Shout-out to our Oldfields sister, Wanda Cole-Frieman '90, for being the first alumna to be spotlighted for B.E.S.T. 's 30th year anniversary! Congratulations, Wanda!
Julie Dickinson graduated from Oldfields in 1995 and holds a bachelor's degree in child psychology from Hollins University, a master's degree in special education from William Carey College, and administrative certification from Region IV.
Julie is currently the principal of Kolter Elementary School in Houston, a high-performing school with a focus on rigorous academics and an exploration of one of three languages: Spanish, Chinese, or French. Kolter was so severely flooded and damaged by Hurricane Harvey that their building was unusable after the storm. Realizing Kolter would have to use a different building in a nearby location as a "makeshift" school for the rest of this year, Julie has taken the lead in finding a building to accommodate the school and is working endlessly to keep the spirit of the school alive.
Julie says in a Facebook post, "A building isn't what makes us Kolter. The fact that we've worked side by side, building each other up and creating a safe place for our children … that's what makes us Kolter." The positivity and 'feeling of family' Julie is bringing to the Kolter school community the same amazing spirit she brought to Oldfields. During her time at OS, Julie was voted May Queen, received the Elizabeth Leeds Memorial Prize, and served on student government. The lessons she learned at OS have stayed with her, and she not only still encompasses everything it means to be a true Oldfields girl, but is also now sharing those qualities with the families of Kolter. We're proud of you, Julie!
Julie Dickinson, Class of 1995
Green and White Night
Were you nervous about Green and White Night? Were you skittish about singing Sheep on the Hill in front of the whole school? Were you worried about eating Oldfields pudding? Then you know just how our new girls felt on September 18! The mystery of the ceremony and the mystery of how each girl gets assigned to a team is still a secret, but now there are no "new girls" or "old girls" – there are only Oldfields girls! Go Greens! Go Whites!
Excitement is in the air about the academics at Oldfields! As the new Academic Dean, I am thrilled to start this year under our 2017-18 theme, "Finding Magic in the Moment." This is my 10th year at Oldfields, and I have felt from the very beginning that Oldfields is a magical place! We kicked off the theme with a performance by an amazing magician, Eric Henning, and the girls are still trying to figure out his tricks. Plans for incorporating magical moments into the curriculum for the rest of the year include:
- Students on the theme committee used technology to create an interactive Jeopardy game that each student must play to share their knowledge of the all-school read, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
- Our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Club will visit the McFadden Art Glass Gallery to learn about the seemingly magical science of glassblowing.
- The newly added sculpture class began the year with a project entitled "Magical Creatures," a three dimensional relief sculpture to follow the school theme.
- Every Monday at Morning Meeting, a faculty member will share a "magical memory," the girls love hearing about OS in the past or personal stories from their teachers!
Other noteworthy academic updates include the debut of the Academic Honors Awards Assembly, designed to celebrate academic achievement. These ceremonies will take place at the end of each trimester.
Our curriculum has also expanded to include three new courses that are very popular with the students, Astronomy, Sculpture, and Topics in Contemporary Society, which includes introductions to psychology, sociology and economics.
Many of our teachers spent part of the summer exploring professional development opportunities and came back to school invigorated and prepared to teach new classes and incorporate new ideas. Read more about faculty's summer activities >
Stay tuned to hear about how the rest of this magical year will unfold!
With warm regards,
Christine Gilmore
Dean of Academics
America's Got Talent Finalists
Come to Oldfields!
The enthralled audience sang along with nearly every song, and three Oldfields girls were invited up on stage to join vocalist Micah Christian in a beautiful rendition of "Hallelujah."
Thank you, Mr. Floyd!
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