Four Oxford Schools employees were singled out for their dedication to the district and its students last week. Three were given teacher of the year accolades and one received praise as the support person of the year.

The four were honored in front of the community at the March 26 school board meeting and were chosen through surveys given to students, parents and staff. All four moved on as nominees to receive honors from Oakland Schools and received a $500 from Michigan Far, Bureau Insurance.

Nicole Barnett

The lead math teacher at Oxford High School, Barnett is recognized by students as an exciting speaker who will go to great lengths to help make sure they know the course material.

“She builds phenomenal relationships with kids,” OHS Principal Steven Wolf said. “You can walk into her classroom and you can feel the energy of the students. They’re excited to be there, it’s obvious.”

Wolf read a quote from a student saying, “Ms. Barnett makes going to class the best part of my day.” He then quipped that few teachers get such love from teens.

“I can’t say I ever said that about one of my teachers in high school,” he joked.

Josh Smokovitz

Smokovitz wears many hats at Oxford Middle School. He is an eighth-grade special education teacher, a language arts teacher, an assistant in seventh-grade special educations classes and the school’s web leader. OMS Principal Dacia Beazley acknowledged him for his dedication and excitement in teaching students.

“He is the first face, literally, that our sixth-graders see when they come into school in August,” she said. “He greets them with enthusiasm.”

One parent said in a survey that Smokovitz had been a key part of her daughter’s academic success. “He takes students’ education very seriously,” the comment reads. “He goes out of his way to ensure that his students are excelling and making progress.”

OMS teachers view Smokovitz as someone they can always count on.

“I genuinely could not imagine having success in my classroom without Josh,” one teacher wrote. “His ability to work cohesively with me on a daily basis is a testament to his flexibility and his goal of putting student success above everything else.”

Jennifer Kontry

Chosen as the top teacher from all of Oxford’s elementary schools, Kontry works as a kindergarten teacher at Daniel Axford Elementary. DA Principal Chad Boyd said she’s a force inside and outside the classroom.

“Jen is a leader in the classroom, in our school and in the community,” he said. “She goes above and beyond for her students and family. She has such a genuine care for all her students.”

One parent was quoted saying, “She doesn’t give up on her students. She challenges them and makes them feel loved.” Holding true to that statement, Boyd said Kontry is never one to give up on something she believes in.

Kontry also runs a fund-raising group called Dave’s Dream Team that helps those battling Alzheimer’s disease. Last year, Boyd said the group, founded in honor of Kontry’s father, raised over $40,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Kristin Squires

As the lead custodian at OMS for the last nine years, Squires is always working behind the scenes to make sure students have a nice space to learn in. She was singled out as the top support person in the whole district.

“She has seen a lot of change,” Beazley said. “She has seen in our building changes (in) students, in superintendents, in principals… She has also seen the change in secretaries, teachers and all people at work here. She’s even seen custodial company changes. Kristin has remained steadfast through it all.”

As an older building, OMS comes with its challenges. But, Beazley said Squires is always up to the task.

“Maintaining a building that hasn’t seen a lot of updates in a few years is no easy task,” Beazley said. “We have almost 1,200 students and a lot more adult business going on. Through each season that brings a lot of change to our building, Kristin maintains a sense of humor. She maintains dedication and a work ethic.”

While she’s at it, she brightens the days of students, too. “Over the last three years at Oxford Middle School, Ms. Squires became the adult figure I could look up to (and) help me,” one student said.