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School News - Tip Sheet - 1/3/2008

Changes to School Calendar 

1/3/2008

The school board has made changes to the 2007-2008 school calendar, tweaking it after holding a special meeting on December 21 of last year.

Here are the changes, with all dates applying to 2008: Traditional Learning sites will see the end of the second quarter changed from January 10 to January 17. The start of the third quarter switches from January 11 to January 18.

The end of the second quarter for Continuous Learning sites moves from January 18 to January 25. The start of the third quarter shifts from January 22 to January 28.

 

Rotarians distribute dictionaries 

1/4/2008, 1:30 p.m.

As part of the Dictionary Project, members of the Rotary Club of Tulsa are handing out dictionaries to third grade students at Bell Elementary. It’s the latest installment in a tradition dating back over a decade.

The idea for the Dictionary Project began in 1992 when Annie Plummer of Savannah, Georgia gave 50 dictionaries to children who attended a school close to her home. The idea was later taken up by Mary French, a Rotarian and former school secretary. In 2001, one of the members of The Southside Rotary Club of Tulsa saw an article describing French’s work and the club ordered enough dictionaries for third grade students at Springdale Elementary. The books were such a hit that the club decided to enlarge the program to include all the third grade children in TPS.

So far the club has distributed dictionaries to 187 third grade classrooms in 57 elementary schools. They personally handed books to 3,400 students and their teachers.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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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