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

Bullying often Underreported at the HIgh School Level

Good afternoon:

Our top priority is ensuring the safety of your students while at school. This is a responsibility that extends beyond the physical safety of your students. Students also need emotional safety and mental well-being while attending school. Bullying is often wrongly assumed to decline in high school once students leave middle school. Unfortunately this is a common misconception. Bullying in high school is often not reported to school officials. Students in high school enjoy more freedom from adult supervision (as they should). As a result negative behavior, especially bullying, can go undetected.

Furthermore bullying at the high school level often occurs online. Unless students or parents report online bullying, school officials may not be aware. Or in some cases the bullying occurs during non-school hours and would not be a school matter. Nevertheless, whether bullying occurs at school or off campus it's likely to impact student performance at school. We always encourage students to report unsafe behavior. Over the last few years we have adopted several online safety features including Stopit and Bark. Stopit is an anonymous reporting tool that allows individuals to report unsafe behavior and communicate directly with an administrator while maintaining anonymity. Bark is an online monitoring tool that alerts administrators to potential safety issues for our students online. Additionally all Oklahomans have access to the 988 Mental Health Hotline.

While these tools help us protect our students safety, they offer little protection from bullying that goes unreported. Bullying is a serious problem in our society that has only worsened with the emergence of social media. Recent surveys from the PEW Research Center (linked below) points to some of the following concerns amongst students and parents in America regarding bullying:

• Bullying is amongst parents top concerns for their children
• Nearly half of U.S. teenagers have been bullied online
• Bullying is the number 1 reason parents have opted for online school or homeschooling options
• Older teenage girls and rural students are among the most likely to see bullying at school

1 in 5 students in the United States will experience bullying while attending school. One student experiencing bullying in school is too many. It's important to define for our students what bullying is and why it's so harmful for teenagers. Bullying is the intent to intimidate, create fear, or coerce someone who appears to be vulnerable. Bullying can have very negative short-term effects including keeping individuals from coming to school. Chronic absence issues can often be traced to bullying issues at school. Bullying can also have harmful long-term impacts on students including depression, anxiety, and physical illnesses including eating disorders and high blood pressure.

I would encourage all parents to discuss bullying with their students and be mindful of significant changes in behavior. Often these changes can point to larger issues such as bullying. These changes could include an unwillingness to attend school, poor sleeping habits, sudden change in friend groups, and fake illnesses. Students who are bullied will often make up excuses to not attend school for fear of facing those who would cause them harm. As a result bullying is often unreported or mistaken for other problems. As a result victims of bullying often don't receive the help they need.

We always encourage students to do the right thing. We all have a responsibility to protect those vulnerable to bullying. It is the responsibility of any individual to report bullying. If you see something wrong you should always report it. We have provided our students the tools to report unsafe behavior while remaining anonymous. Most importantly students need to know that school officials will investigate all reports of bullying. We are required by law to investigate all reports of bullying and harassment and will always follow through on all reports with a thorough investigation. ALL students deserve the right to attend school free of bullying and harassment.

--Jason

Always feel free to call or text me if you have questions or concerns.

cell: 918-873-0354

email: sandersj@purcellps.org

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/17/9-facts-about-bullying-in-the-us/

Dragons finish the season 9-3 overall and advance to the 2nd Round of the playoffs. We are extremely proud of all the players and a special thanks to our seniors. We also thank our coaches for their hard work, leadership, and dedication: Aaron Dillard, Brian McCalip, Peyton Broome, Cole Sharp, Camden Patterson, Cole Harwell, Marc Peters, and Ethan Scott. Thanks as well to our managers, cheer squad, and band for your support of Dragon football throughout the season. We also appreciate the Mama Dragons and Dragon Fire Booster club for their hard work on behalf of Dragon Football. Finally thank you to all the fans for coming out and cheering for Dragon Football this season!

Cara is the district activity clerk. Read a few words about Cara from her peers:

Cara does so much for the school and the athletic department. She has a Good Morning! for you everyday. Cara always has a kind demeanor and is always willing to help anyone at any time when she can. Anytime I need her for something, she stops what she is doing to help me out real quick. #phsdragons

• We conducted an unannounced fire drill last week. This was an additional drill to our required state drills we normally conduct. We practiced reassembling outside after evacuating the building and accounting for all staff and students. We cleared the building of all occupants, secured the building, reassembled outside and accounted for all individuals in less than 5 minutes. I was very pleased with all staff and students. Our students do a great job of taking safety drills seriously
• Thanks to the support of our district leadership and school board we were able to update our staff keyless entries on several access points. This allows us to maintain our policy of secured entry points while limiting the use of access points. This helps us ensure that all access points remain locked throughout the school day.
• Please continue to monitor winter weather this cold season. The forecast is for a wetter than normal winter season. Please be sure to monitor school updates in case of winter weather that may result in school closures. Although we have built-in snow days, it may be necessary to hold virtual days if we have an extended school closure. Remember school closure decisions are only made at the district level.

Please be sure to stay updated on all things counseling from Ms. Feroli. Click on the Counselor's Corner tab below for all relevant info. This newsletter is updated throughout the year and includes many important resources and info including:

• ACT Info
• Graduation Requirements
• FAFSA info
• Oklahoma's Promise
• Curriculum Guides
• Graduation pathways
• and much more

We are pleased to announce that we will offer a ACT Prep class on campus on March 26th. The class is conducted by PowerPrep and Carolyn Devane. Carolyn has hosted a class previously on campus and does an excellent job of helping prep students for the ACT. We will provide a registration link soon as well as more information regarding cost. Remember all juniors will take the ACT on campus in April. This is part of the state mandated College & Career Readiness Assessments. Juniors will also take assessments in Science and U.S. History.

Please note the next available ACT test date is February 10th. Registration deadline is January 5th. More information about the ACT including a link to register can be found in the counselor's corner tab below.

The senior website is complete and can be accessed by clicking on the link below. It includes important updates and information relevant to seniors and parents.

Senior sponsors:

Michael O'Neal: onealm@purcellps.org

Amber Findley: findleya@purcellps.org

Register Now for This Fall’s ACT College and Career Readiness Workshops

Start your 2023-24 school year off right with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn from college and career readiness experts and to network with fellow counselors in your region. We’ll cover trends, tips, and tools to help keep your students fully informed and prepared to start their post-high school journeys.

• All workshops are free to attend.
• A variety of in-person and virtual workshops are available.
• Some events focus on specific ACT solutions.

Sign Me Up!

As we are coming off a vacation (with less classroom updates to report) this is a great opportunity to remind parents of how they can stay informed with your student's academic progress. All parents should have access to Parent Portal on Infinite Campus. If you do not have access to Parent Portal please contact Kassi Buchanan, high school registrar, if you need assistance. Her email is buchanank@purcellps.org. You can register for Parent Portal by clicking on a link located at the bottom of each newsletter under Parent Resources.

Parent Portal will keep you up to date with your students grades and attendance. This gives parents live access to your student's current grade in each class. However it will NOT inform you of upcoming assignments. Therefore every teacher is required to post a weekly agenda to their Google Classroom by the beginning of school each Monday. All teachers are required to maintain a Google Classroom for each class. Some classes will use Google Classrooms more than others. However every class will use Google Classroom to facilitate virtual lessons, post weekly agendas, and post online resources for students.

The Weekly Agenda will identify lessons, assessments, and learning goals for the upcoming week. Need to know if your student has an upcoming test in Geometry? You can check their weekly agenda on Google Classroom. I've copied a snapshot of a Weekly Agenda from our Senior English class as an example. Simply login with your student to their Google Classroom and check their upcoming weekly agenda. Parents can receive guardian summaries through Google Classroom. However the easiest way to view upcoming assignments is to view the weekly agenda directly on your student's google classroom. Of course you will have to login with your student to their google classroom. Parents cannot receive invites to a Google Classroom.

This can be particularly helpful on District Virtual Days. Just a reminder our next Virtual Day is Friday, December 1st.

Please feel free to contact me if you have additional questions or need help accessing important information regarding your student's academic progress.

Noah Gracey placed 1st in Top Scorers in our Academic Team Conference for the 23-24 season. With an average of 40 points a quarter, and 730 points total throughout the regular season. Noah is also chair of the Principal's Student Advisory Council and the starting kicker on the football team. #phsdragons

Jack McNeely's freshmen physical science class recently worked in the science lab exploring Non-Newtonian solids. Mr. McNeely does a great job of building student skills through inquiry and discovery. Students build important skills necessary in today's workplace through lab work including collaboration, communication, and, critical thinking.

• After school tutoring is available Mon-Thurs from 3:15--5PM. PHS teachers provide direct and individual tutoring including access to a Math teacher nightly
• Teachers are available to meet daily from 11:45 -- Noon in their classrooms. Students should make arrangements with teachers.
• There are outside tutoring options available (listed under parent resources at the bottom of the newsletter,

Reading Enrichment Programs --- see contact info below

Summer 2024

see flyers below in English & Espanol

Ann Carls

Program Director

phone: (800) 964-1600 ext. 4191

fax: (888) 296-5456

We appreciate the hard work of our Band throughout the football season. The band works long hours to not only prepare for game night performances but also their marching season. Band Director David Hilger and Asst. Director Jacob Willing and all students spend many late nights, early mornings, and weekends beginning in July and continuing through football season. We appreciate their hard work and entertainment they provide to everyone. We are spotlighting band seniors each week.

PHS Spanish Club delivered a Thanksgiving basket to our Purcell Police Officers today. "From the bottom of our hearts, we are thankful for what they do to keep us safe." I'm proud of these students for representing our school value of service to school & community! #phsdragons

Parents may now access the Balfour website and start purchasing Yearbooks at the sale price as well as Sr. Ads. Please let me know if you need any additional information.

https://www.balfour.com/oklahoma/purcell/purcell-high-school.

Contact yearbook sponsor Leigh Ann McGregor with questions: mcgregorl@purcellps.org

After Prom is an important event that is 100% organized and facilitated by parent volunteers. This event provides a safe environment for students to celebrate Prom Night. Please help support this important high school event for our students.

Purcell Dragon Rocket League is now ranked #5 in the state after defeating #3 Tonkawa. The team consists of Aidan Blankenship, Rafael Gutierrez, and Keegan Featherston. The team is now 6-2 on the year and qualified for the state playoffs!! Great job Dragon Esports! #phsdragons

Football isn't over yet, but the basketball season will be approaching! Basketball Homecoming will be January 12th and with all the holidays, PHS StuCo is selling Basketball homecoming shirts open now! Here is the link for online ordering and the order form. I will be bringing forms by to go in Thursday folders for the younger grades. Any questions let me know!

https://massivegraphicsstore.com/colle.../purcell-basketball

We are very thankful for the hard work and dedication of our PHS Cheerleaders. Like band they combine their competitive season (Gameday) with their game night performances. Additionally they organize our Pep Rallies and celebrate other teams and organizations throughout the year. Thank you to Cheer Coaches April Trumbo and Grant Gish for all you do to lead our program in such a great manner. Cheerleaders season never ends as they will be leading the fans during the upcoming basketball season.

• PHS tips off Basketball season this Friday on the road at Lindsay. Both teams are projected to be ranked this season and it should be a fun year of basketball. The Lady Dragons are led by Coach Toney Cooper and return multiple starters from last year's team that finished one win from the state tournament. The Dragons are led by Coach Roger Raper and are again expected to be a strong team while replacing several seniors from last year's team that also finished one win from the state tournament. Please be sure to follow our social media for updates throughout the year.

• 9th Grade Boys will play this Monday at home vs. Pauls Valley. They will be in action again this upcoming weekend at the 9th Grade Tournament at Pauls Valley. There are no 9th grade girls games this week. Unfortunately several schools in our conference and area are struggling to field 9th grade girls teams.

• As you may know we have a Wrestling co-op with Lexington High School. We appreciate the strong relationships with neighboring schools and I'm grateful our wrestlers have an opportunity to perform. The Lex/Purcell wrestlers will be in action this upcoming weekend at the Blanchard Tournament.

Please help us in welcoming Coach Diego De Leon, our Boys Soccer Head Coach. I am so excited to see Coach De Leon build this boys program! Go Dragons!

There are several major rule changes this year for basketball.

There is no more 1 and 1 bonus free throws. All bonus free throws are now 2 shots.

Team bonus now starts at the 5th foul per quarter. Each quarter, team fouls reset. Scoreboard will only show max of 5 fouls per quarter.

Again these are big changes for basketball. Please be patient with coaches, scoreboard operators, and officials.

Go Dragons!

Rank One Forms are now available to be completed. Visit rankonesport.com or scan the QR code to complete your athletic forms for the 23-24 school year.

Registration is now open for the Oklahoma Math Tutoring Corps (OMTC) for the 2023-24 school year. This high-dosage tutoring program is available for Oklahoma students in grades 7, 8 and 9, providing 50-minute virtual tutoring sessions three times a week in groups of no more than four students.

Along with feedback from students and families, 78% of 7th and 8th grade students who participated during the 2022-23 school year had 2023 assessment scores within the same performance level as in 2022 or improved a performance level. Remaining at the same performance level is considered growth as the state’s academic standards increase in complexity each grade level. Please note, 9th grade does not have a state assessment, so we do not have testing information on them.

OSDE’s Math Tutoring Corps will host two sessions during the 2023-24 school year. The first runs September 17 through November 18, and the second in Spring 2024. Each session can accommodate up to 1,500 students and students are eligible to participate in one or both of the sessions. Families and students can register through this link. The OSDE will provide any needed technology or internet access, and tutoring schedules will occur during students’ free time outside of the school day.

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