Northside Elementary Summer School Students Perform Plays About Civil Rights and the Gruffalo (VIEW VIDEOS HERE)

June 14, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Fourth and fifth grade summer school students at Northside Elementary School presented “Ayanna the Brave” Friday afternoon for the public.

M2U03003 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

The play was based on civil rights activist Ayanna Najuma. In 1958, seven-year-old Ayanna joined many other kids her age and older in the Oklahoma City sit-ins to protest segregation. Ayanna and her friends continued participating in sit-ins around Oklahoma City for six years, and finally in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, making segregation illegal.

The play was directed by Teacher Alisha Day and Kristy Lasser.

Meanwhile second and third graders at the school performed in a reader’s theater play based on the book “The Gruffalo”

M2U03002 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“The book is about a creature that some of the animals in the story aren’t sure really exists but they find out as the story goes along that the Gruffalo does exist,” said Beth Pafford, Assistant Principal at Northside Elementary.

Pafford said the plays have become an annual summer school event that help students with their reading skills as well as their listening, speaking, vocabulary comprehension, and self confidence.

“As part of our summer school program each year our students work to put on a performance for their families and we do that because we believe and studies show that it promotes development of reading skills and speaks directly to the students’ social studies skills . It also gets the families involved in reading with their kids and sharing that experience which is very important,” said Pafford.

“We appreciate everyone who has helped make this possible and to make summer school such a rewarding and rich experience for our students every year,” Pafford concluded.

June 14, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Eleven teachers have been granted tenure by the Board of Education.

During Thursday night’s monthly meeting, Director of Schools Patrick Cripps presented the names of January Agee, Danny Fish, Teresa Sullivan, Suzette Barnes, Kelly Huling, Natasha Vaughn, Whitney Brelije, Kristen Malone, Sara Young, Brittney Dixon, Nadina Martel requesting they be granted tenure.

“These teachers have successfully completed the probationary period of five years and received evaluations demonstrating an overall performance effectiveness level of above or significantly above expectations as required for tenure. It is my recommendation that these teachers be granted tenure,” said Director Cripps.

Meanwhile the following personnel have resigned:

Thomas Blumette, resigned as Special Education Teacher at DCHS

Sara Halliburton, resigned as Teacher at DCHS

Mike Lewis, resigned as Afterschool Programs Director

Laura Martinez, resigned as an English as a Second Language Teacher (ESL) at Smithville Elementary School

Holly Mooney, resigned as Interpreter at DeKalb Middle School

Penny Smitty, resigned as Teacher at DeKalb Middle School

Chris Young, resigned as Teacher at DeKalb Middle School

June 14, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville Police have charged a man with disorderly conduct and public intoxication after encountering him in the middle of a city street carrying a knife and a bottle of whiskey

33 year old Cory Wade Foster of 990 Bright Hill Road is under a $2,500 bond.

Chief Mark Collins said police acting on a complaint encountered Foster holding a knife and a bottle of whiskey while standing in the street on Morgan Drive. Foster yelled at the officer saying that he (officer) would have to shoot him. After the officer talked with him for several minutes, Foster dropped the knife and was taken into custody without incident.