Dear Parents,

I hope this message finds you well. As we progress through the month of July, we are thrilled to share some exciting updates and achievements from Oakridge.

Parents connect.

Firstly, we would like to express our gratitude to our Oakridge Parent partners for their continuous time and support and we had the first meeting for the year. The Oakridge Parent Partnership Program is a collaborative initiative that aims to strengthen the bond between our school and our incredible parent community.

To ensure the utmost effectiveness of this program, we have carefully chosen a representative from each grade and section, encompassing Nursery through Grade 12. We recognize that our parent community is a treasure trove of knowledge, talents, and connections. In collaboration with your class parent partner, we invite you to actively contribute to our school’s success by sharing your expertise and resources. Whether it’s offering internship opportunities, arranging engaging field trips, or connecting us with experts for guest lectures, we value your suggestions or leads for social service activities that we can undertake as a school community. Additionally, any workshops that you can provide in arts and STEAM-related activities would be highly beneficial.

We had wonderful conversations with parents during the Parent orientation program across the school, fostering a strong sense of community. Additionally, we hosted a delightful coffee evening for parents of our Early Years students in our Early years city campuses, further strengthening our connections with our parents.

NAE Social Impact award

Our school has recently received the NAE Social Impact award – Bronze accreditation for our unwavering commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Building upon this success, we are now embarking on the next phase of our journey towards the silver accreditation. Our aim is for every member of the Oakridge Vizag community to learn about child rights as suggested by the UNCRC and the Global Goals.

We kindly request parents to familiarize with the importance of child rights, as they empower our children, and to embrace a sustainable way of life by taking responsibility for our environment. Our UNICEF team will be reaching out to you, seeking your valuable input and feedback. They will ask questions about how the school is incorporating child rights and SDGs into our practices.

Academic Results

We are proud to announce that our students have been excelling academically. Our Cambridge students have achieved outstanding results in their Checkpoint Primary and Lower Secondary Examinations, with averages higher than the international average in English, Mathematics, and Science.

Not just that, adding a feather to the cap is the IBDP results. Our second Cohort of IBDP 2023 has scored an excellent result. The class average is 32 against a Global average of 30.24. This could not have happened without our students’ dedication and the added effort of our teachers and parents. The top score was 41/45 secured by Shrithan who is now headed to the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA. I am also happy to inform that all our graduating students of CBSE and IBDP are university placed and we have 100% placements in prestigious universities & colleges in India and Abroad.

Ruthwik of IBDP1 has achieved the AP (advance placement) Scholar award for outstanding scores of 4/5 in Computer Science A and perfect 5/5 in both Microeconomics and Calculus AB. Congratulations to Ruthwik.

Update on career counselling

Career counseling sessions have been conducted to guide our students on various educational opportunities, both in India and internationally. Representatives from esteemed institutions such as the University of Massachusetts, Xavier University, Bath University, Kings College London, University of Technology Sydney, and the University of British Columbia have provided valuable insights. In the coming week, we are organizing a career session for Class 8 students, providing valuable guidance on further education options, and exploring various career paths.

Recently, we successfully conducted a session for Class 10 students, addressing their career-related doubts and helping them understand the scope and opportunities associated with choosing specific subjects in Class 11.

Value added Programs.

Our students have also participated in special programs to enhance their skills and discover their unique potentials. Students of Gr 9 (CBSE & CAIE) & Gr 11 (CBSE & IBDP) participated in a 3-day ‘Program Accelerator’ from 3rd July 2023 to 5th July 2023, conducted by 8 Billion Ideas, an Edtech company. This program aimed to help students discover their unique personalities and develop their communication skills, personal branding, and social media presence. The accelerator challenged our students to level up in all aspects of life – not just academically or career-wise.

Additionally, students of Grade 6, 7 & 8 had their 3-day ‘Program Incubator,’ an entrepreneurship program that took them from idea to pitching in just a few hours. The program focused on teaching them how to turn ideas into action, adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, and get creative while collaborating with others.

Early Years update

The Class teachers facilitated an enlightening session on UNCRC rights, using an informative video to engage our lovely students from EY1 to Gr 1. The students enthusiastically expressed their rights on the given topic “My Dream.” In addition, we organized a meaningful “CARE for our OCEAN” activity, aligning it with our efforts to “Save our beaches.”

For EY2, we hosted a delightful beach party as part of our “save our ocean” topic. It was a fun and educational experience, instilling in our young learners a sense of environmental responsibility.

Baseline assessments have been conducted for the Early years to identify learning gaps and create effective action plans for our young learners.

Performing arts

In the performing arts realm, we have witnessed exceptional talents during the Inter House events, Oakridgers Got Talent- Music and Dance, and Natya Ravali, a national-level dance competition. Our students have brought home several prizes, showcasing their passion and skill in the arts.

Upcoming events

Looking ahead, August is set to be filled with exciting competitions, including Recitation and Art Competitions, as well as World Fashion Day celebrations. We are also hosting various guest speakers to inspire and empower our students on health, hygiene, and more.

Sports and physical fitness remain integral to our curriculum. Inter-house football matches and yoga competitions are scheduled for the upcoming weeks, providing our students with opportunities to stay active and foster team spirit.

Lastly, we are extremely proud of Pranav, an IBDP 1 student, who participated in the NAE-UNICEF Student Summit at the UNICEF headquarters in New York along with delegates from all our Nord Anglia schools across. Their commitment to tackling global issues and cultivating social purpose is truly inspiring.

Thank you, dear parents, for being an integral part of the Oakridge community. Together, we are nurturing and shaping the future leaders of tomorrow. We look forward to more successes and achievements in the weeks to come.

Shaila Bhamidipati

Principal

Oakridge International School, Visakhapatnam