Here, in chronological order, are a few of the many field experiences and service-learning activities from which our students benefit:

Early American Schoolhouse Field Trip - May 18

The students in 3rd - 6th grades will be taking part in a "day at the Stony Creek Schoolhouse" on Friday, May 18th. The students will experience what school was like for children in the mid- to late-1800s. Ginger Ketelsen a retired Rochester teacher, will again be our "school marm" for the day.
A few parents will help produce an early American lunch for the students. Each student will also dress in their own costume for the event. The girls will be in skirts & blouses with aprons and bonnets and the boys will be in knickers with collarless shirts and knee-length socks. Caps or straw hats add nicely to the boys "look" as well. The 5th & 6th grade boys and girls can wear what they wore to our Colonial Night in April.  ~Nathaniel Brock

"Oak Arbor Orchard" Service Project

Click here to open the pdf of the story as it appeared in the Rochester Eccentric on May 3, 2007

On Wednesday afternoon, April 25, in collaboration with the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, the Oak Arbor property became the home for 16 apple trees (three varieties) and 14 cherry trees (two varieties)! This is part of a local environmental and educational project to reintroduce “heirloom” apple and cherry trees to school properties in the vicinity of Rochester. The trees and supplies are being donated by DTE through a generous grant to the Museum.
Thanks go to Nathaniel Brock for all the energy and time he put into organizing this project. Also thanks to several OA adult volunteers who dug holes beforehand and/or helped during the planting extravaganza: Kirk Barry, Alan David, Cara Clay, Renee Wasserbaech, Nathan Gladish. And thanks to a fantastic crew of students who worked together so beautifully.
Special appreciation goes to the folks from the Museum, Patrick McKay and Adam Sakel, who engineered this project and worked along side everyone from Oak Arbor to give these orchards a healthy start. It will be a delight to watch these trees grow!

Care Packages for our Troops

This March, Oak Arbor School helped support our troops overseas by teaming up with the "Desert Angel", Louise Downs, who has been responsible for shipping thousands of care packages from the Detroit metro area overseas to our troops since 9/11. 57 boxes were sent to American Troops. Thank you to the organizers, and to everyone who donated items. Many people volunteered to help with the packaging, in which our students also participated! We have been getting thoughtful, personal replies of gratitude from soldiers. Their notes are displayed on the bulletin board in the front lobby.

Mitten Tree @ Christmas

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this voluntary program to help needy folks in the Rochester area. Your donations were all delivered on Thursday December 7th to the Rochester Area Neighborhood House.

Food Drive @ Thanksgiving

Thank you all for your donations to the drive for food and personal care items.
During the 2006 Thanksgiving season, the school students collected non-perishable food items and personal care items for the local Food Pantry. These were delivered after the Thanksgiving service along with the fruit/food given from the congregation. Thanks go to Karin Childs for her instrumental help in organizing this annual activity.

7th & 8th Grades trip to Chicago
On October 5 & 6, 2006, the students of our middle school joined up with our sister school in Glenview, IL to visit the traveling King Tut exhibit. These periodic visits to Chicagoland are multi-faceted experiences, providing academic enrichment, social connections and the opportunity to broaden the students' awareness of geographic and cultural issues. The trips are non-stop education and entertainment suited to the states and needs of the students. As one of our students once put it, "It's like we're in school 24/7!"

Last school year -

The Spring 2006 Middle School Trip to The Grand Canyon!
I just want to say how great this year’s big Middle School trip turned out to be. It exceeded my expectations for its educational value for all the students and the teachers. The 2 days we were at the Grand Canyon, we had the exclusive attention of an excellent geologist/naturalist/guide who is also a trained teacher with gobs of experience in the Grand Canyon. From 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM, Ken was giving accommodated and hands-on instruction and answering the students’ questions patiently and thoroughly. The trip enhanced this year’s science curriculum immensely, and also gave the students and teachers a huge positive experience that will be remembered fondly for a lifetime. Thank you to all the students for their cooperation, to all the teachers for their planning and attention to detail, to all the students’ parents for entrusting their children to the chaperones and to everyone who has supported the venture. ~Nathan Gladish