Teacher Surprised with $25,000 Educator Award   Harvest Hills Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Lisa Brown (center) was surprised in late October with a Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, an honor that is accompanied by a $25,000 check. This Is Only a Test   Students, teachers and administrators take part in crisis exercises with Campus Police officers to prepare themselves to be safe in dangerous and unexpected situations. Essays Help Pave Way to College   High school seniors are not only working on high school assignments at this time of year. They’re also working on essays that will be used in college applications. Features Advanced Placement Pays Off   Advanced Placement classes help students earn college credit and save money.  Putnam City Podcasts   Hear students talk about how they benefit from taking a leadership class at Putnam City High School.  Works of Art   16 art students from Putnam City high schools were honored in the 2006 High School Print and Drawing Competition sponsored by the Norick Art Center at Oklahoma City University. Students Chosen for Honors Orchestras   37 district students were selected for the North Central Honors Orchestra and 69 were selected for the Central Oklahoma Honors Orchestra after auditions in mid-October. Putnam City North Wins Marching Band Competition   Putnam City North High School’s "Panther Pride" band topped 12 other bands to be crowned grand champion at the Westmoore Invitational Marching Contest in early October. Student Achievements  Students are singing, painting and playing their way to honors. Putnam City High Play is Just What the Doctor Ordered   Putnam City High School’s Drama Department will present Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor on Thursday, Nov. 16, and Friday, Nov. 17. Satisfy Your Curiosity   In a world that sometimes seems dominated by greed and dishonesty, the Putnam City North Drama Department production of The Curious Savage shows that kindness and affection can prevail. Arts and Crafts Shows Benefit Schools   Holiday arts and crafts shows are coming up at Putnam City West High School and Lake Park Elementary School. Art Teachers Show Their Work   The community is invited to view outstanding art in a variety of mediums at the opening reception of the Putnam City Visual Arts Educators Exhibit from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17. Accomplishments   District staff are honored for their outstanding work. Visit Our Online Art Museum   A new feature on Putnam City’s website is an online art museum. Take a look at November's offerings from students at Western Oaks Middle School and Putnam City West High School. Grant Targets Early Literacy   Putnam City’s Parents as Teachers program received a $1,000 grant from Target to purchase books to help families who take part in the program build libraries at home for their young children. Especially for Parents Play the Game   The National Association for Gifted Children has published its recommendations for games for the holiday season. Check out their list of games that captivate and challenge the mind, build skills and provide opportunities for creativity and fun. Be on the Safe Side   The American Academy of Pediatrics offers tips to make sure you and your children have a safe holiday season. Parents Advised to Get Real   Parents' images of the typical teen party as generally drug and alcohol-free don't match reality, according to a survey. Teens and Technology   Eighty-seven percent of teens are online, 45 percent own a cell phone, and 33 percent have used a cell phone to send a text message, according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.  If you're not into instant messaging and instead more into using e-mail, the bad news is that teens consider e-mail something they use to talk to "old people." Parent Guides for Non-English Speakers   The early years are critical to developing a lifelong love of reading. Reading Rockets and Colorín Colorado have created free parent guides for non-English speakers in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Russian, Traditional Chinese, Hmong, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Korean. The guides provide tips for helping K-3 students become happy and confident readers. Tell Us Your Thoughts What Gives You Hope?   When cafeteria staff at Windsor Hills Elementary School saw Putnam City High School leadership students say a prayer before lunch, it gave them hope that the world might turn out all right after all. When a former teacher read in last month’s Putnam City Now about changes at Kenneth Cooper Middle School, it have her hope for the future of public schools. What do you see in our schools that gives you hope for the future? What do you see in schools that gives you hope for our community, nation or world? Tell us your thoughts and we’ll share them in an upcoming issue of Putnam City Now. Send your thoughts to slindley@putnamcityschools.org Let’s Hear Some Applause   Is there someone you want to publicly thank for the help they provided or the good things they do? Here’s your chance. This year we're running thank-yous for the fantastic things done by Putnam City staff and volunteers. You can thank someone who stepped up to provide help you needed. You can thank someone who stepped in to add important energy or expertise to a project. You can simply thank someone with a good heart who did you a favor. Send your "Applause" to slindley@putnamcityschools.org Do You Want a Podcast?   We're looking for a class where students have been engaged in a project they found particularly meaningful. If that describes something that's taken place in your classroom, we may come to your room to create a podcast. Send a note to slindley@putnamcityschools.org

Candy Goes to Bin, Not Binge   Nearly 200 Coronado Heights Elementary School students brought Halloween candy to school on Nov. 1 to trade it in for healthy snacks or school supplies. Before the day was over, the bin was overflowing with candy from students who made the trade. Meteor Strikes Harvest Hills Playground   Students at Harvest Hills Elementary School received a new piece of playground equipment in late October: a climbing boulder known as a "meteor." The 3,400 lb., 7½-foot tall piece of fiberglass reinforced concrete was purchased after fundraising by the school’s PTA. The meteor is equipped with ridges and indentations to provide challenges for students of all climbing abilities. Butterflies Flutter Away   Students in PEAK classes at Overholser Elementary School reared, tagged and released more than 50 Monarch butterflies during their recent study of the life cycle of butterflies. Pirates Race for the Cure   For the fourth year in a row, the Putnam City Pirates were the largest school team to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. About 150 Putnam City High students, parents, teachers, administrators and alumni raced, jogged or walked in the event. Serving Up Smiles   Cafeteria managers at district schools are inviting guests from the community to spend a day in the cafeterias. In mid-October at Northridge Elementary School, Andrew (left), a senior at Putnam City High School and a student in Francis Tuttle’s culinary arts program, showed off his skills. Cooper Kids Make Baby Blankets   Kenneth Cooper Middle School leadership students recently made 15 baby blankets and donated them to the Infant Crisis Center. In the last three years, the class has made and donated more than 100 blankets. The students sell sweatshirts and other items during the school year to raise money to carry out community service projects. Sparking an Interest in Safety   A group of Putnam City High School DECA students visited Windsor Hills Elementary School in mid-October to teach students about fire safety. The instruction included educational games, "stop, drop and roll" training and a tour of a fire truck. Employees Put in a Good Word   A new book by writer and illustrator Hall Duncan (right) was translated to two languages by Putnam City employees. Indra Zepeda (left), a bilingual instructional assistant at Putnam City High School, translated the book into Spanish. Jussara Viana, an ESL teacher at Central Elementary School, translated the book into Portuguese. Duncan donated copies of the book to the district. Send Us Your News   When you have news to share in Putnam City Now, please send information to slindley@putnamcityschools.org