It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

As a school administrator, I enjoy those days when I get to recognize students for doing the right things.  Last year, I started the $100 Club at our school to reward students for being model students.  At the end of each semester, students who have no more than 1 absence, zero tardies and zero discipline referrals get their name put in  a drawing for $100.  I do this for both the elementary school and the Jr/Sr high school.

Today was the drawing day.  We had an assembly in each building and recognized every student who met the criteria.  It was so cool.  A lot of the students who were in the drawing are not the ones who get recognized often.  It is an amazing feeling when their name is drawn and I get to hand them a crisp $100 bill. 

Two students went home today with a smile on their face for sure!!  Can't wait for the drawing at the end of 2nd semester.

There's An App For That

Staff:

I ran across some great information on iPad/iPod apps last night while reading an article on Common Core State Standards and wanted to share it with all staff. Even if you are not a teacher, you may have a child, grandchild, niece or nephew who has an iPod or iPad that could use this information:

·         For information on the Teacher section of the iTunes Store see
http://tjhouston.com/2011/07/apple-opens-a-teachers-section-on-itunes-appstore/

·         A list of apps (categorized by content area) is available at
http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/

·         Kathy Schrock’s online Guide for Educators contains a list of apps that support various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy at
http://kathyschrock.net/ipadblooms/

I spent most of the evening on the 2^nd item.  There is enough information in that site alone to keep you busy for many hours.   

I would like to thank the educators who spent their time putting together this information. I hope you find this information helpful.

*Source of links:  SREB High Schools That Work "Address New, Rigorous Core State Standards Through English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies  and Career/Technical Courses, November 2011

Not your parents school anymore!

Last week, I attended a conference on innovative educational leadership sponsored by the K20 Center at OU.  A big focus at the conference was how technology is changing the way students will receive their education.  In fact, the move is for students to be in control of their learning.

For the last 2 years, Barnsdall has been offering virtual course delivery as an option for our Jr/Sr high school students.  The program we use is available to students 24/7, and offers a variety of courses we cannot offer do to our small size.  The content is very robust and many of the students are doing very well in their courses.  But online, virtual classes are not for all students.  They need the traditional classroom with teacher-led instruction.

I read an article recently that called my generation the "bifocal generation", refering to where the baby boomers are in the technology world. After I got over the insult (LOL), I realized, as a school administrator, I need to be on board for this change and lead it in my district. I am excited about the possibilities of how things will change for students enrolled in Barnsdall Schools.

So what do you think about using a virtual delivery system for courses?  I would like to know.

District Enrollment Continues To Decline

The district just completed our first statistical count for the state department of education and based on our October 1, 2011 count date, student enrollment is down from our enrollment count at the end of the 2010-11 school year.  Our average daily membership on June 30, 2011 was 454.68 students.  The October 1, 2011 count was 421.54 students, which is a loss of nearly 33 students.

It is hard to say just what is causing our loss in enrollment, but a continued loss of students will begin to have an impact on our state funding.  In the economic times we are in, both at the state and federal level, it is very challenging for schools to provide some of the services that are mandated by law.  I will continue to work with staff, our board of education and the community to come up with ways to serve the students in our community. 

Together, we can continue to make Barnsdall Public Schools a great place to receive a quality education.

Students Tour Philbrook Art Museum

Barnsdall's AP Studio Art class and World Literature class toured the world famous Philbrook Art Museum on October 18 taking in the many different cultures the museum has to offer.  Students found the artwork that included works from the early Renaissance, Native American, African, Chinese, and the many other different cultures to be really interesting.

Students also made note of the Italian architecture utilized within the building itself and were totally amazed that the building was actually a home to Waite and Genevieve Phillips, part of the millionaire Phillips family.  

One of the highlights was the tour of the garden area surrounding the museum as waterfalls cascaded down into quite pools swimming with koi.  

Barnsdall students received much praise from the museum curators and from the restaurant personnel for their kindness and respectability the showed.  "Our students were great.  Everyone should be proud of the example they provided as being courteous and respectable to everyone around them," said Mr. Patrick.  "I was really proud of how they acted and the enthusiasm they showed through the entire day." 

       

 

  

Welcome to my new blog

This is my first post to my new blog. I hope this becomes an informative tool to share information with those of you out there who are interested in the happenings of Barnsdall Public Schools.

Barnsdall School Web Site