January 31, 2007

Principally Speaking...

Congratulations to Beverly Story from Wilson Elementary for being selected as the 2007 Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals (OAESP) District 7 Administrator of the Year. Her application will now go before the screening committee of past winners of the National Distinguished Principal Award in Oklahoma. In February, the screening committee will narrow the applications to three finalists and conduct site visits in March. The committee will then select Oklahoma’s 2007-2008 National Distinguished Principal after the site visits. Good Luck Ms. Story!
 

January 31, 2007

100 And Counting...

“Read 100 Books to Celebrate 100 Years of Statehood” is an OKCPS reading motivation program supported by our school library media programs. The purpose of this program is to promote and reward free voluntary reading and celebrate Oklahoma statehood. The structure for this program is a reading challenge and the reward will be a $100 cash prize to one lucky reader at each of our 76 school libraries. Each school will be awarded at least one $100 prize. Also, each student who reads 100 books or other reading materials has a chance to win $100.

The State has also officially recognized this program by authorizing our use of the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration logo on informational, marketing, fundraising and other materials relating to Centennial projects or activities.

January 30, 2007

Page Turner...

Van Buren Elementary and Columbus Elementary were fortunate to an author visit from Betty Birney who is an award-winning children’s book writer and who also has had a successful, award-winning career writing for television. Her book, The World According to Humphrey, is on the 2007 Children’s Sequoyah Masterlist and eligible to receive the Sequoyah Children’s Book Award. It’s an honor for Betty Birney’s book to have been selected for the Sequoyah Masterlist, and it’s an honor for our students to spend the day with her. Every student in grades 2-6 at both schools received an autographed copy of The World According to Humphrey for their home library.

January 25, 2007

What Goes Around, Comes Around..

Rockwood Elementary was one of eleven recipients of the 2006 Weyerhaeuser “Excellence in Recycling “ Award Program. This award included a reception and luncheon at the Oklahoma State Capital and $1,000 check to be used toward expanding and maintaining their current recycling program. Rockwood’s recycling program includes a system for recycling paper, plastic and aluminum as well as composting leaves and coffee grounds.

Senator Andrew Rice awarded Rockwood Elementary a Citation of Commendation for the efforts in creating a recycling program and an outdoor classroom. Additionally, Rockwood was awarded grant monies from Lowe’s Outdoor Grant Program in the amount of $2,000 and $2,500 from the Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program for the construction and maintenance of the outdoor classroom.
 

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Ms. Brouwer, Mrs. Joslin and their dedicated students, they are making this state and our planet a cleaner and safer place to live.
Brouwer took four students to the awards ceremony who were the top recyclers in the school. Those students are Jonathan Salas, Jonathan Nevarez, Alexis Camargo and Joyce Carbajal. They brought the most aluminum, plastic and paper for recycling this year. Second grade teacher Rena Joslin took her students of the month to the awards ceremony. Those students are Adrian Herrera, Anabel Casado, Kim Machuca and Katlyn Gerlich.

January 23, 2007

It’s Marshall Law!..

The New John Marshall School mock trail team consists of 27 students. The first competition will be in Oklahoma City at the Court of Civil appeals. Then the team will travel to Shawnee County courthouse for their second competition. What a large turn out for a new program at the new school. Good luck this season.

In other good news, the New John Marshall School competed in their first academic decathlon competition this year. Students are put through two days of speeches, interviews and testing. The New John Marshall team took 4th in the overall competition and brought home eight individual competition medals.

January 12, 2007

Rhymes Abound...

Cleveland Elementary 4th graders entered a poetry writing contest sponsored by Creative Communications, Inc. These poems will be published in an anthology A Celebration of Young Poets, a national publication of poetry by students. Less than 50 percent of the poems submitted were chosen to be published. Special congratulations goes to the teachers of the young poets - Alice Pettit and Richard Kleffman. The following Cleveland students will have their poems published:
 

January 11, 2007

Book Signing and More...

Sequoyah award-nominated author Darlene Bailey-Beard visited Heronville Elementary. Bailey-Beard shared memories from her childhood such as how terribly shy she used to be, her ‘Band-Aide’ collection (kids love this), and the special 5th grade teacher who changed her life.  Heronville Elementary's media specialist, Cristin Ashcraft arranged for students 2nd through 5th grade to each have a book written by Ms. Bailey-Beard, either The Flim Flam Man or Twister, which she signed for every student.

January 11, 2007

Book Bonanza...

First Lady Kim Henry donated 500 books to the Southern Hills Elementary library for the 4th graders’ participation in the Scholastic read-a-thon, which occurs every Friday for 33 minutes.

January 11, 2007

The More You Read, The More You Know!..

Reading is the focus at Parker Elementary School, students are learning that reading is enjoyable. All classes have been read to by Buddy, a stuffed reading bear, and Instructional Facilitator, Rita Gray-Martin. To help encourage our children to read daily, each received books from the Fire Department and Mrs. Margaret R. Carter, principal. They also received their very own reading buddy (one of Buddy's cousins) from Gray-Martin.

Reading is a key that opens doors...
The more you read, the more you know!
The more you know, the smarter you grow!
The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice,
When speaking your mind or making your choice!
Way to go Parker Panthers!

January 11, 2007

Pillow Talk - Get Well Soon...

Students in Kathleen Lott’s Family and Consumer Sciences classes at Northwest Classen High School completed a Patriotic Pillow Project. The project was founded in Chicago, asking people all across the country to create American flag pillows that are delivered to servicemen and women recovering from their injuries in hospitals. Students also wrote notes of thanks that are delivered with their pillows. For more information on the project or how to get involved go to www.patrioticpillowproject.com.

January 4, 2007

Let it Snow...

Capitol Hill Elementary's 4th grade student Tyson Chavedo entered the Capitol Hill Elementary WINTER ART & WRITING CONTEST 2006-2007 with the following story.

I made snowflakes. I think snow makes winter seem like winter. I made my snowflakes RED, WHITE, and BLUE to represent the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. When winter comes that means Christmas is coming. This Christmas there are some families that will not have one because their mommies and daddies are far away fighting. They are fighting for our FREEDOM and our FAMILIES, so we can be safe. So, that is why my snowflakes are RED, WHITE, and BLUE. So they know we love them for fighting for all of us.

January 4, 2007

Who RAH...

Hayes Elementary students watch as 6th Grader Kelvin Medina shaves the head of Reading Coach, Michael Adams. Students participated in a reading challenge called Who RAH (Who Reads at Home). This challenge was designed to increase the amount of time students read independently at home. They were given the challenge of reading at home 200,000 minutes before Winter break or 20 minutes per day. As an incentive Adams said he would shave his head in front of the school if they reached their goal. These students really wanted to see him with a bald head - they exceeded their goal and read more than 225,000 minutes before their December 15th deadline. Their goal for the Spring semester will be 250,000 minutes.