Continued Program Development at Oliverian School

The summer of 2007 brought us some new perspectives as we looked back at our founding principles and mission and scrutinized our academic programs. Our purpose, we said, was to continue development, improvement, refinement in what we did so well, and tinker with what needed adapting, for we know there might always be more effective ways to do our things. So, we made some changes, part, perhaps, of growing out of childhood into the adolescence of our school. In a way, this phase of development will culminate in two years when we are evaluated by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges for our initial accreditation.

This year, we are delivering programs that speak directly and forcefully to the heart of our mission. To underscore all this, we have designed an academic credit system that awards Oliverian academic credits for those pursuits that we hold dear: traditional academics, of course, but also stewardship and adventure learning. We have redesigned our academic day:

Students are in traditional classes for four hours each morning: English (Humanities); Social Sciences; Sciences; Mathematics; Foreign Languages. A new course called Oliverian 101 offers programs to all in health, safety, drug and sex education, study skills, SAT prep and the block will be used for college prep work for seniors and juniors as well. Every student takes five full courses, plus 101.

Then, for four afternoons a week, from 1.30 to 4.00 pm, every student takes an “afternoon class” that meets for a full academic quarter, four days a week, and carries a full 0.5 academic credit each quarter. Music and Art will be offered each quarter, along with Stewardship. Our first full-time art teacher will work alongside our veteran music man, in superb art and music studios. Stewardship this quarter sees students on our farm, preparing for work with animal husbandry (cattle, pigs, and chickens) or cutting and splitting cords of firewood. Other offerings include rock-climbing, which carries Adventure credit (another requirement this year), and Culinary Arts (Stewardship credit).

Oliverian students must complete full credits each year in Experiential Education (adventure); stewardship; fine arts; and physical education, as well as carry five traditional academic courses. Seniors must also complete a Senior Project which includes a presentation to the community.

Our annual calendar reflects our mission and principles as well: Intercession programs for 7-10 days in the mid-winter offer trips near and far, each with a service learning/stewardship major component. Intercession is required of all students. And we offer two Elective weeks, one in December and one in the Spring, when morning classes are replaced by elective (credit) courses that might be taught on or off campus by teachers, students, or friends and neighbors of the school, unique opportunities to use the surrounding environment and resources.

We are a mission-based program at Oliverian School, and we are busy, students and faculty alike!