Back to School

From left, Dr. Rick Cobb, superintendent of Mid-Del School District, and Wendy Eaton, Tinker Elementary principal, check out all of the furniture and supplies to be reorganized with first grade teacher, Carole Peery, and school counselor, Dawn Hartman. Teachers, staff and volunteers showed up to Tinker Elementary on Aug. 3 to help with a massive moving-in day. (Air Force photo by Kelly White/ReleasedBack to School)

Back to school: Tinker Elementary to welcome students Aug. 19

Published Aug. 7, 2015
By Kimberly Woodruff
Staff Writer

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Cue the groans of children at Tinker. School starts Aug. 19.

Despite rumors floating around that Tinker Elementary School will not be open after sustaining flood damage from heavy rainstorms in May, the school will be open and faculty is ready to welcome students.

"We are really excited," said Wendy Eaton, Tinker Elementary School principal. "The district has done a lot of upgrades and the building is ready to start school."

Mrs. Eaton said the school has new walls, floors, tile, carpeting and shelving.

"There are still a few projects, but overall it is ready to go," she said.

Heather Wojciuch, Tinker's school liaison officer and a member of the Airman and Family Readiness Center, said during a recent Mid-Del Schools board meeting it was reported that repairs are 100 percent complete with carpeting, classrooms and paint.
Teachers and volunteers were on hand Monday to unpack boxes, move furniture and set up classrooms to welcome the school children back.

"It's exciting to see the teachers, with the help of student volunteers, doing everything they can to get ready for students," said Dr. Rick Cobb, superintendent of Mid-Del Schools.

Standing among piles of boxes, first grade teacher Kendra Diaz said, "I don't know quite where to start, but we will prevail."

Ms. Eaton said it's amazing that the teachers are setting up their rooms so early.
"According to their contract, they do not have to report back until Aug. 12," she said, "but they're excited and here early to get ready for the kids."

An additional construction project is a new security vestibule so anyone visiting the school will need to show their ID prior to being let into the building.

"The security vestibule will be a little hard to get used to," said Ms. Eaton. "Safety is inconvenient, but so worth it."

Mike Bryan, chief of operations, said the crew was already set to start the construction of the security vestibule when the storm hit, so the project was added in with the emergency crew who came in for restoration and repair.

After the damage in May, children finished out the last two weeks of school at the First Southern Baptist Church on Sooner Road.