Westside Elementary

Let's all do our part to help our school look nice! 5th graders took this lesson to heart! 💖 5th Graders in Miss Frost's class at Westside Elementary helped clean up the leaves around the school after learning about the different impacts humans have on the Earth and how we can help! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Welcome to this week's edition of #FridayFunnies where we share funny things from the classroom. This week's edition comes from a First Grade classroom. _______________________________________________________ In my first grade class we were discussing text to self connections with the book, Tacky the Penguin. I asked the students, “How have you helped your friends before?” Most said they helped when someone was hurt at recess, or when the cafeteria needed to be cleaned, even helping younger siblings at home. One sweet boy said he saved his brothers life one time. We were all of course amazed. 😮 I asked him how he did it. He said, “We were playing together and my brother’s health was getting real low so I gave him one of my lives so he could keep playing the video game with me. I do it all the time.” _____________________________________________ This concludes this week's edition of Friday Funnies! Thanks for reading! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Just like the cast of High School Musical... We're all in this together! Our Principal, our counselor, your teachers, your friends. We're all in this together! We're here to support one another during good times and bad. During healthy times and during a pandemic! We're all in this together! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Ever heard of Tacky the Penguin? Mrs. Cummings and Mrs. Woods's classes were in for a treat! They read the book Tacky the Penguin and then did this fun craft with water colors! Tacky the penguin is not your typical penguin. He wears loud Hawaiian shirts , sings off key, trips over his own feet, and does “splashy cannon balls". He clearly doesn’t fit in with the other pretty penguins that make beautiful music and march in straight lines. Tacky’s the odd bird out among all his friends. This nonconformist teaches his old penguin friends some new tricks and helps save the day by outwitting some hunters! This hilarious series following the adventures of this superlative penguin and is a modern classic. This was the perfect time for this project as January 20th is National Penguin day! Who doesn't love penguins? Want to watch a live webcam of penguins? https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/penguin-cam Here is a GREAT webcam of some at the San Diego Zoo! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing... Mrs. Sonia Eckert Fourth Grade Teacher Thank you for your dedication to Westside! ___________________________________________________________ My name is Mrs. Eckert. I have an Early Childhood degree, Elementary degree and a Reading Specialist master's degree. I have two kids that go to Westside. Phillip, my son, is in 4th grade. My daughter, Addie, is in second grade. I love being a teacher! I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was a freshman in high school. My family and I love to take trips and travel! I have a picture from our travels this summer! I enjoy working out and running. I also enjoy watching Disney movies and singing Disney songs. I really love spending time with all my family! Reading is my favorite subject. Recently, I have been reading a lot of biographies, but I like reading all the genres! ________________________________________________ My students were learning about light energy and how shadows form. __________________________________________________ I give these out to students I see displaying life principles throughout the day. They can wear them around their neck or hold them, but they get recognized for the day for using that Life Principle I put on the monkey. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Don't forget the 3 W's! 1. Wash your hands! 2. Wear a mask! 3. Watch your distance! Stay Safe Zebras! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

What is GE? GE stands for Great Expectations. Westside students have been learning about Great Expectations for several years now! We have made model school two years in a row! This year we are trying for our 3rd consecutive year! With Great Expectations comes the 8 Great Expectations. Our students recite these daily. Teachers refer back to these expectations in their daily classroom interactions. With GE, also comes Life Principles. These are words you will find in every classroom on their word walls but you will also see these words exemplified in our students. Things like Respect, Compassion, Honesty, Patriotism, Espirit de Corp, etc. _________________________________________________________ Teaching children to count is fine, but teaching them WHAT COUNTS is best". -Bob Talbert _________________________________________________________ We are so happy to have Great Expectations in our school! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Claremore Public School Celebrates School Board Recognition Month The Claremore Public School (CPS) District joins school districts throughout Oklahoma to celebrate School Board Recognition Month, Superintendent Bryan Frazier announced. "Our school board members are volunteers who shoulder critical responsibilities and often make difficult choices for our District, all without pay. Their goal focuses on the future success of the children in our District," Superintendent Frazier said. "Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say thanks for all they do." Rea more here: https://www.claremore.k12.ok.us/o/cps/article/382373

Introducing Ms. Stephanie Bailey Fourth Grade Teacher Thank you for your dedication to Westside! _________________________________________________ My name is Ms. Bailey. I have 2 kids that currently go to Westside. My daughter, Claire, is in 4th grade. My son, Carter, is in kindergarten. I graduated from Oklahoma State University with degrees in elementary education and history. I’ve been teaching for a total of 9 years. I have been teaching at Westside for the past two years and I love it here! My kids and I enjoy any outdoor activities, especially hiking. I also love to read, travel, and spend time with my family and friends. ________________________________________________________ A couple of pictures are from a catapult experiment and the other is from a back to school activity where we connected string based on our commonalities. It was to show how we are always connected through the things we share even when we’re apart. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Be kind and wear your mask! Two things we need from every Westside student! 💖😷🦓 #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

The power of the mind is becoming increasingly more apparent. That’s why you’re seeing focus on activities such as mindset development, meditation, and mindfulness. Our mindset forms the foundation and plays a big role in our overall success and happiness. That’s why it’s so important for us to find ways to improve our mindset. Failing to do so puts you at a significant disadvantage as you will allow your mindset to hold you back. That is why we encourage you to start daily affirmations with your child! Daily affirmations are a great way to build confidence in kids! ____________________________________________________________________ Tell your child: "You are special and you have something you can feel positive about every single day!" Try out these Affirmations! You will LOVE the difference it makes in the life of your child! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

We all have moments where we doubt ourselves. It's what we do afterwards, that matters most! We've talked a lot this month about "self care". We as parents have to take care of ourselves. As Teachers we have to take care of ourselves. You can't pour from an empty cup! A growth mindset is believing in the power of yourself and your brain! We know our intellect and abilities develop when we try difficult things, use the right strategies, and don't give up. So a growth mindset is when we know, with practice, we will get better at something. This year has been incredibly challenging for parents, and it's okay if things don't always feel okay at the moment. Remember that your own mental health is important too--and that this is a time to be kind to yourself. Take time when you can to check in with yourself, have a break, and do the things that help you look after yourself during challenging times. These are different for everyone--it could be doing exercise, reading a book, watching a movie, having a bath, or talking to friends. Remind your kids of this chart and remind yourself of this chart! Children are always watching their parents. If you beat yourself up over failures. They will follow in your footsteps. When homework turns into a struggle. Take a break! Go outside! Go for a walk as a family, or a bike ride! Enjoy the fresh air! Then revisit it. Sometimes all it needs is a fresh pair of eyes! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Do us a favor? Go to our Facebook page, Click Community, and then Invite! Invite everyone on your list to like Claremore Public Schools, CHS, WRJH, Catalayah, Westside, Claremont, Roosa, Claremore Public Schools Foundation! Like us all! We want to make sure that our messages reach everyone! Like, comment, share! It doesn't cost you a dime, just a few minutes of your time! Thank you!

Welcome to #FridayFunnies, where we share funny things that happen in the classroom! Today's episode comes from a 2nd grade classroom. _______________________________________________________ Teacher: A man named, Charles Osborne, once had the hiccups for 68 years! Student: Is he related to Ozzy Osborne? Teacher: No. Student: Dang, that would be really cool. _________________________________________________________________ This concludes today's edition of #FridayFunnies, join us next Friday for more laughs! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

On January 15, we celebrate the birthday of civil right’s leader, Martin Luther King. When we hear his name, we most often think of his legendary “I Have A Dream” speech, the civil rights movement, and, sadly, his assassination. When we celebrate his birthday, let’s take a few moments to look into the personal story of the man himself. HISTORY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING'S BIRTHDAY Martin Luther King, Jr. was born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. King’s given name at birth was Michael King, which was also his father’s original name, but after a period of gradual transitioning by the elder King, he changed both his and his son’s names in 1934. King was a middle child, between older sister Christine King Farris and younger brother A.D. King. He sang with his church choir at the 1939 Atlanta premiere of the film “Gone with the Wind” and enjoyed singing and music. When King was a child, he befriended a white boy whose father owned a business near his family’s home. When the boys were six, they started school: King attended one for African Americans and his friend went to one specifically for white children. Their friendship ended because the boy’s father didn’t want his son playing with a black child. In 1955, Dr. King received his Ph.D. in systematic theology at Boston University, with a dissertation titled “A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman.” While pursuing his doctoral studies, King worked as an assistant minister at Boston’s historic Twelfth Baptist Church with Reverend William Hunter Hester, who was an old friend of King’s father and a huge influence on the young man. Also in 1955, Claudette Colvin, a fifteen year-old black schoolgirl in Montgomery, and a few months later Rosa Parks both refused to give up their seats on busses to white men. This lead to the Montgomery bus boycott, urged and planned by Edgar Daniel Nixon and led by King. His role in the bus boycott transformed him into a national figure and the best-known spokesman of the civil rights movement. The quote in the image seemed like perfect timing for everything going on in the world today. Things we need to realize. Let me leave you with one more Martin Luther King Jr. quote that spoke to me. _________________________________________________________________ Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today. -Martin Luther King, Jr. ❤

Every day.... Don't forget to bring The BIG Three! Your Mask, Your Fully Charged Device, and Your Water Bottle! You will need these every day! Don't forget! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing.... Miss Cynthia Nicks Third Grade Teacher Thank you for your dedication to Westside! _______________________________________________________ I attended college at Oklahoma State University. Go Pokes! I have been at Westside for 10 wonderful years and have been teaching 3rd grade for nine of those years. I could not imagine my life without teaching. It is my passion and I am beyond lucky to do what I love each day. I have an amazing team I work with. We strive to give our kids the best education we can. _____________________________________________________________ In my room, we have been working on responsibility and self-discipline. We have been working on setting goals and working toward those goals in the New Year. In addition, we have been working on staying focused and organized in order to help us reach our goals. __________________________________________________________ These students did a project over Native American Tribes. The students had a tribe assigned to research and write a report over as well as having a project to go with the report. The students get up and present their reports and projects to the class practicing their public speaking skills and listening skills as well. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Mark your calendars... February 4th is our District-wide Parent/Teacher Conference Night from 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM. We will begin scheduling appointments soon. Links will be posted on all our communication platforms to schedule your conference next week. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Stickers! 💕🦓🖤😍⚽⚾😋🥎🏈🏐😍🏀🎵🎸🍕🍔🍟🍭🍦Just the word has a happy feel to it. And why wouldn’t it? We love stickers. They are all around us and a part of every day life, though we don’t often realize it. January 13 is National Sticker Day and it’s the perfect day to go crazy with your love of them! The first stickers began as tax and postage stamps in the 1800s, but they have come a long way since then and there are a variety of uses and styles today. There are political stickers, band stickers, and bumper stickers. There are funny, cute, congratulatory, and animal stickers. They are especially popular with children, who often collect them in sticker books, but are for everyone and every taste, regardless of age. When a child receives a sticker they wear it like a badge of honor on their shirt, sometimes their face. On January 13, unleash your inner child and get creative with some stickers! Send a special pack of stickers to your child's teacher! They'll love it! The students will too! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing... Mrs. Ruth Stone Thank you for your dedication to Westside! ______________________________________________ This is Ruth Stone. She graduated from Langston University in Tulsa through UCAT. She has taught 3rd grade at Westside Elementary for 31 years. She has a husband, Ross, and together they have 3 sons, 3 daughter-in-laws and 5 grandchildren! Ross and Ruth love spending time together shopping and playing tennis. She loves when she sees the "light bulb" go off when students understand a concept that she taught. It makes her heart very proud! She has been working on Author's Purpose and the children enjoyed working on their "special" pies that are now hanging in our 3rd grade hallway. I love being a 3rd grade teacher! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE