TIGER TRACKSDR. JAROD MENDENHALL, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

A PUBLICATION OF BROKEN ARROW PUBLIC SCHOOLS VOLUME T WO, ISSUE 27 | MARCH 5, 2012

Broken Arrow Public Schools is an equal opportunity educational institution.

‘In The Heights’ makes OK debut in Broken Arrow

It’s A Great DayTo Be A TIGER!

We are just two weeks away from Spring Break which will bring a very exciting event. The 22 new classrooms at Lynn Wood will be complete in just two weeks, and during Spring Break, we will move the teachers into those new spaces. The students and teachers will return to brand new classrooms for the remainder of the year. While this is incredibly exciting, Lynn Wood is not the only site currently under construction, and I thought it might be nice to give everyone a snapshot of what is currently taking place across our district.

The new media center and art room at Arrowhead will be occupied shortly after we return from Spring Break. Summer work will include the remodeling of the administration offices, nurses area and old media center. Spring Creek and Leisure Park are on similar schedules and will also occupy their spaces after the break. The construction at Rhoades is moving along as planned and on track to be complete this summer. At Vandever, we have run into a delay over the replacement of a main waterline, but the new construction should still be completed and ready for move-in during April.

At the new elementary on 91st and Oneta, steel continues to go up, and the site will be ready by August. The construction at South Intermediate – additional classrooms and fine arts spaces – is moving along on schedule. Floor plans for the new middle school at 91st and Oneta are being finalized, and construction documents are being completed for the two new elementaries to replace Westwood and Indian Springs. Those projects will go out to bid this month, and construction will start in late spring. Construction of the addition to the high school will begin this summer and is expected to be completed in 18 months.

Other projects currently in some stage of construction include the new Pre-K Centers, and additions at Country Lane, Centennial, Wolf Creek and Oliver. This summer, 19 of our 25 school sites will be under construction, and while it’s a daunting amount of work, it’s also a very exciting time to be in Broken

Arrow.

Jarod Mendenhall, Ed.D.Superintendent

Accelerating Excellence…If you have ever considered pursuing a Master’s Degree in Education, this information is for you. Broken Arrow Public Schools’ Human Resources Department will host two informational sessions for teachers and staff to learn more about graduate programs offered through our local Universities. Please join us in the Board of Education meeting room at the ESC on March 8th or March 14th from 3:00-6:00 to learn more about these programs and have your questions answered by their Admissions teams.

FEATURE

Professional Development Corner

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, is coming to the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center for two performances on Saturday, March 10, 2012. After much demand, the Broadway sensation is making its Oklahoma debut! Tickets are on sale now and are available at www.thepacba.com, or by calling the box office at (918) 259-5778.

IN THE HEIGHTS tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

The Washington Post said IN THE HEIGHTS is “PURE BROADWAY. AN EVENING OF OLD-STYLE, INNOCENT PLEASURE” and Ben Brantley of The New York Times enthused IN THE HEIGHTS is “AN EXUBERANT, ANIMATED SHRINE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY TIES AND BEING FAITHFUL TO WHERE YOU COME FROM.”

In addition to winning the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s creator, won the Tony Award for Best Music and Lyrics, Andy Blankenbuehler won for Best Choreography, and

Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman won for Best Orchestrations. The original cast recording won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

In The Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams a Great Performances special chronicling the personal stories of composer/lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Broadway cast of IN THE HEIGHTS in the months leading up to opening night, premiered on PBS stations across the country in May.

With a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominee Quiara Alegría Hudes and conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, IN THE HEIGHTS is directed by Joseph A. Callaway Award-winner and Tony Award nominee Thomas Kail. The music arrangements are by Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman. IN THE HEIGHTS also features Tony nominated scenic design (Anna Louizos), costumes (Paul Tazewell), lighting (Howell Binkley), and sound (Acme Sound Partners).

IN THE HEIGHTS is produced by Work Light Productions. For more information about IN THE HEIGHTS visit www.InTheHeightsOnTour.com.