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 Purcell High School Parents:

We know it's been difficult to get a clear picture of school performance over the past five to six years due to major challenges: the impact of COVID-19, changing learning standards, shifts in ACT expectations, and unannounced changes in state testing proficiency cut-off marks (still hard to believe this happened!). Anyway, I want to take this opportunity to share great news about our school performance with the recently released Oklahoma School Report Grades.

Despite these hurdles, we are incredibly proud to share excellent news about our performance.

Purcell High School ranks in the top 10% of high schools in Oklahoma!

Although I'm not the biggest fan of rating schools by letter grades, much of the data collected closely aligns with our own 2030 Learning, Attendance, and Post-Secondary goals.

Key Performance Highlights:

Thanks to the hard work of our students and staff, we experienced continued steady growth in almost every area:

• Overall Score Increase: +12%

• Student Learning (Academic Achievement) Increase: +13%

• Overall Score exceeds the state average by 21%.

• Academic Achievement exceeds the state average by 24%.

• We experienced growth in every category (Learning, Post-Secondary Opportunities, Graduation, English Learner Support) except for our already high attendance rate, which remained static.

Local Comparison: We rank in the top 2 of all high schools in our county/area. Impressively, we are the only Title 1 School (serving a higher percentage of lower-income students) on this list, showcasing our commitment to ALL students.

Why This Success?

Our performance is a direct result of our outstanding, experienced, and highly skilled classroom teaching staff and minimal staff turnover, which builds crucial continuity. We also have an excellent support team and office staff focused on service to teachers, students, and parents. Finally, we enjoy tremendous support from parents and the community.

Our Commitment to You

As parents use this data for informed decisions about where their kids attend school, our simple commitment remains:

1. Provide a safe learning environment.

2. Challenge students academically.

3. Connect ALL students to an extracurricular activity.

4. Focus on strong teacher-student relationships

Area for Improvement: While our graduation numbers are strong, they are not yet where we want them to be. We will remain committed to working hard to help your students make a successful transition to adulthood.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Go Dragons! 🐉

Jason

Principal,

Purcell High School

cell: 918-873-0354

This week, we're celebrating Emma Patton, AP Biology and Biology teacher, and a proud Dragon Alum! Students nominated Ms. Patton for making a huge impact and focusing on student relationships, noting:

"She's really nice and helps explain things to me."

"She answers all of the questions I have in class and makes learning fun and engaging..."

"...makes sure I understand with a smile on her face and nice chill teacher class is always fun."

Congratulations, Ms. Patton! We appreciate all you do for Purcell High School!

Staff Spotlight! Let's hear it for Coach Toney Cooper!

We are thrilled to celebrate Coach Cooper, our PHS Girls Basketball Head Coach as this week's Staff Spotlight as we recognize staff members who have been nominated by students! Toney also works as a Lead Program Manager, Residential, for OG&E

In his 4th year leading our girls basketball program, Coach Cooper was nominated by numerous students for making a profound impact on their lives and prioritizing strong relationships. The overwhelming theme? "Coach Cooper helps me see the best in myself."

Thank you, Coach Cooper, for your dedication and commitment to uplifting our students both on and off the court! We appreciate you!

Staff Spotlight: Jasmine Quiñonez!

This week, we're celebrating freshman English teacher and Academic Team Coach, Ms. Quiñonez! Our students nominated staff who've made a real impact, and Ms. Q's dedication to building strong relationships truly stands out.

It's remarkable that so many older students nominated her, two or three years after having her in class! They highlighted her encouragement to do their best and her constant availability for help.

Thank you, Jasmine, for investing in our students' lives! We appreciate you!

Congratulations to our December Student of the Month: Lili Del Toro!

We are incredibly proud to announce that the Purcell High School faculty has selected senior Lili Del Toro as the Student of the Month for December!

Lili truly embodies our core values of Accountability, Integrity, and Respect. She is an outstanding student-athlete and one of the kindest people you will ever meet!

Get to Know Lili:

Parents: Edgar Del Toro and Diana Del Toro.

Activities: Basketball, Track, Student Council, Spanish Club, and National Honor Society (NHS).

Favorite Class: Calculus with Mr. Michael O'Neal!

Future Plans: Lili plans to attend college and complete her basic courses while exploring her future career path.

Help us celebrate Lili's amazing achievements and dedication! Way to go, Lili!

Congratulations to our December Student of the Month: Ryder Ward!

We are excited to announce that the Purcell High School faculty has selected senior Ryder Ward as the Student of the Month for December!

Ryder consistently represents our core values of Accountability, Integrity, and Respect. Thank you, Ryder, for your hard work and for representing your school with such class and honor!

Get to Know Ryder:

Parents: Steffany and Alan Ward.

Activities: Basketball, Track, and National Honor Society (NHS).

Academic Achievements:

Completed honors classes in Math, English, and Science.

Four-year member of the Superintendent's Honor Roll.

Letter P Recipient.

Favorite Class: Honors English 4 with Mrs. Amber Findley!

Future Plans: Ryder plans to attend college to obtain his EMT/Paramedic license and become a certified firefighter.

Help us celebrate Ryder's dedication and achievements! Way to go, Ryder!

WINTER WEATHER UPDATE

Thank you for your support this week as we navigated some early winter weather, including our smooth transition to a virtual learning day on Thursday. Your flexibility ensured our students continued their education without disruption.

We also appreciate our district leadership for making a timely decision regarding Thursday, and our dedicated maintenance and custodial staff for their quick work applying salt to slick areas on Friday morning.

Key Reminders for Winter Weather and Daily Safety:

• School Closures/Changes: When school is canceled, postponed, or shifted to virtual learning, official district communication will be sent via text message, email, and social media. Please monitor these channels closely.

• Student Drop-Off: School doors open at 7:30 AM. To ensure student safety and prevent them from standing in the cold unsupervised, please do not drop off students prior to 7:30 AM. There is no staff on-site for supervision before this time.

• Visitor Check-In Policy: We always welcome parents to visit the school! For the safety of all students and staff, we must enforce a strict policy: All visitors must check into the front office immediately upon arrival. No exceptions.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and productive learning environment for everyone at Purcell High School.

Dear Purcell High School Parents,

The end of the semester is quickly approaching, and we want to emphasize how crucial it is for students to finish the semester strong. Final grades are critical, and a strong finish now sets a positive tone for the spring semester.

Semester Test Schedule & Exemptions

Please find the upcoming Semester Test Schedule for December 17-19 attached below.

We want to remind you that students are eligible for exemptions from individual semester tests based on attendance, grades, and behavior. The exemption criteria are:

• A Grade with 3 or fewer absences.

• B Grade with 2 or fewer absences.

• C Grade with 1 or fewer absence.

Important Note: To be eligible for an exemption, students must have no In-School Suspension (ISS) or Out-of-School Suspension (OSS). All absences count toward the exemption status, except for activity absences or principal-excused absences.

Students who are curious about their current exemption status should check the Student Portal.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Melissa Feroli

Purcell High School Counselor

Alternative Education Director

ferolim@purcellps.org

This past Friday, Principal Jason Sanders, Counselor Melissa Feroli, Assistant Principal Rick Hammer, and Dean of Students Aaron Dillard visited the Junior High to meet with our 8th-grade students (Class of 2030) during their advisory period.

The purpose of this visit was to discuss the new Oklahoma graduation requirements and the establishment of Career Pathways that will first impact the Class of 2030. These changes will not impact any students currently enrolled in PHS.

We want to highlight these changes because they reflect our school's continued commitment to:

• Individual Career Academic Planning (ICAP): Helping students develop a personalized plan for their future.

• Successful Transition: Increasing our focus on preparing all students for a successful transition from high school to college, career, or military service.

• Career Pathways: Creating structured course sequences that align a student's ICAP with their post-secondary goals.

While these significant state-level changes to graduation requirements officially begin with the Class of 2030, our increased focus on ICAP, career pathways, and advisement will ultimately benefit all students at Purcell High School.

Please see the attached visuals which outline the key changes and the new focus on Career Pathways.

HUGE congrats to our TSA students for success at the competition in Clinton!

Greyson Lester took 1st Place Dragster! Preston Kane 2nd Place Dragster! The Catapult Team (Brody Rivera, Preston Kane, & Jae Swanner) launched into 1st Place!

Shoutout and thanks to sponsor and PHS Computer Teacher, Jason Tompkins. Way to go, team!

Students from the Transition and the Math of Finance essentials classes had a combined lesson of budgeting and life skills that ended with a visit from local culinary school owner and chef, Elizabeth Bird. Students prepared a Potato and Ham soup, with students getting some hands-on interaction cutting up potatoes and ham. We ended the visit with a chocolate lava cake and questions. Chef Elizabeth was great and the students were engaged the entire time!

Celebrating Career Tech on Counselor's Day!

Earlier this week, Mid America Technology Center welcomed some of our amazing team! Our High School Counselor/Alternative Ed Director, Melissa Feroli, and High School Front Desk & Attendance Secretary, Candy Tuck, toured incredible programs like Horticulture and Cosmetology .

They connected with PHS students and strengthened our great partnership with MATC! We are thrilled about the career opportunities MATC provides our students!

Had an AMAZING time in Mr. Jack McNeely's Physical Science class today, playing with polymers! You won't believe the cool stuff we made!

First up, we created a "polymer worm"! It was so weird and fascinating to watch it form right before our eyes. Definitely not your average earthworm!

Then, we got our hands (literally!) into making some super stretchy polymer slime! This classic experiment showed us how quickly a liquid can turn into a thick, moldable solid.

Finally, we made some instant polymer snow! Just add water and BAM—it puffs up into fluffy, snowy goodness. It’s like a winter miracle, even in the lab!

In a nutshell, polymers are just giant chains of molecules (think of them like tiny LEGO blocks linked together), and depending on how you link them up, you get totally different and cool materials! Science is awesome!

In October, our program centered on the "Why Get Physical" module, where students explored how physical activity supports both body and mind. This module emphasized that movement is personal—it looks different for everyone, and all bodies benefit from staying active. Students were encouraged to find activities that align with their interests, comfort levels, and abilities.

Our TMHH Club members created posters and held a lunchtime “Guess My Exercise” activity. Students got creative making posters on how to be more active, the barriers teens face with getting enough physical activity, and some students gave simple workout suggestions!

The “Guess My Exercise” lunchtime event had students come up and guess the category of fitness. Students who participated could learn about fitness categories such as flexibility, balance, aerobics, and strength. Each participant walked away with workout ideas they could do at home!

We are incredibly proud to recognize Purcell High School U.S. History teacher and Social Studies Department Chair, Kurt Gray, for receiving the National Citizenship Education Teacher Post Recognition Award from the Norman Veterans of Foreign Wars Post! Kurt is pictured below with Norman VFW Post Commander Brett La Roche and Mark Atterson, Past President, Norman Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution

A Champion for Civics Education

This award is a testament to Coach Gray's unwavering dedication to promoting citizenship education not only in his classroom but throughout our school and community. His teaching goes beyond textbooks, instilling vital civic values and lessons that truly impact his students' lives.

Preparing Future Citizens

In addition to his regular teaching duties, Coach Gray oversees the administration of the U.S. Citizenship test for all PHS students—a crucial requirement for graduation. His commitment ensures our students are well-prepared to become informed and engaged citizens.

Plus, we all know his history lessons are made even better by his great storytelling!

Way to go, Coach Gray! We are lucky to have you!

Aviation Pathway to the Future!

Incredible work by Purcell Aviation students designing and wind-tunnel testing 3D-printed airfoils with instructor Corryn Breidinger! This program is a career pathway connecting students to Oklahoma's fast-growing aeronautics industry. This is also part of new graduation requirements that will go into effect for the Class of 2030 (current 8th graders)!

Attention Current 8th Graders (Class of 2030): Your future starts now! PHS admin & counselor will preview the new Oklahoma Graduation Requirements and Learning Pathways (like Aviation!) on Friday, Dec 5th at the junior high. Don't miss out!

A HUGE thank you to our amazing PHS student aides for delivering Sonic drinks to all our staff this morning!

We are so thankful for our entire PHS Staff and their dedication to student success, especially as we head into a break. A little treat goes a long way!

Go Dragons!

Hey Dragons! Let's make sure our younger Dragons Clothes Closets stay stocked this winter! Donate items all this week! 🎁

🔥 Items Needed for Our Younger Dragons:
Adult Fuzzy Socks
Small Gloves and Hats
Youth Small Underwear
Kids Pants & Leggings

🗓️ Dress-Up Days!
Show your spirit while giving back!

TOMORROW (Monday): Christmas Pajamas! 😴🎄

Thank you to STUCO and sponsor Amy Menhusen for your incredible leadership! Let's show up and spread the warmth, PHS! ❤️

A huge THANK YOU to the Purcell PTO and PHS parent Carinne Smith for delivering an amazing Italian "ThanksMas" luncheon for our staff yesterday!

We are so grateful for the hard work of our PTO and truly felt the appreciation. This kind of support from our parents and community is one of the things that makes Purcell a truly special place! GO DRAGONS!

Huge congrats to our three PHS Band students who auditioned at the 2nd round of All-State yesterday!

Juniors: Asa Byrne (percussion) and Kenna Lee (contrabass clarinet)

Sophomore: Emma Schlotthauer (clarinet/bass clarinet)

Making the 2nd round is a huge honor, and we are so proud of the extra work they put in!

A massive thank you to our incredible band directors, David Hilger and Jacob Willing, for their tireless dedication and countless hours spent serving our students this fall. We appreciate you both!

Students had so much fun connecting and spreading positivity before break! We loved seeing all the thankful messages you wrote. What a great way to show gratitude!

Thanks for being amazing and making a difference!

Huge congratulations to our Purcell FFA students for their outstanding results at the State AFR Speech Contest! Their hard work and dedication paid off!

A special shout-out to Senior Kaden Pliler for his exceptional performance, placing 3rd in the Senior Natural Resources Division!

We also had two incredible students finish as Top 10 Finalists in the state:

Carli Thomas (Senior) - Senior Agriscience Division

Grady Andrews (Sophomore) - Intermediate Agribusiness Division

These accomplishments don't come easy—they represent hours and hours of hard work, practice, and commitment!

Congratulations to all the students and to Purcell FFA sponsor Erica Keen!

Dragon Proud!

HUGE shout out to the Purcell Dragons Boys Basketball team and coaches Matt Lohn, Lee Reimer, and Jason Tompkins!

They finished as Runner-Up in the Madill Tournament Championship this weekend after an absolutely hard-fought battle against the Class A #2 Caddo Bruins.

Final Score: Caddo Bruins 42, Purcell Dragons 35.

What a weekend of basketball! Great job to all the players, coaches, and managers. You showed incredible hustle. It's going to be a fun season!

PHS Lady Dragons fall 37-32 to Durant in the 3rd Place game of the Madill Tournament. They battled back from a double-digit deficit to cut it to three late but the Lady Lions made their free throws to seal the game at the end. The Lady Dragons return to action this Tuesday night with their home opener vs. Washington at the Reimer Center.

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