Osky Pride Book: A Beginning For Understanding Oskaloosa

OES students see and learn about the Oskaloosa community from the ‘Osky Pride’ book published by Ann Fender, and made possible by community sponsors. (photo submitted)

by Ann Fender

I taught in the Oskaloosa Community School District from 1991-2012. One day after I retired but was back at OES volunteering, Linda Fox (the local Youth Librarian at Oskaloosa Public Library) and I were leaving the OES building and discussing the question of whether or not the students even knew the meaning of the term, “Osky Pride”.

This term we used as a staff when trying to quiet groups of students. Teachers would say, “Osky” and the kids would reply, “Pride”. This conversation with Linda spurred me on to consider just how to help the Oskaloosa children know what OSKY PRIDE was.

I began the project of taking photos of many of the things we could be proud of in town and then to put it into an ABC format for a book.

Published in 2015 by The Write Place in Pella, I purchased 350 copies of the book to give to the Oskaloosa Elementary First Grade students as well as the Oskaloosa Christian School First Grade students. I sold copies of the book at the Art on the Square as well as some books to teachers, friends, and had a signing at The Book Vault.

By 2016, I was talking with OES First Grade Teachers, and discovered a way to use the books in the classroom so I began to search for funding so the books could continue to get into the classrooms.

These are the community businesses that supported this project since 2017 through the 2021-22 year:
Dr. Eric DeBoef, DDS at Town Square Dental
Vicki Jones at Bank Iowa
Mike Sytsma at Bates Funeral Chapel
Sandy Bailey at Midwest One Bank
Cory and Liz McBurney at Outer Limits Truck Repair
Michelle Purdum at Legacy Real Estate Group

Each donor gave $200 per year for 5 years, except Bank Iowa which gave $400 per year.

The Book Vault will continue to carry the books but OES will be changing their reading program and not be using the books after this year.

“It has never been a money making project from the start, but a labor of love for the wonderful community of Oskaloosa,” says Fender.