Graduation season for Henryetta school superintendent Dwayne Noble is a time for reflection. The career educator will be stepping away from classrooms, books and school bells after 30 years.
Ten of those years were spent in Henryetta and, he admits that there have been challenges that he never expected to face. At the same time, he said there were positive changes that will benefit the school for years to come.
Among those changes are completion of a STEM building, kindergarten building, all new equipment for the cafeterias and new dependable school buses. “There was a time that we didn’t know if our buses would able to make it back from a trip out of town.”
Noble started the FFA program at the school that has produced a state and national FFA degree recipient as well as brought home a number of state and local honors.
Sports fans have benefitted through the innovation of the gymnasium including the addition of air conditioning making it available for additional events.
“We have brought back the wrestling program giving both boys and girls with another avenue for them to shine.”
The COVID outbreak gave Noble the challenge of educating the students remotely with a fledgling Chromebook program having to step up putting technology in each home. “We had no guidelines already in place. Everything we did was groundbreaking.”The pandemic didn’t just face the students. “There were times that we didn’t know if we would have enough teachers able to be in the classrooms.”
That outbreak forced the school to close and a complete deep cleaning performed to eliminate any change for the virus to spread further. At the same time, school administrators and workers provided over 30,000 lunches to students through a brown bag program.
“All that was possible because of the great teaching and support staff we have. “They made it work when it looked nearly impossible.”
This week teachers, fellow administrators and local residents were on hand to express their appreciation for his efforts with a retirement party.
Noble enjoys bicycle riding as a hobby and that theme was brought out with the posters and wallpaper around the school board meeting room. “Everyone in this room has helped me tremendously in one way or another,” he said to the nearly 30 people on hand Wednesday. “It’s been a great ten years.”
