Mission Statement
Our vision of an educated child is one who achieves excellence in developing an active, reflective, and disciplined mind; a healthy body and physically-fit body; a centered spirit; and just, caring, and courageous self-conduct. The program is developed around the EnCompass Life Spiral elements of: the cultivation of Self, the guidance and support of Familial networks, the engagement with Communities, and the rootedness in Ancestors and ancestral heritage.
Description
Designed by East Oakland parents and public school educators, EnCompass Academy opened in fall 2004. Originally located in portable classrooms on the overcrowded campus of Webster Academy, in 2005 our school moved to our brand-new campus located on 81st Avenue. With rolling lawns and pathways lined with native plants, beautiful play structures, garden beds, an outdoor amphitheatre, a state-of-the-art multipurpose room, and the largest branch of the Oakland Public library opening in 2011, our campus is truly an oasis for children to learn and develop.
As a Title I school with Provision 2 status (100% of students have Free Breakfast/Lunch), we have 20% African American, 73% Latino, and 2% Asian/Pacific, 2% Multiracial, 2% White, 1% "Other". Sixty-seven percent of our children are English Language Learners.
At EnCompass Academy, we believe that education "Starts with Self, is Guided by Families, Engaged in Community, and Rooted in Ancestors." We strive to reach the whole child, and as a result, our students thrive through a culturally-responsive, empowering, and caring school culture with deep relationships, personal attention, data-driven and standards-based learning, family/school partnerships, music, visual arts, gardening, fitness, technology, and "looping" with the same class for 2 years as much as possible. Our rigorous, standard-based academics focus on building academic language in speaking and writing across subjects.Students use computers frequently to work on programs that target their exact level of need in reading and math. EnCompass After School Scholars (1st-5th grade) get homework assistance or reading support, enriched by African and Latin dance, computers, fitness, media literacy, and/or gardening. Close alignment of general and special education staff help students in the Resource, Autistic Spectrum, and Special Day Class programs to accelerate learning. Our beautiful campus oasis, built in 2005 with award-winning design and green space, has rolling lawns, native plant-lined pathways, garden beds, an outdoor amphitheatre, and a multipurpose auditorium. Students and families love to use the new state-of-the-art Oakland Public library co-located on our campus. A daily student salad bar lunch option, fruit and vegetable snacks 3 times/week, and the weekly Oakland Fresh Produce Market reinforce wellness. Partnerships bring graduate student teacher and counseling interns, middle school mentors, and coaches in ELA, Science, and technology enhance the work of our highly-skilled teachers. A student-centered staff ethos makes this a special place for children.
