The feature photo is reminiscent of a scene in the movie Sandlot. The O’Neal School baseball team of 1974 had the amenities of a backstop and some dirt for practice as the mobile unit school buildings sit not too far from the action. By this time, O’Neal was serving students in grades 4-9. It was a young team.

On September 7, 2006, the Parents Association hosted its annual picnic in the form of a party, kicking off the school year celebrating O’Neal’s 35th birthday and the celebration would last the whole school year. That day was coincidentally the day that O’Neal presently celebrates as Founders Day. There was a significant lapse of time in O’Neal’s 50 years where Founders Day was not celebrated. It was not until O’Neal turned 40 that the research was done to determine the official Founders Day for the School. At the picnic, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new lower school building. It was the beginning of a new phase of the School’s master campus plan and a large component of the second consecutive capital campaign – Complete the Vision.

O’Neal’s first brick and mortar facility was dedicated on January 5, 1975, only a few years after Wallace O’Neal Day School was established. The School was growing every year and the mobile units that comprised the School, were at their maximum capacity. But it was not a reactive decision to build, it was the plan all along. In fact, in 1972 the wheels started turning on a proposed school building. President Ted Taws Jr and his board seemingly had a plan that was well thought, from the fundraising to the building plan and the dedication. With James Van Camp as the building committee chair, a $828,000 capital campaign was launched.

O’Neal’s ONV/Key Club was very successful with their canned food drive for the local food pantry this year, donating 1200 items in total. This is something that O’Neal does every year. It may be managed by a different organization or division, but it happens annually. Though all schools are good to serve its community, not only for the sake of the community, but to also introduce the students to the concept and the importance of giving. It is intriguing that community service at O’Neal started only two months after it opened with a food/clothing drive to assist the Moore County Welfare Department, only to follow the next month, December 1971, when all 41 students raised $95.04 to the United Fund of Moore County and asked it to be given to the Moore County Mental Health Association.

What do basketball games, pep rallies, homecoming parades, and community fun runs have in common? --- Cheerleaders! Records show O’Neal having a cheer team starting in 1974. There have been a few years O’Neal cheerleaders have not been on the scene, but for the most part O’Neal’s cheerleaders have the floor for our famous pep rallies. They perform awesome routines, especially for “Silent Night” and Homecoming games. They lead the way for homecoming parades and were the best motivators for O’Neal runners during the former beloved Reindeer Run held in Aberdeen every year. Most of all, those students who participate on an O’Neal cheer team have great memories to last them a lifetime.

Accreditation. It’s important. It is an all -inclusive evaluation of a school from those within the school community as well as from representatives of other schools. There are requirements for accreditation. It keeps schools in check and assists with its operations, especially independent schools who, other than state compulsory attendance laws, are not governed or monitored by a state board of education to determine standards, develop curriculum, admit students or hire teachers. The evaluation provides data and feedback to make continuous improvements in all areas of a school operation.  The accreditation is based on the evaluation of the school to determine if it not only meets the needs of the students and community, but also the standards of the commission.

In 1977, O’Neal celebrated having its first graduating class. Twenty years later, O’Neal was excited to claim its first Morehead Scholar. The Morehead Scholarship, and later changed to Morehead-Cain Scholarship in 2007, is the first merit scholarship established in the United States at the first public university in the United States - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Among the largest and most competitive scholarship programs in the United States, the Morehead-Cain pays all expenses for four years of undergraduate study, including the cost of a laptop computer and four summer enrichment experiences.

When one looks back at this time of the year for O’Neal, they often remember food drives, the second grade Great Kapok Tree performance, the Parents Association Book Fair and Special Persons Day. Special Persons Day would often be the last day before Thanksgiving Break and many times, a half day. With focus on the Lower School, there is often a performance that includes all lower school grades and special persons are invited to attend. Afterwards, special persons join their host in their classroom for special activities as well as follow the normal class schedule. Refreshments are served. Some classes put on an extra performance, like the second grade Great Kapok Tree. Everyone gets to visit the book fair.

Among all of the perceptions of O’Neal, the one that never fades is its focus on academic excellence. Over the years, the School has had the opportunity to offer three consistent scholarships to rising upper school students, where two of them continue to endure.