Successful students...healthy families...engaged communities
July
Happy July to all -
2012
IN THIS ISSUE
Moving Up
While some of you already know this: I wanted to make sure
our CSC colleagues know that we have hired the new
Assistant Director/School Liaison for TACSI - Isaac Farley
joined us last week and has hit the ground running.
Following a similar process as was used during the search
for my position, Genie, Jan and I interviewed many
candidates, narrowing the list down to six. Then, Principals
Kayla Robinson and Tamra Bird, along with Community
School Coordinators Harriet Patterson and Sheri Wakefield,
interviewed the top six candidates. They narrowed the list to
three final candidates whom the Management Team
interviewed two weeks ago. Isaac quickly rose to the top and
we are thrilled to welcome him to the TACSI family.
Among his skills and qualities, Isaac understands grassroots
community building and relationship building, and I feel
confident that he will be an asset to the TACSI
team.
While I can't yet say exactly what things will
look like in the future, I feel extremely confident
that we are rebuilding a TACSI team that can
help us navigate and prosper in this new
phase.
Best regards,
Kim Nave, Director
For more information about the national community
schools movement, visit the Coalition for Community
Schools website... www.communityschools.org.
National Forum
Vision 2020
Our Story: Academy Central
Looking Ahead
Calendar
Contact Us
Kim Nave, Director
knave@csctulsa.org
Isaac Farley, Assistant Director
ifarley@csctulsa.org
Jordan Witt-Araya, Conexiones
jwaraya@csctulsa.org
Susan Schelbar, Resource
Specialist - tacsistaff@csctulsa.org
TACSI Resource Center
Community Service Council
16 East 16th Street, Suite 202
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119
Phone: 918-585-5551
Website: www.tacsi.org
United Way Venture Grant Supports "Moving Up
Week" at Union's 6th/7th Grade Center
By Jordan Witt-Araya, TACSI Staff
The Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative in collaboration with the Union 6th and 7th
Grade Center is implementing a three day "Moving Up Week" day camp for incoming sixth
graders. A total of 75 students have been selected for this opportunity-twenty five each from
three elementary schools: Roy Clark, Rosa Parks and Briarglen. We are excited about how
much these students will benefit from targeted, summer transition programming.
Each day of camp will begin at 8am and end at noon. Buses will pick children up at their
summer school bus stops and transport them to the 6th and 7TH Grade Center. Our three
day program is designed to be fun and help the whole child as she or he makes the
important transition to middle school. To this end, students will participate in workshops and
listen to guest speakers who will help develop their time management, note taking, and
stress reduction skills, and also inspire and inform them regarding the benefits and rewards
of higher education. On Wednesday, August 1st families are invited to attend a free family
dinner from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. The dinner will be held outdoors in Central Park (located
behind the 6th and 7th Grade Center).
TACSI and UPS both believe that in order to ensure the academic success of our children, it
is important to establish a strong relationship of trust and communication with both the
students and their families. "Moving Up Week" signals a new chapter in TACSI's ever
growing vision for programming that facilitates transitions and also meets the emotional and
psychological needs of children and families.
National Forum
Happy July, readers! My name is Isaac Farley, the new Community Schools
Liaison / Assistant Director at Tulsa Area Community Schools. I am in my
second full week with TACSI and still in the process of meeting new,
passionate folks, decoding acronyms, and taking copious notes. As an
introduction, Genie and I thought it might be interesting for me to craft a
short review of the National Forum Follow-up held on June 12, 2012 at
OSU-Tulsa.
Whether the microphone was in front of
Jomari Gee, Alie McClellon, Navon Morgan, Bibiana
Perez, Arturo Sanchez, Whitney Ulibarri, Mark Twain
Elementary students who attended May's National Forum
for Community Schools in San Francisco; or Dr. Keith
Ballard, Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools; or
principals, community partners, teachers, and coordinators
from community schools in the Tulsa area, the enthusiasm
for and commitment to community schools was palpable in
the OSU-Tulsa Auditorium. Over 70 attendees heard
speakers confirm that the community schools movement is
alive and flourishing in Tulsa, San Francisco, and across the country. Speakers reminded us
that "the work's never done;" "takes time;" and should be focused on "what we all can do
together for our families." After all, "movements, when properly done, keep going." (Shown
here in their presentation costumes are top row: Navon Morgan, Bibiana Perez, Arturo Sanchez,
Whitney Ulibarri. Bottom row: Alie McClellan, Jamari Gee)
A crescendo of applause filled the auditorium as Michelle Collum, former Principal at
Burroughs Elementary, challenged the audience to "get to know our children" and think
about our own mother's love when serving. Hands continued to clap and I was transformed
back to Dr. Kathy Dodd's remarks from earlier in the afternoon: "community schools give us
a way to harness and capitalize on all the energy in the community." For me, today was an
excellent introduction to TACSI's energy.
Linkages: Vision 2020 Workshop
(This is the second in a series of regular columns from contributing writers.)
Submitted by Paige Whalen ~ Quality Enhancement Initiative Coordinator, Child Care Resource
Center
Vision 2020 was a week-long statewide conference
hosted by the Oklahoma State Department of
Education, June 11-15, 2012.
The conference, held at the Cox Convention Center in
downtown Oklahoma City, kicked off with a Parent
Power Night which included informational and
interactive workshops on topics ranging from college planning, understanding the cyber
world as it relates to children, wellness and drug abuse, to becoming involved in your child's
education. The five days focused on professional development and training for a range of
school personnel. Workshops were available for classroom teachers, counselors, librarians,
technology instructors, central office personnel, principals, school board members, district
superintendents, and others.
Due to the success of Tulsa's first Early Childhood Principals Leadership Institute held in
July of 2010, Erin Nation, Director of Early Childhood and Family Education in the Office of
Instruction at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, invited members of Tulsa's
planning committee to co-present with her regarding early childhood content presented
during the 2010 institute.
Erin Nation opened with a perspective of Pre-K in Oklahoma titled "Are We there Yet?"
which focused on school readiness from the school and child's perspective, and
misconceptions about "readiness" that she has come across in the field. She presented
current research from the Department of Human Services about Oklahoma's children and
their readiness indicators measured by county. In conclusion, she shared concerns,
observations and questions she has encountered from families, teachers, principals and
superintendents concerning topics such as potty training, retention and promotion, behavior
issues, expulsion, nap time, and nutrition, to name a few.
Lesley Gudgel, Early Childhood Senior Planner with Community Service Council and myself,
both of JumpStart Tulsa, followed with a "now what" and "how to" segment entitled "Ready
or Not, Here They Are!" which was also the title of our presentation at Tulsa's Early
Childhood Principal's Institute two day training. The focus was on what principals need to
know to support children, families and early childhood teachers to ensure a successful year
for the entire school community. Topics covered addressed appropriate developmental
expectations, chronological age versus developmental age and temperament. Additionally,
during the session the videos, Invest in the First Five Years & You Change Everything (The
Ounce of Prevention, 2009); The Still Face Experiment:Dr. Edward Tronick (Zero to Three,
2007); & Join the Play Revolution (Peek-a-BooBeansCanada, 2012) were presented to
emphasize the importance of relationships and experiences before children enter school as
well as during their school years.
The principals and administrators in attendance were very knowledgeable about their
schools and the children and families that attend. All participants were engaged, asked great
questions and seemed genuinely interested in talking about new information learned and
how they could take it back to their schools.
Our Story: Academy Central Elementary
Submitted by Patricia Whitfield ~ Staff Development Coordinator, Academy Central
Elementary School
OCCT results from the 2010-2011 school year revealed that Academy Central raised its
score from 416 to 826. Value-added results from Battelle for Kids reflected similar results that of students doubling their growth under the tutelage of AC teachers. Why?
Teachers attribute the gain to several factors:
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Focus on Results was hired by Tulsa Public Schools to serve as a turn-around agent
for six elementary schools and two middle schools during the 2010-2011 school
year. Focus on Results helped Academy Central identify a central instructional focus
supported by three key instructional strategies along with creating an Instructional
Leadership Team headed by the principal.
The Principal and the ILT conducted PLCs and professional development that
prepared teachers to develop and present instruction to students that incorporated
the instructional focus and the instructional strategies with fidelity.
Everyone within the AC community was introduced to the instructional strategies and
focus. There are signs and posters throughout the school, in classrooms and in
hallways so the focus is visible. All communications include instructional focus so
that parents and the community are continually reminded of the instructional focus.
During testing students were reminded to use the strategies.
AC teachers believe that UNRAAVEL, a testing strategy for reading and math
comprehension was the most effective strategy that students used during the test.
Looking Ahead
AEP Foundation Presents...
Schools Uniting Communities Institute
Thursday, July 26th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at OSU Tulsa
FREE and Open to the Public
Featuring Dr. Pedro Noguera, New York University One of the country's most important voices in education today.
Click here to read more about Dr. Noguera
Click here to register
Calendar
Monday, July 9 through Friday, July 13
TACSI Summer Programming at Gilcrease, Celia Clinton, Eugene Field, McAuliffe
and Rosa Parks Elementary Schools for grades K-3. For more information contact
Maggie Larkin at mlarkin@csctulsa.org
Monday, July 9
3:30pm
Middle School Exploration Committee at CSC. For more information
contact Jan Creveling at jancreveling@aol.com
Friday, July 13
10:00am Oklahoma Medicaid Expansion and the Affordable Care Act presented
by the Oklahoma Policy Institute at CSC.
For more information contact Chanel Jones at cjones@csctulsa.org
Monday, July 16 through Friday, July 20
TACSI Summer Programming at Gilcrease, Celia Clinton, Eugene Field, McAuliffe
and Rosa Parks Elementary Schools for grades 4-6.
For more information contact Maggie Larkin at mlarkin@csctulsa.org
Thursday, July 19
9:00am TSET School Sub Committee meeting at the HealthZone
Tuesday, July 24
9:00am Tulsa City Council's Education Summit at City Hall
Thursday, July 26
8:00am - 3:00pm Schools Uniting Communities presented by AEP Foundation.
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Pedro Noguera of New York University.
This forum will provide opportunities to learn how community schools can make a
difference in building success for every child. FREE & open to the public at OSUTulsa.
To register: www.tulsaschools.org/communityschools
For more information contact Diane Hensley, TPS Director of Community Schools,
(918) 746-6142
Key - who should attend:
(A) Anyone may attend
(S) Steering Committee
(M) Management Team
(P) Principals from both districts
(U) Union Principals and Coordinators only
(UC) Union Coordinators
(T) Tulsa Principals and Coordinators only
(TC) Tulsa Coordinators
(C) Community School Coordinators only
(R) TACSI Resource Center staff only
CSC Community Service Council -- 1604 S. Baltimore
Disclaimer
Links to non-federal and federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users.
These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by
the Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa or the Federal Government, and none
should be inferred. The Community Service Council is not responsible for the content of the
individual organization web pages found at these links.
TACSI is a program of the Community Service Council
in conjunction with the Metropolitan Human Services Commission.
Community Service Council | 16 East 16th Street, Suite 202 | Tulsa | OK | 74119