REMEDIATION SESSIONS FOR THE GRADUATION EXAM

Remediation help for the AHSGE will be June 30,2008-July 2, 2008 at Oxford High School. Times for remediation are as follows:

Language/Reading - 8:00-9:30

Social Studies - 9:30-11:00

Math - 11:00-12:30

Science - 12:30-2:00

Summer Graduation Exam Dates 2008

• Language Monday July 7, 2008 8:00 a.m.

• Social Studies Tuesday July 8, 2008 8:00 a.m.

• Science Wednesday July 9, 2008 8:00 a.m.

• Mathematics Thursday July 10, 2008 8:00 a.m.

• Reading Friday July 11, 2008 8:00 a.m.


REPORT TO MAIN OFFICE EVERYDAY BY 7:45 BEFORE TESTING

Pete's Power Point Station

Pete's Power Point Station is a real treasure trove of Power Point presentations for elementary teachers. Exploring all that is here will take some time, and there is certainly more there than you would ever use. The section on holidays looked particularly good. This site would be a good one to explore over the summer and identify those few Power Points you want to download, save, and use to enhance your lessons.

Compliments of Dr. Frank Buck

Naval Academy Admissions

The United States Naval Academy Admissions Forum will be held in New Orleans on Saturday, May 17, 2008, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the auditorium at Jesuit High School (check-in begins at 12:30 p.m.). This event features a presentation by the Admissions staff, as well as, the opportunity to speak with Naval Academy Blue and Gold Officers, Alumni, and members of the USNA Parents’ Club. For further information, contact LT Brett Bujac at 410-293-1833 or email Bujac@usna.edu.

ACT PREP

JSU is offering an ACT prep course for ages 15-17. It will be taught at JSU McClellan, room 2102, Monday through Thursday, June 9-12, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. The cost is $75.00, and the course number is 08SUCMP01. Register online at www.coned.jsu.edu.

Zero Meth Program

The Alabama District Attorneys Association and the Governor’s Office, with additional funding from our congressional delegation, will begin a state-wide campaign on February 22, 2008, to educate the Alabama public, particularly our younger population, about the serious consequences of using this drug, even one time. The campaign is called ZeroMeth, and it will be conducted on television, radio and the print media. There will also be a website (zerometh.com) that will detail needed information about meth, including its effects, how to report suspected labs, law enforcement contacts, and media clips. We intend for this site to become a one-stop educational took for those seeking information about the methamphetamine crisis in our state and across the country.

ACT PREP SITE

Number2.com (as in #2 pencil) is an outstanding site for ACT preparation. The site is totally free. The student establishes an account and will have a login and password. From that point on, the student can return as often as desired.The site is partly instructional and explains the concepts which are likely to be tested on the ACT. Students are able to take samples tests. Feedback comes immediately after each question. If the student answers incorrectly, there is explanation provided.The student is even able to designate someone as a "coach." The coach is able to see the student's progress.

Thanks to Dr. Frank Buck for this information.

Pre-Registration 2008

OHS Counselors will be going into 9th – 11th grade English classes to register students for next year begining Feb. 19, 2008. Parents who have questions or concerns should call or make an appointment to come in after Feb. 25, 2008.

Tools for Math Teachers

This page gives 24 tools, most of them Excel spreadsheets designed to help teach mathematical concepts. The tools range from those applicable in early elementary school (learning "greater than" and "less than") through simpler Algebra I and Geometry concepts.

To give credit where credit is due, Karen Ferrell is a geometry teacher at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas.

In case you are wondering just how long I spent searching for this stuff, the reality is, all I did was check my e-mail. One of the messages gave me a link to this site. Actually, it's taking me longer to type this post that to find and explore her new additions.

When you go to the link I gave you, notice the orange square that says "RSS." That's the magic. Here is an explanation of what RSS is all about. More on RSS later along with some hints on how to integrate neat stuff like this with your curriculum so that all of the neat stuff you find here and there suddenly comes back right when you need it.

Compliments of Dr. Frank Buck

NAEP ASSESSMENT

Our school has been selected to represent schools across the Nation by participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is given by the U.S. Department of Education and tells us what American students know and can do in key subject areas. It is the only ongoing nationally representative assessment that provides this valuable information.

In our school, the assessment will be given to 118 seniors selected at random on Monday, February 25. Students will be tested in the areas of reading, mathematics, and science. It will take approximately 90 minutes. The assessment will not affect students’ grades. Results are strictly confidential. Students chosen to participate should do their best and realize they are helping to show what American students know and can do!

Tips for Success on the ADAW

Tips for Success on the Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing

Use blank paper to do your prewriting. You can then copy the finished product onto the paper you will be turning in.

At the top of the blank paper, immediately write what mode you will be using and a few key words about what you are supposed to do.

Read the prompt at least four times. You want to be sure you understand exactly what you are being asked to do.

Create a graphic organizer on your blank paper.

Next, write your rough draft.

Use at least 5 paragraphs.

Introduction—State the purpose and the audience. Have a good topic sentence. Include a hook (can be a question or exclamation).

A paragraph for each of 3 major points.

A concluding paragraph—Recap what you have told the reader. Leave the reader with a thought, a challenge, or something to think about.

Each paragraph should have at least five sentences.

When you have 25 minutes left, copy your rough draft onto the paper you will be turning in.

On your final copy, do not write in the margins. Also, do not write below the bottom line. The scorers will not give you credit for anything you write in those areas.

Strategy compliments of Sally York & Dr. Frank Buck

OHS Faculty Perfect Attendance 1st Semester

Congratulations to those teachers who maintained perfect attendance for the Fall 2007 Semester. The following teachers received a bonus for 1st semester perfect attendance:

Mr. Brooks, Mr. Carter, Ms. Cruse, Mr. Davidson, Ms. Edwards, Ms. Fowler, Mr. Gallahar, Ms. Griffin, Mr. Harmon, Ms. McCall, Mr. Morey, Mr. Perry, Ms. Pisacrita, Ms. Roberts, Ms. Rogers, Ms. Romines, Ms. South, and Mr. Thompson

STUDENT OF THE MONTH “NICE BIKE” AWARD

Oxford High SChool Student and Teacher of the month sponsored by Mt. Cheha Harley-Davison of Oxford.

9th Grade - Sportster Bike of the Month for January – Jasmine Beaudette
10th Grade- Dyna Bike of the Month for January – Joanna Hopper
11th Grade- Softail Bike of the Month for January – Judd Edwards
12th Grade- V-Rod Bike of the Month for January – Wes Norton
Teacher- Touring Bike of the Month for January – Glennis Parris

Photo taken by Katie McComb

Source for Graph Paper, Flags, Calendars, Staff Paper, Storyboards

You probably don't need polar coordinate graph paper, the flag of Lithuania, or SSATB staff paper very often. When you do, however, it would be nice to know where you can get it.PDF Pad is a free site which allows you to print calendars, flags of every country in the world, graph paper, staff paper, story boards, and even Sudoku puzzles.That's a bookmark I am adding to my favorites.

Labels: Calendars, Flags, Graph Paper, PDF Pad, Staff Paper, Storyboards

Compliments of Dr. Frank Buck

Students Return

Teacher In-service Dates - Jan. 4th and Jan. 7th

Students return on Jan. 8th

Virtual Frog Dissection

If you can't gain access to real frogs, needed tools, and a lab setting in which to perform a lesson on frog dissection, here is a site that allows you to do it in a virtual environment. The intended audience is high school students, but it could be used with interested students of any age.

Power Point

Whether you are a rank beginner when it comes to PowerPoint or an old pro, here is a site that is guaranteed to teach you something you did not know before.

Play by the Rules: Alabama Laws for Youth

A perfect book to teach teenagers about the laws of the State of Alabama.

ARMT Open-Ended Questions

Here are some of the “big ideas” I took from a workshop previously on ARMT Open-Ended Questions:

Doing well on the Stanford is still important. On the ARMT, 60% of the reading questions are actually taken from the Stanford-10. In the area of math, 30% of the questions are from the Stanford-10.

Open-ended responses in reading test one thing—Reading Comprehension

Students need to use a “just the facts ma’am” approach. No topic sentence. No concluding sentence. Simply list what is asked for. Spending time writing great prose won’t help the score, and will take away valuable time that could be spent elsewhere.

To help students prepare throughout the year, as you read things in class, ask students questions such as, “What three things did you learn from this?”


We all know that charts and graphs are important. When these appear in the textbook, train students to quickly locate in the text the reference made to the chart or graph.


Why can’t I write outside the lines? The instructions on the open-ended responses caution students against this. What happens if they do? Here is the explanation: The answer booklets are cut apart and the individual sheets are scanned into a computer. When the booklets are cut, anything outside the lines will be cut off. The people scoring the responses will never see what had been written.


Students are not supposed to underline passages on the ARMT. Why is this not allowed? After all, underlining is a good strategy. The answer is that the machines which score the answers are so sensitive that something written in the booklet several lines away will still be read by the machine. Here is a strategy that students can use: Put a finger on the particular spot in the booklet as a “place marker.” A student may wind up with several fingers spread up and down the page to mark specific spots.

Here are some activities to help prepare for ARMT
Here is a pretty thorough handout on the subject of open-ended questions


This year, we have schools in our system who have been chosen to take the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress). You can go here for sample questions. What you will find is that you could run off one reading passage and glean sometimes as many as 80 questions that you could ask from that one passage.

Alabama Power Free Resources

Alabama Power offers several free, educational resources to assist with classroom learning. Here is a list of some of the offerings:

The Water Course – An educational center located in Clanton, the Water Course teaches visitors through interactive exhibits about the importance of water to our state and in our daily lives. The tour is self-guided and admission is free. For more information about the Water Course or to schedule a class visit, call toll-free (800) 280-4442 or log on to www.alabamapower.com/education and click on “Water Course.”

Science Suitcases – For years, teachers across the state have relied on the Science Suitcases program, which offers free, interactive science kits for classroom use. Educators can choose from more than 300 suitcases, which can be shipped to the Alabama Power office that is most convenient to the teacher for pickup. The kits are then returned to the office after the lesson is completed so they can be refurbished and used again. Teachers can review the list of suitcases and print out a request form at www.alabamapower.com/education. Click on “Science Suitcases.”

Patriots & Pioneers – This educational packet contains a VHS copy of the documentary, “The Tuskegee Airmen,” underwritten by Alabama Power. It also contains lesson plans that help students learn about these groundbreaking African-American military flyers of World War II who were trained in Alabama. The packet was jointly developed with the state Department of Education. Teachers can request a free copy at www.alabamapower.com/education.

Learning Power – An online resource for teachers, parents and students, Learning Power provides information and materials on the history of electricity, how it is produced, energy usage and conservation. You’ll find Learning Power by going to www.alabamapower.com/education. Click on “Learning Power.”

Safe-t-opolis – Help your students learn about electrical safety by inviting Alabama Power to bring Safe-t-opolis to your classroom. The three-dimensional model provides an entertaining and visually striking demonstration of the benefits and potential hazards of electricity. To request a visit, go to www.alabamapower.com/education.

Information about nuclear energy – The Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant located near Dothan provides resources for classes that want to learn more about nuclear energy. To find out more, contact the Farley Nuclear Visitors Center toll-free at 1-800-344-8295 or (334) 899-5108.

Alabama Power Service Organization/Energizers – More than 4,800 Alabama Power and Southern Company employees, retirees and their families contribute their time and their own financial resources to a variety of educational and charitable organizations through the Alabama Power Service Organization and the retiree service organization, the Energizers. They are available, through local chapters, to tutor students and support other school projects. To learn more, call Alabama Power’s Office of Education and Volunteer Services at (205) 257-2364.

Alabama Power Foundation – Since its founding more than 15 years ago, the Alabama Power Foundation has provided more than $90 million in grants to a wide spectrum of nonprofit organizations in the state, including educational institutions. To learn more about the foundation and its grant criteria, go to www.alabamapowerfoundation.com or call (205) 257-2508.