Our Program

Philosophy

The ways we teach and learn are driven by research and designed to elevate our students' potential. Our program is responsive to the interests, abilities, and learning styles of the diverse individuals who make up our student body.
Live Oak School is a strong community of students, staff and families.  Together, we work to create a compelling and challenging learning environment inspired by progressive thought and grounded in shared values.

List of 3 items.

  • Our Teachers

    • Develop programs that are responsive and relevant to the needs of our students as individuals, and as active and reflective members of their larger communities.

    • Know our students well and differentiate instruction, capitalizing on student strengths and interests in order to foster success in meeting academic goals.

    • Design a developmentally appropriate curriculum that builds solid skills and a broad base of knowledge, and encourages the passions, interests and teachable moments that characterize a community of learners.

    • Understand that learning happens when students are actively engaged in the process and are motivated through natural curiosity. The teacher’s role is to provide a stimulating, safe environment in which students can ask questions, think critically, take risks and construct their own knowledge.

    • Are committed to being life-long learners. They stay informed by reading, researching, and attending classes and conferences.

    • Employ a wide variety of assessment tools to evaluate student learning, including portfolios, summary reports, exhibitions, tests, projects, observation and class participation.
  • Our Students

    • Learn by making connections.  They integrate new information with existing knowledge to construct meaning. 

    • Work cooperatively with their peers.  They communicate what they know, ask questions, learn others’ perspectives, and negotiate solutions to solve problems. 

    • Share responsibility in maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for themselves and each other and actively participate in the community they help to create. 

    • Engage actively in the learning process, and benefit from direct experience, exploration and hands-on learning.
  • Our School Community

    • Educates children through a respectful partnership between school and home.  Families participate actively in the life of the school by building a strong, supportive community that facilitates learning. 

    • Nurtures children’s minds, bodies, hearts and spirits. We want our children to possess self-knowledge and an understanding of others, to have good friends and know how to be a good friend, to have the courage to stand up for beliefs, as well as to be open to the ideas of others, to show kindness and compassion to others  and to feel a commitment to making the world a better place.

    • Strives to create and nurture a diverse K-8 community.  We embrace our similarities and differences and encourage the sharing and valuing of our unique backgrounds.

    • Understands that childhood is a time to explore, to try new things, to open doors,  and to learn about learning.  We place a balanced emphasis on art, music, drama, physical education, the humanities and sciences, promoting integration and connectedness within the curriculum.    

    • Encourages adults to learn and model the values that we work to instill in our children.  We remind ourselves that, “We must be as we want our children to become.”

Spotlight: Co-Teaching

Our co-teaching model provides all students with the support that they need. Every lower school classroom is led by two fully qualified teachers who work in collaboration to plan and deliver engaging lessons, formulate valuable and genuine assessments, and respond to student needs. 

One of the overarching components of our academic program is that our teachers know our students well so they can foster a sense of joy, curiosity, and success that is responsive to each student. This co-teaching structure ensures that each individual learning style can be met and students can be challenged in a way that is appropriate for them. 

Spotlight: Inquiry-Based Learning

An education built on curiosity and inquiry feeds a meaningful learning experience. By considering their own needs and strengths, Live Oak students are encouraged to ask big questions about the broader world. Students are partners in the learning process as they explore the curriculum in their own ways. 

We know that our students will go on to face challenges and help solve issues in their communities, and that creative, problem solving process begins in our classrooms where students drive their learning.

Spotlight: Growth Mindset

We hold firm to the belief that learning is a continuous process. Live Oak faculty and students alike share in the constant push to explore, be curious, and grow. Building our classroom experience around the growth mindset puts our students' natural curiosity at the forefront of their academic development. Teachers encourage students on a daily basis to ask questions, take risks, and look at the world through a critical lens - this is where true growth takes place. 

Admissions

Live Oak School welcomes and admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, citizenship status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and faith to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities of Live Oak School. Live Oak School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, citizenship status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and faith in administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions policies, Adjusted Tuition program, and athletic and other school-administered programs.