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School News - Tip Sheet - 3/25/2009

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.

 

Students, Educators and Community Leaders Plan for ‘Unified Pride’ Youth Conference 

3/25/2009, 10 a.m.

Ebony Johnson, principal at Academy Central, says it’s an effort to “guide our students to greatness…for our great students to get together and have meaningful discussions about pride, love of self, career potential and putting an end to the violence in their community.”

The first annual North Tulsa Unified Pride Youth Conference is set for May 21 at Fulton Teaching and Learning Academy. It's being sponsored by the Clergy and Community Leaders Peace Coalition.

A planning session for the conference is Wednesday, March 25, at the Education Service Center. Area I Superintendent Verna Ruffin will affirm TPS’ commitment to the conference, Latina Busby, a parent facilitator at the school, will discuss ways to get parents involved and Mike Hill, pastor at Greenwood Christian Center, will do the same with the community at large. Hill and Johnson recently met with TPS Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard to discuss the conference and other issues relating to the north Tulsa area.

The planning session runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and includes breakout sessions by grade level.

Johnson says the name of the conference—Unified Pride—came from a recent conversation with a student at Central High School.

“He said, ‘We don’t have enough pride.’ So this is a way to get kids to take ownership of their lives and become empowered in order to make a positive change,” she said.

 

Film Details a Troubled School’s Dramatic Transformation 

3/26/2009, 4 p.m.

An audit performed by the Office of School Innovations recommended that TPS significantly redesign the alternative services available in the district’s secondary schools.

Proposed schools-within-schools are based in the philosophy of what is known as the Big Picture Schools, a design that has transformed the lives of many students during its fourteen years of existence.

The graduation rate for students deemed most at-risk skyrocketed to a rate of 96-percent. Of these graduates approximately the same percent attend college and about 80-percent complete college in four years.

A film being screened at the Circle Cinema, “Town Torn Apart,” is about a high school that was dramatically transformed by Dr. Dennis Littky, who later became one of the founders of the Big Picture schools.

The show time is Thursday, March 26, 4-6 p.m. For more information on the history of the programs go to: www.bigpicture.org/big-picture-history/.

Watch a video clip at www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYQCynOf0CI&feature=related.

 

School Thanks Volunteers 

3/26/2009, 11 a.m.

Remington Elementary School is issuing a shout-out to their volunteers, thanking them with a luncheon that carries the title: “Volunteers...Hands That Serve and Hearts That Care!”

The luncheon is Thursday, March 26, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

“Each volunteer will be acknowledged with a special gift of appreciation to reward their efforts in helping make our school a success,” said Lela Clayton, the school’s parent facilitator. “Remington volunteers are priceless treasures who distribute rays of sunshine upon our students and make a difference every day.”

 

TPS Employee and District Students Appearing in Play 

3/27/2009, 8 p.m.

He’s coordinator of purchasing for the district by day, star of stage by night. Ron Friedberg has been acting on local stages for years and he returns in Theatre Tulsa’s production of "Up the Down Staircase."

In addition to Friedberg, the play features students from Booker T. Washington, Carver, Edison, Webster and Wilson.

Originally a 1967 movie with Sandy Dennis, "Up the Down Staircase" tells the touching and humorous story of a new teacher in an inner-city high school. Confronted with situations her Ivy League education never prepared her for, Sylvia Barrett struggles to find ways to reach kids who don't care.

Directors Frank Gallagher and Julie Tattershall say their goal was to update the play to impact today's world.

TPS students appearing in the production are: Tim Bowman, Erin Bridwell, Chazz Browne, Ethan Cantrell, Grace Cuellar, Jon Dicandeloro, Scorpio Flynn, Tanner Friend, Jose Gonzalez, Michaela' Hanneyer, Shannon Harris, Madeline Lackey, Erika Loney, Ryan Mannschreck, Julia Mills, Hannah Moore, Simone Summers, Marjorie Tanner and Nicholas Thomas.

Performance dates are March 27-28 and April 2-4 at 8 p.m. and March 29 at 2 p.m. at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Tickets range from $10-$17.50 and can be purchased at 587-8402, 596-7111, or online at www.myticketoffice.com.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Principal for a Day 

3/27/2009, 8 a.m.

From judges to journalists, lawmakers to business leaders, the Principal for a Day program beings ‘em out in droves and this year promises to be no exception.

The annual event provides a unique opportunity to see what it’s really like to have the buck stop with you.

"Principal for a Day is a powerful way for advocates of Tulsa Public Schools to observe our highly dedicated principals, staff and students in their everyday routines,” said Paula Wood, TPS school and marketing specialist.

PFAD takes place this year Friday, March 27. It begins with job shadowing at 8 a.m. and concludes with a noon lunch hosted by TPS Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard.

Here are some folks that have signed on to participate: Holly Allen, president and general manager of KOKI-channel 23; Senator Tom Adelson and Reps. Jeannie Mc Daniel and Seneca Scott; Judge Claire Eagon; Jim Langdon, founder of Langdon Publishing; David Averill, Tulsa World; Monroe Nichols, aide to Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and Glenda Silvey, public affairs at OU-Tulsa.

 

Celia Clinton to Host Display of Science Know-How 

3/27/2009, 1 p.m.

Students at an area college are going to a district school to illustrate the wonders of science.

Some of the neat lessons chemistry students at Oral Roberts University plan on showing when they visit Celia Clinton Elementary include freezing flowers and cooling gases in a cryogenics experiment, separating the colors in grape Kool Aid, and testing acidity with radishes.

The science lesson is Friday, March 27, 1-2:30 p.m.

 

The Wonders of Technology! Eisenhower Students to Chat with French Peers 

3/27/2009, 9:45 a.m.

Bon jour! Ten fifth-grade students in Eisenhower International Elementary School are preparing to spend the first three weeks in May in the French town of Amiens. The trip comes after a contingent of French students visit Tulsa next month.

In order for the students to get acquainted, Eisenhower educators have arranged for a videoconference on Friday, March 27. This particular conference involves the students reading legendary French science-fiction author Jules Verne (known for novels including 1865’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and 1870’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”) to each other.

The “international” in Eisenhower’s name is indicative of the school’s Spanish and French immersion programs, an Eisenhower mainstay since the early ‘90s. For more information about the French program contact Philippe Corbaz at 746-9100 or corbaph@tulsaschools.org.

 

Contest Showcases Students’ Skills at Solving Problems 

3/28/2009, 8:30 a.m.

Destination Imagination is a competition for all ages, encouraging students to use their skills and smarts to solve some incredibly complex problems. The contest’s first official tournament in Oklahoma is set for Saturday, March 28, at McKinley Elementary School.

District schools that are participating include Lee, McKinley and Remington. According to the official rules: "Teams of five to seven members work together to apply creativity, critical thinking and their particular talents to solve a team challenge, dilemmas that can take over eight weeks to master."

Here’s an example of what Destination Imagination involves: When Remington students took part last year they constructed a vehicle capable of navigating an obstacle course and scripted a dramatic performance complete with optical illusions, masquerade characters and set design.

The tourney is free to spectators and involves watching some of the district’s brightest young minds at work. Come check it out and prepare to be amazed.

 

Workshop Helps Parents Help Their Children 

3/31/2009, 6 p.m.

Parents, listen up. How would you like to have a catered dinner, meet other parents dealing with their crazy teenagers, learn some tools to help you help your child graduate high school—and it’s all free of charge?

Webster High School's PTSA is hosting a parent workshop called “PASS: Parents Assuring Student Success.” Materials are being offered in both English and Spanish, with the goal of giving parents tools to help them and their child successfully navigate high school and gain a diploma.

The workshop is Tuesday, March 31, at 6 p.m. at Webster’s cafeteria.

 

Edison's Wall Street Day 

4/6/2009, 2 p.m.

Stories out of Wall Street dominate today’s headlines and students at Edison Preparatory Middle School are about to receive a lesson in the way the stock market works.

Wall Street Day is sponsored by the AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA, the fifteenth largest company in the world. Prior to the event, high school finance students tutor younger students with some fundamental facts about finance. On Wall Street Day—set for April 6—an AXA representative gives a presentation on such topics as inflation, investing, stocks, etc. Armed with knowledge the middle school students are broken into teams, given $1,000 in what’s called “AXA dollars" and a list of select stocks with the goal of choosing investments they believe will give them the greatest return.

The winning team gets bragging rights (serious currency in the middle school environment).

As part of the program AXA is donating to Edison a $1,500 check.

 

Brrrrrrr! Igloo Marks School’s Century Mark 

4/6/2009

Spring is coming, but an igloo will festoon one district school during the next few weeks.

Peary Elementary School is gearing up to celebrate 100 years of operation and to mark the event students at the school have constructed what Peary secretary Jeanie Cox calls a “pretty life-sized” igloo. The igloo is made out of nearly 500 milk cans, all collected by Peary students.

The significance of the igloo is the school’s namesake: Robert Edwin Peary, the explorer believed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole.

Peary’s official anniversary date is April 6, but the igloo is already up and running.

 

Hoover Students to Perform Classic Opera 

4/8/2009, 10 a.m.

In a unique collaboration, students at Hoover Elementary are joining with members of the Tulsa Opera to collaborate on a performance of “Hansel and Gretel.”

The production involves students in Hoover’s third through fifth grades rehearsing with music teacher Laura Collins and opera members in what’s called an “informance.”

The show goes on April 8 at 10 a.m. in the Hoover gym. “Hansel and Gretel” was authored by nineteenth-century composer Engelbert Humperdinck. It was first performed in 1893.

 

FREE Parent/Guardian Classes
Parenting to Counterbalance Outside Influences 

4/8/2009, 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.

“Are Our Kids Growing Up Too Fast?”: Parenting to Counterbalance Outside Influences; Pop Culture Collides with Family Values

Wednesday, 4/8/08, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Memorial High School Library – 5840 S. Hudson Avenue, Tulsa

Who is teaching our children? The average child spends seven hours a day watching television, five minutes a day with their father, and twenty minutes a day with their mother. The question is a valid one. Will it be today’s pop culture or will it be the parents? “If we do not teach our children, society will. And they, and we, will live with the results.” Please join other interested and concerned parents to identify cultural changes in the past fifty years that affect families, both positive and negative, identify family values and how pop culture impacts them, and learn strategies that balance family values and pop culture.

 

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.

 

TPS Elementary Nabs Reading Honor 

5/3/2009

A February visit by the Oklahoma Reading Council to Kendall-Whittier Elementary has led to the school receiving a prestigious reading award.

The Exemplary Reading Program Award’s “purpose is to call the public’s attention to outstanding programs in schools throughout Canada and the United States,” according to the website of the International Reading Association. “Each participating state and province can choose one winning school a year.”

This year that winning school is Kendall-Whittier.

Judy Feary, the school’s principal, says the award validates her staff’s efforts.

“I am so proud of them,” Feary said. “Our teachers work diligently and over the years we have taken a lot of professional development in language arts, reading and writing.”

The award will be given during the reading association’s annual convention at the Minneapolis Convention Center, held May 3–7.

 

Billboards Praise TPS Teachers 

5/5/2009

When cruising around Tulsa next month a billboard touting the wonderful teachers at TPS may catch your eye. For the third year in a row Lamar Advertising is placing billboards at strategic locations. The signs are adorned with a message of gratitude and encouragement to those tireless workers that help little minds reach their full potential.

The billboards coincide with the month of May because the first week of the month is Teacher Appreciation Week as established by the National Parent Teachers Association in 1985. The first Tuesday of the month is National Teacher Day. The date this year is May 5.

The billboards will be up all month.

 

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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