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
Twitter: @purcellhsdrgns

Dear Parents,

As the principal of Purcell High School, I have the privilege of watching our students grow and develop into remarkable young adults. It's something we take great pride in as educators. In today's world, where self-promotion often takes center stage, it's easy to forget the value of humility and selflessness. These qualities, often overlooked, are essential for a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Humility allows us to acknowledge our flaws and appreciate the strengths of others. It builds empathy, understanding, and genuine connections, which are the foundation of lasting relationships. Selfless acts, such as volunteering or helping others, can provide a sense of purpose and satisfaction. They broaden our perspectives, challenge us to step outside our comfort zones, and ultimately contribute to our personal growth.

True leaders are not those who seek the spotlight but those who empower others. Humility and selflessness allow individuals to create positive change within their communities.

Life is full of challenges and setbacks. A humble and selfless attitude can help us navigate these difficulties and develop perseverance. Perseverance is a character trait common in all successful people. By focusing on the needs of others, we can find strength and hope in even the most difficult situations.

At Purcell High School, we strive to cultivate these qualities in our students through various opportunities, such as community service projects, leadership roles, and character education programs (leadership courses). We encourage our student leaders to model these important values for our younger students in order to strengthen this culture in our school and community.

Teenagers today face challenges that are unlike those faced by teenagers in previous generations. As a former history teacher I often think of the words President John F. Kennedy spoke at his inauguration. He encouraged a new generation to "ask not what your country can do for you -- but what you can do for your country." He encouraged a new generation of Americans to engage in their communities through public service and volunteerism. This is a message more important today than anytime in our recent history as a nation.

We should always strive to not only build young people who are successful but also compassionate, empathetic, and dedicated to making a positive impact on the world. That's our mission at PHS.

Jason

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

Cell: 918-873-0354

Election day is this Tuesday and will provide millions of Americans an opportunity to exercise their right to vote. I'm excited for our students who will cast their very first votes. The right to choose our leaders is a fundamental principle of our nation and separates us from other nations who do not possess our freedoms. I reminded our student body of the importance of election day, encouraged those eligible to vote, and urged all individuals to respect the will of the American people after the election regardless of the outcome.

Please monitor the weather over the next two days. (through Monday) There is a possibility for severe weather Monday morning into early afternoon. Possible threats include hail, lightning, flooding, wind and tornadoes. We will keep a close eye on the weather tomorrow and want to share a few key reminders for parents. I've also linked below our Purcell Public Schools severe weather plan.

• A severe weather warning will result in the school moving to lock-down status. All individuals immediately outside the building will be moved inside. No individuals will be allowed to leave the building. Parents/visitors in the parking lot are encouraged to shelter inside or seek more permanent shelter immediately.

• The principal may declare emergency check-out status if our front office becomes overwhelmed with mass check-outs. Emergency check-out means students (soph-seniors) with parent pre-approval can check-out through the office WITHOUT a parent calling to check them out.

• All students without emergency check-out status must check out as normal (with parent contact) through the front office. These students are encouraged to contact parents with their cell phone when coming to the office to check-out during an emergency check-out

The boys Cross Country team qualified for and competed in the 4A State Cross Country Meet. Dragon runners were Jaydon Polk, Erick Suarez, Tripp Eck, Cameron Coulter, Elijah Walker, Ethan Berger, and Cesar Suarez. Jayden Polk finished 6th out of 145 racers. We are proud of all the hard work from our cross country athletes, managers and coaches, Ray Samford and Josh Beal. Go Dragons!

Awareness in changes to student behavior is key to identifying students facing mental health challenges.

It's always important to be aware of any changes in teen behavior when monitoring student mental health. I would encourage parents to always watch out for withdrawal from social activities, changes in academic performance, or unusual patterns of behavior. These can be signals that students are in need of help. Maintaining open lines of communication with teenagers, whether at school or home, help provide students a safe and supportive environment to share their struggles. It's a key reason that teacher-student relationships are a foundation of our culture at PHS.

It's also important to increase mental health awareness for our students. Students need to know that it's ok to talk about their mental health. Most individuals will experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life. It's critical that we destroy the stigma, especially for young men, that mental health is a taboo subject. Supporting mental health requires an open and candid conversation with teenagers that helps increase their awareness of their own mental health.

My final point of emphasis is to encourage everyone to ALWAYS report anything out of the ordinary. Nothing is too insignificant to report when it comes to students experiencing mental health issues. early identification and intervention are crucial in addressing mental health challenges in high school students. Schools and parents MUST work together to provide our students the needed support. Please don't hesitate to reach out if we can be of help.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.nami.org/

MentalHealth.gov: https://youth.gov/federal-links/mentalhealthgov

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States and its territories. The 988 Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 200 local crisis centers, combining local care and resources with national standards and best practices.

The school community is focusing on physical activity this month. We encourage families to make time to fit in physical activity to their routines because of its multiple health benefits. Evidence shows that healthier students learn better and families are essential to helping children and adolescents develop lifelong healthy habits. You can start with small changes today to lead a more active lifestyle. Click on the links under "Recommended Resources" (IN THE NEWSLETTER LINKED BELOW) to learn more.

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:

• The next National ACT test date is December 14. The regular registration deadline is Nov. 8.
• Seniors: Please be sure to see Ms. Feroli if you have any questions about scholarship applications. There is a link to available scholarships in the Counselor's Corner (linked below)

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/

Congratulations to the following students with perfect attendance during the 1st Quarter. No absences and no tardies! Good attendance is fundamental to student success. Students with good attendance tend to do better academically, build stronger social skills, and experience professional success after high school (colleges and employers place great value on good attendance). Great job students and parents!

Purcell High School offers students both in-person and online tutoring opportunities Below you will find information about Varsity Tutoring which provides students free, comprehensive, and unlimited access to online help. You can click on the button below this message to access Varsity Tutors.

You can also find the PHS Tutoring schedule below. Math & English tutors are available nightly after school Mon-Thursday. Science tutors are available on Thursday evening.

Aviation 1 students recently launched their hot air balloons and tested the wind tunnels they recently built. Aviation 1 is the first step in a four year program that provides students the fundamental knowledge of aerodynamics. This program will eventually allow students to obtain a commercial drone license before they graduate high school. Drone operators are one of the fastest growing professions in Oklahoma's booming aerospace industry. Aviation 1 is taught by Purcell Junior High science teacher Corryn Breidinger.

Several of our Student Council officers : Adylee Jurado, Grace Van Oort, Alexis Jurado, and Ellie Reed are attending the OASC Student Council State Convention this weekend in Bartlesville. This is a great opportunity for leadership training experiences and networking opportunities for student leaders. Thank you STUCO sponsor Amy Stone for providing our leaders this great leadership experience. Thanks as well to Brooke Clay for serving as a parent sponsor.

Last week our Spanish Club held it's monthly meeting. The officers served delicious food and discussed their upcoming community project which is providing needed items for our local Animal Shelter. They also learned more about the culture of the upcoming Day of the Dead. Thank you Spanish Club and sponsors Mayra Munoz and Irma Calixto for helping celebrate the diversity of our school and providing students important service learning opportunities. What a great organization!

Our 9th Grade Physical Science classes work in labs last week. They are working on their acid and bases lab. Their goal was to determine if the liquid was and acid or base.

PHS Spanish Club delivered their donations to the Animal Shelter yesterday and took some time to visit some of our local pets in need of a good home. Thank you to our Spanish Club members and sponsor Mayra Munoz for supporting such an important organization in the community. This is a great opportunity for our students to learn the value of service to community

It may not feel like fall yet but there are plenty of fun fall activities at PHS. Purcell FFA hosted their October FFA meeting and decorated pumpkins for their annual contest.

Our Student Council has been extremely busy over the last few weeks. Members recently attended the Regional Leadership Convention in OKC. This weekend several officers will attend the state convention in Bartlesville. This week they organized and ran both the Blood Drive and Halloween contest. We appreciate their hard work and their positive leadership throughout the school. PHS STUCO sponsors are Amy Stone & Leigh Ann McGregor.

The Purcell Rocket League team (Aidan, Brody A, and Brody T) fell to Piedmont in three quick matches. The Rocket League team is now 4-2 in the Great Plains Central Region.

Purcell Mario Kart team (Bradley, Brendan, Ezra, and Fatima) fell to Edmond Santa Fe 0-2. The Purcell Mario Kart team also takes their second lose and is now 4-2.

The PHS Dragons (Aden, Aidan, and Fatima) beat the CHS Dragons in just 3! They improve to 4-2.

Dragon Smash (AJ, Bryar, and Selena) fell to the Pirates 1-3.

This past week our PHS Cheer & Football team went to the Elementary & Intermediate Schools to help welcome students as they arrived at school. This is a great example of serving your community and supporting our younger students. Great job!

PHS Art teacher Jon Corea and elective teachers April Trumbo and Mayra Munoz came up with the idea of a "word of the day" to promote literacy amongst our students. Literacy ( the ability to read, write, speak, and communicate) is best built through a love of reading books and learning new vocabulary.

Side Note: after our first word of the day (see pic), I quizzed two random students and both knew the previous word of the day. I awarded them both pizzas! Nothing ambiguous about those results!

Our a lunch kickball games have become very popular. The students have a blast and it's a great way for students to play and be active!

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

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