Owsley County second graders earn awards, enjoy pizza and ice cream

Owsley County Elementary School gave its second graders a year-end sendoff built around both celebration and measurable progress, serving pizza and ice cream from Mr. Cale Turner as students collected academic achievement awards tied to the work they completed across the school year.

The school said the honors recognized more than one kind of success. Students were acknowledged for all Gs, finishing DreamBox math topics, keeping up attendance and earning Proficient or Distinguished marks in math or reading on NWEA MAP testing. That mix showed the awards were meant to capture the full picture of student effort, from daily habits to academic performance.

The recognition also fit the way Owsley County Elementary is organized. Sylvia McIntosh is listed as principal in the school’s staff directory, and Keasha Tolson serves as Community Liaison and Attendance contact, a detail that gives added weight to the attendance component of the awards. At a school where steady participation matters, the second-grade celebration put a public spotlight on the routines that help children keep moving forward.

The academic benchmarks behind the ceremony matter in a broader county context, too. Owsley County Elementary’s public profile lists K-5 proficiency at 19 percent in reading and 11 percent in math, with 3 percent distinguished in reading and 3 percent distinguished in math. Against those numbers, awards for DreamBox completion, attendance and MAP growth served as a clear reminder that small gains and consistent effort are worth recognizing.

That approach matches how the Kentucky Department of Education describes School Report Cards, as a way for schools to communicate strengths and explain improvement efforts to families and the local community. Kentucky’s accountability system also treats state assessment results in reading and mathematics as key measures of achievement, which helps explain why Owsley County Elementary highlighted Proficient and Distinguished results as part of the celebration.

The year-end moment also carried a community feel. Mr. Cale Turner’s food gave the event a Booneville connection, and Owsley County Schools has marked the close of the school year with other recognition events as well, including staff appreciation meals and reward celebrations. The district’s updated 2024-2025 calendar placed the OCES Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 15, 2025 and the last day for students on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, framing the second-grade celebration as part of a broader final stretch devoted to finishing strong.