I’m sure you have heard the expression, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Well, Oakwood has been our village. I am a widowed, single mom to my daughter Kelly. Kelly joined Oakwood in kindergarten and is a Sophomore this year.
For ECE through Elementary, the connection with teachers and the parents were so comforting. Commuting an hour each way to work every day made it so much easier knowing that Kelly was being cared for by amazing office staff, teachers, and the principal. She also has food allergies and after seeing how well the nurse took care of her, I always felt at ease being so far away. Even though I leave an hour early from work every day, I do not arrive at school until 5:15 pm, due to traffic. The aftercare program always had my back. They made sure the students finished homework before playtime. They provided arts and crafts and reading activities and even cooking and a clean up song. When I arrived for pick-up, Kelly loved showing me all the things that she made each day. And yes, sometimes work and traffic got in the way of arriving on time, but there was always an Oakwood parent who was willing to help me.
During middle school, the plays and performances were my favorite part. The students were performing on stage from day one, building their confidence. And then Covid-19 happened. I was truly amazed at how fast Oakwood responded to the situation and installed all the technology to allow the students to continue with their schooling. This allowed the students to complete their school years on time and the Seniors to graduate on schedule, even though it was a virtual celebration. Kelly was learning Zoom meetings, PowerPoint and Google docs. I told her that she was learning more software than some of my peers at work!
As Covid-19 began to ease up and the students were able to return to the classrooms, Oakwood put as many safeguards in place as possible to keep our kids safe. I can’t thank the janitorial and office staff enough for putting in all the extra efforts.
For middle school through high school, I could not get over all the hands-on projects. They were so amazing and creative. The school trips offered were experiences that I know will stay with Kelly forever. The new liberal arts building allowed Kelly to grow in Theater, as well as the new gymnasium granted her the opportunity to join cheer and play multiple sports.
During the summer before Kelly’s freshman year, I saw the flyer that said Oakwood was looking for a host family for a returning international student. I inquired as I was not sure that I would even qualify as I was a single parent. After a few interviews and her return to the states, Mari became a new family member. Because of my 5:15 pm pick-up schedule, Mari was able to join Tennis and Cross-Country. I have to say the experience for us was priceless. The bonds that we made, and life lessons shared will be with us forever.
It truly does take a village to raise a child and Oakwood teachers, staff, and the Oakwood families are my village. Thank you all for your love and support.
Heidi Kobata P ’27, Host Parent ’24
