OACS celebrating 20 years of education

In 2000, Oakland Mayor Jon VanderLey had a vision for bringing a charter school into the town, something unique for the residents of Oakland.

His dream was realized in 2003 with the opening of the school — which in its inaugural year was known as West Orange Charter Elementary School — with patriotic red and blue for the school colors and the Eagle for a mascot. The name was changed the following year to Oakland Avenue Charter School.

The first principal was Nina Kuhn, followed by Juan Colon, Marcia Cason, Dr. Daryl Unnasch and the current principal, Pamela Dwyer.

Dwyer, staff and students have spent the 2023-24 school year celebrating 20 years of education on the campus at 456 Oakland Ave. The anniversary year kicked off with new signage featuring an updated design.

“To celebrate 20 years as a community school speaks volumes to the dedication to offering educational choices to the students in the West Orange County area,” Dwyer said. “It's a time to reflect on the journey of achievements and successes, the friendships, the memories made, and the impact that the school has had on the lives of students, teachers and the community. It's a reminder of the importance of education and the role that schools play in shaping the future. Overall, it's a time to feel grateful for the past and hopeful for the future as we continue to make a difference together.”

There have been mini celebrations throughout the year, including the Legend Lock program. Rainey DeLima, who has a long history with the school, coordinated the effort to get “legacy” students to purchase locks and have them engraved before they are placed on the front fence.

Legacy students are those who attended kindergarten through fifth grade or those who started in the school’s inaugural year — no matter what grade — and completed their elementary education at OACS.

Red or blue locks can be purchased at a.co/d/4H15GMN. Lock locations can be reserved for a minimum donation of $5 on Schoolbucks. All legacies are invited to attach their locks at a ceremony May 4.

DeLima also created a timeline of photos and newspaper articles on the front wall of the office and a video montage of photos taken in the last two decades. Celebrations have continued with students’ artwork on display during Oakland Heritage Day, a school display at the Healthy West Orange Arts & Heritage Center at the Town of Oakland, a drone photo of the staff wearing 20th anniversary shirts and an upcoming “In Our Eagle Era” yearbook distribution.

A MOMENT TO SHINE

Through the years, programs have come and gone, and some have morphed into something else for the students.

For years, OACS hosted the Eagle Pride Parade for fifth-graders, but after the pandemic, it shifted to an Eagle Fly Award drive-thru parade to celebrate their promotion to middle school.

In its infancy, the school also held an FCAT Parade, the second-grade play “Going Buggy,” an annual hoedown and a Principal Challenge.

As the school has grown, so too has the number of events, programs, fundraisers and performances. There have been Mega Blast Bounce House and Boosterthon Fun Run fundraisers, the annual gala, Mother-Son and Father-Daughter dances, restaurant nights, holiday celebrations, curriculum nights celebrating groups such as veterans and American women, unique school groups such as Collector’s Club and American Girl Club, Bring Your Parent to Lunch days, the formation of the OACS spirit squad, the Caught Ya program in which students making good choices can pick a prize from the principal’s office, Mrs. Dwyer’s Sunshine Cart and Senior Walkout for alumni who are graduating high school.

LEGACY STAFF

Two members of the Oakland Avenue Charter staff have been at the school since the beginning: Missy Keating and Barbara Bishop. Keating was hired as a second-grade teacher, taught a few other grades and has been a dean for 10 years. Bishop was hired as a teaching assistant in kindergarten and currently serves as director of the lunch program and oversees the media center volunteers.

Keating was hired right out of college, and it was her first year of teaching.

“You’re learning as you go, and with a brand-new school,” she said. “I think we got power like the day before the school opened. We were doing preplanning and training at a nearby church. It was 100% down to the wire.”

She switched to fourth grade after two years, and six years later she became the compliant specialist in the English for Students of Other Languages program. When Dwyer became principal, Keating joined the administration team as a dean.

She said she has remained at the school for her entire educational career because of the amazing experience.

“I’ve had a lot of friends who have left here, and they just talk about how better OACS is,” Keating said. “They go to other schools, and they don’t like the administration or don’t like having to follow the county directives and all of that. … And I really feel like — especially since Mrs. Dwyer’s here and the administration team she built — it’s such a strong team and we just … work really well together. … I don’t think I would find anything better.”

All three of her children have attended OACS.

When Bishop was hired, her children were of school age and she wanted a job with similar hours to earn some extra income. She stayed for the next 20 years because it kept her busy and she enjoyed the work and the people.

She called the first year at the charter school a challenge but said it was fun and exciting too because everyone worked together to make it a success.

After her stint as a TA, Bishop moved into the media center and worked with a library specialist. When the library was temporarily removed, she transferred to the cafeteria, starting as a register attendant and working her way up to lunch program director. She has returned to the media center as well and oversees the volunteers.

Bishop has fond memories of her first kindergarten class, and she keeps a photo of those students on her desk.

“Every once in a while, I see them on Facebook, and it’s just warming to see their faces and how they’ve grown and gotten mature,” she said.

Bishop is retiring this year after 20 years at the school. At a recent Oakland Town Commission meeting, elected officials proclaimed March 26, 2024, Barbara Bishop Day for her “outstanding contributions to OACS and the community.”

“It’s coming to an end for me, and it’s kind of bittersweet,” Bishop said. “This is home to me.”

TIMELINE

2000: Oakland residents attended a Town Commission meeting to express their desire for a charter school in the town.

2001: The Orange County School Board approved Oakland’s charter school application.

2003: Officials turned the dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony to start construction. In August, the school was completed and ready for its inaugural year of education.

2005: Patrick O’Keeffe, the nephew of famed artist Georgia O’Keeffe, was hired as the art teacher.

2014: Four teachers and 80 students were moved to a new building, freeing up three classrooms for specials programs in a media/technology lab, art room and science lab.

2014: Forty-one students in the gifted program had a plot at the community garden on Sadler Avenue and were awaiting their first baskets full of fresh vegetables.

2016: Each grade level at Oakland Avenue Charter School came up with a community outreach project, and kindergartners chose to share music and art with senior citizens.

2018: Third-graders embarked on a community outreach project to bring Buddy Benches to the playground area.

2020: An Eagle scout candidate built six raised garden beds.

2021: Students created posters that were placed along a path in the courtyard for a Black History Harmony Walk.

2022: OACS was named an Orton Gillingham School, which utilizes the multisensory phonetics technique for remedial reading instruction,

2023: Two former students, now Girl Scouts, revived the school’s Kindness Garden with rocks containing positive messages.

2023-24: Teachers, staff and students have celebrated the 20th anniversary of the charter school with events throughout the school year.