Areas of interest for other charter programs:  Program Start-up, administration, grant writing, technology, parent involvement and marketing.

Oakwood Environmental Education Charter School

1225 North Oakwood Road

Oshkosh , WI   54904

920.424.0315

troy@eecharterschool.com

I have had the pleasure of teaching in the Oshkosh Area School District since 1995, the last seven years at Oakwood Environmental Charter School .  During these years I have spent two terms on the EE Governance Council and have been directly involved in the decision making process for charter school administration.

Together with Brian Megale a 5th grade educator at Oakwood, we created the MegaSchlegel Video team.  The team is composed of students from our classes who learn about and then become responsible for producing videos covering  Oakwood School and the Sheldon Nature Area themes.  Students have covered in-school events, interviews, complete documentaries on Oakwood and have learned a tremendous amount of video production skills from lighting to studio operation, editing and writing.

I have presented the 'Oakwood Environmental Education Message' to several statewide workshops and conferences and at two National Charter Conferences.

The knowledge and growth that I see with the students I teach in the area of Environmental Education continues to inspire and push me to create and work with students on environmental challenges that have profound effects in our community, region and nation.

(top)  

 Wendy Thompson
Oakwood Tutor 'n Kid Connection
Program Coordinator

Areas of interest for other charter programs:  

Creating a guided reading library, establishing a volunteer tutoring program,  and incorporating reading and writing across the curriculum.

Oakwood Environmental Education Charter School
1225 North Oakwood Road Oshkosh, WI  54904
920.424.0315

Wendy.Thompson@oshkosh.k12.wi.us 

Wendy Thompson received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and graduate degree in Reading from UW Oshkosh.  Her career began as a grade two classroom teacher in Menasha. She then became a Reading Specialist in the Oshkosh Area School District and has been teaching for the past 20 years. When Oakwood received the Environmental Education Grant, Wendy became a member of the EE Governance Committee.  Wendy worked on establishing two areas of the EE Grant: the Oakwood Tutor 'n Kid Connection Tutoring Program and the EE Guided Reading Library for Oakwood.  She developed the Oakwood Tutor 'n Kid Connection Tutoring Program for students in grades 3 - 5,  who needed additional help with literacy skills.  The EE Guided Reading Library for Oakwood has leveled sets of EE books that are used by all students in grades K - 5. 

Wendy is available as a consultant for schools who would like to establish a tutoring program or a guided reading library. Working with the EE Charter School and being a part of the Planning Committee for the 2007 Summer EE Institute was exciting and rewarding. In June of 2007, Wendy retired as the Oakwood Reading Specialist, however, she continues to serve on the EE Governance Committee and as the Oakwood Tutor 'n Kid Connection Program Coordinator.

(top)

Stephen Maassen, MD
Areas of interest for other charter programs: 
Design, establish, enhance, and maintain the ecosystems in school natural areas. This is where I can serve as a resource. 

maassen@charter.net

3643 Hickory Ridge Rd

Oshkosh , WI   54904

920-651-6766

I have been involved in the design, planting, and maintenance of school natural areas for 8 years.  I have directed the planting of 16 prairies, savannas, and/or woodlands at schools and public places in Wisconsin .  I was director of the Wild Ones schools program for 5 years and as well as their "Seeds for Education" grant program for which I am currently the director. 

Education.  BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Michigan 1979, MD in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Michigan , 1983

Self-taught in restoration, ecology, and botany of woodland, prairie, and savanna ecosystems of the upper Midwest.

Wisconsin herbicide applicators certification

Oshkosh Areas School District Volunteer of the Year Award for 2001

Member - Minnesota and Wisconsin “Green” Charter Schools Network

(top)

Donna Charley-Johnson, M.S.

Areas of interest for other charter programs:  environmental education curriculum development, teacher training, ecological restoration, and environmental awareness life style changes

Environmental Education, Ecological Restoration

920-424-0930, charleyj@uwosh.edu

Ms. Charley-Johnson was invited to participate in the Environmental Education Charter School at Oakwood by a parent.  Mr. Maassen was acquainted with Donna through the organization Wild Ones, the Fox Valley Area Chapter where she served a two year term as program director. 

Ms. Charley-Johnson has been involved in curriculum development, teacher training, “big day” organization, developing a field guide and signage for Sheldon Nature Area, and presentations about the charter school at various conferences and organizations.

Ms. Charley-Johnson received a B.A. from Grinnell College , Grinnell , Iowa in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies.  She completed her Master’s degree in Oshkosh , her home town, in Zoology/Ecology.  She was asked by the Biology Department to take a position as academic staff upon completing her degree.  The majority of her course load involves teaching environmental Biology to education majors.

  (top)

MaryBeth Petesch
Areas of interest for other charter programs:   curriculum development, support for infusion of EE into classrooms. 

petesch@uwosh.edu

Director of the Office of Field Experiences and Internships and Certifying Officer for the College of Education and Human Services at UW Oshkosh.

Graduate Degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Science Education from UW Madison
Undergraduate degree in Biology, Environmental and Outdoor Education, Health from UW Stevens Point

Taught science for 2 years in Wisconsin; 8 years at the Frankfurt International School in Germany.  University biology laboratory instructor and science methods instructor.  Supervised secondary science student teachers for 5 years.  Worked for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for one year, National Park Service for one summer.

Steering Committee member for the Environmental Education Charter School at Oshkosh Oakwood Elementary.  Steering Committee member for the UW Oshkosh Earth Charter Community Summit. 

(top)

James McGrath

Areas of interest for other charter programs:  administration, program startup, grant writing, curriculum development, short and long range planning and marketing.

mcgrath.edcons@charter.net

507-895-7130

James. McGrath is an Educational Consultant with EAA in Oshkosh , Wisconsin and for the Oakwood Environmental Education Charter School .  He has served in education for over thirty years as a Teacher and Principal with experience at all levels of public education. The development of school community partnerships to improve Education has been a cornerstone throughout his career. These partnerships have fostered the development of two charter schools.  His main focus has been to improve public education through innovative instructional approaches. He has been a member of the Sheldon Nature Area Committee for the past seven years. The goal of the SNAC has been to develop the Nature Center into a EE Learning Center to improve children’s education. The goal of the Oakwood EE Charter School is to utilize the Sheldon Nature Area as a living laboratory to deliver an integrated EE curriculum. The Dissemination model developed will implement Environmental Education using State Academic Standards, District grade-level benchmarks aligned with a balanced student assessment. James McGrath has also helped initiated the EAA Aviation Charter School as the Building Principal and the development of a Dissemination model for the state and national replication of Einstein Aviation Flight Kit with EAA Aviation Charter School curriculum. He has presented at state and national educational conferences and was awarded the Wisconsin Environmental Education Administrator of the year in 2004.

Mr. McGrath holds a BS in Environmental Education, MS Health Physical Education, MS Education Administration, and Specialist Certification in Education Leadership.

(top)

Steve Finley, AA, BFA, MFA

Areas of interest for other charter programs:   Technology solutions, integration of technology with curriculum, documentation / archiving procedures for media acquisition, grants writing, dissemination of curriculum to varying media such as web, CD and others.

Blank Slate Multimedia, LLC

steve@blankslatemultimedia.com

877.554.0143

“I was asked by Mr. McGrath to review some ideas for a new charter school in 2003.  Two years later, it has become a real love of mine to see the advances made in building an environmental education charter program, the people involved and the media resulting is fantastic.

Helping kids succeed, find new avenues for their creative energies that result in learning is a reward I can’t pass up.  It is enjoyable and a passion.’

Education – B.F.A., Wayne State University , M.F.A., University of Massachusetts .

Mr. Finley has been a sculptor with works in collections around the world; he has been a tenure-track professor and has been the president of a dot com company providing training, marketing and technology solutions for some of the top 500 companies in the world.  His company produced over 1100 multimedia projects that were marketed / used worldwide.  Today, he is a consultant to health care, education, coatings, media, construction and technology industries. His passion remains in teaching no matter the setting. He is on the EE Charter School advisory committee,  Vice President of the Oshkosh United Soccer Club and a soccer coach for up to six teams a year.

(top)

John Walsh, RN CCRN MPA/HA
Sheldon Nature Area Committee President 1988 to present
2962 Omro Rd.
Oshkosh, WI  54904-9301
walshosh@charter.net

Areas of interest for other charter programs:  Site Planning, development, implementation, consultation and evaluation of the Sheldon Nature Area (SNA) including grant writing, long term financial planning, partnership development, construction, marketing, resource utilization and financial stability, Town of Algoma Parks Committee 13 yrs., Executive Board for Oakwood Environmental Education Charter School, Program Director of Trauma Services with 27 yrs as a health care professional, Executive Board for the Regional Trauma Advisory Committee, State Trauma Advisory Committee Sub Committees for Hospital Designation and Marketing,. 2006 DNR Think Tank for Strategic Planning, Oshkosh Beautification Committee, Oshkosh Safety Committee. DNR Recreational Safety Program Instructor: Hunter Ed, Bow Hunter, ATV, Snowmobile, Boat Safety and Advanced Hunter Education.

I have been privileged to be involved in the planning and implementation for the Sheldon Nature Area that adjoins the Oakwood Elementary School since it was donated in 1991 to the Oshkosh Area School District.  I was asked to lead the Sheldon Nature Area Committee (SNAC) in 1998 after 7 years of successful multidisciplinary planning, involving youth groups, and approving and guiding Eagle Scout projects to build the infrastructure.  Great satisfaction has come from involving the children in ongoing projects, growing community ownership, donations and writing grants that has enabled the SNA to be completely self supporting.  The common theme at Oakwood Environmental Educational Charter School and Sheldon Nature Area is the “Pride is Inside”. Nothing could be more correct, as this 26 acre nature area is truly community owned.  Come and visit the Sheldon Nature Area where, the “door” in outdoor education is always open.

Education:  BSN in Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 1978, Masters in Public Administration (Health Care) 1992, Advanced Certification in Critical Care and Trauma, 2006 faculty National Foundation for Trauma Care, First Aid and CPR Instructor for the Red Cross.

Awards:  Sheldon Nature Area: SW Rotary Beautification Award winner 2002, DNR Hunter Education Instructor of the Year 2002, Chief Wardens Cup 2002, DNR Award of Distinguished Service 2005, DNR Safety program “Extra Mile Award” 2006, BSA Wood Badge Staff, National Best Practice 2004, 2005, 2006 from the National Foundation for Trauma Care.  

(top)