By Star Gongora and Cameron Foster —  OAKHURST — Bonnie Mills, known to her students as Mrs. Mills, is a 6th grade teacher at Oak Creek Intermediate (OCI) in the fields of English Language Arts and Social Studies. She started teaching at Raymond-Knowles Elementary School and has been at OCI ever since. This year, Mrs. Mills began her 28th year ...

By CFC Collins and Cadet Webb —  OAKHURST — Oak Creek Intermediate school (OCI) welcomes the California Cadet Corps (CACC), in which participants learn about discipline, respect, commitment, problem solving, and teamwork. We are a military based program which helps build character, personal strength, and patriotism. The Cadet Corps motto is essayons, meaning “let us try.” The CACC has helped students improve ...

OAKHURST — Students at Oak Creek Intermediate school brought in just shy of 500 canned and non-perishable food items to benefit Manna House, says Principal Brad Barcus. “Classrooms were challenged to bring in items as part of a class competition,” he explains. “Mrs. Duckworth’s class brought in the most items with 174. Mrs. Bodine’s Class brought in the highest percentage ...

OAKHURST — The spirit of giving was predominant as teachers and school representatives convened by request to celebrate one of the year’s highlights: Sierra Oakhurst Kiwanis Mini-Grants for education. Local Kiwanis and others gathered on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at El Cid Mexican Restaurant to give and receive money in support of projects and products that help mountain area students. Eighteen ...

By Eileen Holladay —  OAKHURST — Laurel Duckworth says she became a teacher because she wanted to spend as much time as possible with her sons, Shane and Ian. Inspired by her own mother, also an educator, Mrs. Duckworth has been teaching for 20 years; this is her ninth year at Oak Creek Intermediate. She enjoys teaching math and PE, ...

OAKHURST — This week we are focusing on one of our 6th grade teachers, Ms. Amy Smith. She has been teaching for thirteen years in total, but has only taught for five years in Oakhurst, and loves it! When Ms. Smith graduated from high school she went to college to become a biologist. After completing two years toward her biology ...

By Paige Bartlett —  OAKHURST — We have a fabulous teacher at Oak Creek Intermediate (OCI); his name is Mr. Erik Peterson. We wanted to ask him a few questions about his teaching career and background. Mr. Peterson has taught for 28 years. Before his move to Oakhurst, he taught at Simi Valley High School, McKinley Elementary, Spencer V. Williams ...

By OCI Correspondents — OAKHUST — The Oak Creek Intermediate Leadership Class planted some new shrubs in the front of the school. Our leadership team is helping the school with everyday tasks including recycling, fun noontime activities, and gardening. We planted the shrubs in front of the school because we wanted to provide a warm welcome to all of the ...

MADERA — Labor Day weekend was a big one for anyone entered in the county fairs, including — and perhaps especially — for Spring Valley 4H member Ashley Rossen. Ashley, 13, is an 8th grade student at Oak Creek Intermediate School in Oakhurst, and on Saturday, Sept. 1 at the Madera County Fair, Ashley took multiple top awards in poultry. ...

OAKHURST — Four-hundred-plus kids and you couldn’t hear one of them. In what’s referred to as “the ultimate game of hide and seek,” that’s how we want it. At Oakhurst Elementary School (OES) last week, students in grades K-5 were called to the expansive multi-purpose room for a singular purpose: to practice a safety drill in which they would shelter ...