Teens are universally known for trying on different hobbies and academic interests as they test the boundaries of their growing minds. As young people enter their middle and high school years, finding a school that nurtures and guides their potential to the fullest becomes top-of-mind for many parents. Rooted in the Quaker values of equality, peace, community, integrity, service, and stewardship, students at Oakwood Friends School (OFS) are challenged to put their learning in motion and lead lives of consequence and meaning.
“Students find their voice at Oakwood,” says Head of School Chad Cianfrani. “Active participants in their education, students collaborate with teachers and peers inside and outside the classroom. Community engagement and service is integral to the program and students are challenged to put their learning into action from the first day of 6th grade through graduation in 12th.”
Founded in 1796, OFS is the oldest independent co-educational boarding and day school in New York. The School serves grades 6 through 12 and offers a challenging college prep curriculum within a diverse community dedicated to nurturing the spirit, the scholar, the artist, and the athlete in every student. Nestled in Poughkeepsie, close to the Hudson River, the beautiful 55-acre campus features a theater, greenhouse, athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, and more.
OFS students are a mixture of both day school students who live throughout the Hudson Valley, many of whom travel to the campus via the daily busing routes of Oakwood and 14 different school districts in the area, and boarding students from across the Tri-State area, and across the globe.
To provide every student with a well-rounded school experience, OFS emphasizes the arts, music, and theater courses in equal measure to math, science, language, and humanities. Beginning in the 6th grade through graduation, students participate in courses ranging from ceramics, still life, print-making, dark room photography, dance to environmental studies, astronomy, astrobiology, individual music lessons, three full theatrical productions a year, student gallery exhibitions, and seasonal concerts. Upper School students can choose from over 40 electives, and mathematics students can now participate in a dual-enrollment program that provides the opportunity to receive both Oakwood and college credit in calculus and advanced statistics.
While there is much to enjoy in the classroom, there are plenty of opportunities for students to make an impact in the wider community, too. Students act as citizen-scientists, gathering and submitting real-time data on everything from Hudson River tide levels to hand-counting glass eels during their migration from the Sargasso Sea to the Wappingers Creek. Middle School students engage weekly with local Hudson Valley organizations through a service learning curriculum. Volunteer efforts and projects with non-profits, soup kitchens, farms, and more range from addressing food scarcity throughout the Hudson Valley to migrant worker rights to the ecology of the Hudson River.
“Students learn best when challenged to take risks and push themselves outside their academic comfort zones,” says Cianfrani. “When an athlete discovers the joys of ceramics, the artist explores the complex beauty of fractal geometry, or the actor codes their own video game, that’s when we are engaged in true learning.”
For parents and students interested in learning more, Oakwood Friends School is hosting an in-person open house on Sunday, May 19. Take a tour and talk with the head of school, academic directors, college counselor, and admissions team about the Oakwood program, curricular offerings, and plans for next year. Families can also contact the Admissions Office by phone at (845)-462-4200 or e-mail admissions@oakwoodfriends.org to arrange an in-person tour of campus.
