William Thill

Oakwood School was founded in 1951 by parents who wanted to provide their children with an educational experience rich in the arts, sciences, and humanities, and challenging to their creative, intellectual, and physical capacities. They wanted a learning community that would foster independence of thought, intellectual integrity, sensitivity to the needs of others, and prepare students for participation in a democratic society. Oakwood remains committed to the founders’ goals. We believe that a school environment should foster individual growth and an active communal life, should hold intellectual attainment in high regard, and should encourage young people to exercise increasing autonomy and responsibility—for one another, for the environment, and for the larger world. We believe that a school best prepares children for the future by focusing on the quality of their experiences in the present. We believe that teachers and learners should inspire one another, and that school must be rewarding in its own right. And we believe that young people’s feelings and thoughts should be accorded respect and dignity.