OXFORD – The Oxford Academy Primary School celebrated the great generosity of the school children and their teachers on Dec. 21. The last day of school before the winter recess marked the end of collection of “Miles For Quarters” for the Chenango United Way. The Primary School raised $430 (that’s 1,720 quarters)! $130 more than ever collected before! Victoria Mitchell, Campaign Director of the Chenango United Way was on hand to congratulate the kids. The school was also collecting food items for the Oxford Food Pantry. They raised a record breaking 15 boxes of food!!! Everyone did such a fantastic job that they were given a couple of very unique rewards; one included being entertained by faculty and teachers!
The first ‘prize’ was a very funny song performed by all the teachers, presented as a gift to all the students for collecting so much food. In contrast to all the generous giving and good behavior of the students, the teachers were supposed to have been “very naughty”, and they sang, “Nuttin' for Christmas”. While singing, they acted out amusing scenes of mischief, such as, “I hid a frog in sister's bed” or “I put a tack on teacher's chair” explaining what they had done and why Santa wouldn’t be visiting their houses this year. These antics had the kids hysterical with laughter.
Then, as promised, for every $50 raised, the teachers ran a lap -a total of 8- indoors around the school classrooms, where the kids got to sit outside to cheer them on. Some of the kids brought in a quarter for every year old they were. For having 100% participation of one entire classroom –including the teacher- Claudia Albin, they were awarded with running a lap themselves. The children were so excited that they were permitted to run in school! The students that weren’t running cheered the teachers and kids on with chants of “Run…run…run!” that could easily be heard a mile away.
Here are the following teachers that ran laps around the school:
Lap 1-  Claudia Albin, Paula Williams, Terri Woodford and Holly Abbott (coaching due to injury). Lap 2-  Brian Breck, Stephanie Paden and Missy Chrystie (gr 2). Lap 3-  Lisa Halsteter, Melissa Safford and Greg Winn  (gr 3). Lap 4- Chris Luhrs, Julia Steven and Janet Laytham (gr 4). Lap 5-  Michael Moren, Karen Selden and Elisa Durdon. Lap 6-  Kathleen Cragle, Pat Hubman and Paula  Williams. Lap 7-  Margaret Fenson, Terri Woodford and Kathleen Cragle. Lap 8-  Mrs. Albin's class, Claudia Albin, Roberta Muzzy and Veronica Gonzalez.
Janet Latham, District Office Administrator, admirably filled in for Timothy McDonald, the Primary School Principal, who was unfortunately unable to attend. (It was suggested that it might have been for the best so he didn’t see the running and screaming in the halls that day.)