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School News - Tip Sheet - 11/5/2008

Back By Popular Demand—Roosevelt Educators Return to Nat’l Conference 

11/5/2008

On the strength of a well-received session last year, Roosevelt Elementary School’s principal Diane Dross and lead teacher Tracey Eichenberger are again attending the International Behavioral Institute for Children and Adolescents annual conference, taking place this time around in Minneapolis from Nov 5-8.

Dross and Eichenberger are leading a breakout session entitled “Project Accept—A School within a School Model.”

“We spoke last year at the conference and we have been asked to return,” Dross said. “Our basic role is to tell them about Project Accept and how it functions within a school.”

Project Accept has been part of Roosevelt for nine years. The program involves supporting students with communication disorders and learning and behavior difficulties by teaching them strategies and procedures enabling to be successful in a normal classroom environment. The institute hosting the conference was formed to ensure students with emotional and behavioral challenges have access to a full array of effective and individualized services provided by highly qualified practitioners.

Dross and Eichenberger’s attitude has apparently translated to the school’s test scores. Roosevelt posted the second-highest increase in the district on the 2008 Academic Performance Index, surging from 388 points to 1,341.

 

Remington Field Trip is a Blast from the Past 

11/6/2008, 9 a.m.

A history lesson dovetails with a field trip for fourth graders at Remington Elementary as they visit Dripping Springs State Park in Okmulgee on Thursday, November 6.

These modern-day children—experts in the use of iPods, cell phones, video games, everything online and all the other accoutrements of life in the 21st Century—will witness an authentic black smith shop, soap making, black powder and bow-and-arrow shooting, and the process the pioneers performed when they tanned animal hides.

Dripping Springs dates back to the 1870s and has been maintained to illustrate what life was like for settlers in Oklahoma Territory. The area where the park is situated was settled by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation around 1830. The tribe established their capitol on a site with an ever-flowing spring, calling it “Okmulgee” which means "bubbling water." Here’s some more history for you: Dripping Springs Lake has the distinction of having been designated as the state’s first trophy bass lake.

“Fourth graders study Oklahoma history,” said Remington parent liaison Lela Clayton, “and this gives them a chance to see it outside of a book.”

 

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.

 

Partner in Education to Donate to Sam Houston 

11/19/2008, 8:30 a.m.

The Partners in Education program continues to pay dividends. On Wednesday, November 19, Sam Houston Elementary School’s partner, the Tulsa Dream Center, is donating $1,600 to the school.

Described on their website as a church that “offer(s) help and hope to many who are desperate to see a change in their life,” the Dream Center provides a host of services including food and clothing distribution, recreation opportunities, volunteers and mentors and a car clinic designed to help financially-strapped members with vehicle repairs.

Tulsa's Partners in Education program is a joint effort between the Tulsa Metro Chamber and Tulsa Public Schools. The program seeks to link community resources with Tulsa’s children in order to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary for future success.

Established in 1983, the PIE program has brought thousands of volunteers into Tulsa's schools.

 

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