Will Rogers Junior High

This year has been filled with chatter of how hard 2020 has been. And, that is undoubtedly true. But, as we observe Thanksgiving today, let's remember there have been moments of wonder, beauty, and celebration in 2020 as well. We have met new people and learned new skills. We experienced new ways of seeing the world, impacting lives, and helping others. Let's not forget the cherished time spent with family. And, maybe, just maybe, these tough times have allowed us the sacred opportunity of growing. One of the most beautiful things is how people have come together to support each other. Drive-by birthday parties, companies sharing resources for free or at discounts to help educators do great work even though they were facing the unknown. Parents sending extra hand sanitizer, tissues, and gift cards to show their support and love for teachers. Restaurants feeding first responders and healthcare workers. These moments have been inspiring. Yes, there have been some gruesome moments in our world this year, but there are moments that are worth holding onto with a very tight grip. Let's be great curators of the moments deserving our attention. We may not be sitting around the table together, but we do hold each other in our hearts and consider each of you a blessing in our lives. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

WIN (What I Need) class is a 30 minute class where all students have an opportunity to have targeted learning time based on their needs. During WIN, Mrs. Rahn's students were creating their own math games using playing cards. One group came up with a game to simplify fractions and another group game up with a multiplication war game. They taught the game to others in the class. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

🦃 No school November 25th - 27th for Thanksgiving Break. 🦃 As you celebrate, please make safe decisions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19: 👐 wash your hands, ↔ watch your socially distancing, and 😷 wear a mask when you are around others. 💖 Particularly during this holiday season, we are thankful for the opportunity to serve you, your family, and our community. #StaySafeStayInSchool - we look forward to seeing students again on Monday, November 30. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Claremore Public Schools is continually committed to developing an atmosphere of trust among parents and the community in our ability to provide not only a positive and enriching educational experience but a safe place for students to thrive. That is why we have partnered with @FamilyZoneUSA, a leading provider of cyber safety products and education, to ensure your kids are cyber safe while at school. Claremore Public Schools is already using Family Zone to block inappropriate content and to identify red flag search terms from students. However, students do need access to sites like youtube for institutional purposes. Once on those sites students can be exposed to content that may be questionable. It is important that caregivers monitor students when they are on their devices. As a parent or caregiver of our school district, you receive free access to the Family Zone Cyber Safety Hub, which includes articles, videos, courses, and more to help monitor and educate on various cyber threats, apps, etc. This week's #TechTipTuesday is access to this free service. Click “sign up” below to get ongoing materials and education from the platform we trust to manage cyber safety across our entire district. https://claremorek12.familyzone.com/ #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Traditional students that would like Holiday Weekend Meals please place your order by Tuesday (11/24/20). Pick up will be Wednesday 11/25/2020 from 10:30 AM -12:30 PM at the Enrollment Center located at 101 W 11th St. https://forms.gle/qx3XdeRL6E4VTZ529 Janna Ragland Child Nutrition Claremore Public Schools

✨Staff Spotlight✨ "My name is Jessica Lee and I teach English Language Arts for 6th and 7th grade at WRJH. My alma mater is South College in Knoxville, Tennessee where I earned a Bachelor's in Science for Elementary Education K-8. Teaching has been my career for 6 years, and this is my first year at WRJH. After many years in the military (GO NAVY!) I realized that I missed my home state of Oklahoma, so I am excited to be back where I feel welcomed, respected, and a part of the WRJH family." #CPSZEBRAPRDE

Need an extra gallon to take to your Thanksgiving holiday dinner? Go by and grab a gallon of sweet tea and lemonade from Chick-Fil-A! This month Chick-fil-A will donate $1 to the Claremore Public School Foundation. CPSF funds class and teacher grants district-wide. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

✨Staff Spotlight✨ I am Andrea Steffey, a wife, a mom, a friend, and teacher. I teach 6th grade science. I went to school at OU-Tulsa campus. This is my 3rd year teaching. I love Claremore because the teachers are friendly and kind and the students truly do value one another as unique and special individuals and they are so SMART! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Mrs. Smith's Math Class are on a scavenger hunt! What are they searching for? Answers to their math questions! 🕵️‍♂️ #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

What will it stick to next?! Mrs. Tietz’s High School Physical Science class started studying electricity. ⚡ Nothing is more fun than playing with the build up of electrical charges and balloons. ⚡🎈 #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

To celebrate National School Psychology Week (last week), throughout the day today, we highlight our school psychologists and the critical work they do to help our students and staff thrive and discover “The Power of Possibility.” Possibility, chance, likelihood, probability - all things that inspire hope, expectation, desire. With their training, tools, and techniques, these staff members empower and equip our Zebra family to not only aspire to succeed but take action steps to accomplish those dreams. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE #SPAW2020 #WellnessWednesday

Meet Bethany Doerksen-Klopp, Ph.D. Certified School Psychologist Dr. DK here! I hold a doctorate from OSU in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in School Psychology. My husband, Dustin, and I were high school sweethearts and have been married for 12 years. We have two human hooligans (8 months old and 3 years old) and two fur babies. This is my 6th year working with the amazing staff and students at Roosa Elementary and Will Rogers Junior High School. Now that I've been here a few years, I love that I've gotten to see my students grow and develop as they graduate to junior high! If you visit my office, you'll see the quote, "we can't control the winds, but we can adjust our sails," decorating my wall. For a Type A control freak like me, it's a great reminder that the only things we actually have control over in life are our own thoughts, words, and actions. There will always be some things we can control and some things we cannot. Staying focused on what we can control will help relieve stress and anxiety before it gets too overwhelming. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE #SPAW2020 #WellnessWednesday

Forces, Impulse, and Momentum! It is very important to protect the head because the brain controls the whole body. Just like the skull protects the brain, an egg’s shell protects what’s inside: the yolk! Our 8th grade Physical Science classes were placed into teams. Each team got an egg. They pretend the egg is their head. The challenge was to create a container that will protect an egg (head) from cracking or breaking from a high fall. This project teaches students about the relationships between force and momentum. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Just a reminder Grab & Go Meals CPS offers FREE Meals to all students. Virtual, Quarantined, and Distance Learning meal need to ordered by by Wednesday: https://www.claremore.k12.ok.us/page/child-nutrition ALL Meals are picked up at 101 W 11th St. If you have questions please feel free to contact the CN Office at 923-4243 or jragland@claremore.k12.ok.us #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Attention JOM students: WRJH Native American Club WANTS YOU! Students will learn all about Native American cultures through stories, crafts and games! If you are interested in joining our Native American Club, please read the attached information. Students may pick up contracts in Mrs. Boyd's room. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

✨Staff Spotlight✨ My name is Stephen Dark. I am new to Claremore Public Schools. I am really excited about becoming a Zebra. The last seven years I have spent teaching P.E. and coaching at Justus Tiawah. This year I will be teaching 7th and 8th grade computers and coaching football, basketball, and track. I have two children. My son Jax is a 7th grader and Jaylen, my daughter, is a 4th grader. My wife, Heather, is a nurse at Bailey Med Center in Owasso. I enjoy spending time with my family and watching sports. I am looking forward to a great school year exploring computers and technology. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Mrs. Rice's 6th and 7th grade Geography classes worked on a collaborative project for Veterans Day this year. They discussed the history of the day and why it is still important to us now. Almost all of the students have a family member or know someone who has served, so we wanted to show our appreciation with this project. Thank you to all who have served for our country! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

ICYMI - CHS NJROTC will be conducting a blood drive on TODAY from 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM at the PAC. Appointments and masks are REQUIRED. Schedule at obi.org or contact Murry Estabrook directly at 918-519-4605. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Claremore Parents Make Contributions to Science Classrooms The Oklahoma GEAR UP Parent Leadership Academy (PLA) Team from Claremore presented science equipment and materials to WRJH science classes. Through their PLA project, “Let’s Have a Moment of Science,” PLA team members Jennifer Craig, Michelle McNelly, and Janie Sisovsky recently contributed 63 pairs of scissors, 15 lbs of glue sticks, and 14 full-size glue guns to our junior high science classes! Our hands-on science classes just got better! It didn’t take long to put those resources into action as students began putting together their egg drop project. A project student looks forward to every year! A project that allows a student to demonstrate curiosity and show inventiveness, brainstorm in a team to generate ideas, and use problem-solving strategies to build simple structures. “GEAR UP’s PLA program allowed us to use real-time data to evaluate where our students could use additional support as they prepare for college,” said team members. “After we decided to focus on science, we met with teachers in the science departments to collect information on challenges in the classroom and ways to eliminate student achievement Barriers.” #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

P h y s i c s in Junior High?! Mrs. Tietz's HS Physical Science classes are learning all about physics. These classes visited different stations to review Newton’s Laws of Motion. These laws are three physical laws that describe the relationship between an object, the force against it, and how it reacts to that force. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE