We offer:

1. A Christian Foundation

Building the educational process on a base of spiritual purpose

• Focusing on the hope and strength that comes from the one loving God, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Providing tools for the development of a strong civil, moral and spiritual conscience.
• Encouraging a love for the Lord’s Word as the key to character development.
• Nurturing childhood innocence.

The purpose of the Oak Arbor School is to prepare students academically and spiritually for a heavenly life.
We believe the greatest gift we can give a child is a quality academic learning environment in which to develop a life-long interest in the Lord God Jesus Christ and His teachings, which apply to all aspects of life. All education should be an opening of a way to know, love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ better on earth and in heaven. It is primarily the Lord's teachings that help us prosper in this world and to eternity. Genuine freedom and happiness – individually, in relationships and in useful service – rest on the basic spiritual foundation of love and wisdom the Lord provides. We are here to help our students acquire this knowledge for the wonderful blessings it promises.

Vision
Provide a learning environment in which:

• An excellent academic program prepares students for all areas of life.
• Teachers care deeply about their students, appealing to what each child loves and helping him/her carry what is learned as far as possible into useful application.
• Students gather the strength to try their wings.
• Students experience the privilege and comfort of order, a haven in which to turn gradually from the world of a child to that of an adult.
• Everyone treasures and nurtures innocence and trust.
• Children maintain their awe for the Lord and the wonder of His creation.
• Children get exposure to a deeper set of truths and how they relate to daily curriculum.
• They learn and practice spiritual and moral virtues.
• Usefulness and altruism are central to our students' activities – a wonderful antidote to self-absorption.
• Students feel encouraged to go out and to serve the community in a variety of ways.
  

Philosophy of Education
The goal of education is to lead students to become useful and happy. To be useful human beings we need to be able to find and use information, to think clearly and communicate well. This is addressed by the "academic" side of education. Personal usefulness also hinges on being able to work well with others. Acquiring these skills is certainly a part of leading to happiness. Still, a more significant factor in achieving real happiness comes from having a clear and true sense of priorities and values. These bring meaning and purpose to what we do, and help us escape the pitfalls of false priorities and values. Elementary education should help students and parents lay the foundation for all these outcomes.

At Oak Arbor we have an academic program that opens the door to higher learning. Our low student to teacher ratio guarantees a lot of individual attention in academic areas. We have a developmental philosophy that emphasizes affective learning and minimizes academic rigor with younger grades. We believe that the foundation for higher learning is laid in a secure sense of belonging and in a broad range of general skills and information. Our curriculum is set in consultation with both local and Michigan standards and prepares our students to enter the public system, should that be the wish of their parents.

Most importantly we believe that a good foundation for a happy and productive life comes from supporting parents in fostering in their children an affirmative outlook on God and charitable conduct with one another. We do this in morning worship and religion classes (largely Bible study). We also do this through calling attention to the Lord and His standards when it is appropriate to the occasion or subject matter. For example, we can put a name to that sense of wonder in beholding a miracle of nature! We can remind students of His love when they are at odds. This last dimension to education is the most formative and useful thing we can do to help our students achieve success and happiness!