April 26, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 14

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“ElkCity SPecs WoRrepwec: 78s popratiee ces. PPAAFLOAD: 1,600 €6cs Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901 Teacher of the year comics.com EMAIL: [email protected] GIP An oewS imeer A lifetime of difference and invited them to share uit Life often was scarce and the children went hungry. Once while playing with a neigh- their own holiday meals. He visited prisoners and the ill Glynda Lomax is a Chris- bor's child, he remembers the every week, led a Boy Scout tian author and podcaster girl’s mother offering her six troop and counseled those who resides in the Ozark or seven different choices for struggling with life’s issues. Mountains of Northern Arkan- lunch. She didn’t want any Some of those he ministered sas with her two very bossy of them. He remembers just to began ministries of their dogs. She wrote her first About wishing he had food to eat at own. Life... column in 2003 fora home. When he was 55, he de- newspaper in Dallas.She is In later years, he too was cided to see if he could make planning her next book. sent to the boarding school. a difference in anew area. He remembers his sister, Remembering his childhood Throughout the centuries then seven years old, sitting days of family separation, Elk City Elementary School second grade teacher there were men who took first on the curb outside the school poverty and hunger, he chose Glynda Lomax Sarah Pierce stops to help a student with a problem on steps, down new roads, armed every day and crying for Oklahoma. Indian children. He did what Tuesday. Photo by Don Munsch. with nothing but their own hours from being homesick. As he packed to leave vision.” - Ayn Rand Medical care was also a he could to help families stay Kansas City, tears flowed all together. He was a small boy, half problem. During the worst around. The vice-president By Don Munsch Choctaw, growing up in far times, three infants in the of a local bank walked up to Asenator in Oklahoma Eastern Oklahoma, only 3 family had died due to inad- him and said, “This city is asked him to help draft a Editor 1/2 years old when his father equate medical care. Seeing a different place than when law to improve Indian child was killed in an automobile so much suffering, the small you came. You left a lot of welfare and he knew imme- One of my favorite accident. His cousin took him boy wondered if there was good will here, Tom.” The diately the law could make scenes in the movie “Mr. to see his father’s body; it was anything he could do to make mayor presented him with a alifetime of difference for Holland’s Opus” happens placed up on some boards a difference in the world resolution proclaiming it to be children who would otherwise with a sheet over it. “I still around him. live lives Thomas J. Dry Day in Kansas their families, of separation from when the main character, poverty or Glenn Holland, a high remember it, he was so still,” He met his wife Marilyn on City. An elderly man walked he says. abus from the university to up with tears in his eyes and the hardship. He worked hard on school music teacher, After his father’s death, Oklahoma City in 1951. Three said, “I am never going to get law to make it effective, and his friend, Bill, a high his mother, then pregnant times every week they trav- as close to another pastor as to make sure it really helped school football coach, with another child, informed eled on the same bus. He was I did to you; it hurts too much children and families. The discuss a student who is at- the six children that at best 24 years old when he met her; when you leave.” Tears are Jaw is still in effect and still tempting to join the band. she might be able to feed the she was 18. Fifty six years the evidence that we have shaping the lives of Indian Holland tells his friend and colleague that he has failed three youngest ones, and that later, they still drive past the loved much and been loved children across the nation. the others would have to go restaurant where they shared inretumn. He gotamaster’s To this day, those who in his efforts to teach the boy how to play a musical instru- away to boarding schools so their first date and smile. degree in Social Work to add know him marvel at all he has ment. Bill senses Holland is merely making an excuse and they could eat. The younger In 1957 he became pastor to his Bachelor of Science accomplished. To this day, he implores him to try harder to teach the kid the art of being a children watched sadly as of asmall church in Kan- and Master ofDivinity, got still asks himself if he could percussionist. their siblings left for the sas. Later he would pastor appointed Chairman of Indian have done more. “T tried and I can’t,” Holland protests. schools. The tiny barefoot boy churches in Missouri and Il- Child Welfare across the 39 “Tf you're a leader, you can “Well, then, you're a lousy teacher,” Bill responds. began herding the family’s linois, and eventually Kansas tribes in Oklahoma and began help things along, or you can Holland, whose ego takes a bit ofa blow from that com- one milk cow out to graze a City. He determined every lecturing on the subject. Not stir things up a lot,” he says. ment, then resorts to other methods - nothing radical, just mile and a half each morn- day to do whatever he could long after, one ofthe branch- He had decided to help things ing, opening gates twice his tomake a difference in the es of federal agency in Dallas along. He decided to make a ‘some real fundamentals - to teach the boy music, and by size, making the trek again lives of others. He worked awarded the program in Okla- difference every day- for a golly, over time and practice, the boy learns how to play. to go back for it again each 70 hours a week, sometimes homa the most distinctive lifetime. The scenes in the movie with Holland and the student evening. more. He taught his con- Indian Child Welfare Associa- “We must not, in trying to illustrate how resourceful teachers are asked to be in their When the older children gregation about integrity, tion in the state. He began think about how we can make profession, and Holland finds he has the natural ability to were home during summer honesty and hard work. He working to help children stay abig difference, ignore the connect with students. He becomes a valued teacher and re- vacation, they took jobs doing modeled true character off drugs and stay in school small daily differences we whatever they could find, but before them and people paid where he was, even going so can make which, over time, ceives, later in his career and film, a reward he didn’t expect. they never came home to live attention. On holidays, he and far as to drive them himself. add up to big differences that Teacher rewards came to mind when covering the Elk again permanently. Times his wife sought out those who Judges began seeking his we often cannot foresee.” ~ City Schools Teacher of the Year Banquet Monday at Elk were harder than hard, food were alone or unable to cook advice in cases involving Marian Wright Edelman City High School and in a conversation I had with Elk City Elementary School Principal Amanda Friesen Tuesday morning after one her campus’s teachers, Sarah Pierce, was named Teacher of the Year. Page Program is a great learning experience Friesen shared how teachers are seeing more students allowing Oklahoma youth the etiquette class, a financial ‘coming to school who have been through adverse circum- stances and experiences. For the chance to experience work at literacy program, took them Community Health Charities, Calamity Jane’s Apparel, the the Capitol. I myself became through a ropes course, Journal Record, TSET, OKC, One can only deduce that teachers are being asked to find interested in politics through visited Fire Station #1 during Beautiful, the Oklahoma ‘ways to teach those young people who have had to cope with By Oklahoma Institute for aGrady page award given by the County 4-H years ago, the OKC Bombing Memorial program which allowed them History Center and Camp issues more prevalent now than in the past. Child Advocacy CEO Joe and I am sure many of you to be apart of the moment of DaKali. Each of these either When nominees were introduced at the banquet, patrons Dorman can also claim the honor of silence, took them through a supported OK-LEAD finan- heard accounts from the nominees’ colleagues and students having been a page during tour of KFOR and finished the cially or through an in-kind ~ provided through a teaching colleague, who introduced the Every year, a group of high your high school years. This class with a community ser- donation to make the program teacher - about how the teachers shine in the classroom. school students from across program makes a difference vice project and a graduation asuccess! the state is selected by law- for those who have the chance ceremony. Every component Ifyou have any questions Teaching can the most challenging and yet rewarding of makers to participate in the to participate, and lawmakers is geared to empower young about OK-LEAD and other professions, and the forces imposed on teachers to reach Capitol Page program, where add to that by being the great people and benefit them as classes that OICA conducts, and teach students seem to change with every generation, or they work for one week in hosts who select them. they grow older. please contact our office at either the State House of Rep- One ofthe ways the We are also excited to an- (405) 236-5427. If you know sometimes merely a decade or so. Think about, for example, resentatives or State Senate. Oklahoma Institute for nounce a special upcoming of a high school student who how smartphones have been so prominent in people’s lives in Itis an excellent educational Child Advocacy (OICA) is OK-LEAD event focused on would benefit from serving the last dozen years. Those phones carry a certain double- program that teaches young proud to support the Capitol tribal issues. This will allow as a page, please contact your people how state govern- Page Program is through a ten high-school aged Oklaho- own state senator or repre- edge sword characteristic: With internet access, they can ment works, and I wish more partnership with the Okla- mans who are members of a be a dynamic teaching tool, for sure, but they also can be a students were able to partici- homa Department of Human tribal nation the opportunity sentative and inquire about constant distraction because of social media, video games, pate. Services (DHS). As part of to attend the 2019 Sovereignty open spots. texting and soon. For those who did not know, a larger initiative called the Symposium under a scholar- As Iclose this column, I the future of the Capitol Page Oklahoma Successful Adult- ship provided by the Okla- also want to remind you about Oklahoma teachers have been in the spotlight in the last Program was cast into doubt hood program, DHS enrolls homa Supreme Court. OICA Child Advocacy Day on May year because of the 2018 strike. Getting a pay bump was a earlier this year when one 20 foster children as Capitol will only coordinate daytime 8! We have open spots left for nice reward, but teachers also deserve more money for their student accused another of pages each year, Those foster activities, so attendees will be people to attend, programs to classrooms. sexual misconduct. The pro- children participate in a responsible for transportation set up a booth and opportuni- gram was suspended briefly mock legislature and work and lodging. To apply, go to ties to participate in different Yet teachers also deserve something that does not come while additional policies were directly with lawmakers. https://oica.org/programs/ ways. Please visit oica.org with a price tag or will drive debates in Oklahoma City. crafted to increase safety and Recent pages also partici- ok-lead-symposium/ok-lead- It’s something simple, something everyone in the profes- prevent future incidents. I pated in OICA’s additional tribal-youth-application/. to register and learn more personally want to thank the work through Oklahoma Kids My thanks go out to our about how you can help us sion needs to hear: Thank you. An annual banquet is but House Leadership for fixing - Leadership Education and sponsors of OK-LEAD this finish this year with a strong one way to express that sentiment. Most if not all teachers ~ instead of simply cancel- Advocacy Development (OK- year: Sarkeys Foundation, agenda to benefit Oklahoma's wouldn’t mind hearing it anytime. ling -the Page Program and LEAD). OICA conducted an Paycom, Great Plains Bank, children.