“ IF YOU GET ONE OR TWO KIDS THAT YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON , THAT ’ S A SUCCESS . IF WE CAN HELP THAT TEACHER REACH THAT ONE KID – THAT ’ S WHAT MAKES ME FEEL COOL . TO GIVE THAT KID A PERSONAL ( FEELING ) THAT SOMEONE CARES ABOUT ME . THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME .”
Jonathan Jeffrey
Duncan Public Schools Foundation Executive Director
“ They just want to help give back and say that they appreciate everything they do ,” he said . “ We are lucky to have the support in this community who want the teachers to know they are appreciated . They do a lot , not only for us and our kids , but ( also ) for Duncan as a whole , by giving their time or their donations to show that appreciation – it really makes a difference for those teachers .”
ESTABLISHING eSPORTS
There ’ s more to improving a quality education though . After funding class projects and professional development , and appreciating the teachers who make the magic happen everyday , one other goal remains : captivate the kids
TEACHER JAMIE ROWELL RECEIVED A DEX AWARD FROM DPSF AND USED THE FUNDS TO PURCHASE A BOOK EACH MONTH FOR STUDENTS TO READ TOGETHER AS A CLASS , PICTURED ABOVE .
outside of the classroom and expand upon extracurriculars while following the pace of other districts .
For DPSF , that next expansion means joining in on the eSports trend .
Jeffrey said at some point , Duncan ’ s own eSports program will debut , but funding for that project is needed first .
“ We ’ re going to use that ( eSports program ) as a tool to recruit that kid to come into the school and have a sense of community ,” he said . “ When we do that , we ’ re going to pair them with a mentor who is going to teach that kid basic life skills .”
According to Jeffrey , students benefit from eSports program through learning skills like time management , team building , communication , critical and strategic thinking , creativity , sportsmanship and leadership .
Jeffrey said once they can get the desired funding , they look
16 DUNCAN MAGAZINE | FALL 2022