Identity, journey, and home are the overarching themes underpinning Oak Knoll’s grade seven curriculum. Students explore a well-rounded palette of courses and electives while faculty weave engaging projects into their disciplines to challenge students at this critical middle-school entry point. Through this well-crafted and engaging curriculum, students begin the reflective processes that encourage them to turn with appreciation away from the safety and comfort of childhood and slowly and confidently face the complexities of adulthood.

One such project is a unit in Janet Mangold’s grade seven Introduction of Literature and Language course. The class pulls from historical fiction, selected short fiction, and poetry to craft reading assignments, workshops, and exercises emphasizing literary analysis, promoting critical thinking, and honing grammar and vocabulary skills. Throughout the class, Mangold seizes opportunities to promote self-discovery, and her unit on the young adult novel Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt sets her students on colorful flights of fancy—literally.

Schmidt is a National Book Award winner, and many of his books revolve around coming of age, facing the complexities of modern life, and learning to find one’s voice in a mediated world, too often presenting pre-packaged ideas and conclusions. Schmidt hopes his readers interject themselves into his stories and gain self-knowledge by asking questions similar to those of his protagonists.

Schmidt’s protagonist in Okay for Now is a somewhat broken teen searching for meaning. In his local library, he stumbles upon John J. Audubon’s breathtakingly illustrated Birds of America. Nine of the illustrated pages are missing, and as he sets out to find them, he contemplates each unique image and learns something new about himself.

Each chapter in Okay for Now begins with an avian illustration from Birds of America. After reading the book and discussing the protagonist’s journey, Mangold asks students to dive deeper into the illustrations and pick one bird they feel speaks to them. Each student then draws their take on that bird and presents their thoughts to the class. 

“This is a great opportunity to read, react, and critically analyze in a multi-disciplinary way rather than reacting in a written format,” explained Mangold. 

“I chose to draw the Carolina Parrots,” explained Serafina Cutri ’30. “I was captivated by the bright colors on their heads. I felt like they had a unique look, so that’s why I drew them.” 

“I chose the Blue Crane, which has a long neck and blue feathers,” shared Alicia Wilches ’30. “I chose this bird because I loved the way it looked and how the bird stands out from the grass and trees in the background.”

Throughout their first year in middle school and their Upper School journey, we hope the Class of 2030 and Oak Knoll students of all ages will discover their unique voices, find a sense of purpose in a sometimes challenging world, and ultimately, stand out from the background as does the beautiful blue crane.