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The Oakridge School is a private school located in Arlington, Texas, USA. It educates about 880 students in age groups Pre-K-12. ==History== The Oakridge School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school. A non-profit institution governed by an elected Board of Regents, the school is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (1988). It holds membership in the National Association of Independent Schools (1987) and is recognized by the Texas Education Agency (1982). After its founding by a group of concerned parents in March 1979, The Oakridge School opened at the Handley United Methodist Church on Forest Avenue in east Fort Worth in August 1979 with 85 students under the leadership of headmaster Peter Ensor. In 1981, the Board of Regents named Andy J. Broadus its second headmaster. Broadus had served as associate headmaster at (Jacksonville Country Day School ) in Jacksonville, Florida. Enrollment quickly grew to 154 students. The Texas Education Agency accredited Oakridge in 1982, the same year NAIS granted "new school status." While the school gained academic traction, it sought a permanent home. Upper School classes were held at a house on Meadowbrook Drive in 1981-1982. For three years, from 1982 to 1985, Oakridge operated at the old Handley Middle School, which was razed in the early 1990s. Due to problems with the lease agreement with the Fort Worth Independent School District, and ongoing doubts as to the location of a permanent home, the Board of Regents purchased the 35 acres on the south side of Pioneer Parkway and started construction on the Early Childhood Center building in 1983. This, the first building on the Pioneer Parkway campus, was ready for students in the fall of 1984. The year 1985 was a major turning point in the history of The Oakridge School. Its first class of seniors (7 members of the first alumni class) graduated in 1985. One of these pioneer members of the Oakridge Alumni Association came from the United Kingdom (Wales), beginning a tradition of enrolling international students that continues. To date, Oakridge students have enrolled from 24 different countries. In the Fall of 1985, Oakridge opened the Upper School Building at 5900 Pioneer Parkway. With the 1986-87 school year, the school completed the move to the new campus with a new Lower School, Middle School, and Student Activity Center. In December 1987, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accredited Oakridge. That same month, the NAIS granted the school full and active membership. Several months later (March 1988), (Independent Schools Association of the Southwest ) accreditation followed suit. Among all ISAS members schools, Oakridge led with the greatest enrollment increase for the 1988-89 school year. In September 1989, Oakridge started the Pre-school program for three-year-olds, making Oakridge the only ISAS school in the area with such a program. "It is never too soon to start laying a strong foundation," remarked one parent. Headmaster Andy J. Broadus was named a Klingenstein Visiting Fellow at Columbia University's Teachers College in January 1992. By then, the school's debt had been reduced while plans were underway for expanding the Early Childhood Center (1993) and the construction of a new library and the Amon G. Carter Multipurpose Activity Center (1994). In September 1992 the National Merit Scholarship Corporation named Oakridge's first National Merit Scholar. Oakridge successfully completed its first ten-year accreditation visit in 1997 with outstanding reviews by visiting teams from ISAS and SACS. This was followed by the launch of a $6 million capital campaign for the construction of a fine arts center and information center. An extension to the Lower School was completed that summer (1998). The new Information Center opened in December 1999, followed by the John P. Flavin Fine Arts Center in May 2000. In 2006, the Boswell family of Fort Worth announced plans to sell 47.5 acres of property across the street on the north side of Pioneer Parkway. "We had always wanted the property," Mr. Broadus said, but the parcel belonged to several family members and could not be sold. After a real estate agent pieced the land together, Mr. Broadus was pleasantly surprised to see a for-sale sign. "That had to be ours," he said, especially in light of the fact that other Fort Worth sister schools had outgrown their space and had to relocate and build new campuses. "That land meant () would never have to move." The school acquired the additional land and set out to develop a master site plan for development into an athletic complex.〔 〕 By 2007, the "Securing the Legacy" campaign had exceeded the $6 million goal. That September, the new Security Center was completed, the most expensive square footage ever developed by the school, due to the high technology needs of a secure campus. Changes in leadership came in 2007 as well. Mr. Broadus, the longtime headmaster, stepped down from his role and assumed the title of president and chief fundraiser and developer for the Oakridge Athletic Complex. His associate headmaster, Jon Kellam, who had first come to Oakridge in 1993 and who had served as a soccer coach, English teacher, and Middle School head, stepped up to take over the management of the daily operations of the school. Mr. Kellam holds a master's from Texas Christian University, is an alumnus of Stanford University's Educational Leadership Institute, is a member of ISAS's Secondary Commission on Standards, and was selected as one of the 2014 Head of Schools fellows at the (Klingenstein Center ) of Columbia University.〔 〕 The 2011-12 school year saw various developments at Oakridge that impacted students across all divisions and in Academics, Arts, and Athletics. First, the new Quinn Family Kindergarten Center opened, creating four new K classrooms and almost doubling the Early Childhood Center to over 16,000 square feet. This state of the art facility was made possible by the philanthropy of Billy and Stacey Quinn. The former Paradise Liquor store and gas station had been purchased and refitted for use as a 10,000 square foot Wrestling Center, with bathrooms and storage for the adjacent Duggan Track. In the realm of technology and public speaking, an Oakridge grandparent, Dr. Don Shelton, donated a short-range radio station: K-OWL AM 1670. After just a few months on the air, and streaming online, Oakridge Radio had listeners tuning in across 40 states and 13 countries. To inspire students to share what inspires them and to work collaboratively and creatively with classmates on campus and in the community, Oakridge led a group of local ISAS schools with the first TEDx Youth Conference. This event supports the school's mission and philosophy. Furthermore, it has expanded to other schools (private and public) in the metroplex. The 2012-2013 school year featured another TEDx Youth Conference and two other developments: first, the Dubliners Colloquium for Upper School English students drew not only Oakridge students but those from eight other metroplex schools.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://dubliners2013.blogspot.com/2013/02/nathaniel-plemons-of-oakridge-school.html )〕 Also, the Oakridge Athletic Complex opened the Tennis Complex with eight new, hard-surface courts. This allowed Tennis to be added to Middle School programs. Both the Track and Tennis courts are already serving the needs of many groups across the community, including the nearby Arlington Police Training Center. Looking ahead to the future of education and how we can best serve students, Oakridge announced its new Learn21 program. This came about after years of study and observing other schools' technology initiatives. Phasing in over a two-year period (2013–14 and 2014–15 school years), The Oakridge School will provide tools for an innovative classroom environment in which students connect, communicate, collaborate and create.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.theoakridgeschool.org/page.cfm?p=3409 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Oakridge School」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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