Oakcrest School

Judging a Book (Perhaps by its Cover): Vigilance in Showering your Children with Good Reading with Stephanie Passero

 In this podcast, English teacher Stephanie Passero shares her insights about the importance of guiding young people toward good literature while providing practical tips on how to do so within your own family.

”Helping Our Children Foster Healthy Friendships” with Laura O’Neill ’96

Laura O’Neill '96 discusses how to help your daughters form healthy friendships. She explains the role that parents can play in guiding their daughters to learn how to develop healthy friendships that will help her along the road of virtue. Laura is a Licensed Professional Counselor at Alpha Omega Clinic in Virginia. 

”What is Beauty? Encountering God in Art” with Elisa Torres

Oakcrest art teacher Elisa Torres presents “What is Beauty? Encountering God in Art.” She shares how she has encountered beauty in her own life as an artist both studying in Italy and at The Catholic University of America, and how people can intentionally incorporate beauty into their own lives.

”Why Read Memoir” with Dr. Taryn Okuma

Dr. Taryn Okuma, an associate English professor at The Catholic University of America, shares her reflections on the popularity of memoir writing and what it is about memoir as a genre that makes it appealing to readers. This lecture was held as the 8th annual O’Donovan Humanities Lecture. 

Dr. Ana Samuel on Talking to Our Kids About Identity

 Dr. Ana Samuel, academic director of the pro-marriage organization CanaVox, speaks about talking to our kids about identity. She provides insights into some key parenting principles to uplift family life and explores how to form our children in their identity and help our children have a true sense of self-worth. 

Fr. Gerry Kolf on How Dads Can Inspire Faithful Daughters

In this podcast, Oakcrest Chaplain Fr. Gerry Kolf speaks to fathers about how Dads can inspire faithful daughters through their own unity of life. He discusses the necessity of destroying negativity and pessimism as a step toward developing a relationship with God and also shares how a father’s spiritual life can influence that of his children. 

 

Coffee with the Head of School: Working Well

Head of School Emerita Dr. Mary T. Ortiz shares a recent message that she delivered both to faculty and parents. She discusses the school’s love for St. Joseph and his message about inspiring good work among men and women that ultimately allows for the development of one’s gifts and talents that are in turn used to serve God and others. 

Coffee with the Head of School: On Parent Leadership

In this podcast, Head of School Emerita Dr. Mary T. Ortiz speaks about parent leadership. She draws upon authors and the wisdom of parents, encouraging parents as they become the leaders in their families, intentionally working to cultivate the good habits and virtues that leadership demands.

A Well-Formed Conscience through Literature and the Imagination

In this podcast, English teacher and eighth grade dean Mrs. Ines Gruschow shares how the eighth grade curriculum at Oakcrest uses literature and the imagination to inspire our students. She explores the characters that the students encounter in the classroom and discusses how imaginative fiction shapes our consciences.

Oakcrest Students share their experiences

In this podcast episode, three Oakcrest students, Madie '27, Mariana '23, and Rima '23 share their Oakcrest experiences.