district home page     contact us

School News - Tip Sheet - 6/4/2008

War Veterans Recieve Diplomas 

4/13/2008

It just might be the best excuse anyone can have for not finishing high school: Going off to war. In 2007 Oklahoma lawmakers passed legislation giving school districts the authority to award a diploma to honorably-discharged veterans. TPS used the law during the recently-held Superintendent’s Review and gave diplomas to six veterans.

They are:

• Frank Eugene Carroll, III, U.S. Army, Vietnam
• Thomas Preston Porter, U.S. Army, Vietnam
• Fred E. Wells, Jr., U.S. Navy, World War II
• Jimmie Gerald Hardison, U.S. Army, World War II
• Steven Eugene Hire, U.S. Army, World War II
• William Caralton Hulsey, U.S. Army, World War II

 

Tulsa’s Top High School Unleashes Brainpower in Windy City 

6/4/2008

Booker T. Washington High School has had an impressive year, winning state championships in boys’ soccer and girls’ basketball, and placing among Newsweek magazine’s top 100 American High Schools. This week another championship BTW team prepares to capture a national title in an area where Tulsa Public Schools’ premier high school shines brightest.

On the heels of winning its third consecutive OSSAA State 4-A Academic Bowl Championship, the Booker T. Washington Academic Bowl Team bested more than 60 of the nation’s brightest students in the regional competition in Washington, DC. That was last week. This week the BTW braniacs are practicing for the national competition, where the Tulsa team is the top seed.

Big deal? You decide with this sample question (and remember, the clock is ticking):

"American Institute of Architects selected this building as 'the best all-time work of American Architecture' in 1991. It was designed for the Kaufman family in 1935…”

Before the reader could even finish the question, BTW team captain (and tournament MVP) Dylan Hames had the answer: Fallingwater. Like Jeopardy! on Red Bull.

On BTW’s 22nd consecutive trip to the national academic competition, “Stump the Experts” wound up being the round that clinched the regional title by more than 100 points. The Tulsa team never looked back after acing the first question in the category:

"What symbol is used for the Logical Not function in C++?" Those of us playing along are of course shouting the answer, “!”.

The Booker T. Washington Academic Team of Billy Chyan, Dylan Hames, Carl Engle-Laird, Susanna Michael, Jordan Rogers, Billy Chyan and Onkur Sen will play at least six matches at the national competition in Chicago beginning June 7th. The national winner will be announced on June 9th.

 

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.

 

Webster's 70th Birthday Celebration 

6/7/2008, Noon

Daniel Webster High School, in west Tulsa's historic Red Fork community, will celebrate its 70th birthday on June 7th from noon to 3 p.m. The celebration features homecoming kings and queens from years gone by, along with music, campus tours, birthday cake, and much more.

The Webster Alumni Association has arranged for vendors to provide lunch and beverages at a small cost.

Tours of the campus begin at 10 a.m. A stage program begins at noon in the auditorium and the birthday party is at 1:30 in the cafeteria.

 

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.

 

Choose your style.