Blue Oak School

 

Your Child's Future Begins Here

Your Child's Future Begins Here.

Welcome To Blue Oak School

Napa Valley’s Only K-8 Independent School

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Blue Oak School serves bright and imaginative children from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Our talented teachers, motivated students and engaged parents make our school a distinctive learning environment.

Our talented faculty create experiences for our students that advance their understanding and mastery of new concepts both in and outside of the classroom. Blue Oak School focuses as much on the development of each student’s social and emotional well-being as on his or her academic experience, promoting the interests, skills, and resilience that encourage greater success and a love of learning throughout life.

IN A WORD

We asked our students to describe Blue Oak with only one word. What they did next was both truly surprising and breathtaking.

IN THE MOMENT

Students Learning Science
Students absorbing the finer points of a math problem from Paul Cook in our middle school Math and Science Class. By the time these student's graduate from eight-grade, they will be able to put trigonometry to use calculating the altitude achieved by water rockets they build. Putting theory into practice is one of the core ideas of progressive education.

WHAT OUR PARENTS AND ALUMNI SAY

Blue Oak teaches children for the world we will live in during the next 100 years (not the last). Children are engaged, supported and challenged. You have children feeling deeply and thinking critically. We have faculty that sees themselves as collaborators and coaches, not drill sergeants. Children graduate from Blue Oak inspired and confident and in charge of their education.… Read more “Children graduate from Blue Oak inspired and confident and in charge of their education. . .”

To me, Blue Oak was an opportunity to get to a better place. It’s nice to know there are schools and people out there who are looking to help those who are in need. I am very thankful and appreciative to Blue Oak and the entire community for allowing me the chance to show what I can do and help… Read more “Johanthan Frias Gonzales – Class of 2012”

Johanthan Frias Gonzales

The way I’ve been grateful about Blue Oak is that they really gave me a social skill and I have become a confident person where I am sure of myself and I know how to approach any situation. …Having Blue Oak as an option widens your view. I just want everyone to feel the same way I did. I felt… Read more “Julie Figueroa – Class of 2013”

Julie Figueroa - Class of 2013

With three kids, our hope for our children is that they develop a passion for life-long learning, are self-assured, creative and overall are just well-rounded individuals. After visiting the school, meeting teachers and talking to students, we knew that Blue Oak would serve as an ideal foundation for our children to grow, gain confidence, learn, and achieve. Blue Oak faculty,… Read more “We cannot speak highly enough about our experience and satisfaction with Blue Oak School.”

We are grateful that we found Blue Oak School for our first grader son, who is thriving academically, socially and emotionally under the nourishing and caring guidance of his teachers. Qualified faculty, small size classrooms, individual attention, mixed-class activities, hands-on learning and integrated curriculum at Blue Oak create a safe and engaging learning environment for children. My son is eager… Read more “We are grateful that we found Blue Oak School. . .”

Blue Oak made it possible for me to maximize my own talents. Through those different avenues, I was able to discover my talents and passions where I excelled and where I needed to do more work. Blue Oak provided that for me. …so I’m eternally grateful for that. -Joseph Celaya – Class of 2013

Joseph Celaya - Class of 2013

MEET OUR TEACHERS

Julie Inalsingh – Fourth Grade Homeroom

Julie Inalsingh earned her B.S. from Ohio State University. She was part of a unique teacher preparation program that focused on progressive education practices. She received her Master’s degree in special education from San Francisco State University. Julie taught second grade at Blue Oak School from 2007-2011 and also taught...
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Steph Shieh – Kindergarten Homeroom

Steph came to Blue Oak School in 2015, where she discovered the joy of working with Kindergarteners in the play-based program. She completed her post-graduate studies in Progressive Education through the Progressive Education Lab and her B.A. in Biological Sciences and Education at Wellesley College, where she graduated magna cum...
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Sue Evans- Sixth Grade Humanities and Seventh Grade Language Arts

We are so very pleased and excited to have Sue come on board to join the Blue Oak team. We will post her picture and bio for you to review soon.
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Marcus Steele – Athletic Director, Lower and Middle School PE Teacher

Marcus Steele has been in education for ten years and teaching at Blue Oak School for the past three years. Prior to joining Blue Oak, Marcus spent two years teaching physical education and mathematics at the American International School in Kingston, Jamaica. His experience in education spans from the elementary...
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Kristina Webster – Seventh and Eighth Grade Math Teacher

Kristina Webster is in her second year at Blue Oak School, and in her 12th year in the teaching profession. She received her undergraduate degree and teaching credential from Sonoma State. She also completed her master's degree in mathematical education from Concordia in Portland. In her spare time, she loves...
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Kim Harrington – Kindergarten – Eighth Grade Art

Kim grew up in New Hampshire and earned her design degree from Chamberlayne School of Design in Boston, A.A.S and Bachelor's degree in Humanities from New College, San Francisco. She began her career in education as a preschool and kindergarten teacher in Massachusetts and San Francisco before taking her current...
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Melinda Cooke – Eighth Grade Humanities, Seventh Grade Social Studies, High School Readiness

Melinda Cooke was born and raised in the Chicago area. She attended University of Colorado, Boulder, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts and then a Master of Arts in Experiential Education. She also met her husband, Paul Cooke, in Boulder, and they both became outdoor educators and have been...
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Paul Cooke – Seventh and Eighth Grade Science

Paul Cooke attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he earned a BA in Geography and then a Master of Arts in Experiential Education. He also met his wife, Melinda, in Boulder, and they both became outdoor educators and have been teaching together ever since. He has taught outdoor education...
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Berynes Sosa – Director of Spanish, Kindergarten – Fifth Grade Spanish Teacher  

Berynes joined Blue Oak School in 2015. She grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and after graduating from high school she spent a year in Pennsylvania as an exchange student. Berynes earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Universidad Central de Venezuela and her Master's Degree in Publishing from University College London. Berynes taught in Venezuela...
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Susan Garrison – Fifth Grade Homeroom

Susan is a Fifth Grade Teacher and joined the Blue Oak community in 2011. Growing up in South Amboy, New Jersey. Susan earned her bachelor's degree from Kean University. She moved to Napa and joined the Blue Oak community in a variety of roles. Susan has been a classroom assistant,...
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Sahar Darwish – Second Grade Homeroom

Sahar, Second Grade Homeroom Teacher, is in her sixth year at Blue Oak School and has been teaching for the past 28 years. She began teaching English as a Second Language and Civics at the City Colleges of Chicago. Sahar had the opportunity to design, implement and teach workplace education...
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Kim Markovich – Lower School Music Teacher, Mindfulness, After School Program

Kim Markovich, a native Napan, teaches Kindergarten – Fifth Grade music and mindfulness at Blue Oak School. A member of the founding Blue Oak faculty, she holds her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado and her Master's Degree in Music from West Virginia University. Kim...
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Blue Oak School

Your Child's Future Begins Here

1436 Polk Street
Napa, California 94559
707.261.4500

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