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December 4, 2023
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
With the start of December, I am always excited for the boost in spirited celebration as we wrap up the first semester and the calendar year. While our calendars fill up and our lives get busy with the holiday hustle, I want to use this time to provide some helpful reminders for this time of year.
As we approach the start of the cold weather, it is important to make sure you are receiving and keeping up with districtwide communications for school cancelations, virtual learning, and emergencies. If you have recently changed your phone number or email address, make sure you update that information by contacting your child’s school or the District Enrollment Office. Additionally, it’s a great time to make sure you are following all our District social media pages from Facebook to Instagram, YouTube to LinkedIn. Our social media pages are a great way to keep up with the amazing things happening throughout our District.
Another important reminder for this time of year is to bookmark our District website and download the Putnam City Schools app for Apple and Android phones. All of our school sites along with high school athletics and District fine arts keep updated calendars for public events and reminders. This time of year has no shortage of holiday festivities, concerts, and winter sports contests; so make sure you check the calendars frequently so you don’t miss those special moments.
Next, we are excited for our annual Celebration of Diversity districtwide event taking place this Wednesday night at 5pm in the Putnam City North Commons. This is a fantastic event that showcases a variety of different cultures through presentations, performances, and art. We hope to see everyone there!
Finally, since this is the last Board Meeting of 2023, I want to wish a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and quality time with loved ones. May the spirit of gratitude and community carry us into the new year and new semester as we embark on renewed opportunities and fresh challenges. Thank you to our teachers and staff, parents and community, for your ongoing support and commitment to the success of our Putnam City students.
-Dr. Fred Rhodes, Superintendent
BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
STAFF REPORT:
--Chief of Staff, Dr. Memoli, and Director of Communications, AJ Graffeo, provided an overview of the upcoming proposed Districtwide attendance policy changes and the "Be Present Be Bold" attendance campaign.
BOARD ACTIONS
Board Members approved the following items:
--The Substitute stipend for second semester
--The class coverage stipend for second semester
--Revisions to the following District Policies: AH-Communication with Board, BL-Sexual Harassment, and BM-Civil Rights Policy
--Employment/appointment of Wiley Post Head Principal, Jennifer Meacham.
For a full list of board meeting items, please view the full agenda on our website.
COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS
Judy Mullen Hopper
Mrs. Mullen Hopper expressed her gratitude and excitement for the upcoming attendance campaign. She encouraged District Administration to assess the job and duties of our school Counselors. She understands how important our counselors are to our students and just wants to make sure they are continuing to be available. Lastly, she wished everyone a great holiday season.
Jay Sherrill
Mr. Sherrill wished everyone a happy holiday season. He highlighted the Putnam City Foundation Care Share program. He was thankful to all of the Foundation volunteers and the community volunteers for making the program run smoothly to provide our Putnam City families in need with holiday gifts. He also expressed his excitement for the upcoming attendance policy and campaign and how it is a way to have concise conversations with parents, to educate everyone about the policy, and to hold families accountable for attendance.
Steve Burger
Mr. Burger recommended Diversity Night on Wednesday at PC North and the North Pole Market on Saturday, also at PC North, as current events that our community should attend. He also highlighted the Care Share program and stressed that they are still in need of volunteers to make sure that all Putnam City families that are in need get adopted. Also, he highlighted the upcoming attendance campaign and wanted to remind administrators of the importance of this, and how they are the leaders in their buildings and are really able to set the tone toward the importance of this new attendance policy and campaign and its overall success.
Gail LoPresto
Mrs. LoPresto thanked Dr. Memoli and the Communications department for all of the work for the upcoming attendance campaign. She also drew attention to Sheryl Rexach on her upcoming retirement, thanked her for her years of service, and wished her the best. She also wished all of the teachers the best in these final days leading up to winter break.
Charity Avery
Mrs. Avery congratulated Sheryl Rexach on her retirement. She highlighted the new faces in attendance at the Board Meeting and thanked them for attending. She also thanked Dr. Memoli and Communications for their work on the upcoming attendance campaign. Lastly, in regards to the attendance campaign, she acknowledged that she knows it is not easy, but it is important for parents to hold each other accountable for maintaining positive attendance.
DISTRICT EVENTS
December 6- Diversity Night: Celebrating our Diversity at PCN Commons
December 21 -Jan 5 - Winter Break, No School
Jan 8 - Classes Resume
HAPPENING AROUND PC
Stars of the Future Event
Elementary students from around the District gathered together at Putnam City High School for the Stars of the Future event! In every direction, one could hear the sights and sounds of determination, encouragement, fun, and creativity. These kids will change the world someday!
Western Oaks Elementary
The third graders of Western Oaks Elementary took honoring traditional skills for Native American Heritage Month to the next level with basketweaving!
STUDENT SUCCESS
Congrats to the students at PCH who attended the New Frontiers in Pediatric Neurosurgery Conference, where they had the opportunity to shadow pediatric neurosurgeons for the day.
PC PROUD
Jennifer Meacham Named Head Principal of Wiley Post Elementary
Tonight, the School Board voted to appoint Jennifer Meacham as the new Head Principal of Wiley Post Elementary.
Ms. Meacham has over 26 years of professional educator experience, all of which have been in the Putnam City School District. Ms. Meacham has worked as a classroom Teacher, in alternative education, as an Interventionist, and as a District Instructional Coach before beginning her career in education administration. In 2017, Ms. Meacham began as an assistant principal and has served in that role since, most recently at Wiley Post Elementary.
We are excited to have Ms. Meacham take the lead pilot position for the Wiley Post Blue Angels!
WOMS Interior Design - 1st Place!
We are thrilled to share that the interior renovation of Western Oaks Middle School won the K-12 category at the Oklahoma Interior Design Awards recently. We appreciate the partnership with MA+ Architecture and are looking forward to working with them on future projects.
Check out our online District store for fun graphic tees, traditional outwear, and polos!
Once your items are ready, they will be delivered to the school site of your choice for pick-up. You can also pay to have items directly shipped to you.
Questions? Email: info@putnamcityschools.org
Be PC Proud! Have a story of an amazing achievement by a PC student teachers, group or team? Share it with us, and we’ll spotlight their accomplishments in our next edition!
Meeting Date: Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, 5pm | Location: Administration Building | Next meeting: Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, 5pm | In Attendance: Superintendent Dr. Fred Rhodes, Board Clerk Stephanie Knox, Board Members Judy Mullen Hopper, Steve Burger, Jay Sherrill, 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.