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School News - Tip Sheet - 5/14/2008

TPS Students Dominate Mayfest Youth Gallery 

5/13/2008

East Central High School was extremely well-represented during the Mayfest Youth Gallery’s celebration of budding artists. Approximately 500 pieces of art were entered into the regional competition, and by the time the dust had settled one thing emerged crystal-clear: East Central art teacher Clancy Gray sure knows how to teach. Many of the students placing in the competition are Gray’s students. Here are some of the winners from Gray's class:

High School Sculpture:
Stacy Rotert, 10th grade, East Central
Brittany Roberts, 12th grade, East Central
Eduardo Acosta, 11th grade, East Central

Honorable Mention:
Vickie Stevens, 10th grade, East Central
Joshua Dreyer, 10th grade, East Central
Elizabeth Trejo, 12th grade, East Central

TPS students receiving honorable mention in the high school division are Kandice Germann, 11th grade, East Central; Megan Spears, 12th grade, Booker T. Washington; Elizabeth Vuons, 12th grade, Booker T. Washington; Andrew Thorp, 11th grade, Booker T. Washington; Greg Stivers, 11th grade, Project 12; Ashley Watson, 12th grade, East Central; Ryan Starr, 12th grade, East Central; Emmanuel Ramirez, 12th grade, East Central.

Thomas Yeldell, an eighth grader at Whitney Middle School, earned honorable mention in the middle school division.

Coming in first, second and third, respectively, in the intermediate division were Mark Twain Elementary School, community project; Perla Rosales, 5th grade, Disney Elementary School; Carlos Dominguez, 4th grade, Disney Elementary School. TPS students receiving honorable mention in intermediate are Jasmine Barnes, 4th grade, Lindbergh Elementary School; Alex Proud, 4th grade, Lindbergh Elementary School; Veronica Sherman, 4th grade, Zarrow International School.

Lyric Manns, a second grader at Zarrow International School, came in third in the primary division, comprised of children pre-K to second.

 

TPS Teacher Attends Climate Workshop 

5/13/2008

Adrienne Elder, secondary science resource teacher for Tulsa Public Schools, recently attended the CSI: Climate Status Investigations High School Institute at the Keystone Center in Keystone, Colo. Elder participated in the session April 18-21 through a grant from American Electric Power.

Climate Status Investigations is a national training workshop designed to help teachers tackle the complex scientific and social issues associated with climate change without introducing their own personal biases into the curriculum.

The Keystone Center partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Energy Technology Laboratory to develop this hands-on, inquiry-based, interdisciplinary high school level curriculum. Through the curricula, students investigate possible causes, effects and potential mitigation techniques for global climate change. Through stakeholder analysis, students come to understand a variety of viewpoints, identify economic and social impacts, and ultimately evaluate possible options for addressing climate change. Students are encouraged to think differently and develop their own views on these issues.

Participants received the climate status curriculum plus instructional and lab materials required to implement the curriculum beginning as early as this fall.

Elder was chosen from a select field of applicants across AEP’s 11-state service territory.

“PSO is pleased to provide Ms. Elder a professional development opportunity that will enhance the hands-on science experience for students in Tulsa,” said Carole Huff Hicks, community affairs manager for PSO.

The institute involved educators from across North America sponsored by eight corporations and foundations including AEP-PSO.

 

Billboards Praise TPS Teachers 

5/13/2008, May 1

Next time you’re driving around the city of Tulsa don’t be too surprised if a billboard touting the wonderful teachers at TPS catches your eye. Lamar Advertising has again placed the billboards at strategic locations, with each adorned with a message of gratitude and encouragement to those tireless workers that help little minds reach their full potential.

The billboards are meant to coincide with the month of May, a special time for our teachers since it's home to Teacher Appreciation Week. Randy Neugebauer of Scripps Howard News Service writes: “According to the National Education Association (NEA), it is believed that around the mid 1940s, an Arkansas teacher by the name of Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodridge eventually wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, who in 1953, persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.”

In 1985 the National Parent Teachers Association established the first full week in May as Teacher Appreciation Week. The NEA Representative Assembly then voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day.

The billboards will be up all month.

 

Louie the Lightning Bug Lights Up Bell Elementary 

5/14/2008, 12:30 p.m., 1:15 p.m.

Electrical hazards can cause burns, shocks, electrocution and death. Officials at Bell Elementary want to educate their students about the importance of electrical safety—but the question is, as always, what’s the best way to go about it.

Enter Louie the Lightning Bug.

Louie is no flash in the pan—he’s been around for over three decades. According to Moore Syndication, a company specializing in safety communications for electric and natural gas utilities that also distributes Louie products and services, Louie was created in 1983 by two major electrical utilities for an innovative electrical safety campaign aimed at children. The program was syndicated to other utilities the next year. Components include a series of animated television commercials, more than 50 different electrical safety handout items, a safety video, a computer software package and live theatrical performances.

Louie lights up the stage at Bell on May 14 at 12:30 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.

 

Pennies for Picher—Phillips Students Raise Money for Tornado Victims 

5/14/2008

Watching news coverage of the damage wrought on the town of Picher by a tornado—including the deaths of a young couple and their 8-month-old son—made students at Waite Phillips Elementary want to help. So the Phillips Student Council launched “Pennies for Picher,” a fundraiser for the hard-hit community.

“I was showing the kids pictures of what it’s like there and what it would be like to be a tornado victim and lose everything,” said Stacey Sole, fifth-grade teacher and student council sponsor. “We saw that the Red Cross is experiencing shortages because of other disasters and someone suggested donating money.”

“They’ve put containers in every classroom to collect pennies, nickels, dimes, whatever anyone can give,” said Phillips secretary Michele Seamster.

The containers will be out until Wednesday, May 21. The class collecting the most money gets a Popsicle party.

The tornado destroyed 114 homes and was responsible for seven deaths in Picher.

 

Gilcrease Holds College and Career Night 

5/15/2008, 5:30 p.m

Administrators at Gilcrease Intermediate School are holding a Parent College & Career Night Dinner on Thursday, May 15. Eighth-grade Gilcrease students and their parents are invited.

The event is a chance to ask representatives from area colleges and technical schools questions about the college admissions process, learn about the choices available at magnet schools in the district, watch a demonstration about the Oklahoma Career Information System and discover opportunities available through Workforce Oklahoma.

The event begins 5:30 p.m. and concludes at 7. It takes place in the Gilcrease cafeteria.

 

Fourteenth Annual Superintendent’s Review 

5/15/2008, 7:00 p.m.

NOTE: The date has been postponed from May 13 to May 15th due to the threat of severe weather.

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 15 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. It happens under the backdrop of the World War 2/Vietnam Veteran’s Commencement, with the appearance of six local veterans of those two conflicts.

 

Educare II Groundbreaking  

5/15/2008, 2 p.m.

North Tulsa residents will be the latest recipients of goodwill from the Kaiser Family Foundation when Tulsa Educare and Tulsa Public Schools break ground on the city’s latest early childhood development center. Tulsa Educare II will serve as many as 200 students, starting from infancy. The center will also offer social services to parents.

Tulsa Educare I opened near Kendall-Whittier Elementary School in the fall of 2006. Educare is a state-of-the-art early childhood center that provides education and care for 200 children—from birth to age five—and their families with full day, year round early childhood education, family support services, and ongoing medical care.

The Educare model was developed by the Chicago-based Ounce of Prevention Fund, which seeks to intervene in generational poverty and promote best practices in early childhood education.

The groundbreaking is at Hawthorne Elementary School on Thursday, May 15, at 2 p.m.

 

McKinley Fun Night 

5/16/2008, 5:30 p.m.

A school year’s worth of hard work and striving to achieve goals is rewarded with an evening of relaxation, fun, food and games as McKinley Elementary holds its annual Fun Night.

Sponsored by the school’s PTA, the event is also designed to bring families and the community together for some good, clean cheer. Expect to check out cake walks, carnival games, silent auctions and a concession stand.

 

Carver Middle Students to Chat with Israeli Peers 

5/21/2008

Members of the community and media are invited to attend a video conference linking two schools thare are thousands of miles away located on different continents.

The live conference is between students and staffers at Carver Middle School and their counterparts at Amal Nofarim Junior High School in Tiberias, Israel.

It’s the latest in a long and fruitful sister cities partnership between Tulsa and Tiberias that has seen many educational and cultural exchanges. Tulsa mayors have led three delegations of community, business, political and education leaders to Tiberias. In 1992 the mayor of Tiberias brought a delegation of fifteen people and a dance troupe of forty-five to the Sister Cities International conference. Tulsa volunteers travel to Tiberias to teach English as a second language to immigrants. In the summer of 1998, the Tulsa chapter of the American Red Cross and the Tiberias chapter of Magen David Adom—the Israeli version of the Red Cross—participated in a youth exchange.

The video conference is Wednesday, May 21, at 10:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. Israel time). It takes place at the William Company Auditorium, located on 1st Street. Williams is one of the event’s sponsors, along with the Tulsa Global Alliance and the Jewish Federation of Tulsa.

 

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.

 

A Day At The Zoo 

5/21/2008, 9 a.m.

It’s likely to be the most fun students at McKinley Elementary School have all year learning about geography, biology and ecology. Five-hundred McKinley students are heading on over to the Tulsa Zoo May 21, observing our furry (and slithery) friends and putting into action their knowledge of the aforementioned topics.

McKinley staffers say the students look forward to the trip all year and parents are incorporated to help out with the logistics. Located on one of the largest municipal parks in the United States, the zoo has nearly 1,500 animals, covering 436 species.

 

Anderson Idol Hits the Stage 

5/23/2008, 1 p.m.

Carrie Underwood, you might have some competition headed your way. Anderson Elementary School is holding its annual Anderson Idol. Look for pint-sized hams to show off their skills at singing and dancing.

Principal Brenda Anderson says last year’s Anderson Idol was such a success the school just had to do it again.

“The students at Anderson are extremely talented and this event allows them to showcase their skills,” Anderson said. “Anderson teachers will also be participating in the event to showcase what they call ‘talent’ as well.”

 

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.

 

Tournament Benefits Ailing Teacher 

6/22/2008, 8 a.m.

Meningioma is a type of brain tumor that can cause seizures, headaches, and focal neurological defects, such as arm or leg weakness, or vision loss.

Sheryl Clark, a teacher at Edison Preparatory School, is bravely battling the disease.

The cost of treatment can be prohibitive, so Sheryl’s friends and co-workers have organized a golf tournament to help her out. Set for June 22, the tournament is $55 per person or $220 per team and includes the green fee, golf cart, breakfast, lunch and great prizes.

It’s at The Canyons at Black Jack Ridge in Sand Springs with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. For more information call Adrienne Elias at (405) 818-9785.

 

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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