Westside Elementary

While there is a developmental sequence of stages in literacy, not all children learn to read at exactly the same time. Young children needs A LOT of opportunities to practice reading in order to grow as literacy learners. Learning to read and developing literacy skills take time. Follow these tips to encourage your child to find the joy and fun in reading. 💕Read with your child every day and let your child see you reading, whether it's the newspaper, a magazine, or a best seller. 💕Get your child a library card and visit the library often. (Will Rogers Library has a summer reading program where you child can earn cool prizes!) 💕Discuss the books your child is reading in school and the ones you have read at home. 💕Take your child to story times at the library, author visits at a local bookstore, and other public programs that foster a love of books and reading. 💕Create a comfortable reading space for your child in your home. 💕Give your child paper and crayons so he or she can scribble, make pictures, and create his or her own book. 💕Play rhyming and word games, sing silly songs, or write stories and poems together. 💕Talk about daily activities to help your child develop language skills. 💕Read street signs, billboards, menus, and labels out loud. 💕Carry books to read to your child wherever you go. It is important to remember that what doesn't work one day may work well the next day. Keep trying! Keep Reading! and #ZebrasReadtheWay

Sign up for Zebra Stripes Summer Camp! #CPAZEBRAPRIDE

Welcome to #FridayFunnies, where we share funny things that happen in the classroom! For today's edition we have a hilarious story from the early childhood side of the building. ______________________________________________________________________ In the car rider line..... Student A: I’m going to teach here when I grow up, like you! Teacher: I’d love that! I’d love to teach with you! Student A: you’ll need to make me a space at your desk and get me a phone. Teacher: oh! You mean teach in my room with me! Student A: yes!! My mimi is going to buy me a phone. And I’m going to learn math and then I’ll grow up. You’re already grown up. Then I’ll do literacy centers and pull sticks. Teacher: it sounds like you have a plan. Student B: (that had been eavesdropping the whole time): what is she saying? Teacher: she wants to teach with me when she grows up. Student B: she does know that when she grows up you’ll probably be in heaven, right? __________________________________________________ This concludes today's edition of #FridayFunnies, join us next Friday for more laughs! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

The fourteenth annual World Autism Appreciation Day is April 2, 2021. Joined by the international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world come together on April 2, Autism Appreciation Day, in recognition of Austistic people and those who love and support them. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE #GoGoldForAustism

SAVE THE DATE! Westside's Family Fun Night is scheduled for May 7th, 2021! Mark your calendars! It's sure to be a ton of fun! It will be outdoors this year! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

☀CPS Zebra Stripes Summer Camp☀ Now Accepting Applications Kindergarten - Fifth Grade 2 Sessions ☀June 1 - July 2 ☀July 12 - August 6 6:30AM - 6PM 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

Imagine your excitement as a student to hear your teacher say "Today class, we are going to make brownies!!". However, she then tells you "Please pull out your scissors, while I pass out the construction paper". Imagine the perplexed look on your face and your friends faces. 🤔😕🥴🤭 When you see the construction paper you know. and your teacher shouts out, "APRIL FOOLS!" This happens every year in some classes. This special teacher then gave her class real edible "brownies". 💗❤💗❤💗 Hope you have a happy April Fool's day! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

🐣 CPS will be closed Friday, April 2, 2021 for a egg-ceptional Easter holiday weekend. 🐣 We are egg-cited to celebrate the holiday with our families. Anyone got a good egg pun to crack us up? Share it in the comments. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Due to the holiday Friday, April 2nd - Weekend meals for distance learners will be available for pick up Thursday, April 1st. Pick-up times and location will remain the same. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Head to toe! Way to go! It's a GREAT day when you "twin" with a teacher! Gracey Isam and Mrs. Karly Banks showed up for school one day in, almost, the exact same outfit! From head to toe! Great minds think alike! 👯‍♀️ #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

#TechTipTuesday will show users how to search a site for specific content. Searching on a website for a specific topic and can be challenging and time-consuming. This #TechTipTuesday will show users how to search a specific site for specific content using the site search feature in Google Chrome. Using this feature will narrow the search results to only the site you want to search and not the entire web. Use this to find documents, images, or any content on a specific website without searching the whole web for it. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/LrcQUBuRhGE Script in English & Spanish: https://bit.ly/3suPbIh #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing... Mrs. Brenda Hall Innovation Lab Teacher Thank you for your dedication to Westside! ____________________________________________________________ Brenda Hall has taught for 13 years. For twelve years she taught computers, three at CUE and nine at Catalayah. She started this school year in the new Innovation Lab. Brenda lives in Claremore with her husband Barry and is close to her four grandsons Bentley, Bryson, Asher, and Rowan. She graduated from Walters High School and then went on to graduate three years later from Cameron University in Lawton, OK. Her Bachelor of Art Degree is in Accounting, and after twenty years working in finances, she went through the process to become a certified teacher. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

This precious Pre-K student, also known as "Dawson the Artist" was working towards a goal. When he met that goal Mrs. T and Miss Gentry rewarded him by taking him to Mrs. Ratcliff's room for a Special Art lesson. You can see the excitement in his voice! Not to mention how fabulous are his teachers for provided this wonderful incentive for him! Click here to watch the video!>>> https://fb.watch/4tWKp1GI0S/ #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing Mrs. Jessie Stout Music Teacher Thank you for your dedication to Westside! _____________________________________________________ Jessie Stout has been the music teacher as Westside for the last two years. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Vocal Music Education and is currently pursuing her Master of Music Education at OU as well. She loves music, art, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. She loves being a music teacher because she believes that music is something that we can all relate to and learn from. It is a daily part of each of our lives, and she believes it is a privilege to be able to share it with students. Students are using teamwork, collaboration, creativity, and knowledge of sound to add sound effects to books using instruments. #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! ______________________________________________________________________ While students were playing a game. One student lost and immediately starts singing "Hello darkness my old friend". ___________________________________________________________________ This concludes today's edition of #FridayFunnies, join us next Friday for more laughs! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

JOIN OUR TEAM! Be the first smile our students see in the morning and the last smile they see as they head home. CPS is hiring bus drivers! We are looking for people who love kids, who value an opportunity to positively influence the lives of our students, and see these young people as precious cargo. 🚌District bus drivers work either four or five-hour routes per day. In the past, driving positions have proven to be a good fit for many retirees looking to make extra money while keeping them active in the community. In addition, it is a good income source for college students or parents looking for extra money. Drivers come from diverse backgrounds, but they have one common thread; they enjoy being around and helping the kids. 🚌 If you are interested in becoming a Claremore Public School bus driver, please contact Jennifer Hayes, CPS Transportation Director, for additional details. The job does require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with school and passenger endorsements. The school district will reimburse these costs and starting pay begins at $15 per hour. Fill out an online application here https://www.applitrack.com/clar.../onlineapp/default.aspx... #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Some of you might have heard of "Enneagram" before. If you haven't don't worry, it's not a hospital procedure! It's a test that puts you into a category and surprisingly enough tends to be really accurate! It's all about the type of person you are. Well here is an Enneagram for Kids! Find out which type your child is! Click the link to access the form! Read the directions to find out which type your child is! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1eeJh9gFJkSaxVcSkPDLavgairYkV7u99bAWPpdhMr5c/prefill #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

5th Grade students made Hot Air Balloons. They finished up their matter unit. They’re learning the density of hot air. The 5th graders were given directions. They watched a video of how to make them. They had to with little to no teacher help, (independently) create their hot air balloons. They really had to read those directions well! way to go 5th grade! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing...Mrs. Kellie James Computer Teacher Thank you for your dedication to Westside! ______________________________________________ This my 24th year in education, the past 19 at Westside. I was a Technology Instructional Paraprofessional for 11 years, transiting to a certified elementary teacher for the past 8 years. I have spent all 19 year at Westside in the Computer Lab classroom. For the 4 years prior to Westside, she was a Paraprofessional for special education in Claremore at the Junior High and High School. I moved into Claremore with my husband Neil, 29 years ago. I have one amazing daughter, Chelsea and one super fun granddaughter Raelynn. Plus one fur-human blue heeler, Petey! I graduated from RSU with a Bachelor's degree in BT/AT (technology) with additional courses from Oklahoma State in elementary education. I have a small photography business, enjoy spending time with my daughter, doing Passport projects with my granddaughter and LOVE to watch my husband run races. Teaching technology to our next generation is a driving passion of mine! I have had the pleasure of working with students that I KNOW will invent something remarkable or be the next pneumonial computer scientist. ___________________________________________________________ 5th grade students recently teamed up and built a Lego robot. The following week they worked together to code the bots to move and create sound. 3rd graders took turns controlling my favorite robot “DASH”! The students quickly mastered demonstrating skills in control, maneuvering and creating sound to accompany DASH. 1st and 2nd graders built their own robots (paper) and wrote a Robot Story!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Introducing...Mrs. Sommer Faulconer PE Teacher Thank you for your dedication to Westside! I attended Pittsburg State University on a track scholarship with a double major in Physical Education and English. I obtained a bachelor of science degree in Physical Education grades K-12 and English grades 6-12. I have been teaching for 13 years (was a stay at home mom in the middle),10 years being at Claremore Public Schools. This is my 3rd year teaching Physical Education at Westside Elementary. I have been married to my husband, Jeff, for 19 years. We have two children, Peyton who is 15 and attends CHS, and Finley, who is 7 and attends Westside Elementary. In my free time I love spending time with family, going to the beach, reading, and exercising. It is my passion help instill a life long love for fitness and exercise, while also teaching muscles, bones, and proper nutrition. __________________________________________________ Students are using teamwork, cooperation, and communication while competing in a relay race to build their snowman out of random equipment. Students can use any of the equipment however they choose as long as they have a complete snowman. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE