Dear FOA Family,

The end of each school year is always a busy and stimulating time and this year’s end has been exceptionally full.  We passed our new S.C. Independent School Association (SCISA) accreditation process for Academics, Montessori, and STEAM on April 24th and our academy has kept an exciting pace ever since then.  Our first World’s Fair was a celebratory event for the community, academics, the ARTS, and for student engagement.  Each class prepared songs from their cultural studies and developed their STEAM projects.  My favorite part of the performances was seeing the excitement from our students.  Uniting science and education, as Dr. Montessori did, in our own World’s Fair seemed the most appropriate way for us to start our 20th-year celebration.   The blending of interests and talents that take place every day at Five Oaks Academy was on full display at this event.

Our Guest Artist reception on May 9 features FOA Mural Artist, Jean Wilson Freeman, as well as local artist, Allison Ford.  This was another community event celebrating art and fellowship WYFF4 News featured the event on their news segments throughout that day and recognized FOA’s commitment to creativity and the arts.

Our year will end with our meaningful graduation ceremonies reflecting years of guidance, growth, and love.  This year, we will be adding our National Spanish Exam awards to the Lower and Upper Elementary ceremonies in recognition of our outstanding program and to celebrate the academic achievements of our students.  Since this is our 20th year of graduation ceremonies you would think we would have mastered the art of saying goodbye.  However, each year and each ceremony brings many memories and accomplishments to mind for each student and for us.  We watch these students grow and develop into world citizens who carry the torch of our mission with them wherever they go.

Five Oaks Academy opens minds to the world and enlightens individuals on a journey to discover their true potential.  We wish each graduate continued joy as they follow their hearts and their minds to the next stage of their lives.  It is a privilege to be a part of this miraculous process of growing and learning.

Here’s to our many celebrations and successes and to our community of students, parents, and educators who make this all possible!  Happy 20 years of Five Oaks Academy!

With gratitude,

Ms. Kathleen

Congratulations to our 2023 Eighth Grade Graduates!

Katie Heisey – Former Reading Interventionist and Sign Language Instructor – Katie had a beautiful son in April and will not be returning to FOA as we make new changes to our Reading Program to incorporate more internal Montessori method and structure.

Sami Schroeder – Former Middle School Directress – “When my family and I moved to South Carolina six years ago, we didn’t know a single soul.  That quickly changed once I began working at Five Oaks Academy.  Here, I’ve made friends that have become family.  In kind, I have absolutely loved my Middle School students, every single one; they have brought me such joy and inspiration, and I have learned alongside my students for the past six years.  I will be joining the Upstate Homeschool Co-op as their Learning Differences Administrator, but it is with a bit of sorrow that I say goodbye to Five Oaks Academy and the dear community that’s helped this Midwesterner navigate the South.  Thank you to all of my students, families, friends, and colleagues; you’ve impacted my life in many ways.”  – Ms. Sami

Jennifer Amick – Community Relations Director and CARE Team Member – “One of my favorite things about Five Oaks has always been the strong sense of community. We work hard to build great relationships with our families, students, and staff, which makes our school feel like a second home. I’m excited to start a new role at Five Oaks in the 2023/2024 school year as the Community Relations Director after spending 22 years in the classroom. While I am thrilled about embarking on a new role, the Primary Program will always have a big piece of my heart, so I am grateful that I will also continue to be the Lead Primary Program Directress. Another new opportunity for me will be working alongside the C.A.R.E team as the Literacy Developer to assess the reading needs in the Primary and Lower Elementary Programs. I’m looking forward to working with the administration team, as well as the families, students, and staff at Five Oaks to further the school’s mission.” – Ms. Jennifer

Ashapurna Ganguli – Primary Directress – Ashapurna, a certified Primary Directress, returns to Five Oaks Academy as a full-time Primary Directess.  She led FOA’s Pre-Primary classroom for several years and she previously taught the Primary Program Science lessons.  We are so glad to have Ms. Asha back in a full-time capacity!

Eleanor Shull – CARE Team Member & LE2 Directress –  “I am looking forward to returning, after my maternity leave, and will continue to support the Lower Elementary 2 classroom.  I will also be taking on a new role in the C.A.R.E. program and I am thrilled to work with Jennifer and Andrea to develop a Montessori-based reading support program for the Lower Elementary program.  I can’t wait to integrate my love of working with children and my passion for teaching reading at Five Oaks Academy.” – Ms. Eleanor

Dawn Turner – Lead Primary 1 Directress – Dawn joined Five Oaks Academy in 2007 and currently serves as a Primary Directress in Primary 1. She holds an AMS certification in Primary from North American Montessori Center (NAMC). She taught previously at Montessori West.  Dawn will be taking on the new role as Lead Primary 1 Directress and will collaborate with Jennifer Amick, who will continue her role as the Primary Program Lead for both P1 and P2.  We are excited to have Ms. Dawn in this classroom leadership role!

Catherine Haskell – Lead Lower Elementary II Directress – “I am happy to share that I have accepted the Lead Lower Elementary Directress Position in Lower Elementary 2 beginning next school year.  While I will miss the LE1 team of teachers and students, I am excited to begin a new journey at Five Oaks Academy.” – Ms. Catherine

Kelly Gantt – Lower Elementary I Directress – “Being a part of the leadership at Five Oaks Academy is very fulfilling, but I realize that I need to find a balance between my personal and professional worlds.  It is so important to me that I am giving my best to both my family and my students!  With these considerations, I feel it is best that I step down from the LE2 Lead Directress role and follow my passion for teaching and guiding my students.”  – Ms. Kelly

Savannah Tolbert – Lower Elementary II Directress – Savannah, currently a Lower Elementary 2 Assistant Directress, is currently completing a Master of Education in Montessori Education from Lander University.  She will become a Lower Elementary 2 Directress for the 2023-2024 academic year.  We are excited for Ms. Savannah to take on this new role!

Jamilah Wilkes – Lead Upper Elementary Program Directress – For the 2023-2024 academic year, Jamilah will serve as Lead Upper Elementary Directress. Jamilah earned her Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Education and Master of Elementary Education degree, both from USC Upstate. Jamilah is Montessori certified in Early Childhood Education from MTTI and has obtained her Masters +30  from Lander University with her Lower and Upper Elementary certifications.  Everyone loves Ms. Jamilah and we are proud to have her as part of our faculty!

Rachel Siglin – Middle School History Directress and Music Program Directress – We are excited to welcome Rachel to the Middle School classroom where she will be assuming the role of History Directress. She will continue to provide invaluable direction to the Classical FOA Music Program that has evolved during her two years with us.  Ms. Rachel will be a wonderful addition to the Middle School Teaching Team!

Valerie Full – Middle School Assistant Program Director – Valerie will assume an additional leadership role in the Middle School as Assistant Program Director.  She will continue her role as a Classroom Directress as well as STEAM Program Coordinator.

Sinead Kozub – Office Coordinator – After working as a substitute for the Front Office and also on several projects throughout the current school year, Sinead will join the Administrative Team for the 2023-2024 academic year specializing in After School Studios, Summer Programs, and Sycamore.  We are excited to welcome Sinead to the FOA Team!

Jessica Smith – Music Program Directress – Jessica Smith is thrilled to be joining the Five Oaks Academy family as a Music Program Directress. Jessica spent her young adult years singing and performing at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. She now resides in Greenville with her husband, two-year-old son, and their two dogs. She teaches at the South Carolina Children’s Theatre and is getting ready to graduate with her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She is very passionate about music, children, and education, so naturally teaching music is her dream come true. She is looking forward to this wonderful opportunity.

Our Middle School 8th grade trip is chosen, planned, and budgeted by the graduates. This year they chose Pigeon Forge, TN where the highlights were ziplining and spending the day at Dollywood.  Ms. Valerie and Ms. Susan chaperoned the trip and Ms. Kathleen had a great time attending as an emergency Administrator.

As we celebrate our 20th year at Five Oaks Academy our goal is $200,000.  To date, we have raised a record-breaking $180,470.00!

Here are the highlights of what has created our amazing 2022-2023 total:

Thank you to our community (families and employees) because through your donations we have raised $101,679.23!

Thank you to our students who, during Raise Craze and the March Madness Coin Challenge raised a combined total of $20,980.78!

Thank you to our first-ever FOA Golf Tournament (and organizers Andy Schroeder, Adam Staley, and David Stearns) for raising $23,287.00!

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Fall Fete (Live, Silent, and Online auctions) for raising $34,523.00!

We never would have raised this much if it wasn’t for this community’s unwavering support and continued dedication to our school!  Thank you!

Barrier Island was a wonderful opportunity for our Upper Elementary students to learn about the coastal region of our great state. The students participated in activities such as seining, team building field games, stories around a campfire, a dance party, and an up close and personal observation of some of the living creatures found on the South Carolina coastline.

The third graders had a blast at Mountain Trail Outdoor School!  Mountain Trail Outdoor School is an environmental and adventure education program of Kanuga Conferences, Inc. which uses an experiential education model to teach environmental awareness and to promote self-confidence in students.  MTOS has been in operation for over 30 years! The students had a great time exploring, learning, and spending this special time together.

Last October, Five Oaks Academy welcomed guest artist, Jean Wilson Freeman, to collaborate with students on a campus mural celebrating nature. Ms. Freeman was a part of the Stone Avenue mural project in Greenville, creating a large-scale mural with the Stone Academy students at 217 E. Stone Avenue. As an active member of the local art community, Ms. Freeman hosts pop-up art markets showcasing her work.

After Ms. Freeman completed an initial sketch on the wall, the Upper Elementary and Middle School students were able to work alongside her over the course of three days to add vibrant paint colors to the mural. As small groups rotated to assist Ms. Freeman with painting, students who were not painting on the wall worked on portable easels in the courtyard and found inspiration in the mural and in the natural environment. The new mural combines FOA’s love of nature & commitment to fostering creativity in students.

On Friday, May 5, Five Oaks Academy kicked off its 20th Anniversary Celebration with its first-ever World’s Fair! This celebration highlighted their commitment to global studies, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) as well as the support of the many countries represented within their own school community.

FOA students were the emcees for the World’s Fair celebration that kicked off with student musical performances from each program level as well as a Latin dance mix performed by Middle School Spanish 3 & 4 students. After the performances, parents, grandparents, friends of FOA, and students, enjoyed viewing STEAM projects from each level, a flag-making activity with the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, taste testing of German Pretzels, and an art show featuring student works from both the Art History and Creativity programs. FOA alumni Joey Adamson, who currently attends Clemson University, treated students to a special exhibition featuring his engineering car project as well as a car from Clemson Racing for the Worlds Fair.

The first World’s Fair was in 1851 and was held in London. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the World’s Fairs became huge celebrations of the immense and ongoing progress. The Fair was driven by a desire to display scientific and technological innovation and gains. In 1918, Dr. Montessori held a very unexpected exhibit that featured a classroom with 30 children, aged 2 ½ to 6. The classroom was called the glass house because it had extensive window panes that afforded the World’s Fair attendees easy viewing access. Her exhibition has been celebrated as a critical event that united science and education as she put the field of education into the progress paradigm. She won two gold medals for her educational insight.

Thank you to everyone who attended our first Five Oaks Academy World’s Fair on Friday, May 5, 2023. We had a HUGE turnout, and it was a beautiful day to come together to celebrate Five Oaks Academy student accomplishments in STEAM with our Annual Student Art Show, Lower Elementary Imaginary Island projects, and Middle School Job and Legacy Projects on display. The student performances of international songs and dances were also fantastic to watch!  Thank you to Maren Mueller for special ordering and to Mr. Tom for picking up the delicious German pretzels we all enjoyed!  Thank you to The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, Flatrock Family Dentistry, UE Student Rylee S., and FOA Alumnus Joey Adamson for sharing their festival activities.

Thank you also to our 2022-2023 Title Partners: Flatrock Family Dentistry, Summers Orthodontics, Reformation Home, Habitat Co. Bluefield Realty Group, Magnolia Falls Oral Surgery, Edward Jones Financial Advisor Andrew Schroeder, Darien Marie Photography, and J. Edwards Handyman Service.

As a STEAM-accredited school through the South Carolina Independent Schools Association (SCISA), Five Oaks has been recognized for its achievement and commitment to STEAM education campus-wide. This year, we were also pleased to nominate ten Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary for the “National Youth Leadership Forum: Pathways to STEM” program through Envision by WorldStrides. We were able to recognize the following students:

Lower Elementary:

• Cameron Staley (3rd Grade)
• Gram Haskell (3rd Grade)
• Kyson Garcia (3rd Grade)
• Avery Foster (3rd Grade)

Upper Elementary:

• Olivia Lim (4th Grade)
• William Sparks (4th Grade)
• Woodson Meeks (4th Grade)
• Jack Tabakhov (5th Grade)
• Siobhan Kozub (5th Grade)
• Daniel Rosales (5th Grade)