AN
INTRODUCTION TO OCEANA
Questions
that students might ask about Oceana
1. How does Oceana's block schedule
work?
2. How are classes different at
Oceana?
3. What
does a student at Oceana need to do to be successful?
4. What is
community service and how does it work?
5. When does Advisory meet and
what is it for?
6. Besides
passing classes and doing community service, what else do I need
to do in order to graduate?
7. What about sports
and extra-curricular activites at Oceana?
8. Can I take Advanced Placement classes
at Oceana?
1.
How does Oceana's block schedule work?
Oceana's
block schedule means that there are 3 classes per day, plus an advisory
class four days per week. One day is periods 1, 3, and 5. The next day
is periods 2, 4, and 6. Each period is 100 minutes long, so over two
days you have six periods of 100 minutes each (similar to a traditional
school where you would have six periods per day at 50 minutes each.)
There are two breaks each day: a Nutrition break between blocks I and
II, and lunch between bloks II and III.
In
100 minute periods, students have more time to think, discuss, write, experiment,
practice and work on projects. Also, teachers have more chance to spend time
with individual students when they only have 2 or 3 classes a day. Students
are not rushing from class to class, adjusting to a new teacher, and trying
to keep track of so many disconnected subjects to learn and assignments to
do.
2.
How are classes different at Oceana?
Teachers see themselves as "coaches" who help students
be responsible for their own learning, not simply as experts who
tell students facts to memorize. There aren't as many lectures ,
or use of textbooks and worksheets as you'll find at most
high schools. We believe people
learn better by doing things. Students are asked to do activities,
research, and projects covering a lot of information. Also, we believe
that most things in life are best studied from more than one point
of view. So we try to make connections between subjects.
3.
What does a student at Oceana need to do to be successful?
Be responsible
for your own education. This means knowing how to learn, and realizing
that no one can make you learn except yourself. Think about how you
are building the skills and knowledge you need in order to prove
that you are ready to graduate. This means more than doing
homework; it means talking to teachers about what and how you're
learning, and doing your part on group work, and not doing long-term
projects at the last minute.
4.
What is community service and how does it work?
One of Oceana's goals is to develop people who
are active, aware citizens of a democracy, and contributors to their
community. By doing service, you are learning valuable skills
in the "real
world" and you are gaining pride in
helping others. You learn how to work with others, how to make contacts
and keep commitments, and skills that will help you find
a job someday. One of the reasons for our shorter school day on Wednesdays
is that it gives students an opportunity to do community service
during the day.
5.
When does Advisory meet and what is it for?
Advisory
allows you to have one adult at the school who can get to know you well and
help you through school. Parents can contact the Advisor if they need to talk
with someone at school and teachers can talk with the Advisor to find ways
to help students succeed. The Advisor makes sure you are meeting
the requirements for graduation and college, and offer help when you need it.
Advisory also gives you time to work on homework and projects.
6.
Besides passing classes and doing community service, what else do I need
to do in order to graduate?
One
requirement is to successfully complete the "Senior Exhibition." This is a major research
project that you work on all through your senior year. You pick a topic that
is of interest to you, read about it and talk to people in the community about
it, then write a paper and make a presentation to an audience. Your teachers
throughout your four years at Oceana will work with you to build the skills
you will need for the Exhibition. Another requirement is that you put together
a "Graduation Portfolio," which is a collection of your work and to demonstrate
that you have met the schoolwide outcomes. Think of this as a way to gather
evidence that proves you are ready to graduate.
7.
What about sports and extrac-curricular activites at Oceana?
Although we're a small school, we do have an
excellent sports program and there are many opportunities
for extra-curricular activities. Oceana has four basketball
teams (girls and boys varsity and junior varsity), and we
currently have wrestling, cross country, tennis, and baseball
teams.
This year we have 12 clubs, which meet at lunch or after school.
Clubs range from Anime, to Musicians to the Gay-Straight Alliance
to Mixed Martial Arts. Students are encouraged to form new
clubs to represent their interests.
The Associated Student Body, Oceana's student government,
plans dances, the prom, three spirit weeks & rallies per year,
as well as blood drives, canned food drives, and other community
service activities.
8.
Can I take Advanced Placement classes at Oceana?
In the 9th and 10th grade, enriched English and Social
Studies classes are available to all students. In your junior and senior
years, you can choose from eight AP classes: US History, English Literature
and Composition (11th grade), Government, English Language and Composition
(12th grade), Economics, Calculus, Chemistry, and Spanish Language.