About Us:
Oakcliff Traditional Theme School is routinely described as “the hidden gem” of Doraville if not all of DeKalb County. Part of the Cross Keys cluster, Oakcliff serves students in the Cary Reynolds, Dresden, and Hightower school zones. We are a true community school nestled in a quiet neighborhood along the Buford Highway corridor. This proximity lends itself to much diversity within our community, which is echoed when you look into our classrooms. The families of our over 600 students speak 13 different languages, and we celebrate the differences among us.
According to DeKalb County School District, “...a traditional theme school is designed to offer students a comprehensive, interdisciplinary educational program in a highly structured setting. Students are active participants in a challenging program that includes home study projects and exposure to a world language. A cross-curricular instructional approach leads to more research-centered assignments and hands-on projects requiring problem-solving and critical thinking. Parents are a vital part of the program as they work to reinforce the instructional program and to provide support to the school.”
In addition to being a theme school since 1999, we became a STEM-certified school in 2017. This means that we practice the engineering design principles as part of our curriculum. We use science, technology, engineering, and math in everything we do, and we enter to learn and exit to serve!
Mission Statement:
The mission of Oakcliff Traditional Theme School, in partnership with staff, parents, and the community, is to provide a safe, nurturing environment where challenging and creative teaching occurs to support the diverse needs of our school community. Individual learning needs will be met, and students will develop into confident, productive global citizens.
Vision:
The vision of Oakcliff Traditional Theme School is to cultivate the skills of communication, innovation, and leadership in students through the use of a challenging curriculum and advanced problem solving towards the goals of creating global citizens.
Beliefs:
All students want to succeed.
All children can learn.
A working partnership is vital to educational success, with parents, teachers, administrators, and students working together.
Students learn in diverse ways; therefore, the curriculum can and should be presented in a way to meet the learning styles and ability levels of the students.
A school should provide a safe, positive environment for learning.
All children and staff deserve to be treated with respect and held to high and attainable expectations.
Education should be designed to foster the development of the whole child.
Students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process.
Each student is a valued individual with unique social, emotional, and physical needs.