Elementary

Kindergarten through eighth grade students benefit from our small school atmosphere with big school opportunities.

Small school atmosphere: As a small school, with small class sizes we are better able to provide differentiated instruction––a fancy way of saying that learning is tailored to each child’s learning style and needs. In addition, our students and their families become part of our extended school community, which supports each other in the classroom but also beyond it.

Big school opportunities:  Music and art are taught by credentialed teachers specializing in their fields. Week-long outdoor education programs for grades 5-8 are integrated into the science curricula. Students learn creative problem-solving, teamwork and programming skills through robotics program and competing in the FIRST Lego League. Daily PE classes not only help with physical development but also improve learning.

Life is about much more than book learning.  Music, art, PE and outdoor education not only enrich our lives but help students with standard academic subjects as well.  These areas are all built in components of our program for all students.

Each month our art teacher, Mrs. Philips, comes into every classroom and spends two hours helping students produce beautiful pieces of artwork while sharing with them the stories of famous artists, teaching them the techniques of art and exposing them to the various genres of art in the world today. We are thrilled to be able to offer these exceptional art classes to our students!

Research demonstrates that music education provides an opportunity for cognitive development that no other school subject offers. Music uniquely combines right brain and left brain activities encouraging total brain development. 

Our music program has been designed and is taught by a full-time, certified music educator.  It is based on the intentional combination the Kodaly, Delcroze and Orff methods to teach choral and percussive instrumental music as students begin to learn to read music. The level and amount of music education increases with the grade level, until students in grades 5-8 have music daily. 

Fifth graders start in Beginning Band and can choose an instrument from one of three categories:  pitched percussion, brass (trumpet, trombone, french horn or baritone) and woodwinds (flute, clarinet or saxophone). Students will learn to play their instrument while also playing in a group setting.  Private lessons are not required.

Three days a week, K-4 are instructed in classroom music.  Starting in grades 5-8 students have instruction 3 days a week in choir ensemble.

Music performances occur throughout the year in our local church, Christmas programs and at our Spring Concert. The Bands will also participate in the annual band adjudication held each spring at Chico State University.

Active bodies make for healthy, learning brains.  Our students at all grade levels get at least 30 minutes of PE time daily, as well as recess either outdoors or in our gymnasium.

Outdoor Education has been an important part of Chico Oaks  for more than 15 years. Middle school classrooms have spent a week in spring at various locations over the years such as tide-pooling along the Mendocino coast, scuba diving off Catalina Island or in Monterey Bay, backpacking in the Ishi Wilderness, exploring the Nevada desert, spelunking at Lava Beds National Monument, or exploring ecology in the forests of the Sierras.

We believe that taking students into God’s creation (and away from electronic distractions) helps them connect and bond with each other while at the same time immersing them in the beauty of the Creator. Our goal is that a learned love for creation leads to a love for the Creator.

We are so grateful to our amazing parent volunteers who organize and coach our after school sports programs.  The focus for these teams is learning skills, practicing teamwork and getting exercise.  Our teams do play in various leagues, but our priority is learning rather than competition.

Our LEGO Robotics program is available to students starting in third grade. This after school elective gives students experience working on collaborative teams to build and programm LEGO robots to accomplish specific tasks outlined in each year’s LEGO robot challenge.  Our middle school teams compete in regional tournaments and have often qualified for a national competition.

As a small school we have the flexibility to encourage our older students in leadership through their regular, intentional interactions with students in younger grades. In addition, students can choose to participate in our student government program.

The available elective clubs can vary from year to year depending on student interest.  In the past, these have included cooking, yearbook/photography and crochet.

After school care is provided each school day from the end of school until 6 pm. The first 15 minutes after school is dismissed students are supervised.  After that, if a student has not been picked up he/she will be included in our after school care program. Our coordinator provides activities, the opportunity to complete homework and supervision.  The charge is $6.00 hour.