We believe Oaks Christian delivers exceptional remote learning. We also believe, however, that learning is most effective when students are fully engaged, face-to-face with a dedicated and committed teacher, in a live environment with their fellow students. We also believe that students social wellness and emotional well-being are increased when they are in community with their peers and teachers.

Scientific and pediatric studies have shown a relatively lower risk of adolescents contracting the COVID-19 virus, a reduced severity of the disease manifestation in young people, and a lower occurrence of transmission of the virus from young people to adults. We believe that the school, upon listening to and in consultation with health safety experts, is well-prepared and well-positioned to take reasonable precautions for the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.

We have committed more than $4 million in preparing the campus to open this August. Improvements include, but are not limited to:

• Acquisition of modular classrooms to enable middle school distancing
• Acquisition of a modular medical/quarantine triage facility
• Acquisition of classroom space at Calvary Community Church to enable high school distancing
• Social distancing projects including, but not limited to: personal protective equipment; dividers; social-emotional wellness area; food delivery systems; student traffic routing plans; campus signage, and hand cleaning stations
• Plumbing touch point reductions throughout the campus (e.g. toilets, sinks, faucets, drinking fountains, bottle re-filling stations, etc.)
• New and enhanced deep cleaning systems and protocols
• Live stream equipment
• Thermal-graphic camera testing systems
• Classroom “Owls” state-of-the-art cameras for distance/remote learning
• Classroom TVs
• Additional faculty staffing related to smaller class sizes

We believe strongly that our primary responsibility is to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for both the academic learning and social-emotional health and well-being of our students. To that end, we have focused efforts to prepare the school in the following areas:

Social Distancing – Oaks Christian started this process with a significant advantage over other schools given that our average class size (pre-COVID-19) was 16-18 students per class. This year, the school continues to utilize additional classroom that has enabled us to further reduce our average class size to 12-15 students per class, which maximizes the spacing and distancing of students.

Deep Cleaning Systems and Protocols – Cleaning/disinfecting protocols have been significantly increased. Child-safe disinfectants have been obtained and will be sprayed using hydrostatic sprayers throughout the campus. Janitorial services will include daily deep cleaning, mid-day cleaning, and immediate after class cleaning of all classrooms and common areas.

Temperature Scanning – Sophisticated thermal-graphic cameras have been installed throughout the entire campus. Temperatures will be taken for everyone (students, faculty and staff, visitors). Anyone with a fever will not be allowed to enter/remain on campus.

Face Masks/Face Shields – The school is required to follow the health and safety requirements of the State of California and the Los Angeles County Health Department. Currently, these requirements state that all students and adults must wear face masks while indoors. Masks may be removed when outdoors.  

Personal Hygiene – The school will require the students and faculty and staff to frequently engage in hand washing and to practice good personal hygiene to protect themselves against the virus. To this end, the school has made significant infrastructure changes to the campus: improved positive airflow and air circulation with the school’s air handler equipment; converted bathroom facilities to “touchless” technology; replaced drinking fountains with filling stations; installed hand sanitizer devices throughout the campus and in every classroom, and developed deep and interim cleaning protocols for all classrooms and common spaces, etc.

Infrastructure and Technology – The school has undertaken significant investments including, but not limited to: live stream equipment; thermal-graphic camera systems; ‘Meeting Owl’ classroom interactive camera systems; classroom laptops and tablets; classroom TV’s, social distancing signage, and modular classrooms.

Social-Emotional Health Emphasis - Oaks Christian continues to grow its Social-Emotional Health and Wellness Center under the leadership of Associate Head of School for Spiritual Life Dee Dee Mayer.  She is expanding our programs to specifically identify, monitor and assist families in obtaining help in matters related to a student’s emotional health and well-being..

Remote Learning is defined as the substitutionary and time limited use of technology for traditional on campus students to be able to engage in real time classroom learning while off campus. Remote Learning is not intended to be used out of convenience, but for students who have an absence from school expected to last at least three (3) consecutive school days due to illness, specifically-approved extended absences, or mandated quarantine.  As mentioned earlier, we believe that students learn best when engaging face-to-face with a teacher and peers in a classroom setting. With that said, Remote Learning will only be allowed on an exception basis and requires the written approval of the school’s Medical Director Dr. Bryan Wong (bwong@oakschristian.org). 

Parent partnership, always a great hallmark of the Oaks Christian parent community, will be critical to the success of the 2021-22 academic year.

• Please do not send your student to school if they are sick or there is a possibility that they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.  Instead, contact the school health office immediately for guidance.
• Pay attention to your student's level of stress and anxiety this year. We can help, but you know your student the best.
• Lastly, sit down with your student and help them to understand that the small thing of “being kind” is going to be a big factor of how this year will go for them. It’s going to be important that our students and teachers to come together, work together, laugh together and trust each other. There will be lots of opportunities to be frustrated and “bully each other” as we walk this road together. The community (students, teachers, parents, and administrators) needs to be ‘One Oaks Christian.’

Financial support through donations will continue to be a critical part of our operations. Donations provided by our community will be prioritized in two main areas: 

1. Added costs associated with campus improvements and re-opening
2. Financial support for families in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn

For those interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Teri Kupfer tkupfer@oakschristian.org

To make a donation to support the Oaks Christian School community, please click here. If you have any questions regarding giving, getting involved or how you can make an impact, please contact our Chief Development Officer, Eddie Moore, emoore@oakschristian.org, or another member of our advancement team.