Dorian
Oakton, VA 22124

My daughter had a wonderful experience at this school. It was not without some minor flaws but that's expected for any school and any academic journey. During this time, she experienced some great teachers who truly cared about the students, several who were strong at meeting the student where they're at. There were great activities, from the annual talent show to Science night, Read-a-thon and other activities to cultivate a positive learning environment and school community. The diversity of students allowed my daughter to learn how to work with all cultures and embrace the idea of inclusion. They recently got new playground equipment and a chicken coup which are great amenities for students. Overall she felt safe the entire time so we could not ask for more.

My niece is graduating from Oakton High School, and I can't say enough good things about this school. My niece came from another hs and was very broken...they put her back together and now she will be attending Bowie State in the fall. Everyone from the security, teachers, vice principal played a big part on getting her back on track.

As a current 8th grader about to graduate, I have a few thoughts about it, and I'll start with the positives. You can really find some awesome friends and teachers here. A good percentage of teachers do actually care about you and are honestly really chill. The electives, especially performing arts, are fun and you meet a lot of great people that way. There are plenty of after-school clubs, although most aren't very academic (still awesome,) and the teacher who helps manage is great (shoutout Ms. Carter.) A few miscellaneous good things: the school feels really open compared to others with its library (my favorite place), courtyards, outdoor fields, and its fancy chairs (they're 500 dollars each I hear,) and higher than average ceilings. Now for the things that I don't think are really that great. My bus in 7th grade had some racism and just general mean people who I saw nearly every day and nothing every got reported and solved. The environment can be really messy at times and you have to avoid the kind of people who get you in trouble. The school lunches look inedible 90% of days and is probably way overpriced. The school doesn't have an actual auditorium but rather a cafetorium. Overall, I think if you stick with the right people and focus on your schoolwork, Thoreau really isn't a bad school.