The Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation presented Peggy Christensen, District Librarian, with its annual “Opening Doors, Enriching Lives” award at the annual Spring Tea on Wednesday, April 13th. Ms. Christensen spent 20 years as a classroom teacher at Millicoma, Sunset, and Marshfield before becoming the librarian at Marshfield in 2000. She currently serves as the District Librarian, and received the prestigious Oregon Librarian of the Year award in 2011 for creating new programs to help students find their niche, most notably the Pirate Underground. “This year’s ‘Opening Doors, Enriching Lives’ award recipient truly lives and breathes our motto by focusing her energies on those students who might otherwise be overlooked, who need to feel a sense of belonging to stay in school,” explains Jennifer Groth, President of the Foundation. The Spring Tea also featured the Marshfield Upbeats Dance Team, the New Horizons Jazz Ensemble, the Men’s Choral Ensemble, and individual performances by children who participated in Millicoma’s annual talent show. The Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation was formed during 2007 to promote programs for the arts, academics, activities and athletics for the benefit of the students of the Coos Bay School District by raising funds through community partnerships. The Foundation is a community-based, not-for-profit organization separate from the Coos Bay School District. Since 2007, the Foundation has awarded 249 grants worth over $134,000 to programs providing students with expanded opportunities and unique educational experiences in Coos Bay Public Schools. Donations to the Foundation can be mailed to P.O. Box 1372, Coos Bay, OR 97420. Grant applications for Fall 2016 are available on the Foundation website www.coosbayschoolsfoundation.org, and are due June 30.
