Dear Oakwood Schools, community – alumni, parents, teachers and neighbors:
As students and faculty settle back into daily routines of classes, homework, and activities, the Oakwood Schools Foundation is gearing up for continued growth and evolution. With deep gratitude for our donors, we look forward to celebrating the opening of the brand-new Rick and Jane Schwartz Performing Arts Wing, the result of the successful completion of Phase 1 of the Flourish Campaign for the arts. You can see progress on a weekly basis as the facility takes shape! It will soon be humming with students, creativity, and music – completion is expected in the winter with the wing in full use by Spring semester.
As the Oakwood School District welcomes Dr. Neil Gupta as its new Superintendent, the Foundation welcomes new talent and more committed volunteers to its Board of Trustees. We recently onboarded six new Trustees, which includes an expansion of our Board of Trustees by two seats. Dr. Gupta has invested generous time meeting OSF staff and trustees, showing his commitment to the continued growth of the four-decade-long successful partnership.
“I am appreciative of the Foundation for its commitment and contributions to enhance educational experiences for our students. I look forward to our continued partnership and the opportunity to celebrate the wonderful learning activities currently taking place and the opportunity to grow our programs and build student curiosity and learning”, Dr. Gupta said.
Together we look forward to new opportunities in 2023-24 to enhance education through twice-annual teacher grants, the new Greenhouse, possible thanks to fundraising by the Class of 1972 and a grant to teacher Heidi Edwards, OSF’s annual programs Philanthropy 101, Harlamert Entrepreneurship Competition, Parker Love of Teaching and Lifelong Learning Award, over 20 student scholarships, and more.
Next up for OSF is 2023 Homecoming weekend when we welcome alumni and the community to our 9th annual Come Back Lumberjacks on September 29th, the annual post-football game party which has raised more than $120,000 since its inception and will include friendly competition fundraising between classes for the second time this year. Always popular, along with the district leadership and OHS student tour guides, the Foundation hosts tours of OJH and OHS on Saturday, September 30th, showcasing the impact of OSF’s work for our students, our Schools and community.
Looking towards the future, in addition to continuing the Flourish Campaign for much-needed new and enhanced arts facilities, our efforts during the 2023-24 school year will expand our reach to more OHS alumni across the country, add new members to OSF’s legacy giving society—the Dream Builders, host our second annual Donor Appreciation Event in the spring, plan our second annual Summer Soiree, establish an OSF mission endowment, and more. None of this would be possible without our donors, for whom we are deeply grateful. For more information see https://oakwoodschoolsfoundation.org/.
With gratitude,
Linda Woods
Chair, Board of Trustees
Oakwood Schools Foundation
