Foundation Matters

Volume 4 - Issue 12 | June 15, 2025

Cathy Tenney, Editor

A Word or Two from the Board…

Dear Members of Alpha Delta State Ohio Educational Foundation,

As we reflect on the journey of ADSOEF over the past year, the Board of Directors is pleased with yet another successful chapter in our youthful eight-year history. ADSOEF continues to grow and flourish!

“It takes a village,” as the adage goes and we do have a wonderfully supportive village in the ADSOEF/OSO community. Our Directors, the ADSOEF committee chairs and committee members, the OSO/ADSOEF liaisons, the OSO/ADSOEF membership, and the abundant number of benefactors all advance and support the ADSOEF mission of funding excellence in education, benefiting individuals through grants, fellowships, project funding, and lifelong learning pursuits.

Many thanks to all who are involved in the many facets of ADSOEF. Please know your involvement is valued and immeasurable. We are sincerely grateful to each one of you for your unwavering support and shared vision. . . ADSOEF is what it is today because of YOU!

As we embark on the 2025-2026 journey ahead, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering the professional and personal growth of today’s educators and the promotion of educational excellence in Ohio’s OSO community. Together, we can continue to push the boundaries of knowledge, empower future generations of educators, while upholding the proud mission of Alpha Delta State Ohio Educational Foundation. The state of ADSOEF is strong and brighter than ever before!

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the Foundation during the 2024-2025. It has been both a pleasure and an honor.

Our infinite thanks to all,

Diana L. Kirkpatrick

Chairman of the ADSOEF Board of Directors and

The ADSOEF Board of Directors

Honey on Warm Bread!!

Think about the warm and happy feeling you get whenever you spread sweet honey onto a piece of warm bread. You can’t help but relax, close your eyes, and smile as you enjoy this tasty treat. That’s exactly how each of us need to feel as the Bee the Future of Education campaign wraps up. Contributions to the various funds of ADSOEF from July 1, 2024, through May 31, 2025, now total $21,677.46. Our DKG/OSO members continue to GIVE and GIVE and GIVE!! THANK YOU for your generous support! Your contributions are providing grants, scholarships, and fellowships, as well as individual, classroom, and community projects and life-long learning opportunities. Again, THANK YOU!!

Our members believe in DKG’s mission of promoting “professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.” With that thought in mind, you are encouraged to continue making donations in honor or memory of the special people in your lives. As we move into the next fundraising campaign, it is important that we all continue to Bee the Future of Education! Our support of education is needed now more than ever!!

The ADSOEF Fundraising Committee,

Joan Avery, Chi

Holly Buente, Gamma Pi

Nancy Russell, Beta Kappa

Linda Diltz, Beta Rho, Co-chairman

Barb Zirke, Alpha Psi, Co-chairman

ADSOEF Contribution Form

Rita Ross

In honor of Beta Nu Chapter

Deborah Mihalik

In honor of Alpha Sigma

Marilyn Slusser

Holly J. Buente

In honor of Barb Zirke

Sue Loader

In memory of Howard Brown

Delta Mu Chapter

Dr. Norma Kirby

In memory of George Kaufman

Kappa Chapter

Carol Reichelderfer

Beta Chi Chapter

Delta Theta Chapter

Congratulations to the ADSOEF Officers for 2025-2026

Chairman - Christine (Chris) Snoddy, Alpha Lambda

Vice Chairman - Sue Loader, Alpha Psi

Secretary - Tammy Schroeder, Beta Eta

Treasurer - Dr. Lois Harkins, Alpha Lambda

The ADSOEF Board of Directors is composed of the officers joined by Holly Buente, Gamma Pi; Hannah Fairbanks, Gamma Theta; Linda Reeves, Alpha Delta; Sue Samoviski, Chi; Annie Zahradinick, Gamma Theta; OSO President Dr. Molly Helmlinger, Beta Kappa, is the Ohio State Organization Liaison, serving as an ex-officio member.

To the 2025-2026 Directors: Serving as a Director is more than an honor, and includes the legal duties to care, to show loyalty, to adhere to governing regulations and to maintain accounts for ADSOEF. Best wishes for the coming fiscal year!

Educational Services Committee

The Educational Services Committee is happy to share Marlin Ellis’s final report about the impact on his students of a $500.00 grant for his Weight Room Improvement Project. Carolyn Puckett, Alpha Delta, applied on his behalf to help him purchase new bumper plate weights. Continue reading as he explains his heartfelt gratitude.

I feel that the grant money really helped us hit a home run for my weight room class and club! The bumper plates made a positive impact because they increased safety with students being able to safely drop weights from overhead or during failed lifts without the level of risk as metal plates. This created a more forgiving and less intimidating environment for my beginner lifters.

Training became more versatile because the bumper plates gave a variety of weights that allowed for weaker students to have a less threatening starting point. Also, they don’t make as loud of a sound when they hit the floor, so they are safer for hearing-sensitive students.

These bumper plates are also being used by our track and football teams for explosive Olympic lifts such as power clean, hang clean, and snatch. The exercises are best done with bumper plates and are great for building athleticism.

Lastly these plates are built to last so they will be making an impact for many years to come. I greatly appreciate everything you do and for being willing to help our weightlifting program.

Mackenzie May Student Teaching Story

As I entered my student teaching assignment, I anticipated gaining many insights into the responsibilities and daily activities of the teaching profession. My expectations included lesson planning, attending meetings, day-to-day instructional duties, and classroom management. I envisioned obtaining a thorough understanding of the numerous aspects of being an educator. However, I did not anticipate learning how to manage situations involving student safety. This includes evacuating a classroom when a student poses a threat to himself and others or defending oneself appropriately during physical encounters with students.

A student in my classroom required additional support beyond what we could offer. As a result, the student was provided with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) during my time student teaching. Multiple meetings were convened to discuss and resolve the issues at hand. Fortunately, my mentoring teacher permitted me to attend each of those meetings and was invited to actively participate in the discussions and could contribute at any time. My host teacher also enabled post-meeting discussions to provide an opportunity for me to ask any questions that arose during the meetings. Throughout this entire experience, I gained valuable insight into the procedures for obtaining and implementing an Individualized Education Program (IEP) as well as a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

I learned about typical days as a teacher and how to manage erratic behaviors, engage reluctant students, and support those with difficult home lives. I discovered how to be empathetic while ensuring students received the education they deserved. I even rediscovered my passion for teaching!

None of this would have been possible without the support of the Esther H. Strickland Student Teaching Grant. This grant enabled me to have a comprehensive and enriching student teaching experience. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the ADSOEF/DKG/Ohio State Organization for awarding me this grant. The experiences I gained will continue to contribute to my development as a young classroom educator.

Thank you again,

Mackenzie May