Destiny

The elementary library automation is almost complete. Thanks to many dedicated volunteers, almost 4,500 books have been entered, received new spine labels, and reshelved. We hope to begin work in the middle school library Nov. 1st.

The name of the new system is called Destiny. The link is http://spx.follettdestiny.com and can also be found the Helpful Links section of this blog. Students may access Destiny from any Internet connection.

Cajun Cornbread Boy Enjoys St. Pius X

On Friday, Cajun Cornbread went to some of the “Specials” that St. Pius X students enjoy. He had a jam session in music class. Mr. Nance is teaching him some country music!

He even went to art class!

What an artist!

Everybody loves computer class, especially Cajun Cornbread Boy!

Cajun Cornbread Boy is a 21st century kind of guy...He loves technology!

Cajun Cornbread Boy’s FAVORITE part of the day was hanging out in the library with some good books. He checked out some books about Tulsa and Oklahoma. He was preparing for our weekend of seeing the sites and experiencing all the fun Tulsa has to offer!

He loved learning about the Sooner State! He learned all about our great city and state. Cajun Cornbread Boy looks forward to his Tulsa Tour!

Cajun Cornbread Boy Tours Tulsa

Today, Cajun Cornbread Boy toured Tulsa, Oklahoma. Our first stop was the BOK Tower in downtown Tulsa. As of today, it is the tallest building in Oklahoma. It has 52 stories and rises 667 feet. A friend took us up to the top for some great views of Tulsa.

Cajun Cornbread Boy, wearing his Visitor badge, gets to push the elevator button to take us to top.

Here is a great view of the Arkansas River flowing through Tulsa.

Cajun Cornbread Boy could also see the Tulsa Driller’s new baseball field in downtown Tulsa.

The Center of the Universe is at the top of a pedestrian bridge in Tulsa. If you stand on the opposite side of the brick circle from someone else, you hear their echo, but not your own. If you stand at the center of the brick circle and talk, you will hear yourself echo, but others will not hear any echo. Pretty cool!

Cajun Cornbread Boy in the middle of the Echo Circle.

Mrs. Oakley and her children took Cajun Cornbread Boy to see the Tulsa Golden Driller, a famous Tulsa landmark. The Golden Driller is a 76-foot-tall, 43,500-pound statue of an oil worker. Many locals refer to Tulsa as “The Oil Capital of the World."

Cajun Cornbread Boy sees the Tulsa Golden Driller, a famous TALL Tulsa landmark!

WOW! Cajun Cornbread Boy, Lily, and Ethan sit on the Golden Driller’s foot. Yes, it is GIGANTIC!

The Tulsa State Fair starts this week; unfortunately, Cajun Cornbread Boy will miss it!

Tulsa is proud to be located on the historical Route 66!

Cajun Cornbread Boy visited the “Mother Road!”

The Brady Arts District is one of Tulsa’s oldest areas, characterized by two-story brick warehouses. It contains two of Tulsa’s most historic entertainment venues, The Brady Theater and Cain’s Ballroom in addition to many local artists’ galleries and restaurants.

Cajun Cornbread Boy visits The Old Lady on Brady.

After a long day of sightseeing, Cajun Cornbread Boy had a yummy lunch at a new downtown restaurant that is located next to the Tulsa Drillers baseball stadium. He enjoyed his burger so much that I may need to get a bigger box for him to be shipped to California!

St. Pius X Catholic School has enjoyed the week with Cajun Cornbread Boy. He will be missed, but we wish him well on his many other adventures! God Bless!

Cajun Cornbread Boy Loves Oklahoma

Middle School students read Cajun Cornbread Boy’s book to our first grade students.

Cajun Cornbread Boy has been busy visiting the many of the classrooms. The St. Pius X students love reading his book, listening to his Cajun music, and looking at all the goodies in his suitcase.

It is now Fall and Cajun Cornbread Boy enjoyed the outdoors. It was hot and humid, much like Cajun Cornbread Boy’s home of Louisiana. Friends enjoy the first day of fall, even though it was hot and humid.

Cajun Cornbread Boy has met many wonderful new friends at St. Pius X, but he has a special connection with one special friend. DOG is our mascot in the library and he and Cajun Cornbread Boy became great friends the instant they met! DOG has also traveled to many different states and countries, so they have much to talk about. It’s been such an enjoyable week with Cajun Cornbread Boy!

Cajun Cornbread Boy Visits Oklahoma

The Cajun Cornbread Boy has arrived from Louisiana. He will be visiting St. Pius X for one week learning more about our school, city, and state.

Mrs. Huggins and her 6th grade class made a special banner to welcome The Cajun Cornbread Boy.

He has had an exciting day touring the school and meeting the students, teachers, Mrs. Beardshear, and Fr. Mike.

He met with Mrs. Beardshear first thing this morning and she was so impressed

with his behavior that she let him lead the morning announcements.

Fr. Mike made a special trip to the library to meet The Cajun Cornbread Boy.

The Cajun Cornbread Boy enjoyed working at our Book Fair today. We hosted a family event called Dads and Doughnuts and he volunteered to work the doughnut table. He also learned how to run the register and was a great help to our parent volunteers!

The Cajun Cornbread Boy

The Cajun Cornbread Boy is a popular children’s picture book from Louisiana written by Dianne de Las Casas and Illustrated by Marita Gentry. The story is a spicier version of classic tale, “The Gingerbread Man.” With a big dash of cayenne pepper added to a magical cornbread, the Cajun cornbread boy runs through the bayou, escaping a host of hungry animals. When an artful alligator decides to chomp on the tasty Cajun cornbread boy, he’s in for a hot surprise!

“The Cajun Cornbread Boy’s Runaway Adventures” are reminiscent of the travels of Flat Stanley, only Cajun Cornbread Boy is 3D. He comes with a suitcase full of Louisiana goodies: The Cajun Cornbread Boy book, a CD of music, Mardi Gras beads, brochures, a map, and a host of activities. Cajun Cornbread Boy is also a hip, 21st century kind of guy with a website (http://www.cajuncornbreadboy.com/) Fans can also keep up with his whereabouts on Dianne de Las Casas’ Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/fanofdianne), or Ms. Iten’s blog. (http://msitenslibrary.blogspot.com/)

St Pius X is participating in this rich cultural exchange, keeping Cajun Cornbread Boy this week, blogging and letting his fans know where in the world he is traveling. By the end of his journey in April 2011, Cajun Cornbread Boy will have been to fourteen different places across the United States and Canada. Ooh yeah, cher!

Book Fair Sept. 20th-24th

Book Fair Family Events
Please join us for…
· Dads and Donuts – Tuesday, September 21st - 7:30-8:00am. (Students must be accompanied by dad or some other special adult.)


· Grandparents, Moms, and Muffins – Friday, September 24th, 7:30-8:00am (Students must be accompanied by grandparents, mom, or some other special adult.) Adults are welcome to stay until 8:30am and then join us at Mass)

The Book Fair will be in the Middle School Library. We hope to see you there.
Thank you for supporting our Book Fair!!

Exciting Library News!

The school libraries are going to be automated! We have purchased a software system that will enable us to manage library circulation, catalog and search for books, and create reports. Teachers and students will be able access a wide variety of library resources and content wherever an Internet connection is available.

The automation process will begin the week of September 27th. All library books must be returned immediately to ensure they are entered into the system. Please check at home and return any found library books immediately, this includes Birthday Books. Thank you for your help in this matter! Watch your Wednesday packet for more information regarding, Destiny, our new library system.

If you are available the week of September 27th and are interested in volunteering to help with the automation process, please contact Therese Iten at titen@spxtulsa.org.

Library Club

The Library Club is a service learning opportunity for students in fourth and fifth grades. The Library Club will meet every other Wednesday after school to 3:45pm. Eighteen students will have the opportunity to assist with library duties, help implement themes for the younger students, and prepare special events such as the Book Fair. If you love to read or enjoy helping others, The Library Club would love to have you as a member!

Change in Accelerated Reader Policy

Accelerated Reader (AR) is an educational tool that St. Pius X School uses to enhance the K-8th grade reading curriculum. The program is designed to allow a student to read books and then take computerized tests to assess comprehension and vocabulary.
The AR program provides immediate feedback on the number of questions the student got correct and gives the answers to the questions that the student missed. Based on the number correct the student is also awarded points. At then end of each quarter, students can redeem their points for prizes.
Three years ago, the AR program became web based and students were encouraged to take these tests at home in addition to taking them at school. Unfortunately, students will no longer be allowed to take tests outside of school. It has recently come to my attention that allowing students to test outside of school is a violation of our site license.
I understand that taking tests at school may be difficult for some students due to time constraints and computer access. The school is working toward a solution that would allow more opportunities for students to take the tests at school. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Free Family Fun

On May 4, the Tulsa School of Arts & Sciences' musical theatre department will perform a spoof of "American Idol", featuring songs and original skits performed by the students. The performance begins at 7:00 p.m. and ends approximately at 8:00 p.m. It is appropriate for children ages 5 and up.

On May 15, Paul Mesner Puppets will perform The True Story of the Three Little Pigs at 11:00 a.m. This performance lasts approximately 40 minutes, and is appropriate for children ages 5 and up.

As usual, these performances are FREE and open to the public; no reservations are necessary.

If you are not familiar with Connor's Cove click this link http://www.tulsalibrary.org/connorscove/ for more information.

"Go to Sleep Little Baby"

Mrs. Emery's class singing a lullaby to the chicks. Too cute!!!

Just For Fun!

Early Birds!

Today we welcomed two baby chicks to the library. The chicks were due to hatch on Monday, but we had some early birds. We're looking forward to more babies next week!

$5,000 Library Grant

Please help our school library win $5,000!!!
We’ve entered a nationwide reading contest and we need your help. The Raise a Reader School Challenge, sponsored by the International Reading Association, Parents magazine, and Parents.com, is rewarding the school that reads the most this spring. Follow this link http://parents.com/reading/stpiusxtulok and register your child for the reading program. The program is totally free and records minutes, books read, and even has a print option if you’d like to track your child’s achievements. Individual readers are also eligible to win $50 gift cards to Barnes and Noble. It’s not too late to sign up! Follow this link to help answer any questions you may have about the program. http://ww.parents.com/kids/education/reading/raise-a-reader-frequently-askedquestions