District fortunate to have many heroes within its ranks

(Published Sunday, April 27, 2008 in Examiner-Enterprise)

Everyone needs a hero.

And fortunately for those of us who operate in and around it, the Bartlesville Public School District boasts plenty of them.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Madi Sheffield, a kindergarten student at Jane Phillips Elementary School , certainly has someone to whom she can look up. Just a fourth grader at Jane Phillips, Devon Laird grabbed Madi out of the way of an oncoming truck last month, almost certainly averting a tragedy in the process. Madi's family, which includes her mother Heather who is a school counselor at Jane Phillips, will be forever grateful. Devon has since been recognized by the 51 st Oklahoma Legislature – he was presented with a special citation during a ceremony at Jane Phillips – as well as the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Bartlesville.

“There aren't a lot of heroes left in this world,” said Bartlesville Police Chief Tom Holland to Devon at the Jane Phillips ceremony. “But, you're one of them.”

While I agree there aren't enough heroes in the world, they certainly can be found if you look hard enough. Sometimes, they even come in pairs. Take Barry W. Lowe and his wife, Karen, for instance. In February of 2006, the couple founded the Lowe Family Young Scholars program to help less fortunate students realize their dream of one day attending a college or university. Recognizing some of the hurdles faced by students at Jane Phillips Elementary School , where a sizable percentage of the youngsters are eligible for free and reduced lunch plans, they pledged $1 million over a 10-year period toward the program and challenged participating schools Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma Wesleyan University to match the commitment.

The Examiner-Enterprise honored Barry W. Lowe as its 2008 Most Progressive Citizen of the Year during a special banquet late last month at the Bartlesville Community Center.

“I only provide the charisma,” said Barry. W. Lowe, smiling upon accepting the award. “My wife, Karen, does all of the work.”

As Mr. Lowe demonstrated, heroes don't seek out the accolades which can sometimes follow a job well done. And when the spotlight does fall upon them, they'll often find a way to make sure others get a moment or two in it as well.

Special honors don't always find some of the highly deserving people who work to ensure excellence within the Bartlesville Public School District . Thankfully though, we have occasions such as Administrative Professionals Week, which was observed from April 20-26 this year. Originally known as National Secretaries Week upon its advent in 1952, the seven-day span received a name change by its originating organization – the International Association of Administrative Professionals – in 2000.

Across the country, Administrative Professionals Week has become one of the largest workplace observances. It gives everyone a chance to pause and consider just how much some of these fine people who toil behind the scenes ultimately mean to each and every one of us.

So, though Administrative Professionals Week has officially come to a close for this year, take some time out of your day to thank the ones around whom you work. There are plenty of heroes within their ranks.

Now in her third year as the principal at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, Sandra Kent is certainly a hero among her students and staff members. She's obviously well respected among her peers as well. Earlier this month, Kent was informed that she was named the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals' 2008-09 National Distinguished Principal. Kent is now in the running for the national honor, which will be announced in October during a special gathering in Washington , D.C.

The Wilson Wildcats surprised Kent on April 11 with a special assembly in her honor. Among the guests were Sen. John Ford, Rep. Earl Sears and Rep. Steve Martin, who presented her with a special citation from the State of Oklahoma for her accomplishment.

Test scores have continually been on the rise under the leadership of Kent, who has introduced both the Oklahoma A+ Network and the Literacy First Phase IV grant programs into the school.

“Sandra puts her heart into everything she does,” says BPSD executive director of elementary instruction Dianne Martinez, who nominated Kent for the NDP honor. “And, it's all about the kids.

“She's an excellent principal.”