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April 4, 2024

As we begin the Spring season, there is great pride in being able to share some remarkable achievements from across our District. 

I am thrilled for our PC West Girls Basketball Team in securing the 6A State Championship title last month. Their dedication, teamwork, and skill propelled them to this outstanding victory. I loved being able to witness the raw emotions of the players and the coaches as they clinched the win in the last few seconds of the final game. It was truly a remarkable achievement that will go down in history for PC West. 

Our PC High Air Force JROTC program continues to soar to new heights. Not only have they won three state championships, but they have now been invited to compete against 120 JROTC units at Nationals and 820 JROTC units at the World Championships. This is a feat unprecedented in Air Force JROTC history to attend Worlds and Nationals in the same year. It is also worth mentioning that this program received an “exceeds standards” rating during its latest inspection by the AFJROTC Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. These achievements are a testament to the program’s unwavering commitment and dedication to excellence. 

I had the pleasure of attending Jr. Scientist Day at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) this past week. This event is a product of the remarkable and longstanding partnership between Putnam City Schools and OMRF since the 1970s. It was exciting to witness firsthand the experiments that were conducted by our students and educators with the OMRF scientists. I must also highlight the exceptional contribution of our own Hefner Middle School science teacher, Randie Bass, who piloted a science experience that is set to be implemented in schools across all 77 counties of Oklahoma in celebration of OMRF’s 77th anniversary. Through the years, Putnam City has raised over 4 million dollars for OMRF to help continue its lifesaving research. 

It was also exciting to be able to attend the OKC Thunder game last Friday night, to see the PCNorth Orchestra perform a stellar performance of the National Anthem during the pre-game festivities. Their talents were inspiring to me and surely the thousands of Thunder fans in attendance that night. 

These achievements continue to underscore the incredible talent, dedication, and spirit that is reflective of our great District. I always love this time of year as we begin to see all the hard work pay off through awards, achievements, and recognitions. I extend a heartfelt thank you to all the students, teachers, staff, and families who have contributed to these outstanding accomplishments. It is a great time to be PC Proud!

-Dr. Fred Rhodes, Superintendent

BOARD ACTIONS

Board Members approved the following items:

-Agreement with Cengage Learning, Inc for Elementary and Secondary Math Instructional Materials for '24-'30 school years

-Agreement with Pearson/Savvas for Secondary Math Instructional Materials for '24-'30 school years

-Job description for Master Mentor Teacher

-Renewal of employment for listed Certified Teachers (listed on Attachment C, see link below)

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-Dr. Jason Memoli, Chief of Staff, Barbara Crump, Chief Elementary Officer, and Dr. Matthew Flinton, conducted a board development work session on start/stop times.

For a full list of board meeting items and attachments, please view the full agenda on our website.

April 10 - (HIGH SCHOOL ONLY) Juniors on site for ACT Testing & Freshman, Sophomores, and Seniors Virtual Learning -- see email for more details

April 19 - No School - High School & District Offices Open

April 20 - Cancer Classic 5K & Fun Run, @Eldon Lyon Park (details below)

April 27 - PC Arts Festival, 9am-3pm @PCN

🛑Circle, star, check, whatever you need to do to save this date for your kiddos!🛑

Contact your student's school counselor for more details on all of the benefits of Summer Recharge.

🔗 Putnamcityschools.org/recharge

WOMS Warriors got 100 tickets donated to attend a recent OKC Thunder game! It was truly a community event as 52 WOMS basketball players, families, and teachers attended the game and many even rode a school bus to the game. How fun!

Elementary and secondary students across our District had the opportunity to explore the wide world of science through experiments at Junior Scientist Day! They shadowed real-life OMRF Scientists who are dedicated to conducting basic biomedical research to help people live longer, healthier lives.

Fun fact, Hefner Middle School science teacher, Ms. Bass, piloted an experiment and taught it that day and it will eventually be taught in schools across all 77 counties of Oklahoma! This is in recognition of OMRF turning 77 years old!

Central Elementary School has started a running club to help increase love for physical activity as they teach how a healthy body equals a healthy mind! Cleats 4 Kids and the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon decided they could get behind this cause and joined forces to donate over 100 FREE pairs of tennis shoes, socks, and a water bottle. As you can see from the big smiles to the big strides, these future track stars are beyond ecstatic!

Putnam City West Lady Patriots showed just how much resilience and skill they have in the game of basketball last month. A final and1 during the very last seconds of the 4th period put them one point over the Edmond North Lady Huskies, WINNING THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE!

The Putnam City High School AFJROTC Robotics Team won 3 State Champion Awards:

1. AFJROTC Oklahoma State Champion

2. ALL Service Oklahoma State Champion

3. Oklahoma State Champion is Design and Engineering

The Team has been invited to compete in the JROTC National Championships against 120 ROTC Units and in the World Championships where they will compete against 820 schools from around the world. This is the first time that a JROTC Team has qualified for the World Championships and the JROTC Nationals in the same year. 

The team was also recently recognized at the State Capitol! We are beyond #PCProud of PCH JROTC!

Congratulations to PCN swimmer, Bobby Cunningham, on earning 2024 All-State honors. He has had a fantastic senior season!

From high rankings at the state championships this year, to continuing their quest at the collegiate level. Two Putnam City High School girls wrestlers have officially signed their letters of intent.

Ashley Maldonado will sign her NLI for Oklahoma City University.
Alexis Ahtone will sign her NLI for Carl Albert State. Alexis is also all an All-State wrestler this school year.

The Putnam City High School girls’ wrestling program is quickly becoming a state powerhouse in the wrestling arena with 3 state championships and 2 third-place finishes in two years. They also have a lot of young talent on the roster.

ICYMI: Cristy Gosset, Choir teacher at Mayfield Middle School, has been named the Putnam City Schools District Teacher of the Year! We are beyond proud of Ms. Gosset. She works tirelessly to empower and inspire her students!

This past Friday night, the PCN Orchestra performed the National Anthem at the OKC Thunder game. #PCProud is an understatement to their inspiring performance in front of thousands of Thunder fans!

Putnam City North High School Special Education Teacher/Coach, Sarah Cates, has been named the Capitol Area Special Olympics Coach of the Year! Congratulations Ms. Cates, you make us #PCProud!

Special Meeting Date: Monday, April 4, 2024, 5pm | Location: Administration Building | Next meeting: Monday, April 15, 2024, 5pm | In Attendance: Superintendent Dr. Fred Rhodes, Deputy Board Clerk Chantil Baldwin, Board Members Judy Mullen Hopper, Steve Burger, Jay Sherrill, Gail LoPresto, and Charity Avery.

Putnam City Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, identity, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, or disability. Translations are completed by Google Translate.