Westside Elementary

BECOMING A ZEBRA - EARLY ENROLLMENT for Pre-K & New K Who: New PK - New Kindergarten students that did not attend PK here in Claremore Schools. Date: March 8-12, by appointment. Bring: Documents required for enrollment at Claremore Schools. No child will be enrolled without the following information and up-to-date immunization records. ✅ Birth Certificate - Age Requirements are: Early Childhood students must be 4 years old by September 1st. Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by September 1st. ✅ 2 Proofs of Residency (may include utility bill or utility deposit, and a lease agreement, mortgage statement, or county tax statement. P.O. Box addresses are NOT acceptable.) ✅ Immunization Record (must be up-to-date) ✅Parent/ Guardian Driver License ✅CDIB Card (Native American citizenship registration card) if applicable. For more info go to bit.ly/2Mg8Lbv #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing... Miss Hannah Barlow Teacher in the Elementary Setting Thank you for your dedication to Westside! _______________________________________________________ Miss Hannah Barlow graduated from Northeastern State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She began her career in education 3 years ago as a paraprofessional. Currently, Hannah teaches 3rd and 4th grade elementary. She is also pursuing a Master of Education from NSU. Hannah chose to be a teacher because she believes “to teach is to touch a life forever.” She loves working at Westside because she enjoys the warm,welcoming atmosphere and has tremendous respect for the talented educators she works with. Hannah loves watching movies with her family, having lunch with her friends, taking her fur baby for walks and reading good books. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Claremore Zebras are #PUBLICSCHOOLPROUD! We are the 🩺💝 heartbeat of the community. In public schools, all children come first, all students have value, leadership matters, it preserves democracy, and changes lives. Our staff and parents use words like excellence, family, teachers who care, everyone, diversity, academics, athletics, extracurricular opportunities, whole child, educational options, innovation, accountability, social connection, etc., to describe their #CPSZEBRAPRIDE. Give us a 🏫 in the comments if you are a product of the public school. Feeling the love - feel free to share why you are #PublicSchoolProud of Claremore on our FB page. https://youtu.be/MUaKVnRjEfc Thank you to the site communications team members and student contributors: Chet Jenkins & Kolby Smith.

CPS Staff receives COVID vaccines. @RCHD administers the largest number of vaccinations during one day at CHS gym. Read more or watch the video here: today.https://www.claremore.k12.ok.us/article/410124

The Ultimate list for 2021. How to be happier, healthier, and use self care. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Welcome to #FridayFunnies, where we share funny things that happen in the classroom! For today's edition we have a 2nd grade Classroom that shared this funny with us! ______________________________________________________________________ Two students accidentally bumped heads on the playground. Teacher: Let's get an ice pack for that. Student: Okay, but he doesn't need one because he's hard headed. ____________________________________________________________________ This concludes today's edition of #FridayFunnies, join us next Friday for more laughs! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing... Mrs. Leigh Johnson Teacher in the Elementary Setting Thank you for your dedication to Westside! _________________________________________________________ Leigh Johnson has taught for 21 years, during her career she has worked as a reading instructional coach, reading specialist, 4th grade teacher, and special education teacher. She has been at Westside for the last three years. She lives in Claremore with her husband Curtis. She has a son Seth, a scientist, and a daughter Ashtin, a musician. Leigh was born and raised on a farm and enjoys raising animals, spending time with family, fishing, kayaking, going to estate sales, and reading. She has Bachelor's degrees in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She also holds Master's degrees in Early Childhood Education and as a Reading Specialist. She loves teaching at Westside! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

BECOMING A ZEBRA - EARLY ENROLLMENT for Pre-K & New K is for students who did not attend PK here in Claremore Schools. Enrollment Sessions: March 8th - 12th by appointment only. Read more here - https://www.claremore.k12.ok.us/article/195994

BECOMING A ZEBRA - EARLY ENROLLMENT for Pre-K & New K Who: New PK - New Kindergarten students that did not attend PK here in Claremore Schools. Date: March 8-12, by appointment. Bring: Documents required for enrollment at Claremore Schools. No child will be enrolled without the following information and up-to-date immunization records. ✅ Birth Certificate - Age Requirements are: Early Childhood students must be 4 years old by September 1st. Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by September 1st. ✅ 2 Proofs of Residency (may include utility bill or utility deposit, and a lease agreement, mortgage statement, or county tax statement. P.O. Box addresses are NOT acceptable.) ✅ Immunization Record (must be up-to-date) ✅Parent/ Guardian Driver License ✅CDIB Card (Native American citizenship registration card) if applicable. For more info go to bit.ly/2Mg8Lbv #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

February is Black History Month. In honor of so, we have highlighted some Famous Black Americans that have persisted and were determined to make a difference. __________________________________________________________ Sojourner Truth 1797-1883 Sojourner was born a slave in upstate New York under the name Isabella Baumfree. Under the state's Gradual Emancipation Act, she was due her freedom in 1827. When she realized her slave owner was planning to keep her enslaved, Sojourner ran away with her infant daughter in tow. But this came at a huge cost. She had to leave behind her five-year-old son. The slave owner sold Sojourner's son to a plantation a thousand miles away in Alabama. Meanwhile, Sojourner remained in hiding in New York until her freedom was official. When the coast was clear, Sojourner filed a court case, saying her son had been sold illegally. She was one of the first black women to file a court case in America, and even though it seemed nearly impossible, she won. She got her son back! In 1843, she changed her name to Sojourner (which means traveler) and became a preacher. She traveled the country, sharing her messages for women's rights and the abolition of slavery everywhere. Although Sojourner could neither read nor write, her voice carried far. In December 1851, she gave a speech that she made up on the spot. In it she advocated on behalf of black women who had faced double discrimination of racism and sexism and had often been left out of the fight for equality. The speech is known by its most famous refrain: "Ain't I a Woman?". She went on to encourage African Americans to fight on behalf of the Union in the Civil War, for former slaves to be given places to live, and for desegregation of streetcars. She was an agitator and a fierce activist for equality. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

February is Black History Month. In honor of so, we have highlighted some Famous Black Americans that have persisted and were determined to make a difference. __________________________________________________________ Guion "Guy" Bluford 1942- Guy Bluford an American aerospace engineer, retired U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot, and former NASA astronaut, was the first African American and the second person of African descent to go to space. Before becoming an astronaut, he was an officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he remained while assigned to NASA, rising to the rank of colonel. He participated in four Space Shuttle flights between 1983 and 1992. In 1983, as a member of the crew of the Orbiter Challenger on the mission STS-8, he became the first African American in space as well as the second person of African ancestry in space, after Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez. He flew four space shuttle missions in nine years, logging 688 hours off the planet. He conducted many scientific experiments while in space, including studying the effects of spaceflight on the human body. Bluford left NASA and retired from the Air Force in July 1993 to take the post of Vice President/General Manager, Engineering Services Division of NYMA, Greenbelt, Maryland. In May 1997, he became Vice President of the Aerospace Sector of Federal Data Corporation and in October 2000, became the Vice President of Microgravity R&D and Operations for the Northrop Grumman Corporation. He retired from Northrop Grumman in September 2002 to become the President of Aerospace Technology, an engineering consulting organization in Cleveland, Ohio. Bluford was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997, the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010, and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Bluford on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans. In 2006, Bluford was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of Penn State by being selected as the Grand Marshal for his alma mater's Homecoming celebration. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

February is Black History Month. In honor of so, we have highlighted some Famous Black Americans that have persisted and were determined to make a difference. ________________________________________________ Bessie Blount Griffin 1914-2009 Bessie didn't have an easy childhood but grew up bright, innovative, and resilient. In school, she was scolded for writing with her left hand. Instead of getting upset, she not only learned to write with her right hand but taught herself how to write with her feet as well as her teeth! She made the most out of a difficult situation--and it wouldn't be the last time. From an early age, Bessie wanted to help people, so in college she studied nursing and physical therapy. At the end of WWII, she volunteered with the Red Cross to work with injured soldiers. She was so good with the soldiers, they called her "WonderWoman"! She showed those who couldn't use their hands how to write with their feet or teeth, as she had when she was a child. She had many ideas for inventions to help her patients become self-sufficient. One idea was a feeding tube that allowed them control over their own eating: Users could bite down to release a piece of food to be delivered to an attached spoon! Bessie built her device with simple supplies (plastic, hot water, a hammer) and received a patent. She offered it to the US Veterans Administration, but they were not interested, so she donated it to the French government. She wanted people to know "that a black woman can invent something for the benefit of humankind." Bessie later worked as a forensic scientist, examining handwriting for law enforcement, and in 1977 she trained at the famous Scotland Yard in England, where officers fondly called her "Mom Bessie." She opened her own business, examining and preserving pre-Civil War slave documents, and worked toward opening a museum. In her long life, Bessie achieved many things, but helping others was always her goal. She worked into her eighties, determined to leave a legacy and preserve history to share with future generations. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

❤ Wear RED for ED on Tuesday, February 23rd to show your support for public education. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE #PUBLICSCHOOLPROUD

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Community Announcement Mercy Chef’s Community food distribution, until supplies last: Feb. 20th from 1-3p at Real Life Church on Blue Starr. Light of Hope & Mercy Chefs are blessed to partner together and “help people see the HOPE!” Please share with your family and friends.

Welcome to #FridayFunnies, where we share funny things that happen in the classroom! For today's edition we are traveling back to the land of short attention spans....Pre-K _______________________________________________________ Teacher (while talking about her puppy): He chews on EVERYTHING! Student: Is that what happened to your jeans? Teacher: No. I actually bought them like that. Student: why?_________________________________________________________________ This concludes today's edition of #FridayFunnies, join us next Friday for more laughs! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

February is Black History Month. In honor of so, we have highlighted some Famous Black Americans that have persisted and were determined to make a difference. ____________________________________________________ Nelson Mandela 1918-2013 As a member of the African National Congress, Nelson Mandela fought against apartheid in South Africa. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. This led to twenty-six years of imprisonment. Under pressure by anti-apartheid groups worldwide, the government freed him in 1990. Nelson helped end apartheid and was elected president of South Africa in 1994. Widely regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice, he received more than 250 honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Thembu clan name, Madiba, and described as the "Father of the Nation". #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing... Mrs. Karen Olari Teacher in the Elementary Setting Thank you for your dedication to Westside! ________________________________________________________ Karen Olari has been teaching for 12 years after being a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. She began her teaching career in Broken Arrow in the middle school drama class. She transitioned to teaching in the education setting and is completing her fourth year at Westside. She is the proud mother of two young men, Riker (CHS 2017) and Drake (SHS 2020). She has called Claremore her home since she was 5 years old...she even attended Westside as a Kindergartener so many moons ago. Karen enjoys creating machine embroidery items having just taught herself this new skill in recent years. ___________________________________________________________ Students are exercising the Life Principal of Curiosity as they examine rock formations. _____________________________________________________________ Group Photo: Students are exercising the Life Principals of Compassion and Cooperation as they make Applesauce Scarecrows to share with teachers. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

February is Black History Month. In honor of so, we have highlighted some Famous Black Americans that have persisted and were determined to make a difference. Jackie Robinson 1919-1972 Jackie Robinson broke the barrier in Major League Baseball (MLB). Robinson broke the baseball color line when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. During his 10-year MLB career, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player honored. Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Series championship. In 1997, MLB retired his uniform number 42 across all major league teams; he was the first professional athlete in any sport to be so honored. MLB also adopted a new annual tradition, "Jackie Robinson Day", for the first time on April 15, 2004, on which every player on every team wears No. 42. Robinson's character, his use of nonviolence, and his talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation that had then marked many other aspects of American life. He influenced the culture of and contributed significantly to the civil rights movement. Robinson also was the first black television analyst in MLB and the first black vice president of a major American corporation, "Chock full o'Nuts". In the 1960s, he helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York. After his death in 1972, Robinson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his achievements on and off the field. His success in playing America's pastime showed that black people could excel if given an even playing field. He inspired people to fight for equality. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

February is Heart Awareness Month According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. February is the month dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease. This month is dedicated to increasing knowledge about prevention, educating ourselves on the dangers of, and to helping get on track to better heart health! Let’s talk about warning signs and symptoms, because early action is very important. Do you know the symptoms? Help you or your loved ones prevent death or serious injury by knowing these warning signs: *Chest pain or discomfort *Upper body pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach *Shortness of breath *Nausea, lightheadedness, or cold sweats Many sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital. This suggests that many people with heart disease don't act on early warning signs. Remember the adage, “Knowledge is Power.” As knowing these, acting fast, and acting EARLY can reduce these unsettling statistics. Most recognize chest pain as a symptom of a heart attack, but knowing all major symptoms and knowing to call 911 when someone is experiencing a heart attack is what saves lives. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE