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School News - Tip Sheet - 8/8/2008

Roaaar!!! Timberwolf Training Camp Welcomes Students  

8/8/2008, 9 a.m.

A live wolf—that’s right, an actual, living, breathing canis lupus—welcomes incoming students to Thoreau Demonstration Academy this week as the award-winning school conducts its annual Timberwolf Training Camp.

Set for Friday, August 8, from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. the academy is intended for students entering the sixth-grade next year. The children get a chance to meet their teachers, receive schedules and locker assignments (and learn were the bathrooms are), and become further acclimated to the MicroSociety concept.

Now about that wolf. Thoreau administrators have arranged for Safari Sanctuaries of Broken Arrow to have the wolf on hand to provide students with an unforgettable, and safe, visual experience. Bet your first day of school wasn’t as memorable as this promises to be!

Thoreau is a research-based, brain compatible learning environment that houses sixth, seventh and eighth grade children from across the city of Tulsa. Admission is determined by a public random drawing from applications, and is uniformly distributed by geographic quadrant.

 

Rally Drums Up Enthusiasm for First Day of School 

8/9/2008

“If unique is what you seek, hold onto your seat!” boomed Dr. Anthony Marshall, a history instructor at Booker T. Washington, as he introduced that school’s cheerleading team to the hundreds assembled at the Tulsa Public Schools Back To School Rally, held August 9 at Promenade Mall.

Marshall was correct. The team showed off death-defying stunts, accompanied by a hip-hop soundtrack that had even the most staid mall-goers swaying their hips and snapping their fingers.

The rally came as educators exhorted the crowd to continue on the path of success TPS has embarked on. Recent test scores have encouraged teachers and administrators.

“It looks as though we’ve made (adequate yearly progress) for the second year in a row, so let’s give ourselves a big hand,” said TPS Superintendent Dr. Michael Zolkoski.

Carol Thurman attended the rally with her granddaughter Kayla, an eighth-grader at Lewis and Clark Middle School.

“I think the rally is awesome,” Thurman said. “I’m really enjoying all the variety and seeing everyone from all the schools.”

“I think it’s a nice motivator,” said Linda Henderson-McMullen, the band director at Hawthorne Elementary School. “This type of high-energy gets you ready for the school year.”

 

Cutt-Off Sends Students to School in Style 

8/11/2008, 8 a.m.

A close shave can be a good thing. Just ask one of the several thousand area youngsters that took advantage of the Barber Cutt-Off, an annual event that sends students to school looking styled and spiffy.

This year’s Cutt-Off marks the sixteenth annual. As they have done since 1992 local barbers and stylists donate their time and skills to students in elementary and middle schools, also chipping in with school supplies and free lunches.

“Last year we serviced over 2,000 kids,” said Tamara Lockett, one of the Cutt-Off’s coordinators, “because some parents can’t even afford haircuts for their children and this helps them start school with confidence.”

The Cutt-Off is Sunday, Aug 10, at the Hutcherson YMCA, located on east Pine and Peoria. Organizers say they are always looking for volunteers. Contact Kenya Hill at 405-881-4817 or email barbercuttoff@gmail.com, for more information.

 

Input Wanted On Alternative Ed. 

8/20/2008, 5 p.m.

Tulsa Public Schools wants your input as part of an alternative education audit. The effort, mandated by the TPS Board of Education, is all about keeping the district at the head of the class.

“We look at all of our alternative education sites,” said Roberta Ellis, Assistant to the Superintendent for Accountability and Research. “We want to be at the cutting edge of what alternative schools do nationally.”

The district is partnering with MGT of America, Inc, one of the nation’s leading educational management consulting firms, in hosting an Alternative Education Community Open House. The public is invited to participate in what’s called a “Walk About”—essentially sharing ideas through written comments. Topics will be varied and open, ranging from accommodations and eligibility to professional development and parent involvement.

The Walk About is 5-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20, at the Education Service Center, Cheryl Selman Room, 3027 South New Haven Avenue.

 

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