THE EAGLE’S WATCH
September 2014
From The Headmaster
OCTOBER CALENDAR
Dear Parents, Grandparents, Friends
OCTOBER 13
The 2014-2015 Oxford University
School year has started off in such a
tremendous way. Our faculty, staff,
and student body are the very best.
Our Oxford University School
teachers are leading our school in
such a special way, and we are
following in a way that benefits all
students.
COLUMBUS DAY
No School
OCTOBER 14
2nd Nine Weeks Begins
OCTOBER 14-17
Parent/Teacher
Conferences
OCTOBER 15
children to excel to the level we
want them to, it takes all of us to
jointly work extremely hard to
meet the needs of each child at
OUS.
In conclusion, I urge you to spend
time with your children, read with
them, and read to them. Call me if
your need me.
Sincerely,
I want to remind all of us in the early
part of the school year that for our
Tommy Naron
Report Cards
Pumpkin Patch Trip
OCTOBER 17
Pre-K Field Trip
OCTOBER 21
November Lunch Bunch
Forms Go Home
(Return by October 23)
OCTOBER 23
Parent Support Group
The fall Scholastic Book Fair was a
huge success! This year we raised
over $2900 in sales and about $150
in donations. PSG wants to thank all
parents, grandparents, and friends
who volunteered their time to work
the Book Fair and to everyone who
bought books and accessories. Book
fairs are great fundraisers for OUS,
and your participation is greatly
appreciated.
Brian Hopkins, PSG President
Red Ribbon Week Begins
OCTOBER 28
School Pictures
Fire Prevention Program
OCTOBER 29
*Early Dismissal
Professional Development
OCTOBER 31
HALLOWEEN
Early Dismissal Times
12:30 pm: Pre-K-Sr-K
12:45 pm: 1st-6th
OUS Faculty & Staff: (Seated, left-right)-Alden Low, Alice Porter, Jacque Hamilton,
Amanda Clement, Gin-Gin Carlton, Kimberly Cox (Standing, left-right)-Melinda Gordon,
Bekah Wymer, Misty Cooper, Dusty Croswell, Sarah Hopkins, Angela Butler,
Cindy Summerlin, Allison Bunn, Jeanne Lippincott, Tommy Naron, Patricia Chrestman.
Not pictured: Edgar Serrano, Andi Bedsworth, Carolyn Davis, Deb Townsend, Meg Cox
Meet Our Administration & Staff
Tommy Naron, Headmaster
“I am Tommy Naron, and I am from Cleveland, Mississippi and have a BSE & Md. Ed. from Delta State University. I
have been teaching for over fifteen years, and have been the headmaster at OUS for five years. My favorite thing
about OUS is being with the children. My wife, Memorie, and I have one son, David. I like restoring old cars and
trucks and attending sporting events.”
Sarah Hopkins, Director of Admissions
“Hello! My name is Sarah. This is my seventh year at OUS. I started in August 2008 teaching Senior Kindergarten and
later became the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in August 2013. I have a BAE and M.Ed. from Ole Miss--Hotty
Toddy! I recently completed the MAIS Leadership Institute through Delta State. I have been happily married to Brian
Hopkins for almost 14 years, and our daughter, Lynnleigh Kate, is currently in Ms. Alice's Pre-Kindergarten class. In
my free time, I love to travel, read, cook, and bake.”
Melinda Gordon, Office Manager
“I am Melinda, and I live in Batesville, Mississippi. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from
the University of Memphis. I have taught school, owned a business, and worked in marketing and public relations.
This is my second year as office manager, and I love being here at OUS with these wonderful children, amazing
teachers and staff, and great parents! My husband, Durwood, and I live in the country with our dog, Minnie. I enjoy
gardening, shopping, decorating, sports.“
Meet Our Teachers
Amanda Clement—Pre-Kindergarten
“My name is Amanda, and I am the new Pre K teacher. I'm originally from Texas and graduated from Texas A&M
University with a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, Early Childhood Education (PreK-4). Even though I am
new at OUS, I am not new to teaching! Last year I taught Pre-K in Manhattan, Kansas. Previous to that, I taught
kindergarten for three years at a private Christian school in Bryan, Texas. I have a passion for teaching, especially the
younger ages, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to do what I love! My husband, Mike, is the new hitting coach
for Ole Miss! We love Oxford, and we love OUS! Go REBS and Go Eagles!”
Alice Porter—Pre-Kindergarten
“I am Alice, and I am from Belmont, North Carolina near Charlotte. I received a B.A. in Psychology and a M.Ed. In
Curriculum and Instruction with at teaching license in K-6 from the University of North Carolina. I later taught Pre K
and found my love. I later received a Birth through Kindergarten teaching license. This is my second year at OUS. I
truly love teaching and enjoy school each day to greet these smiling faces. My husband, Josh, and I met in college. He
accepted the position of baseball athletic trainer here at Ole Miss, and we are looking forward to many wonderful
years here. We are expecting another little girl in November.“
Gin-Gin Carlton—Junior Kindergarten
“I am Gin-Gin, and I am from Vicksburg, Mississippi, but have lived in Oxford for 18 years. I received my bachelor's
and master's degrees in Education from the University of Mississippi. This is my eighth year to teach Junior
Kindergarten at Oxford University School. I also taught music for two years at OUS. My husband, Eric, and I have
been married for 4 1/2 years and have just recently had our first child, Nia. Singing and playing music are my favorite
past times, both in and out of school.“
Alden Low—Junior Kindergarten
“My name is Alden, and I graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Family and Consumer
Sciences. I have taught preschool for six years, and this is my second year as a Jr. Kindergarten teacher at Oxford
University School. I am originally from Batesville, Mississippi, but now reside in Oxford with my husband, Rhes and
our three children, Rhex, Hardy, and Holland. I enjoy the outdoors, painting, running, traveling and spending time
with my family.”
Meet Our Teachers (continued)
Angela Butler—Senior Kindergarten
“I am Angela, and I am originally from Gautier, Mississippi. I received a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education
from the University of Southern Mississippi. This will be my twenty-first year to teach and my fourteenth year at
OUS. I love kindergartners and being part of the OUS family! In my spare time I like to read and do anything crafty,
mostly making cards and banners.”
Kimberly Cox—First Grade
“My name is Kimberly. I am originally from Louisiana but received a Psychology degree from Mississippi College and
a teaching certificate from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. We moved to Oxford in 2012 where I started
teaching first grade at OUS. Before that, we served as Southern Baptist missionaries in Northern Africa and the
Middle East. My husband, Jeremy, and I have been married for 17 years. We have three daughters Shelby (13), Darby
(11) and Emma (6), and a Border Collie named Izzy. We are big campers and love doing anything outdoors. We love
going to the mountains. If I had five minutes of free time to do anything I wanted, I would grab a book, a cup of
coffee, and sit in my favorite spot on my front porch swing and read.”
Jacque Hamilton—Second Grade
”I am Jacque, and I am originally from Meridian, Mississippi, but moved to Oxford six years ago to attend The
University of Mississippi. I have a B.A. in Elementary Education with Math and English certifications and a M.Ed. in
Special Education with Gifted Education certification. This is my third year teaching at OUS! I have known I wanted to
teach since the third grade, because I love making a difference in the lives of children and seeing their faces light up
when they learn something new. As my students all know, I believe learning should be a fun, lifelong process, and I
strive to achieve that goal daily, both for myself and for my students! I have a supportive husband, Thomas, and two
dogs who are my babies.”
Dusty Croswell—Third Grade
“I am Dusty, and I am from Philadelphia, Mississippi. I hold a B.S.in Education and an M.S. in Counselor Education
from Mississippi State University. I have 14 years experience and am looking forward to my first year at OUS. My
favorite thing about teaching is encouraging students to dream big and realize their individual potential to change
the world. I have three daughters-Gracie and Tessa Kate, who currently attend OUS, and Channing, who is
completing her senior year at the University of Mississippi. I enjoy traveling, reading, and exploring my new townOxford, Mississippi.”
Cindy Summerlin—Fourth Grade
”My name is Cindy, and I am a native of Pascagoula, Mississippi. I hold a Bachelor of Arts from the University of
Texas, San Antonio, and I am certified EC-4 and Special Ed K -12. This is my second year at OUS, and I am excited to
be a part of such a special school! I love the natural curiosity the children have and look forward to watching them
grow and learn each day. My husband, Guy, and I have two children ,Wes and Grace. I like traveling and sporting
events.”
Allison Bunn—Fifth Grade
“I am Allison, and I was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Hernando, Mississippi until I moved to Oxford in
August. I graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in May of
2013. Last year was my first year to teach, and I was the Title 1 teacher at Hope Sullivan Elementary in Southaven,
Mississippi. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was very young. I had a lot of fantastic teachers throughout my
schooling, and it has always inspired me to be just as great! I strive to make learning fun and meaningful every day,
and I hope to make a positive impact in each of my students’ lives.”
Carolyn Davis—Sixth Grade
“My name is Carolyn, and I hold a bachelor’s degree and an education specialist degree from the University of
Mississippi. I have a master’s degree from the University of Georgia., as well as vision therapist work from Georgia
State University. I enjoyed a long and successful career as a teacher in general, education, special education, and
school administration. I also serve on the OUS Advisory Board and remain active in community and church work.”
Meet Our Teachers (continued)
Patricia Chrestman—Physical Education and Sixth Grade
“I am Patricia, and I am from Oxford, Mississippi, and have a B.A. in Elementary Education from The University of
Mississippi. I have taught physical education at OUS for three years, and I am teaching sixth grade science, as well as
P.E. this year. My favorite thing about teaching is being able to enjoy the children. My husband, Lee, and I have two
daughters, Maggie and Griffy, who are both students of OUS. We also have a son, Henry. My hobbies include my
children, walking, and taking care of our pets.”
Edgar Serrano—Spanish and Computer
“I am Señor Edgar, and I am from Mexico City, Mexico. I have an M.A. TESL/ Spanish from the University of
Mississippi. This is my fourth year at OUS, and my favorite thing about teaching is hearing all of the things the
students have to say. I enjoy swimming, running, walking, and playing tennis.”
Andi Bedsworth—Art
“My name is Andi, and I was raised in South Louisiana and have my Masters Degree in Costume Design. I have been
teaching art since 2011 and own Art To Go LLC, a mobile art business. I have two daughters, Clementine and Chloe,
two cats, and two grand dogs.”
Jeanne Lippincott—Music
“I am Jeanne, and I hold a Bachelor of Music degree from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Music degree
in composition and work toward a Doctorate of Music at Northwestern University. I was the chair of the Music
Theory Department at a very large community school and am now in my 11th year of “Kindermusik with Jeanne &
Friends” in Oxford. My husband, Ian Hominick, and I have two children, Ryan, Brandon, and Shaela. I have been
teaching music at OUS for two years and really enjoy the children.“
Meet Our Teacher Assistants
Misty Cooper —Pre-Kindergarten Assistant and After School Coordinator
“I was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and spent my early childhood there. I moved to Oxford to start school, and I
graduated from Lafayette High School in 2005. This is my first year at Oxford University School. I am the PreKindergarten Assistant for Amanda Clement, and I am also the Coordinator for the OUS Afterschool program. My
first love is being with my two precious girls, Anna (7) and Leah (5). I enjoy cooking, spending time with my girls, and
traveling.”
Bekah Wymer—Pre-Kindergarten Assistant
“My name is Bekah, and I am the Pre-Kindergarten Assistant for Alice Porter. I grew up in Tennessee and moved to
Oxford to get my B.A. in Art! I am married to my best friend, Matt. We are having too much fun raising our two boys,
Abe and Oliver, who is in Junior Kindergarten at OUS. We love to hike, travel, and camp as a family.”
Meg Cox—Junior Kindergarten Assistant
“I am from Winona, Mississippi. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, specialization in Spanish from the University
of Mississippi. I am the Junior-Kindergarten Assistant for Gin-Gin Carlton. In the future, I would like to travel outside
of the United States and learn other languages and cultures. My interests include spending time with family and
friends and attending sporting events.”
Deb Townsend—Senior Kindergarten Assistant
“Hi, my name is Deb. I was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and have lived all over the world. My father was in the
Navy, and I am what they call a “military brat”. I taught Pre-Kindergarten through Kindergarten for thirty-seven
years. I recently retired from Willie Price Lab School at Ole Miss after eighteen years. Missing the children, I decided
to get involved again, so now I am the assistant to Ms. Angela’s Senior K class. I affectionately feel fortunate to be at
OUS with wonderful students, staff, and parents. I am truly blessed. My husband, Jerrel or “Col”, is retired from the
U.S. Marine Corps. We have two amazing children- Jenelle who is married and lives in Louisiana and Josh who lives in
Oxford. We also have a Great Dane named Chloe.”
Pre Kindergarten—Ms Amanda’s Class
Ms. Amanda's 3 year old Pre-K
has been working hard on
learning the routine of being a
big kid in school for the first
time! We practice counting and
our letters, colors, and shapes
every day! Our first few units
have included back to school,
learning what makes us unique,
community helpers, and pets!
Our special highlight of the
month has been a visit from
Jennifer Stobbe (Lila's mommy),
teaching us what it means to be a
veterinarian. The kids loved
getting to love on a
special kitty named
Phoebe (who needs a
good home!!!) We also
enjoyed having our
grandparents and special
friends visit our class on
Grandparent's Day.
Amanda Clement, Teacher
Pre Kindergarten—Ms Alice’s Class
Our school year is off to an
excellent start together. We
have been getting to know our
new school and all of our
teachers. We have enjoyed
getting to know each other as
well. Our units have been Back
To School, All About Me,
Feelings, and are still learning
about Community Helpers, Pets,
Transportation, and the Farm
throughout the rest of this
month of September.
We are in the trip that will be
taken to enhance our learning
about the farm. We also
are going to have a
Grandparent Tea on
September 19 in our
classroom. We are looking
forward to celebrating our
grandparents and enjoying
Alice Porter, Teacher
Junior Kindergarten—Ms Gin-Gin’s Class
We're off to another great start
this year in Jr. K! So far we have
spent lots of time getting to
know each other and learning
about ourselves and our special
talents! We have explored
shapes and colors and the letters
S, C, A, P and F. We took an
imaginary trip to the apple
orchard to find out all about
where apples come from and
what they are used for. The furry
members of our families had a
chance to visit us during our unit
on Pets. We learned all about
some time with
them together.
Also in addition to
this happening that
week, we will also
be having the Book
Fair in the library.
Please help your
child to quench
their thirst for
books.
how to take care of our pets and
keep them healthy and happy!
We will be closing the month of
September by opening the door
to the Fall season. Our class will
explore all of the changes
that happen during Autumn
and learn all about the
harvest time! HAPPY FALL
Y'ALL!!
Gin-Gin Carlton, Teacher
Junior Kindergarten—Ms Alden’s Class
would NOT make good pets.
Our Fall unit is loads of fun! Fall
has two names, you know.
During Autumn we’ve seen
changes outside-trees are
getting ready for their long
Winter's nap, and their
leaves are turning red,
yellow, orange, brown and
purple! When they fall we
will go on a Leaf Hunt. We
have discussed letters S, C, A,
P and F. They have
something to say and there is
Wow! The first six weeks of school
has flown by! The first two weeks,
we really enjoyed getting to know
one another. We talked about our
differences and learned that it is an
awesome thing that there is no one
else in the world that is exactly like
us. We had a very "colorful" week
the first week of September
revisiting colors and shapes. We
experimented with all things applemeasured, weighed, labeled, and
tasted apples! Pets Week was fun.
We discovered that some animals
a story for why they say what
they say. We love the Letter
stories. It's always an interesting
day in Ms. Alden's Jr. K!
Alden Low, Teacher
Senior Kindergarten
Senior K has a had a wonderful first
few weeks! We were very excited to
welcome Mrs. Deb Townsend to our
class. We have been learning about
Dinosaurs and Apples and the
procedures of Senior K. We have
been brushing up on our alphabet
sounds and learning our very first
sight words. The children are
preparing for our first program
which will be our Grandparents are
Grand program on September 19.
We will be making special gifts and
learning songs and a poem for our
grands. In the weeks ahead we will
be learning about Community
Helpers, Pets, Fire Safety, and
Spiders. Our annual Pet Show
will be Friday, Oct. 3. I asked
each child to tell their favorite
thing about Senior K.
Angela Butler, Teacher
First Grade
What an amazing start we've had in
first grade. The class really loves
each other and have settled in to all
of our routines like they've been
here all year. We have learned our
doubles facts, begun money and
addition and subtraction word
problems. We are reading every day
and learning about the ocean, Dr.
Seuss, manners different kinds of
music and about folk tales. We are
reading the chapter book, The
Archer- Going down the BIG
slide, playing, I love playing.
Austin- the iPad
Becca- playing, the alphabet
chart
Christian-I like Computer class
Eli- playtime, Computer
Julia- playing, learning
Kady Ladner - recess, singing
songs
Loughran- Everything!
Nathan- playtime, reading
Olivia- Eating pizza like the Ninja
Turtles!
Tessa- playtime, tracing letters.
Quincy– doing homework!
Mouse and the Motorcycle and
will soon be diving into the
world of Raul Dahal when we
read The Big Friendly Giant.
First grade is so much fun and
full of wiggles and
giggles!!!
Kimberly Cox, Teacher
Second Grade
Whew! Where did those first two
months go?...and for that matter,
what about the Summer? We have
had an excellent beginning to an
exciting new school year. We are all
new to Second grade, and are loving
it! We have been working on
learning our classroom procedures,
and beginning to become more
independent and responsible. This
month we have studied how to
differentiate between living and
nonliving organisms, and learned
about different types of animals. In
Social studies, we discussed what it
means to be a good citizen and
how to solve problems. In
language, we are reviewing
sentence structure and learning
about the parts of speech.
Additionally, second grade is
learning and implementing
better study habits, more
improved handwriting skills,
and even how to tie our
shows in a more efficient
way. We are looking
forward to the exciting
things to come for second
grade in the coming month,
including a new novel, new
learning experiences, and
fun field trips! Boy, is it an
exciting time to be an OUS
EAGLE!
Jacque Hamilton, Teacher
Third Grade
Wow! Third grade has had an
awesome start. In Language Arts, we
are studying simple and complete
predicates and have learned how to
say “hello” in many languages. In
Math, we have been studying
parallelograms and used straws to
create the different types of shapes.
We are reading as a class “The
Family Under the Bridge.” The
children love it, and it has led to
many interesting discussions. Third
grade is also beginning to learn
cursive writing. In Science, our topic
is mammals. We even
researched extinct species,
like the Giant Japanese
Salamander. We are talking
about communities and
community workers in Social
Studies. Dr. Ford Dye, was our
special guest speaker. He
discussed with the students
the importance of his
profession in our community.
Everyone is enjoying the Book
Fair and the Mexican
Independence Day Party in
Spanish! We are looking
forward to fall weather, field
trips, and lots of learning.
Dusty Croswell, Teacher
Fourth Grade
Fourth grade has settled into the
new year and has been working very
hard. It's hard to believe that the
month of September has already
come and gone. In science, we have
been studying about cells and living
things. The children have observed
what different cells look like under a
microscope. In math, we have been
working hard mastering our
multiplication facts and applying
them to word problems and
function tables. Social studies is
leading us to a better
understanding about the great
state of Mississippi, and the kids
continue to work hard in the
areas of reading, writing, and
spelling.
I am so proud of the 4th grade
and look forward to a great
year! I know that we are going
to rock the month of October!!
Cindy Summerlin, Teacher
Fifth Grade
Fifth grade has been working
extremely hard the past few weeks
establishing routines and
procedures. We have been reading
"Bridge to Terabithia" while also
learning how work in literature
circles. We are looking forward to
starting our new literature circles
with the books: "A Wrinkle in Time"
and "Dinosaurs before Dark" for the
rest of this month! In Science this
month, we will be learning about
living systems. We have started
learning about cells and the
human body, and we will be
classifying living things in weeks
to come.
Allison Bunn, Teacher
Sixth Grade
Sixth grade began with tremendous
momentum. Ms. Carolyn, who
teaches Language Arts and Math,
and Ms Patricia, who teaches
Science, Social Studies, and P.E.,
joined Victoria and Ozzie for an
exciting year of academics
and school leadership.
Carolyn Davis, Teacher
Patricia Chrestman, Teacher
Physical Education
We have had so much fun in PE
playing games with old friends and
more fun than ever making new
ones! The new concrete slab with
the basketball goals has provided us
with a place for many games and
activities. As always we are
continuously working on
cooperating, sharing and
following directions.
Patricia Chrestman, Teacher
Computer
In our computer class we are
working with our little friends to help
them with their motor skills and
letter sound recognition. Our 1st
graders were introduced to the
proper way to type. Please, keep
encouraging them to use their
fingers properly. I tell them that it is
like a video game, but here they
have to use all their fingers. All the
students, are also working on
spelling bees, and other games that
build their spelling skills. Our
older students are working on a
research project about
countries celebrating their
independence in the month of
September. 5th and 6th graders
are going to be working on
their e-portafolio in which their
first project is to create a slide
on Prezi that is titled “All about
me.”
Edgar Serrano, Teacher
Spanish
Thank you all for your amazing
support with our Mexican
Independence Day Celebration! We
had lots of fun but we couldn’t have
done it without your help!
Time is flying by so fast, but we have
been working hard to keep up with
all the activities planned. First, we
made sure we set some class rules.
And we reviewed how to greet each
other. Our little “amigos” are
learning colors and how to count
from 1-10. Our students from JR-K 1st got their workbooks ,and they
are practicing how to identify colors
incorporating questions with
what and who. We are always
while tracing the letter of
color’s names. Our older
“amigos” are learning how to
describe themselves and how
to conjugate I can with the I
form --I can run, I can walk, I
can play, etc. The older
students wrote short
sentences. We are
building on previous lessons to
improve our vocabulary while
using full sentences. We are
also working on adjectives.
Edgar Serrano, Teacher
Art
We have been getting back to basics
with drawing exercises in the older
grades and learning how to cut,
paste and mix secondary colors in
the lower grades. Students have
been inspired by Dr. Seuss and
Picasso. Getting into the Art Trailer
has been a big plus for us this year,
working in our new creative
haven. In October, we will
focus on Mexican art and
culture in our art projects. We
will also celebrate the fall
season with some nature
inspired art as well.
Andi Bedsworth, Teacher
Music
In music class we have been getting
to know some of the different
instruments in the classroom and
learning how to treat these
instruments and our friends sitting
very close by with respect. The last
several weeks we have been having
fun exploring the overture to the
Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. If you
have been hearing a song about
chef Figaro who makes special
soup you may recognized the
tune. All of the children have
lead us through a music map of
the music and fit instruments
into the different parts of the
piece. The older classes talked
about musical form and given
everyone a chance to conduct
the ensemble. Check out the
slide show on the OUS
Facebook page.
Jeanne Lippincott, Teacher
Friday Assembly and Eagle’s Eye Awards
OUS has an assembly in the Library
every Friday morning. Mr. Naron
leads everyone in the Pledge of
Allegiance and says a prayer.
Afterwards, birthdays of the week
are announced, and all sing “Happy
Birthday”. School updates are given,
and teachers announce a class
“Eagle’s Eye” for the month.
Congratulations go to this
month’s “Eagle’s Eyes”—
Griffy Chrestman, Slade Lee,
Molly Blalack, Tindall Brown,
Jett Pratt, Anna Alger, Mac
Alger, Maggie Collins, and
Caleb Preuitt.