Developmental screenings set for September
The Oklahoma City-County Health Department has set the dates for developmental screenings for children age 5 and younger. The one-hour sessions include consultation about what is normal for specific age ranges, such as speech, language and behavior development. Appointments are required. Call 425-4412.
- Belle Isle, 5501 N Villa – Sept. 5, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Bethany, 3510 N Mueller – Sept. 7, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Edmond, 10 S Boulevard – Sept. 12, 1 to 5 p.m.
- Warr Acres, 5901 NW 63 – Sept. 14, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Midwest City, 8143 E Reno – Sept. 19, 1 to 5 p.m.
- Choctaw, 2525 Muzzy – Sept. 20, 1 to 5 p.m.
- Northwest, 5600 NW 122 – Sept. 27, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Village, 10307 N Penn – Sept. 27, 1 to 5 p.m.
More information about Nichols Hills Elementary gym
A clever reader shared this detailed info with me this morning in an email about the Nichols Hills Elementary gym project. (It’s one of those times as a reporter that you wish you would have had it yesterday! Doh!) I’ll be honest. I’ve never heard of the phrase “geotechnical report,” so I have definitely learned something new today!
I just looked at the geotechnical report for Nichols Hills Elementary and it shows the Gym to be on the west side. The geotechnical investigation and report are completed prior to the structural plans. The geotechnical investigation was authorized on 3/14/2008! The report was issued on 5/27/2008. If you follow this link: http://www.okc.gov/agendapub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&itemid=63818, you can look at some of the plans and the geotechnical report (especially the “Plan of Borings” page) in Addendum 1. I don’t know what the people on Glenwood were told, but as far as the architect and the City is concerned (Building Permit was issued on 11/28/2011), that Gym was always going to be on the west side, right up against their backyard fence.
Oklahoma City-County Health Department offers developmental screenings
If you haven’t taken your child to one of these yet, you should. It’s pretty cool. Here’s some information from the Oklahoma City-County Health Department:
The Child Guidance program at the Oklahoma City-County Health Department will offer developmental screenings for children birth to five years old at the following libraries and on the corresponding dates.
- Northwest – Thursday, July 26, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Belle Isle – Wednesday, August 1, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Capitol Hill – Thursday, August, 2, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Bethany – Friday, August 3, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Warr Acres – Friday, August 10, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Del City – Tuesday, August 14, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Edmond – Wednesday, August 15, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Midwest City – Wednesday, August 15, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
These will be individual sessions lasting approximately 1 hour with a Child Development Specialist, Speech/Language Pathologist and/or a Behavioral Health Specialist. Sessions include discussion about the normal range of early development as well as any parenting questions that the parent may have in the areas of Speech, Language, Development, and Behavior. Sessions are by appointment only. There is a small fee for screenings. Medicaid is accepted. No person will be denied services for inability to pay.
Ask your questions to Oklahoma City Superintendent Karl Springer
You have the chance to ask the superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools a question. Here’s how:
If you could ask the leader of Oklahoma City Public Schools anything, what would you ask?
Well, actually, you can ask the superintendent anything.
NewsOK is accepting questions for Superintendent Karl Springer from the public through noon Tuesday, July 24. Reporters will choose the best questions for a special back-to-school Q&A with the leader of the state’s largest school district.
Here’s how to submit a question:
- Post a comment on this story or on NewsOK’s Facebook page.
- Tweet @NewsOK or @carriejacobs.
- Email ccoppernoll@opubco.com.
And you can leave a comment here on this blog if you have a question as well. I’ve already received a couple of really good ones, so don’t be shy! I know there are more out there!
Metropolitan Library System hosts Children’s Music Festival
Sounds like fun! Here’s a press release from the library folks:
Couch potatoes, put on your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie!
The Metropolitan Library System’s Fourth Annual Children’s Music Festival pumps up the volume and has kids ready to rock the library to the sounds of Aaron Nigel Smith from “Between the Lions” and Dino O’Dell and the Veloci-rappers.
“The Children’s Music Festival,” said MLS Director of Outreach Dana Morrow, “is original songs that tell stories and celebrate reading and the arts. It’s interactive, fun and participatory, and it’s for kids of all ages. Through this and other musical events and series we’ve learned that kids respond to music better than just about anything else. A wide variety of musical styles is almost as much fun for them as browsing a toy store—or reading a good book.”
The Festival continues over five days in July and 18 libraries.
- Monday, July 23, 10:30a.m.: Northwest Library (606-3580) Dino O’Dell
- Monday, July 23, 10:30a.m.: Southern Oaks Library (631-4468) Aaron Nigel Smith, event held offsite at the OCCC Family and Community Education Center, 6500 S. Land Avenue
- Monday, July 23, 2:00p.m.: Capitol Hill Library (634-6308) Dino O’Dell
- Monday, July 23, 7:00p.m.: Midwest City Library (732-4828) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Tuesday, July 24, 9:30 & 10:30a.m.: Bethany Library (789-8363) Dino O’Dell
- Tuesday, July 24, 10:30a.m.: Ralph Ellison Library (424-1437) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Tuesday, July 24, 1:30p.m.: Downtown Library (231-8650) Dino O’Dell
- Tuesday, July 24, 2:00p.m.: Luther Library (277-9967) Aaron Nigel Smith, event held offsite at Luther High School Auditorium
- Wednesday, July 25, 10:30a.m.: Del City Library (672-1377) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Wednesday, July 25, 10:30a.m.: Wright Library (235-5035) Dino O’Dell, event held offsite at Exchange Avenue Baptist Church, 1300 S. Pennsylvania
- Wednesday, July 25, 2:00p.m.: Choctaw Library (390-8418) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Wednesday, July 25, 2:00p.m.:Warr Acres Library (721-2616) Dino O’Dell
- Thursday, July 26, 9:30 & 10:30a.m. Edmond Library (341-9282) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Thursday, July 26, 2:00p.m.: Jones Library (399-5471) Aaron Nigel Smith, event held offsite at Jones Community Center, 120 W. Atlanta
- Thursday, July 26, 2:00p.m.: The Village Library (755-0710) Dino O’Dell
- Thursday, July 26, 7:00p.m.: Belle Isle Library (843-9601) Dino O’Dell
- Friday, July 27, 10:30a.m.: Harrah Library (454-2001) Dino O’Dell, event held offsite at Harrah City Hall, 19625 N.E, 23rd
- Friday, July 27, 10:30a.m.: Nicoma Park Library (769-9452) Aaron Nigel Smith
Children’s Music Festival is co-sponsored by Arts Council of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about this or any Metropolitan Library System program, visit the MLS website, www.metrolibrary.org.
Free child developmental screenings offered this month
The Oklahoma City-County Health Department will offer free development screenings for children age 5 and younger this month at the following times and locations:
- Edmond – 1 to 5 p.m. July 11.
- Warr Acres – 9 a.m. to noon July 13.
- Midwest City – 1 to 5 p.m. July 17.
- Choctaw – 1 to 5 p.m. July 19.
- The Village – 1 to 5 p.m. July 24.
- Northwest Oklahoma City – 9 a.m. to noon July 26.
The private sessions last about an hour. The professionals check your child’s speech, behavior and other developmental milestones. There’s a small fee depending on income, but nobody is turned away because of the inability to pay. Medicaid is accepted. Appointments are required. To schedule one, call 425-4412.
Science and nature books to read to your kids
Smart Start Central Oklahoma put out a list today of great science and nature books to read to your kiddos this summer. Enjoy!
Birth to one year:
- “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?” by Bill Martin
- “Inch by Inch” by Leo Lionni
- “Grow Flower, Grow!” by Lisa Bruce
3 years and older:
- “Fireflies in the Night: Revised Edition” by Judy Hawes
- “Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor” by Joanna Cole
- “All the Colors of the Earth” by Sheila Hamanaka
- “Energy Makes Things Happen” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- “Peanut Butter and Jelly” by Nadine Bernard Westcott
- “What If…?” by Cheryl Steele
- “The Falling Raindrop” by Neil Johnson and Joel Chin
- “In the Small, Small Pond” by Denise Fleming
- “Growing Vegetable Soup” by Lois Ehlert
- “A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee” by Chris Van Dusen
- “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” by Laura Joffe Numeroff
- “My Five Senses” by Aliki
Will you RISE UP?
I’ve watched this several times now, and I’m not going to lie: I get a little emotional. My daughter is only two years out from attending Oklahoma City Public Schools.
The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools created this video for their annual campaign. They go to many schools and interview all kinds of people – students, volunteers, teachers, administrators. I saw several faces I recognized from spending a week at John Marshall High School. One of those was Ashley Bahtahou. (You can see her at about 1:35 into the video.) I didn’t interview her, but I saw her so many times throughout the week. She’s one of those students who is involved in everything, and you can tell that she’s respected and admired by other students. She was phenomenal during track practice. She was fast, sure, but she was so encouraging of her other teammates. She’s a neat kid.
What she said in the video was so striking to me because it’s the same thing I’ve heard over and over from students and teachers throughout the district: our reputation doesn’t reflect reality. Set aside the reputation and whether you think it’s deserved. To me, the saddest thing is that those kids all know what the city thinks of them. They know what the community says about Oklahoma City Public Schools. Children shouldn’t feel like the world around them expects them to fail. They should feel like everyone expects them to succeed.
Reach Out and Read Oklahoma suggests books for Black History Month
A school readiness group called Reach Out and Read Oklahoma has put out a list of books good for celebrating Black History Month. The group is “encouraging parents to share the accomplishments of African-Americans with their children through the power of books.”
“Illiteracy is both a cause and a consequence of poverty,” said Steve Davis, state director of Reach Out and Read Oklahoma, in a statement. “If we are going to truly prepare our babies to enter school ready to learn, we must first make sure they can recognize letters, have a nurturing home environment and develop a love of reading. It is our belief that if a parent or loved one gives a child a love for books, they will develop a love for learning that will lead to success in school.”
Children’s books
- “Heroes for Civil Rights” by David A. Adler
- “Amazing Grace” by Mary Hoffman and Carline Binch
- “Aunt Flossie’s Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)” by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
- “Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky” by Faith Ringgold
- “Baby Says” by John Steptoe
- “Chicken Sunday” by Patricia Polacco
- “Barack Obama: United States President” by Roberta Edwards
- “Black Pioneers of Science and Invention” by Louis Haber
- “Afro-Bets: Book of Black Heroes” by Wade Hudson
- “Amazing Peace” by Maya Angelou
- “Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope” by Nikki Grimes
- “Just Like Martin” by Ossie Davis
- “Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World” by Mildred Pitts Walter
- “Mama, I Want to Sing” by Vy Higginsen
Adult books
- “Learning While Black: Creating Educational Excellence for African American Children” by Janice E. Hale
- “Young, Gifted and Black: Promoting High Achievement Among African-American Students” by Theresa Perry
- “Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and Life” by Baruti K. Kafele
- “Black Children: Their Roots, Culture and Learning Styles” by Janice E. Hale-Benson
- “The Power of One: How You Can Help or Harm African American Students” by Dr. Gail Thompson
- “Through Ebony Eyes: What Teachers Need to Know but Are Afraid to Ask About African American Students” by Dr. Gail Thompson
- “Marva Collins’ Way: Updated” by Marva Collins
Educare Opens
I had the chance to visit the Oklahoma City Educare site on its first day Monday. It looks like such a fun place for children. Organizers say the center will provide high quality child care where lower-income children can learn and receive services they need. Throughout the building, I found touches especially for children like spinning wood blocks on the walls for when they stand in line and on the playground recycled tanks made into drums. Children practice family-style eating in their rooms with their teachers. When it’s lunch time, children learn to serve themselves, eat and talk with each other and then clean up and brush their teeth. Many organizations and people throughout Oklahoma City worked to raise the $9.3 million to build and equip the building at 500 SE Grand. Now they’re raising money for an endowment and organizations also have committed to give annually to the $3 million operating budget. Here are some pictures from the first day.
