Even in summer months, educational opportunities abound

(Published Sunday, June 17, 2007 in Examiner-Enterprise)

The 2006-07 school year culminated on May 25 with Bartlesville High School 's graduation ceremonies.

The 2007-08 school year isn't scheduled to commence until Aug. 15.

But though we are officially in the midst of the summer vacation for most teachers and students, the education process has hardly come to a standstill. There are still plenty of opportunities for instructors to hone their skills and youngsters to build upon their base of knowledge.

Summer school will be in session at six institutions within the Bartlesville Public School District – Hoover , Wilson, Jane Phillips and Oak Park elementary schools as well as Central Middle School and the Bartlesville Mid-High School – throughout much of this month. Students who attend can catch up on subject areas where they need a little extra help. Also, those youngsters who would like to gain some ground can do so as well.

At the elementary school level – grades kindergarten through five – the focus of summer school is on reading and math. At the secondary school level – grades six through 12 – students can brush up on math, English, history and science.

On Monday and Tuesday, the Hospitality Room at the new Bartlesville High School Fieldhouse played host to a teacher training workshop for secondary educators. The first day was for social studies and English teachers while the second catered to math and science instructors.

The overall focus of the two-day workshop was on curriculum mapping as well as the revision of quarterly assessments. All told, approximately 40 teachers took part in the sessions. Much is to be gathered from these types of workshops.

“The teachers gained an understanding of each other's expertise as well as the ideas of their colleagues,” said Janet Vernon, the BPSD executive director of secondary education operations. “They gained a sense of camaraderie, also.”

Much was gained at another educational opportunity for instructors, namely the Great Expectations Summer Institute 2007, which was held at the Fine Arts Center on the BHS campus. Great Expectations is a research-based teaching methodology which is dedicated to providing professional growth opportunities for pre-service and practicing public school educators. The program is designed to assist teachers as they build the knowledge and skills necessary to motivate, inspire and challenge students.

Approximately 50 instructors and administrators from the Bartlesville Public School District took part in the Great Expectations Summer Institute 2007, which was presented by Northeastern State University at Tahlequah. Courses offered focused on those educators who work with students from grades pre-kindergarten through eight. They included “Principals Empowering Principals,” “Bringing the Past to Life” and “Methodology: The Next Step.” Fifteen classes were offered in all, and educators from throughout the area took part.

Several students from Green Country are expected to attend Camp Extravaganza , which is slated for June 18-22 on the Tri County Technology Center campus. The first-year program is aimed at aiding students – who were enrolled in the sixth, seventh or eighth grade during the 2006-07 school year – in the areas of math and science. The camp is activity-based and will give youngsters the opportunity to see how math and science can come to life in a practical sense. The week-long camp will span from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, and students will be presented a morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack.

Those who would like to learn more about the camp can call Vernon at 336-8600, ext. 36.

This summer, some teachers from within the BPSD will take part in Advanced Placement and pre-Advanced Placement workshops on the University of Tulsa campus. The instruction will no doubt help them best work with some of the district's most gifted students.