Westside Elementary

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

Congratulations to Mrs. Andrea Ratcliff! She is our Westside Teacher of the year! She is ALSO one of two finalist for District Teacher of the Year! She is so deserving of this honor! We are so proud of her hard work and her heart work! She loves every single student at Westside fiercely! She does everything she can to reach all students and to have a connection with each student! If you see Mrs. Ratcliff tell her Congratulations! She earned it! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Due to Covid and school closure at the end of last year we did not have a chance to acknowledge the running club leaders for the 2019-2020 school year. Here are the Final Results: Boy Top Runners: 1st Philip Eckert 2nd Raul Perez 3rd Beckham Davenport Girl Top Runners: 1st Finley Faulconer 2nd Elana Enyart 3rd Marlissa Basks Congratulations to these fine Runners! We are so proud of you all! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE **Due to the Covid, the 2020-2021 Running Club is on hold until further notice.**

@Claremore Public School Foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year will look a little different this year due to Covid-19 BUT it will still be fun and competitive with all the #CPSZEBRAPRIDE bragging rights! Please go to their website to register for this virtual competition! https://claremorepublicschoolsfoundation.org/events/

National Fourth Graders Day is celebrated on the second Monday in January, which this year is January 11th. Fourth-grade students are taking on more challenges in Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, Science, as well as Art, Music, World Language, and Physical Education. They work hard, yet still are guided by a wonderful imagination. They really shine when they are in charge of their own learning and usually shimmer brightest when they are able to use their creativity along with their newly-acquired skills. Let’s celebrate the magic of being 9 or 10 and show the world what fourth graders can do! HISTORY OF NATIONAL FOURTH GRADERS DAY National Fourth Graders Day was originally the suggestion of two teachers from New Jersey. Jillian Hagberg and Donna Hennessy are both fourth-grade teachers at the Community Charter School of Paterson who begin each day by having a discussion with their students about the national holiday being observed that day. The fourth graders love learning about the various holidays on the calendar, but noticed that one holiday was missing, National Fourth Graders Day. Fourth grade is a huge transitional stage for kids. Elementary schools started getting promoted in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1647. Since then, students have been stepping their way up the educational and social ladder. In fourth grade, academic expectations take a big leap, friendships become more genuine, and personalities start taking shape. There is also more emphasis on writing in fourth grade. Along with learning different writing styles, kids have to write longer assignments and learn to be more organized. An important aspect of fourth grade is to introduce kids to the larger society — how to behave in social situations, honing their communication skills while interacting with others, creating lasting friendships, and respecting those in authority, starting with their teachers. Building close relationships with their classmates and with their class teacher becomes more apparent, as children become more aware of their surroundings. This supportive and harmonious social environment encourages character development and personality growth in children to form what is essentially the extension of a happy family. The 4th Grade Class of 2021 This has been a school year like no other and we want to pay a special tribute to the fourth graders who have persevered through the pandemic and still created some amazing work. The Teachers of the 4th Grade Class of 2021 This year has especially been hard on teachers. Teachers have had to learn new skills, work with technology, more than ever before. Teachers this year have had to be ready at the drop of a hat to go on quarantine and teach from home. These 4th grade teachers have handled it with grace and ease! _______________________________________________________________ We are so proud of our 4th graders and 4th grade teachers and all their hard work! #itsagreatdaytobeazebra #itsagreatdaytobea4thgrader #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