Oxford Community Schools

We're thrilled to celebrate our amazing Secondary OVA Teachers of the Year! A huge congratulations to Gar Willoughby, our Middle School Teacher of the Year, and Hilary Jacobsen, our High School Teacher of the Year! 🌟👏 Mr. Willoughby is an inspiring educator who engages students in and beyond the online classroom. He leads a traveling club that builds community through shared experiences while exploring diverse cultures. By connecting lessons to students' lives, he makes learning relevant and empowers them to take ownership of their education. His passion and innovation spark a lifelong love of learning, making him a deserving Teacher of the Year candidate. Hilary is a dedicated advocate who puts students first, creating action plans tailored to their success. In her ELA class, she provides meaningful feedback that helps them grow. She goes beyond the classroom, visiting students on-site to build relationships and foster discussions on academic integrity. Her commitment to their well-being and growth makes her a truly inspiring educator. Thank you both for your unwavering dedication to supporting your students and for your kindness toward colleagues. You truly make a difference! 💖 #OCSWildcats #WorldclassWildcats

🎉What a great day to surprise Taylor Klanke! 🎉 🏆🎖️Mrs. Klanke always searches for various ways to have students be excited on math. Her own disposition and joy in the field is contagious, and she regularly sees ways to meet students at their level and then advance it. Her activities are a strong mix of great modalities in an effort to meet the needs of all her learners, and she continuously and patiently pushes all her students towards betterment.👏 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

🎉 🎖️🏆 Daniel Axford Elementary is proud to announce Mrs. Don for the 2024-25 DA Teacher of the Year award. She has made a profound impact on her students by creating a supportive, caring, and fun learning environment. Mrs. Don goes above and beyond to help each student feel valued, confident, and comfortable in the classroom. Her dedication, patience, and creativity have helped students grow both academically and personally. Whether it’s offering extra support or making learning enjoyable, she ensures every child feels loved and appreciated. Mrs. Don truly deserves this recognition for her outstanding contributions to her students' success. 👏 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

🎉🏆Congratulations to Mrs. Lyndsay Blechel on receiving Teacher of the Year for Leonard Elementary! 🌟Mrs. Blechel is a master at building relationships with her students. She gets to know each student’s individual hobbies and interests, creating a safe learning environment where every student feels comfortable being themselves, learning openly, and making mistakes. She connects with her students by sharing her own hobbies and passions. Her humor, openness, and vulnerability are comforting to students, allowing them to see her as more than just a 5th grade teacher, but also a lifelong friend. In addition to teaching Mrs. Blechel is actively involved in many building and district leadership teams, which contributes to her ability to adapt her teaching to meet the needs of each individual student! Way to go Mrs. Blechel!👏 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

🎉🏆Congratulations to Erica Haverland for receiving Teacher of the Year for Clear Lake Elementary! 🌟 Mrs. Haverland is a rock star the whole way around. She is always going above and beyond for her students and team. She constantly finds new ways to improve her craft, which translates to higher engagement and learning for her students. She is supportive and responsive to all of her students needs. Additionally, she is the first to lend a helping hand to her team and all second grade students. She is a leader both in and out of the classroom. Thank you, Erica, for all that you do. You are amazing!👏 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

🎉🏆Congratulations to Mrs. Jessica Pete on receiving OVA Elementary Teacher of the Year! 🌟Mrs. Pete is always proactive in supporting her student's academic needs and their emotional growth. She goes above and beyond to provide targeted instruction to each of her students while also taking the time to regularly communicate with parents to celebrate their child’s academic successes along the way. She is an active participant in OVA's professional learning community, is seen as a teacher leader by her peers, and has received multiple staff shout-outs this school year. We are very excited for her to represent OVA Elementary as our Teacher of the Year nominee.👏 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

🎉🏆Congratulations to Mrs. Kristen Rhoades on receiving Teacher of the Year for Oxford Elementary School! 🌟Kristen motivates her students to love teaching and learning as much as she does. She cultivates strong relationships among each and every student in her classroom. Kristen frequently volunteers her time to work with students outside the school day! She serves as a mentor teacher for newer staff and brings an inspiring attitude to Oxford Elementary each day!👏 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

This evening’s board of education meeting will be live-streamed courtesy of OCTV and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/@OCTVMichigan. For those attending the meeting in person, the meeting location is at Daniel Axford Elementary School. This regular board meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m.

🎉🏆Congratulations to Mrs. Kristen Rhoades on receiving Teacher of the Year for Oxford Elementary School! 🌟Kristen motivates her students to love teaching and learning as much as she does. She cultivates strong relationships among each and every student in her classroom. Kristen frequently volunteers her time to work with students outside the school day! She serves as a mentor teacher for newer staff and brings an inspiring attitude to Oxford Elementary each day!👏 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

School social workers are the heart 💛 of our schools. They step in when students are struggling, providing support, resources, and hope when it’s needed most. Their impact is immeasurable—helping families navigate challenges, working alongside staff to remove barriers to learning, and being a trusted presence for students. To our school social workers: Thank you for your dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to our students. Your work changes lives, and we are beyond grateful for all you do! 👏. While last week was School Social Workers' Week, we appreciate you every day! #OCSWildcats #WorldclassWildcats

🌟 This week, district administration got to 🎉SURPRISE Ms. Kathy Ferguson to congratulate her on being named Teacher of the Year for Oxford Early Learning Center! The big surprise was that she will now represent our district in the Oakland County Teacher of the Year competition! Ms. Kathy motivates students to participate and show positive behaviors in the classroom by creating a strong sense of community and bringing out the strengths in every child. She does this by working with each child individually, helping them grow. Ms. Kathy creates classroom jobs for her students, giving them real roles in their community and ensuring everyone can succeed. She’s also right there with them, participating in activities like climbing, jumping, and getting dirty. She’s always modeling problem-solving and conflict resolution, even planning these situations to help guide the kids. Congratulations, Ms. Kathy! 🏆🎉

🎉 Congratulations to Mrs. Amelia Haggadone on being selected to represent our district as Oakland County Elementary Teacher of the Year, as well as receiving the Teacher of the Year award for Lakeville Elementary School! Mrs. Haggadone is reflective, loving, and deeply admired as both an educator and a person. She is positive, calm, and genuine, starting each day with intentional purpose for her class. She reminds students to "activate school mode" before entering the classroom and takes extra time to build meaningful relationships that make every student feel a sense of belonging. Mrs. Haggadone engages her students through original songs and her passion for learning. She’s also amazing with technology, using it to keep her students highly engaged. She incorporates music and a variety of brain/movement breaks to help students learn how to focus and take care of themselves. 👏🌟 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

Big props to the OHS admin team for bringing the fun on Day 1 of Charity Week! 😂 Their dodgeball team, the Screaming Goats, had everyone cracking up and made for a great start to the week! 🐐 #OCSWildcats #WorldClassWildcats

🎉Parents and Caregivers of Elementary Aged Students! Please join our Elementary School Family School Liasons Wednesday, March 12th, at 1:00 PM via Zoom, to learn some coping and problem solving skills that you can implement at home!🎉 See the flyer for registration information!

What an unforgettable season for our boys varsity basketball team! With a 21-1 record in the regular season, they fought hard in the state tournament this week but came up just short against Davison. While the loss was heartbreaking, we couldn’t be prouder of how they handled themselves both on and off the court. This photo, graciously shared by Davison's photographer, Rusty Bashore, perfectly captures the spirit of our Wildcats. We're proud of our team, their character, and the incredible season they gave us. 💙💛 #OCSWildcats #WorldclassWildcats

🎉 Surprise! 🎉 This morning, we had the honor of recognizing Mr. Steve Ruch as Oxford’s nominee for Oakland County Teacher of the Year! 🏆💙💛 The OHS administration and district leadership team surprised him in class, creating a memorable moment for a teacher who has dedicated 37 years to inspiring students. Mr. Ruch teaches CTE, Marketing, and DECA to students in grades 9-12, bringing real-world experiences into the classroom and equipping students with essential skills for success. Known as a "legend" among his students, Mr. Ruch doesn’t just teach marketing—he lives it by guiding students through DECA competitions, helping them build leadership and business skills that set them apart. Under his mentorship, Oxford students have excelled at the state and national levels, and his dedication has made Oxford’s DECA chapter a standout. Beyond the classroom, Mr. Ruch is also a mentor, coach, and role model. Whether he’s leading students in DECA, coaching football, or simply offering words of encouragement, he continuously demonstrates what it means to lead with integrity, respect, and passion. His impact stretches far beyond Oxford High School, shaping students’ futures in ways that last a lifetime. Congratulations, Mr. Ruch! This recognition is well deserved, and we are so proud to have you representing Oxford in the Oakland County Teacher of the Year program! 🎉👏 #WorldClassWildcats #OCSWildcats

Dear Oxford Schools Families, We invite you to join us for Community Conversations—an opportunity to connect with board members and district administrators, discuss important topics, or simply stop by to say hello. - Tuesday, March 11 – Daniel Axford Elementary, 6:00 p.m. - Tuesday, April 8 – Oxford High School, 6:00 p.m. These informal gatherings will focus on topics like academic programs, student wellness and support, safety and security, future planning, facilities, or anything else that's on your mind. No speeches, no presentations—just meaningful conversations in a relaxed setting. Refreshments will be served, and the Board of Education meeting will follow at 7:00 p.m. We hope you’ll join us! Oxford Community Schools

🛍️📚Our first graders at DA are wrapping up their unit on economics with an exciting Market Day! Over the past several weeks, they've worked hard to earn classroom money to spend and took charge of providing goods or services to sell. Through this hands-on experience, students learned about needs, wants, goods, services, consumers, producers, and customer service. 😊 One of our favorite days in first grade, where learning meets fun! 🌟 #WorldclassWildcats #OCSWildcats

This incredible piece of art was done by 8th grader Carson LeRoy at OMS! Thanks to Summit Physical Therapy for proudly displaying this amazing piece! #OxfordMIArt #OCSWildcats #WorldclassWildcats

📅 Attention 5th Grade Parents! 📅 Here are some important dates to mark on your calendars: Feb 28th: OMS Counselors to Elementary Schools March 5th: Parent Night at OMS March 7th: Course Selection Sheets Due May 28th/29th: 5th Grade OMS Tours