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School News - Tip Sheet - 10/22/2008

Remington Marks Red Ribbon Week 

10/22/2008, 8:30 a.m.

Educators at Remington Elementary are marking Red Ribbon Week with a series of events. On Wednesday, October 22, teachers will pass out construction paper which students will sign their names to in a vow to remain drug-free. The paper will form a chain.

Other events include a best door contest, crazy socks day and a craziest hat contest. Contact Remington’s Farla Steele at 746-8880 for more details.

Begun in California in the mid ‘80s, Red Ribbon Week is Oct 22-28.

 

Williams Named NIEA’s Elder of the Year 

10/22/2008

Lillian Williams, a resource advisor with TPS’ Indian Education Office, has received an incredibly prestigious honor. Williams has been named the National Indian Education Association’s Elder of the Year.

Williams will be honored when the NIEA holds its annual convention and banquet in Seattle on October 22-26.

For years involved in coordinating opportunities for Native American students, including pow wows and other cultural activities, Williams has also worked extensively with the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission and the Tulsa Indian Club. She said that since 1973—the year the federal government first approved monies for Indian education—Tulsa Public Schools has taken the lead in recognizing the importance of educating Native youth.

“I am fortunate to be one who was involved from the beginning and participated in the development of this unique program…our graduates represent many tribal nations who have begun to take their place of leadership within their communities,” Williams said.

 

Gridiron Stars to Reveal Musical Talents 

10/23/2008, 7 p.m.

Talk about multi-talented!!! These Hale High School football players can hit, block and catch like nobody’s business, but when the final whistle sounds they walk off the gridiron, take off their helmets and cleats and sing a tune so sweet you’ll think you stepped into the opera.

Take Chris Wyatt for example. He’s a running back on the field that sings tenor on stage. Blake Duncan is a defensive lineman and fullback sporting a rumbling baritone. Duncan and Wyatt will join seven of their teammates in singing the national anthem before Thursday night’s showdown against Miami.

“I’ve been at Hale for many years and I’ve had football players in my choir, but this year it’s just amazing. I think I only have one male student not on the football team,” said Hale Vocal Music Instructor Patti Duncan.

Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. at East Side Stadium. The players/singers will assemble between 7:10 and 7:20. The public and media are invited to attend. In addition to Wyatt and Duncan, the other players are: Simone Fields, Cody Balsamo, Warren Finik, Paul Gonzalez, Joe Johnson, Jeremiah McCracken and Evan Taylor.

 

Grammy Winning Artist Coming to Grimes 

10/23/2008, 8 a.m.

You may not know the name but you’ve probably heard his music. He’s an artist that collects accolades the way other people collect stamps and he’s coming to Grimes Elementary.

Steve Seskin will meet with faculty and students on October 23. Seskin is an incredibly successful songwriter that has written the Grammy-nominated “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” recorded by Tim McGraw, and “Don’t Laugh at Me,” winner of NSAI Song of the Year and Music Row Magazine Song of the Year in 1999 as recorded by Mark Wills.

He also harbors a soft spot for children. His recording of Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Don’t Laugh at Me” became the impetus for the Operation Respect/Don’t Laugh at Me project, a curriculum designed to teach tolerance in schools. This program has already been implemented in more than 20,000 schools across the country. The song is now available as a children’s book featuring the song’s lyrics along with illustrations.

His visit to Grimes is two-fold, said Grimes Principal Belinda Baldwin.

“He’s helping us teach about compassion and he’s helping teach about music,” she said.

Seskin will work with the students on songwriting and by the end of the day the musical combo of Seskin/Grimes will have a piece ready for performance.

Seskin’s other #1 hits are “No Doubt About It” and “For a Change,” both recorded by Neal McCoy; “No Man’s Land” and “If You’ve Got Love,” both recorded by John Michael Montgomery, and “Daddy’s Money,” recorded by Ricochet. Other chart toppers include “I Think about You,” recorded by Colin Raye, and “All I Need To Know,” recorded by Kenny Chesney. The video for Raye’s “I Think about You” single was named the Academy of Country Music’s Video of the Year in 1997. Recent recordings of his songs include “Pictures,” by John Michael Montgomery; “We Shook Hands,” by Tebey, and “I’ll Always Be There for You,” by Brian McComas.

 

K-12 Magnet Fair 

10/25/2008, 11 a.m.

A fair highlighting the magnet programs being offered by Tulsa Public Schools is Saturday, October 25, at Woodland Hills Mall. Every district school with a magnet program will have representatives in attendance, and parents and students are invited to come and check out the host of educational opportunities available to them.

It won’t all be booths and pamphlets: Students at Central High School’s Fine and Performing Arts magnet are providing the entertainment, showing first-hand what their magnet strand has taught them.

The following schools have magnet programs: Booker T. Washington HS, Central HS, Edison Preparatory, Hale HS, McLain HS, Memorial HS, Webster HS, Carver MS, Thoreau Demonstration, Wilson MS, Eisenhower International, Mayo Demonstration and Zarrow International.

The fair runs from 11a.m. – 3 p.m. Contact Shelonda Hawkins at 746-6513 for more information.

 

First Lady to Visit District Schools 

10/28/2008, 9:45 a.m.

Oklahoma First Lady Kim Henry is visiting three TPS schools on Tuesday, October 28, to promote her "My Take on Health" initiative.

Henry will be at Webster High School from 9:45-10:35 a.m.; Booker T Washington High school from 11:05 to 11:40 a.m. and Nimitz Middle School from 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.

"My Take on Health" involves a school video contest that aims to teach Oklahoma students the importance of healthy living by challenging them to create healthy TV-type advertisements. The video advertisements will help to increase awareness in Oklahoma of the link between the national obesity epidemic and high rates of chronic disease, both of which are often the result of poor lifestyle choices. The ultimate goal of the school video contest is to further educate Oklahoma children on the need to live well, stay off drugs, and prevent chronic disease.

 

Kerr Instructor is Teacher of the Year 

10/30/2008

The person’s name is a mystery, but whomever they are they have been designated the local Walmart’s Teacher of the Year.

We do have a few tantalizing clues: The instructor is female and works at Kerr Elementary School.

“I’m very proud of this teacher,” said Kerr Principal Scott Griffith. “She’s a veteran teacher that has a reputation for loving children.”

The teacher will be named and honored during an assembly and presentation coinciding with Kerr’s celebrations of Red Ribbon Week. It begins at 9 a.m. on October 30. The public and media are invited to attend.

 

Eugene Field Early Childhood Education Center to Open 

10/30/2008, 1:30 p.m.

Just a few months after opening an early childhood education center in east Tulsa, the Community Action Project and Tulsa Public Schools are ready to go again. This time it’s the Eugene Field Early Childhood Education Center, located at 1116 West 22nd Street.

Funded through a combination of state and private donations—including a multi-million dollar contribution from the George Kaiser Family Foundation—the center reflects a commitment to enhance and expand learning through Oklahoma’s Pilot Early Childhood Program, which State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett calls “one of Oklahoma's greatest hopes for a successful future.”

The program caters to low-income families. Almost nine out of ten recipients are minorities and six out of ten live in a single-parent home.

The grand opening, including a tour of the facility, is Thursday, October 30, at 1:30 p.m. TPS Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard is one the officials slated to speak.

The public and media are invited to attend.

Parents interested in enrolling their children in the center should call 585-3227.

 

2009 Mock Election 

10/30/2008, 9 a.m.

While they cannot yet vote, students at Eisenhower International School have been studying the presidential election and on Thursday, October 30, they’ll participate in a mock presidential election.

Eisenhower administrators say the children are going through the entire process: Registering to vote and entering a booth to cast a ballot in private. The event is sponsored by the Tulsa World.

 

Retirement Reception 

11/1/2008, 1 p.m.

After 12 years at Sequoyah Elementary School Mary Robb is retiring. Her former colleagues and current coworkers are invited to join in a retirement reception on November 1 from 1-3 p.m. The reception is at the home of Linda Weible, located at 7819 E. 77th St. Call Linda at 629-1827 for more information.

 

Dr. Ballard to Appear at PIE Forum  

11/11/2008, 8 a.m.

The stunningly successful Partners in Education program is the focus of a November forum featuring the new superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, Dr. Keith Ballard.

Partners in Education program is a collaborative effort between TPS and the Tulsa Metro Chamber. The program's focus is to link Tulsa students with community resources in order to provide the knowledge and skills needed for future success. Partners and schools choose their level of involvement, which may include—but is not limited to—volunteering within the school, in-kind contributions or financial assistance. To view current Partners in Education success stories or for more information go to www.tulsachamber.com

The forum is Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8- 9:30 a.m., at the TPS HelmZar Challenge Course, located at 1006 N. Quaker Ave. Dr. Ballard will share his vision for continuing the Partners in Education program. With 35 years of education and administrative experience, Dr. Ballard comes to TPS after serving as executive director for the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.

“Community support is just critical,” Dr. Ballard said. “You just can’t accomplish anything anymore without philanthropic support. When community leaders—people that love children—step up to make things happen it’s very exciting.”

Reservations are required. Email melissatorkleson@tulsachamber.com or call 560-0218 to reserve your seat. Breakfast will be provided. There is no charge to attend.

 

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