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School News - Tip Sheet - 3/4/2009

Teacher of the Year Finalists 

3/2/2009

The finalists for the Teacher of the Year at Tulsa Public Schools have been named. The top five were informed of their status during a recent visit by TPS Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard and other district officials.

The nominations came only after a selection committee observed and interviewed thirteen semifinalists. Each and every site representative provides a shining example of education at its very best; and any one of them would make a fine Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.

Here are descriptions of our top five:

Lianne Cain teaches Gifted and Talented Language Arts to sixth, seventh and eighth-graders at Whitney Middle. An adjunct professor at Northeastern State University, Tulsa Community College and Missouri Southern State University, Cain has already been honored as a teacher of the year in Aurora, Missouri and Oktaha, Oklahoma. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in history from the University of Arkansas. Cain has published five books and has over 500 hours of professional development training in the areas of technology, reading, language arts and social studies.

“I have . . .often asked myself, if it is a question of making time or a question of taking time? Time is the most precious thing we can give our students,” Cain says in explaining her teaching philosophy.

Brian Grimm is an English teacher at Rogers High School. Grimm has a bachelor's degree from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and is currently pursuing a master’s from the University of Oklahoma. He was previously named teacher of the year for Clear Lake High School in Houston.

“My contribution is the fight, and I will use any weapon in my arsenal,” Grimm said. “I will employ my energy. I will draw upon the knowledge of my colleagues and the experts. I will be creative. I will get involved. I will do whatever it takes to empower my students.”

Elizabeth Humphrey teaches at Edison Middle School, instructing her students in geography, pre-algebra and yearbook. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University, where she presently pursues a master’s. Humphrey is a key player in Edison’s partnership with #166 Middle School in Beijing, China, and she has presented multiple workshops on Chinese history and culture.

“While my primary focus is social studies, I reserve one day each week after school to provide additional math help to Edison students free of charge,” Humphrey said.

Kelly Spencer is an English teacher for grades 9-12 at McLain High School for Science and Technology. Spencer says teaching wasn’t her first love: She wanted to be a film star when she was growing up. That’s obviously changed as Spencer possesses a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, has published two books and served on dozens of committees throughout the district.

She recalls hearing a student once say, “If you can do well in Miss Spencer’s class, college classes will be a breeze.”

Bonnie Stone instructs fourth-grade at Mitchell Elementary. Stone is nationally-board certified and has a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Baptist University, elementary certification from Langston University and a master’s from Northeastern State University. Like Spencer she serves on multiple boards throughout the city; a fact made even more interesting when one considers that for Stone, teaching was a second career.

Stone “taught me that writing isn’t something you have to do, it is something you love to do,” said student Kendel Herbert.

Again, congratulations to all our outstanding nominees. Winners will be announced during the annual TPS banquet, set for April 24. And be sure to stay tuned as the final nominees for Support Employee of the Year are to be posted shortly.

 

FREE Parent/Guardian Classes
“Get Out of My Space!”: Internet Safety 

3/4/2009, 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.

“Get Out of My Space!”: Internet Safety
Fulton Teaching & Learning Academy
Auditorium

Wherever there are children/teenagers and computers, there is the potential for dangerous interactions with anonymous “friends” who are not what they seem. Vulnerable or inexperienced children/teens may reveal more personal information than they should, and the consequences may be more than they can handle. How can you protect your child? Come join other interested parents, and listen to Detective Wanzer from the Tulsa Poilce Cyber Crimes Unit. You will learn some technology basics, and discuss ways to reinforce the communication and mutual respect that are the foundation of a healthy child/teen-parent relationship.

 

Annual Fun Night - 40th Birthday of Grissom 

3/6/2009, 5:30 p.m.

Grissom Elementary celebrates their jade anniversary on March 6 with a Fun Night and administrators at the school say it’s going to be an event like none the city has ever witnessed before.

The theme for the school’s fortieth birthday party is "Peace, Love, Grissom" (a throwback to the flower-power year of 1969 when the school opened). The community is invited to attend and check out a plethora of food and games. There’s also a silent auction and a bake sale.

“It’s a huge outreach for our community,” said Kelly Pruitt, president of the Grissom PTA. “All proceeds go towards funding our new playground. We want to upgrade it for our students and the community to use.”

 

Cultural Awareness Day Comes to Skelly Elementary 

3/6/2009, 8:30 a.m

A unique program provided by the Tulsa Public Schools Indian Education Office comes to Skelly Elementary on Friday, March 6.

It’s called Cultural Awareness Day. The program brings presentations into area classrooms, providing students with lessons they might not find in textbooks.

“From tribal legends to blow guns to learning simple words from a tribal language, students learn about Oklahoma’s first nations,” said Jana L. Rhoads, a cultural resource advisor for the district.

The presentations run from 8:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m., as presenters hit several Skelly classrooms.

"As Oklahoma is known as Indian country, students in our schools should be aware of the rich diversity and contributions of our native nations, who are truly the first Oklahomans,” Rhoads said.

There are over 550 recognized tribes in the country, with almost 40 here in Oklahoma.

 

Kendall-Whittier Garage Sale 

3/7/2009, 9 a.m.

Administrators at Kendall-Whittier Elementary are holding a garage sale, with proceeds benefiting multiple school-related activities.

The sale is Saturday, March 7, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the school’s gym. Money raised will purchase books and other resources for the library and provide material support for the fine arts programs including the acquisition of musical instruments. This helps “students who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in the fine arts and instrumental music programs,” said Kendall-Whittier librarian Diane Terry.

Items available at the garage sale include shoes and clothing, household goods, tools, furniture, glassware, toys and the always-ubiquitous “collectables.”

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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