Woodrow Wilson Elementary School principal Sandra Kent looked at the eye-catching statue in her hand, a pedestal with a large diamond-shaped object sitting atop it.
She held the statue high for all of the Wilson students to see and they roared their approval.
“I think it's safe to say,” said Wilson reading facilitator Tammie Krause, “that Mrs. Kent shines like a diamond for us.”
Kent enjoyed a shining moment on April 11 in the Wilson gymnasium, the guest of honor in a surprise ceremony. Packed into the gym were the school's student body, teachers and staff members as well as several special visitors. The latter list included Bartlesville Public School District superintendent Dr. Gary W. Quinn, BPSD executive director of elementary instruction Dianne Martinez, Sen. John Ford, Rep. Earl Sears, Rep. Steve Martin, former Bartlesville Board of Education member Harvey Little and Kent's husband, Thad Kent.
Kent was being saluted after being informed last week by officials with the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals that she is their 2008-09 National Distinguished Principal. Having taken the Sooner State honor, Kent is now in the running for the national award, the winner of which will be revealed during the 2008 National Distinguished Principals program, which is scheduled from Oct. 16-17 in Washington D.C. Kent will be in attendance.
“I thought my feet were back on the ground, but after this, I don't know,” said Kent following Friday's reception.
“I'm very excited and overwhelmed by all of this.”
During the reception, Kent was presented with a special citation by Sen. Ford, Rep. Sears and Rep. Martin – who were representing the 51st Oklahoma Legislature – in recognition of her accomplishment. Students presented her with flowers and art work as a tribute while Quinn and Martinez spoke glowingly of her many accomplishments while at the Wilson helm.
“Sandra puts her heart into everything she does,” said Martinez. “And, it's all about the kids.
“She's an excellent principal.”
Now in her third year as the Wilson principal – and her 16 th in education – Kent has ushered in two heralded academic programs at the school, the Oklahoma A+ Network and the Literacy First Phase IV grant. The benefits of the programs have been reflected in strong test scores at Wilson, where the school rang up a sterling 1,464 in their 2007 Academic Performance Index testing series. A testing series given through the Oklahoma State Department of Education, the API is seen as a good way to track the academic prowess of a school or school district. The best possible score is a 1,500.
“Sandra has done a tremendous job at Wilson,” said Quinn. “We are very fortunate to be able to call her one of our own.
“We're proud of her.”
An Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals member for eight years, Kent served as a teacher and principal in Pawhuska, Oologah and Sapulpa prior to assuming her current role. The Bartlesville Public School District is a member of OAESP District 5A.
Kent received the State Superintendent's and Arts Alliance Award for Excellence in Arts Education in 2004, the Young Alumni Achievement Award from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in 2005, the OAESP Grant Award in 2005, and the OAESP Most Innovative Technology Grant in 2006.
Martinez initially nominated Kent for the OAESP's 2008-09 National Distinguished Principal Award. During the selection process, a committee of former award winners read and rated the District Administrator of the Year applications from across the state before settling on three finalists. From there, site visits were made on March 31 and April 2 as the judges spoke to students, teachers and parents at the respective schools of each of the competing principals.
The selection process was based on written and demonstrated evidence of the following performance standards: The principal…
* leads his or her school in a way that places student and adult learning at the center.
* sets high expectations and standards for the academic and social development of all students and the performance of adults.
* demands content and instruction that ensures student achievement of agreed-upon academic standards.
* creates a culture of continuous learning for adults tied to student learning and other school goals.
* uses multiple sources of data as diagnostic tools to assess, identify and apply instructional improvement.
* actively engages the community to create shared responsibility for student and school success.
The National Distinguished Principal Award Program is sponsored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the U.S. Department of Education and AIG-VALIC. OAESP has participated in the program since its inception in 1984.
Though many people knew about the surprise ceremony on Friday, Kent was left in the dark. By the time she was called into the gymnasium, it was packed with supporters and well-wishers, all of them eager to sing her praises and cheer her on.
Once she had entered the gym, Kent smiled as she took in all of the pomp and circumstance. She made a beeline toward Krause, who served as the master of ceremonies for the event.
“Are you surprised?” asked Krause.
The smile never left Kent 's face.
“Yep,” she answered.
Woodrow Wilson Elementary principal Sandra Kent talks to a student during a special surprise ceremony in her honor on April 11 in the school's gymnasium. Kent was recently named the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals' 2008-09 National Distinguished Principal. Below, Rep. Steve Martin (pictured left) shakes hands with Woodrow Wilson Elementary principal Sandra Kent on April 11 at the school gymnasium after presenting her with a special citation from the 51st Oklahoma Legislature. Also part of the presentation were (second from the right) Sen. John Ford and (far right) Rep. Earl Sears.
