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School News - Tip Sheet - 3/11/2009

Students to Receive Etiquette Lesson 

3/11/2009, 11:30 a.m.

For many of us not named Miss Manners, proper etiquette can be a tough call. Which fork goes with what dish? Is the knife supposed to stay on the plate during a meal or is that an absolute no-no?

Now students enrolled in Street School’s Life Skills class are preparing for an authentic course in etiquette—a class that dovetails with the school’s mission of preparing its charges for the real world.

“It’s important for our students to know proper etiquette as they enter the business world,” said Kim Camp, a life skills teacher. “Our goal is to provide our students with the knowledge and experiences they need to become a productive member of our community once they graduate. And having them understand proper dining etiquette will help them their entire life both socially and professionally."

The etiquette class comes courtesy of the Crowne Plaza Tulsa. Staffers there are not only providing students with room and food but also an etiquette speaker—an executive chef—who will speak about food pairings and dining presentations, and a speaker from their human resources department.

The Crowne Plaza is a Street School partner and has provided internships for students there, and they will be hosting Street School’s annual benefit fundraiser in April.

Street School’s dining etiquette life skills luncheon will be held on Wednesday, March 11 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Tulsa hotel, located at 100 E 2nd Street. Local media are invited.

 

Skelly Students Field Trip to the Aquarium 

3/11/2009, 9 a.m.

A research project at Skelly Elementary School will culminate in students there going to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks.

Terri Mynatt’s kindergarten class and their fifth-grade reading buddies are able to make the trip courtesy of an $800 grant from the Target Corporation.

An attraction for tourists and locals alike, the 66-acre aquarium opened its doors in 2003. It’s Oklahoma’s only freestanding aquarium and draws about 500,000 visitors annually

 

FREE Parent/Guardian Classes
Growing Through Single Parenting 

3/11/2009, 6:30 p.m.

The CREOKS Family Life Training Program provides families, grandparents, etc. with outstanding parenting classes, resources, and referral services to strengthen our parenting skills and parental involvement. Every parent faces challenges while raising children. Unfortunately, our children were not born with an instruction manual. This program will also provide parents with new ideas, tips, advice, and even a support group for the roller coaster journey of raising children. Reservations are required.

For more information, or to enroll please contact Stacey Berry, the Family Life Coordinator, at stacey.berry@creoks.org or by phone 227-2016 ext. 137.

According to the Family Life policy, a class minimum of 3 is required. All classes are subject to cancellation.

“Mom’s House-Dad’s House”: Growing Through Single Parenting – Two Part Series

• Part 1 -Wednesday, 3/11/08, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Memorial High School Library – 5840 S. Hudson Avenue, Tulsa
• Part 2 - Wednesday, 3/25/08, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Memorial High School Library – 5840 S. Hudson Avenue, Tulsa

Regardless of their age, living in a divorced family can be a painful and confusing time for all children. Each developmental age group has its own way of dealing with the related issues. But it is clear that all children of divorce struggle with issues of trust, security, self-image, and their fit in the family. In this class, divorced/single parents will learn to recognize the effects of divorce on children, develop skills which encourage co-parenting and effective communication between divorced parents, gain skills to help recover from divorce, and understand children’s needs for healthy parents. This class is a two part series. Please attend both of the above classes to receive all of the information.

 

Living La Vida Loco—Central’s Open House to Expose Students to Stunningly Exciting Career Choices 

3/12/2009, 6 p.m.

A massive smorgasbord of career choices that can take a student to the most upscale events in cities such as New York, London, Milan and Los Angeles are available at Central High School’s Fine and Performing Arts Magnet. And it’s locally-centered as well. The city of Tulsa offers a wide network of strong support for the arts and area leaders are committed to supporting a program of the highest quality such as Central’s.

In fact the magnet program is so appealing the mystery is more students are not taking advantage of it, although that may very well change when Central holds an open house and art show on March 12 at 6 p.m.

Central’s magnet program is offered to students with proven academic achievement and demonstrated ability and interest in the arts. In order to help qualified students reach their full artistic and academic potential, Central offers a comprehensive complement of courses, as well as performance and competitive opportunities at the local, state and national levels.

Interested parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend the open house and art show. Go to www.tulsaschools.org/schools/central for more information.

 

Kids, Kows, and More  

3/12/2009

TPS third and fourth graders are invited to participate in a program providing an up-close look at agriculture.

“Kids, Kows and More” is sponsored by the Tulsa County OSU Extension Service, Southwest Dairy Association and the Texas Extension Service. The program takes place March 12 and 13 at the Tulsa State Fair Grounds.

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.

 

‘Allo, Matey—English Dinner’s Proceeds go to TPS 

3/13/2009, 7 p.m.

The Light Opera Oklahoma will host an English-style dinner benefiting Tulsa Public Schools.

The dinner is at the historic Harwelden Mansion, located at 2210 South Main. Think dining in London with a cook, a butler, and servants at your beck and call. A butler will greet guests at the door and a cook will make special appearances at the table. This elegant mood will be topped off with entertainment by April Golliver and Patrick Howle, two of Light Opera Oklahoma’s favorite artists, singing fun English art songs, comic tunes from Gilbert and Sullivan operas and many other surprises. The dinner is Friday evening, March 13, at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $65 per person or $125 per couple and can be purchased by calling LOOK at 918-583-4267. To take part in LOOK’s first English book drive, an additional $5 will be added to ticket prices, thus making tickets $70 per person or $130 per couple. LOOK will then donate a Shakespearean book to TPS in the donor’s name. All proceeds benefit Light Opera Oklahoma and TPS.

For more information about the English Dinner, Light Opera Oklahoma, or the English book drive, visit www.lightoperaok.org. For media enquiries or to schedule an interview, contact Mollie Grubb at 640-7934.

 

MidFirst Bank Coin Van Visits Lee Elementary 

3/13/2009, 2:15 p.m.

Lee Elementary is proud to be the first school in Oklahoma to host the MidFirst Bank coin van.

Students have been collecting coins to fund flower and vegetable planting beds at Lee. MidFirst will bring the coin van to Lee, where the coins brought by students this week will be counted. MidFirst Bank will then match the funds raised up to $1,500!

 

Remington Students Shape the Future 

3/16/2009

As we near the first decade mark of the 21st century, isn’t it fun to take a look at films and literature from the past to see what people expected life in the future to be like? No, we don’t have colonies on Mars and cars can’t fly—but who can really say if those things still aren’t in the cards?

Here’s one prediction: Students in at least one district school will help shape tomorrow’s outcome and the smart money is on Remington Elementary. That’s because a Remington team has just been recognized by ExploraVision, a program that encourages K-12 students to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science.

“All inventions and innovations result from creative thinking and problem solving,” states the ExploraVision website (www.exploravision.org/).

Remington received an honorable mention for their project, which places them in the top 10-percent “of all ExploraVision entries submitted to the competition this year,” said ExploraVision’s Brian P. Short, in a letter to Remington teacher Clara Southerland. Southerland manages Remington’s team.

“Your students are commended for a job well done in demonstrating innovative thinking in their exploration of science and its impact on technology and the future,” Short said. The Remington students involved in the project are: Forrest Chamberlin, Kaitlyn Kahala and Natalie Widows.

 

FREE Parent/Guardian Classes
Growing Through Single Parenting – Two Part Series 

3/25/2009, 6:30 p.m.

The CREOKS Family Life Training Program provides families, grandparents, etc. with outstanding parenting classes, resources, and referral services to strengthen our parenting skills and parental involvement. Every parent faces challenges while raising children. Unfortunately, our children were not born with an instruction manual. This program will also provide parents with new ideas, tips, advice, and even a support group for the roller coaster journey of raising children. Reservations are required.

For more information, or to enroll please contact Stacey Berry, the Family Life Coordinator, at stacey.berry@creoks.org or by phone 227-2016 ext. 137.

According to the Family Life policy, a class minimum of 3 is required. All classes are subject to cancellation.

Mom’s House-Dad’s House”: Growing Through Single Parenting – Two Part Series

• Part 1 - Wednesday. 3/11/08, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Memorial High School Library – 5840 S. Hudson Avenue, Tulsa
• * Part 2 - Wednesday, 3/25/08, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Memorial High School Library – 5840 S. Hudson Avenue, Tulsa

Regardless of their age, living in a divorced family can be a painful and confusing time for all children. Each developmental age group has its own way of dealing with the related issues. But it is clear that all children of divorce struggle with issues of trust, security, self-image, and their fit in the family. In this class, divorced/single parents will learn to recognize the effects of divorce on children, develop skills which encourage co-parenting and effective communication between divorced parents, gain skills to help recover from divorce, and understand children’s needs for healthy parents. This class is a two part series. Please attend both of the above classes to receive all of the information.

 

Memorial Math Teacher Receives ‘Outstanding’ Award 

3/27/2009, 6 p.m.

In the opinion of the professionals, Merrie Wolf is the best math teacher in the state.

The Memorial High School educator has been named the Oklahoma/Arkansas section of the Mathematical Association of America’s Oklahoma Outstanding Teacher in Mathematics.

The association annually recognizes three teachers in Oklahoma and three in Arkansas for their outstanding contributions to the mathematics education of their students. The outstanding teacher award is presented to one teacher from each of three levels—secondary, middle school, and elementary—from each of the two states.

Wolf is the head of Memorial’s math department and she teaches Algebra III, Pre-AP Geometry and AP Statistics. She’s been at Memorial for 12 years.

“Math was actually very difficult for me when I was a student,” Wolf said, “so my attitude with my students is that if I can do it you can do it.”

“We are very proud of her,” said Elizabeth Martin, Memorial’s principal.

Wolf will formally receive her award during the association’s annual banquet on Friday, March 27, at Oklahoma State University in Weatherford.

 

Eisenhower’s Architectural Show and Tell 

3/27/2009, 4 p.m.

A pilot program that’s been a smashing success at a district school concludes with a Show and Tell presentation.

Tulsa Women in Architecture, in partnership with local planners, engineers and designers, offers local schools an interactive educational program entitled “Connecting Youth to Architecture.”

This program is designed to reach young minds and inspire and educate children and youth on issues related to architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design.

The goal is to promote awareness of everyday surroundings as well sparking interest in different career options. The group hopes to help improve individual appreciation for architecture in the future.

Through a six-week course, volunteers start with the fundamentals of architecture and build to an urban planning exercise where students create a neighborhood block using 3D models.

The pilot program is at Eisenhower International Elementary School and has been met with great enthusiasm. Nearly 150 children have signed up for the course. Students participating in the program meet Friday afternoons from 3-4:30 p.m. The program concludes on March 27 with a Show and Tell at the school’s gymnasium at 4 p.m. Volunteers hope to expand the program to area schools this spring.

 

Partners in Education Recognition Reception 

4/16/2009, 4 p.m.

Area businesses that donate time and money to area youth will be honored during the upcoming Partners In Education recognition reception.

The annual event is an awards ceremony where outstanding partnerships for the current school year are recognized.

Partners in Education is a collaborative effort between TPS and the Tulsa Metro Chamber. The program's focus is to link Tulsa students with community resources to provide the knowledge and skills needed for future success. Partners and schools choose their level of involvement, which may include—but are not necessarily 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 reception is Thursday, April 16, from 4–5:30 p.m. at the Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills, located at 71st and Lewis.

 

One Hale of a Sale 

4/18/2009, 8 a.m.

Bargain shoppers, this one is for you. Nathan Hale High School is holding a garage/yard/rummage sale on Saturday, April 18, running from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Dubbed “One Hale of a Sale,” the bargain bonanza features students from Hale’s classes, clubs and teams setting up booths chock-full of collectibles and other neat stuff.

 

Neighborhood in Rogers' Feeder Pattern Hosts Block Party 

4/18/2009, 11 a.m.

An upcoming block party is being coordinated by a district school.

McKinley Elementary Principal Cassandra Funderburk says the shindig, set for Saturday, April 18, is one aspect of how the school and community are teaming up to beautify their area.

Funderburk and other McKinley staffers have been working with Cathey Hill, a neighborhood liaison for the city, on a Neighborhood Enhancement Project involving all of Will Rogers’ feeder schools.

One example: “We have gone into the neighborhood with Rogers High School students and painted over vandalism,” Funderburk said.

The upcoming block party has been dubbed "Family Fest.” It’s taking place at Maxwell Park, located at 5251 E. Newton. The public is invited to come on out and have some good, clean fun.

 

Disney and Friends 

5/12/2009, 10 a.m.

It’s become an annual tradition and this year is no different as vocal music students from Nathan Hale High School light up little faces by presenting Disney and Friends for TPS elementary students. This hour-long program is free. The performances are May 12, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., in Hale's auditorium.

Disney and Friends is a live stage performance complete with choreography and costumes. Make reservations by calling Patti Duncan, Hale vocal music instructor, at 925-1231 or by e-mailing your preference of dates and the number of people attending to duncapa@tulsaschools.org.

 

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