PHS Parent Newsletter

Email: sandersj@purcellps.org

Website: https://www.purcellps.org/o/phs
Location: 2020 North Green Avenue, Purcell, OK, USA
Phone: 405-442-0099
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purcellhs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purcellhighschool/?hl=en

Dear PHS Parents,

As we head into the holiday season, the need for community support is more urgent than ever. We are reaching out to ask for your help with our November food drives.

This year, many families face added burdens due to high food prices and the continuing government shutdown, which may soon impact SNAP benefits for those who rely on them. Every donation you make directly helps a family right here in our community have a brighter holiday.

How You Can Help

• Our STUCO Food Drive runs from November 10th to the 14th.

• You are always welcome to drop off non-perishable items at the school office anytime.

We want to emphasize that our school food pantry is always available to any PHS student who may have food needs—no questions asked. Please encourage your student to speak with a counselor or administrator if their family needs assistance.

Thank you for your generosity and for supporting each other during this critical time. Your willingness to help makes Purcell High School a truly compassionate place.

Sincerely,

Jason

Principal,

Purcell High School

cell: 918-873-0354

There is also this website: https://lasagnalove.org/, where you can request a freshly made lasagna from a volunteer within the community, and they deliver it to you. Please share with your newsletter.

PLEASE NOTE: All parents/guardians of freshmen and sophomore students should have received a family report of their student's fall MAP assessment scores in reading, math, and science. These assessments provide critical information and tracking over time of your student's learning progress in these three critical areas. They are strong predictor of college/career, and ACT readiness. Students will be assessed again in February. These spring assessments are our best indicator of student learning growth each year. We expect ALL students to demonstrate learning growth on the spring assessments. Please feel to reach out to me if you have questions about your students fall assessment scores.

November Staff of the Month Spotlight!

A huge congratulations to PHS Art Teacher, Jon Corea, for being named our November Staff of the Month!

Here’s a message from a colleague about Jon's incredible impact:

"Jon ALWAYS goes above and beyond for our staff and students. He's incredibly accountable, often stepping up to help with countless miscellaneous tasks, sometimes just doing it all! Jon takes tremendous pride and integrity in his work, both in the classroom and supporting colleagues. His new, exciting projects ensure every student finds a way to connect and engage through art. Jon is a vital asset to Purcell High School!"

Thank you, Mr. Corea, for everything you do! Go Dragons!

Please note this list should also include Mason Rogers. We apologize for this omission. Congratulations to all of these hardworking students. 17% of our total student population finished the first quarter with perfect attendance and zero tardies. This reflects a commitment to learning and good habits from not only our students but also our teachers and parents.

We celebrated this awesome commitment yesterday with a special drawing! Shoutout to our three lucky winners: Jasmin Olguin, Ryder Ward, and Breyln Riley!

Thank you to our administrators Aaron Dillard & Rick Hammer and attendance coordinator Candy Tuck for recognizing these students!

We are so proud of all our students! Thank you to our amazing students, teachers, and parents for valuing strong attendance. Keep up the great work!

Dear PHS Parents,

We are committed to maintaining a safe learning environment, and your partnership is vital. Here is a summary of our recent safety drill and an important request regarding afternoon pick-up traffic.

Safety Drill Summary: Lock-in to Lockdown Transition

Last week, we successfully conducted a safety drill focused on transitioning between two critical safety statuses:

Lock-in (Soft Lockdown)Safety threat in the surrounding area (not specific to PHS).All perimeter doors are secured. Normal student work continues inside secured areas.

Lockdown (Hard Lockdown)Immediate threat to the high school building.All perimeter doors secured. Students and staff move to secured areas, away from windows and doors, and maintain silence.

The drill went extremely well and served as an excellent opportunity to reinforce to students and staff the importance of staying calm and trusting their drill training during an actual emergency. The drill was supervised and monitored by our admin team and School Resource Officer Salgado and the Purcell Police Department.

🚗 Critical Pick-up Traffic Safety Reminder

We need your help to keep our students and staff safe in the parking lot during dismissal.

Recently, we've noticed a trend of pick-up drivers "cutting" through the parking lot rows after picking up their students instead of using the designated outside exit lane.

Please avoid this practice. This maneuver creates unnecessary, unpredictable traffic flow in areas where students are actively walking to cars, significantly increasing the risk of an accident.

For the safety of all students, please exit the parking lot in the outside lane only.

Thank you for driving carefully and remaining distraction-free during pick-up and drop-off times. Your cooperation ensures a safe dismissal for everyone.

Sincerely,

Jason

KIRK RUSHING HERE 11/3 & 11/4 TO HELP WITH FAFSA!!

• Kirk Rushing will be here to help fill out FAFSA for Seniors on 11/3 and 11/4. If you’d like to make an appointment with him, please stop by Feroli’s office or email her. Before that appointment, students and one parent need to create an FSA ID, which can be done by creating an account at studentaid.gov.

• Please remember to visit the PHS Scholarship Info page for the most up-to-date information concerning scholarships that come through my office and to utilize okcareerguide and okcollegestart to search for and apply for hundreds of available scholarships to you. If there are questions, I would love to help.

• Please be sure to check the Counselor's Corner that is linked directly below. This has been updated and includes numerous new opportunities and information for each class.

Sincerely,

Melissa Feroli

PHS Counselor

A massive thank you to our superstar Healthcorp Near-Peers from OU, Joella Whitney and Megan Johnson!

Guided by these talented college mentors, our 9th Grade Leadership students (under Bryan Young's direction) are learning leadership through service and spreading vital wellness resources across campus.

Their focus this month? Inspiring ALL students to get more active and build a lifelong exercise habit for a healthier future!

We appreciate your energy and dedication, Healthcorp! Keep up the great work!

Scott Nation from First United visits our Freshmen Leadership classes to provide important financial literacy tips for our students. This is an important life skill that is fundamental to our students transition to adulthood. We are grateful for the support of First United and the curriculum they provide and direct instruction!

What a soaring success!

Our Aviation 1 students, guided by PHS Aviation Teacher and JH Science Teacher Corryn Breidinger, took their learning to new heights! They mastered the science of density and buoyancy by diving into the history, parts, and operation of hot air balloons before successfully building and flying their own!

We're thrilled to see this program take off and fuel the future of aviation. Did you know the Oklahoma Aviation and Aerospace Industry is the state's second-largest and fastest-growing economic engine, generating nearly $44 billion annually and supporting 206,000 jobs or that the average salary of direct employees in the industry is $73,000? Our students are preparing for careers in a booming field right here in Oklahoma!

In addition to her regular duties as high school counselor and alternative education director, Melissa Feroli also visits classrooms regularly throughout the year to give college and career guidance to students. This is such a valuable resource to our students and part of our commitment to making sure ALL students succeed and find their own pathway to success and happiness after high school. She is a wealth of information and expertise and a huge help to our students!

Our amazing art students, led by teacher Jon Corea, just wrapped up a super fun Pop Art unit that merged art history with adorable character design!

Students dove into the iconic Disney art style—think bold colors, clean lines, and those unmistakable exaggerated features. Their mission? To transform real-life animals into lovable, cartoon characters!

And here's the best part: As part of our climate and culture effort to make staff feel at home, the students used our PHS staff members' pets as their muses! Using either digital or traditional techniques, they turned our furry friends into true Disney stars.

We love seeing our staff's beloved pets celebrated through art! A huge shoutout to Mr. Corea and his talented artists for this creative and heartwarming project! We truly love our furry friends at PHS!

Our PHS Transitions students had an amazing time exploring the professional world with two awesome tours!

First stop: First United Bank! Students loved learning about banking, getting a special $2 bill, and especially sending the tube in the drive-thru! (Shoutout to Tess & Hilari for the awesome experience! Thank you to Scott Nation, too!)

Next up: A behind-the-scenes look at the OKC Thunder! We learned about Thunder Vision including how the "Kiss Cam" works, social media management (21 Thunder accounts!), corporate communications, and even got to shoot hoops on the court. We also learned a real-world lesson on prepaid debit cards and paying for parking!

Last week, the PHS Spanish Club proved they are leaders in service and fun!

They collected tons of goodies for the Purcell Animal Shelter with their "No Tricks, Just Treats for our Furry Friends" drive! 🐾 Way to serve the community!

Then, they celebrated with Halloween cupcakes and walking tacos! 😋

With 80+ members, this club is teaching service and building a true home away from home at school! 🫂

Kudos to sponsors Mayra Munoz and Irma Calixto for fostering such an incredible group! ¡Muy Bien! 🌟

Our PHS Student Council officers recently attended the OASC State Convention, gaining invaluable experience! The officers—Adylee Jurado, Alexis Jurado, Aron Barrera, Grace Van Oort, and Kheanna Martin—represented our school exceptionally well.

Leadership Growth & School Impact

This convention is a wonderful opportunity focused on:

• Building essential leadership skills.

• Establishing vital networks with students from across the state.

• Bringing back fresh, innovative ideas to strengthen our school culture.

Ultimately, this student leadership is critical for improving the learning environment for every student at PHS! Go StuCo! 👏

The Dragon Pride Marching Band wrapped up their marching season with their Senior Night Performance "For All Mankind." Thank you to all band members, particularly our seniors for an outstanding year and representing our school with pride.

What a finish to the National Convention! Days 3 & 4 were an absolute whirlwind for our Purcell FFA members!

Day 3 and Day 4 in Indy

Thursday we started the morning at the Opening Session of Convention, watched the speaking finals and then headed to our tour at Umbarger Feed Mill.

Friday it was back at convention for finals, career/college fair, and the expo hall. We even grad a chance to meet up with Hudson for a few minutes. We ended the day traveling to St. Louis to the Gateway Arch.

What a performance last week! Both Dragon Smash Red and Dragon Smash White secured two victories in Super Smash Bros!

Smash Red Dominates!

Dragon Smash Red took down Guymon with a strong 6-3 win!

Fatima Diaz was unstoppable, going 2-0!

Aden Gaddis secured wins of 2-0 and 2-1!

Shoutout to Angel Gonzalez for fighting hard despite a tough 0-2 match!

Smash White Crushes It!

Dragon Smash White delivered a convincing 6-1 victory over North Rock Creek!

Braeden Reeves battled to a 2-1 win!

Gavin Woods went undefeated with a 2-0 sweep!

Ezra Stell matched that with a clean 2-0 performance!

Huge congratulations to ALL the players and our coach, Kyle Perry!

GO DRAGONS!

State Meet Success!

In misty, cold weather this morning, Jayden Polk and Belen Resendiz competed at the Cross Country State Meet!

We are so incredibly proud of their dedication and hard work all season long. A huge shout-out to Jayden for finishing an amazing 7th place out of 147 runners! What a stellar performance!

Thank You, Coaches and Team!

Congratulations to the entire cross country team and a big thank you to Coach Samford and Coach Beal for leading such a successful season! Your commitment helped these athletes achieve great things.

Great season, everyone!

What an eventful week for the Dragon Football team! We took the field twice and honored our incredible seniors.

Monday Night Football

The Dragons secured a victory in a makeup game on Monday, defeating Star Spencer 58-6!

Friday Night Lights

Friday night brought a tough challenge as we hosted Heritage Hall at Conger Field, ultimately falling 48-13.

Senior Night Recognition

Prior to Friday's game, we had a wonderful Senior Night ceremony celebrating our graduating football players and cheerleaders alongside their supportive families. Thank you to all the seniors for their dedication to the program! ❤️

The Dragons wrap up their season next Friday night on the road against Pauls Valley. Let's finish strong!

Go Dragons! 🐉

As the calendar flips to November, both the PHS Girls' and Boys' Basketball teams are in full pre-season swing! Get ready for action as the official season tips off soon.

Upcoming Scrimmages & Schedule

Here’s a look at where you can catch the Dragons next week:

• Girls' Team: Scrimmage this Tuesday at 4:30 PM on the road against Mount St. Mary's.

• Boys' Team: They head to OCS on Monday at 4:00 PM and will then host Chandler at the Reimer Center this Thursday at 4:30 PM.

Season Opener Alert!

Mark your calendars! Both squads will officially open their regular season on December 2nd with challenging road games versus Marlow.

Let's keep supporting our Dragons as they prepare for a great year! Go PHS! 💚

PLEASE CONTACT KELLY (SEE BELOW) IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HOSTING A FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT

If you currently accept exchange students, we thank you and your school for helping shape the future of our global community. We believe diversity of cultures is to be experienced and cherished. Providing someone with the opportunity to live and learn in another culture is very special.

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,

Kelley Ridling

Council for Educational Travel USA

CETUSA Oklahoma Regional Director

Phone: 580-530-0094

Email: kelley.ridling@cetusa.org

CETUSA.org

Say “hello” to two-way messaging and classroom announcements in the Purcell app! With the addition of Rooms, our district app keeps getting better. Parents/guardians check your email and text messages tomorrow (9/3) with instructions to sign up and access new features.

To make sure you are ready to use Rooms, download the Purcell app today!

Download for Android https://aptg.co/Bp9PVp

Download for iPhone https://aptg.co/H7tnMs

Quick Access to Recent Updates

Families can view all recent messages and announcements for all children, across all teachers, in dedicated spotlight sections in new footer buttons.

• One Pager: Shares a summary of key updates (English)

• Help Articles: Provides more guidance to navigating the app

• Family Survey: Empowers families to share their feedback with Apptegy.
  

• VIDEO:

  English: https://youtu.be/zW9d0VzqDFI

  Spanish: https://youtu.be/W8Cnu-tgK9M
  

• Rooms Support

Students can access Varsity Tutors platform on their school-issued Chromebooks through their Clever account. Students & Parents can also access Clever account @ purcellps.org by selecting the Student Learning Page from the menu.

You can learn more about the tools available to your student here.

Please contact the high school if you are unable to access Parent Portal. This allows students and parents to access real-time grades 24/7, attendance information and update personal information. I include a parent/portal link for all parents/guardians on every Parent Newsletter. This link is located immediately below this message. It's very important all parents have access to parent portal.

Please complete this form linked here if you are need of a Parent Portal Account:

https://forms.gle/kcw4yFh9UghpFKW76

If you have any problems accessing Parent Portal please contact the school directly: (405) 442-0099