Crosby Park Elementary showcases programs, fundraising and a student-led community cleanup

Crosby Park Elementary presented classroom highlights to the Lawton Public Schools Board of Education, detailing literacy and math initiatives, arts and science activities, a student-run fundraising program and a planned community service day.

School staff described daily read-alouds, focused work on academic vocabulary, increased attention to writing mechanics and use of assessment tools including MasteryConnect, STAR and Lexia. The presentation included classroom examples: kindergarten students using the Waterford reading program, second-graders paired in book buddies with kindergarteners, first graders using a foundational curriculum kit and students practicing cursive. Teachers described hands-on math lessons such as counting seeds, charting results and using manipulatives to teach fractions.

Crosby Park highlighted arts and science integration through weekly maker-space lessons, daily music and a recent science fair; staff said three winners were selected from that fair. Fifth graders participated in aeronautic engineering lessons funded by a Civil Air Patrol grant. The school reported raising chicks as part of its science program.

The school announced a community service day later this month, described in the presentation as running from 9 to 10:30 a.m.; organizers said a sign-up link is available on the school's Facebook page and volunteers registered through that link receive a volunteer T-shirt. Staff also described a student-run bracelet fundraiser; they said the concert bracelet sales raised $1,020 during a prior concert and that early sales this year had exceeded $100.

Students performed at the board meeting; staff said the school's spring concert theme is "musical legends" and noted Crosby Park's 50th anniversary as a public school. Board members and the superintendent applauded the presentation and the student performers.