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
Twitter: @purcellhsdrgns

The research data is becoming more and more clear and confirming what we already knew: Social media is having a negative impact on kids and we all should act to limit overall student screen time. We have enacted a ban of phones in all classrooms unless there are special situations or circumstances. I want to thank our teachers for enforcing and supporting this ban. I would not be surprised to see new legislation next year that will again attempt to fully ban cell phones in schools.

Social media does have many positive impacts on teenagers: It can increase connection and communication. It can help build networking skills. It provides a platform for self-expression and creativity. It can be educational, and it provides opportunities to engage in public forums. However the negative impacts currently outweigh the positive. Teenage depression and anxiety has skyrocketed over the last decade and much blame points to the impacts of social media.

Jean Twenge, author of "iGen: Why Today's Superconnected Kids Are Growing Up Less Independent, More Lonely, and More Depressed", wrote the following:

"Social media can be a significant contributor to mental health problems among teenagers. The constant comparison to others, the fear of missing out, and the relentless pressure to present a perfect image can all have a detrimental effect on self-esteem and well-being."

I believe social media has many benefits and it's important for schools and parents to work together to minimize the negative impact it has on students. Limiting screen time is an important first step. I'm grateful for your support of banning cell phones in the classrooms. I'm finding more support for a complete ban of cellphones in school as a whole. I'm listing below suggestions for how you can help support your student as they navigate the world of social media:

1. Open Communication with Your Student:

• Have regular conversations: Discuss your student's social media usage, the platforms they use, and their experiences.
• Listen actively: Show genuine interest in their online life without being judgmental.
• Set boundaries: Establish clear rules and expectations about social media usage, including screen time limits and appropriate content.

2. Educate Yourself and Your Student:

• Stay informed: Learn about the potential risks and benefits of social media.
• Teach digital citizenship: Help your student understand responsible online behavior, including privacy, cyberbullying prevention, and fact-checking.

3. Model Healthy Digital Habits:

• Limit your own screen time: Show your child the importance of balance and moderation in technology use.
• Be mindful of your online behavior: Demonstrate respectful and responsible online interactions.
• Encourage offline activities: Promote the value of face-to-face interactions and real-world experiences.

4.. Seek Professional Help if Needed:

• Recognize signs of distress: If your student is experiencing negative emotions or behaviors related to social media, seek help from a counselor or therapist.
• Explore resources: Look for online resources or support groups that can provide guidance and support.

Jason

Please feel free to text or call me if I can help

Cell: 918-873-0354

Game times:

Thursday 5PM

Thursday 7PM

Friday Noon (if necessary)

Promoting Online Safety for Your Child

As we continue to navigate an increasingly digital world, it's crucial to prioritize our students' online safety. Technology plays a huge role in their education and social lives, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. It's important that we provide them the tools to protect their safety online. As always, a positive working relationship between school and parents is critical.

We will continue to build our online safety tools which includes Bark and Stopit. Bark monitors student online content, web searches, and provides student safety alerts. Stopit is our anonymous reporting system that provides students an opportunity to report dangerous or threatening behavior and communicate directly with the principal while remaining anonymous.

We encourage you to have open conversations with your student about the importance of practicing safe online habits. Here are some key points to discuss:

• Think before you post: Remind your student that once something is posted online, it can be difficult to remove. Encourage them to think carefully before sharing personal information or images.
• Be mindful of online friends: Advise your student to be cautious about accepting friend requests from strangers and to avoid meeting anyone in person without parental supervision. A good rule of thumb is to NOT accept friend requests from people you don't know.
• Strong passwords matter: Emphasize the importance of creating strong, unique passwords for all online accounts. Your pet's name is NOT a good password.
• Recognize the signs of cyberbullying: Educate your student about the different forms of cyberbullying and encourage them to report any incidents to a trusted adult.
• Limit screen time: Set healthy boundaries for screen time to ensure a balance between online and offline activities.

By working together, we can create a safer online environment for our students. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to either myself or Melissa Feroli, high school counselor.

Tornado Drill last week.

We conducted a successful tornado drill last week at the high school. Students and staff reviewed emergency procedures including the location of our designated shelter areas in the high school: The three large, interior rooms and gym locker rooms. All students and staff (460 individuals) relocated to designated shelter rooms and the school was placed in lockdown in less than 3 minutes. Here are a few key reminders if we were to experience a tornado warning:

• The school would be placed on lockdown status and all individuals moved to designated shelter areas if a tornado warning was declared for the area.
• Upperclassmen who drive and have a parking pass are eligible for emergency check-out status (no freshman). This allows students to check out without parent check-out if an emergency check-out is declared by the principal. Students still check out through the office but parents are not required to check them out. An emergency check-out might be declared in case of impending severe weather causes a mass check-out through our front office.

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Influenza (flu) season is here and keeping students and teachers healthy and in school is important. There are many ways to protect your child and family this season, with the most effective way being vaccination.

Voluntary flu vaccinations, at no charge to school staff and students (native and non-native), are available at your child’s school. The McClain County Health Department and the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma provide this program.

Health Department nurses will be at Purcell Elementary School on October 15th from 9 am to 11 am & at Purcell Intermediate from 1 pm to 3 pm, and at Purcell Junior High on October 16th from 9 am to 11 am and at Purcell High School from 1 pm to 3 pm. Attached is a consent form that must be completed, signed, and returned by October 15th for your child to receive a flu vaccine. We cannot immunize anyone under 18 years old without a completed and signed consent form. Only injectable flu vaccine will be provided (nasal mist will not be available). If students are not cooperative, the vaccine will not be administered. Parents/guardians are welcome to attend.

The flu can last for a week or longer and can cause fever, headache, extreme fatigue and body aches. In some cases, symptoms can be severe and require hospitalization. Children are often the primary source of flu infection for everyone else, spreading the virus to classmates, family members, and the community.

If you have any questions, please contact the McClain County Health Department at 405-527-6541 or 405-485-3319.

Sincerely,

Sheli McAdoo, Ph.D.

Our Counselor's Corner is a resource for all things Counseling Related. Please click on the link below to access relevant information including Academic Guidance, Student Supports, Scholarships, College & Career counseling, social and emotional supports, and more. This link is updated regularly. Seniors and senior parents can also access the Senior Website which is also linked below.

Highlights:

• Thank you Jamie Bond and Dr. Frank Wang from OSSM for conducting a free ACT Prep on campus this week. Students received valuable preparation as our seniors will take an on campus ACT this week.
• We will offer an ACT test on campus October 8th for interested seniors.
• The next national ACT exam is October 26th. Deadline is Monday, October 7th (with late fee)
• Remember: ALL juniors take the ACT on campus in the spring.

ATTENTION JUNIORS: GREAT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Youth Leadership Oklahoma (YLOK) is currently accepting applications for Class 25. YLOK is seeking applicants who are current high school juniors and passionate

about advocating for their community and state. During the program, 52 selected students from across the state will travel throughout Oklahoma from June 1-6th, 2025 and learn about critical issues that impact Oklahoman's (ethics, entrepreneurship, health care,

economics, philanthropy, tribal, government, etc). Participants will have the opportunity to connect with peers and develop their leadership, communication and interpersonal skills. This program is provided at no cost to the participants. Applications are due December 7th, 2024.

High school seniors, even if you haven’t chosen your college yet, complete the FAFSA now. Don’t wait! Some types of financial aid are first-come, first-served. Learn more at:

https://www.startwithfafsa.org/

Yesterday, Purcell High School was proudly represented at the Purcell Rotary Club by two of our amazing seniors, Abbygail King and Lesleigh Langan. They shared their experiences and future dreams with the community, showcasing the incredible talent and leadership emerging from our schools. #DragonPride #PrideofPurcell #FutureLeaders

Dragon Brew opened for business this week. Shift Supervisor, Jesus Ramirez, has been a standout leader for the group. Dragon Brew will be selling merch this year. Orders are due by Friday November 22. Look for the updated QR codes in the hallway. Stickers are 2/$1, Tumblers are $10, and t-shirts are $20. Do the Brew! For more information email allenj@purcellps.org

Dragon Brew is a student-led start-up business made possible through a generous grant from the Purcell Public Schools Foundation. This is part of our PHS Transitions program led by Jenny Allen-Price. Students learn valuable leadership skills as they learn the ins and outs of running a business and provide delicious coffee and breakfast items. Such a great learning opportunity for our students.

We have experienced some technical issues that have delayed delivery of NWEA Map Fall Assessment Family Reports. Parents of PHS freshman and sophs will be emailed MAP math, reading, and science assessments this week. Only 9th & 10th graders take map assessments. This assessment measure student learning progress in math, reading, and science and predict ACT readiness. It's important to remember that the fall map assessment is given at the beginning of the school year and parents should take into account expected learning gaps after a three month summer break. The key data to measure is your student's learning growth with our next Map assessment in the early spring.

Please feel free to ask questions of your student's math, english, or science teacher this week at Parent/Teacher conferences. These assessments are given in those classes. Teachers can discuss the results with you and answer questions about your student's learning progress. You can always reach out directly to me (Mr. Sanders)

I've attached below family guides (easy to follow) that explain the purpose of MAP growth assessments and what the data will tell you about your student's learning.

PHS Academic Team went 2-1 this week at their Conference Meet in Blanchard. They will be back in action this week with another conference meet at Paoli, Thursday, Oct. 10 at 4PM. Academic team is coached by Jasmine Quinonez.

Our band has been in action with several amazing halftime performances the past few weeks. I've shared pictures below with several photo credits due Stephanie Knowles. Great job PHS Band! They will compete this weekend at the Mustang Invitational and will compete at the OBA State Marching Championships next Saturday (10/12) in Yukon. Great work director David Hilger and asst. director Jacob Willing!

Congratulations Emma Lynn. Emma is a senior at PHS and a talented leader in our FFA program and school as a whole!

Our high school FFA students recently competed in the OK State Fair Judging Contest. Over 2000 students overall participated! 35 Purcell students participated, many in their first judging contest. The Sr FFA team (Chase Anderson, Carli Thomas, Kaden Pliler, and Jaxson Staggs) placed 10th out of 188 teams. Chase Anderson placed 4th individually out of 586! This is such a great experience for our students. They develop critical leadership, communication, and networking skills. Thank you for your leadership Purcell FFA sponsor Erica Keen.

Our Family Career and Community Leaders of American organization (FCCLA) attended their District Leadership Conference at Minco HS yesterday. At the conference, members focused on developing leadership skills that would help them build strong relationships. Guest speaker Bill Cordes introduced practical tools for communication and inspired students to get out of their comfort zone and embrace leadership roles with confidence.

Thank you PHS FCCLA sponsor Stefanie Renfro for your leadership.

Cindy Donaldson and her Choir Students recently attended MJ the Musical. The students loved it and senior Franklin Linker showed off his style! Thank you Cindy for providing our students these opportunities.

Our PHS FCA organization hosted See You at the Pole yesterday for both high school and junior students. What a great opportunity for fellowship. A special thanks to seniors Kaleb Bailey, Gavin Johnson, and sponsor Kurt Gray for their efforts. Emmanuel Baptist Church helped organize, Landmark Church provided donuts, Goldsby Church provided drinks, and First Baptist Church provided a sound system. Thank you for this amazing collaboration from our local churches.

They are so important to the daily operations of a school. A clean, orderly, and safe school is a big part of students learning and achieving success. Thank you Erica Estrada, Sam Schafer, and Helen Reed.

Purcell Esports Mario Kart team (AJ, Bradley, Brendan, and Fatima) picked up another big win this week defeating the Wynona Yellowjackets. Great job Dragon Esports!

Both Super Smash teams faced some challenging close matches today, but unfortunately, we ended up falling short.

season openers for both Mario Kart and Rocket League. The Mario Kart team, featuring Bradley, Fatima, AJ, and Brendan, went head-to-head with Tonkawa High School. In a highly competitive match, Purcell managed to secure a narrow victory. Meanwhile, the Rocket League team, consisting of Greyson, Brody A, and Brody T, faced off against Salina USD from Kansas, but unfortunately fell short.

Our Freshman leadership students took advantage of the beautiful weather and worked on team building exercises today including the Human Knot (see pics). We have incorporated leadership training courses into our high school curriculum the past 4 years. This is the first year all freshman complete one semester of leadership training. Freshman leadership is taught by Bryan Young. This program emphasizes the important skills students need to thrive in the modern world. The type of skills you may not always learn from traditional classroom instruction: Teamwork, Communication, Problem-Solving, Time-Management, and Basic Life Skills.

I'm looking forward to our upcoming basic car maintenance unit where freshman will receive training in basic vehicle maintenance!

Our PHS Cheer team is busy with pep rallies and lil cheer camp! Thank you cheerleaders for promoting positive school spirit throughout our school and community!

Football & Softball Schedules are linked below. Cross-Country Schedule will come out later this summer. We will share online once those schedules are released.

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

We wanted to inform you that OSU’s Randall and Carol White Reading and Mathematics Center has several online and in-person opportunities available for students in grades 1-12 this semester! Please see the images below for details. The first provides information about reading tutoring for students in grades 1-8 and math tutoring or enrichment for students in grades 2-6. The second provides information about an online reading workshop for students in grades 6-12.

Please share this with any families you feel would benefit, and let us know if you have any questions.

Randall & Carol White Reading and Mathematics Center

College of Education and Human Sciences

102 Willard ~ 405-744-7119 ~ RMC@okstate.edu

Free Tutoring for Grades 7 - 9

The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) is continuing the statewide virtual math tutoring initiative. The Oklahoma Math Tutoring Corps will provide students in the grades 7, 8, and 9 with real-time, virtual tutoring support from live tutors beginning on October 6, 2024. Participating students will meet virtually with a tutor for 50 minutes three times a week over a period of ten weeks. All tutoring will occur outside of school hours. The goal of the Math Tutoring Corps is to give students opportunities for individualized, targeted learning of math processes and practice needed for success in their current and future math coursework.

This year, OSDE is accommodating approximately 600 students in grades 7 , 8, and 9. The program will run from October 6 – December 14, 2024. If you have students who would benefit from this program, please share this flyer and math invitation with families for enrollment information.

Tutors will be certified teachers who have received training for this initiative. The OSDE will make every effort to group tutors and students from the same geographical area. To provide focused and consistent attention to your student, each tutor will work with no more than four students. Students will remain together with the same tutor throughout the ten weeks. Families and guardians will be copied on all communication from the tutor to the student.

The OSDE is asking participating students and families to agree to the following:

• Students will attend at least 80% of the 30 tutoring sessions.

• Students will have a quiet place to join the sessions virtually.

• Students will actively participate with the tutor during tutoring sessions.

Once the OSDE receives student information, we will work with families to determine any technology needs to ensure students can participate successfully.

OMTC administrator information sheet.

Learn more about the Oklahoma Math Tutoring Corps program by accessing this OSDE webpage. If you have questions about this program, contact Shanda Finnell, Administrative Assistant

Contact Information

Sharon Morgan, Program Director for Standards and Learning

Visit Us Online: Mathematics Webpage

Functional Family Therapy

The Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs is offering the Functional Family Therapy (FFT) program for highly at-risk youth and adjudicated youth in specific Oklahoma counties. FFT is an evidence-based treatment program designed to reduce at-risk behavior in adolescents with an 70%-80% effectiveness rate. FFT is the leading treatment to address adolescent substance use, delinquency, and family system change. FFT targets youth aged 11-18, younger siblings, and their parents/caregivers. Intervention ranges from, on average, 8 -12 one-hour sessions for mild cases and up to 30 sessions for more difficult situations. FFT is conducted over an approximate three-month period and is largely an in-home intervention that is provided at no cost to the family.

FFT is appropriate for youth ages 11-17 exhibiting frequent and high degrees of the following problematic behaviors: defiance of authority figures (home and school), aggressiveness toward other people, extreme sibling rivalry, running away, truancy, vandalism, negative peer association, poor academic performance, chronic absenteeism from school, frequent school suspensions/expulsions, current/history of arrest, bullying issues, gang affiliation, and or substance abuse.

Is FFT available to students in my county?
To learn if FFT is available in your county please click below. Counties are where FFT is available are highlighted in blue: Functional Family Therapy (FFT) (oklahoma.gov)

How to do I make a referral?
To make a referral, please reach out to your local county Office of Juvenile Affairs. FFT can be provided as a preventative intervention. You will have to make a referral to OJA services and request FFT if the student does not have OJA involvement.

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