WELLS PRESS

Catoosa Public Schools Superintendent Robert Schornick has announced that Rex Langley will serve as the new assistant principal for Wells Middle School starting the 2023-24 school year. Mr. Langley will succeed Bryce Hauenstein whose previously announced promotion to Wells principal will take effect July 1.

Mr. Langley is completing his second year as Manager of Teacher Development at the Teaching and Leading Initiative of Oklahoma, an organization that coaches teachers and school leaders. Previous to this, Mr. Langley served as principal of Memorial Junior High in Tulsa. His earlier experience includes serving as a building leader at Monroe Demonstration Academy and at East Central High School, both in the Tulsa school district.

Mr. Langley holds a Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Oklahoma State University, and a Master’s degree in administration, also from Northeastern State.

"Mr. Langley is a proven professional that is committed to inspiring and serving this school community," Mr. Schornick said. "I am confident that he will make positive contributions to our team."

Wells Principal-designee Bryce Hauenstein has announced that Wells sixth and seventh grades will change from six academic periods to seven for the 2023-24 school year. The change will not affect the schedules for fourth and fifth grades nor the confirmed school calendar.

The actual length of the school day for sixth and seventh grades will extend only five minutes from its current length. Length of academic class periods will be only five minutes less than they are currently. Lunchtime schedules for all grades will remain unchanged.

"The schedule change for next year creates multiple advantages in providing the best education for our sixth and seventh graders," Mr. Hauenstein said. "It gives us the flexibility to continue offering class sizes significantly smaller than those of other area middle schools. It also aligns more closely with the high school's daily schedule, and will serve us well as we work to build efficiencies and enhanced opportunities for students in both middle and high school."

The new middle school schedule closely matches that of Catoosa's eighth grade, which is housed this school year and next at Catoosa High School, but that will return to Wells in the fall of 2024 when construction of the new Cherokee Elementary School is completed.

The current 55-minute, end-of-day advocacy period at Wells will change to a 30-minute period between each day's fourth and fifth academic periods.

"The advocacy schedule change allows us to use that time each day much more efficiently," Mr. Hauenstein said. "Advocacy groups still have the the occasional time needed to conduct housekeeping-related school business. More importantly, students still will have time each day to seek academic help from specific teachers, and for independent study or homework."

Math teacher Kristen Applegate said she believes it's important to continue offering time for academic help. "Students tend to need a lot of extra help in math," she said, adding that the 30 minutes each day will allow students "to come in and get help during the school day in case their parents can’t help them. They would always have that extra opportunity to come in and get extra help with math." Mrs. Applegate also voiced her concern for some students who have a hard time learning fast that even the 30 minutes might not be enough.

"The students will have four core classes and three electives," Mr. Hauenstein said, adding that the new schedule will give students "more chances for electives and to help prepare the students for high school.”

Science teacher and soccer coach Shawnee Hodge said she likes having the extra elective period. “I like that students are going to have other options for extra curricular class," she said, "and have other opportunities for new things as well."

[Arianna White and Danyelah Gomez contributed to this article.]

Environmental engineering: The former dining area on the far west end of the Twist Center has been renovated into a bright and inviting student union. [photo by Rylin Thornton]

by Jaidyn Swarer and Rylin Thornton

The student dining area inside the Twist Center used to be very depressing; it was dark and old. Now it is bright, brand new, and a better environment for the students.

Catoosa Superintendent Robert Schornick and the district's nutrition director Ashley Richards proposed and designed the Twist Center area remodel. "This area is now much more than a dining area," said Catoosa Director of Facilities Matt Stout. "It has been updated to serve as a student union area that can also be used for teacher/classroom purposes, student services, or simply a more relaxed study area.”

The new student union has better lights, a new snack bar, and way better seating. They have new chairs, tables, and couches towards the back of the room. They have vending machines in the very back and a couple of egg-shaped spinning chairs.

“There will be additions made in the future to enhance the student experience and atmosphere," Mr. Stout said. "The new area will be used by 8th through 12th graders and utilized as a lunch area and study hall moving forward. Special occasions will also be available for this area,” he said.

“I am honestly very happy with the outcome. It has revitalized the older space and will be a huge benefit to the high school students in the future,” Mr. Stout said.

The official opening was May 4. The first use was a a couple weeks later for a special school board meeting to introduce the remodeled area.

Mr. Stout and Mrs. Richards will maintain the new area. Next school year the space will be used for two separate lunch times and for classroom assignments, open to all grades in the high school.

On the sixth/seventh grade side of Wells Middle School, there has been a lot of vandalism in the girls bathroom. The vandalism has had profanity and offensive drawings.

Some girls in the sixth and seventh grades have not been following the rules very well. At a young age, they are drawing and doing things that they should not be doing.

Don’t write on the bathroom walls because it can have a bad influence on kids, and they might want to do bad things. Vandals should think about if someone they love got hurt for the things that they do. They are very irresponsible for thinking what they do is fun or cool. It’s fun when you follow the rules and be a leader.

by Brynlee Benton

Some of the kids who go to Wells are getting really excited about their summer plans …

“My dog had puppies, and we were going to show them and sell them for millions of dollars,” said seventh grader Richard Pouncil. “

"I'm going to mow my yard, and garden, and I'm going to go fishing,” said social studies teacher Rick Alexander. Seventh grader Trinady Olden added, “Yeah, he's going to KILL fish.”

When schools are out, some students say they are scared they won't see their friends -- others not so much. “I'm going to hang out with Olivia, Gannon, Kailyn, Laklyn, and that whole group,” said sixth grader Rylan Elerick.

But not all kids stay in Catoosa for the summer; some of them are going out of town. Or out of state. “I'm going to go to Chicago for summer,” said sixth grader Olivia Calvin.

“I might go to Iowa and Alabama," Mr. Alexander said, to which Olden reacted with horror,“ALABAMA?”

“I'm going to have two birthday parties for my kids -- they're both in August,” said Principal Mark McVay.

Some Wells kids say they plan to have fun; others say they probably will be super bored. But all seem to agree they're ready for this summer to begin as soon as possible.

Wells Press staff: Brynlee Benton, Ayden Burns, Alejandra Camacho-Garcia, Summer Furrey, Danyelah Gomez-Stephenson, Laklyn Hale, Riley Miller, Eva Ortiz-Becerra, Lily Ray, Karley Reich, Courtney Slavens, Jaidyn Swarer, Rylin Thornton, Yecica Vasquez, Arianna White, Dailynn Wilson, Alexis Xiong.

Inquiries to kmcanany@catoosa.k12.ok.us