The Arrow Summer 2021

Oak Hill Academy Parents’ Days

Where would any of us be without our parents? At Oak Hill Academy we appreciate the parents and families of our students and work hard to meaningfully include them in the culture and community of the school. Generally our campus is open and parents can visit when they’re in the neighborhood. We have a vibrant Parents’ Association that meets monthly. We even have two on-campus events each year where we welcome the parents and families of our students for special programming. These “Parents’ and Family Weekends” include special events, teacher meetings, equestrian and theatrical demonstrations, athletic contests, and lots of food and socializing. Unfortunately, due to COVID, this year we were compelled to limit visitors to campus and therefore were faced with the challenge of creating these same opportunities remotely. Thankfully the campus community rose to the challenge with flying colors. During our fall semester, Parents’ and Family Weekend included daily parent/teacher conferences as well as pre recorded segments highlighting some of the numerous clubs offered on campus this year (we had more than 40!). We had numerous student interviews, a live school tour, a live tour of the equestrian facility, a student-led dorm tour, a roundtable discussion with some of our residential life staff, a book club meeting, a Parents’ Association meeting, a roundtable discussion with a group of our alumni, an ESPN-televised basketball game, and a seminar with a licensed clinical social worker who offered some parenting tips for the holidays. We also had a special presentation on navigating the FAFSA and an overview of our College Lab. During our spring semester Parents’ and Family Weekend, the Academy offered our families daily parent/teacher conferences as well as conferences with residential life staff members. We also offered numerous live meetings showcasing several of our numerous college partners and the various niche programs found at their schools. We heard from the staff at Emory and Henry, Meredith College, Randolph College, and Bluefield College. We also enjoyed a seminar on the topic of college financial aid, streamed our National Honor Society induction ceremony, hosted a student art show, enjoyed a musical performance, and heard a group of current students describe the benefits of enrolling at Oak Hill in their own words.