4/8/05

Press Release

Rockwood Elementary School Reaps Rewards of Annual Foundation Event

Principal for a Day Places Company Leader in School;
Students Receive New Classroom and Equipment

(Courtesy: Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation)

When Jennifer Keffer woke up the morning of October 14, she had no idea how her day would affect her or impact the future of children in the Oklahoma City area. Volunteering through her company, Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI), to be a Principal for a Day in an Oklahoma City public school would be more than a day out of the office and a chance to see a different side of life.

Spending the day at Rockwood Elementary, Jennifer shadowed Principal Gilbert Oliver. After watching excellent teachers work patiently with students using limited resources, she asked Mr. Oliver about the school’s number one need. He commented that at the top of Rockwood’s wish list was another pre-kindergarten classroom. At the time, the school had a waiting list of over 20 students with a filled to capacity pre-k room. 

Thinking about how she could make a difference to this school, Jennifer presented an idea to her supervisor and the ball began to roll. JCI soon donated more than $12,000 to outfit another pre-k classroom for Rockwood Elementary. The company also sought the help of others to provide tables, chairs, plumbing, computers, electricity, supplies and much more. 

“While in Rockwood Elementary, I saw something that moved me … a family.  The staff, teachers and students at this school were a family striving for excellence, for survival and for a place to call home,” said Keffer. “I began to ask the question, ‘How could JCI help?’  That was an easy question to answer they told me, we need another pre-k class.  If we could only help more kids before they come here for kindergarten, our success rate would soar. So, JCI had a mission, and we are thrilled to see it come to fruition. Congratulations Rockwood, your family now has room to grow.”

Construction on the new classroom began around the holiday season and was completed by the time students returned from Spring Break. A once music room was magically converted adding everything necessary for a pre-k class. The Oklahoma City Public School District used Headstart funding to pay the salary for another teacher with plans to add a teacher’s assistant next year.

“We’re excited about what’s been done for our students through Johnson Control’s contribution, and in record time,” said Karen Simpkins, instructional facilitator at Rockwood Elementary School. “What seemed like an impossible hurdle last fall has become a reality this spring. It’s not an everyday occurrence that a company donates an entire classroom. This classroom and the quality of supplies are superior. We are thrilled to now be serving a total of 60 pre-k students.”

Additional contributors to Rockwood’s stellar classroom include private donors; Barnes and Noble; First Book National Book Bank; Interface Flooring Systems (Tulsa); Johnson Controls Educational Achievement Giving Program; and Virco Manufacturing Company.

            Principal for a Day, sponsored annually by the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, offers business and civic leaders a chance to see first hand the day-to-day operations of an urban public school.

            Johnson Controls, Inc. is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility 
management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major supplier of integrated seating and interior systems and batteries. For nonresidential facilities, Johnson Controls, Inc. provides services including comfort, energy and security management.

            The Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization that researches, creates and implements programs and initiatives to improve the quality of education for all students in Oklahoma City Public Schools. For more information, please call (405) 232-4049, or log on to www.okckids.com.