The Happy Kid Project

As the summer draws to a close and we enter the 2024-25 school year, Oak Knoll steps through a momentous threshold. We enter our 100th year as a Catholic educational institution indelibly connected to the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and the visionary pedagogical dreams of Cornelia Connelly.

Delayed somewhat by the pandemic but kicking into full gear almost a year and a half ago, a centennial committee has been hard at work collaborating to ensure the coming school year is filled with fun events, a rich understanding of our history, and an exciting look ahead at the schools’ next century.

Oak Knoll's 4x400 relay racers recently concluded what has become the winningest winter track season in Oak Knoll history. School and individual records were shattered right and left, and the relay team ended the Nike national meet by racing among the best in the country and being selected as All-American Athletes. (4:18 mins)

For this edition of the Happy Kid Project, we thought we’d introduce you to some of the members of the Black Scholars Club at Oak Knoll who recently helped the DEIJ Department organize a special assembly on African American Alumna in the Arts. The club was established at Oak Knoll well over a quarter of a century ago, and these current members tell us a little about what they think the club adds to the Oak Knoll community, and they share their thoughts on what the special assembly meant to them. (5:51 mins)

We take a moment to share a longstanding tradition at Oak Knoll. Each year, a special day is designated for each grade level in the Upper School to get away from campus, slow down, and take stock of where they are as students and members of the larger community. Michele Van-Kalsbeck, Director of Campus Ministry, tells us why. (5:06 mins)

On Thursday, February 22, the Black Scholars Club at Oak Knoll welcomed Upper School students to a special assembly celebrating African Americans and the Arts. From literature to performance, African Americans’ creativity has shaped culture, inspired generations, and enriched our lives. This special assembly presented an esteemed panel of alumnae who spoke about their journey, experiences, achievements, and the ongoing importance of diversity and representation in the arts. (39 mins)

During the first weeks of the 2023-2024 school year, Oak Knoll unveiled and launched a new “house system" — which sets a historical precedent and will give students a joyous tradition for playful competition and familial pride for generations to come. In the short podcast, Assistant Athletic Director Melissa White explains the idea's origin and how the houses were chosen. You can also read about the new house system in this news article. (4:48 min)

In addition to academics, Oak Knoll has always placed a high value on social-emotional health. Zoe Harmaty '25 took it upon herself to add to available resources and instigated a brand new speaker series at Oak Knoll called “Chasing Excellence.” We like to say that Oak Knoll students live by faith, learn by doing, and lead by example. Harmaty is certainly an example of this. She’s a student with a passion and a purpose, and she’s proving that education is about being in community, and being in community is about caring for those around you. (5:15 mins)

According to the National Retail Federation's seasonal trends report, one hundred sixty million Americans bought candy this past Halloween, spending 2.6 million dollars over Halloween on candy alone.

With Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and the candy-consuming giant Easter on the horizon, this country is producing hundreds of millions of tons of candy wrappers that are likely ending up in landfills.

Thanks to a seventh grader at Oak Knoll with a bright idea and the partnership of the student-run Green Team at Oak Knoll, those wrappers are heading in a different direction. (5:17 mins)

Oak Knoll has an extremely robust offering of student-run clubs. With over 60 in the Upper School and dozens more in the Lower school, students with a particular passion they wish to share have the opportunity to propose their club, and if approved, rally other students to join them in that mission. In this short podcast we pop in on a recent Upper School Club Fair — where students promote their club offerings to their classmates. (7:05 mins)

For an endurance bike rider, a "century" is the term for a 100 mile ride. Imagine performing over 30 centuries in six weeks! That's what Track and Field Coach Mickey Cassu undertook over the summer when he rode from coast to coast across the United States. Listen to Coach Cassu narrating his exciting trip in this short podcast. (6:34 mins)