Middle School at Oakwood—Private School in North Hollywood

Middle School at Oakwood—Private School in North Hollywood
Login
Admission
arrow
Welcome to Oakwood
Why Oakwood?
Visiting Oakwood
The Admission Process
Tuition & Financial Assistance
FAQ
Transportation
Connect with a Parent/Guardian
About
arrow
Statement of Philosophy
School Leadership
Parents & Guardians
History
Careers
Academics
arrow
An Oakwood Education
Elementary Campus
Middle School
High School
Experiential Learning
STEAM
College Counseling
Student Support
Arts
arrow
Creatively Oakwood
Elementary Campus Arts
Secondary Campus Arts
Athletics
arrow
Go Owls
Elementary Campus Athletics
Secondary Campus Athletics
Hall of Fame
Owls in College
Calendar
Student Life
arrow
Experience Oakwood
The Oakwood Graduate
Oakwood Stories
Summer Program
Belonging
arrow
Community Engagement
Giving
arrow
Advancement Office
Oakwood Live
Annual Fund
Ways to Give
Matching Gifts
Endowments
Annual Report
Emergency Financial Assistance Fund
Parents & Guardians
Alumni
Calendar
Summer Program
Login
Inquire
Apply
Academics
Middle School
The middle school years are some of the most formative and dynamic in a child’s life. Students dramatically change—physically, socially, and intellectually—all within a short period of time. An exceptional middle school program supports students in all of these facets and springs from an understanding that all are inextricably connected.
For middle school students, identity is a fundamental concern. They are seeking to understand who they are, who they can become, and how to make sense of the world. Social-emotional learning is central to the Oakwood middle school program. We nurture a student’s ability to reflect on their life and their community, and we guide them to develop cultural competencies and habits of mind that will lead to thoughtful engagement with the community and life-long learning.
In the classroom, trusting teacher-student relationships are at the heart of learning. Teachers know their students and provide an environment in which young people feel comfortable asking questions, taking risks, and making mistakes—all essential components of the most powerful learning experiences. Students are encouraged to discover connections within and across disciplines as a means to think critically, solve problems, create, innovate, and find meaning in the world around them.
2026-2027 Secondary Campus Curriculum Guide (PDF)
Course Titles by Academic Department
Erin Nowak, Middle School Principal
OUR INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
At Oakwood School, our innovative and rigorous curriculum is foundational to teaching and learning. Each day, students move through college preparatory courses that meet high academic standards and inspire students to take charge of their intellectual pursuits.
Oakwood students deeply engage in a relevant and challenging academic curriculum and explore their creativity in a wide array of visual and performing arts. Through our Advisory, physical education, and wellness programs, they further develop skills to understand their changing selves.
Secondary Campus Sample Schedule
The Secondary Campus Transition
Oakwood functions as one K-12 institution on two campuses one mile apart. Since our middle and high school divisions are located separately from the elementary school, all students entering grades 7-12 are essentially “new.” In 7th grade, approximately half of the students are new to Oakwood and come from 30+ schools in the greater Los Angeles area and beyond. In 9th grade, the number of students increases by approximately 20%.
List of 9 items.
7th Grade Seminar
This course focuses on guiding students toward a deeper awareness of how they view the world and how that view has been developing over the years. Students will explore the concept of difference in order to gain knowledge of various perspectives and foster positive
attitudes toward difference.
8th Grade Community Leadership
Community Leadership is where students build the skills and experiences necessary to continue to grow in the civic engagement. Additionally, students will learn the five stages of Service Learning and how to apply them to different social, cultural, and economic issues in their community.
Class Trips
The goal is to encourage socialization and class cohesion while giving students the opportunities to make curricular connections beyond the classroom:
7th Grade Trip — Sequoia & Kings Canyon
8th Grade Trip — Washington D.C.
Cultivating Belonging
ADVISORY
: Advisors serve as a caring guide and support through the academic, social, and emotional landscape of school life. Secondary campus students meet in Advisory twice per week in groups of 12.
WELLNESS
: The following programs aim to provide appropriate
support, insight, and strategies to help students succeed
in and out of the classroom:
School Counseling
The Academic Resource Center
Human Development
Learn more about Student Support at Oakwood here
AFFINITY GROUPS
: Affinity Groups provide a space for people who have an identifier in common (e.g. race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, family status, etc.) and can speak to the experience of being a member of a group from the “I” perspective. Current student affinity groups:
Adopted Affinity Group
RepresentAsian (Asian, Asian Pacific Islander Affinity Group)
BMORE (Black/Brown Men at Oakwood Representing Excellence)
CAAMASO (Connecting African, African American, and Multiracial African American Students at Oakwood)
DIVAS (Daughters for Inclusive Values and Social Justice) of Color
Jewish Affinity Group
Greater Middle Eastern Affinity Group
Multiracial Affinity Group
Somos Unidos (LatinX Affinity Group)
Learn more about DEI&B at Oakwood here
ALLIANCE GROUPS
: Alliance Groups bring together people who have common commitments to an identifier group and are for individuals who identify as members of the group and/or as people
who support and stand in solidarity with that group. This category includes groups such as:
The Rainbow Alliance
Gender Equality Coalition
Oakwood School for Progressive Reform (OSPR)
Cultural Awareness and Solidarity Alliance (caSa)
White Anti-Racist Alliance
Learn more about DEI&B at Oakwood here
CAMPUS EVENTS:
Arts Festival
Fall Family Fair
Halloween Event
IDEAS Summit
JustArt/Glove Affair
Middle School Dance
Oakwood Olympics
Spirit Night
Town Meeting
Discovering Passion
DEBATE:
Middle School Debate competes in multiple Parliament Style debate tournaments. This course introduces advanced forms of argumentation including topicality, counterplans, disadvantages, weighing mechanisms, and frameworks.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM:
All 7th and 8th grade students enroll in additional electives beyond the array of required courses. Many of the courses revolve around social justice and visual and performing arts and are taught by graduate students from CalArts:
Coding and Robotics
Computer Animation
Fashion Design
Focusing on Feminism
Living in Los Angeles: Then and Now
Musical Theater
Songwriting and Recording
Speak Up: Creative Writing and Current Events
STEAM
:
Students may enroll in STEAM as an elective option
beginning in 8th grade. Students are also able to
participate in one of the many afterschool STEAM
programs such as the JPL Invention Challenge, Horizon
Hydrogen Grand Prix, and Maker Faire.
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS:
We emphasize art as a form of communication within
a cultural and historical context, with a strong focus
on helping students discover their passion. By mastering
technical skills, students can express their unique
perspectives, while learning the vocabulary needed
to articulate their vision and appreciate the visions
of others. Our mission is to foster a lifelong passion
for art, seeing it as a powerful means of personal and
cultural representation.
Immersion
Oakwood’s Immersion program provides an intense two-week period in the academic year for students to be fully engaged in rich and challenging learning experiences. Immersion courses are experiential—learning is hands-on, exploratory, and unrestricted by the boundaries of the regular classroom.
Learn more about Immersion here.
Middle School Research & Media Literacy
This course is specifically designed to equip students with practical strategies, including
lateral reading
and reverse image searching, all while fostering a sense of healthy skepticism. These tools will not only empower students to critically evaluate information, but will also
help them make informed decisions in our increasingly information-rich environment.
Schedule & Academic Requirements
Oakwood operates on a rotating block schedule with 70-minute classes.
These longer periods give students and teachers additional time to build academic skills, explore content in greater depth, and work collaboratively:
Humanities (2 years)
Mathematics (2 years)
Science (2 years)
World Language – Spanish, French, Mandarin (2 years)
Arts (2 years) in: Visual Arts, Performing
 Arts, Theatre Arts,
Music, Dance,
S.T.E.A.M.
Athletics, Physical Education, and Wellness (2 years)
Visual Arts 
CalArts Program (2 years)
Immersion (2 years)
Transitions & Opportunities
Below are some examples of thoughtfully created programs and curricula to support the transition into middle and high school:
• Spring and Summer Buddy Groups & Activities
• August Orientations & Technology Overviews
• 7th & 12th-grade Buddy Groups for Families
• Human Development/Wellness Courses in grades 7-10
• 50+ Student Clubs
• Affinity Space Gatherings & Potlucks
• The Middle School Digital Device Policy encourages in-person connections
• Town Meeting is a secondary campus tradition run by Student Council which allows the entire student body to connect through guest speakers, performances, and student voices
• After-school activities in athletics, debate, mock trial, Model UN, music, dance, STEAM, theatre tech and much more help foster new connections
• Middle and High School Advisory Groups
• Fall Club Fair
• Spring Middle School Ice Cream Social
• New Family May Orientation
• New Parent/Guardian Social
• New Student Buddy Lunch
• Separate lunch period for Middle and High School Monday–Thursday
Building & Connecting
STEAM
Humanities
Visual Arts
Math
Performing Arts
DISCOVER OAKWOOD
Statement of Philosophy
For the larger world
Elementary Campus
K-Grade 6
High School
Grades 9-12
Secondary Campus
11600 Magnolia Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601-3015
818-732-3000
Elementary Campus
11230 Moorpark Street
North Hollywood, CA 91602-2602
818-732-3500
Connect
Get Social
Instagram
Facebook