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Back To SchoolSunday, Aug. 5, 2012

By Caitlin SchudallaTranscript Staff Writer

The Norman PublicSchool district has a lot tobe proud of.

In recent months, thedistrict has received tophonors from the Okla-homa Technology Asso-ciation and the StateBoard of Education forexcellence in technologyand academia.

The district has alsoimplemented programsto dramatically cut ener-gy consumption at eachschool site, saving hun-dreds of thousands oftaxpayer dollars.

Beginning with a facil-ities study in 2006, thedistrict is currently in theprocess of making majorrenovations and improve-ments to all 22 schoolsites, funded by the $109million Dec. 2009 bondissue.

While all the district’sfacilities will sportimpressive improve-ments for the Fall 2012

semester, the district’snewest school site will bea crown jewel amongthem.

Ronald Reagan Ele-mentary, set to open withthe rest of Norman’sschool sites in August, isa 77,000 square foot facil-ity which will house itsestimated 400 students ina state-of-the-art facilitywhich exemplifies theschool setting of tomor-row.

“We’ll have all thesame technology as therest of the district’s intel-ligent classrooms, butthere will also be featureslike a touch screen wallin each of the pod’s com-mon areas,” said RogerBrown, Assistant Super-intendent for the Nor-man school district.

The so-called “pods”are the smaller clustersof classrooms on the out-er parts of the building,strategically isolatedfrom the central areaencompassing the com-mons, gymnasium,

library and main office.“From a safety stand-

point, you can stand inthree different parts ofthe main hallway and seethe entire building, andeach pod can be lockeddown in addition to eachindividual classroom in alockdown situation,”Brown said. “The pod’sseparation is also a greatfeature for minimizingnoise - classes can haveactivities in the pod’scommon space and notbother other grades byshutting their pod’sdoors.”

Weather safety is alsoaddressed by the poddesign, with each podcontaining a safe room,ensuring faster responsetime and better shelterfor the students.

In addition to the “pod”layout, Reagan will be theonly elementary schoolin the district with a stagein the commons/cafete-ria space, grouping themain facilities together tobetter serve after-school

or community activities.“We wanted to set this

school up to where allspaces the communitymight want to use is allcentralized and conve-nient - people visiting theschool will come in themain entrance and all thecommon spaces are rightthere,” Brown said.

Lighting efficiency iswell-executed, with allthe school’s largerspaces containing majorskylights.

Many of Reagan’s fea-tures expertly reflect andaddress the needs ofmodern students and theNorman school district,built on the ever-chang-ing experiences andlessons learned in previ-ous facilities.

“Construction changesand by the time we buildthe next school there willbe professionals withnew ideas about engi-neering and design. Eachone we build is a little bet-ter than the last,” Brownsaid.

Norman has a district worthy of pride

• 1987-1988 McKinley Elementary School• 1988-1989 Norman High School• 1988-1989 West Mid-High School• 2000-2001 Roosevelt Elementary School• 2000-2001 Truman Elementary School

• 2005-2006 McKinley Elementary School• 2007-2008 Lakeview Elementary School• 2008-2009 Norman North High School• 2010-2011 Longfellow Middle School

Norman Public Schools Blue Ribbon history

Becoming a Blue Ribbon School• Schools are nominated in two categories: high-

performing schools and dramatically improving schools

• High-performing schools must perform in the top-15 percent of state standards assessments

• Dramatically improving schools must have narrowed gaps between regular students and subgroups such as English language learners, minorities or special education students

• Schools must make adequate yearly progress — as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act — on standardized tests each year for the past two years

• Once nominated, schools must be willing to go through an intensive application process with the national Blue Ribbon office

• Only schools that have been in existence for five full years and that have not been named a Blue Ribbon School in the past five years are eligible

Construction workers install defusing panels insidethe new Reagan Elementary library. Reagan Elemen-tary is under construction on Southeast 24th Avenueand State Highway 9. Julie Bragg/ The Transcript

2 Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012

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Sunday, Aug. 5. 2012 3

First Day of School: Aug. 22

Last Day of School: May 24

Holidays/No School July 4: Independence Day Sept. 3: Labor Day Break Oct. 11-12: Fall Break Nov. 21-23: Thanksgiving Break Dec. 21, 24: Winter Break Dec. 25: Christmas Day Dec. 26-31: Winter Break Jan. 1: New Years Day Jan. 21: M.L. King Jr. Day Feb. 18: Presidents’ Day March 18- 22: Spring Break May 27: Memorial Day

Teacher Work Days/No School August 20 and May 28—If Snow Dayis not needed

Professional Days/No School Aug. 16, 17, 21Oct.10April 26

Grading Periods Aug. 22 – Oct. 26: First Quarter, 44days Oct. 29 – Jan. 11: Second Quarter, 44Days Jan. 14 – March 15: Third Quarter,43 Days March 25 — May 24: Fourth Quar-ter, 44 Days

Parent/Teacher Conference/NoSchool Nov. 8: Evening; Nov. 9: No School March 14: Evening; March 15: NoSchool

New Teacher Induction Aug. 9-10, 13-14

* Snow Make-up Days Jan. 21, Feb. 18, April 26 May 28-31Additional days will be added to the

end

Norman Public Schools Calendar


Norman Elementary

Schools

First day of school, Wed.,Aug. 22

Adams Elementary 817 Denison DriveCindy Taylor405-366-5972 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Cleveland Elementary 500 N. Sherry Ave.Ty Bell405-366-5875 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Eisenhower Elementary 1415 Fairlawn DriveSusan Powell405-366-5879 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.

Jackson Elementary 520 S. Wylie RoadCraig Stevens405-366-5884 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.

Jefferson Elementary250 N. Cockrel Ave.Kathy Taber405-366-5889 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.

Kennedy Elementary621 Sunrise St.Montie Koehn405-366-5894 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.

Lakeview Elementary3310 108th Ave. N.E. Paula Palermo405-366-5899Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment during schoolyear

Lincoln Elementary 915 Classen Blvd. Olivia Dean

405-366-5904Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Madison Elementary 500 E. James Drive Pam Charlson405-366-5910 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

McKinley Elementary728 S. Flood Ave. Carol Emerson405-366-5914 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Monroe Elementary 1601 S. McGee Drive Lori Connery405-366-5927Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Reagan Elementary 1601 24th Ave. S.E. Carol Burton405-364-1339Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m. Enrollment Aug. 13-14, 8a.m.-6 p.m.

Roosevelt Elementary4250 W. Tecumseh Road Beth Spears405-447-6581 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Truman Elementary 600 Parkside Road Robye Jackson 405-366-5980 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Truman Primary 601 Meadow Ridge Road Kristie Eselin405-366-5950 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.

Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Washington Elementary 600 48th Ave. S.E. Linda Parsons405-366-5984Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m. Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Wilson Elementary800 N. Peters Ave.Cherrie Birden405-366-5932 Hours: 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Norman Middle Schools

Alcott Middle School 1919 W. Boyd St. Dana Morris405-366-5845 Hours: 8:35 a.m.-3:40 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 7: 8th

grade, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; 7thgrade, 1-4 p.m.; open enroll-ment, 4-6 p.m.Aug. 8: 6th grade, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; open enroll-ment, 4-6 p.m.New student testing/enroll-ment Aug. 8, 1-4 p.m. Newstudents need proof of resi-dency and shot records

Irving Middle School125 Vicksburg Ave. Linda Baxter405-366-5941Hours: 8:35 a.m.-3:40 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 7: 8thgrade, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; 7thgrade, 1-4 p.m.; open enroll-ment, 4-6 p.m.Aug. 8: 6th grade, 8:30-11:30a.m.; open enrollment, 4-6p.m.New student testing/enroll-ment Aug. 8, 1-4 p.m. Newstudents need proof of resi-dency and shot records.


(ARA) - The start of anew school year is like afresh box of crayons - fullof possibilities.

Ginny Bean, mother ofthree and publisher ofGinny’s catalog, sug-gests families takeadvantage of this cleanslate by establishingsome new organizingroutines.

Think ahead. Morn-ings are chaotic in mosthouseholds with school-aged children. Considerhandling as many day-time preparations as pos-sible the night before.Lay out clothes. Packlunches. Set out thebreakfast dishes andcereal. Pack backpacks.

Bean suggests makingsystems kid-friendly, soyoung helpers can feelinvolved, and save momsome time in the process.“Carve out a spot on alower shelf of the pantryfor lunch boxes andlunch-making supplies.Then make childrenresponsible for puttingaway their empty lunchboxes at the end of theschool day, or even pack-ing their own lunch.”

Tackle school paper-work. Make a habit of

sorting through chil-dren’s backpacks withthem the same day theycome home. Allot timeafter school, when youarrive home from work,or after dinner, depend-ing on your family’sschedule. Use a tieredletter sorter or filing sys-tem with designatedslots for each child’spapers, and an “A.S.A.P.”space for teachers’ notes,permission slips and any-thing else that requiresimmediate attention.

For schoolwork andartwork you want tokeep, try a two-stepapproach. First, purgeunwanted items as soonas they come in the door.Collect the possiblekeepers in a storage binor wheeled cart with col-or-coded drawers thatallow for easy separationby child or project type.Go through stored itemsat regular intervals, per-haps once a month oronce a quarter. Keep inmind, the more youaccumulate, the easier itwill be to pare down, asthe best pieces will standout from the crowd.

Designate a home-work spot. Decide on the

best spot in your home toset up homework central.Take into considerationhow involved you need tobe with homework andyour child’s style. Doeshe focus better with peo-ple around or in a privatesetting? Is he better suit-ed to sit at a desk orcurled up in a favoritechair with a laptop cart?

Once you have a placepicked out, gathertogether handy home-work tools and suppliesinto a nearby bin, draweror cabinet. Stock up onage-appropriate suppliessuch as pens, pencils,erasers, paper, crayons,markers, a ruler, dictio-nary, calculator and apencil sharpener.

Create a communica-tion hub. Include the fam-ily calendar, a chalk orbulletin board for postingmessages andreminders, a binder forkey documents, coloredmarkers, pens and pen-cils. If you’re a visual per-son, consider color cod-ing your calendar byassigning each familymember a different color.

Remember not to for-get. Use wall hooks andbaskets or bins near thefront door to corral theitems you need toremember each day:backpacks, books, lunch-es, gym shoes, sportsequipment and musicalinstruments.

To request a copy ofGinny’s catalog, visit Gin-nys.com or call 800-487-9024.

Top five back-to-school organizing tips


Longfellow MiddleSchool 215 N. Ponca Ave.Peter Liesenfeld 405-366-5948 Hours: 8:35 a.m.-3:40 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 7: 8thgrade, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; 7thgrade, 1-4 p.m.; open enroll-ment, 4-6 p.m.Aug. 8: 6th grade, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; open enroll-ment, 4-6 p.m.New student testing/enroll-ment Aug. 8, 1-4 p.m. Newstudents need proof of resi-dency and shot records.

Whittier Middle School 2000 W. Brooks St.Gayla Mears 405-366-5956 Hours: 8:35 a.m.-3:40 p.m.Enrollment Aug. 7: 8thgrade, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; 7thgrade, 1-4 p.m.; open enroll-ment, 4-6 p.m.

Aug. 8: 6th grade, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; open enroll-ment, 4-6 p.m.New student testing/enroll-ment Aug. 8, 1-4 p.m. Newstudents need proof of resi-dency and shot records

Norman Hgh Schools

Norman High School 911 W. Main St. Scott Beck405-366-5812 Enrollment/registrationHours: 9 a.m.-4:05 p.m. New students: Aug. 6, 8:30-11:30 a.m., all seniors; 12:45-3:45 p.m. all juniors; Aug. 7,8:30-11:30 a.m. sophomoresA-B, E-G, L-M, R-U; 12:45-3:45 p.m. sophomores C-D,H-K, N-Q, V-Z; Aug. 8 8:30-11:30 a.m., freshmen A-B,E-G, L-M, R-U; 12:45-3:45p.m. freshmen C-D, H-K, N-Q, V-Z.

Pre-enrolled students: Aug.9, 8:30-11:30 a.m., seniors A-B, E-G, L-M, R-U; 12:45-3:45p.m., seniors C-D, H-K, N-Q, V-Z; Aug. 10, 8:30-11:30a.m., juniors A-B, E-G, L-M,R-U; 12:45-3:45 p.m., juniorsC-D, H-K, N-Q, V-Z; Aug. 13,8:30-11:30 a.m., sopho-mores A-B, E-G, L-M, R-U;12:45-3:45 p.m., sopho-mores C-D, H-K, N-Q, V-Z;Aug. 14, 8:30-11:30 a.m.,freshmen A-B, E-G, L-M, R-U; 12:45-3:45 p.m., fresh-men C-D, H-K, N-Q, V-Z.

Norman North HighSchool 1809 Stubbeman Ave. Bryan Young405-366-5954Hours: 9 a.m.-4:05 p.m. Enrollment/registration New students: Aug. 6, 8:30-11:30 a.m. all grades A-D;12:45-3:45 p.m. all grades E-K; Aug. 7, 8:30-11:30 a.m. L-M all grades; 12:45-3:45p.m. N-Q all grades; Aug. 8,8:30-11:30 a.m., R-S allgrades; 12:45-3:45 p.m. T-Zall grades. Pre-enrolled students: Aug.

9, 8:30-11:30 a.m., A-B allgrades; 12:45-3:45 p.m. C-Dall grades; Aug. 10, 8:30-11:30 a.m., E-G all grades;12:45-3:45 p.m. H-K allgrades; Aug. 13, 8:30-11:30a.m., L-M all grades; 12:45-3:45 p.m. N-Q all grades;Aug 14, 8:30-11:30 a.m., R-Sall grades; 12:45-3:45 p.m. T-Z all grades.

Private SchoolsAll Saints CatholicSchool 4001 36th Avenue, N.W.Leslie Schmitt

405-447-4600Hours: 8:20 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.First day of school,Thursday, Aug. 16Community ChristianSchool 3200 Broce DriveBarbara Ohsfeldt405-329-2500Hours:Elementary: 8:30 a.m.-3 p.mSecondary: 8:30-3:15 Registration Tuesday, Aug. 7First day of school Thursday, Aug. 23

(ARA) - Whenschool starts, kids’schedules fill up fast,and that means theyneed the right fuel tokeep their growingbodies and minds sat-isfied. After a long dayof learning, kidsrequire a snack thatwill get them throughhomework, after-school sports and oth-er activities until din-ner is served. Beforeyou reach for thedefault bag of chips,consider these health-ier alternatives thatare just as easy andconvenient.

Creative, healthierafter-school snackideas that your kidswill gobble up:

1. Refresh withfrozen apple sauce

Apple sauce hasbeen a snacking staplefor years, but now youcan add a little excite-ment to thoseprepackaged applepacks. Simply buyTree Top apple saucecups, made with 100percent USA apples,and place them in thefreezer for a tasty treatsimilar to sorbet, and ahealthier alternative tomost ice cream andfrozen snacks. Kidscan grab them on theirown when they gethome from school somom and dad don’thave to lift a finger.Stock up on Tree Topapple juice boxes, too,

for a complementary,easy grab-and-godrink option.

2. Delight in dipIt’s no secret kids

love to dip, so makeafter-school snackingmore interesting byproviding dip alongwith fresh fruit, veg-gies and crackers.Instead of salad dress-ing, change things upby mixing a singleserve apple sauce cupwith two tablespoonsof peanut butter for ahealthier dip alterna-tive. Watch as your lit-tle ones wolf downtheir carrots, celery,apples, pretzels andmore. Parents lovethat this dip option hasmany nutritional bene-fits - the apple sauce init is a good source ofvitamin C and peanutbutter is packed withprotein.

3. Wrap it upKeeping whole

wheat tortillas on handis a smart move forany parent becausethey are extremelyversatile. When kidscome home fromschool hungry, it’seasy to take a tortillaand fill it with theirfavorite nutritious fill-ings. For example,spread with classicpeanut butter and jel-ly, add some bananaand honey, or fill withturkey and mozzarellafor a satisfying snackthat keeps kids

focused through alltheir homework.

4. Happily hydratedMaking sure your

kids are hydrated is animportant part of keep-ing them healthy andfeeling great each day.When kids are busy atschool and with after-school activities, theycan become dehydrat-ed quickly. Instead ofsugary sodas, choosea more nutritiousalternative like TreeTop reduced sugar100 percent fruitjuices. These tasty andrefreshing drinks aremade with hydratingcoconut water and noartificial sweetenersand have 25 percentless sugar than regu-lar 100 percent juices.

5. A smooth finishto the school day

Smoothies are a funway for kids to get aton of nutrients inone single drink. It’seasy for parents tostock up on frozenfruit at the local gro-cery store. Then,when kids get home,they can choose whatflavors they want andyou can blend thefruit with low-fatmilk, yogurt and icefor a cool and deli-cious drink. Youmight even sneak in afew veggies byadding a splash ofvegetable juice, or acouple pre-steamedvegetables like car-

rots, kale or squash.The fruit flavors areso robust, your kidswon’t even notice theveggies.

Healthy after-school snacks don’thave to be boring orbland. Try these ideasand you can feel good

about what your kidseat - they may lovethem so much they’llbe requesting themevery day.


Creative and healthier after-school snack ideas

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