Welcome to The Oaks

In 2016, our family began to pray about a different kind of educational experience for our children. The more we learned, the harder it became to imagine taking the traditional path. In the fall of 2017, we began to homeschool our young children and host informal meetings around our dining room table to listen to other parents and discuss the growth of Classical Christian Collaborative schools.

We wanted the moments of our days to match the aim of our lives. We wanted to nourish the wonder and hunger we saw in our young children for good things - the things that last. We wondered - if education is formation, then how should we spend these years?

Soon, we discovered that our questions echoed the questions of thousands of parents in America. In 1980, parents in three different states founded Classical Christian schools within one year of each other. Today, there are over 700 Classical Christian schools in America seeking to recover a time-tested way of educating students and nourishing souls.

In the fall of 2018, The Oaks opened its doors to 75 students in preschool through 5th grade. Today, we host more than 350 students in grades K-12 in southwest Amarillo. In May of 2026, we celebrated the graduation of our pioneer class of seniors.

• Historically, this path was simply called education (educare, “to bring up, train, or nourish”).

• For millenia, great thinkers and leaders of the West were formed in virtue, coming to love what is lovely as they studied the liberal arts of language and mathematics, the sciences, philosophy, and theology.

• In the late 1800s and early 1900s, progressive education replaced the ancient paths with a new model that focused on building workers for the workforce.

Classical Christian education begins with the end in mind, asking not merely, “What do they know?” or “What can they do or produce?” Both are important questions, but they are neither first nor final questions. The Classical Christian tradition begins with - “What do they love?” and, “Who are they becoming?”

Trusting God to provide, our visionary board members and pioneer staff and families founded The Oaks in Amarillo in 2018. We continue to trust Him as we learn and grow together. It is my honor to serve as Head of School at The Oaks alongside a team of wise and skillful leaders and instructors.

What was once a small group of families is now a flourishing community of administrators and instructors, donors, volunteers, coaches, parents, grandparents, students, and alumni seeking to love God, neighbors, and nations. The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy.

I hope to meet you at an informational meeting this year!

Heidi Hickman
Head of School