During her thirty-three years in education, Cheryl Lansdown instilled a love of learning in countless students. Focused on the process of discovery, she brought passion, energy, and organization into her classroom each day. She helped her students identify their dreams and encouraged them to shoot for the stars. Lansdown’s connection with her students contributed to her being selected as one of three retired Bartlesville Public Schools educators to be inducted into the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation’s Educator Hall of Fame this April.
Shortly after Lansdown was born in Lawrence, Kansas, she and her parents moved to Vinita, Oklahoma to be near family. Cheryl adored and admired her mother, Lucille Martin, who taught elementary school in the rural community of Welch. Cheryl knew from the age of five that she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a teacher. Throughout high school, Lansdown was active in 4H and, much to her own surprise, received the prestigious title of “Champion Chicken Judger” at the Tulsa State Fair. After graduating from Vinita High School in 1962, Lansdown earned her associate degree in elementary education and home economics from Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College in 1964. Cheryl met her husband, Bob, while getting her associate degree and upon her graduation, the couple moved to Stillwater. While Bob earned his degree in zoology and wildlife conservation from Oklahoma State University, Cheryl earned her bachelor’s degree in family relations, child development, and education from the same institution. Her exposure to quality professors at OSU fueled her passion for teaching and becoming a dynamic educator. While getting her degree, Lansdown took an assistant teaching position within an experimental program for second graders, teaching language arts without a textbook. After graduating in 1967, she accepted her first full-time job as a second grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary in Stillwater.
Shortly after beginning in that role, Lansdown moved with her husband to Bartlesville, where he had accepted a position at the Woolaroc Museum. Bob would eventually become the director of the museum, a position he would hold until he retired. After moving to Bartlesville, Lansdown started a job teaching fifth grade at Jane Phillips Elementary School and oversaw the school’s science fair for three semesters before stepping out of the classroom temporarily to care for her newborn son, Mark.
In 1970, Principal Leonard Brock hired Lansdown at Wayside Elementary, where she would spend the next thirty-two years of her career, primarily teaching kindergarten with the exception of a few years teaching fifth grade and a brief pause when she had her second son, Shane.
Throughout her career, Lansdown was known for the connections she made with her students. She invested a lot of time and energy getting to know them and their families, learning about their interests and aspirations. Having had a poor teacher herself in first grade, who seemed to go out of her way to ignore Cheryl, Lansdown was committed to making every child in her classroom feel seen, heard, and valued.
The investment she made in her students over three decades resulted in Lansdown leaving a legacy that extended beyond the classroom. Long after their graduations, her students would return to share their accomplishments with Lansdown from medical school diplomas to successful political campaigns.
Lansdown’s colleagues relied upon her for more than her teaching expertise. She was frequently asked by administrators and other teachers to host workshops on classroom management and organization, and she was famous for her color coding and filing systems. She shared ideas with fellow educators like using folder games to keep students occupied, and she stressed the importance of providing independent activities in the morning to set the tone for the day. Lansdown was recognized for her excellence in 1997, receiving the “Golden Apple Award” from the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce.
In 2003, when her mother became ill, both Lansdown and her husband retired. The couple bought land with a pond and built their retirement home. They enjoy spending time together and with their two sons. Their son, Mark, owns a software company in Colorado and was a National Merit Scholar when he graduated from Bartlesville High School in 1987. He has twin daughters. The Lansdowns’ younger son, Shane, runs his own spice and seasoning company, Payne County Rust, and lives in Bartlesville with his wife, Roxie. Amazingly, Mrs. Lansdown continues to stay connected with many of her students. She and Bob occasionally host gatherings with Cheryl’s former students. The couple loves collecting antiques and giving presentations on their significance
This event is open to the public and tickets are available for $35 through the BPS Foundation’s website or by calling Blair Ellis at 918-336-8600 ext 3523