Fundraiser for the Vernon OAK Elementary School

Would you love to enrich the education of our children by offering so much more than is currently available at most schools? Do you believe that every child in your community should have access to the exceptional learning opportunities usually only available at private schools? Here is your chance to be part of something monumental.

We have started the lengthy process of creating an amazing new school for our children. We want to create a school community so fantastic; it will be the next best place to be other than home. The school will also keep working parents in mind, offering after school and year-round care for children.

However, the only way this will happen is through the support of the local and global community. Unlike our public schools, there is no money available for the capital costs of an independent school. This means 100% of the funds will need to come from those who want to make this happen. Our Society has a vision and a deep love for all children that fuels our determination to do ‘whatever it takes’ to make this happen, but we will need your help.

Let us tell you about this school:

Our vision is to build a varied and supportive school community empowering children of all socio-economic backgrounds to become well-rounded, empathetic, responsible, and confident lifelong learners.

Our mission is to provide an innovative learning environment offering classic core subjects while facilitating the development of important life skills. We believe that every child should have an opportunity to obtain a high-quality comprehensive education, supporting individual needs and personal growth and rewarding accountability, effort, and respect.

Our Goal is to:

Create a cellphone-free, value-based, public independent school in the Vernon, BC area that is open to every child. School fees are covered by tax-payer funding, community sponsors, and funds generated from an associated preschool.

Our focus is:

A) To provide children with the tools needed to gain a solid and deep understanding of classic core subjects by incorporating practical applications and real-life learning scenarios.

B) To enhance their experience at school by adding the following areas of learning:

• Community Studies

Community involvement and community service (visiting farms, retirement homes, and homeless shelters). Helping within the school community (older kids assisting younger kids and running a small business inside the school.)

• Mental Health Studies

Learning coping strategies, practicing gratitude and positive thinking, understanding the impact of our actions on others, and exploring the significance of our existence.

• World Studies

Studying cultures and traditions from around the world. Getting a better understanding of where we are in relation to other continents and countries in the world – examining our differences and similarities.

• Life Skills / Confidence Building

Learning about conflict resolution, leadership, and public speaking. Practicing critical thinking and having a voice. Studies will include first aid and how to manage finances.

• Natural Health

Diving deep into how amazing the human body truly is. Our innate ability to heal and how what we consume physically, emotionally, and spiritually, will affect our over-all wellbeing. Growing food, food preparation and food evolution will also be covered as well as the consequences of eating mostly processed foods.

Frequently asked questions:

1. What is an independent school? Unlike private for-profit schools, independent schools are not-for-profit and receive Ministry funding. They are also accountable to the Ministry for the delivery of the BC Curriculum. However, they have the freedom to approach the curriculum from their own perspective and employ teachers who reflect these perspectives. (Example of private school: Aberdeen Hall. Examples of independent schools: Vernon Christian School and Okanagan Waldorf School.)

2. Why are you not starting a private school instead? There is an annual tuition fee that many cannot afford. Our school is for children of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

3. What does the BC Curriculum entail? It is a ‘concept-based approach to learning and a focus on the development of competencies to foster deeper, more transferable learning.’

4. Is this school run by the community or by the government? All decisions are made by the board of directors who are community members and they do not receive payment from the government or any other organization.

5. Are you a religious school? Although our school is non-sectarian, we will be teaching children about various religions from an educational perspective as well as exposing children to the concept of the existence of a greater power.

6. Where will the school be? It will be in the Vernon BC area, but we have not selected a site yet. We first need to gauge public support and get Ministry approval to open this independent school.

7. How will you know how much money to raise? We anticipate it will be in the millions. All funds remaining after start-up costs will be used to pay for future operational costs, student fees and school repairs. We are more likely to have our school approved by the Ministry if we can show financial longevity and proof of community support.

8. Where will the money be kept? In a secure bank account that belongs to our incorporated non-profit society called the Vernon Oak Learning Society.

9. What grades will you be teaching? Our educational consultant has strongly advised us to ‘start small’. She has indicated that the Ministry of Education will not approve the school if we start with anything beyond K-2. Our goal is to add an extra grade each year up to grade 7.

10. What type of community sponsors are you hoping to find? We believe that we live in a community full of mostly loving and caring people and supportive businesses. Many want to see that all children have an equal opportunity when it comes to their education, and that options should not be limited because of their socioeconomic background.

11. Who is starting this new school? We are five determined community members, now directors, working 100% as volunteers. Most of us are parents and some of us are grandparents. We have diverse skills and some of us have experience starting up a business. As the majority of us do not have a background in education, we have put together a team of educational advisors who are seasoned teachers and early childhood educators, as well as hired an educational consultant with decades of experience working with independent schools.

12. When do you hope to open this school? September 2025.

13. When will you know if your school is approved by the Ministry? A few weeks after our formal interview which is set to occur in March 2025.

14. In what grade will children be taught about sexuality? Children will learn about the biology of the human body as well as relationships and how they change throughout our lives starting in grade 4, but sexuality will not be taught until grade 7. Any additional topics required by the BC Curriculum that are not covered, will be offered using the Alternative Delivery method (at home).

15. How will you handle bullying in your school? The school will have a proactive program that covers all forms of bullying. Appearance, socioeconomic status, race, religion, culture, gender, and sexual orientation will all be covered. Incidentally, ‘as of Dec. 31, 2016, all BC school districts and independent schools are required to include specific references to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in their anti-bullying policies’. Contrary to popular belief, SOGI is not its own curriculum and SOGI 123 is not a mandatory but an available teaching resource. At this school, teachers will not be using the SOGI 123 teaching tool, however, we will ensure all students are accepted and will thrive.

16. How will you choose suitable teachers? We will select passionate, and enthusiastic individuals from a pool of qualified applicants whose values align with ours. If you are one of those individuals, please see the survey link below.

17. Do you believe everyone will be excited about this new school? No. Like other schools, this school will not appeal to everyone. However, it will provide all parents with an additional choice of education for their child. Our school will satisfy the requirements set out by the Ministry, however, we will only be accountable to the parents and the children who attend our school and share our values. We will have an open-door policy for those parents! For people who have a different opinion about what makes a great school, please continue with your search or support the schools we already have.

18. Where can I find more information / FAQs? On our website; although some areas are still under construction. It can be viewed at here.

Interested in our school or sponsoring and live in the Vernon area? Please fill out our survey below.

For those interested in sponsoring a student but who do not live in the Vernon area or for further questions, please contact us through our website.

Survey is here.

Thank you for learning about this exciting new school! We would like to close with the following message:

Vernon OAK Elementary is not just a new educational facility. This school represents the power of the people working together to create change within our communities. Our motivation stems from the love for our children and a vision for a better world. Together we can make this happen!

Please donate what you can. No amount is too small. 100% of your gift will go towards the school.

Thank you for sharing our vision and your generosity.