The Bruin - Bartlesville Public Schools

Bartlesville Public Schools’
The Bruin
Weekly E-Mail Newsletter
Volume 2, Number 38
Friday, May 9, 2008
www.bps-ok.org
“Excellence
In
Education”
Superintendent’s
Chalkboard
Never too
late to thank
a teacher
Though the special day has
already passed, its sentiment
shouldn’t be forgotten.
Tuesday marked National
Teacher Appreciation Day, a
date on which people throughout
the country were encouraged to
express their
gratitude
toward the
instructor or
instructors
who have
helped to
make a positive impact
on their lives.
Within the Bartlesville Public School District, we have a
wide array of teachers who work
tirelessly every day to ensure
we live up to our motto: “Excellence in Education.” They work
out of a passion for learning and
education. They work to build a
better future for our community,
our country and the world in
general. They work because they
have a burning desire to see the
young people in their respective
Before departing for the 39th Annual Summer Games for Special Olympics Oklahoma in
Stillwater on Wednesday morning outside of Bartlesville High School, the athletes from the
Bartlesville Public School District received a special send-off.
Special Bruins go for gold
B’ville squad gets off
to strong start at state
Summer Games for
Special Olympics
Rain gave way to gold for the
Bruins.
After rain washed out most of the
opening-day competitions on Wednesday for the 39th Annual Summer
Games for Special Olympics Oklahoma in Stillwater, the sun was shining
again on Thursday. And the athletes
CHALKBOARD - Cont. to Page 11 representing the Bartlesville Public
School District made the most of the
cooperative weather, sparkling in their
respective endeavors en route to six
gold medals. Heading into Friday’s
events – which marked the final day of
the Summer Games – the Bruins had
five silver and four bronze medals to
their credit in addition to seven fourthplace and three fifth-place finishes.
“Everyone has done very well,”
said special education instructor
Sandy Bliss, who is in her 13th year
as the BPSD’s Special Olympics team
coach, this morning. “I’m very proud
of our athletes.”
GAMES - Continued to Page 10
Famed coach to speak at HOF dinner
SEC Living Legend Brown, along
with inductees, will highlight B’ville
Sports Commission event May 17
The Bartlesville Sports Commission’s inaugural
Bartlesville Athletic Hall of Fame dinner will pack
plenty of star power.
Dale Brown, the decorated former coach of the
Louisiana State University men’s basketball team, will
serve as the featured speaker for the event while inductees Bob Kurland, Dallas Dobbs, Dee Ketchum, Bailey
Ricketts and members of the 1967 College High basketball team will be on hand as well.
The Bartlesville Hall of Fame dinner is scheduled
for Saturday, May 17, at the Bartlesville Community
Center. Proceeds from the event will benefit Bartlesville
High School athletics. Checks can be made payable to
the Bartlesville Community Foundation. Table sponsorships and individual tickets are available for the event
by contacting BSC executive assistant Sherri Lynn at
(918) 440-4119 or sherri@bartlesvillesports.com.
The second winningest coach in the history of the
Southeastern Conference, Brown spent 25 years as the
LSU coach. He is a member of both the North Dakota
and Louisiana sports halls of fame as well as the North
Dakota and Louisiana coaches halls of fame. The SEC
honored Brown by officially naming him an SEC Living
Legend.
“Coach Brown was an outstanding coach at LSU
and is truly a legend in college basketball,” says Tim
Bart, the Bartlesville High School boys basketball head
coach. “I have had the pleasure of hearing him speak
and I know those attending the hall of fame event are in
for a real treat.”
Selections to the Bartlesville Athletic Hall of Fame
were made by a nine-member committee after nominations were received by the Bartlesville Sports Commission.
“We are privileged to induct some of Bartlesville’s
greatest athletes into the Hall of Fame,” said Gene
Batchelder, the chairman of the Bartlesville Sports
Commission. “This first-class event will be a great opportunity to showcase how proud Bartlesville is of its
athletic achievements.”
A seven-foot center, Kurland starred for legendary coach Henry Iba’s Oklahoma A&M College (now
Oklahoma State University) basketball team. He played
a vital role as the team captured consecutive NCAA
Now a motivational speaker and author, Dale Brown served 44
years as a basketball coach. He spent 25 years as the head men’s
basketball coach at Louisiana State University.
men’s national championships in 1945 and ‘46. Kurland
went on to play with the Phillips 66ers for six years and
led the U.S.A. squad to gold medals in the 1948 and
‘52 Olympics. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of
Fame in 1961.
A gifted athlete, Dobbs played basketball, football
and baseball at College High from 1949-1952. A prolific
scorer, he broke the Wildcat record for most points in a
basketball game in ‘52. Dobbs made the All-Region and
All-State teams in 1951 and ‘52. He went on to star on
the hardwood for the University of Kansas (1953-56)
and later for the Phillips 66ers.
Ketchum played football, basketball and golf for
College High from 1955-57. He set a basketball conference record for scoring and was named all-state in
1957. Ketchum played for the University of Kansas
from 1958-1961. He spent many years coaching area
basketball teams. A book and movie entitled “The Long
Journey Home” has been released about Ketchum, his
family and the Delaware Indians. He served as Chief of
the Delaware tribe from 1998-2002.
DINNER - Continued to Page 6
Rotary Students of the Month: May
Bartlesville High School juniors Scott
Hull and Candace Grimes have been selected as the Rotary Students of the month
for May.
Scott is the son of
Guylene and Browning
Hull. He is involved in
Spanish Club as well as
baseball.
Candace is the
daughter of Terri Wadleigh. She is a member
of the National Honor
Scott Hull
Society as well as the
Spanish Honor Society.
She is employed as a server at Montana Mike’s
restaurant.
The Rotary students of the month – both
seniors and juniors are eligible – are chosen by
a committee of Bartlesville High School
teachers. The students
should be of high moral
character, have initiative, show leadership
capabilities, be good
students, and be active
and interested in their
school and community.
Candace Grimes
One boy and one girl
are selected each month
from September through May.
The Bartlesville Public School District’s
2007-08 campaign is scheduled to conclude on
Friday, May 23.
Elks Students of the
Month: May
Bartlesville High School
Baptist Church.
seniors John Sloan and Monica
Monica is the daughter of
Galvan have been named Elks
Kevin and Adriana Potts. Her
Students of the
hobbies include
Month for May.
dancing, working
John is the
out, applying makeson of Cindy Sloan.
up and styling hair.
He is a member of
She enjoys spending
the National Honor
time with her family.
Society, the National
She is emTechnical Honor Soployed at Goldies
ciety and the Senior
Patio Grill.
Service League. He is
Elks Students
John Sloan
a member of the Boy
of the Month – all of
Scouts of America
whom are seniors –
Troop 11, for which
are chosen by a comhe is an Eagle Scout.
mittee of Bartlesville
John plays for a club
High School teachers.
soccer team and is a
They must be of high
member of Venture
moral character, have
Crew 21 and the
initiative, show leadF.I.R.S.T. Robotics
ership capabilities, be
Team 2165.
good students, and be
A member of
active and interested
Monica Galvan
Bartlesville High
in their school and
School’s Fourth Escommunity.
tate newspaper staff, he works at
One boy and one girl are seKuman Math and Reading and is lected each month from October
a member of the Eastern Heights through May.
Mid-High rocket team prepares national launch
Squad to compete in Team America
Rocketry Challenge on May 17
Launch time is fast approaching for the Bartlesville
Mid-High School’s rocket team.
Scheduled to be held May 17 in The Plains, Va.,
the Team America Rocketry Challenge will feature the
top-scoring 100 squads from across the nation competing for $60,000 worth of prize money, which will be
divided up among the top finishers. The Mid-High team,
which is the only entry from Oklahoma, is comprised
of sophomores Andrew Quinn, Daniel Sauceda, Chris
Heath and Sam Denyer.
The Team America Rocketry Challenge was
founded in the fall of 2002 as a one-time celebration
of the Centennial of Flight. But the competition was so
well received that the Aerospace Industries Association
and the National Association of Rocketry stepped up to
make it an annual event. This year is the first in which a
Bartlesville team has competed. It’s been at least three
years since an Oklahoma squad has qualified for the
ROCKET - Continued to Page 9
Bruin pom squad
rosters for 2008-09
announced
The rosters for the Bruin varsity and junior
varsity pom squads were released earlier this
week by the Bartlesville High School athletic
office.
Comprising the squads will be the following students, with their current grade level
listed:
2008-09 Varsity Squad
Cara Ambler (Sophomore)
Katie Boatright (Sophomore)
Brittnee Bossley (Sophomore)
Taylor Brooks (Sophomore)
Kelsey Cochran (Sophomore)
Erin Ennis (Sophomore)
Mahria Epperson (Sophomore)
Shianne Fouts (Junior)
Emily Friedman (Junior)
Kimbery Gray (Sophomore)
Olivia Hart (Captain) (Junior)
Melissa Hoelting (Sophomore)
Brook Kimrey (Sophomore)
Marisa Samson (Captain) (Junior)
Courtney Stokes (Sophomore)
Maggie Tatum (Junior)
Members of the 2008-09 Bruin varsity pom squad include (from left) (front
row) Taylor Brooks, Kelsey Cochran, Brittnee Bossley, Erin Ennis, Brook
Kimrey, Melissa Hoelting, Mahria Epperson, (middle row) Kim Gray, Cara
Ambler, Shianne Fouts, Katie Boatright, Emily Friedman, Courtney Stokes,
(back row) Maggie Tatum and captain Marisa Samson. Not pictured is captain
Oliva Hart.
2008-09 Junior Varsity Squad
Abby Barnes (Eighth Grade)
Lizzy Barnett (Freshman)
Natalie Bond (Eighth Grade)
Catie George (Captain) (Freshman)
Taylor George (Eighth Grade)
Alyson Griffin (Eighth Grade)
Rachel Hedge (Freshman)
Courtney Landon (Eighth Grade)
Ryan Lester (Eighth Grade)
Riley McDaniel (Freshman)
Emily Rainwater (Freshman)
Amanda Reese (Freshman)
Peyton Reitinger (Captain) (Freshman)
Hanna Sise (Captain) (Freshman)
Liz Standridge (Freshman)
Mackenzie Wright (Freshman)
Members of the 2008-09 Bruin junior varsity pom squad include (from left)
(front row) Alyson Griffin, Lizzy Barnett, Rachel Hedge, captain Catie George,
captain Peyton Reitinger, Natalie Bond, (middle row) Courtney Landon, Liz
Standridge, Mackenzie Wright, captain Hanna Sise, Taylor George, Amanda
Reese, (back row) Emily Rainwater and Riley McDaniel. Not pictured are team
members Abby Barnes and Ryan Lester.
Bartlesville High School’s 2008 graduation ceremony
is fast approaching. The event is scheduled for Friday,
May 23, at Custer Stadium. It is set to start at 8 p.m.
Mark the date and support the BHS Class of ‘08.
Jane Phillips Elementary honors its volunteers
Luncheon coincides with
special week of recognition
In recognition of National
Volunteer Appreciation Week, Jane
Phillips Elementary School played
host to a special luncheon on April
30.
The school has more than 100
volunteers in a variety of capacities,
and many of them turned out for
the luncheon, which was held in the
library. The volunteers help out with
programs such as the Lowe Family
Young Scholars, Positive Eagle Buddies Building Lasting Success (PEBBLES) and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Hailing from groups such as the Kiwanis Club, they assist in areas such
as Second Chance Reading. Members
of the school’s parent/teacher organization were on hand as well.
“We held the luncheon to honor Volunteers enjoy a meal during a special appreciation luncheon hosted by Jane Phillips
Elementary on April 30 in the school library.
and thank our volunteers for the
the Copper Restaurant at the Price
with a coveted Academic Achievetime and support they have proTower, Wendy’s Old Fashioned
ment Award. Jane Phillips chalked
vided us throughout the year,” said
up a lofty score of 1,382 for all of its
Christina Rigdon, the family support Hamburgers, Tee-Jays, McAlister’s
Deli and United Linen.
students. A score of 1,500 is considcoordinator at Jane Phillips. “We
Test scores have been on a
ered perfect. The school earned its
really appreciate them.”
noticeable incline at Jane Phillips
Academic Achievement Award for
The luncheon was made posmaking the third best show of imsible thanks to the donations of sev- in recent years. Earlier this year, the
school was recognized by the Oklaprovement among Group 3 elemeneral organizations, including Outhoma State Department of Education
tary schools (enrollment between 236
laws Chophouse, Sterlings Grille,
and 345 students) throughout the state.
Jane Phillips tallied an API
score of 763 in 2006, giving it an
81.13 percent improvement between
the two years.
“Our volunteers help our students not only to achieve success
in academics but to build life-long
skills as well,” said Rigdon. “They
model what it means to be responsible and respectful while and helping
our students build self confidence.
“Without our volunteers, we
would not be achieving the things
we have been able to accomplish for
our students.”
DINNER - Continued from Page 2
Ricketts, a graduate of Baker
University in Kansas, was the head
basketball coach at College High
from 1950-1964. Under Ricketts’
guidance, the Wildcats qualified
for seven state tournaments and
captured seven regional championships while finishing 208-98 overall. Ricketts was named the 1959
Oklahoma Coaches Association
All-State Basketball Coach and
was inducted into the Oklahoma
Coaches Association Hall of Fame
in 1969. He coached fellow inductees Dobbs and Ketchum.
Led by Sid Burton, the 1967
College High basketball team
finished 24-2 overall en route to
capturing the Class 3A state championship. In the title contest, the
Wildcats upset top-ranked Oklahoma City Douglass, 74-72. Burton
was the Tulsa World’s coach of
the year for the 1966-67 campaign
while Ernest Guery was an all-state
selection.
The mission of the Bartlesville Sports Commission is to
further the support of athletics and
athletic excellence in the Bartlesville area, to build relationships
and rekindle old relationships
among Bartlesville alumni for the
betterment of Bartlesville Public
School Athletics, to promote athletic events and endeavors in the
Bartlesville area, and to broadly
serve as an ambassador for athletics in Bartlesville.
The BSC is an independent,
non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization
under the Bartlesville Community
Foundation. It is privately funded
through individual, family and
corporate memberships. A 12member board of directors and a
larger advisory board, consisting of
regional business, community and
sports leaders direct the organization. For more information, go to
www.bartlesvillesports.com.
Madison Team Takes In Book Ceremony
Madison Middle School’s Battle of the Books team attended the annual Sequoyah Book
Award ceremony on April 21 in Tulsa. Madison library specialist Cheryl Shoemake led
the team, which included (from left) (front row) William Wade, Katherine Boulanger,
Nicole Biddinger, Beth Fentress, Kelly Shelts, (back row) Shoemake, Tim Stouffer,
Caitlyn Tappehorn and Katy Layman. Sponsored by the Oklahoma Library Association,
the annual Sequoyah Book Award is a student’s choice honor presented since 1959. The
program added a Young Adult literature award in 1987.
ConocoPhillips Serves Up Ace for Bruins
Bartlesville High School tennis recently received a $500 grant from ConocoPhillips
which was put toward the program’s annual Bartlesville Invitational event. Taking part
in the grant check presentation are (from left) BHS tennis head coach Bill Amburn,
ConocoPhillips’ Pam Blake, BHS tennis athletes Amy Grisham, Kurt Hodges and Daniel
Blake, BHS tennis assistant coach Terry Rogers and ConocoPhillips’ Craig Blake.
‘Flood-A-Polooza’
Richard Kane Elementary students and staff members
recognized the one-year anniversary of the flood which
damaged the school building on April 30 in a light-hearted
manner. Pictured is Melba Henson, a pre-kindergarten
assistant at Kane. In an event dubbed “Flood-A-Polooza,”
the Cougars dressed up in their best flood gear as they
looked back on the events of April 30, 2007. The flood
occurred in the early-morning hours after a six-inch
pipe burst beneath the building. The pipe fed the school’s
sprinkler system. A large-effort cleanup effort ensued and
classes had to be relocated to three area churches – First
Church of the Nazarene, Adams Blvd. Church of Christ and
First Baptist Church – for nearly two weeks.
Church volunteers give fresh
look to Kane teachers’ lounge
The teachers’ lounge at
Richard Kane Elementary
School boasts some new-found
charm thanks to the Bartlesville Southern Baptist Church.
Volunteers from the
church performed a makeover
on the lounge on April 12, adding a leather sofa, new tables
and some designer screens.
They even added some paw
prints on one of the walls for a
distinct Kane Cougar touch.
“The response from the
teachers has really been positive,” says Kane first-grade
teacher Jennifer Hamilton,
who is friends with many of
the volunteers. “The work
was very much appreciated.
“Projects like this make
the teachers really feel appreciated for all of the hard work
that they do.”
Bartlesville Southern
Baptist’s Allison Hackler
helped to organize the project
along with church missions di-
rector Jim Griffin. Among the
volunteer group was Hackler
and her husband, David, as
well as the couple’s daughters,
Rachel and Sadie. Also on
hand were Jeannette Miller and
her sons, Taylor and Jordan,
and Joy and Robert Poole.
“We started work
around 1 p.m. and finished up
about three hours later,” says
Hamilton, who served as a
volunteer worker on the project, also. “It was a nice transformation of the lounge.”
Bartlesville Southern
Baptist volunteers are no
strangers to Kane. They
pitched in to help the school
get back on its feet following the flood of 2007, which
resulted in classes having to
be relocated from the building for nearly two weeks.
Hamilton is in her first
year as a teacher at Kane. Her
daughter, Erin Rebekah, is in
the fourth grade at the school.
Bruin baseball team wins Class
6A State Academic Championship
The Bartlesville High School baseball team has
won the Class 6A State Academic Championship.
Officials from the Oklahoma Secondary
School Activities Association informed the Bartlesville Public School District of the Bruins’ feat
earlier this week. The team had the best cumulative grade-point average from the semester - in
this case, the first semester of the 2007-08 academic year - which preceded the spring season.
The Bruins are scheduled to collect their
academic championship trophy prior to the start
of the state baseball title game, set to take place
Tuesday at Drillers Stadium in Tulsa.
The teachers’ lounge at Richard Kane Elementary School has a fresh,
welcoming look these days thanks to a volunteer effort by members of the
Bartlesville Southern Baptist Church.
Little Ropers make reading fun with special events
Students and staff members at
the Will Rogers Early Childhood
Center have been enjoying fun reading activities recently.
Home to kindergarten and
pre-kindergarten students, Will
Rogers kicked off its first annual
Read-a-Thon fundraising event in
early March in conjunction with
the birthday of famed children’s
author Dr. Seuss. The Little Ropers
collected pledges from friends and
family members, who were asked to
make a donation for each book that
the students read.
At the conclusion of the Reada-Thon, the Little Ropers had read
2,800 books while collecting more
than $8,500. The money will be
used by the Will Rogers parentteacher organization to purchase
some “wish list” items for teachers’
classrooms.
Four students – Hannah Lindsley, Briley Ann Brown, Asher
Phillips and William Shiflet were
recognized for their outstanding efforts during the Read-a-Thon. They
were celebrated with a limo ride to
Washington Park Mall where they
Recognized for their outstanding efforts during the first annual Will Rogers Early
Childhood Center Read-a-Thon are (from left) Hannah Lindsley, Briley Ann Brown, Asher
Phillips and William Shiflet. Among the foursome’s prize package was a limo ride.
received a drink and a pretzel as
well as a free book from Waldenbooks.
Will Rogers played host to
“Dinner With Mrs. Wishy-Washy”
last month with the help of the
school’s PTO organization as well
as Home National Bank. As families
gathered and dined along with their
youngsters – approximately 600 hotdogs were served during the event
– Mrs. Wishy-Washy visited with
everyone, talking about the books
which have been written about her.
The goal of the evening was
to show families how much fun it
can be interacting with a book while
learning literacy concepts. After
dinner, students and their family
members went into classrooms at
Will Rogers where teachers modeled
a read-aloud session.
Fishing
Derby
Scheduled
The annual Bartlesville
Downtown Kiwanis
Fishing Derby is scheduled
to take place on Saturday,
May 17 - from 9 a.m. until
noon - at Jo Allyn Lowe
Park. Soft drinks, candy
and prizes will be available
at the event. All children
are invited to attend,
though kids between
the ages of three and 12
must be accompanied
by an adult. For more
information, call 336-1504.
ROCKET - Continued from Page 3
TARC.
The Mid-High team had to survive
a qualifying competition earlier this year
in order to make the national event. The
squad’s rocket had to fly 750 feet for 45.00
seconds while carrying two raw eggs. The
eggs had to be returned to the ground unbroken. The teams with the top 100 scores
throughout the country were extended an
invitation to the national TARC competition
in Virginia.
After a full day of launches – which
will be held at the Great Meadows facility in
The Plains – the TARC national winners will
be crowned.
Quinn, Sauceda, Heath and Denyer are
scheduled to fly to Virginia for the TARC
event on May 16.
Madison’s Recycling Effort Pays Off
Madison Middle School received a check for $1,000 from Abitibi Consolidated
Corporation’s recycling division on May 2 after the school reached its ultimate
paper recycling goal. Madison’s recycling effort – for newspaper, magazines,
shopping catalogs and mail as well as school and office paper – is led by its
VisionQuest program. The school has three paper recycling bins on campus
grounds which are used by students and staff members as well as citizens from
as far away as Kansas. Madison’s goal – from the period of October until March
– was to have at least 20 percent more recycled product than from the same span
a year earlier. If the school would have seen an increase of 15 percent more
product, it would have received $500. All told, Madison recycled 45.3 tons of
paper between its three bins to reach its goal and collect the $1,000.
Schools plan farewell events
for departing staff members
With the 2007-08 academic
year nearing its conclusion, some
teachers and other staff members
are preparing to say goodbye
to their respective secondary
schools within the Bartlesville
Public School District.
Bartlesville High School
The Bartlesville Mid-High School’s rocket team has planned a retirement/farewell
comprised of (clockwise from upper left-hand corner)
ceremony for May 20 – from
sophomores Andrew Quinn, Sam Denyer, Chris Heath
3:15-4:45 p.m. – in the hospitaland Daniel Sauceda - has qualified to compete in the
ity room of the Fine Arts Center.
national Team America Rocketry Challenge event on
May 17 in The Plains, Va.
Making up the group of eight
which will be honored are Susan
The Eighth Grade Bruin Bash is
Mueller, Roger Purser, Renda
scheduled to take place tonight (7
Sheets, Beth West, Gary Aaron,
p.m.) in the Mid-High gymnasium.
Rob Blevins, Leon Christensen
and Linsey Tompkins.
The Bartlesville Mid-High
School has scheduled a retirement reception for Mike Wilson,
Marjoleine Gravely and Kay
Jared on May 23 – at 11 a.m. –
in the Mid-High library.
Madison Middle School
has planned a retirement/goingaway breakfast for May 23 – at
9 a.m. – in its library. Among
those who will be honored will
be longtime instructor Margie
Brookshire. Central Middle
School will play host to a farewell reception in its library on
May 16 from 3:15-4:15 p.m.
GAMES - Continued from Page 1
As is tradition, the Bruins
received a special send-off toward
Stillwater for the Summer Games
on Wednesday morning outside of
Bartlesville High School. On hand
were several teachers, administrators and students as well as members of the Bruin Brigade, the Bruin
pom squad and the Bartlesville
Board of Education. Charlie Taraboletti, operations manager for KWON
1400 AM/KYFM 100.1 FM/KRIG
104.9 FM/KPGM 1500 AM, served
as the master of ceremonies. As the
caravan of athletes and chaperones
headed south, it received an escort
courtesy of the Bartlesville Police
Department.
Later on Wednesday, junior
April Snow and sophomore Nora
King represented Bartlesville
in the Parade of Athletes during
the opening ceremonies. Freshman Daniel Rigsby was the only
Bruin who was able to compete on
Wednesday, earned a silver medal
in the 25-meter wheelchair race
which was held on the Oklahoma
State University campus. Wednesday’s scheduled relay events were
washed out.
Collecting gold for the Bruins
on Thursday were seventh grader
Dustin Holmes (softball throw,
12-15 age group), junior Michael
Gonzalez (shotput, 16-21 age
group), sixth-grader Ashley Turney
(50-meter dash, 12-15 age group),
freshman Dimitri Walker (50-meter
dash, 12- 15 age group), freshman
Josh Tanner (standing long jump,
12-15 age group) and Jack Kirkpatrick (motor activities, 16-21 age
group).
A 2007 graduate of Bartlesville
High School, powerlifter Dusty
Cichon grabbed four gold medals with Bliss serving as a coach.
Competing in the 114-pound weight
division, he set personal bests in the
Among those who were on hand to wish the Bruins well Wednesday morning during the
send-off event outside of Bartlesville High School were members of the Bruin Brigade
Marching Band, the Bruin pom squad, the Bartlesville Board of Education, the student
council, the National Honor Society and numerous other supporters.
bench press (245 pounds) and the
squat (350 pounds) while earning
the top overall performance in his
class. His dead-lift showing was an
impressive 240 pounds.
Serving as a global messenger
for the Special Olympics, Cichon
helped to entertain the athletes by
performing a special dance set to
Asian music during the opening
ceremonies.
“Dusty was great,” said Bliss.
“He was able to increase his powerlifting by 20 to 30 pounds in each
competition.
“I was very excited for him.”
Following Thursday’s competitions, an evening dance and social
event was held for the athletes on
the football field at Stillwater High
School. A formal occasion, the ath-
letes look forward to the dance every year as it gives then a chance to
dress up and reconnect with friends
from throughout the Sooner State.
“The kids love the dance,” said
Bliss. “It’s one of the highlights of
the trip.”
The Bruin team at the Summer
Games was comprised of 27 athletes
in all. While in Stillwater, they had
the opportunity to stay in the Kerr
dormitory on the OSU campus. The
team was due to return home from
Stillwater this afternoon, no doubt
with some fine stories to tell.
“We’re having fun, no matter
what,” said Bliss. “But the kids have
really done well.
“Many of them have already
achieved personal bests in their
respective events.”
CHALKBOARD - Cont. from Page 1
classrooms succeed.
If you were remiss in saying
thank you to a teacher on Tuesday,
then why not take the opportunity
today. Perhaps you’ll see one of
those instructors leading a Sunday
school class. Or, maybe you’ll run
across one on Monday and you can
express your gratitude. It’s never too
late to provide warm acknowledgement of a job well done.
According to information gathered from the National Education
Association, the history of National
Teacher Appreciation Day is a little
unclear. In the 1940s, an Arkansas
teacher, Mattye Whyte Woodridge,
began a campaign to develop a
national day to honor instructors
by contacting political and educational leaders. One of the people to
whom Woodridge wrote was former
first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who
in 1953 persuaded the 81st United
States Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.
The NEA lobbied congress in
1980 to proclaim another National
Teacher Day, which it did – for that
year alone. But the NEA continued
the celebration, observing National
Teacher Day on the first Tuesday
every March until 1985. The National Parent-Teacher Association
then established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of
May and the NEA voted to make
the Tuesday of that week National
Teacher Day.
I applaud the efforts of Woodridge, congress, the NEA and the
National Parent-Teacher Association. Instructors throughout the
country – and the world – certainly
deserve to be recognized for all that
they do. But though we won’t be
observing another Teacher Appreciation Week – or National Teacher
Day, for that matter – for another
year, let’s keep the spirit of those
The Bartlesville Public School District boasts many fine teachers who are well deserving
of kudos, including Bartlesville High School physics instructor Granger Meador, who was
named the BPSD’s Teacher of the Year in February.
dates alive as long as we can. Our
teachers are well worth it.
Whenever people are asked to
name the most influential people
in their lives, they often pause and
begin a short period of reflection.
Then, more often than not, one of
the first names that springs from
their mouths is that of a teacher.
Sports hold a special place in the
hearts of our nation and some of
our best coaches have become
almost mythical figures. Think of
Vince Lombardi, Casey Stengel or
“Red” Auerbach. They are considered great men and great coaches.
Of course, at the essence of any
good coach is a teacher. They must
educate their players and then push
them to achieve great things. In
sports, great things are achieved on
the field or court. In life, teachers
help youngsters to achieve their
goals in a multitude of areas – in an
office, in a courtroom, in a hospital
or perhaps in a classroom, where
the splendid cycle is able to repeat
itself.
The National Teacher Appreciation Day will come back around
next year during the first full week
of May. Instructors will again be
lauded, and that’s as it should be.
Though patience is a virtue – and
I’m sure I learned that lesson from
a teacher – some things shouldn’t
have to wait.
Find a teacher. Say thank you.
Learn how good that can make everyone feel, yourself included.
Stellar Sites
ChevronPhillips Grant Aids Madison
The Bartlesville Public School District offers a wide array of useful tools for
students as well as parents.
For some extra educational insight,
give these web sites a look:
PowerSchool
http://www.bps-ok.org Click on the PowerSchool link toward the top of the home page.
· Parents and legal guardians can check
with office personnel at their student’s school
to find out how to access PowerSchool.
· Information on students - such as
grades and attendance records available via
PowerSchool.
Study Island
http://www.studyisland.com Use the
“Member Login.”
· Student login information must be
obtained from teachers.
Madison Middle School science instructor Julia Quinn recently received
several supplies for her classroom which she was able to purchase thanks to a
$2,100 grant from ChevronPhillips. Among the supplies were chemistry kits,
scales, goggles and curriculum items.
Bartlesville Public Schools Activities (Week of May 9-15, 2008)
Friday, May 9
EOI Testing
MAD Week at Bartlesville High School
Little Roper Day (Will Rogers Early Childhood Center)
Popcorn, Pickle and Candy Day (Ranch Heights)
All Library Books Due (Madison Middle School)
Percussion Rehearsal at Fine Arts Center (TBA)
Soccer: Varsity Boys and Girls at State (TBA)
Tennis: Varsity Boys at State in Oklahoma City (TBA)
Track: Varsity Boys and Girls at State (TBA)
Home Alone Program (3rd Grade) (1 p.m.) (Richard Kane Elementary School)
Eighth Grade Bruin Bash at Mid-High School Gym (7 p.m.) (Central/Madison)
Saturday, May 10
Percussion Rehearsal in Fine Arts Center (TBA)
Tennis: Boys Varsity at State Tournament in OKC (TBA)
Track: Boys and Girls Varsity at State Meet (TBA)
M.A.D. Week Fun Run and 5K Dash (Begins outside of BHS) (9:30 a.m.)
Sunday, May 11
Travis Dunlap Concert in Fine Arts Center (3 p.m.)
Monday, May 12
Third Grade Accelerated Readers Trip to McDonald’s (Wayside)
Mid-High Awards Assembly in Mid-High Auditorium (9:30 a.m.)
WPSA Meeting (9:30 a.m.) (Wayside Elementary School)
Central Orchestra Concert in Central Auditorium (7 p.m.)
Percussion Concert in Fine Arts Center (7 p.m.)
Tuesday, May 13
GED Testing (McKinley)
First Grade Trip to Tulsa Zoo (Richard Kane Elementary School)
Fifth Grade Growth and Development (Oak Park Elementary)
PTO Walk-A-Thon During Specials Times (Hoover Elementary)
Bruins for Christ in Library (7:30 a.m.) (Madison Middle School)
Eighth Grade Awards Assembly (8:30 a.m.) (Central Middle School)
Eighth Grade Tours Mid-High (8:30 a.m.) (Madison Middle School)
Seventh Grade Awards Assembly (9:25 a.m.) (Central Middle School)
Sixth Grade Awards Assembly (10:15 a.m.) (Central Middle School)
Parent Support Group Meeting (1 a.m.) (Mid-High School)
Talent Show (1:15 p.m.) (Madison Middle School)
BHS/Mid-High Band Concert at Fine Arts Center (7 p.m.)
Wednesday, May 14
Fifth Grade Growth and Development Class (Richard Kane Elementary)
Orchestra Load-In and Rehearsal at Fine Arts Center
Young Authors Day (1 p.m.) (Wayside Elementary School)
Eighth Grade Tour of the Mid-High School (9:25 a.m.) (Central)
Sixth Grade Awards Assembly (10 a.m.) (Madison Middle School)
Class of 2008 Senior Reception (Noon) (Oak Park Elementary School)
Senior Alumni Day (3:15 p.m.) (Richard Kane Elementary School)
Senior Alumni Day (3:45 p.m.) (Wilson Elementary School)
Senior Alumni Day (3:45 p.m. (Ranch Heights Elementary School)
“Excellence
Thursday, May 15
In Education”
GED Testing (McKinley)
Art II Trip to Oklahoma City (Mid-High School)
Third Grade History Trip (Oak Park Elementary School)
Seventh Grade Awards Assembly (10 a.m.) (Madison)
Third Grade Trip to Frank Phillips Mansion (1 p.m.) (Wayside)
Spring Fling Dress (4 p.m.) (Fine Arts Department)
Eighth Grade Open Night at Youth Canteen (6 p.m.) (Central/Madison)
Madison Choir Concert in Madison Auditorium (7 p.m.)
BHS/Mid-High Orchestra Concert at Fine Arts Center (7:30 p.m.)