Students in Morgan Hill and their parents have many choices if
they favor a private school education.
Students in Morgan Hill and their parents have many choices if they favor a private school education.
There are three religious-based schools and two secular schools offering a variety of activities and special opportunities.
At Oakwood Country School, 105 John Wilson Way, cultural programs and community service are an important part of the curriculum. The pre-kinder through eighth grade students have the opportunity to participate in many programs that focus on helping the community.
In November, students collected 30 bins of food and 15 large bags of sheets, comforters and towels for donation to families in the community through Community Solutions and the Emergency Housing consortium in San Martin.
Middle school students at Oakwood can elect to take a community service class; during the school year, the class completes approximately 150 service projects. Every Tuesday, students in the class leave school during the last period of the day and participate in “hands-on” projects, such as picking up trash and painting over graffiti.
The middle school curriculum at the school has been revamped since the former Morgan Hill Country School was purchased last year by founding school parents Ted and Michelle Helvey. Not only did the name of the school change, but the Helveys broke the campus away from its former sister school, Almaden Country School. With an innovative new curriculum and enthusiastic teachers, Oakwood is moving forward to offer its students a high-caliber education filled with opportunities to participate in the arts, music and sports.
Carden Academy, located at 410 Llagas Road, is enjoying its second year in an unique environment. Though the school is in its 10th year of operation, it spent the first eight in shopping center locations. When the academy opened its doors in August 2003, students and parents were excited to tour the remodeled and relocated former Morgan Hill Elementary School buildings.
The school serves pre-kinder through eighth grade students, who attend classes from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Small classes, containing even smaller groups of students, are an important aspect of Carden’s philosophy.
Students are evaluated when they enroll and placed in groups according to ability, with the opportunity to move between groups as they progress.
Carden Academy students begin learning French in junior kinder classes, and Latin begins in sixth grade. A twice-weekly program in art and in music focus not only on learning to draw or read music, but also on art and music history and the masters of both disciplines.
The school also has monthly assembly programs by grade level which include skits, poetry and songs. A fall and spring musical, an annual art show and Christmas program are all a part of the cultural schoolyear.
St. Catherine School, located on the grounds of St. Catherine of Alexandria Church, just celebrated its 40th birthday. The kinder through eighth grade school has a diverse population of students that it holds to high standards of academic excellence.
Religion is an important part of the school’s curriculum and environment, as evidenced by the school’s message: “Beginning the journey to a lifelong love of learning enriched with gospel values.” All students take classes based on Catholic teaching and participate in activities in the church.
St. Catherine students can expand a basic curriculum which includes art, music and computer education, with courses in foreign languages, drama after school sports and accelerated courses in algebra and science.
Parents play a major role in the St. Catherine School community. Parents are encouraged to become involved with the school through volunteering and through the School Advisory Board and the Parent Teacher Guild, as well as supporting students in their studies at home.
Crossroads Christian School, located at 145 Wright Avenue, opened its doors in 1975. The school serves pre-kinder through eighth grade students, offering a full day for all grades from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
During the course of the day, all Crossroads students take a Bible course and have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities. The school has a complete music program at every grade level, and band is offered for fourth grade and above.
Sixth through eighth grade students have the option to participate in athletic teams, as the school is a member of the San Benito Athletic League. Sports offered include: flag football for boys, both boys and girls basketball, girls soccer, coed cross county and coed volleyball.
Sixth- through eighth-grade students can also take French and Spanish as electives. Second through fifth graders can take Spanish and French as a part of an after school enrichment program.
Crossroads, which is accredited by ACSI, American Christian Schools International, takes pride in offering students a quality Christian education.
Shadow Mountain Baptist School, located at 280 Llagas Road, is the newest private school in Morgan Hill, opening to pre-kinder through sixth grade students in August 2001. The center of the school’s focus is the training of the whole student, spiritually, intellectually, physically and socially.
The curriculum at Shadow Mountain features the basics, augmented by Bible study, music and computer education. The staff is described as having a Christian philosophy of life and education, and the school provides opportunities for them to continue their professional development through seminars and special training sessions.
Shadow Mountain School strives to prepare students to be a shining example to Christ at all stages of their lives.
