Bartlesville Public School District`s Weekly Email

Bartlesville Public School District’s Weekly Email Newsletter
The Bruin
Volume 7, Number 28...Friday, March 8, 2013...www.bps-ok.org
Superintendent’s
Chalkboard
Oklahoma School
Security Commission
releases five safety
recommendations
Upgrades to PowerSchool will necessitate the creation of a new account for parent/guardian
users.
PowerSchool upgrades
set to take place March 25
Beginning March 25, the Bartlesville Public School District will unveil
Parent Single Sign-on in PowerSchool
and the PowerSchool Mobile App.
The two new features will greatly
increase convenience for users and enhance the accessibility of PowerSchool.
The Parent Single Sign-on feature
will allow parents/guardians to have one
login to access information for multiple
students for whom they have legal/
parental rights. Each parent/guardian
can have a unique login, provided they
are using a unique e-mail address for
each account. Users will also be able to
auto-recover their login information if
they have forgotten their username and/
or password.
The Parent Single Sign-on feature
will be available only for parents/guardians. Students will continue to login using their current ID and password. The
only difference for students will be the
appearance of the login page.
Also set to be unveiled on
UPGRADES- Continued to page 8
Over the past six weeks, I have
had the privilege of serving on the
Oklahoma
School Security Commission. The
commission,
led by Lieutenant Governor
Todd Lamb,
is made up of
Dr. Gary Quinn
school officials, members
of law enforcement, mental health
officials and safety experts.
In late January, we first convened with a goal of creating recommendations to bring to the State
Legislature. We worked diligently
over six weeks to discuss safety and
security in our schools.
Ultimately, we came up with
39 proposals on how to improve
school safety and security. From
that point, we identified which
proposals would have the biggest
impact, yet still be feasible in terms
of acceptance by the State Legislature and budgetary restrictions. In
the end, we narrowed down the 39
proposals to five recommendations.
CHALKBOARD- Continued to page 8
Classified Person of the Year
finalists announced
The six finalists for the Bartlesville Public
School District’s Classified Person of the Year have
been announced.
All BPSD employees were eligible to nominate
a district classified person for the honor. The finalists represent several categories including Administrative Assistant, Custodial/Maintenance, Schools
Assistant, Transportation, Technology/Media/Health
Services, School Age Care and Child Nutrition.
The 2013 finalists include Leslie Donnell of the
Will Rogers Complex (Administrative Assistant),
Elizabeth VanDeventer from Mid-High (Child Nutrition), Gary Leming who works at BPSD’s warehouse facility (Custodial/Maintenance), Mid-High’s
Cindy Thompson (School Assistant), Kane’s Britta-
BPSD Pre-K
enrollment now
underway
Pre-Kindergarten enrollment for all Bartlesville Public School District elementary schools is
now underway.
To be eligible, the prospective student must
turn four years old on or before September 1,
2013. In order to enroll, parents/guardians must
go to the elementary school in their district and
complete an enrollment form. Parents/guardians
must also bring the child’s birth certificate, shot
records, proof of residency and the child’s social
security card at the time of enrollment. To identify the elementary district serving a street address
please visit http://epts4.edulogweb.com/Bartlesville2/webquery/.
If you would like more information about
BPSD elementary schools please visit the BPSD
website at http://www.bartlesville.k12.ok.us/ and
click on the schools tab at the top of the page.
Pre-Kindergarten class space is limited and
parents are encouraged to enroll as soon as possible. Please contact Christie Young at 918-3368600 ext. 1030 or [email protected] with any
general enrollment questions.
ny York (School Age Care) and Regina Sheets from
BPSD’s Transportation Services (Transportation).
The 23rd Annual Classified Person of the Year
Reception will be held at the Bartlesville Community Center on Tuesday, March 26 at which the Classified Person of the Year nominees will be recognized
and the winner will be announced.
The BPSD has approximately 800 employees,
roughly half of which are classified employees.
While teachers and administrators are considered
certified, those who are classified typically serve support roles such as bus drivers, custodians and receptionists. The BPSD boasts an outstanding group of classified employees and thoroughly enjoys recognizing their
outstanding work each year at this event.
Students
encouraged to
submit artwork for
‘BAD’ awareness
event
The City of Bartlesville and the Fraternal Order
of Police are hosting “BAD,” Bartlesville Against
Domestic violence, a community wide domestic
abuse awareness event at the Lyons Gallery beginning Monday March 11, 2013 at 6 p.m.
The City of Bartlesville and the Fraternal Order
of Police are asking students for submissions of
artwork (poetry, photography, paintings, drawings,
sculptures) in relation to domestic violence, sexual
abuse, or violent crimes. The group encourages students to participate and share their stories or images
of how violence makes them feel.
Students should write their names on the back of
the artwork so the pieces will be anonymous, but can
be returned to the artist. Submissions can be turned in
at the main office of each school and will be picked up
the morning of March 11. Artwork will be displayed at
the Bartlesville Community Center Lyons Gallery until
March 25. For more information go to www.facebook.
com/FOPlodge117 and click on the BAD event.
2013-2014 BPSD
Cheer tryouts
upcoming
Cheer tryouts for the 2013-2014 school
year are just around the corner. To be eligible
to tryout, prospective cheerleaders and a parent/guardian must attend a March 11 meeting at
6:30 p.m. in the Bartlesville High School Fine
Arts Center. If you do no attend you will not be
eligible to try out. Below are the tryout dates
for BPSD cheer squads.
High School Tryouts (Varsity and JV)
Monday, March 25 - 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bartlesville Mid-High
Tuesday, March 26 - 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bartlesville Mid-High
Wednesday, March 27 - 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bartlesville Mid-High
8th Grade Tryouts
Thursday, March 28 - 5:45 p.m. to 8:30p.m. Bartlesville Mid-High
Monday, April 1 - 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bartlesville Mid-High
Tuesday, April 2 - 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bartlesville Mid-High
GED testing changes
to be introduced in
2014
Effective January 1,
2014, GED testing services
will release a new version
of the GED test that is taken
nationwide.
According to developers of the new test, it will
incorporate more of the
Common Core curriculum
that has been adopted by
many states. The test will
also shift from a five part test
to a four part test. The four
parts will include reasoning
through language arts, mathematical reasoning, science
and social studies.
Additionally, GED tests
will no longer be available
in paper form, but rather the
test will be completed via
computer. Test costs will
also nearly double to $120.
While many students take
tests at a reduced cost due
to subsidies, the price is still
anticipated to increase for all
student test takers.
The changes will also
stretch beyond simply content and format. All who
have started the GED testing program, but not fully
completed it by December
31, 2013 will see scores rendered null and be required to
re-take the GED program.
As a result of the changes set to occur, the Bartlesville Public School District
would like to encourage
those who have started, but
not yet completed their
GED to do so by December
31, 2013 to avoid having to
re-take the examination.
Gloria Tso receives honors from Kiwanis Club
Special to The Bruin/On February 27, the
Downtown Bartlesville Kiwanis club honored
sophomores from the Washington County schools
with the Walter Hurst Sophomore of the Year
award. Walter Hurst was a long time member of the
Texas-Oklahoma Foundation Board and financial
supporter of the Texas-Oklahoma Foundation.
In 1979-80, an award was set up in his name.
The award is based on leadership qualities. A
primary goal is to seek out, recognize and develop
leadership potential commencing with high school
sophomores, and to encourage and prepare the
next generation of civic and corporate leadership
for America's future. Gloria Tso from Bartlesville
Mid-High School was chosen as the overall winner
for Washington County. Additionally, Tso was
recognized as the District 25 Kiwanis Sophomore of
the Year. District 25 makes up Eastern Oklahoma
and parts of Northern Texas.
Pianist returns to Bartlesville Public
Library
Special to The Bruin
On Sunday, March 10 at 3 p.m. Pianist Wayne McEvilly returns to the Bartlesville Public Library with a program
of music and images. McEvilly will perform selections by
Franz Schubert along with painterly video projections by the
artist SER. The life and history of Schubert will be explored,
along with his music.
A music video projection, “Color Portraits of a Madonna” will be shown which features SER’s artwork with audio
of McEvilly’s performance of Schubert’s Impromptu A Flat
Major Opus 90 No.4 at Carnegie Hall.
Since his move to Oklahoma City from California in
2004, McEvilly continues to bring the poetry of music to
schools and libraries throughout Oklahoma. “It is commonplace to assert that music is a universal language,” McEv-
illy said. “What is less seldom recognized is that music is
a language of great and precise specificity. Music speaks
directly to the human spirit.” The art of SER is currently being recognized by collectors in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
The most notable quality of his work is his ability to
harmonize color in such a way as to create motion
and energy. Currently SER is collaborating with
McEvilly creating a series of music videos which
are available as DVDs at the Bartlesville Public
Library: “SERimages with Metamusic” and “A Gallery Walk of SER Images.”
The concert is free and open to all ages. Copies
of “Color Portraits of a Madonna” will be available for
purchase after the program for $10 plus tax. For more
information, contact the Library at 918-338-4161.
66 FCU 2013 Movin’ On Up Scholarship Contest
Special to The Bruin
Attention High School Seniors! 66 Federal Credit Union’s annual scholarship contest has begun.
To aid in college expenses, 66 FCU will grant $1,000 to one deserving senior this spring. Applying is easy.
Simply visit www.66fcu.org to submit the online application and review official rules. Winners will be announced
at the year-end awards assembly in May. Deadline to enter is March 15, 2013.
Bartlesville Public School District partners with the Credit Union throughout the year in several ways
including the scholarship contest, various sponsorships of school events, and the Bruin Debit Card program.
Bartlesville Rotary Club distributes
dictionaries to schools
Special to The Bruin/The Bartlesville Rotary Club handed out over 300 dictionaries to third
graders at Jane Phillips, Kane, Wayside and Wilson last week.
Vote Wilson
and Hartsock
for the Ford
Elite Eight
Award
Bartlesville High School
basketball players Paige
Wilson and Jakob Hartsock
are nominees for the Ford
Elite Eight Award hosted
by Tulsa’s Channel 8. The
award recognizes top basketball players from the Tulsa
area. To vote please log on
to http://www.ktul.com/category/255621/elite-8-fordaward?=#WNPoll127562.
Big Country
Breakfast to benefit
‘Pack the Backpacks’
set for March 9
Special to The Bruin
The Washington County School Supply Drive,
better known as “Pack the Backpacks,” is inviting
everyone to attend Big Country Breakfast at the Elks
Lodge (next to Wal-Mart) on March 9 from 7 a.m. to
11 a.m. Cost is only $6.
The money raised is used to purchase supplies for
the organization’s “Pack the Backpacks” campaign,
which provided about 2,500 custom-packed backpacks
this year to students from Copan to Ramona. Featured
items include bacon, sausage, pancakes, eggs and biscuits and gravy. You won’t leave hungry!
Check out BPSD on
facebook and twitter
Keep up to date
with the latest happenings around the Bartlesville Public School
District by visiting the
BPSD facebook page
and twitter page.
To visit the BPSD
facebook page, search
Bartlesville Public
Schools on Facebook
or use the link http://
www.facebook.com/#!/
BartlesvillePublicSchools. When you
visit the site, make sure
to like the page. Currently, the BPSD has
over 2,900 likes.
The BPSD twitter
handle is @BPSDBruins. Become a follower
and get district updates
and announcements.
Social media is a
great communication
platform and you are
encouraged to visit the
BPSD facebook page
and twitter page.
Volunteer opportunities available within BPSD
Have you been searching for a way to help out Bartlesville youth? The Bartlesville Public School District has
volunteer opportunities available throughout the district.
Currently, volunteers are needed to serve as tutors,
mentors, Elementary crossing guards and state test proctors.
With state testing beginning soon, test proctors are especially
needed.
If you are not interested in any of the above volunteer
opportunities, the BPSD will still gladly take volunteers and
find tasks that fit your interests.
In order to become a BPSD volunteer, you
must be of legal age, be of good moral character,
complete a volunteer inquiry form and pass a background check. Additionally, all volunteers must
receive a school orientation and work under the
direct supervision of BPSD staff while completing
assigned volunteer tasks.
To receive more information please contact
Christina Rigdon, District Volunteer Coordinator at
918-337-6231 ex 1635.
Fentress and Zhou qualify for National Speech/Debate Tournament
Special to The Bruin/Bartlesville High
School senior Beth Fentress(right) and junior
Lawrence Zhou(left) both qualified to attend
the National Forensic League National
Speech/Debate Tournament. The national
tournament will be held in Birmingham,
Alabama, June 15-22, 2013. Beth was also
named East Oklahoma National Forensic
League Student of the Year. She was
competing against seniors from 40 other
high schools in Eastern Oklahoma. This is
the first time a Bartlesville student has ever
received this award. This will be the third
trip to the national tournament for both Beth
and Lawrence.
Bartlesville to join Frontier Valley Conference
The Frontier Valley Conference voted on Wednesday to
accept Bartlesville into the league. Joining Bartlesville as a
new member will be Bishop Kelley High School.
“We are excited to welcome Bartlesville and Bishop
Kelley into the conference and look forward to rekindling old
relationships with Bartlesville and building new ones with
Bishop Kelley,” stated Owasso Athletics Director and current Frontier Valley Conference President Danny Hightower.
Bartlesville will begin league play in junior high sports
and all varsity non-district sports except varsity basketball for
the 2013-14 season; the Bruins and Lady Bruins will begin
league play in varsity basketball in 2014-15. Bishop Kelley
will continue as a member of the Metro Lakes Conference
UPGRADES- Continued from page 1
March 25, PowerSchool will now be
available as an App for smart phone
users.
In order to implement the upgrades, all parents/guardians will be
required to create a new account. This
process should only take a few minutes.
When the new PowerSchool
features are implemented on March
25, parents/guardians will no longer
be able to log in to PowerSchool using
for one final season and then join Bartlesville in the Frontier
Valley Conference for the 2014-15 school year. With the
addition of Bartlesville and Bishop Kelley the Frontier Valley
Conference will now comprise of 10 teams.
“I am excited to be back into the Frontier Valley
Conference; hopefully we can add value to the league,”
said Bartlesville Athletics Director Tim Bart. “I believe the
conference will be very beneficial to our athletes and exciting
for our community. Joining the conference will enable us to
compete at the highest level.”
Current Frontier Conference members include Jenks,
Union, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Muskogee, Sand
Springs and Sapulpa.
current usernames and passwords.
Once a new account has been
created, parents/guardians will need to
link the records of students to the new
account. It will also be necessary to set
up e-mail notifications once again for
each student. In order to complete this
process, parents/guardians will need
the PowerSchool parent access ID and
password for each student. The PowerSchool parent access ID and password
is the same username and password
that has been used to sign on to the par-
ent portal in the past.
A letter going home to all parents
and guardians will have username and
password information should it have
been forgotten or misplaced.
For more information please
visit the BPSD website at http://www.
bartlesville.k12.ok.us/ and click on the
PowerSchool changes link.
Please contact school secretaries or PowerSchool Coordinator Julie
Woody at 918-336-8600 ext. 1003 if
you have any questions.
On Tuesday, at the State Capitol, our commission put forth the five recommendations to the State Legislature which could be accomplished for less than $1 million in new spending this year. The five recommendations include the formation of an Oklahoma School Security Institute, establishing a mental health first aid training
pilot program, changes to state law that would better define required safety drills, require the reports of firearms to local law
enforcement and the establishment of a statewide school security tip line.
There is not one singular answer to making our schools safe, but I believe creating collaborative commissions such as
the Oklahoma School Security Commission is extremely important to tailoring solutions to improve the safety of schools
throughout Oklahoma. I feel each of the recommendations can help improve the safety and security of schools.
As we move forward, it is my hope that school safety will continue to be at the forefront. If adopted, the Oklahoma
School Security Institute will be extremely important as it will be
a place where new ideas to improve school safety can be formulated and training can be provided for school personnel and law
enforcement.
As a member of the Commission, I gathered a lot of useful knowledge that I will be able to apply in our district. We will
continue working hard on our safety and security plans at the
district level.
There is nothing more important than providing safety and
security to our students and staff. Our schools are a place that
students and staff should feel safe, and we will continue working
hard to ensure BPSD is as safe and secure as it possibly can be.
CHALKBOARD- Continued from page 1
2012-2013 BPSD school calendar updates
For the 2012-2013 school year, the Bartlesville Public
School District built in four days for school cancellations
due to inclement weather or other events. Thus far, BPSD
has used three out of the four days for the 2012-2013
school year. At this point, if no further days are used,
school will not be in session on Friday, May 17.
Also, don’t forget, Spring Break will be taking place
March 18 through March 22.
If you would like more information about the
2012-2013 calendar please visit http://www.bps-ok.org/_
pdf/2012-13%20Calendar%20(Final%20Approved%20
Version).pdf.
Stellar Sites
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.
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/BartlesvillePublicSchools
or http://www.facebook.com/BartlesvilleHighSchool
- Everyone can keep up with what’s going throughout
the BPSD or at Bartlesville High School by becoming fans of these pages, which are updated regularly
with news and events.
Twitter
https://twitter.com/#!/BPSDBruins
- Keep up with the latest news and announcements
from throughout the BPSD.
Bartlesville Public School District Activities (March 8 - March 14)
Friday, March 8
***End of Third Quarter***
-Popcorn @ Kane
-Pickles and Popcorn @ Ranch Heights
-Book Fair @ Wilson
-Middle School Pre-Contest Concert @ FAC (7 P.M.)
-Varsity baseball @ Broken Arrow (4:30 p.m.)
-JV baseball (blue) vs. Broken Arrow (4:30 p.m.)
-JV baseball (white) vs. Broken Arrow (6:30 p.m.)
-Varsity girls and boys soccer vs. Stillwater (6 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
-JV boys soccer (white) vs. Stillwater (5:30 p.m.)
-JV girls and boys (blue) soccer vs. Stillwater (4:30 p.m.)
-Varsity track @ Skiatook
-Girls varsity tennis @ Muskogee Invitational
-Junior high boys tennis @ Bixby Tournament
Tuesday, March 12
-Kane 5th Graders visit with Central counselors
-Book Fair @ Kane
-5th Grade Energy Day
-Book Fair @ Wilson
-Might Minds program @ Wilson (6:30 p.m.)
-BMHS PSG meeting (1 p.m.)
-Enrollment appointments for current freshman @ BMHS
-MAD Week @ BHS
-BHS Choir Booster meeting (7 p.m.)
-Varsity baseball @ Bixby (5 p.m.)
-JV baseball (blue) vs. Bixby (5 p.m.)
-JV baseball (white) vs. Bixby (7 p.m.)
-Varsity girls and boys soccer @ Broken Arrow (6 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
-JV boys (blue) soccer @ Broken Arrow (4:30 p.m.)
Saturday, March 9
-Vocal Solo Festival @ BHS
-Junior high girls tennis @ Bixby Tournament
-Boys tennis @ Muskogee Invitational
Wednesday, March 13
-Book Fair @ Kane
-Great American catalog delivery @ Kane
-7th and 8th Grade District Contest @ FAC
-Enrollment appointments for current freshman @ BMHS
-MAD Week @ BHS
-Varsity baseball @ Ponca City (5 p.m.)
Sunday, March 10
(No events scheduled)
Editing, writing, design and photography by
Chris Tanea, Bartlesville Public School District
Community Relations Coordinator, unless
otherwise noted
Monday, March 11
-Book Fair @ Kane
-Kane 5th Grade Parent Night @ Central
-WPSA meeting @ Wayside (12 p.m.)
-5th Grade Parent Night @ Central (4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.)
-Enrollment appointments for current freshmen @ BMHS
-MAD Week @ BHS
-Cheer meeting @ FAC (6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.)
-BBOB meeting @ BHS (7 p.m.)
-Varsity baseball vs. Bixby (5 p.m.)
-JV baseball (blue) @ Bixby (5 p.m.)
-JV baseball (white) @ Bixby (7 p.m.)
-Varsity golf @ Ponca City (8 a.m.)
-JV girls and boys (blue) soccer vs. Oologah (7 p.m.)
Thursday, March 14
-Book Fair @ Kane
-Kane PTO meeting (12 p.m.)
-Hoover first grade musical (2:30 p.m.)
-Book Fair @ Wilson
-Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences @ Elementary Schools
-Archery event @ Madison (2:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.)
-Enrollment for current freshman @ BMHS
-BHS PSG meeting (12 p.m.)
-MAD Week @ BHS
-Blood Drive @ BHS
-Varsity baseball @ Ponca City (5 p.m.)
-JV baseball (blue) @ Ponca City (7 p.m.)
-JV baseball (white) vs. Ponca City (5 p.m.)