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School News - Tip Sheet - 1/9/2008

An Art Contest, Spelling Bee and Fundraiser 

1/7/2008, Varies

An art contest promoting physical fitness and a spelling bee are two of the events on tap for Remington Elementary this month.

The school’s American Indian students in K-5 are taking part in the Indian Health Care Resource Center’s annual children’s art contest. The theme of the contest is: “How do you stay active?”

“It’s a way a fun way to get our Native kids involved in thinking about health,” said the resource center’s Emily Bolusky.

Each student is limited to two entries and has a chance to win gift cards. The contest is facilitated by Shellby Huerta, Remington’s Indian Education Tutor.

Also on Remington’s plate is their annual spelling bee. It’s on January 10 at 1 p.m. and is open to third through fifth graders. Linda Skinner, first-grade teacher at Remington, is sponsoring the bee.

Four days later the school’s PTA spring fundraiser commences. On January 15 the PTA meets in the school’s library at 6 p.m.

 

East Central Teacher Tackles Ethical Dilemmas 

1/8/2008, 8:00

They are some of the most troubling ethical issues of our time and a teacher at East Central High School is one of fifty people tapped with the task of helping solve them.

Jamie Ritchey says some vexing topics include cloning, sports enhancement drugs, and genetic testing. The bioethics curriculum pilot program Ritchey is participating in is sponsored by the National Institute of Health. Ritchey and her students will be examining the pros and cons right out of East Central’s Science Lab E301.

“We’re investigating these issues and trying to arrive at some sort of conclusion using critical thinking,” she said.

 

Owen Holiday Music Program 

1/9/2008, 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Owen Elementary students are staging their annual Winter Musical today, a songfest where audience participation is strongly encouraged, administrators say.

All major holidays are incorporated in the program, along with singing, dancing and a historical perspective.

 

Booker T. Named Oklahoma Promise Champs 

1/9/2008

Booker T. Washington High School has been named “2007 Oklahoma’s Promise State Champs.” The honor comes after the school had more graduates in 2007 qualify for the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarships than any other school its size.

Approximately half of Oklahoma’s students are eligible to apply for Oklahoma’s Promise, a program enabling high school students from families whose annual income is $50,000 or less to earn free college tuition. To date, more than 75,000 students have enrolled in the program.

The scholarship program was formerly known as the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program or OHLAP, and was created in 1992 by state lawmakers to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college. Its goal is to prepare students academically for college and to provide them financial assistance.

In addition to coming from a family that meets the program’s financial requirements, a student must achieve the following criteria to be eligible: Posses a minimum 2.5 (C+) grade point average in 17 core courses that prepare them for college and achieve at least a 2.5 GPA for all courses in grades nine through 12. Students also must attend class regularly and refrain from drug and alcohol abuse and delinquent acts.

 

Magnet School Fair at Woodland Hills Mall 

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

Tulsa Public Schools, the District of Choice, is proud to present a Magnet School Fair — showcasing all the exciting and innovative opportunities available to Tulsa parents and their children — Saturday, January 12 at Woodland Hills Mall.

The fair is chock-full of information about the magnet programs offered in TPS elementary, middle and high schools. For example: Want your child to speak French like a native Parisian? Come to the fair and find out how to make it happen. Or, do you want Junior to learn about the aerospace industry? How about television broadcasting? Either way, the magnet fair is something not to miss.

Magnet programs also offer a chance for exemplary achievement that can be reflected on a high school resume and post-secondary and corporate partnerships providing students exposure to career options as well as the initiation of post-secondary education.

School personnel and current students will be available to answer questions and to demonstrate some of the unique activities students experience at their schools. Materials will be distributed explaining the various opportunities as well as the procedures for enrolling or transferring to a magnet school of choice.

The fair runs from 1:30 till 6:30 p.m. We’ll be set up on the first floor in front of Dillard’s. The following school offer magnet programs.

• Booker T. Washington High School
• Central High School
• Edison Preparatory School
• Hale High School
• McLain High School
• Memorial High School
• Webster High School
• Carver Middle School
• Thoreau Demonstration
• Wilson Middle School
• Eisenhower International School
• Mayo Demonstration School
• Zarrow International School

 

Students Perform with the Tulsa Opera 

1/14/2008, 1:30 p.m.

The Tulsa Opera is bringing the Gilbert and Sullivan classic Pirates of Penzance to Jane Adamms Elementary, with a twist.

Music teacher Todd Cochran has been preparing 20 of his students for parts in the play’s chorus. Cochran says the production is a “wonderful opportunity” to help students “broaden their musical experience and to meet professional musicians.” The show’s audience will be third, fourth and fifth graders at the school and their family members.

First premiering in New York City in 1979, Pirates of Penzance features a series of musical numbers and has long been lauded as one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular comic operas. It was turned into a film in 1983.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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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