Union Public Schools

Welcome to Briarglen Elementary School, where we provide each student and our community of learners with the essential skills needed for academic growth, lifelong learning and personal character.

Our staff includes 45 certified and 28 non-certified employees. Briarglen Elementary holds full accreditation from North Central Association and the State of Oklahoma and school-wide Title I status.  Our staff appreciates the opportunity to develop young people who have a desire for learning and healthy living.

General Information

Briarglen Elementary School
3303 S. 121st E. Ave.
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74146-2200

Office Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
School Hours: 8:55 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Main Phone: (918) 357-4330
Fax: (918) 357-8499

Principal Tamra Bird

Administrative Intern Tara Schiffelbein

Resources

In the fall of 1970, classes started at Briarglen Elementary, making Briarglen the oldest of the elementary schools in the district. It was named after the housing addition in which it was built. Today Briarglen serves approximately 600 students in Pre-K through 5th grade traditional and looping classrooms.

BriarglenWorking with and through our community of patrons, area businesses, central office administration and our PTA, we are proud to offer a well-balanced curriculum and activities for students and their families.

We will continue to evaluate our school program to improve our instructional methods and assessment procedures. We welcome the involvement of our community and are proud of its ownership of our school.

Community School

Briarglen participates in the Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative (TACSI) and Schools Uniting Neighborhoods for Student Success (SUNS).  The community school’s philosophy supports school personnel, parents, neighbors and community partners working together so our children can participate in a strong instructional program by living and learning in safe and supportive environments.

Core components of a community school are:

  • Early childhood care and development Briarglen
  • Core instructional programs
  • Health/health education
  • Mental health/social services
  • Family/community engagement
  • Youth development/out-of-school time
  • Neighborhood development
  • Life-long learning

Teacher Accomplishments

Briarglen is proud that all our teachers have qualified for status as Highly Qualified Teachers as required by the State of Oklahoma and U.S. Department of Education.  Briarglen currently has 14 teachers who have earned post graduate degrees.

Briarglen’s music teacher, Sam Loney, was the recipient of a 2007 Union Education Foundation Grant for music drums. We also have three teachers who are Nationally Board Certified.  The NBC Teachers at Briarglen are:

  • Kerri Gunter  Kindergarten Teacher
  • Kathy Miller  Second Grade Teacher
  • Angie Buckner  Second Grade Teacher

Special Programs

  • Research-based Curriculum
  • Flexible reading groups
  • Small group language arts/reading instruction
  • Student computer stations and internet access in every classroom
  • All-school broadcasting system
  • Math enrichment instruction
  • Orff instruments in music classes
  • Individual and group therapy with the school therapist
  • School nurse
  • 2 doses of reading daily for below level readers
  • Assistive technology for special education students
  • Mentoring
  • Summer school for qualifying students
  • Block scheduling
  • Integrated curriculum and projects
  • Looping
  • Fully equipped science lab
  • Art, music, and physical education
  • Gifted and Talented program (enrichment instruction)
  • World drumming in music classes
  • Character Building Classes 
  • Vision, Hearing, and Dental Screenings
  • Behavior Intervention Plans
  • English Language Learner instruction
  • Integration for special education students
  • Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Native American programs and tutoring
  • Primary multiage
  • Media Center Skills Instruction
  • Two Computer Labs equipped with a total of 55 student stations and educational software (SuccessMaker, Waterford, Accelerated Reader and Math, Math Facts in a Flash, Everyday Math Games, Orchard, Destiny, and Skills Tutor)
  • Learning for Life
  • Services provided by the school counselor
  • School psychologist 
  • Remedial Reading provided by Language Arts Specialists
  • Modified curriculum, testing, and grading when needed
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Tutoring for qualifying students   

Briarglen

Student Programs

  • SuccessMaker
  • Honor Choir
  • Jump Rope Club
  • World Drumming
  • Junior Achievement
  • Exchange City
  • Special Olympics
Partners in Education

  • Tulsa Technology Center
  • Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Junior Achievement
  • Charlie’s Chicken
  • Northeastern State University
  • Papa John’s
  • Channel 8
  • OU Bedlam Clinic

Volunteer Opportunities

  • PTA
  • AR Pizza Parties
  • Test Monitors
  • Mentoring
  • Library/Media
  • Classroom Projects
  • Field Trip Chaperone
  • Carnival Volunteer
  • Read and Feed
  • Volunteer
  • Family Math Night
  • Volunteer
  • Jog-A-Thon Volunteer
  • Catch the Dream
  • Grandparents’ Day


Principal Biographies

Tamra BirdTamra Bird has been married for 26 years and has two children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from Northeastern State University and a master’s degree in education administration from  the University of Oklahoma. 

Bird has taught special education for 11 years at Darnaby Elementary and the 6th/7th Grade Center and served one year as the assistant principal for Briarglen Elementary, before becoming principal in 2008.

Tara SchiffelbeinTara Schiffelbein has been married for four years and enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, Cookie and Clyde.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication consultancy and Spanish from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Oklahoma City University.

Schiffelbein has taught for the Union district for the last five years as an ELL, ARC and Newcomer instructor at Roy Clark Elementary.  She recently completed a year as a bilingual Parent Educator for Union’s Early Head Start Program.  She is looking forward to learning and growing with the Briarglen family.

Helpline - Student Assistance Programs

A crisis helpline is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to any patron of the district who wants to report a crisis situation or to ask for information. Leave a message and your call will be returned promptly.

461-HELP - Union Safe Line
You may also call
1-877-SAFE-CALL, ext OK!
(1-877-723-3225, ext 651)

SAFE-CALL is a toll-free confidential hotline for students, parents, teachers, neighbors and anyone concerned about the safety of their local school.

Call us when you know of any activity threatening your school.