Dr. Amy Alsip, Head of Upper School

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Upper School Families, 

It’s been a wonderful week in the Upper School. We have wrapped up another SPC season and are so proud of our student athletes. This week we are showcasing our musical, String, and cannot wait to see how our Owls perform on the big stage. 

This week, I have been thinking a lot about choices, mistakes, and outcomes, and in my ponderings, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Ratatouille. “If you focus on what you left behind, you will never see what lies ahead.” I hope our students can put the past struggles and challenges behind them and find a way to grow through them to seek success and confidence on the other side, and learn from these valuable lessons.

Next Wednesday, February 25, we will be hosting the Alliance for Children on campus for their Internet Safety for High School Presentation. The lesson educates students on recognizing, preventing, and responding to digital risks such as cyberbullying, digital abuse, and unsafe online behaviors. It also promotes digital self-awareness, self-management, and responsible digital citizenship to help students make safe and respectful choices online. We hope this will open up some healthy conversations at home as well.

The Oakridge School presents a brand-new musical: String

String is an original, imaginative musical that brings the Greek Fates to life in a bold new way. Having been cast off Mount Olympus, the Fates are sent to Earth to continue weaving the tapestry of the universe—learning, along the way, what it truly means to be human.

Through powerful music and storytelling, String explores fate, free will, and the threads that bind us all together. Join us for this exciting new musical and experience a story as timeless as myth and as human as now. 

Tickets: $10 (all sales online)

Purchase tickets: https://theoakridgeschool.hometownticketing.com/embed/all

Lunar New Year Dragon Dancers

Today, all of our students wore red to support this special holiday and enjoyed some visitors to campus to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Did you know that Dragon Dancers are trained performers who use poles to manipulate a long, flexible dragon puppet? Usually seen during Lunar New Year, they perform to bring good luck and prosperity and to ward off evil spirits. What a treat it was to have them on campus! 

College Colloquium—Now Virtual

College Colloquium, Oakridge College Advising’s signature event, has been rescheduled and will now take place virtually on Wednesday, February 25, at 7:00 PM. This program offers families and students a rare opportunity to hear directly from senior college admission leaders about today’s evolving admission landscape. Whether your student is just beginning the college journey or actively preparing applications, this evening will provide clarity, insight, and confidence.  We hope you’ll join us! Register today to reserve your spot.

AI in RL - US Colloquium, April 2

On Thursday, April 2 we will host the 13th Annual DFW Interscholastic Colloquium: AI IRL (artificial intelligence in real life). The colloquium has traditionally been a paper conference where students from independent schools around the Metroplex present their ideas on a common literary text. This year, however, students were given a list of dystopian, science fiction, and nonfiction texts on which they could base papers or artwork.

We are so excited about the submissions we have seen, which showcase our students’ talent as thinkers, readers, and writers. Our students have shown us how vital creativity and communication is in the age of AI, a time when it’s so tempting to take shortcuts out of the fruitful struggle that creation provides. 

On the day of the colloquium, our Upper School students will be engaging in an enriching academic experience on our campus. Students from other independent schools across the metroplex will join us Thursday for a day celebrating student choice and voice. The day will be facilitated by our US students, providing leadership opportunities outside of the classroom that cannot be replaced.

We encourage you to discuss this opportunity with your kids so they understand the value of hearing ideas exchanged between their peers during the conference. By asking questions and engaging with differing perspectives, our students will have a preview into the rich intellectual exchange they’ll encounter at the collegiate level. Please encourage them to maximize this opportunity as a truly college preparatory experience.
 

Panelist Info

Dr. Bryan Carter is a community leader, connector, thought leader, pastor, and communicator. He has served as the pastor of Concord Church in Dallas since 2003. He currently serves on the boards of Frost Bank Dallas Advisory Board, Mayor’s Star Council, Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) International, and Family Life Ministries. He also serves as board chair for Harmony Community Development Corporation. He also leads the African American Pastors Coalition and co-leads Dallas Clergy, a fellowship of Dallas churches.

Margaret Winchell is the Director of Choral Activities at SMU Meadows School of the Arts, where she conducts the Chamber Singers and Concordia. She also teaches graduate courses in choral conducting and literature. Winchell is in the post-residential phase of the D.M.A. in Choral Conducting at the Yale School of Music, where she sang with several acclaimed choirs including Yale Camerata and Schola Cantorum. During her time at Yale, she mentored young conductors in the Yale Undergraduate Chamber Choir and served as the first student conductor of the Schola Cantorum, preparing the choir for performances under David Hill and Masaaki Suzuki. She received the Robert Shaw Prize for excellence in choral conducting and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music’s Faculty Prize.

Dr. Curby Alexander is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the TCU College of Education. He teaches courses on the foundations of education, instructional methods, digital communication and collaboration, and experiential education. His current scholarship is focused on K-12 technology integration, cybersecurity education and workforce development, and geospatial education. 

Maddie Bradshaw has helped oversee the development and implementation of project-based AI programs and projects at Inspirit AI. She interacts with students and families as both an instructor and a program advisor. Before joining the team, Maddie was a computer science and STEM teacher at a K12 independent school in Los Angeles. She is passionate about STEM education, project-based learning, and teaching. Previously, she received a Master's in Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor's in Science, Technology, and Society from Stanford University. 

Have a great weekend!

All my best,

Dr. Amy Alsip
Head of Upper School