manner and correctly credited. Please send an email to mbarrow@oakwoodway.org and include the type of stock and number of shares you are transferring. Morgan Stanley Acct #: 164-078920-089 Morgan Stanley DTC #: 0015 Acct # for A/C: Creative Center of Los Altos dba Oakwood Contact: Susan Spaugh Phone: 415.984.6615
Matching Gifts Many Oakwood families and their friends work for companies that offer a matching gift program. These corporate philanthropy programs vary from company to company, but generally they will match some portion of their employees’ donations to qualified charitable institutions such as schools. As an accredited school and a not-for-profit public benefit corporation, Oakwood qualifies for nearly every corporate matching program. Oakwood relies on philanthropic giving from parents and the wider community and students benefit from gifts large and small. By taking advantage of your corporate matching gift program, you can maximize the value of your gift at no additional cost.
www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
Planned Gifts In addition to gifts of cash or securities, there is a variety of other gift vehicles that enable donors to make larger gifts than would otherwise be possible. Such gifts often generate substantial tax savings and can generate increased income as well. Each of these gifts must be tailored to a donor’s specific situation. Please call the Development Office at 408.782.7177 ext. 255 for more information, as well as consulting with your attorney and other advisors. Gifts of Real Estate or Appreciated Property Many donors find it attractive to give appreciated property—homes, other types of real estate, businesses, personal property, etc.—because of the potential tax benefits. Bequests The simplest way for donors to arrange for a gift from their estate is to include a bequest provision to Oakwood School in their will. Life Income Plans These gift plans allow donors to give assets to Oakwood School while retaining an income for themselves or others. In addition to providing income (often tax-free), these gifts offer a number of tax and other advantages. Gifts of Life Insurance Many people own some form of life insurance that was purchased to provide protection that is no longer needed, even though the policy is still in force and may have significant cash value. Such policies can form the basis of a gift to Oakwood School.
Honorary and Memorial Gifts Gifts made in honor or memory of a student, faculty or staff member, coach, or friend are gratefully accepted.
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e look forward to sharing progress and updates with you over the coming year. Please visit our campaign website (www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow) regularly for news pertaining to the Spreading Our Roots efforts. It is our hope that all families will participate in the campaign and at our various 20th anniversary celebrations in ways that are both personally meaningful and significant. Each one of you is part of the Oakwood legacy and we are grateful for your investment allowing us to address both the current and future needs of our students and supporting us as we undergo a major campus expansion. Thank you for the impact you make on Oakwood. We wouldn’t be the strong community we are without your support.
www.oakwoodway.org/watchusgrow
taught me “Oakwood the importance of hard work, meaningful connections, and the value of community. These values have helped me throughout my college career and have shaped what I search for in my professional advances. –Oakwood alum
105 John Wilson Way Morgan Hill, CA 95037
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