PHS Parent Newsletter

Email: hammerr@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

Purcell High School: The Final Push! 🐉

Dear Dragon Parents and Families,

I hope you and your students had a wonderful first week back from Spring Break. It is hard to believe, but we are officially entering the final stretch of the school year. Our theme for the remaining weeks is "The Final Push."

The fourth quarter is always our busiest and most exciting time. As we navigate the end-of-year rush, our goal is to ensure every student finishes strong, stays focused, and celebrates their hard work.

🚀 Where We Are Focusing Our Energy:

• Academic Excellence: This is the final push for students to get their grades up. We encourage you to check Infinite Campus, and Google Classroom and work with your students to ensure all assignments are turned in as we approach the end of the semester.

• Testing Readiness: We are in the final push toward State Testing and the ACT. These assessments are key milestones, and we are working hard in the classroom to ensure our students are prepared and confident.

• Spring Activities: We are entering the peak of spring sports, FFA events, and fine arts performances. It’s a busy season, and we love seeing our community show up to support our Dragons!

• Celebrating Success: The final push is on for our awards assemblies and, most importantly, for our Seniors as they head toward Graduation.

We appreciate your partnership in keeping our students motivated during these final weeks. Let’s work together to make the end of this school year the best one yet!

Go Dragons!

This year’s theme? NETFLIX

You won’t want to miss this season’s memories.

Yearbooks are $55.00
Order online at:
https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=60774

Limited quantity available — once they’re SOLD OUT, that’s it!

Senior ads can be purchased online just below the yearbook ordering section.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this year’s story

Create your ad online at Balfour.com

Full Page – $175

1/2 Page – $85

1/4 Page – $60

Deadline to submit materials: 05/16/2026

Space is LIMITED, and spots are going QUICK!

Don’t wait until it’s too late — secure your senior’s spot today

#SeniorAds #ClassOf2026 #YearbookLove #PHS

Attention Sophomore Parents & Students! 🎓

It’s time to start looking ahead! As our current 10th graders prepare to become Juniors next year, we want to make sure you have all the tools and information needed for a successful transition.

Please join Mrs. Feroli for an essential Junior Year Parent Meeting to learn about the exciting opportunities waiting for your student in the coming year.

📍 Meeting Details:

• When: Monday, March 30th

• Time: 6:00 PM

• Where: PHS Library

📝 What we will cover:

• Concurrent Enrollment: How to earn college credit while in high school.

• Internships: Real-world experience opportunities.

• College Information: Getting a head start on the admissions process.

Parents AND Students are asked to attend together! We’ll see you there to help kick off the journey into junior year.

🚀 Boost Your ACT Score! 📝✨

Attention all Dragons! We are excited to offer an ACT Prep Class right here at Purcell High School during the school day. This is a fantastic opportunity to sharpen your skills, learn test-taking strategies, and build confidence before the big exam.

We want as many students as possible to take advantage of this, so we are offering a major discount!

📍 The Details:
Date: April 6th

Location: Purcell High School (During the school day)

Special Rate: Only $20 for PHS Students! 🐉

🔗 How to Join:
Don't wait—spots are limited! Register now using the link below:
http://actprep.info/purcell

Take that next step toward your college and career goals. Sign up today!

With spring weather quickly approaching, we want to remind our families of the Purcell Public Schools Severe Weather Protocol.

When a Weather Lockdown is issued, our primary focus is the safety of our students and staff. Please keep the following in mind:

• Secure Status: During a lockdown, no one is permitted to enter or exit the building, and students will not be summoned for dismissal until the administration deems it safe.

• Clear Lines: We ask that you keep phone lines clear and avoid blocking campus traffic lanes so they remain open for emergency responders.

• Stay Informed: You will receive alerts via Infinite Campus/School Messenger when a lockdown begins and when it is lifted.

• Safety First: Students will only be released to designees listed in Infinite Campus, and photo ID is required for all pickups.

We encourage you to update your contact information and pickup lists in Infinite Campus now to ensure you receive all timely notifications. Thank you for your patience and for helping us keep our Dragons safe!

I spent some time in Jasmine Quinonez’s English 1 classroom this week, and what I saw was absolutely amazing.

Our Dragons aren't just reading Shakespeare—they’re living it! The class took classic passages and "translated" them into today's English to bridge the gap between the 16th century and 2024. But the real magic happened when they hit the "stage."

To keep things high-energy and engaging, Ms. Quinonez added a twist to their performances. Students had to act out their scenes while:

Playing hopscotch during their skits

Using hilarious accents

Engaging in sword fights

...and many more creative surprises!

This creative approach had the students laughing, moving, and—most importantly—developing a deep, practical understanding of Shakespearean writing. It was a masterclass in making "difficult" literature fun and accessible!

Huge shoutout to Ms. Quinonez for bringing this much energy to her classroom.

Our Transition/Life Skills class just wrapped up their fender bender simulation with a reality check at the insurance office!

Students were surprised to discover just how much a "fault" accident impacts the wallet. They learned that for drivers their age, being at fault can lead to being moved to a "Tier 2" insurance company with significantly higher rates. Perhaps the biggest surprise? Even if you aren’t at fault, your premium can still see a "bump."

A very special thank you to teacher Jenny Allen-Price for setting up this incredibly engaging and important month-long lesson. By showing her students every single step of a fender bender situation—from the initial accident to the final insurance paperwork—she is providing them with the practical knowledge they need for the real world.

A huge thank you to Thomas Peña from Ryan Russ State Farm for hosting us and helping our Dragons navigate the complex world of insurance. These are the life lessons that truly stick!

I popped into Stefanie Renfro’s FACS: Skills for Life class this week and caught our students in the middle of a fantastic sewing lesson!

The energy in the room was high as students worked diligently on their latest project: custom pillowcases. The best part? They get to take their finished creations home to use!

Ms. Renfro does an incredible job of teaching life-long skills—the kind of practical tools students will carry with them long after they leave the halls of PHS. From measuring and cutting to mastering the sewing machine, these are the essential skills that empower our Dragons to be self-sufficient as they head out into the world.

Huge thanks to Ms. Renfro for keeping these vital traditions alive and making learning so hands-on and rewarding! 🐉✨

Congratulations to Carli Thomas, Jaxson Staggs, and Purcell Alumni Hudson Andrews as they earned the 2026 FFA Livestock Scholarship.

A massive congratulations to our Dragon Pride Band for their incredible performance at the OSSAA District Contest last week! Our musicians brought their "A-game" and the results speak for themselves.

The band earned the highest honors possible in both categories:

Superior Rating (1) on Stage

Superior Rating (1) in Sight-reading

Because of these outstanding scores, the Dragon Pride Band is officially STATE BOUND!

We are so proud of the hard work, discipline, and talent these students have displayed. They performed extremely well, and we can’t wait to see them take the stage at the state level.

Band will be performing at the OSSAA State Competition on April 3rd at 10:05 AM. The performance will be in Ada. Good luck to band!!

The game vs Pauls Valley on 3/9 has been moved to 3/12. The game vs the OKC Mets has been cancelled.

The soccer match vs CCS is now home. Game times will still be 5/7

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