Oxford Teachers Win For Innovation, As Do Students

More than $70,000 worth of innovation is flowing into Oxford schools thanks to creative teachers and a supportive community.  The Oxford School District Foundation (OSDF) granted its Awards for Teacher Innovation to 27 of the district’s finest educators at Monday night’s school board meeting. 
“Our teachers are committed to finding unique ways to help our children learn and grow.  They aren’t afraid to think ‘big’ and these grants definitely show it.  I see many of these grants inspiring children for years to come,” said Shannon Ferguson, grants coordinator for OSDF. 
The grants will affect hundreds of students in six of the district’s schools.  Innovative ideas include creating an engineering work space in the library, enhancing learning with multi-sensory kits and exploring novels with virtual reality viewers.
OSDF President Allyson Best says this is the perfect way for the foundation to celebrate its 30^th year of granting funds into Oxford classrooms. 
“The Oxford School District has worked so hard to earn its No. 1 ranking this year, and we like to be there when our teachers and administrators ask the question ‘What if?’  What if I could bring extra science equipment, or math manipulatives, or non-fiction books into my classroom? As a parent and a board member, the ability to fund these extras is the best part of my school year,” Best said.
More than 200 parents, grandparents, teachers, and businesses gave more than $70,000 to fund this year’s 20 grants.  In its 30-year history, the organization estimates giving out more than half a million dollars to teachers in the Oxford School District (OSD) teachers. Memberships start at $25 and the form can be accessed on the district’s website or OSDF’s Facebook page.
Best says she’s already looking forward to seeing what OSDF can do next year.
“It is an extraordinary statement on this community’s commitment to our students. The proposals we approve enhance our teachers’ abilities to engage students in innovative ways.”

TEACHERS	SCHOOL	PROJECT TITLE
Karen Swingle, Jennifer Henry, Ashley Kinsey, Mary Beth Moore	Bramlett Elementary School	Touch and Learn Fine Motor Bins
Phillip Jacquot & Angie Box	Bramlett Elementary School	Classroom Multi-Sensory Kit
Paula Whitaker	Bramlett Elementary School	Tap, Count, Learn!
Roseanne Brownlee	Della Davidson Elementary School	Who is That? (Biography Chapter Books)
Julie Kelly, Sonya Schneider & Kerri Case	Della Davidson Elementary School	I Can Hear Clearly Now (Reading Headphones)
Nicole Gist	Oxford Elementary School	Caution: Future Artist in the Making
Stephanie Roy	Oxford Elementary School	Read to Succeed: Improving Student Performance
Sylvia Tropp	Oxford Elementary School	Learning with Legos : Part 2
Diala Chaney	Oxford High School	Oxford High Sports Production Video Camera
Ebony Johnson	Oxford High School	Life is Seen by Those Who Pay Attention (Photography)
Anna Freeman & Walter Freeman	Oxford High School	Leveling the Playing Field (ACT Graphing Calculators)
Sarah Robinson	Oxford High School	To see the Unseen: Microscopes Phase II
Jeffrey Tyler Kuntz	Oxford High School	Jazz Band
Rose Nash, Amanda Smiley, Sarah Robinson & Justin Ragland	Oxford High School	Stemming into STEM: Blossoming into Biology and Chemistry
Melissa Logan	Oxford Intermediate School	Healthy Heroes
Melissa Logan	Oxford Intermediate School	Everyday Heroes
Jacqueline Mulkey	Oxford Intermediate School	Science and STEM: The Next Curriculum
Wendy Daughdrill	Oxford Intermediate School	E-book Starter Collection
B. Jill Knox	Oxford Middle School	Google Cardboard Glasses
Karen Elliott	Oxford Middle School	Engineering Work Space for OMS Library & Learning Commons

 

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