Tamika Dees, Head of Middle School

In Fifth and Sixth grade this year, students have had the opportunity to explore five civilizations and examine the importance of laws within each one.  In Fifth grade, our scholars discovered ancient Mesopotamia and the significance of the Ziggurat as well as the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  In Ancient Egypt, students learned about the importance of the Nile and the role the Pyramids played in everyday life.  Finally, they enjoyed building Ziggurats out of toothpicks and marshmallows, and will soon be building Pyramids out of graham crackers and icing.  

In Sixth grade, students studied African history and had opportunities to design and build their own African masks.  These scholars are beginning a study of the Middle Ages, and Sixth graders will be building castles in the next two weeks.  As always, the goal is to strike a balance between reading comprehension, critical thinking, note-taking, and having fun with our projects. Life is always about balance, and our desire is to help our students understand the importance of working hard and playing hard.    

Seventh-grade History has been moving full steam ahead, covering the founding of the thirteen original colonies, the challenges they faced, and the concept of how national identities are formed. Classes played (loudly!) ‘Fortunate Son’ by Creedence Clearwater with Americana images and identified how many they relate to, while trying to put themselves in the shoes of the Colonists to experience how they started to form an identity separate from England. As the unit moves forward, our young explorers will begin to study the thoughts and ideas of early philosophers like John Locke, Thomas Payne, and Baron de Montesque to see the influence they had on the founding and shaping of our Republic. This is an engaging time for Seventh-grade History as they start to blend historical events with the philosophies of the Founding Fathers. 

Eighth-grade History builds upon Modern US Topics, utilizing discussion, note-taking, and written assignments to convey a deep understanding of issues from the last 150 years.  Although it is only a semester-long course, it is packed with outstanding work and discussion over the course of sixteen weeks. Please stay tuned in the following weeks as we continue to feature our phenomenal departments and the amazing things happening here in the Middle School at Oakridge.

Cooler Weather Dress Code

Now that the cooler weather has descended, here are a few reminders about our MS Dress Code:

• Collared uniform shirts are required Monday-Thursday, with Spirit Wear Dress Code now on Fridays.  No exceptions.
• Tights may be worn under skirts, but must be navy blue, black, or white (opaque or cable- not sheer).
• All outerwear (including Spirit Days) must be purchased from the school’s approved uniform vendor or the Owl’s Landing Spirit Store. (sweatshirts, fleece zip up, sweaters, sweater vests, etc)
• Sweatshirt may not be longer than the skirt or short
• Blankets may not be used as jackets (i.e. worn as capes)

Semester Exam Schedule

Semester Exam Information:  Dec 15th - Normal full school day (A)

Semester Exams (½ day early NOON dismissal Tuesday - Friday for US and MS students)

Middle School Exam Schedule:

• Dec. 16 - A2 / A5
• Dec. 17 - B7 / A1
• Dec. 18 - B9 / A4
• Dec. 19 - B10 / B6 

*Students in grades 5-8 will follow the exam schedule.