Curriculum Times
February 2016: Volume 2, Issue 6
Black History Month, or National African American History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history.
Put the power of primary sources to work in your classroom. Browse ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids compiled from the Library of Congress, the National Archives, National Endowment for Humanities and the National Gallery of Art. http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/teachers.html
Check out Readworks. org for reading selections and paired texts listed by grade level for K-12 that honor Black History.
President's Day
Presidents’ Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.
Children of the Civil Rights Documentary Viewing
Reminder to all high schools- In the fall of 2015, each high school social studies department received a copy of the documentary, Children of the Civil Rights, which tells the story of Oklahoma City kids who conducted sit-ins with their youth adviser, Clara Luper. They started in 1958, a year and a half before the Greensboro, North Carolina sit-ins. In 1960, whites joined and together, the group demonstrated until 1964 when the Civil Rights Act was passed. It never got violent, it never really made national news, but, just about every restaurant in Oklahoma City desegregated before the Civil Rights Act became law. The documentary also explains the violent reactions that other students experienced in the south during the 1960s. It concludes with Congressman John Lewis sharing his personal, dramatic story of Selma on a day that later becomes Bloody Sunday. If your department has not already shown the documentary to the 10th-12th grade students, this month would be an appropriate time to do so.
TPS students enrolled in the Oklahoma History course this school year will participate in a study trip to the Circle Cinema between February 9-17th to view the documentary and participate in a panel discussion with some of the sit-in participants.
Women Breaking Barriers Art Contest
The Oklahoma History Center, in conjunction with the Inasmuch Foundation and the Oklahoman, is hosting an art contest for students K-12 celebrating the life of Edith Kinney Gaylord, a woman who broke barriers in the field of journalism. Students are asked to create an original photograph, collage, painting or drawing based on women breaking barriers. Due date - February 29th.
Winners will receive a cash prize as well as a prize for their class. Teachers will receive free resources when they have one or more students participate in the program! For more information, please see the attached flyer here.
Social Studies Professional Development
Click here for spring and summer professional development opportunities in Oklahoma as well as out of state!
Celebrating CTE Month
A photo gallery, reading partners and pathways tours are some of the ways College and Career Readiness will celebrate Career Technology Education Month. CCR will host several events throughout February, with a couple lasting through Spring Break.
From now to the end of the month, visit the Selman Room at the ESC to see snapshots of their students in action. If you can’t make it, you can still see the photos on Facebook and Twitter.
While the gallery will show you students in the classroom, come and hear the impact of CTE education from the students themselves. Several CTE students will present at the February 16 board meeting.
They’re also holding weekly events.
The first week of February will be Literacy Week. Several of the CareerTech Student Organization Members will work as tutors through the Reading Partners program. High school students will work one-on-one with elementary school students to help them master reading fundamentals. Although it is called literacy week, this will continue until Spring Break
Next, Soft Skills Week. One of duties of a CTE teacher is to partner with industry to teach their students the skills that industry leaders see missing. They often hear students are lacking soft skills, such as customer service and face-to-face communication. This week, CTE teachers will focus part of their curriculum on those soft skills.
Third, Pathways Week. Freshman will soon fill out their schedules for the next school year. To help them decide which courses are a good fit, tours will be set up that allow students to visit CTE classrooms and learn more about the Career Pathways at their school. These tours will also continue through Spring Break.
Finally, FAFSA Week. The deadline to apply for state aid is approaching fast. This week’s focus will be on CTE Seniors completing their FAFSA.
For more information on any of the events, contact Jeff Mason in the CCR office at, or call 918-746-6411.
Academic Word Finder
This tool helps you find the high value words in a text! Once you sign up for a free account, you can copy and paste a text of your choice in a template (there is a 20,000 word limit), select the grade level of the students and it will provide you with a list of color coded words and definitions that might “stump” your students. It highlights words that are below, on, and above grade level. This is a quick and easy tool for teachers to use to find appropriate words for vocabulary reviews and word studies.
Rewordify
This tool website has a wealth of tools available for educators. One gem is its ability to change the difficulty of a text to help students uncover the meaning behind complex readings. When appropriate, this allows students to decipher a text's meaning while strengthening their vocabulary all through the use of this tool. Here is an example: excerpt from the recent State of the Union Address:
Original text: We live in a time of extraordinary change -- change that’s reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet, our place in the world. It’s change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families. It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away. It’s change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality. And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.
Rewordified Text: We live in a time of amazing/very unusual change -- change that's reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet, our place in the world. It's change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also money-based disruptions that strain working families. It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away. It's change that can broaden opportunity, or widen (state where two things are not the same). And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only speed up.
Guiding Principles: Helping Young Children Develop and Learn
Understanding how young children develop and learn provides the framework for planning and implementing quality early childhood programs. The following guiding principles also shape the decisions and direction of early childhood education in Tulsa Public Schools:
Children are active learners.
- Children learn through experiences and interactions with people, places, objects, and things in their world. An environment which supports this principle offers opportunities for choice, exploration, and socialization with others. Play which is purposeful and meaningful is encouraged.
- The rate of development and learning varies for individuals and is not the same for every child at the same age. This is especially true for children with special needs. An environment supportive to this principle customizes instruction for every student (whether special needs or not) through the use of small group instruction and offers various ways of interacting with the same skill/concept.
- Families are the child’s first and most important teachers. Because the family, culture, and community influences are so critically important, early learning can occur best when there is a strong relationship between home and school.
- The learning environment provides children with a secure, stimulating climate where children are encouraged to explore and interact with others. Children need time to develop interpersonal skills as they work and learn cooperatively and collaboratively.
- New knowledge is built on previous learning experiences and understanding. Curriculum is written to follow a logical order rather than to be a series of unconnected topics. Curriculum also focuses on educating the whole child by including all areas of development and avoids focus on a single aspect of development.
- In order to meet individual needs, evidence of what each child can do is collected frequently and used to make decisions about instruction and activities. Children are encouraged to improve their individual performance and realize their personal goals rather than compete with others.
Definitions in the Language of Standards
It is the responsibility of the early childhood teacher to provide meaningful experiences that will build a foundation for future learning. The language of the Standards indicate varying degrees of “knowing”. When observing and assessing young children consider these definitions related to the language of the Standards:
- “develops an awareness…” means a child has explored the concept/idea enough to have a sense of the concept/idea but does not have working knowledge that would be considered mastery
- “begins to…” means a child has experienced a concept/idea in multiple settings and has a simple, basic understanding of the concept/idea
- “demonstrates an understanding of….” means a child has had numerous experiences and practice with the concept/idea and he/she can demonstrate (in some way) their understanding or comprehension of the concept/idea
- “recognizes….” means a child can point to, choose, or find a color, shape, number, word (etc.) following a teacher’s directions. (Example: “Show me the rectangle.”, “Find the letter R and place it on the letter arch.”, or “Which color card matches your shirt color.”)
- “identifies….” means a child can identify or name a color, shape, letter, or numeral without prompts or cueing from the teacher
- “understands….” means a child grasps the meaning of something; levels of understanding mean that a child grasps the meaning well enough to explain the meaning or understanding to someone else or to apply that understanding to learning task or possibly applies it to a new situation
Experts in the field have identified 10 requirements for accomplished teaching.
All teachers should possess:
- Knowledge of child development
- Methods for teaching diverse children
- Skill in using multiple forms of assessment
- Knowledge of how to organize learning environments
- Understanding of how to implement curriculum and instructional strategies that help children make connections across subject matter
- Skill in obtaining strategic resources and using technology effectively
- Strategies to engage in parent and family engagement
- Strategies to collaborate with colleagues and ongoing professional development
- Commitment to reflection on the practice of teaching
- Knowledge of how to align learning experiences within and between grade levels
Oklahoma Department of Education; Early childhood/Family Education Programs, The Early Childhood Learning Environment and Overview of Early Learning Guidelines and Overview of Kindergarten Standards. http://www.sde.state.ok.us/
Bredekamp, Sue and Copple, Carol; Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs-Revised Edition; National Association for the Education of Young Children; Washington, D.C.; 2002
** North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development; Public Schools of North Carolina; Department of Public Instruction; http://www.ncpublicschools.org
Tulsa Public Schools Programs with Purpose, Framework for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Classrooms and Instruction, 2010-2011
Helping Students Meet Their Reading Growth Goals
Robert Marzano reports that having students track their own data has an impressive impact on their achievement. In 14 different studies, teachers had students in one class track their own data, and, in another class, they taught exactly the same content in the same way, but did not have students track their data. “On average, the practice of having students track their own progress was associated with a 32 percentile point gain in their achievement.” (Marzano, R. (2010). The Art and Science of Teaching / When Students Track Their Progress. Health and Learning, 67 (4), 86-87.
So how can apply this research to improving student reading? Make sure students are aware of their growth goals for the SRI testing, and have students chart their own progress. To determine the growth goals for an individual student, run the SRI: College and Career Growth Goals Report. This is a fairly new report available in Scholastic. This report will show you the growth goal for each student to make one-year’s growth.
Growth goals vary widely from student to student because they are considering the student’s grade level as well as his/her initial score. Older students, in general have a lower yearly growth goal. Student scoring BR will definitely have a much higher growth goal. Consider the three students below. The first student is a 4th grader who scored well into the 4th grade Proficient band on his initial SRI. His growth goal, therefore, was only 50 to 80 points. He actually scored 241 points higher on his second assessment, so he exceeded his growth goal. The second student is a 3rd grader who began the year with a 247 Lexile. She is well below the proficient range of 690 - 755 for third grade, so her expected growth is a higher number than that of the previous student. It is not, however, adequate for her to reach 3rd grade proficiency by the end of the year. Her initial score was 247. Adding 190-245 to that score, would only enable her to reach 437 – 492. This is why we offer intervention classes to students well below the proficient range on the SRI. We want to help them to exceed yearly growth expectations. Our third example student only scored a 45 on his first SRI as a 5th grader. His expected growth is, therefore, even higher than that for student two.
If teachers would print this report, or be given the report for their students, they could then conference with students about their SRI scores and their expected annual growth. Students being cognizant of their own performance would empower them to consciously take steps to improve their own reading. It would also motivate students to do their best on the SRI assessment. It may be important for teachers to discuss with students the amount of growth needed to reach the proficiency level as well as the amount expected. Teachers can challenge students to set their own personal goals for growth beyond the annual growth expectations have listed.
Students can then chart their own data using a form like the one linked here. This is a Word document so that teachers can customize it to meet their needs.
Looking at Characteristics in Gifted African-American Children
It’s Black History month, so it’s a perfect time to focus on our gifted African-American students. I just discovered Bright, Talented and Black by Joy Davis Ed. D.; it’s a great resource for parent and educators. Several book trailers present powerful reminders about different ways of looking for giftedness. Two book trailers; one is a rap (with Dr. King in the background) and a second trailer highlight key issues, misconceptions, and reminders for raising and educating gifted black children. If you don’t read any further, PLEASE watch the two trailers!
The effects of race on identification of African-American students for gifted programs is divided into several different factors. First, racial differences can create effects that screen students from initial nomination pools. Many educators hold racial stereotypes that do not recognize the likelihood of high ability appearing in this group. So expectations of performance are lowered and the teacher simply overlooks evidence that the student is quite capable. The diminished expectation may lead to diminished performance by the student (Reiss & McCoach, 2002).
These effects are compounded by a misinterpretation of the behaviors of African-American students in the classroom. For many African-American students, the kinds of behaviors reinforced in the home, at church or in interactions with peers are considered distractions in school settings. Verbal creativity and humor, active participation and spontaneous interaction are interpreted as disruptive and disrespectful by many classroom teachers.
Linked are several sets of characteristics to look for when identifying minority gifted children (general academic characteristics, specific strengths observed in minority gifted, and environmental barriers that can lead to underachievement).
Sense-Sational Science
Envirothon deadlines are approaching
The Oklahoma Envirothon, part of an established North American program, is an exciting, fun way for students to learn about the environment and the issues facing this and future generations. Combining in-class curriculum with hands-on field experiences, the Oklahoma Envirothon will demonstrate the role we all have in important environmental issues. For more information on the North American Envirothon please visit envirothon.org. The Oklahoma Envirothon is a team based, high school competition for students interested in science. A completed team packet must be submitted and postmarked no later than Friday, March 4, 2016.
Exploring Insects with Tulsa Master Gardeners
Tulsa Master Gardeners
and
the O.S.U. Entomology Department
present
Exploring Insects with Tulsa Master Gardeners
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Tulsa County Fairgrounds ~ Exchange Center
20 stations of hands on activities & crafts guaranteed to challenge & delight
Two sessions: 9:30a-11:30a OR 12:30p-2:30p
Elementary Grades 3 and Up
Attendance Is Limited to first 500 registrants ~ Nominal fee includes souvenir t-shirt
Class of 10 to 15 students: $25
Class of 16 to 20 students: $35
Class of 21 to 25 students: $45
Class of 26 to 30 students: $55
Info & Registration @ www.tulsamastergardeners.org
OERB Lessons for 7th Grade Classes
The University of Tulsa Petroleum Engineering students are available to do a 3 session STEM series of lessons related to engineering. This is offered for 7th grade classes only and the students are only available on Fridays after 2:20. If you are interested in scheduling these lessons, contact Julie Hasfjord, STEM Coordinator.
Curriculum Pacing
Where are you in your curriculum? If you are following the pacing calendars, you should be in the following units at the beginning of the 3rd quarter:
Biology – Unit 4 – Biological Diversity
Physical Science – Unit 4 – Energy
8th grade – Unit 5 – Earth’s Systems
7th grade (JH/MS) – Unit 5 – Earth’s Systems
6th grade – Unit 4 – Ecosystems
5th grade – Unit 3 – Earth’s Systems
4th grade – Unit 3 – Energy
3rd grade – Unit 3 – Heredity
2nd grade – Unit 3 – The Solar System, moving into Weather
1st grade – Unit 3 – Weather
K grade – Unit 3 – Earth and Sky, moving into Unit 4 – Physical Science Objects
Don’t forget to check out the Curriculum and Instruction webpage and the TPS Curriculum Resources pages to keep up to date.
We are in the process of revising the current science curriculum. If you are interested in helping, please email LeeAnne Jimenez for more information.
Secondary Mathematics
February begins the rush towards the end of the school year. If you are finding yourself behind on the unit pacing calendars, you may need to look to future units and begin to find places you can focus your attention in order to maximize instructional time.
On February 19th the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance will have its Sonia Kovalevshy Day all girls, all day, all math for middle and high school girls. The event is being hosted on the TCC Northeast Campus from 9am to 2pm. You can take up to 20 girls per campus. TRSA will also pay for transportation. Just have the transportation invoice sent to Michelle Moore. They will also provide a lunch and Tulsa University professors will be there to meet with math educators. For more information click here.
For multiple years, TPS and Northeastern State University have partnered to provide an opportunity for Oklahoma teachers of pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry to connect with one another and share quality lessons and resources. The name of the grant partnership is the GALO Outreach Program. On February 27th a follow up opportunity will be held at Oklahoma Christian University. Registration and additional information may be found here.
February also brings us registration time for AP teachers and teachers interested in becoming AP teachers. These courses fill up very quickly so if you are interested you may want to check the registration sites frequently.
If you are going to be out of the state this summer but would still like to attend a workshop, check out these dates and places.
Becoming a Math Person by Leah Shafer
We’ve all seen it happen to a child confronting long division, or a teenager grappling with geometry. We’ve even done it ourselves. The frustrated pencil drop, the defeated shoulder slump, and finally, the resigned proclamation: “I just can’t get this. I’m not a math person.”
But what does being a “math person” really mean? And more important, how can teachers help every student feel prepared and excited to tackle new concepts in mathematics?
According to HGSE Lecturer Noah Heller, the idea that there are “math people” and “not math people” is a social construct and not based on inherent characteristics. It stems from the belief that math intelligence is a fixed trait, rather than something that grows and develops with hard work and opportunities to learn. But the notion of a “math person” is still a useful one for math teachers to consider when trying to develop lessons and classroom norms that foster perseverance in all students.
FORCED INTO MATHEMATICS
When students proclaim that they’re “not ‘math persons,’ that’s an indication that they feel outside of mathematics, that math doesn’t belong to them,” explains Heller, the master teacher in residence for mathematics at the Harvard Teachers Fellows Program. “They feel like the math learning expected of them is something that they’re forced to do and memorize, or a way in which they’re asked to conform their thinking or cram for examinations. When students say they’re not ‘math persons,’ they mean that they don’t see mathematics as a useful practice that can help them interpret and navigate the world.”
DEVELOPING A MIND FOR MATH
Math intelligence — and therefore the traits of a “math person” — can be nurtured and enhanced, Heller says. Teachers can take steps to help students develop a growth mindset — the view, popularized by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, that it takes determination and persistence to achieve success (in math, in this case), not innate talent. Heller outlines some of those mindset-changing steps here:
- Create opportunities for cooperative learning. When students learn from each other by discussing problem-solving strategies, they discover new techniques for approaching problems and new attitudes that help them persevere.
- Give students the chance to productively struggle. Math lessons are often set up to value outcomes, which are either right or wrong. But rich problems take time to figure out. Teachers should give students the chance to interpret complex problems in their own way, and they should encourage students to try a new approach if they’ve hit a dead end.
- Encourage participation, even if the student doesn’t have the right answer yet. “If there’s a threat of being wrong every time I raise my hand, and being wrong is a bad thing, then very quickly I decide math isn’t for me, I don’t like this, I’m not a smart person,” Heller explains. Teachers need to frame wrong answers as opportunities for learning, rather than as summative assessments of ability. When a student participates, he doesn’t have to feel sure he has the right answer — just confident that sharing his work will help move him in the right direction.
- Re-envision math as a language. Math teachers, says Heller, can work to “create classrooms where learners are situated as insiders, where they have opportunities to construct knowledge so that they feel it belongs to them and is useful in their world.” To foster that environment, Heller likens math class to a language class. Math students should feel that they can claim ownership over mathematics in the same way English language learners learn to claim ownership over English.
Above all, to succeed in math classes and to feel motivated to pursue mathematics-related careers, students need to feel comfortable with and excited about mathematics — they need to feel like they, too, are math persons.
Link to the original article.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Learn more about mathematical mindsets and a new book by Stanford’s Jo Boaler.
- Learn more about Carol Dweck and growth mindsets.
Elements 4D
How it works
First, download the Elements 4D App (Apple, Android), print and assemble the blocks. Each block face depicts a different chemical symbol, representing the elements of the Periodic Table.
- See the Elements in 4D - Open the Elements 4D App and point your device at the block face illustrating the element you want to view.
- Combine 2 Elements - Next, introduce a second element. Move the two blocks together until they touch.
- Marvel at the Reaction You've Created - If nothing happens, those elements don’t combine. Try another combination.
Check out the video below to better understand. The Elements 4D Website also has lesson plans at all levels ready for you to use with your students!
Reading Strategy: Reader's Theatre
Because reader's theater is an oral performance of a script, it is one of the best ways to promote fluency. In the exercise, meaning is conveyed through expression and intonation. The focus thus becomes interpreting the script rather than memorizing it.
Getting started is easy. Simply give each student a copy of the script, and read it aloud as you would any other piece of literature. (See script resource below.) After your read-aloud, do an echo read and a choral read of the script to involve the entire class. Once the class has had enough practice, choose students to read the various parts. Put together a few simple props and costumes, and invite other classes to attend the performance.
For the presentation, have readers stand, or sit on stools, in front of the room and face the audience. Position them in order of each character's importance. Encourage students to make eye contact with the audience and one another before they read. Once they start, they should hold their scripts at chest level to avoid hiding their faces, and look out at the audience periodically.
After the performance, have students state their names and the part that they read. You might also want to videotape the performance so that you can review it with students later. In doing so, you will show them that they are, indeed, fluent readers.
Blau, Lisa. "5 Surefire Strategies for Developing Reading Fluency | Scholastic.com." Scholastic Teachers. Scholastic, n.d.
http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collection/readers-theater
Literacy Station Tip: Celebrate Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month with your class by creating or incorporating black history themed activities into a literacy station. One idea is to create a biography station. Teachers can have children research a famous person in history, create a timeline, write a report or poem and draw a picture, or participate in a reader’s theatre and dress up as the person and make a presentation. These are great ways to have your kids explore this important genre by researching and celebrating black history month. Students should use text they are familiar with or that is on their independent reading level.
Reading aloud is also a great opportunity to share with students literature and non-fiction texts about historical people. Teachers can use this opportunity to discuss biography and/or autobiography with students.
6 Traits Tip of the Month: Organization AND Sentence Fluency
TEACHING TRANSITIONS
Right now, many 5th and 8th grade students are preparing for the state writing test. Meanwhile, many other students continue to practice writing even though they are not testing. All of these students need to know how to use transitions effectively. Fortunately, we have lots of different ways to help students.
- Use two popular mentor texts: Meanwhile by Jules Fieffer and Fortunately by Remy Charlip.
- Notice transitions in every read aloud and ask students to use the same ones in their writing.
- Give students a list of transitions and talk about the different ways to use them.
- Ask students to highlight their transitions before they turn in their next piece of writing.
These resources might help too:
An interesting article connecting stand-up comics with writing transitions
6 Traits Writing Information on TPS C & I website
Oklahoma Writing Test for 5th and 8th Graders
- The window for this year’s writing test is February 23-25.
- The fifth and eighth grade writing prompts for the 2015-2016 school year will be field tests. There will be no operational tests for the 2015-2016 school year.
- Students will read two passages, which may be fiction or non-fiction, and respond to a single writing prompt.
- All three writing modes will be field tested, so students might receive a prompt in any one of the modes: narrative, informational, or opinion (5th grade)/persuasive (8th grade).
- Schools will receive summary reports of the results to be used to inform instruction.
Click here to find helpful resources for the writing test: prompts for practice, performance level descriptors, rubrics, and exemplars. Scroll down and look for the NEW! tag.
February Deadlines for Fine Arts Teachers
February 1 Metro Honor Band Clinic Will Rogers HS 6:00-8:30 pm
February 2 Metro Honor Band Clinic and Concert Will Rogers HS 9:00am-3:30 pm concert at 7:00
February 11 Elementary Art Department Meeting
February 12 Elementary Music Mentoring Meeting Patrick Henry 4:00-5:00 pm
February 17 OSSAA State Orchestra Contest Edmond, Santa Fe High School
February 18 Fifth and sixth Grade Choral Festival Edison HS All day and concert at 7:00 pm
February 18 Elementary Music Department Meeting Patrick Henry 4:00-5:00 pm
February 18 Visual Art AP Teacher meeting ESC 4:30-5:30 pm
February 23 Link Up Performance with TSO Lorton-TU 9:30 am and 11:00am
February 23 Fine Arts Chairs Meeting ESC 4:30-5:30 pm
February 29 District Jazz Auditions Edison HS 6:00-8:00 pm
February 29 Elementary Art Exhibit “Catch the Spirit” Zarrow Dwntwn
February Opportunities
“The Drunkard AND Olio” Drama organization is looking for aspiring high school drama departments to present at the theater every month, possibly on a Friday evening. They would get scripts and work with Joe Sears on Wednesday nights at 7:30p.m. There are 11 parts, and usually two acts for the Olio.
Kudos To
Debbie Kingsbury at Disney Elementary for setting up the Superintendent’s Display Case for February
Julie Thomas and Clancy Gray at Edison HS for curating a student exhibit at Gilcrease Museum
Kevin Pearson and the Memorial Vocal Music Department for an outstanding performance of “The Coronation Mass” by W.A. Mozart the first week of January
Doug Styers and the Jambassadors for making the final round of auditions for the Mingus Festival. Look out NYC-here come the Jambassadors!
Edmond Oklahoma Fine Arts Institute Youth Impressions Contest-Edison HS
- Maple Barrett - Painting $25
- Alaina Comer - Photography $25
- Tayler Ecklet – Drawing $25
- Sydnee Hill - Photography $25
- Bailey Hughes – Sculpture $25
- Nicole Kizlinski - Photography $25
- Diana Padilla – Painting $25
- Grace Van Huffwagon – Painting $25
The Honor Choir and our secondary music directors (Karen Miller-Rogers, Patti Duncan-Hale, Kevin Pearson-Memorial, Julie Boucher-Edison, Melissa Chunu-BTW) for the brilliant performance at the January 19 School Board Meeting.
· Joann Caldwell from Bell Elementary and her fourth grade class for assembling a beautiful pop-up art show at the January 19 School Board meeting.
Any Given Child-Watercolor Painting Workshop
The Guest Artist is Arni Anderson, an Art Teacher with 40 plus years of experience teaching in Oklahoma. He has taught all grade levels from Kindergarten to College. He is an accomplished watercolorist, and will be sharing many of his techniques with us on Friday Feb. 26th and Saturday Feb. 27th.
There will be three workshops, on Friday, Feb. 26th from 8:30 to 11:30 will be an Elementary session. In the afternoon on Feb. 26th there will be a Secondary session from 1:00 to 4:00.
Then on Saturday, Feb. 27th there will be another session open to all teachers.
Space is limited so sign up soon! For questions, contact Ann Tomlins.Bell Elementary Moonscapes
Edision HS Student Show
Jan 15 Teacher PD
February Field Study/Trips
1st grade Gilcrease Pre-visit at school sites followed up with Gilcrease Museum visits, 3rd grade visits to Philbrook Museum, 5th grade visits to Tulsa Ballet, and 6th grade visits to AHHA.
For specific dates for your school site and more information, including lesson ideas, go to the Any Given Child section of the C & I websites.
Free Arts Opportunities
Many Any Given Child-Tulsa partners offer FREE opportunities for students, families, and teachers:
- GILCREASE MUSEUM: Trailblazer bags, SmART cards, and Funday Sundays are only some of the amazing FREE programs that Gilcrease offers in addition to Free admission on first Tuesdays and third Sundays. Click here to find out more about these programs and to access the Gilcrease calendar of events. For information on booking an additional museum visit for your students, click here.
- PHILBROOK MUSEUM: Second Saturdays are always FREE and filled with arts activities for students and their families. Philbrook also offers FREE MyMuseum art toolkits during regular admission hours. Find out more about these opportunities here. For information about booking an additional museum visit for your students, click here.
- SHERWIN MILLER MUSEUM: Sherwin Miller Museum loves teachers! Did you know that teachers always receive free admission with a school ID? Click here to learn more about the museum and current and upcoming exhibitions. For information about booking an additional museum visit for your students, click here.
- HARDESTY ARTS CENTER (AHHA): On Third Saturdays, AHHA offers Imagination Days, a fun filled afternoon of arts activities and exploration, for students and their families. To learn more about Imagination Days click here. AHHA also offers the Artists in the Schools program to connect teachers with professional working artists in their classroom, click here for more information. For information about booking an additional gallery tour for your students, click here.
- 108 CONTEMPORARY: Inspired by artwork in the gallery, 108 offers FREE Craft Kits and resources for visitors to create mini works of art inspired by each exhibition. Pick up during regular gallery hours. For information click here.
- TULSA BALLET: In addition to participating in Any Given Child-Tulsa, Tulsa Ballet also offers two exciting programs for 2nd-5th grade students, Leaps Ahead and Leaps in Motion. Click here to find out more about these opportunities.
- TULSA LIBRARY: Tulsa Library provides a variety of arts opportunities for students of all ages. View their event calendar here.
- TULSA OPERA: Tulsa Opera offers FREE annual student nights to full performances at the PAC as well as Coming Attractions workshops for teachers each September. Information about both opportunities can be found here.
- FREE ADMISSION: The following Any Given Child-Tulsa partners always offer FREE public admission: Tulsa Library, Hardesty Arts Center (AHHA), 108 Contemporary, and Living Arts.
- FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL: A Tulsa Tradition since 2007! Every First Friday of the month from 6-9 in the Brady Arts District, all of the galleries, studios and museums as well as part-time galleries in various shops and restaurants open their doors to show art. For more information about First Fridays click here.
- EXPLORE DOWNTOWN TULSA: Want another FREE opportunity to bring your students to downtown museums/galleries? Explore Downtown Tulsa funds bus transportation for downtown field trips. Click here to find out more.
Black History Month Resources for Teachers
Curriculum Colleague of the Month - Andy McKenzie, Director Early Childhood Services
Andy attended Whittier Elementary, Cleveland Jr. High School and graduated from Will Rogers High School. He received a BS in Early Childhood Education and a BS in Elementary Education from the University of Tulsa. He completed his Master’s degree in Public School Administration from Northeastern State University. He has served as a teacher, elementary principal and district administrator with Tulsa Public Schools for 39 years. Andy started his teaching career at Emerson Elementary teaching 1st and 2nd grade for 13 years before moving to ESC as a teacher consultant working in schools across the district. He was a member of the instructional staff that opened Mayo Demonstration School of Science and Technology in 1992, teaching PK, K and 1st grade. He was principal at Mayo from 1995 until 2009. His administrative duties include principal at Eugene Field Elementary, Marshall Elementary and Mayo Demonstration School. He has served as Elementary Director of School Improvement, Lead Principal for Area 1 Schools and Assistant to the Superintendent for Early Childhood Services. Janet, his wife of 39 years, has served as a pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and special education teacher in our district. She is currently working with our BTW / Edison feeder pattern schools as an Instructional Coach. Janet and Andy have two children, Patrick and Emily.
Email: mckenan@tulsaschools.org
Website: bit.ly/tpsearlychildhood
Location: 2710 E 11th St, Tulsa, OK, United States
Phone: 918-746-6511
Twitter: @AndrewM77077863
About Us
Cindy Barber, Academic Coordinator for Instructional Materials
Sharon Dautermann, Academic Coordinator for Elementary Curriculum Integration
Ayn Grubb, Academic Coordinator for Secondary ELA
Julie Hasfjord, Academic Coordinator for STEM
Gary Horner, Academic Coordinator for Secondary Math
Natalie Hutto, Academic Coordinator for Elementary ELA
LeeAnne Jimenez, Academic Coordinator for Science
Lea Ann Macomber, Music Coordinator
Andy McKenzie, Director of Early Childhood Services
LeeAnne Pepper, Academic Coordinator for Elementary Math
Mary Jane Snedeker, Academic Coordinator for Social Studies
Dr. Ann Tomlins, Director of Fine Arts
Dr. Linnea Van Eman, Coordinator of Gifted & Talented
Cathy Walton, Administrative Secretary
Danielle Neves, Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Email: curriculum@tulsaschools.org
Website: academics.tulsaschools.org
Location: 2710 East 11th Street, Tulsa, OK 74104, United States
Phone: (918) 925-1130
Twitter: @TPSCurriculum
Archived Editions
Volume 2, Issue 2: October 2015
Volume 2, Issue 3: November 2015
Volume 2, Issue 4: December 2015
Volume 2, Issue 5: January 2016