Academics

Student Support

Understanding and appreciating individual differences among students is an essential component of Oakwood’s unique community. The Support Services department is dedicated to helping individual students make the most of their academic courses by helping them to develop an awareness of their learning processes. When students or their families need guidance in how to face an academic challenge, the Support Services department is ready and willing to help.
We work alongside teachers and administrators to address the individual needs of students by helping students to develop an understanding of the skills called upon in various classes and referring students for tutorial assistance, educational assessment, and/or educational therapy. Our goal is to help students become independent learners as we coordinate their work with teachers and other educational professionals.

List of 4 items.

  • Elementary Story Center

    The Elementary Story Center balances leisure browsing, independent reading and bustling group activity. Weekly classes foster a love for literature and develop library skills through a spiraling curriculum that often connects with classroom lessons. Research projects throughout the grades are supported with selected books and electronic databases.
    The Story Center is open during recess times, as well as before and after school. The community is encouraged to discover our many print, online and multi-media resources. We welcome students, parents and faculty to check out our nearly 16,000 fiction and non-fiction books, as well as peruse the age-appropriate subscription databases and online encyclopedias. The Story Center is a collaborative environment, not only encouraging students to find themselves in stories, but to also participate in new adventures.

    Find the link to our online catalog to the left and poke around at our virtual bookshelves. Let's match the just right book to you!
  • Secondary Campus Library

    The Oakwood Secondary Campus Library provides students and faculty with a variety of online resources and print materials to support our community with their pursuit of lifelong learning. Our library includes an extensive collection of the latest books, as well as a wide range of digital scholarly databases. Our full-time Research Librarian is also available to assist students with honing their research skills needed to excel in college and beyond.
  • Secondary Campus Study Center

    The Study Center is open to students at the secondary campus daily. It is a place where students can work independently, and/or where they can meet with the Learning Specialist to review strategies for particular assignments or to improve general study skills.
  • Peer Tutoring

    In an effort to help support all Oakwood students, we offer the Oakwood Peer Tutoring Program. Designed to support students' academic endeavors and supervised by the Study Center Coordinator, the Peer Tutoring Program allows students to request a peer tutor in a specific subject area. Peer tutors are carefully selected and passionate about giving back to their younger classmates.

Frequently Asked Questions

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

  • Why might a student come to the Support Services office?

    There are many different reasons students ask for help: often a teacher, or Advisor, or another student has suggested it. It may be that students notice that their study habits and strategies aren’t successful in a new grade level or in a particular class. Additionally, some students are curious about how their learning profiles might work to their advantage in a particular subject.
  • Why might a parent contact the Support Services office?

    For all the same reasons a student might, or perhaps because he or she is observing patterns of behavior at home that are limiting the student—not finishing work, a sudden drop in grades or interest in a subject, or a difficulty demonstrating knowledge on tests. Sometimes it’s easiest for students to stop by the office during lunch or a free period. If that is not convenient, send us an email and we’ll make a point to find time to talk.
  • How does Support Services work with teachers and other administrators to help a student?

    Because our goal is for students to be successful in the classroom, teacher’s observations and suggestions are very important. Understanding a student’s work across the curriculum also helps us see what techniques or habits are working well for a student. Our ability to share information about an individual student’s learning profile is helpful for teachers as they respond to questions or give feedback to the student. While formal assessment reports or results of testing are kept secure and confidential, we make sure that teachers and administrators know the relevant information to support a student in his classes.
  • How does Support Services work with professionals outside the school to help students?

    In partnership with families, we sometimes make referrals to professionals within the educational community such as psychologists and educational therapists. When students are working with outside support, it is most helpful when those professionals have a relationship with the school. Sometimes this means working with multiple classroom teachers, support services, and administrators. Our Support Services office is often in the best position to coordinate the communication between home, school, and outside support.

Elementary Campus

Katie Nolan
Learning Specialist
Maia Morgan
Elementary Campus Counselor
Kat Svetlik
Librarian
Valeria Guzman
Story Center Assistant

SECONDARY CAMPUS

Wendy Weicker
Director of Support Services
Kavita Ajmere
Director of Counseling and Wellness
Alejandra Alfaro
Research Librarian
Teri Goldman
Learning Specialist
Sara Shewfelt
Human Development Coordinator
Haleh Kouchmeshki
Middle School Counselor, Human Development Coordinator