Westside Elementary

Announcing!! Westside makes GE Model school for the 3rd year in a row!! Way to go Westside! We are so proud of you!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

It's SHARK WEEK 🦈in Mrs. Banks's class! We're talking about nonfiction text features and ocean habitats. We had a STEM challenge this week. Students had a list of requirements, but the main goal was to create a self standing structure that would keep the seal safe and away from its predator, the shark. They did AWESOME! Way to go Mrs. Banks's class! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Tuesday we had some strange weather! In the middle of April, it was snowing! One student in Mrs. Banks's class is from Mississippi and he had never seen snow. Mrs. Banks walked him outside so he could catch snowflakes on his tongue with his friend Rivers. What a great teachable moment to experience! Way to go Mrs. Banks! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Welcome to #FridayFunnies, where we share funny things that happen in the classroom! For today's edition we have a funny story from the lower grades. __________________________________________________________ Pre-covid Lower Elementary classrooms had 1 box or "caddy" in the middle of the table. It was loaded with pencils, crayons, glue sticks, and scissors. Ever so often, when the pencils have been worn down to knubs, it's time for brand new pencils. The students usually notice and make a big fuss about it. Well the time came for new pencils in the caddies, so I sharpened pencils and loaded them in the table caddies. No one seemed to notice. After about an hour, one kid, Student A, noticed saying, "Hey we got new pencils!". I congratulated him on being the first kid to notice. He puffed up his chest, proudly and said, "Kind of like how Abraham Lincoln was the first man to wear a beard, huh?". For effect, he added and elbow jab in my direction with a wink. _________________________________________________________ This concludes today's edition of #FridayFunnies, join us next Friday for more laughs! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

At Westside, The Traditional Kindergarten Teachers and Art have partnered up for a big project! Mrs. McClurg's father, Albert Talbert, has generously spent his time and efforts building birdhouses for every kindergartener at Westside. The kids are getting to use smocks, acrylic paint, and are having so much fun making something special to take home. Thank you Mr. Talbert!

Happy Earth Day! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

You are all these things and more! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

For the Upper Grades Testing is approaching! Make sure to get a good nights sleep and wake up refreshed and eat a good breakfast whether at home or at school! We also have some testing tricks and tips for you! They might sound easy or common sense but they are things that students often forget to do! 1. Read the directions! Sometimes you think you know what to do but the directions tell you one detail you may have missed. Make sure to do what the question is asking you! 2. Read the question carefully! Again sometimes mistakes can be made. Take a deep breath and read the question carefully! 3. Eliminate wrong answers! If you know that 3 of the answers are wrong, then you know the only one left has to be the right answer! 4. Never leave an answer blank! Always, always, always pick your best answer. Don't leave it blank. 5. Double check your answers! You never know if you made a mistake unless you double check! 6. Your 1st choice is usually right! Go with your gut! You've got this! Your Westside Family is SO proud of you and your hard work! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Happy Administrative Professionals Day! We appreciate ALL you do, Mrs. Williams! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing... Mrs. Lauri Titsworth Pre-K Teacher Thank you for your dedication to Westside! ____________________________________________________ Lauri Titsworth has taught at Westside for 17 years. She married her Claremore High School sweetheart, Scottie and they raised their family, Edie, Dorie, and Eric here. Teaching Pre-K students is Mrs. T's calling and she loves watching them flourish. Mrs. T. is also "Gigi" to Lynleigh and soon-to-arrive Levi. She loves family time, reading, history, photography, and shopping. Favorite quote: "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." ~ Carl W. Beuhner #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Dear Westside Families, Westside Elementary School will hold our annual Family Fun Night on Friday, May 7, 2021. This is a great evening for families to enjoy a night of family fun. This year, we are once again offering "chance to win" tickets that will support Westside. Family Fun Night willl include concessions, Patsy's Snow Cones, games, silent auctions, and a chance to win...a $250 Wal-Mart card, $250 QT Gift Card, or a 55" LG Smart TV sponsored by Stanley's. Students are bringing home "Chance to Win" Tickets today to sell. Tickets cost $1 each. The buyer of the tickets will need to complete the information on the front of the ticket with their name, phone number, and teacher name. On the back of the ticket, they must CIRLCE which drawing they wish to enter. You need not be present to win. Additional tickets are available upon request. The top class in each grade that sells the most tickets will recieve an ice cream party! The top 3 individual sellers in each grade will get to silly string Mrs. Hinds. All proceeds will benefit Westside Elementary. Funds raised will help build a new playground for our school. Thank you for your continued support of Westside! We are looking forward to a great evening of fun! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

It’s National Library Month and CPS wants you to get to know the names and faces of those who work with our students every day in our school libraries. A librarian or a more modern name is Library Media Specialist seems to have a book recommendation for everyone. With 20,000 titles in a library, there is always something for everyone. This week we will find out some of our CPS Library Media Specialist’s favorites. Sue Lamb, Westside 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻/𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀? My favorite books that I read to my own children were the Frog and Toad series. I have a lot of favorite books to read to my young students…..Jan Brett titles, Good Egg by Jory Johns, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Older students…….. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls and Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. Farmer George Plants a Nation, a nonfiction title, by Peggy Thomas. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸? My all-time favorite book as a young person was Little Women by Louisa May Allcott. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴? I am currently reading Nine Lives by Danielle Steel.

Ever wonder why cat starts with C but kitten starts with K? Here's your answer in an infographic! K takes i and e (as in kite, kid, and keep) C takes the other 3 (as in cat, cop, and cub)! Makes perfect sense now! Show your kids this need way to know when to use K or C! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

🌞ＣＰＳ Ｚｅｂｒａ Ｓｔｒｉｐｅｓ Ｓｕｍｍｅｒ Ｃａｍｐ🌞 Now Accepting Applications Kindergarten - Fifth Grade 2 Sessions 🌞June 1 - July 2 🌞July 12 - August 6 6:30 AM - 6 PM Full Time l Part-Time l Drop-In Rates Available Find more information here: https://www.claremore.k12.ok.us/page/zebra-stripes-child-care #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Welcome to #FridayFunnies, where we share funny things that happen in the classroom! For today's edition we have a funny story from the upper grades. __________________________________________________________ Being a teacher is fun because when you’re sitting at your desk, kids will act as though there’s a soundproof force field around you. The false confidence that they won’t be heard leads to entertaining moments, like this exchange in which two upper grade boys discussing their futures. “You know what I wanna be when I grow up?” the first student said. “An astronaut.” The second student adopted a quizzical look, as if to suggest he’d seen his classmate’s science grades and doubted a job at NASA was on the horizon. Still, the first student continued, “I want to be an astronaut because I’m going to be the first person to land on the sun.” The boy’s friend looked at him even more incredulously and said, “You can’t land on the sun. It’s way too hot. That’ll never happen.” But the first student persevered. With conviction, he responded, “Yeah, I know it’s too hot. That’s why I’m going to land on it at night, duh!” _________________________________________________ This concludes today's edition of #FridayFunnies, join us next Friday for more laughs! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

April 16th is National Librarian Day! Our Librarian, or Library Media Specialist, is Mrs. Sue Lamb. We recently interviewed Mrs. Lamb and this is what she had to say... Q: What is it like to be a modern day Librarian? A: I meet with 6 classes each day. I have a short lesson with each class. Sometimes I have time to introduce students to new books that we have received. I help students find the just right book for them to read. There are always books to get back on the shelves and books to repair. My favorite thing is to share books with the students. Q:What do you love about your job? A: I love to read and want the students to love to read also. I love to hear the students talk about a book they have read or a new series that they have discovered. Q: What book recommendations do you have for Westside students? A: Jory Johns who wrote The Bad Seed and other picture books has joined with Mac Barnett to write some fiction books for older readers. The new series is called The Terrible Two's. Two boys have one goal: an epic prank. Sometimes these pranks leave a lasting legacy at their school. I like any book by Jan Brett because of the illustrations in the books. Her latest title Cozy is about some animals that seek cover in a Musk Ox's furry coat. A new series of picture books by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes will interest those that love Science. Cece loves Science, is curious, and wants to know "how, why, when, and what if". Cece Loves Science and Cece Loves Science and Adventure are two of the new books in the library. Q: Did you always want to be a Librarian or Media Specialist? A: I always wanted to be a teacher because of the impact my elementary teachers had on my life. I have always loved to read and wanted to share that love with students. I had a double major in college, Elementary Education and Library Science. I was an elementary teacher for 6 1/2 years before I became a Librarian. Thank you Mrs. Lamb for all you do! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Reading aloud to kids.... 🦓💖Builds empathy. 🦓💖Creates a love of reading. 🦓💖Improves language and listening skills 🦓💖Facilities important conversations 🦓💖activates and impowers imagination 🦓💖 IS FUN! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Fiction Vs. Non-Fiction What's the difference? These are things every student needs to know! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing... Mrs. Hope Vinson Reading Specialist Thank you for your dedication to Westside! Hope Vinson is a certified PreK-12th Grade Reading Specialist for Claremore Public Schools. Mrs. Vinson has taught for 23 years, 22 years in First Grade and currently as a Reading Specialist for Westside Elementary. Mrs. Vinson has taught in Texas and Oklahoma. Mrs. Vinson earned her Master Degree in Reading from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in 2007 and was awarded Outstanding Graduate in Reading Education. She enjoys reading of all genres, yoga and spending time with her family. Mrs. Vinson’s W.I.N. students enjoy exhibiting the Life Principle of Perseverance while striving to discriminate words that have consonant digraphs and words without consonant digraphs. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Just when I felt like I wasn't doing enough to help my kids through this year, I had a student, (I teach Kindergarten) come up to me, put her arms around my neck, her tiny head on my chest, and sigh. I asked her, "Baby are you ok?" Her reply, "I just needed you for a couple minutes". I almost cried. For all teachers that think they aren't reaching their students this year. You are, even if they don't tell you they need you, they know you're there. **This was taken from Kathrine Ann from Teaching with Neons on Facebook. Our students are so lucky to have the amazing, caring, wonderful teachers we have here at Westside! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE