Orangefield Elementary staff and students have participated for many years  in the "Relay for Life" campaigne,  providing funds to aide in the fight against cancer.  Over time, many have taken the initiative to form smaller groups within the campus to add to this effort.   OES Cafeteria Staff, for example, have formed "Orangefield Lunch Bunch: Cook'n for  a Cure".   The ladies wear matching shirts with the group logo and have set up fund raising events such as a silent auction bake sale ( $557.00 contribution), sheet pan sale ($361.00 contribution), and other events planned for the future weeks.   

Pictured Left to Right are: Tammy Noble, Bertha Williams, Fay Woods, Charlotte Vercher, Tonya Beck, Vikki Lytle, Maria Moreno, and Lisa Vercher on bottom right.

The Orangefield ISD was one of thirty-one school districts that received funding under Cycle 3 of the Rural Technology Grant.  The Texas Education Agency administers the grant.  A district is eligible if the enrollment is fewer than 5,000 students; and is not located in an area defined by the US Office of Management and Budget as a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area as of January 2007.

OISD received $200,000 which will provide for the following:

    SMARTBoards and projectors in classrooms throughout the district that previously did not have them

    Additional computer labs for the Junior High and High School campuses

    A Distance Learning Lab

    Credit Recovery Program for High School students

Jennifer Pickard, Technology Director for the district commented,

“I am excited that we received this grant from the state.  We as a district have been working to implement interactive boards throughout the district and this grant will allow us to complete that district-wide.  It will also help provide more opportunities for OISD students to use technology to enhance learning.”

School Board President Susan Gunstream said,

“This grant will enable the district to progress towards its’ goal of providing technology to all of the students of OISD.”