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School News - Tip Sheet - 1/16/2008

Mayo Demonstration Academy Tours 

1/16/2008, 9:30 a.m.

Parents of prospective students will be able to tour the facilities and meet the staffers at one of the magnet schools in the TPS system.

The tours at Mayo Demonstration Academy take place in late January and early February.

May’s website spells out its mission statement: “Mayo’s curriculum is designed to incorporate educational learning strategies, technology, and contemporary brain research of children in an active learning environment.”

Mayo has 200 children between the ages of four and 11. Each year administrators enroll 30 four-year-olds along with occasional openings for older children. Entering four and five-year-olds are screened for school readiness using the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test. Student selection is by a random drawing.

The dates for the tours are: Thursday, January 24; Tuesday, January 29 and Wednesday, February 6. Space is limited. Call the school office at 925-1500 or email jenniga@tulsaschools.org to reserve room.

 

Contest Tests Technology IQ of State Students 

1/17/2008, 8 a.m.

Hundreds of students from all over the state are convening on the Riverside campus of Tulsa Technology Center to compete in a massive series of leadership/technology contests.

The event, sponsored by Tulsa Public Schools, aims to test the brainpower of students enrolled in technology courses. Events include: flying gliders, racing CO2 cars, testing bridges, creating videos, electronics, medical technology research, agriculture and bio-technology, manufacturing, graphic design, digital photography, inventions, multi-media creations , electronic games, marine design and technical writing.

“It gives the kids a chance to process their leadership skills as well as their technological skills,” said TPS Special Programs Facilitator Ron Givens.

This is the eleventh straight year that TPS has sponsored the contest. Students are coming from as far away as Roland, Hugo, Miami, Yukon and Enid. Around 125 area businesspeople are serving as judges.

 

Tulsa Council of PTAs Meeting 

1/17/2008, 6 p.m.

The Tulsa Council of PTAs meets Thursday, January 17, from 6 – 8:30 p.m. National PTA representatives are coming to Norman to train the Oklahoma PTA’s Board of Directors. They’re making a stop at the Tulsa Public Schools Education Service Center, located at 3027 South New Haven, for a two-hour leadership training benefiting local area PTA unit and council presidents. The focus of the training is “Helping Local PTA Leaders Run Effective Units and Develop Their Leadership Skills.”

The next meeting for the Tulsa council is January 22 at the service center. That meeting runs from 9:30 -11 a.m.

 

I Have a Dream Performed For Newcomer Students 

1/18/2008, 8 a.m.

For youngster born between the years of 1995 and 2001, Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact on society might be pretty hard to relate to.

The legendary “I Have a Dream Speech” occurred over four decades ago. King’s death took place when many of their parents were probably not even born.

In an effort to make King relevant to today’s children, for the past several years administrators at Newcomer International School have asked school employee Wayde Walton —who also works as a minister—to recite a portion of King’s speech in front of the students.

“The students are off on Monday (for King’s birthday) and it’s important for them to realize why their off,” said Mary Waters, the school counselor. “They had no idea who Martin Luther King was.”

The public is invited to attend an event that Waters says will resonate even with those already aware of King’s accomplishments.

“Wayde has a powerful voice and presence and for those of us old enough to remember the electrifying speeches of Dr. King during the civil rights movement, we feel as though Dr. King is still with us and that the tragic day in April 1968 never happened. Come see for yourself.”

 

Bar Association Continues Innovative Partnership with Hamilton Middle 

1/18/2008, 12:30 p.m.

Legal eagles are descending on Hamilton Middle School, holding a holiday party for the school’s sixth graders.

Sponsored by the Tulsa County Bar Association, the attorneys are hosting a lunch, playing games with the youngsters and handing out gifts and prizes.

It’s the latest installment in what has become a model program. In 2006 Hamilton staffers added a new career immersion element to their curriculum. The idea was to boost attendance rates and expose students to professional opportunities. Hamilton sixth graders focus on careers in law and government and through their partnership with the association are able to job shadow, spending part of their day with a law or government professional.

 

Edison’s Moore scores jazz award 

1/19/2008, 11 a.m.

Talk about music running in the genes! Jama Lou Moore, middle school band teacher at Edison, has been named the International Association of Jazz Educators jazz band director of the year for the state of Oklahoma. The award comes as Jama’s son, David, is hailed as the college jazz player of the year for his work with the trumpet.

“I am very surprised and honored by this award and it's wonderful to be sharing with my son,” Jama said.

Jama and David will both be presented with plaques during the All-State Jazz Concert on January 19th at the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Tulsa.

The International Association for Jazz Education is a non-profit voluntary organization that distributes student scholarships through its approved festivals program.

 

Schools Make History During MLK Parade  

1/21/2008, 10 a.m.

Tom Claiborne, a TPS music teacher, says students at Alcott, Anderson and Whitman are “making history.” Claiborne has coordinated with the three elementary schools to put together an all-star marching band to participate in a parade next week honoring late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The band is comprised of third, fourth and fifth graders and features103 students, with forty people on brass, woodwind and percussion instruments while the rest play recorders and rhythms.

The parade is on January 21. Marchers begin at 10 a.m. on Pine and Cincinnati, proceeding east on Pine to Greenwood then south through the Greenwood Business District. The theme of the parade is: "Dr. King's Dream: Wake Up and Work It Out!"

 

TPS Students to March in MLK Parade 

1/21/2008, 10 a.m.

TPS will be well represented during a large parade in January honoring the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

A massive marching band made up of 90 students from Alcott, Anderson and Whitman elementary schools is slated to participate. It’s happening, in part, thanks to a cable TV station.

“Alcott, Anderson, and Whitman’s band programs are made possible by a grant from the VH1 Save the Music Foundation,” said TPS Music Curriculum Specialist Paige Godfrey. “VH1 has granted over $750,000 worth of instruments to Tulsa Public Schools for instrumental music programs such as band, orchestra, piano labs, guitar labs, and even mariachi.”

Godfrey said Rogers and Central high schools and Madison, a middle school, are also be taking part.

Officials credit Tom Claiborne, a TPS music teacher, for his work in bringing together the talents of students at Alcott, Anderson and Whitman.

“He’s taken the initiative to do such a large task," said Alcott principal Julian Wilson. “It takes a lot of patience to coordinate with three schools.”

Claiborne said third, fourth and fifth grade students comprise the band. The parade they’ll be taking part in kicks off January 21 at 10 a.m. Marching starts at Pine and Cincinnati, proceeds east on Pine to Greenwood then south on Greenwood through the Greenwood business district. The theme of the parade is: "Dr. King's Dream: Wake Up and Work It Out!"

 

Circle the State with Song 

1/26/2008

Students at Hoover Elementary school will be well-represented during an upcoming choral festival sponsored by the Oklahoma Music Educators Association.

“Circle the State with Song” will be performed January 26 at the Jenks Performing Arts Center. Songs in the repertoire include “Laudamus Te” by Antonio Vivaldi, “Windy Nights” by Mark Patterson and “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burnin’ " by Greg Gilpin.

According to the OMEA’s website, the goal of the festival is to provide an opportunity for exceptional music students to work with guest choral clinicians on challenging music for an exciting choral experience with other students.

The Edison students picked for the festival are: Holden Dempsey, Melanie Gault, Jonathan Harris, Lauren Lawson, Eva Roush, Haleigh Caine, Jacquelyne Carter, Chelsea Zuniga, Brianna Gomez, Alison Sturgeon, Montre Hishaw and Tamber Walls.

 

KIPP Tulsa Open House 

1/29/2008, 10:00AM

Kipp Tulsa Academy is holding a series of open houses for potential students and their families. The dates are January 29 and 31 and the time are 10-11 a.m. and 1-2 p.m.

In the summer of 2005, KIPP Tulsa, with a motto of “No Shortcuts No Excuses,” contracted with the Tulsa Public School District to start and manage a free, public middle school with a great deal of autonomy. KIPP Tulsa is designed to accommodate 90 fifth grade students adding a grade each year until reaching full capacity of approximately 360 students.

 

Kipp Open House 

1/29/2008, 10 a.m.

Kipp Tulsa Academy is holding a series of open houses for potential students and their families. The dates are January 29 and 31 and the time are 10-11 a.m. and 1-2 p.m.

In the summer of 2005, KIPP Tulsa, with a motto of “No Shortcuts No Excuses,” contracted with the Tulsa Public School District to start and manage a free, public middle school with a great deal of autonomy. KIPP Tulsa is designed to accommodate 90 fifth grade students adding a grade each year until reaching full capacity of approximately 360 students.

 

Remington Family Literacy Night 

1/29/2008, 6:30 p.m.

Remington Elementary is celebrating reading, science, health and wellness during the school’s first Family Literacy Night. Parents will be learning about the importance of reading to their children and also hearing about the school’s Reading Incentive Program.

That's not all that's going on. A tour of the school’s Science Fair exhibits is also available and a model of the Food Pyramid is set up in the gym as registered nurses are available to explain health and wellness issues. A dinner is being provided by the Child Nutrition office.

 

Kids, Kows, and More  

3/13/2008, 9:15 a.m.

TPS third and fourth graders are invited to participate in a program that gives a hands on agricultural experience.

“Kids, Kows and More” is sponsored by the Tulsa County OSU Extension Service, Southwest Dairy Association and the Texas Extension Service. An expo on March 13 in Tulsa provides up-close and personal experiences for students, parents and teachers from the area.

The exhibits and demonstrations include dairy, cotton, beef, swine, wheat, sheep and wool. Students attending the expo are encouraged to write an essay called, “What I learned about agriculture on my field trip to Kids, Kows, and More.” Essays are evaluated on agriculture knowledge, originality, creativity and mechanics —including grammar, organization, and punctuation. The winning student will receive a $100 savings bond and the class will receive an ice cream party. For more information, contact the Tulsa County OSU Extension Center at 746-3709.

 

Art Ambassadors on the Move 

4/9/2008

Beth Howard, art teacher at Mark Twain Elementary and mentor of the Art Ambassadors, continues to blaze a trail of creativity. Her workshop proposal has been picked for next year’s 19th Annual National Service-Learning Conference, Youth for a Change.

The conference is billed as the largest gathering of youths and practitioners involved in the service-learning movement. The 2007 conference drew attendees from across the United States and 19 other countries. The event provides access to new ideas and networking opportunities, with more than 200 workshops and countless opportunities for informal meetings.

The conference runs from April 9-12 in Minneapolis. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and urban educator Pedro Noguera are delivering the keynote addresses.

Howard is used to awards. In 2006 she was named the Oklahoma Elementary Art Teacher of the Year. She mentors the Art Ambassadors, an organization of students attempting to bridge the gap between school and community with art that beautifies and teaches us all to give back.

 

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