2017
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Award Winners

NBRS Badge for Oakwood Elementary School

Oakwood Elementary School - Plymouth, MN

Good friends out together at recess

Good friends out together at recess

The entire staff at Oakwood is committed to creating a positive school environment that supports the academic, social, and emotional growth of each and every student. The staff at Oakwood believes that students are more likely to be motivated and engaged when they see value in what they are learning, believe that engaging in specific behaviors will bring about a desired outcome, believe they can be successful, and sense that the learning environment is supportive. We have several actions to bring this belief to actuality: personalized learning, academic choice, KEYS to a Caring Community, community collaboration and support, and the power of relationships.

We are part of Wayzata Public Schools' "MyWay" initiative. My Way is the name of the long-term effort underway to make sure that each and every one of our students is prepared to thrive today and excel tomorrow in an ever-changing global society. The initiative began by putting digital learning devices (iPads) in the hands of students to increase student learning and engagement. At its core, the overriding goal of MyWay is to complement our current work with another tool and approach to help us provide a world-class and personalized student learning experience.

Through a committed partnership between staff, parents and community members, Oakwood Elementary provides a strong sense of connection that encourages learning. Our focus is always on providing an excellent learning experience for each and every student at Oakwood.

In recent years, we have augmented our focus on learning. The traditional topics of reading, math, science, social studies, health, etc. continue to be a priority, but we realized that many students who struggle in these areas, shine in others. To play to a larger breadth of student strengths, we have incorporated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities. We now have a STEM day for all students in the spring and are excited that a designated STEM room will be ready in the fall. Students will get more time to tinker, experiment, design, fail, redesign and, ultimately, succeed in solving problems with electronics, building materials, robotics, and other real-world tools.

2017 Awardee

Oakwood Elementary School

17340 County Road 6
Plymouth, MN, 55447-3045

(763) 745-5700

Principal at time of Nomination:
Ms. Sarabeth Deneui

Title I School

Wayzata Public School District

Suburban

School Website

Mission

Oakwood's mission is to establish meaningful relationships with each other and know and meet the needs of each and every student.

Student Demographics

  • Asian: 14%
  • Black/African American: 17%
  • Hispanic: 2%
  • White: 61%
  • Two or more races: 7%
  • ELL: 9%
  • Economically Disadvantaged: 20%
  • Application