Staff Accomplishments

The American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma will honor Dr. Diane Welker, principal of Central Intermediate School, as one of six local heroes at the annual Red Cross HEROES Event. The event will be held March 8th at the National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum. Welker is being honored for taking quick action to stop a car that went over the curb and on to school property as school was letting out for the day earlier this year.

At the same event, the Madalynne Norick Lifetime Hero Award will be presented to Lois Thomas for her involvement with students and her work raising money for cancer research. Thomas, a former Putnam City High School teacher, started the Putnam City Cancer Fund Drive in 1975 to raise money for cancer research. Since then, donations from Putnam City students have purchased a vast array of sophisticated laboratory equipment, including centrifuges, microscopes and incubators. The donations also established an endowed chair at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, The Putnam City Schools Chair in Cancer Research.

Misty Granger of Harvest Hills Elementary School has been chosen as one of only 25 teachers nationwide to be on the Scholastic Teacher Advisory Board.

Fran Sylvester, a 5th grade teacher at Overholser Elementary School, has been chosen to escort a group of 35 middle school students from Oklahoma City and Dallas to Western Europe through the People to People Student Ambassadors program. The group will tour England, Wales, Ireland, Holland, France and other countries on their 20-day trip this summer. The People to People Student Ambassadors program was started in 1956 by President Eisenhower as part a worldwide effort to bring citizens of the world together to work toward peace.

Vivian Rice of Coronado Heights Elementary School was named Heartland Rotary Club Teacher of the Month for March.