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Board Approves District
Calendar for 2015-2016
The board on Monday night approved the district calendar for the 2015-2016
school year. The calendar calls for classes to begin on Thursday, Aug. 20, and end
on Tuesday May 24. Here are main dates on the calendar:
Friday, Aug. 14
Teachers report
Thursday, Aug. 20
Classes begin
Monday, Sept. 7
Labor Day
(no school, district offices closed)
Wednesday, Oct. 14
End of 1st quarter (39 days)
Parent conferences
(no school, district offices closed)
Thursday, Oct. 15, and Friday, Oct. 16
Fall break
(no school, district offices closed)
Wednesday, Nov. 25 - Friday, Nov. 27
Thanksgiving break
(no school, district offices closed)
Friday, Dec. 18
End of 2nd quarter (42 days)
End of semester (81 days)
Monday, Dec. 21
Christmas break begins
(no school, district offices closed)
Monday, Jan. 4
Professional day (no school)
Tuesday, Jan. 5
Classes resume
Monday, Jan. 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
(no school, district offices closed)
Friday, Feb. 19
Parent conferences
(no school, district offices closed)
Friday, March 11
End of 3rd quarter (48 days)
Monday, March 14 - Friday, March 18
Spring break
(no school, district offices closed)
Tuesday, May 24
Last day of classes
(if no snow days are needed)
End of 4th quarter (47 days)
End of semester (95 days)
Wednesday, May 25
Professional day (no school)
Jan. 5, 2015
Becky Haliburton welcomed district
staff back to school for the beginning of
a new calendar year.
Bren Smith thanked Coronado
Heights Principal Bart Daniel for
his inspirational message about the
relationship the school has with
churches, organizations and individuals
that are working to help students and
the school succeed. She thanked Daniel
for recognizing the work school board
members do.
Tammy West also commented
on Daniel’s message, thanking the
many local churches, businesses and
individuals who volunteer their time and
energy in service to schools across the
district.
Cindy Gibbs congratulated district
high school students who were named to
All-City and All-State football teams.
Gail LoPresto said it will be a
pleasure to serve the district as a board
member for another five-year term.
Thursday, May 26
Snow day (if needed)
Friday, May 27
Snow day (if needed)
Monday, May 30
Memorial Day
(district offices closed)
Meeting Date: Monday, Jan. 5, 5 p.m.
Location:
Administration Building
Roll Call:
All five members of the board were present: Gail LoPresto, president;
Cindy Gibbs, vice president;
Becky Haliburton; Bren Smith;
and Tammy West. Also present were
Dr. Fred Rhodes, superintendent;
and Debbie Baldwin, board
clerk.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 5 p.m.
Putnam City Schools does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin,
age, marital or veteran status, or disability.
Jan. 5, 2015
We congratulate the Putnam City West boys’ basketball team for winning their way to the
championship game in the Jerry Tarkanian Classic Tournament in Las Vegas in December.
The team topped several highly ranked teams from across the country on the way to earning
a second place finish in the prestigious tournament. We look forward to their performance
against in-state teams the rest of this season.
We are pleased to announce that former Putnam City teachers, Vivian and Lee Rice, have
made an $8,000 donation to our school readiness program, Early Birds. This is not the first
time the Rice family has made a sizeable gift to this program. We certainly appreciate their
generosity and support for this worthwhile early intervention program.
We congratulate Hilldale Elementary 1st-grade teachers for their leadership in seeking
grant funds for additional reading materials for their students. Continental Resources recently
presented the Hilldale 1st-grade team with a check for $5,000 to purchase materials to assist
with the teaching of literacy. With the funds, the teachers will purchase a variety of fiction and
non-fiction books that are grade-level appropriate for their students. Funds will also be used to
purchase books for students to take home which will provide another opportunity for students
to practice their reading skills and provide a literacy rich environment for their entire family.
Five district students have earned membership in the prestigious All-State Children’s
Chorus chosen by the Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OMEA). KJ Ogles from
Wiley Post Elementary, Ashley Eastling from Ralph Downs Elementary and Paige Bush,
Katie Francis and Charisa Pederson from Hefner Middle School were selected to the All-State
Chorus. Colin Burdick of James L. Dennis Elementary was named an alternate. The All-State
Children’s Chorus consists of 135 students in grades 4 through 8. To be selected, students
must submit to judges a CD of themselves singing scales, harmony vocalizations and a song.
Judges listen for tone quality, quality of voice, ability to sing harmony, phrasing, rhythmic
accuracy, intonation, diction and vowel formation. Students chosen for the chorus will
perform this month at the OMEA convention in Tulsa.
In the past few weeks radio station Magic 104.1 has named two of the district’s excellent
teachers as their “Magic Teacher of the Week.” Congratulations to Ms. Shelly Steffen of
Arbor Grove Elementary and Mr. Clayton Canon of Western Oaks Middle School on earning
this honor. Nominations for the recognition come from students and parents.
Capps Middle School has received a $1,000 “Take Your Family to School” grant to assist
in funding family activities at the school to increase parental involvement and increase the
engagement of the family in educational activities. Capps Middle School is the only school in
Oklahoma to receive this grant from the AXA Foundation.
We are proud to announce that 21 Putnam City 5th-grade students have been accepted into
the Future Health Scientist Partnership Program Cohort for the 2015 year. These students are
among 50 5th-graders who have been selected to participate in a summer program designed to
prepare students for future careers in the health sciences. The group will participate in activities
focused on science, math and the language arts that will provide academic enrichment and
career awareness. Students will also be engaged in a research project; competing against fellow
students with the goal of being awarded first place. Congratulations to students listed below.
• James L. Dennis Elementary School: Colin Burdick, Kenna Cline, Zion Dangerfield,
Harrison Field, Yingi Legg-Jack, Jessica McManus, Katie McManus, Sophia Rashid,
Danielle Sade, Emma Spaulding and Sami Swaiss
• Harvest Hills Elementary: Katie Duffy-Relf and Kaylinn Johnson
• Will Rogers Elementary: Kellen Bombach, Kylee Hunt, Colton Johnson, Sydney
Lewis, Na’ Hyshueai’ Mask, Alyssa McCoy, Calen Morice and Talia Thompson
Change Order
Approved
The board on Monday night
approved a change order in the job
that is upgrading and replacing the
HVAC system at Putnam City North
High School. The change order allows
Innovative Mechanical to provide and
install new ductwork, duct insulation,
air distribution devices, exhaust fans and
equipment controls and do all necessary
electrical work in relation to the changes.
The $84,252 cost of the changes will
be covered by bond funds approved by
voters in November 2009.
Easement Granted
The board on Monday night
approved granting an easement to the
City of Oklahoma City to maintain
the sanitary sewer line at Will Rogers
Elementary School.
There is no cost to the district from
granting the easements.
Board Highlights is not a comprehensive review
of every item that takes place at board of education
meetings. Its purpose is merely to provide
information about items that seem of most
interest to district employees and patrons.
Complete board meeting minutes may be found at
http://www.putnamcityschools.org/BoardofEducation/BoardMeetingMinutes/tabid/565/Default.aspx
PAGE 3
Jan. 5, 2015
Board OKs Course Description Guide
The board on Monday night approved the district high school course planning
guide for the 2015-2016 school year.
The guide serves as the board’s approved high school curriculum and is designed
for use in the spring by high school students, parents and teachers in planning student
course selections for the succeeding school year. Students in grades 8 through 11 will
receive a copy of the planning guide as part of the enrollment process for next year.
The guide also covers college and career planning. It includes college admission
requirements, specific listing of college prep course sequences, separate and unique
college planning checklists for high school freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors,
financial aid information and details on the Oklahoma’s Promise program.
Improvements at Cooper Middle School
Get Board Approval
The board on Monday night approved the lowest responsible bid from Pope
Contracting for expansion and renovation of the cafeteria and creation of new space
for performing arts at Kenneth Cooper Middle School.
The expansion will add more than 4,000 square feet to the cafeteria to address
two needs. Currently the cafeteria is not large enough to adequately serve the school
population, a situation that will worsen as surrounding neighborhoods grow. In addition,
the school has no room in which drama classes can meet. Right now drama classes meet
on a small school stage that is part of the cafeteria. The classes even meet there when
lunch periods are taking place, separated from the busy, conversation-filled cafeteria
only by the stage curtain. Expanding the cafeteria to the north and building a new, larger
performing space at the north end will size the area better for lunches and performing
arts as well as provide classroom space for the drama program.
The job is expected to begin in February and be complete before school begins in
August.
The $941,500 cost of the job will be covered by bond funds approved by voters in
November 2009.
Board Approves Policy Changes
The board on Monday night approved changes to Policy EE on Admission,
Residency, Placement, Transfer, and Withdrawal.
The revised policy contains new language allowing parents or legal custodians to
use a power of attorney to delegate certain powers for the care and custody of children
for a period of time greater than 24 hours but no more than one year.
New language in the policy also allows parents or guardians of multiple-birth
siblings to request their children be in the same classroom or separate classrooms, and
requires the district to notify student victims of offenses subject to the Juvenile Sex
Offender Registration Act that they have a right to be separated from the offender at
school and during school transportation.
Other new or changed language in the policy has to do with admission of homeschooled students to the district, district residency requirements, special education and
gifted education transfers and military parent transfers.
District Applies
for E-rate
The board on Monday night
approved submission of paperwork that
will allow the district to apply for e-rate
reimbursement for three items.
E-rate is the discount that schools
may receive for the acquisition of
telecommunication services as a result of
the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
The level of discount, between 20 and
90 percent, is based upon the district’s
level of eligibility in the federal free and
reduced-price lunch program.
The district will apply for e-rate
reimbursement for:
• Local and long distance calling
• Analog lines needed for fax, elevator
phones, and fire alarm systems
• Wide Area Network connectivity,
local and long distance services
through Cox Communications
Network Help
Approved
The board on Monday night
approved an agreement with Presidio
for maintenance of critical networking
equipment in the district.
The agreement, to take effect July 4,
2015, covers immediate replacement or
repair of critical core switches, routers,
wireless controllers and other network
equipment that is necessary to provide
reliable network access.
The $32,912.91 cost of the
agreement will be covered by the
district’s general fund.