The Bruin - Bartlesville Public Schools

Bartlesville Public Schools’
Volume 2, Number 16
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
www.bps-ok.org
The Bruin
Weekly E-Mail Newsletter
“Excellence
In
Education”
Potter makes All-State
Becomes just 3rd Bruin cheerleader to survive cut
Bartlesville High School’s Chelsea now cheer in the All-State football and
basketball games, both of which are
Potter has plenty to cheer about.
The senior class president, she’s a scheduled to take place in Tulsa in July.
“It gives me goose bumps,” says
member of the National Honor Society
Potter of making the All-State cheerand is a regular on the honor
leading squad. “I feel very
roll, where her grade-point
honored.
average regularly sits between
“It’s a very big deal to
a stellar 3.5 and a perfect 4.0.
know you’re one of the top
Amidst of all of Potter’s
cheerleaders in the state.”
other accolades and achieveDuring the competition,
ments comes a very special
Potter went through a warmone. On Nov. 14 in Newcasup round before she worked
tle, the senior became just the
through her routine for the
Potter
third student in BHS history
judges. She did her cheer first,
to be selected as an Oklahoma Second- followed by a jump sequence, a standary School Activities Association Alling/tumbling sequence and a running/
State cheerleader. Competing against
tumbling sequence. For her final se63 other students for just 16 available
quence – the running/tumbling exerspots on the squad, Potter nailed down
cise – Potter’s routine consisted of a
POTTER - Continued to Page 3
one of the coveted positions and will
Bartlesville High School cheerleader
Chelsea Potter performs during a
varsity football game earlier this
year.
Church gives Mid-High
lounge Grace-ful makeover
Teachers’ lounges are typically utilitarian.
They offer tables and chairs, a microwave and a coffee pot and perhaps a refrigerator. Up until last weekend,
the teachers’ lounge at the Bartlesville Mid-High School
fit that mold.
Following a dramatic volunteer makeover by their
friends at Grace Community Church, Mid-High instructors now boast a teachers’ lounge that is seemingly second to none. The refurbished area is newly painted with
fresh window treatments, including burgundy drapes, and
a new sink and countertop. Upon the countertop sits a
new coffee pot and microwave oven. Beside it is a tasteMath instructor Julie Richards gets some work done Tuesday in the ful, new black refrigerator. A new computer sits in what
newly restored teachers’ lounge at the Bartlesville Mid-High.
MAKEOVER - Continued to Page 2
MAKEOVER - Continued from Page 1
has been transformed into a nice,
comfortable work nook in the corner
while a pair of wide and tall bookshelves can be found on the far wall.
Between them is a new flat-screen
television.
Facing the TV and bookshelves
are a huge sofa and chairs which
flank it. Though nice, the chairs will
soon be replaced with upgrades,
thanks to Grace.
Stylish decorations in the area
make it look like the living room of
an upscale home.
“The good people at Grace
Community Church have been true
missionaries,” says Mid-High principal Jason Langham. “They wanted
to do this for us.
“Their goal is to be a good
Thanks to a makeover project from Grace Community Church volunteers, the teachers’
civic role model and a good civic
lounge at the Bartlesville Mid-High School has undergone a dramatic transformation.
partner.”
getting some work done. Across
A group of volunteers – most of
The list of volunteer efforts
them ConocoPhillips employees –
Grace Community has made toward from her was fellow instructor
Marty Louthan. Prior to the make- worked on a project to improve the
the betterment of the Mid-High is a
over, neither was a regular in the
breezeway which runs between the
long one. When the Mid-High held
lounge. In the wake of it, they
school’s two main buildings. New
its first-ever Bruin Camp – a fun,
plan to be.
shrubs and trees were planted while
freshman orientation event – on
“I was in here on Monday,”
some unsightly vegetation was
July 31, the church provided several
notes Richards, “and the room was
trimmed back. As is the case with
volunteer helpers to assist students
the teachers’ lounge makeover, the
and parents alike and donated much full.”
Grace Community Church
breezeway project helped make the
of the money that helped to make
volunteers began the makeover
Mid-High a more welcoming place
the event a reality. Grace Commufor students, staff members and visinity volunteers have helped to paint project on Friday evening. They
worked through the day on Saturday tors to the campus.
much of the Mid-High building
to finish up by the beginning of the
As she sat in the lounge on
– both the interior and the exterior
Tuesday, Louthan couldn’t get over
– and recently finished up a garden- new week. The school district will
soon replace the old lighting in the
the transformation of the space. Two
ing project toward the front of the
lounge, thus making the room even
wooden signs added to the tranquiledifice.
more hospitable.
ity of the room. “Peace” says one.
“It’s been amazing,” says
“Dream” reads the other.
“Now, the adults in our buildLangham. “Our students and staff
Still, Louthan grew rather exing want to come into the teachers’
members have been overwhelmed
cited
when discussing the makeover
lounge,” says Mid-High vice prinby the generosity of the folks at
project led by Grace Community
cipal Travis Lashbrook. “Before, it
Grace Community Church.
Church.
was kind of dreary.”
“They are wonderful.”
“This teachers’ lounge is aweHome to approximately 1,000
Wonderful might not be too
some,” she said. “It’s outstanding.
students, the Mid-High – which
strong a word to describe the
features freshmen and sophomores – It’s incredible.
new look of the Mid-High teach“We have everything we need.
benefitted from a United Way “Day
ers’ lounge. Julie Richards sat at
of Caring” project in September.
It’s just like home.”
a table in the room on Tuesday
Mid-High Teachers Offer Science Insight at State Conference
Bartlesville Mid-High
School instructors
Erica Derryberry (left)
and Terri Bryan made
a presentation at the
Oklahoma Science
Teachers Association Fall
Conference on Oct. 18
in Oklahoma City. The
presentation was entitled
“Who Let the D.O.G.S.
Out” and focused on
getting students to show
logical math reasoning
when solving science
problems. Teachers from
throughout Oklahoma
attended the conference,
which featured numerous
different workshops and
presentations.
POTTER - Continued from Page 1
full through to back. The exercise includes a back hand
spring, a full twist, two more back hand springs and a
back tuck to finish.
“That was very impressive,” notes Julie Miller,
the BHS varsity and competitive cheerleading coach.
“She stepped it up a notch, because she hadn’t tried that
before.
“She did it, and she did it well.”
A longtime cheerleader, Potter began competing
in gymnastics at the age of six. She took part in youth
cheerleading before moving on to the junior high and
high school ranks, where she is a varsity and competitive cheerleading captain for the Bruins.
Potter is currently exploring her university options
– she has her sights set on Oklahoma and Oklahoma
State – where she one day hopes to study architectural
engineering. She would like to be on the sidelines
cheering on either the Sooners or the Cowboys as well.
“Cheerleading has always been a big part of my
life,” says Potter. “I would love to cheer in college. That
would be the icing on the cake.”
Potter is pushed forward by a strong inner drive to
always do better. The drive has served her well, helping
her to excel from her earliest gymnastics competitions
and in the classroom as well, where she loves the challenge of working through formulas as a self-described
“math junkie.”
“I probably did about 98 percent as well as what I
thought I could do in the All-State competition,” says
Potter. “I’m always tough on myself. I always think I
can do better.”
Potter admitted to having some nervous moments
at the All-State competition, just as she had at the AllRegion event which preceded it. But she persevered, as
has become her trademark.
“I think it’s great that she made the All-State
squad,” says Miller. “It’s a big honor. Chelsea has represented our school very well.”
Also representing the Bruins well at the All-State
competition was BHS varsity and competitive cheerleading captain Heather Birmingham, who fell short of
making the squad after excelling at the All-Region competition. Like Potter, Birmingham was hoping to join
Lara Upshaw and Kelsey Dunlap – both of who made
the squad in 2004 – as the only Bruins to be All-State
cheerleaders.
“The All-State competition was definitely the
toughest that I’ve seen so far,” said Miller. “It was very
difficult.”
Both Potter and Birmingham will lead BHS when
it takes part in the CheerSport Nationals, a competition
which is scheduled for Feb. 15 at the Georgia Dome in
Atlanta. Prior to that, the pair will have plenty of opportunities to cheer on the Bruins throughout the remainder
of the 2007-08 academic year.
“We have some great cheerleaders at Bartlesville
High School,” says Miller. “We’re proud of them.”
Filing dates
approaching
for Board
candidates
The Board of Education of
the Bartlesville Public School
District hereby announces that
statutorily qualified individuals
interested in running as a candidate for the numbers 5 and 6
seats on the Bartlesville Board
of Education may file to run as
a candidate for these seats at
the Washington County Election Board between the hours
of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Dec. 3-5,
2007.
Those who are interested
in being considered for school
board candidacy must meet
certain qualifications. The person must be qualified to vote
in any school district election
and be registered with the
county election board within
Ward 5 or 6 of the school district. They must be a resident
of – and a registered voter in
– the school district and the
election district for at least six
months immediately prior to
being appointed.
No person can serve on
the school board unless they
have been awarded a high
school diploma or a certificate
of high school equivalency. A
person who has been convicted
of a misdemeanor involving
embezzlement or of a felony
who has entered a plea of
guilty or “nolo contendere” to
such crime shall not be eligible
to serve in a school board position for a period of 15 years
following completion of the
BOARD - Continued to Page 5
Firm Grasp of Language and Success
Twenty-one students from Bartlesville High School’s Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (formerly
the National Spanish Honor Society) were inducted into Oklahoma’s Greco-Borges Chapter
in a ceremony which took place at the home of Anne Perrine, a BHS Spanish teacher, on Nov.
4. Pictured are (from left) (front row) Rachel Huckabee, Samirah Mohamad, Kristen Strycker,
Muna Gharfeh, Christy Bennett, (middle row) Karina Cappelletti, Sarah Wilburn, Michelle
Sisson, (back row) Tanner Jean, Emily Sims, Megan Tresner, Candace Grimes, Maggie Moser,
Lindsay Bolen and Carrie Tillett. Not pictured are Rachel Rickards, Benjamin Rummage,
Marquise Jackson, Clint Shoemake, Courtney Brummett, Kayla Miller, Nicole Woodruff, Emily
Carter and Hannah Williamson. The Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica is an honor society which
recognizes the lofty achievements of BHS students studying Spanish and Portuguese, and
works to promote a continued interest in Hispanic studies. The 2007 initiates have maintained
an A average in Spanish for at least three semesters and have committed to the completion
of community service. BHS has maintained an active chapter in the Sociedad Honoraria
Hispanica since 1985.
BPSF Helps Jane Phillips Get Tuned Up
Jane Phillips Elementary music teacher Donald Stambeck (pictured far right) recently received
a grant from the Bartlesville Public School Foundation which will go toward the purchase of
an LCD projector for the school’s music room. Presenting the grant on behalf of the BPSF are
Pat Wright (second from left) and Jennifer Tate (third from left). Also pictured is Jane Phillips
principal Ken Copeland (far left).
Some Simply Stellar Sites
BOARD - Continued from Page 4
sentence or during the pending period of an
appeal.
The Bartlesville Public School District offers a wide array of
No person can be a candidate for or
useful tools for students as well as parents.
serve as a board member if the person is
For some extra educational insight, give these web sites a look: currently employed by the Bartlesville Public School District or is related within the
PowerSchool
second degree by affinity or consanguinity
http://www.bps-ok.org Click on the PowerSchool link toward the
to any other member of the board or to an
top of the home page.
employee of this school district.
· Parents and legal guardians can check with office personnel at
To see where Districts 5 and 6 are
their student’s school to find out how to access PowerSchool.
located – they correspond to seat numbers
· Information on students - such as grades and attendance records
5 and 6 – please visit the BPSD web site at
available via PowerSchool.
www.bps-ok.org . Then, click on the “Board
Study Island
of Education” link to the left. Scroll down
http://www.studyisland.com Use the “Member Login.”
to “Other Information” toward the bottom
· Student login information must be obtained from teachers.
of the page and click on the “Map of School
· Used by grades three through eight.
Board Districts” link. Once the map opens,
Everyday Math Games
https://www.emgames.com Click on “At Home Student Login” but- District 6 is highlighted in yellow while
ton.
District 5 is highlighted in purple.
· Student login information must be obtained from teachers.
Seven people comprise the Bartlesville
· Used by grades kindergarten through five.
Board of Education.
Bartlesville Public Schools Activities (Nov. 20-29, 2007)
Tuesday, Nov. 20
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Seventh Grade AIDS Curriculum in Library (Madison Middle School)
No Teacher Tutoring Bus (Central Middle School)
Wear Your Colors Day: “OU/OSU” (Ranch Heights Elementary School)
Bruins For Christ In Library (7:30 a.m.) (Madison Middle School)
Heritage Day Assembly (2:40 p.m.) (Central Middle School)
Wednesday, Nov. 21
*** NO SCHOOL (EXCEPT AT BHS): THANKSGIVING BREAK ***
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Thursday, Nov. 22
*** NO SCHOOL: THANKSGIVING BREAK ***
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Full Orchestra Rehearsal (7:30 a.m.) (Fine Arts Center)
Friday, Nov. 23
*** NO SCHOOL: THANKSGIVING BREAK ***
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Saturday, Nov. 24
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Sunday, Nov. 25
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Skill of the Week: “Character Feelings, Character Analysis” (Oak Park Elementary
School)
Monday, Nov. 26
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Basketball: Eighth-Grade Boys and Girls, Central vs. Madison (6 p.m.) (BHS
Fieldhouse)
Basketball: Freshmen at Stillwater (6 p.m.)
“Excellence
In
Education”
Tuesday, Nov. 27
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Bruins For Christ in Library (7:30 a.m.) (Madison Middle School)
One-Room School House Trip (Cooper’s 4th Grade Class) (9:30 a.m.) (Ranch
Heights Elementary School)
One-Room School House Trip (Gerth’s 4th Grade Class) (12:30 a.m.) (Ranch
Heights Elementary School)
Wednesday, Nov. 28
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
Mid-Terms Go Home (Elementary Schools)
One-Room School House Trip (Salzyn’s 4th Grade Class) (9:30 a.m.) (Ranch
Heights Elementary School)
One-Room School House Trip (Stubbs’ 4th Grade Class) (12:30 a.m.) (Ranch
Heights Elementary School)
Thursday, Nov. 29
Canned Food Drive (Will Rogers ECC, Elementary Schools and Middle Schools)
FCCLA Competitive Events (Central Middle School)
Picture Re-Take Day (Ranch Heights Elementary School)
Full Orchestra Rehearsal (7:30 a.m.) (Fine Arts Center)
Swimming: Varsity vs. Ponca City (5:30 p.m.)
Basketball: Madison Eighth-Grade vs. Sapulpa at Bartlesville Mid-High Gymnasium (6 p.m.)
Basketball: Central Middle School at Sand Springs (6 p.m.)
Wrestling: Varsity and Junior High vs. Coweta (6 p.m.)
Basketball: Central Eighth-Grade at Sand Springs (6 p.m.)
Basketball: Madison Eighth-Grade vs. Sapulpa (6 p.m.)
Basketball: Freshmen Boys and Girls vs. Ponca City (6 p.m.)