New computers, new teachers at Eisenhower on base

  • Published
  • By Zach Sproul
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Principal Polly Maxwell, at Eisenhower Elementary School on Vance AFB is excited about the upcoming school year and the theme for the school year -- "Wild About Learning!"

"We are anticipating about 160-165 students this year at Eisenhower," she said.

School starts for Enid Public Schools Wednesday, Aug. 24.

Elementary schools will be hosting an open house Monday, Aug. 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Students and parents will get a chance to see their classrooms and meet their teachers. Secondary schools will have open house the same day from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

There will be several new faces greeting students this year in Eisenhower's classrooms. New are Dianna Brashier, kindergarten teacher; Ashley Williams, third-grade teacher; Robyn Bauchamp, resource teacher; Jennifer Heigneh, Pre-K program teacher and Cassandra Miller, teacher aide. The school will have almost 25 staff members.

Students will also have new computers in the classroom and a new computer lab.

The school is coming off a successful year as Eisenhower received the highest Academic Performance Index test scores for the third through fifth grades in the district with an overall score of 1,382 out of 1,500.

Maxwell is delighted. "The score reflects the hard work of students and their teachers," she said. But even though the score is high, she knows Eisenhower students can improve. One of the goals is to make sure that every child is in attendance whenever possible. Absenteeism affects the school's API score, but most importantly, affects the child's education.

"When you miss school, you miss out," Maxwell said.

At Vance, something new this year for school personnel, staff and parents or guardians who do not have a Department of Defense I.D. card, is the new Defense Biometric Identification System cards for access to the base and the school.

These new DBIDS cards have time restrictions on them limiting when the individual can get on base during the school day.

A common goal for the upcoming school year is to maximize each student's learning opportunities, said Maxwell. Eisenhower will focus on enrichment opportunities for students, as well as extra assistance for those who need it.

A big thing Maxwell would like to see is active parent participation. The Parent Teacher Organization is an opportunity for parents to be more involved with their children. Plus, there are no dues to be a part of the PTO and there are opportunities to be on different committees, giving parents a voice in the process. Maxwell believes that parent involvement is one of the key indicators for student success.

Another great way for parents to be involved is to eat breakfast or lunch with their children. Maxwell really encourages this opportunity with the school being located on base.

An important learning opportunity that the Enid Public School system offers is the online learning program. Through a partnership with Aventa Learning and K12, the district offers online courses to Enid-area students. Although their classes are computer based, this allows the students to be part of the local school district.

Families who are interested in this program should contact Maxwell and enroll through EPS.

For more information on school-related questions and programs that the Enid Public Schools offer, contact Maxwell at 580-234-5954, pemaxwell@enidk12.org, or visit www.enidpublicschools.org.