Thursday, Oct. 8 was a big day for Oxford Community Schools as the district rolled out the red carpet for Michigan State Superintendent Mike Flanagan.
Flanagan, who toured Leonard and Daniel Axford elementaries along with the middle and high schools, tries to visit one school district every month. It was Oxford’s reputation that attracted him here.
‘I’ve run into (Superintendent) Bill (Skilling) a number of times, and he piqued my interest with some of what he is doing because of his visits to China, the language, the violins,? said Flanagan. ‘It’s more than I would have thought; it’s even better than what I thought.?
At each scheduled stop, Flanagan was greeted by a smiling group of students and faculty who walked with him as he toured facilities and visited numerous classrooms.
The tour began at Leonard Elementary, where he was greeted by Principal Dianna Zink, fourth graders Olivia Gilmore and Ben Varner and fifth grader Michael Abbott. He visited Yuan Huang’s fourth-grade Chinese classroom and Marcie Bensman’s kindergarten classroom, which was being taught Spanish by Stephanie Brevik.
The middle school was the second stop on the tour. There he was greeted by Principal Ken Weaver, seventh-graders Tyler Kwapis and Harrison Lavins and eighth-graders Zack Kessler, Ginger Wissman and Elizabeth Schonfeld.
After looking at Ron Roop’s robotics classroom and hearing Nady Benyamine’s orchestra class, Flanagan was treated to a catered lunch in the school’s Media Center, where he took some time to answer questions about state education from parents and community members.
Music during lunch was provided by seventh-graders Chad Birchard, Kylie Beach and Ian Ruhala and eighth graders Gabe Paese and Schonfeld.
After lunch, it time to see Natalie Daversa’s computer classroom before leaving to visit the high school, where Principal Mike Schweig, Senior Corrine Luxton, Junior Tyler Rose, Dr. Marsha Chapman and parents Kim Shumaker and Karen Seawright showed him around the building.
The first stop was brief history lesson of the Oxford Cup, taught by Luxton, pictures with the welcoming committee and seeing the robotics team in action before hearing performances by woman’s group Caritas and the Men’s Choir.
Flanagan was then shown Dan Balsley’s Auto Tech room before spending time in the new Mac Lab, where he was interviewed by teacher Bruce Holladay.
‘What you are seeing right here (the Mac Lab) is relevant to kids…its relevant to your life also. It’s nice that they can learn and have something that is going to be relevant to them,? Flanagan said.
He finished the tour of OHS by visiting Jessie Qi’s Chinese classroom before heading to Daniel Axford Elementary.
When he arrived at DA, he was greeted by Principal Joyce Brasington, second-graders Francesca Mcleod, Mitchell Howell and Gavin Shampine and parents Jamie Fleming and Shannon Groedl. He was shown Kim Kreilach’s kindergarten class, which was being taught Chinese by Min Liu and listened to the first grade string instruments class perform in the media center.
A light reception followed at the Board Office, where he met with seven school superintendents from surrounding areas.
Flanagan emphasized Oxford’s global focus as an example for other districts to follow.
?(Oxford) is the top one to prepare folks for a global world. What I need to do is to find a way as state superintendent to intrigue others to learn more about what you are doing here. It shouldn’t be the only one that I have visited to have this kind of focus, but it is,? said Flanagan.