Oxford University School announced its plans to construct a new activity center at a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday.

Construction of the 14,000 square-foot activity center will begin in June and is projected to be completed by the fall 2018 semester. It will feature additional classrooms, a stage, kitchen, cafeteria and a large play area for indoor activities including basketball and pickleball. The classrooms will be used for music and art, as well as general education.

According to Corey Alger, architect and Chair of the Board of Trustees, the project is one part of a bigger plan to expand the OUS experience.

“It’s been about two years, working on the planning and design, the functions of the building,” he said. “We’ve been working on the long-term growth strategy for the school, and the activity center is a big part of it.”

In addition to the new activity center, OUS also has plans to add one 2K class. Currently, the school offers 3K through sixth grade classes for its students. Offering courses up to sixth grade is something Alger said allows the school to continue to become a tangible part of the community, because the school’s “strength” is early childhood education.  

Alger said the project is a result of the school’s recent increase and enrollment and mission to provide children with a high-quality learning environment.

“This has been a need since the school was built; it just wasn’t funded,” Alger said. “But now it is, so that’s what we’re doing, we’re completing the school. We’ve got room to grow in all directions, so it’s exciting looking forward to the future.”

Alger also added that he hopes the activity center will be a place for students to use in inclement weather and during future summer camps. This summer, children from OUS and the rest of the community will participate in a variety of camps, with subjects ranging from drama to robots to dinosaurs.

The groundbreaking was held during the OUS Field day, with students gathering around the site of the new activity center with shovels, singing the school song before returning to an afternoon of bounce houses, prizes and games.

For more information on OUS and the new activity center, visit www.ouseagles.org or call 662-234-2200.