Community Articles

Oakview Elementary earns Blue Ribbon

By Cindy Landrum
Neighborhood: Asheton Springs

Oakview Elementary calls itself a habitat for learning.

But it’s not just for the butterfly garden where students can watch caterpillars turn into Monarchs, the South Carolina garden where students grow cotton and popcorn or the orchard where students can pick apples.

It’s also because of the collaboration between parents, teachers and students that transforms the school into a place where all students, including those in traditionally underachieving groups, perform well academically.

That’s why Oakview was named a National Blue Ribbon School for the second time by the U.S. Department of Education.

Oakview was one of four South Carolina schools – and the only school in the Upstate -- to earn the nation’s top education award.

When the school won the award in 2000-01, any school could apply for the award and be judged on student focus and support, school organization and culture, challenging standards and curriculum, active teaching and learning, academic excellence and partnerships between school, family and community.

The criteria changed the following year to correspond philosophically with the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Now, schools are nominated by the state Department of Education and must meet one of two criteria: schools in which at least 40 percent of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds and show dramatic improvement in test scores in reading and math, or schools, regardless of demographics, that perform in the top 10 percent of schools in the state.

Oakview met the second criteria.

“When our kids walk in, they have nice clothes, look clean, were fed breakfast and have parents who have helped with homework,” said Principal Phillip Reavis. “But every kid in the classroom has needs. Our teachers need to be so attuned to the needs of their students because their needs are harder to see.”

Regardless of family income, the quality of the teacher is still the number one indicator of student performance in the classroom, he said.

Oakview continues to see improvement in test scores even though the school is among the state’s top-performing schools, something that amazes Reavis.One reason is because the school has virtually eliminated the achievement gap between white and black students.

“We have a lot of support from every direction,” said Kristina Joyner, a third-grade teacher at the school. “There’s a high level of involvement here you don’t see in other schools.”

Kelly Yanity said parental support is so strong that classes must hold lotteries to determine which parents are allowed to chaperone field trips.

“I think it’s the parental volunteers, absolutely no question,” said Kelly Yanity, the school’s PTA president. “It all starts at home.”

Awards are nothing new to the school.

Oakview has also won the Palmetto’s Finest Award, considered the state’s top honor for a school, and a Red Carpet Award. It has also been named a Flagship School of Promise and has won Palmetto Gold awards and school incentive rewards for high test scores.

The school started before- and after-school clubs and a summer camp in an effort to open opportunities for all students.

Of the school’s 361 fourth- and fifth-graders, 269 qualified for the Duke Talent Identification Program. Students have been recognized as Champions of the Environment and have also received the national Sea World/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence in Education Award.

The school raised $20,000 for Indonesian tsunami victims in 2004 and another $20,612 for Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005.

“It’s great to see what the kids get to do here, the interaction and the extras the school does,” said Michelle Speedy, who is in her first year as a second grade teacher at the school. “The parental support and the extra experiences the school provides enhances student learning.”

Contact Cindy Landrum at 679-1237 or clandrum@greenvillejournal.com.