The Grove Education Foundation for Excellence (GEFFE) announced Kathy Daigle, a Kindergarten teacher in the Early Childhood Center; Terry Cash, a lower elementary science teacher; and Pam Chaney, a high school science teacher, are this year’s finalists for GEFFE’s annual Shining Star award.  Combined, the finalists have nearly 80 years of teaching experience in public education. The award, which includes a specially-made trophy and a cash award of $300, will be given at this year’s GEFFE Gala, a dinner and auction event  set for April 17, 2010, at the Royal Bay Yacht Club. 

The Shining Star nominees are selected from the recipients of GEFFE grants awarded over the past year.  Grove school teachers, counselors and principals submit grant applications seeking funding for creative ideas and enriching academic programs to the GEFFE board each spring and fall semesters.  During the past year, GEFFE awarded 36 grants totaling $57,561.

 Nominee Kathy Daigle received a grant for “O-si-yo U-na-li-i: PLAINLY Speaking.”  The grant will allow the students in Daigle’s classroom to experience the heritage of the Plains Indians through traditional food, music, dance, forms of communication, including language, dress games and art. 

This is Daigle’s second nomination for the Shining Star award and she has received numerous GEFFE grants in the past 12 years.  She received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in early childhood education from Oklahoma State University and began teaching in Grove in 1986.  She previously taught in Oklahoma City, Moore, Afton and Commerce and has over 30 years of teaching experience.  In 2009, she was a runner-up for the Early Childhood State Teacher of the Year. She has been married to Joe Daigle for 29 years and they have two grown children, Kelsey Rossman and John Daigle and three grandchildren.

Terry Cash is also a second-time nominee for the Shining Star award and has received multiple grants.  Cash was awarded a grant for “Operation Save Planet Earth.”  Through this grant, Cash hopes to teach children the 3 “R’s” to recycling: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.  The project will address conservation and environmental issues, creating opportunities for students to learn about the importance of taking care of the earth and its resources.  Cash will be able to purchase, books, posters, DVD’s and utilize web sites to educate her lower elementary science students on the importance of taking care of the planet.  The grant will be used within the current science curriculum and also allow her to begin a school-wide project of saving and recycling.

Cash, who received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in education from Oklahoma State University, is in her 33rd year of teaching, all with Grove Schools.  She taught third grade for 22 years and second grade for seven years. She is in her fourth year as a science teacher for the lower elementary where she teaches over 600 students every week.   She is married to Ron Cash and they have two sons, Jordon and Jared.

Pam Chaney, a science teacher at Grove High School, was nominated for her grant “Science Stimulus Package.” Chaney’s grant provided new laboratory equipment, including two stereomicroscopes, two microscopes, two different types of electric balances and two digital hot plates.  The new equipment helped establish a new Advanced Placement Environmental Science class as well as a pre-AP biology class at the high school, along with enriching the entire science curriculum.  The Advance Placement program offers college level classes in the high school setting.  After completing the class, students take a test to determine the number of college credits they will receive.  Chaney noted that current school budgets could not the fund the expensive equipment needed for these classes.

Chaney received a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and a Master’s in Education Leadership from Pittsburg State University. She has taught school for 17 years, including stints at Welch, Miami and Oklahoma Union before coming to Grove five years ago. She and her husband, Jarrod, have three children, Taylor, Jonas and Lauren, who all attend Grove Public Schools.

             To date, GEFFE has awarded nearly $582,000 in grants to educators at the Grove Public Schools.  In addition to a live and silent auction, guest at this year’s GEFFE Gala will have multiple opportunities to support Grove Public Schools.

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Grove Education Foundation for Excellence • P.O. Box 453335, Grove, OK  74345-3335 • Phone: 918-791-1974