News

Out-of-Door earns three spots in the coveted Top 10.

Our Siesta Key Campus was filled with the sounds of the season.

Sarasota entrepreneur Pete Petersen spoke with Upper School students at Ovation about following their passion and how they can take steps to control the path of their future professional lives.

On Wednesday evening, songs spanning more than 1,000 years of musical history were performed by talented ODA students during the Middle and Upper School Winter Choral Concert “Music Across Time.”

Whether it's 76 donated Thanksgiving meals or 650 inches of hair, these kids are spreading hope and making an impact throughout Sarasota.

ODA’s Department of Counseling and Academic Services is offering a new forum for Middle and Upper School parents to discuss a variety of parenting topics. Through the Coffee and Conversations program, parents come together to discuss how to approach challenging topics in a supportive group setting.

Five Russian delegates visited Sarasota last week through a United States government program aimed at helping expand opportunities for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). ODA was an integral and engaging stop on their tour.

The Black Box Theater was filled with lively music during the Middle and Upper School Winter Band Concert on Wednesday evening.

The program is part of exchange programs between the United States and various Eastern European countries to promote cultural interaction.

The Out-of-Door Parents Association hosted a festive Holiday Luncheon today at The Sarasota Yacht Club.

On Thursday evening the Black Box Theater was filled with festive holiday melodies during the Middle and Upper School Winter Orchestra Concert.

As part of the kindergarten unit on weather and meteorology, students visited the SNN studio in Sarasota this week to see the systems used for weather tracking and learn about the broadcast process.

Luke Lozano ‘20 recently received the Youth Excellence Award from Keep Sarasota Beautiful for his dedication to cleaning up Siesta Key Beach.

First and second grade presented impressive artwork in the Kozel Amphitheater this morning during their Art Under the Banyan exhibition. Student artwork covered a wide variety of styles, artists, and materials. Dr. Vasilaki and her students played lovely music on their string instruments while parents admired their students’ masterpieces.

ODA's girls basketball season is off to a winning start.

In recent years, fine arts educators have noticed a gradual shift in how visual arts are being taught. In order to keep students engaged, teachers must stay ahead of the curve to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology and teaching models being introduced into their field.

At Out-of-Door, faculty and staff strive every day to ensure that our students are graduating with the preparation needed to confidently navigate both their college experiences and their lives beyond college. As part of ODA’s commitment to health and wellness, faculty and staff at the Uihlein Campus have, for the past two years, participated in SafeTALK training courses through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). This important training provides support and guidance to faculty and staff who have an open line of communication with students through advisory, coaching and general student-teacher interactions.

Sarsen Whatmore '19 in top six at States

A half dozen ODA student-athletes sign commitment letters on National Signing Day.

The Out-of-Door Academy and Gocio Elementary School have enjoyed a strong partnership for more than 10 years, participating in regular service projects together. This year ODA students, parents, and faculty are providing Thanksgiving meals for 76 families at Gocio. Delivering Thanksgiving meals to families in need at Gocio has become an important tradition for every Out-of-Door student. Through this project, our students learn the rewarding nature of our core value of service as they offer compassion and empathy to others.

On Wednesday morning, the Petrik Thunderdome was filled with Upper School students and faculty as six senior student-athletes signed their commitment letters to a college or university. The Class of 2019 members were surrounded by proud parents, siblings, and coaches as they took the next step toward furthering their education. The seniors signed on to schools located along the east coast, ranging from right here in Florida to Boston, MA.

The Parent Association would like to extend a special thank you to all of our sponsors, volunteers, and attendees for participating in Thunder Fun Day this past Saturday. It was a great event for the entire ODA community.

Many Out-of-Door students and faculty members have come to know the School community as a second family. As our alumni base continues to grow, that description is more accurate than many of us ever imagined. It turns out that many former students who met at ODA are now married or preparing to get married. This alumni profile showcases a remarkable story of four former students who met on our Historic Siesta Key Campus.

There was something for everyone at Thunder Fun Day 2018!

Out-of-Door finishes as the top area boys team at Regionals.

As part of a cross-curricular study about the basic functions of the government, fifth grade students are learning about the role of each branch of government and the relationship between local, state, and national government as well as the judicial system. Students will also be reading John Grisham’s “Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer,” a book centered around a boy who aspires to be a judge.

Out-of-Door veteran families and friends were honored guests at Veterans Day events on both ODA campuses.

Spoken word poet Mr. Miles Hodges visited ODA’s Upper School to perform at assembly and hold workshops with humanities classes.

The Upper School presentation of “Overcoming” opened last night to a delighted audience who responded with thoughtful silence and uproarious laughter to the six vignettes presented in this impressive showcase.

ODA girls cross country advance to FHSAA State Meet.

Both campuses were abound with spooktacular events for Halloween this year.

MLB Umpire Chad Fairchild calls the World Series, then returns to Sarasota to watch ODA's playoff game.

Twelve ODA Upper School students and faculty chaperone Mr. Marc Roberts spent five days on a North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) expedition to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina last week.

AP Literature and Composition class continue "Peanuts"-themed tradition.

Saturday, October 27 found a group of alumni returning to the campus and watching their own children participate in activities that they never imagined doing when they were students themselves on Siesta Key.

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students presented their artwork in the Kozel Family Amphitheater during their Art Under the Banyan exhibition.

ODA eighth graders have begun a year-long program with kindergarten buddies at Blanche H. Daughtrey Elementary School in Bradenton. The program, now in its second year, teaches our students empathy, communication, and understanding as they mentor children at the Title 1 school.

Maria Shaw '23 breaks PR by 27 seconds and leads team to capture the Class 1A-District title.

Marathon victory in first set serves as springboard.

ODA defeats Jupiter Christian 27-13.

Lower School students on the Historic Siesta Key Campus are participating in a schoolwide collaboration and community building program called “Enrichment Clusters” this year.

Canterbury falls to Sarasota Out-of-Door

Thunder defeat top-seeded Sarasota Christian.

The 2018 Thunder Athletic Club Golf Tournament at Esplanade Golf and Country Club brought together local business partners, parents, alumni, friends, faculty, and student-athletes for a fun event to benefit ODA Athletics.

ODA's Jake Naese '21 plays top individual game, earns medalist honors. 

Students visited Bay Village of Sarasota to share songs and unique versions of familiar stories with the residents.

ODA outlasts Bradenton Christian to reach title game for second straight year.

ODA scores on Colin Castro’s 58-yard touchdown on Thunder’s first play from scrimmage.

Spirit Week on the Uihlein Campus in Lakewood Ranch was packed with fun events in the days leading up to Homecoming.

Out-of-Door Academy students presented grant to study ways to increase oyster population.

Class of 2007 members Ro Marchese and Jake Grollman returned to Out-of-Door for a live version of Ask Jake, Ask Ro, the advice column they wrote in the school newspaper when they were students.

Children all over the world take part in the Cardboard Challenge–an event devoted to creativity and imagination–every fall.

Mr. Steven Brelsford’s eighth grade Honors Geometry class has been immersed in a challenging unit on Logic. To help his students have a thorough understanding of biconditional statements, Mr. Brelsford asked the class to create alphabet books. He explained that these books were a good vehicle for learning how biconditional statements differ from conditional statements. This week his students traveled to Siesta Key to share their books and what they have learned with our kindergarten students.

“The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” opened to an impressed crowd Wednesday night.

Members of the fifth grade Student Admissions Team (SAT), recently spent time on the Uihlein Campus in Lakewood Ranch working on a special design thinking project focused on customizing Out-of-Door prospective students’ shadow visits on both of our campuses.

ODA's cross country sophomore named as an athlete to watch.

Out-of-Door Academy beats Bradenton Christian as postseason looms

AT&T shows the dangers of distracted driving with the ‘It Can Wait Campaign’.

Networking is always important as young people move from the academic world to the workforce, and who better to network with than our own alumni? Thanks to the initiative of Jenny Lytle ‘00 and Gianni Valenti ’01, a series of networking evenings have been held to bring young professionals together to share their talents and services.

The Out-of-Door Academy is pleased to announce it has received a $7,250 STEM grant from the Toshiba America Foundation (TAF). These funds will support the ODA Aquaculture Project, in which students are designing sustainable oyster reefs to improve water quality in the Gulf of Mexico.

ODA Middle School history teacher Mr. Connor Ventling was walking a group of campers off the beach this summer when he heard cries for help.

Students in Andy Lemieux’s Advanced Placement Literature and Composition course began the year with a thought-provoking project based on their summer reading of Charlotte Brontë's “Jane Eyre.”

The school's boys and girls basketball programs both have new head coaches.

Out-of-Door students, faculty, and staff gathered at the Uihlein Campus in Lakewood Ranch to celebrate the Class of 2019 at the annual Convocation ceremony today.

On Wednesday, September 12, the Class of 2022 and their advisors traveled to Nathan Benderson Park for a morning of team-building and community service. The freshmen were divided into groups, and then proceeded to different sections of the park with their advisors for collaborative activities culminating in a group service project.

Dr. Larry Thompson, President of the Ringling College of Art & Design, visited the Upper School this week to speak to students about the importance of creativity and “right-brained thinking” in careers of the future.

Seniors traveled to the Historic Siesta Key Campus to meet their kindergarten buddies for the first time.

Local bee expert Tom Mawn visits the AP Environmental Science class to share apiary knowledge.

ODA defense a cohesive unit that takes pride in playing hard and swarming to the ball.

Each year at Out-of-Door, there is a central theme adopted by each division that is incorporated into curriculum and advisory throughout the school year. This year, our Core Values take center stage as all grade levels incorporate Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Responsibility (RISER).

Out-of-Door lands a solid win over Santa Fe Catholic.

This summer, 13 Upper School students undertook a European adventure that included a leadership conference with students from across the globe.

When students and faculty returned from summer break, they were greeted by many new improvements on both campuses.

After a fumbled first play, ODA rallies to a 41-8 win on Friday night.

When Leadership Camp was first established several decades ago, Out-of-Door did not have an Upper School and this capstone experience was part of students' final year at ODA.

The Upper School Thunder Cup challenge began in 2006. The competition runs throughout the school year as grade level teams compete in a wide variety of activities to earn points towards the coveted Thunder Cup Championship.

We are pleased to introduce eight new employees who have joined the ODA faculty and staff for the start of the 2018-19 academic year. Coming from a variety of educational settings, they all bring the ability to inspire students to reach their full potential and a passion for educating the whole child. At Out-of-Door we are committed to recruiting and developing the best possible talent. "The "Class of 2018" will make an immediate, positive impact on both our programs and our school community.” - Head of School, David Mahler

New head coach Chris Kempton picks up the first victory of the season with a 33-7 win over Fort Myers Canterbury

Author John Spencer led workshops relating to his books "Launch" and "Empower” during faculty meetings last week. Faculty and staff learned how to use design thinking to develop engaging, student-centered activities to enrich the educational experience of our students.

Featured in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, ODA's senior placekicker from the Czech Republic can boom kicks from 60 yards out and play wide receiver. This well-rounded student is also an all-state soccer player who often stars in musical productions and performances.

Many of you probably already know Mrs. Laura Murphy. As part of a small group of faculty members who have attended every Upper School Commencement since 1999, Mrs. Murphy knows most of the alums who have been on the Siesta Key and Lakewood Ranch campuses. This year, she is taking on an additional role overseeing ODA's Alumni Relations.

ODA's Mairead Studdiford '19 has turned a research project about manatees into a summer internship at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota.

Fifth graders present their interactive projects at the Renewable Energy Summit.

Students across all three divisions have participated in culminating projects and activities that encompass their learning throughout the school year.

Reporter Ryan Kohn talks with quarterback Tyler Beasley '21 about overcoming losses and the excitement of competition.

The College Counseling Department is pleased to announce that the graduating Class of 2018 has the highest average SAT score in ODA history.

Fourth grade students share their projects during the 3D Cell Showcase in the Dart STEM Lab.

Sixth grade students unveiled the websites they designed as part of their study of marine conservation issues.

ODA defeated Evangelical Christian School 16-8 for the first spring football win since 2011. QB Tyler Beasley '21 had two late TD passes to lead the Thunder to triumph over the Sentinels.

Students shared impressive vocal and instrumental abilities during the 12th Annual Thunderpalooza talent showcase, presented by Tri-M Music Society. Tremendous talent was exhibited from students in grades 6 - 12 and all for a good cause. The $5 entry fee to the show and sales of all concessions went to support Manasota Buds, an organization dedicated to promoting understanding and acceptance of Down Syndrome.

Coach Brett Strot spoke to Upper School students during Ovation about what it took for the U.S. Women's Hockey Team to win gold at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.

Austin Bonacuse '22 had the opportunity to create her own pizza, burger, and taco after winning the Banyan Ball auction item from PBnT, a local eatery downtown Sarasota.

ODA Latin students traveled to Orlando to participate with more than 1,000 Florida students in the 2018 State Latin Forum. ODA Middle School and Upper School students performed extremely well in the competition and were wonderful representatives of The Out-of-Door Academy.

Saraiah Walkes overcomes injuries to claim three medals at the FHSAA State Championship finals.

Saraiah Walkes '21 finished fourth in the preliminary race (57.69 seconds), good enough to advance to Saturday's finals. Walkes also qualified first in the 100-meter dash (12.28) and in the 200-meter dash (24.95).

The Out-of-Door Academy is proud to announce the 2018 Boys Tennis Team State Champions!

The Out-of-Doors Boys Tennis Team Captures the State Title

Kessler throw one-hitter, strikes out 8

The Thunder will face Miami Country Day Tuesday in semifinals.

The Out-of-Door Academy is wrapping up its pilot year as part of an innovative educational community, The Hybrid Learning Consortium (HLC), and this week ODA hosted the annual HLC symposium at the Uihlein Campus.

Fifth grade visits the Florida House Institute as they begin their unit on Renewable Energies in STEM class.

Fourth grade concluded the study of modern Florida by presenting the annual Florida Travel Agency.

ODA students achieve high marks at Florida's Latin competition.

Students from the Spanish III honors and Spanish IV classes, visited the the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

ODA boys top Saint Stephen's 4-1 to advance to 1A state tournament.

Filip Svoboda '19 earns 2nd Ray Guy Prokicker.com Top Prospect Award. His outstanding past performance at the Ray Guy Kicking Camp – along with his national ranking – has again earned him the opportunity to compete at the National Top Prospect Camp.

ODA's Modern Languages Department sent a team of 16 students to compete in the Florida State Spanish Conference in Orlando.

Students in second through fifth grade participated in the Gilder Lehrman Institute's Dear George Washington Contest.

ODA student focuses business, crafting skills toward charity.

Students learn about the science involved behind the landfill process as part of their cross curricular study focused on sustainability and their community.

Glitz and glamour filled The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, as more than 300 attendees enjoyed a night in Vintage Vegas for The Out-of-Door Academy’s annual Banyan Ball. Guests were greeted by showgirls, Banyan Ball Chairs and an elegant champagne tower while enjoying the vocal stylings of Vegas favorites Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe, and Frank Sinatra.

Leigh Dalton '99 entered Pre-Kindergarten at Out-of-Door in 1985. She was part of ODA's first freshman class when the Uihlein Campus opened in 1996, and the first graduating class of seniors in 1999. Leigh looks back and shares her memories of being ODA's first "Lifer."

Margaret Buck ‘21 started knitting in 5th grade and Abigail Eakle ‘20 took up knitting this year. The pair teamed up to turn their hobby into something meaningful. Margaret and Abigail are daughters of oncologists who work at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) in Lakewood Ranch, and have grown up hearing how difficult it is for people going through cancer treatment.

The Out-of-Door Academy Lower School on Siesta Key unveiled the new Dart STEM Lab earlier this week. This is the latest in a series of significant capital investments in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs at Out-of-Door.

Bianca Tengerdy and Oliver Tannheiser, ODA class of 2015, participated in a video exchange conference call with a Spanish 2 Honors class on Tuesday, February 6.

Lower School students welcomed their grandparents and grandfriends to the Siesta Key campus last week for a beautiful morning under the Banyan canopy.

On Friday, February 7^th students, faculty, staff, and families assembled on the basketball court for the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser on the Siesta Key Campus. The annual ODA event is held in conjunction with February’s National Heart Health Month.

Disney’s High School Musical 1 Act Edition tackles age-appropriate themes that resonate with Middle and High School aged students. It’s about what it means to be part of a team and what it takes to follow your instincts.

In this week's edition of "Feel Good Friday," SNN's Grant Boxleitner spent time at The Out-Of-Door Academy, where the advanced string orchestra, rock band and chorus are getting ready for a tribute concert of Led Zeppelin.

Middle school students bring the Disney show to life.

What do human trafficking, national healthcare, gun control, and assisted suicide have in common? They were all topics Upper School students selected to research and discuss in a recent AP Language and Composition assignment, titled "Moment of Voice."

The Out-of-Door Academy girls soccer team bombarded Imagine School of North Port with 37 shots at Thunder Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Out-of-Door Academy's Middle School received the 2018 Music Enrollment Award from the Florida Music Education Association.

The ODA senior talks Chris Paul and the importance of leadership.

A recent cross-curricular project in fourth grade allowed students to experience every aspect of STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, while applying recently learned Earth Science concepts in meaningful format.

Fifth graders have been studying astronomy from an innovative perspective.

Congratulations to these talented Student-Athletes.