About Mrs. Basham

I was born and raised in Oil City and am proud to be raising my own family here.  I attended both Smedley Street and Seventh Street Elementary Schools.  It has been a dream come true for me to teach within the walls that housed my childhood dreams of becoming a teacher. 

After graduating from OCHS in 2001, I studied Elementary Education at Penn State Behrend. I completed my general education requirements there and then transferred to Clarion University to finish up my Bachelor of Science in Education.  

Upon graduation I taught preschool and then spent some time teaching for Sto-Rox School District in McKees Rocks, PA.  The following year I was hired with Cranberry School District.  I taught grades 1, 3, and 5 during my 6 years with Cranberry and was honored to be a part of their District Leadership Team.  My husband and I also met at Cranberry while serving on a curriculum review team together. 

We  purchased our home in Oil City during the summer of 2013.  That same summer we were both hired through OCASD as elementary teachers.  We are proud to teach for Oil City and to support children both in the classroom and around our community.  

I have two children and two beagles.  I love the outdoors and especially enjoy camping and gardening.   Music has always been a passion of mine and I enjoy singing with my students.  Arranging songs to help my students grasp content and skills and incorporating music into our daily learning experiences is a joy of mine. 

Each year I am anxious to meet the new group of students who will nestle in my heart and stay there forever.  It is an honor to learn and grow with each new class I teach. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me.  I look forward to getting to know your children and families as we work together towards a smooth, successful school year.