At Oak Hill Academy, parents and families are an integral part of our tight-knit community. As educators, we understand that sending your child to boarding school is a momentous decision. In many ways, it is a leap of faith.
So from the moment parents reach out to learn more about Oak Hill, we are dedicated to getting to know their child, their unique personalities and needs. Our admissions process begins with our Admissions Director, Mrs. Giszack. Parent Magda described her experience:
“Mrs. Giszack was so unbelievably welcoming from the get go, and so happy to talk to [our son].” Magda went on to explain that Mrs. Giszack saw her “child as an individual, not as a statistic with grades. She was so, so excited about his background.”
Oak Hill is small by design, and our boarding school environment is built to support each and every individual student. We make sure during our admissions process that as we get to know their children, parents get to know us
Community sets Oak Hill apart
Magda’s experience is far from unique. Over and over again, parents of our students describe our supportive community as a key factor in their decision to send their child to Oak Hill.
“The best way I would describe the Oak Hill Academy community is family. All the teachers know my daughter by her first name. The staff all know her by her first name. She’s very close with everyone. They treat her as if she’s their own daughter, and she really feels at home when she’s here,” parent Richard explained.
With a student body of less than 150 and an average class size of 9 students, Oak Hill creates an ideal environment for faculty and staff to get to know each student. Everyone gets the personalized attention they need, and we all work together as a community to help one another succeed.
As part of that community journey, we support the family along the way. Magda offered, “They support the family. That’s why it’s such a community, because they know that you’re giving part of yourself to this new place and they hold your hand along the way.”
Our administrators take care to communicate openly and often with our parents. We provide students the support—and the structured independence—they need to thrive, while keeping the family experience front of mind.
Parent Meredith described her experience of having her son at Oak Hill: “I literally could go to sleep peacefully at night, knowing he was well taken care of from his dorm room parent to…the faculty,” she described.
Potential becoming possible
The Oak Hill parent experience goes beyond appreciating our hands-on admissions process and supportive community. First and foremost, our parents notice that their students are thriving here on The Hill.
“I’ve seen so many positive changes in Jordan. When he first came back home on his fall break, I noticed he was much more organized and much more efficient with the use of his time, because everything is so ordered here at Oak Hill,” Meredith described.
Parents also note that students are not only studying more and “learning how to put the phone down,” they also have become more mature and “more appreciative of life,” even after just a short time away at school.
And the Oak Hill effect extends beyond academics. Socially, our students learn and grow every day from one another.
Magda explained about her son, “I think he’s always been a pretty confident kid, but I feel like maybe he’s grown into that more. And that was a huge change to see that objectivity come out, that balance.”
Seeing our students through their parents’ eyes is a rewarding way to appreciate that here at Oak Hill, we are creating a home away from home for our students, where their potential becomes possible.
Parent Meredith put it best: “One thing I love about Oak Hill Academy is they prepare you to be the best you can be.”
Watch the video to learn more!