Col-Hi spirit lives on - Bartlesville Public Schools

Bartlesville Public Schools’
Volume 3, Number 7
Friday, September 26, 2008
www.bps-ok.org
The Bruin
Weekly E-Mail Newsletter
Col-Hi
spirit
lives
on
Superintendent’s
Chalkboard
Homecoming
offers plenty
to celebrate
Homecoming week is a special one, and it’s right around the
corner. What a great time to get
swept up in Bruin fever.
Within the Bartlesville
Public School District, we have
plenty of special events planned
to coincide
with the
homecoming football
game, which
is scheduled
to kick off
Friday, Oct. 3
at Custer Stadium – 7:30
p.m. – when the Bruins play host
to Sand Springs.
This year will feature the
first-ever homecoming dance at
Bartlesville High School, which
is set to get started in the BHS
Fieldhouse immediately after
the game. Prior to the game will
be both the annual homecoming
parade as well as the homecoming block party.
The theme for the parade
will be comic book heroes as
the Bruins look to smash the
“BPSD:
A Great
school
district”
A 1966 graduate of Bartlesville’s former College High School, Terry Sisco recently donated
some Col-Hi treasures to the Bartlesville Public School District’s Heritage Committee.
When he was performing on the
sidelines as Willie the Wildcat, Terry
Sisco was careful to stay in character.
Thus, the head never came off.
Sisco, who was the College High
School mascot during his senior year
in 1966, enjoyed interacting with fans,
CHALKBOARD - Continued to Page 7 band members and fellow students.
He was the first boy to ever be given
the right to be Willie – all of the previous Wildcat mascots had been girls
– and he took his role seriously, while
having plenty of fun.
“I danced like a fool all night
long,” recalls Sisco. “I did things like
DONATION - Continued to Page 6
2008 Healthy Choices Week: Sept. 22-26
The annual Healthy Choices Week concluded today
throughout the Bartlesville Public School District. Special
activities at some of the schools included (clockwise from left)
the plate dance at Wayside Elementary School, the Cha-Cha
Slide at Ranch Heights Elementary, and a visit to the MyPyramid health Web site at the Bartlesville Mid-High School.
2008 Healthy Choices Week: Sept. 22-26
Wayside students learn proper handwashing techniques
Family and consumer
sciences educator leads
presentation at school
along with her son
By Gale A. Mills
Special to The Bruin
Twenty-two million school
days are lost each year because of
germs. Frequent hand washing is
the best thing that students can do to
stay in school.
As part of the Healthy
Choices Week program – which
spanned from Sept. 22-26
throughout the Bartlesville Public School District – Wayside
Elementary School invited Gale
Mills to campus on Wednesday.
Mills, a family and consumer
sciences extension educator with
the Oklahoma State University
Cooperative Extension Service in
Washington County, gave a presentation in the school library on
proper hand washing techniques
via Wayside’s closed circuit television system.
During her presentation, Mills
told audience members – school
students and staff members among
them – that proper hand washing
techniques can help prevent germs
from making people sick. Hands
should be washed before eating or
cooking, after using the restroom,
after playing outside, after petting dogs or other animals, after
blowing one’s nose or combing
one’s hair, after touching any part
of one’s body and after touching
money.
Mills invited her son Ben,
a fourth-grade student at Wayside, to accompany her during the
program. Mills and her son used
various props to demonstrate items their hands. Mills led the group in
that after touched should be folsinging “Happy Birthday” while
lowed by hand washing. The items everyone pretended to wash their
included an apple and graham
hands.
crackers, a baseball bat and socMills reminded the audience
cer ball, two stuffed animal dogs,
that in case there is no running water
Kleenex, a brush and comb, and
close by, a liquid hand sanitizer can
money.
be used.
Proper hand washing techToward the conclusion of the
niques were then discussed with the program, Mills played a portion of
steps outlined on a colorthe song “Doin’ the Hand
Hands
should
ful poster. The first step
Wash” which was acbe
rubbed
needed to wash hands
companied by a picture
is to turn on the faucet
together front of mascot Henry the
and adjust the water to a
Hand. She closed with
and back,
warm temperature level.
a reminder to everyone
between
Next, soap – preferably
watching to wash their
fingers,
and
up
liquid – is utilized. Hands
hands several times each
should be rubbed together to the wrists day.
front and back, between
Prior to the profor at least 20
fingers, and up to the
gram, Mills left a letter
seconds. The for every staff member
wrists for at least 20
soap should noting additional hand
seconds. The soap should
then be rinsed from one’s then be rinsed washing resources. Each
hands with warm running
teacher received a copy
from one’s
water.
of a follow-up activity to
hands
with
A paper towel
be done in the classroom.
warm
running
should be used to dry
Examples of on-line
hands and to turn off the
resources include: www.
water.
faucet.
henrythehand.com, www.
To keep from re-infecting one’s cdc.gov/cleanhands and www.fighthands, the bathroom door can be
bac.org.
opened utilizing the paper towel
Those wishing to schedule a
while the door can be held open
program in the Family and Conwith a hip while the paper towel is
sumer Sciences area, can contact
tossed in the trash.
Gale Mills by e-mail at gale.mills@
“Mom, just how long is 20
okstate.edu or by phone at 918-534seconds?” asked Ben during the
2216.
demonstration as he tried to figure
Now in its third year within the
out how much time he should spend Bartlesville Public School District,
washing his hands. A good way to
Healthy Choices Week encourremember how long 20 seconds is,
ages students and staff members to
noted Mills, is to sing “Happy Birth- make good decisions with regards to
day.” She then proceeded to direct
getting the proper amount exercise
all the students and staff members
along with a good diet. Practicing
watching the closed circuit televigood personal hygiene is promoted
sion to pretend they were washing
as well.
Mid-High Orchestra grabs great honor
Group selected to play at 2009 OMEA
Winter Conference concert in January
The Bartlesville Mid-High School Orchestra is no
stranger to accolades.
In each of the last six years, the Bruins have earned
the highest ranking possible (a coveted sweepstakes
award) in the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association State Large Group Orchestra Contest,
which is always the biggest orchestra contest of the
year.
Recently, the Mid-High orchestra was given another bit of high praise when it was chosen to perform
at the upcoming 2009 Oklahoma Music Educators Association Winter Conference. The performance is set for
Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Tulsa Convention Center.
Now in his fifth year as the director of the MidHigh orchestra, Greg Carr submitted a CD of his
group’s works to a selection committee during the
spring. The judges then sifted through several audition
CDs from different orchestras throughout the Sooner
State and made their selections. The Bruins were chosen
as the mid-level (mid-high) orchestra which will perform. Three groups were chosen in all, including Putnam City North (high school level) and Oklahoma City
University (college level). All three will perform during
the Jan. 30 show.
“Being selected for this performance is the orchestra equivalent to winning a state championship in
sports,” says Carr, who is in his ninth year within the
Bartlesville Public School District. “I’m proud that
this group has maintained a high standard over the last
several years.
“We plan to continue maintaining that high standard.”
The Mid-High Orchestra currently features approximately 60 students. Though a non-audition group, it
features plenty of talent as well as a top-flight tradition.
While the OMEA judges paid close attention to
the music on the CDs which were submitted, once they
had pared down their finalists, they began to look at the
quality of each program also. The Mid-High was quite
distinguished in that area.
“When they look at who they are going to feature
at their annual winter conference,” says Carr, “they
want some of the best music programs in the state.”
The Mid-High Orchestra will be on display at
the Fine Arts Center on the Bartlesville High School
campus on Oct. 28 when it plays the annual Fall Concert along with the BHS Orchestra, which is directed
by Carr’s wife, Rhonda. The Mid-High will play some
of the music which it will later perform at the OMEA
event.
On Dec. 4 at the Fine Arts Center, the annual AllCity orchestra concert will unfold beginning at 7 p.m.
It will feature performances by Central and Madison
middle school students – Greg Carr directs the Central
Orchestra while Rhonda leads the Madison Orchestra
– as well as those associated with the BHS and MidHigh orchestras. Both the Fall Concert and the All-City
shows will be presented to the public free of charge.
Some of the Mid-High Orchestra students will
audition for all-district honors on Oct. 6. Those who
make the cut will later perform on the Tulsa Union High
School campus as part of an honors concert on Nov. 1.
The annual All-OMEA – which is the equivalent
to All-State – auditions are scheduled for Dec. 6 and
the Bruins are expected to be represented there as well.
Those who make it will perform at the All-OMEA concert on Jan. 31 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
“This is a hard-working group that we have,” says
Carr of his Mid-High Orchestra students. “The freshmen who are now part of this group know they have a
lot to live up to.”
Bruin basketball boosters set to raffle off ATV
The Bartlesville Bruin Basketball Booster Club is raffling off a
2007 Honda TRX420FE Rancher ATV as part of a fundraising effort.
The ATV is a camouflage 4X4 with fuel injection and an electric shift. Tickets are available for $5 each or five for $20. The drawing is set to take place during halftime of the Bruins’ varsity home
football finale on Nov. 7 at Custer Stadium.
Tickets can be purchased during the homecoming block party on
Oct. 3 or before every varsity home football game. For more information, contact Tim Bart (327-1855) or Tracy Randall (440-5516).
Homecoming parade route set
The 2008 Homecoming Parade is
scheduled to begin on Thursday at 6:30
p.m. in downtown Bartlesville
It will start in the First Baptist
Church parking lot (405 S. Cherokee
Ave.). From there, it will travel north on
Cherokee Ave., west on Frank Phillips
Blvd., south on Keeler Ave., and east on
5th Street before finishing up back at the
First Baptist Church parking lot.
Art of Storytelling
Storyteller Elizabeth Murray, of Independence, Kan., performs
for sixth-grade students at Madison Middle School on Wednesday
morning in the campus library. In all, Murray performed for
approximately 200 Madison sixth graders – each of the school’s
eight sixth-grade classes – over the course of the day. Madison sixth
graders are currently studying folk tales. Murray’s fees were covered
by money raised from previous book fairs held at Madison. The
school is set to hold another book fair next week – Sept. 29 through
Oct. 3 – in the school library from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
Walkin’ at Wayside
First-grade students take part in Wayside
Elementary School’s eighth annual
Wayside Walk-A-Thon fundraiser today
on campus. Every student was invited to
participate in the Walk-A-Thon, with all
proceeds going to the school. Teachers,
parents and administrators helped the
students keep track of how far they had
walked. Donations are raised when a
student pledges to walk a particular
distance in the Walk-A-Thon and is then
sponsored by an individual or business.
This year, money raised will go toward
laptop computers and teacher grants.
Pepsi made donations toward this year’s
Wayside Walk-A-Thon.
Koch to lead Family
Life Symposium
celebrating children
To help celebrate children, the Family Life
Symposium is scheduled to play host to a pair of special events from Oct. 9-10 in the Family Life Center
of the Adams Boulevard Church of Christ.
Leading the symposium will be Dr. Kathy Koch,
the founder and president of Celebrate Kids, Inc., of
Fort Worth, Texas. The author of two books - Finding
Authentic Hope and Wholeness: 5 Questions That Will
Change Your Life and How Am I Smart? A Parent’s
Guide to Multiple Intelligences, Koch has been a professor, teacher, coach and school board member.
Koch teaches that all children, teens and adults
have different intelligences which can be awakened,
strengthened, focused and trained.
A free public forum - entitled “How Am I Smart
(A Practical Guide to Multiple Intelligences)” - is
scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The following day, from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., will be
“Authentic Answers to Life-Changing Questions.”
Targeting parents, teachers, counselors, helping professionals, early childhood professionals and other
interested adults, it costs $40 per person. Registration
will take place at 8:30 a.m., just prior to the event.
The Adams Boulevard Church of Christ is located at 3700 SE Adams Blvd. Those who would like
to pre-register - or receive more information - can
contact Charissa Dunn at 335-6288.
DONATION - Continued from Page 1
the San Diego Chicken, and hey, I was on the scene
long before he was.”
Sisco did remove the Willie the Wildcat head once
during a game. It was homecoming and he had a chance
to kiss the queen. Sometimes, rules have to be broken.
While Sisco wore the Willie the Wildcat head proudly
– and provided it with a home for several decades – he
parted with it on Wednesday afternoon. That was when
two friends and members of the Bartlesville Public School
District’s Heritage Committee – Bartlesville Board of
Education president Marta Manning and Richard Kane
Elementary School physical education teacher Carol Green
– stopped by his house to pick it up. With the 2008 Bartlesville High School homecoming set to unfold next week,
Sisco decided it would be a nice gift.
The Willie the Wildcat head – along with the costume
and two band uniforms which Sisco donated on Wednesday
as well – will be displayed behind glass along with several
other artifacts from other Bartlesville schools just outside the
entrance to the BHS Fieldhouse. Among the gems already
on display are those from erstwhile institutions such as
Douglas High School, Sooner and Col-Hi. Sooner and ColHi – Bartlesville’s two high schools at the time – consolidated to form Bartlesville High School in 1982.
“I’m tickled that it gets to come home,” says Sisco.
“It means something to me because I was Willie the
Wildcat. But it means more knowing that we can preserve it for all to see.”
The Wildcat head was nearly lost seven years
ago in a fire. Sisco had a garage apartment in which
he stored several costumes for Terry and Friends, a
non-profit group he had originated which performed
at venues such as nursing homes and schools as noted
cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald
Duck and Miss Piggy. The fire destroyed more than 40
of the costumes, but the box which stored the Wildcat
head – as well as the Willie the Wildcat suit which Sisco
once wore as a youngster – somehow survived. Sisco
was pleasantly surprised since the head isn’t made of
the sturdiest material. It’s a painted paper mache form
fitted over an old catcher’s mask. It was constructed by
Col-Hi art students in 1958 and was presented by late
teacher Rowena Corr – who was the school’s pep squad
sponsor at the time – to Sisco when he was selected as
the Willie the Wildcat mascot.
“The timing of the donation is great,” says Manning. “The Willie the Wildcat head was made in 1958,
and we’re getting ready to celebrate our 2008 homecoming.
“It’s nice that after 50 years, the Willie the Wildcat
Homecoming 2008:
Schedule
of
Events
Thursday, October 2
2008 Bartlesville High School Homecoming
Parade will take place downtown (6:30 p.m.)
Friday, October 3
2008 Bartlesville High School Homecoming
Block Party on campus (5-7 p.m.)
Bruins play host to Sand Springs in their 2008
homecoming contest at Custer Stadium (7:30 p.m.)
2008 Bartlesville High School Homecoming
Dance at BHS Fieldhouse (immediately following
homecoming game)
head will soon be on display for everyone to see.”
The Willie the Wildcat head has made the rounds
over the years. There have been numerous Col-Hi reunions, and Sisco always tried to bring it with him whenever he attended one. It made an appearance at the all-class
50th anniversary of Col-Hi nearly 20 years ago and was
once perched upon a car seat during a Col-Hi parade.
“Every time he has come out,” laughs Sisco,
“people have gone crazy.”
Sisco was talking to a friend recently when she
mentioned that members of the BPSD Heritage Committee were on the lookout for school artifacts from
years gone by, such as trophies, letterman jackets,
helmets and anything else that might hold sentimental
value for those interested in Bartlesville’s rich history.
Sisco knew a few of the Heritage Committee members
– Manning and Green among them - and began thinking
that it was time to part with Willie. First though, he had
to make sure he was still OK.
After the fire, Sisco carefully took the Willie the
Wildcat head and costume out of the singed box and put
them into a new one. Then, he stored it away. When he
opened the box on Wednesday, it was the first time he
had looked at the contents since shortly after the blaze
seven years earlier.
The Willie the Wildcat head wore its 50 years quite
well and showed little evidence that it had endured a fire.
“It’s extremely generous of Terry to let everyone
have an opportunity to view this piece of history,” says
Green. “Terry was the first boy to serve as Willie the
Wildcat, and that’s pretty cool.”
Up until Wednesday, Sisco had always kept the
Willie the Wildcat head close to him. But sometimes,
rules have to be broken.
Mike Tupa/Examiner-Enterprise
The Bartlesville Bruins are scheduled to kick off their 2008 homecoming game against
visiting Sand Springs on Friday, Oct. 3 (7:30 p.m.) at Custer Stadium on the Bartlesville
High School campus.
CHALKBOARD - Continued from Page 1
Sandites. It is due to begin at 6:30
p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2 in the First
Baptist Church parking lot (405 S.
Cherokee Ave.). From there, it will
travel north on Cherokee Ave., west
on Frank Phillips Blvd., south on
Keeler Ave., and east on 5th Street
before finishing up back at the First
Baptist Church parking lot. Everyone is invited to head downtown and
watch the parade, which is always a
family favorite.
Food, souvenirs and fun will be
on hand at the homecoming block
party, which will be held from 5-7
p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3 on the BHS
campus. Bruin fans can come out
and enjoy the fun before filing into
Custer Stadium for the game.
Bartlesville High School’s
first homecoming dance is sure to
become an annual and much-antici-
pated event. Though it is obviously
for the seniors and juniors at BHS,
sophomores from the Bartlesville
Mid-High School and members
of the BHS Class of 2008, which
graduated in May, are invited to attend as well.
The dance will feature casual
dress and plenty of good music.
We’re expecting a great turnout for
the event and rave reviews thereafter.
Though any time is a good one
to express your Bruin pride, homecoming is an especially good time
for everyone to revel in it.
Homecoming is a deep-rooted
tradition, with annual celebrations
held on high school and university
campuses throughout the country.
The University of Missouri has been
recognized by the NCAA, the television game show “Jeopardy!” and the
popular board game “Trivia Pursuit”
as the originator of homecoming. In
1911, Tigers’ athletic director Chester Brewer reportedly wanted to
gather a crowd to celebrate the new
location of the MU football field and
thus invited alumni to come home
to attend the game against a bitter
rival, the University of Kansas.
More than 10,000 alumni and
fans took part in the festivities,
which included parades, parties and
a pep rally in addition to the game.
Other schools across the country
evidently took a cue from Brewer
and the University of Missouri, and
a tradition was born. By the next decade, homecoming celebrations had
begun to spring up everywhere.
Within the Bartlesville Public
School District, we offer plenty of
enticing things for which our alumni should come home. Those who
have been away from Bartlesville
for a while may not be familiar
with the new facilities which now
stand proudly on the BHS campus,
including the Science Wing, the
Fine Arts Center, the BHS Fieldhouse, the Library/Media Center
and the Connecting Link. They
may not have seen the new Lady
Bruin Softball Field, which debuted
last month. If they make it out to
Custer Stadium for the homecoming game, they can take in the new
E.H. “Ted” Lyon Field. The field
has been named in honor of the
originator of the Lyon Foundation,
which donated the money to have
a fine new artificial turf installed at
Custer Stadium.
We have plenty to celebrate
this year during homecoming week,
and we invite all of the Bruin supporters throughout the community –
and the country – to take part in the
festivities. The Bartlesville Public
School District is indeed a great
one, and it’s a tremendous time to be
a Bruin.
Stellar Sites
Insight at Encyclo-Media
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.
Several staff members from the Bartlesville Public School District took part in
the Encyclo-Media Conference from Sept 18-19 at the Cox Convention Center
in Oklahoma City. Pictured with Oklahoma first lady Kim Henry (third from
the left) are (from left) Vicki Walker, Gayla Curtis, Robin Barry and Connie
Lavoie. The Oklahoma State Department of Education sponsors EncycloMedia, which is considered one of the premier educational conferences in
the region. Encyclo-Media focuses on the fields of library media, reading,
counseling, gifted and talented, and technology.
Bartlesville Public Schools Activities (Week of Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 2008)
Friday, September 26
*** Healthy Choices Week ***
Fifth Grade to Woolaroc (Kane)
Softball: Varsity at Yukon Tournament (TBA)
Wayside Walk-a-Thon (TBA)
Sixth Grade Locker Cleanout (8 a.m.) (Madison)
Seventh Grade Locker Cleanout (9 a.m.) (Madison)
Eighth Grade Locker Cleanout (10 a.m.) (Madison)
Football: Varsity at Muskogee (7:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, September 30
Drama Tech and Rehearsal at Fine Arts Center (TBA)
Fall Pictures (TBA) (Kane)
Bruins for Christ in Library (7:30 a.m.) (Madison)
Book Fair in Library (7:45 a.m.) (Madison)
Tutor Bus (4 p.m.) (Central)
Volleyball: Freshmen at Ponca City (4 p.m.)
Volleyball: Junior Varsity at Ponca City (5 p.m.)
Volleyball: Varsity at Ponca City (6:30 p.m.)
Saturday, September 27
ASVAB (TBA) (BHS)
Drama Load-In (BHS)
Owasso Band Contest (TBA)
Cross Country: Junior High Boys and Girls at Holland Hall Invitational (TBA)
Cross Country: Varsity Boys and Girls at Holland Hall Invitational (TBA)
Volleyball: Freshmen at Bishop Kelley Tournament (TBA)
Volleyball: Junior Varsity at Sapulpa Tournament (TBA)
Softball: Varsity at Yukon Tournament (TBA)
Volleyball: Eighth Grade Blue and White Host Bruin Tournament (9 a.m.)
Wednesday, October 1
Drama Tech and Rehearsal at Fine Arts Center (TBA)
Parent Support Group Meeting in Library (TBA) (Central)
Book Fair in Library (7:45 a.m.) (Madison)
Kindergarten to Tulsa State Fair (9 a.m.) (Kane)
Fourth and Fifth Graders in Bruin Mile at Mid-High (4 p.m.) (Kane)
Volleyball: Freshmen Host Sand Springs (4 p.m.)
Volleyball: Junior Varsity Hosts Sand Springs (5 p.m.)
Volleyball: Varsity Hosts Sand Springs (6:30 p.m.)
Sunday, September 28
(No events scheduled)
Monday, September 29
Drama Tech and Rehearsal at Fine Arts Center (TBA)
Book Fair in Library (7:45 a.m.) (Madison)
The Rock Starts (3rd Through 5th Grades) (3:30 p.m.) (Kane)
Volleyball: Eighth Grade Blue and White at Sapulpa (5 p.m.)
Football: Junior Varsity Hosts Muskogee (6 p.m.)
Softball: Varsity at Owasso (6 p.m.)
Editing, writing,
design and
photography by
David Austin,
Bartlesville Public
School District’s
community
relations
coordinator,
unless otherwise
noted
Thursday, October 2
Drama Tech and Rehearsal at Fine Arts Center (TBA)
Book Fair in Library (7:45 a.m.) (Madison)
Board of Education Meeting in Education Service Center (Noon)
Tutor Bus (4 p.m.) (Central)
Marching Band Rehearsal (5:30 p.m.)
Football: Eighth Grade Hosts Stillwater (6 p.m.) (Madison)
Homecoming Parade in Downtown Bartlesville (6:30 p.m.)
Football: Freshmen Host Stillwater (7 p.m.)
“BPSD: A Great school district”