The Garvin County News Star 05/22/2015

GC
NS

Copy Reduced to 63% from original to fit letter page

stratford

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015

GARVIN COUNTY
NEWS STAR
PAGE 7

Stratford Elementary
awarded $40,000 for
tech improvements
Students at Stratford Elementary School
and 21 other Oklahoma schools will soon
find the latest technology in their classrooms thanks to more than $1.4 million
in grants from the Oklahoma Educational
Technology Trust (OETT).
The mission of the Oklahoma Educational
Technology Trust is to equip Oklahoma
common and CareerTech students with the
technology and technological skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
The trust provides funds for equipment,
infrastructure, leadership and professional
development to implement and advance
integration of technology into classroom
instruction.
OETT grants help schools acquire the
newest educational technologies, like tablets, interactive whiteboards and laptops, as
well as train educators on how to operate
and integrate these technologies into classroom learning.
Each of this years grantee schools will
receive $40,000 to purchase new technology equipment and $25,000 for professional
teacher development training.
OETT is creating long-term change for
the benefit of Oklahomas students, said
Dr. Phil Berkenbile, OETT Board of Trustees
chair.
A total of 229 Oklahoma schools have
received OETT grants since they were first
awarded in 2003, and OETT grants have

impacted technology in the classrooms of

more than 92,000 students.
Additionally, more than 8,350 teachers,
principals, superintendents and administrators have received professional development training to assist students with the
new technology.
These educators have been trained on
the best practices of high-achieving schools
and integrating technology into classroom
curriculum.
OETT was established in 2001 as a result
of an agreement between then-attorney
general Drew Edmondson and AT&T
Oklahoma during the companys transition
to a modern form of regulation. As part
of the agreement, AT&T contributed $30
million to OETT. The trust has distributed
almost $17.5 million to date.
The Oklahoma Educational Technology
Trust continues to provide cutting edge
technology and engaging learning opportunities for students in our state, said
Steve Hahn, president of AT&T Oklahoma.
AT&T is proud to partner with OETT in
this endeavor to serve schools, teachers and
kids.
OETT is administered by Communities
Foundation of Oklahoma and professional
development is coordinated through the
University of Oklahomas K20 Center.
For additional information, visit www.
oett.org.

Dance Night set for this Saturday

night at the Peach Town Opry

By Carole Phillips

Dance Night will be held

at The Peach Town Opry on
Saturday, May 23 from 7:00
p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Dusty Rhodes, Horace
Golden, Ray Phillips, Tom
Hurley and Koke Baker will
be playing some good dance
music. Admission is free and
concession is available.
On May 30, the Opry will
host its 5th Saturday Opry
Show and will feature Tanner
Young, Sid Manuel and Betty
Archer.
Tanner Young is from
Colbert, Oklahoma. He just
recently celebrated his 18th
birthday and graduated from
high school pretty much on
the same day.
He appeared on the Peach
Town Opry stage in March
last year and was a big hit
with the crowd. Soon after
his performance at the Opry,
he traveled to Le Mars, Iowa

Robin Langley, Laticia Vacca, Angela Martin and Leesa Hector proudly display the plaque awarded
to them by the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust. Stratford Elementary was awarded a grant
of $40,000 to purchase new technology equipment and $25,000 for professional teacher development
training from the trust.
Courtesy photo

Oklahoma native
named new
Chickasaw
Recreation Area
manager

William (Bill) Wright,

a 30-year veteran of the
National Park Service (NPS),
has been named superintendent of Chickasaw National
Recreation Area and will
also serve as Oklahoma
state coordinator, according
to Intermountain Region
Director Sue Masica. Wright
will begin his new assignment on June 14, 2015.
This marks Wrights forSee WRIGHT page 10

Watch

In Search of The
Lords Way
Each Sunday
Channel 34 - 7:30 a.m.

If you would like to enroll in a free Bible Correspondence Course,

please send your name and address to the
Stratford Church of Christ, PO Box 270, Stratford, OK 74872

BAYLESS DRUG
Most Insurance Accepted

Pharmacist Greg Perry, DPh

580-759-2312 120 W. Main Stratford

Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

May 22, 2015 2:40 pm /