ROGERS -- Educators and their supporters celebrated the annual Wall of Distinction Awards Banquet on Thursday.

Sen. John Boozman, philanthropist Jan Garner Buck, organizer Mary Lynn Reese and teacher Bob Ross were honored by the Rogers Public Education Foundation, their names etched in glass blocks to be displayed at the high schools.

Boozman was unable to attend because heart surgery Tuesday. He was honored for his time on the School Board and role in starting the foundation. Stacey McClure, Boozman's state director, accepted the award for him.

"He jokes with folks that no matter what goes on in Congress, if it's Iraq or the deficit, they are nothing compared to cheerleader issues on the School Board level," McClure said.

His office announced Thursday he was released from intensive care. He's doing well and the family appreciates the prayers of the community, McClure said.

"Keep them coming, he's got a long road to recovery," she said.

Buck attended Rogers schools before becoming executive director at the Buck Foundation. Although she was honored to be a part of the ceremony, receiving an award is a little outside of her comfort zone, Buck said. She would rather hand them out. The foundation event shows a strong community tie to schools, Buck said.

"A community is only as strong as its public schools," she said.

Ross, a former biology teacher at Rogers High School, said the night was a reunion with students and parents.

He had fun when he was teaching and so did his students, Ross said.

"I'm delighted to be here. I don't know that I'm the one who deserved to be honored," he said.

Danny Kolman, one of Ross' former students said he treated students like adults, yet got down on their level.

"Few teachers take time out of life to make owl calling interesting," Kolman said.

John Martfeld graduated with Ross from Rogers High School and came to honor him Thursday.

"He taught kids more than just biology. He taught them about life," Martfeld said.

Reese helped to begin the foundation. This year's event brought back fond memories, she said.

The banquet night is about the teachers, Reese said.

The foundation's purpose is the teacher grants it awards each year. Those grants encourage teachers and reward them, she said. Teachers know how to stretch a dollar.

"It doesn't matter how much the award is. They can do so much," she said.

This year the all-volunteer foundation will give out $125,000 in teacher grants, topping the $40,000 awarded last year said Keith Noble, foundation president.

"I've been involved in a lot of events but, pound for pound, this is the most impressive," he said.

Almost every penny they make goes right back into awards because of the volunteer staff, he said.

Teachers said they are grateful for the help.

A grant bought better, padded earphones with attached microphones for Ann Applegate, English as a Second Language teacher at Birch Kirksey Middle School. She uses a computer program with students allowing them to listen, speak, read and write as they learn the language. While some children work on the program she can work in small groups with others, Applegate said.

"It allows me to be the kind of teacher I want to be," she said.

Last year Pat Lewis, Reading Recovery teacher at Old Wire Elementary School, got a grant for books for first-graders struggling to read. The books combine familiar sight words and pictures so children can figure out the new words on their own. Children love picking a book to take home, Lewis said.

The class is on its best behavior if he tells them the quietest child gets to play the new xylophone, said Kyle Schoeller, music teacher at Northside Elementary School. Children take turns accompanying songs in the classroom with xylophones and smaller glockenspiels, he said. A new instrument would have taken most of his budget, Schoeller said.

Rock climbing introduces students to a healthier lifestyle and lets them live a video game, said Jeff Belk, outdoor education teacher at Rogers High School. Last year he got ropes and anchors, but he also bought 30 pair of climbing shoes, something the program didn't have.

"When you put climbing shoes on it's like you're Spider-Man," Belk said.

Over the years he's received a projector, fly fishing gear and digital microscope for his classroom.

"About half of what I have in my classroom is from Rogers Public Education Foundation," Belk said. "I don't know if I could pull this off without them."

NW News on 04/25/2014