We strive to offer a family atmosphere for students while providing a rigorous academic program.
Our conservative community believes that children should be allowed to grow up in an unhurried, yet richly enhanced learning environment… and we want JESUS infused in everything they learn. If the world’s self-centered messages to our families and young people do not appeal to you… OAKS may just be the place for your family.
Spiritual Life
OAKS students all have teachers that have dedicated their lives to bring children closer to Jesus. Our teachers are passionate about showing students how to have an active walk with Jesus and choose to model this lifestyle in their personal life. Teachers start each day with time to learn and reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of us while connecting lessons across the curriculum with aspects of God and His plan of salvation for us. Throughout the year, students are given the opportunity to have Bible studies and study for baptism. Most importantly, our students and faculty pray for each other every day.
Our Buddy Worship program is a truly unique feature that only OAKS offers. Each classroom partners with another classroom for the entire year. At the beginning of the year, teachers pair individual students from both classrooms to form buddy worship groups. The older students lead personal devotionals for their worship buddy every Wednesday, teaching them through stories, poems, activities, and prayer. In addition, buddy worship groups sit together every Friday at our school-wide chapel. Through the Buddy Worship program at OAKS, God has blessed our student culture and paved the way for our students to mentor others, growing in Jesus together.
Academic Excellence
It’s a well-known fact that students in Adventist schools are working on a higher level than anticipated when compared to public school students. However, compared to other Adventist schools in the Georgia-Cumberland Conference, our performance was on average more than one year stronger than the Georgia-Cumberland Conference average. Our OAKS students and teachers work hard to achieve their academic goals. The OAKS difference is real and measurable.
Music Education
OAKS is very proud of our music program and is known in the community as having an excellent music program. Our two expert music teachers lead every student in music theory classes. Our music classes are:
Kindergarten – Music and Movement
1st/2nd Grade – Piano Lab
3rd Grade – Recorders
4th Grade – Beginning Bells & Chimes
5th Grade – Beginning Band
6th-8th Grade – Advanced Bells & Chimes
6th-8th Grade – Advanced Band
Private music lessons during school are available for band instruments and local teachers offer piano, violin, and guitar lessons in the afternoon.
Art Education
One of the newest programs at OAKS is the Art Education program. OAKS employs a local professional artist to teach art classes in every classroom. Disciplines vary based on the students grade, but include drawing, painting, design, and color.
Physical Education
OAKS believes that children learn more efficiently when they have a chance to move. Our goal is for students to have 300 minutes of physical activity every week. To meet this goal, all students are provided with a daily PE class with instruction in fitness and game play. Older students learn how to balance playing sports while honoring God with their actions. Recess and free play are also provided on our playground and in our gymnasium. All classrooms also work to incorporate movement throughout the curriculum.
Outdoor Education
Every year, OAKS students in grades 5-8 learn through three days of Outdoor Education, an experience designed to get the students out of the regular classroom to learn skills or engage in activities outside. Although the activities vary from year to year, sample activities include ropes courses, caving, team-building, rock climbing, hiking, and snow skiing.
Technology Education
Our 24-station computer lab was updated in 2015.
Grades 1-8 learn software program skills, coding, typing, web design, and research. OAKS has a very secure internet filter and a server that allows older students to save their work on site and to use the latest technologies available.
In addition, each classroom has several student computers so that students can work on projects when they don’t have access to the computer lab. Each classroom has a projector or large television, document camera, and other technologies that allow teachers to share media throughout their instruction.
STEM Education
OAKS offers STEM classes to middle school students on Fridays where they use their creativity to design, build, and intuitively learn many principals of mechanics and engineering.
After school, our LEGO Robotics team works together to build and program robots using software and design elements. For several years, OAKS has entered a team in the spring Lego League challenge at Southern Adventist University.
Tour OAKS
A big question for any parent and child is, “What are the classrooms, playground, and other areas like?”
Other Programs & Services
Aftercare
We offer a daily aftercare program that runs until 6:00 p.m. (additional fees apply).
Sports Camps
Several times a year OAKS has been able to offer after-school sports camps in basketball and soccer (additional fees apply).
Hot Lunch
OAKS provides a hot-lunch program five days a week to support families in providing nutritious meals for their children. Lunches can be ordered online through the RenWeb app.
Library
All students visit our library every week to read and research from our collection of over 2,000 texts.
Once a month, OAKS partners with McKamey Animal Center for “Paws to Read,” a program that helps students improve their reading skills while helping the shelter animals by providing socialization and positive human interaction. Cats and dogs find the rhythmic sound of voice very comforting and soothing. They also learn the important skill of sitting calmly with a person.