district home page     contact us

School News - Tip Sheet - 4/29/2009

Edison Receives Gold Council of Excellence Award 

4/30/2009

For its exemplary record of leadership, service, and activities to improve their school and community, Edison Preparatory School has been awarded a 2009 National Gold Council of Excellence Award by the National Association of Student Councils. Close to 140 high schools were named National Councils of Excellence but Edison Preparatory School is one of only 118 high schools nationwide to receive the highly-esteemed honor of being named a National Gold Council of Excellence.

“This is such an honor for (our student council),” said Stacey Vernon, Edison’s principal. “Our students work hard every year to maintain the standards of excellence that have been established in the student leadership programs at Edison on every level: local, district, state and national.” Vernon said she expects “this trend to continue” in the next school year when Edison serves as the president of the state’s student council.

Receiving this award “indicates a dedication on the part of the local school to providing a strong, well-rounded student council program," said Jeff Sherrill, associate director of the national student council association.

The council promotes provides leadership development opportunities to prepare and empower students to serve their schools and communities. For more information on NASC, visit www.nasc.us.

 

Former Presidents Bush, Clinton to Observe Hale’s Color Guard 

5/2/2009, 6:30 p.m

Hale High School’s JROTC will be on hand when former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton appear in Tulsa Saturday evening. The JROTC is lined up to present the colors during opening ceremonies for the Salvation Army's William Booth Society Benefit Dinner.

“It’s a very big honor,” said Maj. Mike Maguffee, Hale’s JROTC instructor. “I guess our reputation precedes us. We get solicited to do about sixty color guard presentations a year.”

The annual dinner takes place at the BOK Center and is the Salvation Army’s largest fundraiser of the year. Opening ceremonies begin at 6:30 p.m.

 

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.

 

McLain Hires New Football Coach 

5/4/2009

McLain High School has hired a new football coach. Dan Bitson Jr. comes to the district honed by years in the college ranks. He was a former running backs/wide receivers/special teams coach at Auburn University, offensive volunteer at the University of Kentucky and assistant head coach at the University of Tulsa during the 1999-2001 seasons.

Bitson has the blessing of his predecessor, former Titans head coach and current athletic director Danny Daniels.

“Dan is a good candidate,” Daniels said. “He seems like a good guy and he’s been around.”

The Titans went 6-5 over last year (3-4 in district play).

 

Foundation: Street School’s Services are 'Outstanding' 

5/4/2009

Street School, a long-time alternative education school of choice and therapeutic counseling program for at-risk high school youth, has been recognized for the incredible services it offers. The school has received the 2009 award for Outstanding Achievement in Alternative Education. The award, given by the Oklahoma Foundation of Excellence, is the latest in string of accolades Street School has collected.

“I was elated to receive the news of the award. It is an honor to represent Street School and to work with such wonderful staff every day to bring the best to our youth,” said Lori McGinnis, Street School’s executive director.

Street School has also won the Oklahoma Foundation of Excellence’s Dropout Prevention Award and the National Dropout Prevention Network’s Crystal Star of Excellence Award. “To be honored by the Oklahoma Foundation of Excellence once again is so very significant and we feel extremely privileged to have been chosen,” McGinnis said.

Street School has been in the Tulsa community for over 35 years. It continues to serve as a model for other alternative educations programs and is Oklahoma’s longest running and most successful program meeting the needs of at-risk youth.

 

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.

 

JROTC - Fifteenth Annual Superintendent's Review 

5/5/2009, 6:45 p.m.

Tulsa Public Schools has the largest number of leadership education programs in the region, and the JROTC is no exception. In 1994, the Junior JROTC was established in each of the district’s nine high schools. The following year TPS became the first district in the nation to create a Leadership Corps program (modeled after the JROTC) for middle schools.

Fast forward over a decade. This year over 2,000 TPS middle and high school students have developed leadership skills through studies in citizenship, communication skills, character education and service to their community and school.

The review the evening of May 5 at Lafortune Stadium features cadets from all over the district. In addition, dozens of students will receive the Superintendent’s Award, given for outstanding leadership, scholarship and citizenship.

 

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.

 

School Hosts ‘Living Wax Museum’ 

5/14/2009, 8:15 a.m.

Patrick Henry Elementary is ushering in a gallery of our country’s presidents and first ladies, opening the doors to the public on Thursday, May 14, at 8:15 a.m. Students in teacher Mary Lynn Hollis’ gifted and talented class have been studying the lives of our past leaders and their wives and are prepared to don full period regalia and regale the audience.

“The children conducted research to prepare for the characterizations and each president and first lady will come to life when a guest approaches,” said Dan DePalma, Patrick Henry’s principal. “Costumed actors will relate interesting facts about his or her life before, during and after living in the White House.”

The display is dubbed the “Living Wax Museum.” The public is invited to stop by, leard interesting tidbits and observe some pretty smart kids as they display their historical knowledge.

The Living Wax Museum will be open to the public between the hours of 8:15 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

 

Imagine That! McKinley Students Heading to Destination Imagination Finals 

5/19/2009

Students from McKinley Elementary will be traveling to Tennessee after turning in an impressive showing in a problem-solving contest.

Destination Imagination is a competition for all ages, encouraging students to use their skills and smarts to solve complex problems. Several district schools recently participated in a local contest and now McKinley is heading to the finals on May 19 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to compete against hundreds of other schools from across the globe.

The team members are in the second, third, fourth and fifth grades and are coached by Lisa Rutledge, Lindsay Hughes, and Marilyn Gates.

In winning the state competition, McKinley’s team got super-creative and presented skits and detailed research on a variety of topics including the methods elephants use to communicate and the origin of common superstitions. Their entry in the “ViDIo Lit Hits” category involved taking the 1977 classic children’s book “Miss Nelson is Missing” and transforming it into a music video complete with choreography and songwriting.

“Destination Imagination is a great opportunity for kids to develop teamwork and problem solving,” says fourth-grade student Anna Stoner.

For more information about this incredibly unique contest go to www.idodi.org/.

 

Free Program Helps Educators Prepare and Adapt to Classroom Challenges 

6/4/2009

A recent survey reported that 94 percent of teachers believe more preparation to help them adapt their instruction to meet the needs of their diverse classrooms is a critical factor in improving teacher quality.

Help is on the way and it’s called “Schools Attuned.” The program provides a neurodevelopment framework drawn from experts in eight scientific fields to assist educators in making instructional decisions designed to engage students and promote learning success for all children. Educators prepare to understand a student’s unique learning profile of strengths and weaknesses and to specifically pinpoint learning breakdowns for students along with the neurodevelopmental challenges required of them. The program includes interactive face-to-face coursework, optional post-course learning opportunities and ongoing online implementation and sustainability support.

In Tulsa there’s a one day overview of the program on June 4 called “Understanding Learning and Learners.” The registration code is OKSA2010KYP96.

“It’s a chance to come for a day and get immersed in what the program is and walk away with usable strategies to help kids in the classroom,” said Dr. Sheryl Flowers, coordinator of the state program. Next up are two five day courses running from June 8- June 12. One of the courses is designed for elementary educators (registration code is OKSA2006TDE52) and the other for secondary educators (registration code OKSA2007MEX92).

A final course for elementary educators is July 6-July 10 (registration code OKSA2008HMP27). All of the classes take place at Tulsa Technology Center’s Lemley campus.

These courses are provided at no charge to Oklahoma certified and public school educators. To register, go to www.allkindsofminds.org click on “calendar,” scroll down to find the course and then enter the registration code provided for your specific selection. For more information e-mail Dr. Flowers at sflowers@allkindsofminds.org or call (918) 760-4435.

 

Choose your style.