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School News - Tip Sheet - 4/30/2008

Cool Summer School  

4/19/2008

Whitney Middle School’s Cool Summer School Summer program is June 2-June 27, with pre-registration May 19-May 30.

An exciting academic enrichment and recreational sports program, Cool Summer School’s mission is to provide a safe, enjoyable atmosphere where learning takes place under the guidance and leadership of trained educators and caring adults.

A typical program day involves students spending half their time on academic subjects, half on recreational sports. Program staffers include four academic core subject teachers and four coaches/recreational sports teachers. A staff director is also present along with professionals in the fields of medicine and security. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Enrollment is open to children in grades 5-8. Enrollment is on a first-come basis and limited to 200 students.

Register for Cool Summer School at the Area III Superintendent’s office at the Education Service Center. You must register in person.

 

Newsom’s Teacher of the Year, Yeldell is Support Employee 

4/25/2008

Congratulations to this year’s TPS Teacher of the Year and Support Employee of the Year.

Joey Newsom, a math and science teacher at Thoreau Demonstration Academy, is the Teacher of the Year. A Tulsa native and Oral Roberts University graduate, Newsom—nationally board certified— has over a decade teaching experience. He’s been at Thoreau for five years. Newsom was chosen from a pool of five finalists: Brian Balaskovits, pre-K and kindergarten, Zarrow International School; Terry Beach, language arts, East Central High School; Jill Davis, kindergarten, Kendall-Whittier Elementary School and Cindy Mudroch, special education, Eliot Elementary School.

James Yeldell is the Support Employee of the Year. Yeldell, a TPS master craftsman, has been with the district for over three decades and literally left his mark all over the district, from the long, ornately-designed conference table on the second floor of the ESC to various constructions dotting district satellites. Yeldell was picked from a pool of five finalists: Ernestine Johnson, principal’s secretary, Booker T. Washington; Secretary Deborah McClellan, health clerk, Houston Elementary; Patricia Peacock, teacher assistant, Wright Elementary and Sheila Russell, area manager for Child Nutrition Services.

Winners were announced during the annual TPS banquet.

Again, congratulations to an exceptionally deserving slate of candidates.

 

MET Life Education Award Goes To Webster Principal 

4/25/2008

A TPS principal has become a national role model because of his community engagement activities here in Tulsa. His extraordinary efforts earned a $5,000 grant for his school.

Phillip Garland, principal of Daniel Webster High School, has won the 2008 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors In Education Award. The national award program recognizes the most collaborative public school principals in 25 cities, including Tulsa. All middle and high school principals in the TPS district were eligible. Several of Garland’s colleagues and community members nominated him for the award last month.

“Mr. Garland has transformed our school and the community surrounding it,” said Gary Percefull, president of the Tulsa Board of Education. “Mr. Garland has helped sustain a collaborative effort with Webster and the six feeder schools that it serves. His outreach efforts also include the neighborhood and business community. He exemplifies the characteristics of a leader in the school and within the community.”

The Ambassadors In Education Award, a program of the National Civic League, recognizes exemplary school principals in Tulsa Public Schools who build partnerships with community organizations, parents, and guardians; resolve conflicts and promote safety in the school and the community or promote civic engagement and community service.

“Principals play a crucial role in building family, school and community relationships to encourage successful teaching and learning,” said Sibyl Jacobson, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. “The Ambassadors In Education Award recognizes educators who are exceptional leaders in connecting school and community.”

Each year, the Ambassadors In Education program alternates recognition between teachers and principals. Previous Award winners in Tulsa include:

• Michelle Butler, teacher, Central High School
• Kris Serna, principal, Cleveland Middle School
• Kim Camp, teacher, Street School
• Tom O’Malley, principal, East Central High School
• Leon Rollerson, teacher, McLain High School/TSST

Garland will receive his award at a local ceremony at his school. In addition to a $5,000 grant, he will receive a crystal apple to signify his achievement. His award-winning community engagement practices will be profiled as a resource for other schools and communities across the country.

“MetLife Foundation and the National Civic League started the Ambassadors In Education Award program in 2003 after the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher revealed a divide between many educators and their schools’ communities,” said National Civic League President Gloria Rubio-Cortes. “The program has now recognized 115 Ambassadors In Education with a total of more than $500,000 in grants.”

MetLife Foundation supports programs that increase opportunities for young people to succeed, give students and teachers a voice in improving education, develop partnerships between schools and communities and strengthen relationships among parents, teachers and students. The National Civic League, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization devoted to community building and strengthening democracy, administers the program.

For more information about the Ambassadors In Education Award, including the profiles of past winners and their community-building activities, visit www.ncl.org/metlife/index.html.

 

Safe Boating Contest Open To TPS Students 

4/25/2008

A contest open to all TPS students in grades K-12 encourages youngsters to help their peers stay safe.

Local students entering the “I’m a safe boater. Are you?” contest have a chance to move on to the national level.

There are three facets to the contest: Stories, art and video. According to the contest’s website, www.boatingsidekicks.com/kidsite/contest-entries.htm, “Stories can tell about a particular boating experience involving safety or it can convey the reasons why you’re a safe boater and what safe boating practices you and/or your family follow. Stories must include life jacket wear. Stories must be a minimum of 150 words and a maximum of 750 words in length. Your story can be handwritten, printed by computer, or emailed to us. Awards will be based on good grammar, writing style, composition, safety message, and the story told.”

The website describes the ideal poster as containing “a simple, brief message that encourages and inspires others to be safe boaters. Posters must include and show life jacket wear. Submissions must measure 8.5 inches by 11 inches or 11 inches by 14 inches. The longest measurement can be either wide or high. Computer-generated submissions must be provided as one jpg, tiff, or eps file (type fonts must be converted to outlines). All submissions must be mailed to the address provided. Do not email your poster submission. Awards will be based on design, composition, style, safety message, color impact and usage, and quality of artwork and/or photography.”

Videos submitted to the contest should be “very serious or contain some humor to make a point about boating safety. Videos must include and show life jacket wear. Submissions must range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes in length and submitted as Quicktime movie (mpeg) files on CD or DVD or they can be submitted as miniDV or VCR tapes. Videos must be mailed to the address provided. Do not email your video submission. Awards will be based on design, video editing, style, safety message, and quality of artwork and/or videography,” according to the website.

“It actually allows kids to create posters for other kids to see why lifejackets save lives,” said Tracy DeLaughter, a district staff officer with the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The top posters and videos entered will be on public display at Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow during National Safe Boating Week, May 17 thru May 24. Entrants will need to deliver their contest pieces by 3 p.m. Tuesday May 13 to Room 402 in the ESC to be entered.

There are cash prizes for different for the top selections. The teacher with the most contest entrants will win a cash prize as well.

The national contest's deadline is June 1 and winners of the TPS contest will be automatically entered.

For more information contact DeLaughter at delautr@tulsaschools.org.

 

TPS Elementary Music Festival 

4/29/2008, 7 p.m.

Fourth and fifth-graders from across the district are coming together for the fifth annual TPS Elementary Music Festival.

Taking place at Tulsa Community College’s Performing Arts Center for Education, the title of the presentation is “Music of the Night.” Organizers say the 7 p.m. concert brings features students representing 21 schools singing, dancing, and playing classroom instruments. The event will provide a glimpse into the quality music experiences available in TPS elementary schools.

 

Named an ‘O Ambassador,’ Eugene Field Makes a Difference in the Lives of Children 

4/29/2008

Next time you drive by Eugene Field Elementary School, know that the student body is working to help the less fortunate. The school has been named to the “O Ambassadors” program, a joint project of Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network and two non-profit charities—one based in Canada and the other New York City, with both working to feed hungry children across the globe. As part of their participation, Eugene Field students are learning about global issues and striving to make a difference in the lives of children in the developing world.

“We are honored to be one of only 1000 schools in America chosen to be an ‘O Ambassador’ club,” said Denise Stacy, a second-grade teacher at Eugene Field. “We are making a difference in the lives of our students and their families.”

O Ambassadors have a network spanning North America and work to find solutions to vexing global problems through the sharing of ideas, active learning and solid action. Every two months the club will focus on a different theme—poverty, education, health and sustainable development—in West Africa and organize fundraising and awareness-raising events for their school buy incorporating posters, how-to guides, regional guides and an educator binder. Money raised by the students will go towards development projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

"Eugene Field is making a difference in the lives of our students and their families and now our students can make a difference in the lives of impoverished children around the world,” Stacy said.

 

Park Celebrates a Century 

5/2/2008, 10:30 a.m

Park Elementary School celebrates its ten carat diamond anniversary on May 2, marking a century that the school has been in existence. Taking place from 10:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m., the celebration includes the school’s annual May Pole event along with a hamburger cookout and entertainment by area performers.

Located in West Tulsa’s Red Fork community, Park was established in 1908, one year after Oklahoma became a state. Park became a part of TPS in 1927. Their current building was built in 1972.

Anyone interested in attending the celebration should RSVP to stoddju@tulsaschools.org or call 746-8860.

 

Webster Open House 

5/2/2008, 9 a.m.

An open house for students interested in being a part of Webster High School’s exciting and innovative magnet program is May 2.

Running from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., the event is also open to parents. Come check out a magnet strand that gives students a head start in the glamorous and exciting world of broadcast media. From behind the scenes technicians to communication in text, graphics, audio and video, Webster offers essential knowledge and skills for building a career in the visual and print media industries. Students receive classroom and on-the-job experience through a curriculum that’s been developed by leaders in professional associations, institutions of higher education, and career technology.

Students and parents interested in attending the open house should register at the front office.

 

Robertson’s Flower Power 

5/2/2008

The decidedly retro title is “Flower Power,” and it’s a jog-a-thon being held Robertson Elementary to raise funds to purchase flowers for an outdoor classroom currently under construction.

Students at the school have been working to raise funds for the project for two weeks now, and the jog-a-thon is the culmination. The public is invited to attend.

 

Benefit Concert for Carver Legend 

5/4/2008, 2 p.m.

Local music icons Ernestine Dillard and Eldredge Jackson are coming together to pay tribute to Carver Middle School performing arts teacher and local acting legend Tyrone Wilkerson. It all happens May 4 at 2 p.m. at Carver.

The performance, hosted by the Carver Middle School Foundation, will also feature the school's speech and vocal music students and is free and open to the public. It will be held in the historic Tyrone Wilkerson Theater, recently renamed posthumously in Wilkerson’s honor.

“Wilkerson contributed significantly to the quality and availability of arts programs in the Tulsa community by introducing students to the performing arts and giving them an outlet and an interest in expressing themselves,” says foundation chair Joy Whitman. “Tyrone left a tremendous legacy through his work with the Carver speech and performing arts programs and all the students whose lives he touched. To honor his memory, we’ve not only renamed the theater, but we’re refurbishing it too so students will have a quality facility to build their talents for many years to come.”

Wilkerson, who began teaching at Carver Middle School in 1991, led the school’s drama and competitive speech programs. He once said in an interview with the Tulsa World that, “Teaching here at Carver Middle School, God, that’s the most gratifying thing I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve been able to build a speech program from the ground up, which feeds a high-school program that’s won state for five years and now travels nationally. I feel a great sense of gratitude.”

Wilkerson passed away in 2006, but his legend at Carver and in the community lives on. He was long known for playing the role of “Christmas Present” in the American Theater Company’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol.”

Guests who attend the concert may make a donation to the Carver Middle School Foundation to purchase a commemorative seat in the Tyrone Wilkerson Theater by pledging to “Take a Seat for Tyrone” as part of the efforts to finish the refurbishing of the historical art deco-style theater, or make a donation to the Foundation for educational grants for Carver teachers and students.

 

Skelly Students Read, Principal Dons Clown Attire 

5/6/2008, 1:15 p.m.

Mr. Howe made a promise and he’s not going back on his word.

Howe, known as Mike to his colleagues, is the principal of Skelly Elementary. Back in October, Howe vowed to his students that if they logged over 600,000 minutes of reading in Book It!, Skelly’s home/school reading program, he would dress as a clown and allow his top readers to lob water balloons at him.

Apparently the idea of seeing Mr. Howe dressed as Bozo was extremely attractive, because his charges took to the challenge with a vengeance. They ended up with 700,000 minutes between October and March, surpassing their goal.

On Tuesday, May 6, at 1:15 p.m. Howe will fulfill his end of the bargain in the school’s auditorium. The public and media are invited, although umbrellas may be called for.

Created in 1985 and used by some 22 million students, Book It! is a national program that motivates children to explore the pleasures of reading by rewarding their accomplishments with praise and recognition. According to the program’s website, “Goals are based on reading ability. Number of books, number of pages, or number of minutes— they all work. Book It! can also be used with the reading curriculum or as support for comprehension or intervention programs. For children not reading independently, the goal can be set where a parent or others read to the child.”

 

A Day at the Aquarium 

5/6/2008, 10 a.m.

Children attending Mark Twain Elementary School are taking a trip to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks courtesy of a national retailer with local stores.

The Target Corporation is footing the bill for the students to check out the aquarium’s numerous marine and aquatic animal exhibits.

The aquarium is public and non-profit, dedicated to the mission, “Conservation Through Education.” Located on the Arkansas River, the aquarium opened in 2003.

 

Welcome to Henryville 

5/8/2008

What are you doing this weekend? Bet it doesn’t compare to what students over at Patrick Henry Elementary have planned.

They’re building a city.

That’s right, a city.

According to Principal Dan DePalma, the massive scale model city happened through a partnership with Selser Schaefer Architects. The students have been acting as mini-apprentices, learning from the architects about city planning, community needs and general construction.

On the evenings of May 8 and 9 the city—officially dubbed Henryville—will be unveiled on the gymnasium floor with students providing walkthrough tours. The students used recycled materials to create their three-dimensional buildings, and every child at the school created some portion of Henryville.

 

Greeley Art Show/Science Fair 

5/8/2008, 3 p.m.

The two disciplines may be a left brain/right brain sort of thing, but administrators at Greeley Elementary are nonetheless combining art and science into one extravaganza.

The school’s first annual Art Show and Science Fair is May 8 from 3-5 p.m. Greeley officials say it’s a chance to celebrate the creativity, imagination and skill of their student body. The event is “positive reinforcement to all the students involved because it will give them a chance to put their talents and what they have learned in the public eye,” said Greeley art teacher Wynita Harris.

 

Teacher Job Fair 

5/10/2008, 10 a.m.

Tulsa Public Schools will conduct a teacher job fair for teaching positions available during the 2008/2009 school year. The fair will be held Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Tulsa Expo Square Pavilion located at 4145 E. 21st St.

All interested May of 2008 graduates and certified teachers are encouraged to attend. Principals from all elementary, middle schools, alternative schools, and high schools will be available to collect resumes and discuss openings at their school sites.

Pre-registration is required and may be accomplished by completing a short online form found on our web site: www.tulsaschools.org. Simply click on the “Job Fair Registration” link. Additional information regarding our schools can also be found on the web site.

Whether you are an experienced teacher, or you are just starting your career, come explore the many opportunities available with Tulsa Public Schools!

 

Students Use Math to Build a Home 

5/13/2008, 9:30 a.m.

It’s hammer time!

Ron Givens in the Career Tech department at TPS says “the ‘If I Had a Hammer’ program has been used in other urban school districts with great success.” It essentially involves using math concepts to construct a house. The program is being used to benefit Madison Middle School as some 25 students will build a pre-fabricated 8’ by 11’ house, with windows, door, and a porch in less than three hours. Students will wear tool bags, special Hammer T-shirts and use power screw drivers to construct the home, renamed here the Hammer House.

The program was made possible by a $25,000 Carl Perkins supplemental grant authored by Givens. On May 13, the public and media are invited to check out this innovative program. The grand opening is at Tulsa Tech Lemley, located at 3420 South Memorial Drive, Room H-105, from 9:30 a.m. until noon.

 

Saying Goodbye 

5/13/2008, 5 p.m.

With summer approaching, many school administrators in the TPS system are being forced to say goodbye to longtime, valuable employees. Two elementary schools holding retirement receptions for those employees are Eisenhower and Alcott.

Alcott is marking the departure of veteran first-grade teacher Denice Washington with an informal get-together on Tuesday, May 13, at 5 p.m. Over at Eisenhower, head custodian Mae Terry is hanging up her mop after 32 years. She’ll be honored by school staffers, friends and family members on Monday, May 12, at 3:20 p.m.

For more information on Terry’s retirement contact Stacy Strow at strowst@tulsaschools.org. To learn more about Washington’s swan song contact Susan Yates at yatessu@tulsaschools.org.

 

Dr. Z Teaches E=MC2 

5/21/2008

Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Zolkoski grabs the chalk and erasers and heads up to the blackboard as this year’s Superintendent’s Summer Algebra Camp kicks off June 2 and runs until June 13. Yes, Dr. Z is the instructor for a fun and educational experience that’s open to all public and private school students entering the sixth through ninth grades this school year. The camp is tuition-free with transportation provided. In fact, all that interested students need to bring with them is a spiral notebook and pencil—and, of course, their thinking caps.

“I always look forward to each new Algebra Camp and sharing multiple methods of instruction that help students prepare for their next school year,” Zolkoski said.

Anyone interested in the camp should respond to Janice Jones by May 21st at 746-6298 or jonesja@tulsaschools.org.

 

Burroughs Competes in International Competition 

5/30/2008

It’s called “Odyssey of the Mind” and it’s a creative, problem-solving competition for teams of students in kindergarten through college. John Burroughs Elementary, a Title 1 school, did so well in April’s state finals in Ada that they’ve qualified to travel to Maryland for the world finals.

The school’s team, coached by librarian Lisa Rutledge, is currently in the process of raising money to attend. Thus far they have sold pens and pencils and received a private donation from a Tulsa family foundation, getting them a quarter of the way towards their goal: They raised $2500 but still need $5000.

Odyssey of the Mind has been around for nearly three decades. According to their website, the international competition “encourages students to apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.”

The students on the Burroughs team are: Tarik Brewer, Alonzia Fairchild, Brandy Holmes, Evelyn Johnson, Jasmyne Monteilh, Alex Rutledge and Jade Thornton.

 

Booker T Students Make Team Oklahoma 

6/6/2008

Dylan Hames and Onkur Sen have their summer plans already set.

At least for a couple of days in June that is.

The two Booker T. Washington students have earned positions on the six-member academic quiz team that will represent the state of Oklahoma at the Panasonic Academic Challenge to be held at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Hames is a senior and Sen is a sophomore. Their trip to the Sunshine State comes after the duo took part in a three- hour competition against students from Oklahoma in the areas of mathematics, science, social studies, and humanities to earn the right to be a part of Team Oklahoma this year. The Panasonic Academic Challenge runs from June 6 through June 11.

 

TPS Teachers Head North to Alaska 

7/1/2008

The incredibly diverse cultures and ecosystems in Alaska have long fascinated researchers and scientists. It’s the largest state in the union, home to 100-degree weather swings, where it’s broad daylight at 2 a.m. during the summer and you can toss a cup of hot coffee outside and watch it freeze before it hits the ground in winter. Now two teachers from Oklahoma—Nimitz Middle School Library Media Specialist Robin Leach and Leslie Brown, an Arts Resource Teacher at Addams, McKinley and Remington elementary schools—have been tapped to receive a 2008 grant award for $10,000 to pursue the Road Scholar program fellowship project.

They’ll be heading to the Great White North on July 1.

“We’re looking at alternative sources of energy and climate change,” Leach said. “We’ll be studying wildlife and Leslie is bringing a tape recorder to make sounds of the environment.”

Students of Leach and Brown will also benefit as the two teachers plan on blogging about their travel experiences and incorporating what they’ve learned in lesson plans.

The Road Scholar program is a not-for-profit service of Elderhostel, an organization providing trips with educational value. Go to www.roadscholar.org/ fore more information.

 

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