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THANK YOU to the entire community—students, teachers, staff, families, and alumni—for helping select our new mascot! We could not have done it without you, and we look forward to revealing more about the Oakwood School Owls this fall….

Click here to watch the new mascot announcement…


About the Oakwood School Mascot Project


 
 
 
 

“We believe that an environment most conducive to learning and growth is diverse and inclusive.”

 

Why is Oakwood School changing its mascot?

After a yearlong conversation with the entire Oakwood community, our longtime Gorilla mascot was officially retired at the end of the 2019–2020 school year. These conversations brought to light ways that the Gorilla mascot evoked connections to antiblackness, violence, and other racist tropes. While this was never anyone’s intention, the negative effects of having the Gorilla as our school mascot were felt by many.

Befitting of Oakwood School, the history of our former mascot is unique and one to be proud of, emerging as it did from the name of our student newspaper, The Gorilla. Working on this publication, which has chronicled school life since the 1960s, has been a source of pride for many generations of students. We acknowledge and cherish the good memories shared by so many, such as cheering along with our mascot in the gym or being gifted a stuffed-animal gorilla during senior year.

As teachers and learners, we must strive to be empathetic with one another and responsive to the world we are preparing students to be part of. To quote our Statement of Philosophy, “We believe that an environment most conducive to learning and growth is diverse and inclusive.” To better embody this belief, Oakwood is calling on our community to help envision a new mascot we can all embrace as a symbol of this extraordinary school.


As part of the conversations carried out in the Oakwood community during the 2019–2020 school year, Oakwood’s Dean of Student life, Shadeed Elliott, shared this presentation, “Gorillas in our Midst”. For more on how gorilla imagery is used as a racist trope in historical and contemporary times, view that video here.

Who is part of the
Oakwood Mascot Project?


We are all part of the Oakwood New Mascot Project. We’re counting on every member of the Oakwood community—students, teachers, staff, alumni, & families—to share ideas for what our next school mascot will be. We have also assembled a Mascot Task Force composed of current students, teachers, administrators, parents, guardians, and alumni to help along the way. The members of this task force are:


Craig Arteaga-Johnson, Senior Advancement Strategist

Jamie Bakal '92, Trustee, Alumna, Current Parent

Coco '22, Student Council Treasurer

Christie Guevara, Director of Alumni Relations

Karis Jagger, Spirit Night Chair, Current Parent,
Alumnae Parent

Kamesha McNeil, Assistant High School Dean of Students

Joanie Pimentel, School Music Faculty

Alex Rains, Athletics Booster Committee Chair,
Current Parent

Mark Roybal, Trustee, Current Parent

Mike Smith, Department Chair, Elementary Physical Education

Steve Smith, Director of Athletics & Physical Education

Angel Solano, Admissions Officer

Zach Suchin '02, Alumni Council Chair, Guest Member
of the Board of Trustees

Naomi '22, Student Council Vice President


What’s next, and
when will Oakwood announce the new mascot?

 
  • In March and April, the Mascot Task Force gathered feedback on the submissions and narrowed down to a 3 finalists.

  • During the week of May 10, voting will take place to select from this group of finalists our new mascot!

  • On May 20, the new Oakwood School mascot will be announced.

  • The design of our new mascot will be unveiled in the fall semester of the 2021–2022 school year.


*Please note, timeline is subject to change

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Our goal is to imagine a mascot that will inspire passion and pride throughout the Oakwood School community for many generations to come.

Still have questions?

If you still have questions and want to know more about the Oakwood School Mascot Project, please email mascot@oakwoodschool.org