Oak Park Elementary School educators announced Thursday that Pine Bluff native and Major League Baseball player Torii Hunter and his wife Katrina Hunter gave a $2,000 gift to recognize student achievement.
The educators and students presented an oversized check made payable to the Academic Incentive Award Program. The Hunters have contributed financially to the school district for more than 20 years, Oak Park Principal Linder Anderson said. A veteran of 18 major league seasons, Torii Hunter is an outfielder currently playing for the Detroit Tigers.
The money is to reward students who earned an advanced or proficient grade on the Arkansas Benchmark Exam in spring 2014, Anderson said. She welcomed the students to the assembly and encouraged them to be serious in learning and to take pride in the school.
The students filed into the gymnasium quietly. Once they were there, the teachers asked the students to make some noise for their school.
“We want our teachers teaching and our students learning. We are one team,” Anderson said. “If you are listening, reading, writing, doing things with your hands, you do not have time to be disciplined.”
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The Oak Park teachers are preparing students to take the TLI standardized test on Monday, Sept. 22. To set the stage for success, Anderson advised the students to rest, relax and believe in themselves. In addition, Anderson said that she knows that some staff members exceed the expectations of their positions.
“Staff, I thank you for coming early and staying late. I appreciate it,” Anderson said. “[Your efforts] are showing up in our test results.”
In an effort to help Pine Bluff School District students excel, the district hired school improvement officer Alesia Smith. Using rhymes and dancing, Smith delivered an academic pep talk and asked the children to repeat certain phrases.
“You have a lot of tests this year,” Smith said. “You are going to do great on these tests. By a show of hands, who came to school on time today? Who came with completed homework? Who came with a great attitude and ready to learn?”
With many teachers dancing in unison, Smith rotated her wrist in a circular motion to represent the metaphorical turnaround that she is hoping to bring to the district. To accomplish this goal, she advised the students to read every night, do homework and limit the amount of time spent watching television.