WELLS PRESS

Moving on: Children who will be in grades pre-K through third grade beginning in the fall of 2024 will be the new Cherokee Elementary School's first students.

by Yanely Olvera and Dakohtah Jordan

The brand new Cherokee elementary school will be opening by this next school year. Students in fourth and fifth grades will still continue to be at Wells Middle School, and in 2025 will join pre-K through third grades in the new Cherokee school.

Catoosa Public Schools Superintendent Robert Schornick said he and the district's board of education “know very well that we want to provide the best educational learning space not only for our teachers, but for our students as well."

Mr. Schornick added that the new school will provide students "the opportunity to have not only the learning resource, learning tools, teaching tools and things of that nature, but just giving them a great space to thrive in."

Mrs. Rankin takes her fourth grade class through a science lesson in March.

[photo by Kaylin Searcy]

by Harlee Fox

Over the final nine weeks of the 2023-24 school year, Wells' fifth graders will be preparing for academics on the middle school side of the building; fourth graders will be looking toward their next four years at Wells.

Fifth grade English and social studies teacher Stephane Wendland said her students will be learning how to write essays and that she will be helping them prepare to perform their best on the state reading test in April.

Katherine Kelly has served as a long-term substitute over the first half of the semester during Mrs. Pursley’s maternity leave. Ms. Kelly said she is pushing her fifth grade students "to be more independent and self-reliant to get their grades and papers in and assignments done."

In math, fifth graders are getting caught up, reviewing and getting ready for testing after spring break. Ms. Kelly also said some students are doing seventh grade math on IXL. In science, they are working on a solar system project. As Tammy Daniels takes over her classes for the last nine weeks, Ms. Kelly said she is "hopeful that the students will take away some of the maturity that they have been working on and utilize it going into sixth grade."

Fourth grade English and social studies teacher Angela Gardner reports that fourth grade teachers have collaborated with fifth grade teachers to know what their students need to know for starting fifth grade. Fourth grade students are reading a book and doing a book report based on what is expected of fifth graders.

Cindy Tittle is serving as a long-term substitute in fourth grade math and science during Mrs. Sparks' maternity leave. Ms. Tittle said she is getting her fourth grade students ready for fifth grade. They are working on double digit multiplication, which is an area that they need to improve, she said.

Wells Press asked fourth through seventh graders to take a survey over what they are doing for spring break March 15-24. Everyone had three options to choose from, leaving the state, staying in town, or they don’t know.

Out of all the kids surveyed, 19 percent of them said they are leaving the state. Considering that so many don't know what their plans are, there could be even more who are leaving the state but just don’t know they’re leaving yet.

One of the school board members is my dad. Derrick Smith has been on the board since April 2022. On Tuesday, April 2 he will be on the ballot for re-election.

My dad serves on the board because he lives in Catoosa and cares about his community. He wants the schools to be the best they can be for his own kids and for all of Catoosa’s kids.

Derrick Smith is so fun to be around. He is 42 years old and has been married to Laura Smith for 14 years. I’m his oldest child, and he has two other kids Coleman and Caden Smith who are twin brothers.

Coleman and Caden are 10 years old and in fourth grade. Coleman is in Ms. Gardner's and Mrs. Rankin's classes. Caden is in Mrs. Sparks and Ms. Oakes' classes.

“Dad is always happy when something good happens to not only the school, but to anybody in Catoosa,” Caden said.

I'm 13 years old and in seventh grade. I’m so proud of my dad. He is a great influence for me and my brothers. I love how great he is with kids. We love being a part of the Catoosa community.

As an editor and content coordinator for VYPE Oklahoma, a high school sports publication, he works from home and has an office set up at our house. So it is easier for the whole family when one of us gets sick. He is so helpful around the house. He always makes dinner for the family.

Below: Wells fourth graders Caden and Coleman Smith. [photo by Dakohtah Jordan]

Wells academic team members gather outside their coach Mrs. Jacobs' classroom, from left, Kamdyn Scott, Cheyenne Phillips, John Perkins, Noah Fitzgerald, Landon Million, Rufino Sosa, Isaac Armstrong

[photo by Dakohtah Jordan]

by Kamdyn Scott and Kamryn White

The Wells academic team competes in quiz bowls against teams from other schools for fun and to learn more about every subject.

The Wells team has mostly sixth graders, and no eighth graders, but faces competition against older, more experienced teams. So the results have been without wins (or even close scores) but the team keeps trying and with a positive attitude.

“The group of kids we have want to learn more, and next year we should have more wins,” said academic team coach Auburn Jacobs.

When the team goes to a competition, it faces the opposing team for four rounds. The first and third rounds are 30 questions, each worth 10 points.

The second and fourth rounds are speed rounds, which means the team gets one minute to answer as many questions as it can; each question is worth five points. After that, the coaches count the points and whoever has the most points wins.

“Even if we get completely destroyed, we'll still have fun.” said sixth grader Isaac Armstrong, a member of the Wells team. The academic team will improve throughout the years and will eventually get some more wins, he said.

On your mark ... Catoosa junior high sprinters line up on the track during a morning workout.

[photo by Karley Reich]

by Bella Borum and Karley Reich

Track is one of the sports that has the most people in it. Including eighth graders, more than 30 students participate.

Catoosa's track athletes say they try their best to be the fastest runner. And some students compete in track so it can help them be faster and stronger in their other sports next year.

"By doing track, it can help me get faster for running around bases in softball," said seventh grader Mackenzie Hearn.

Team members say competition in track has its difficulties. along the way like Gannon Wilson says “The hardest part is probably racing against the fastest dude," said seventh grader Gannon Wilson, "because you know I'm not the fastest guy. "Going against those fast dudes is very tough.”

“The hardest part about track is probably the jumps and trying to sprint over them,” added seventh grader Olivia Calvin.

“I'm not the best at running," sixth grader Payge Henderson said, "but I would like to get better at it.”

Spring training: Sixth grader Hunter Ruch takes his cuts in the batting cage.

[photo by Bella Borum]

by Nevaeh Alexander and Mckenzie Hargrove

Baseball season just started with their first game on March 1. Sadly though, they still came up short, 8 to 3 against Skiatook.

“They played well but still got beat,” said head coach Chris Henderson.

“I like working with the coaches because they are really good at helping the kids with baseball and they care for the kids. It's just awesome,” said assistant coach Andrew De’Armond.

“I like working with the other coaches because we are responsible for a lot of kids,” Coach Henderson said. “I can't be with some kids, so it's good to have an assistant coach. It is good to have other coaches because we have to help each other out.”

They have about thirty kids and can only play nine at a time. “They are a rowdy bunch and they work really hard and they are good,” said Coach De’Armond.

“I like working with the students because they want to learn and they do very well,” Coach Henderson said. “I ask the students to work to get better each day.”

Working with your team might look hard but “I like working with my team because they are my friends,” said sixth grader Bryce McCullar.

With playing a sport there is always something you don’t like about it. “The hardest thing about baseball is batting,” McCullar said. Other team members agreed that batting is the hardest.

WIth baseball season just starting, the coaches are anticipating a good season.

Good start: Sixth and seventh grade members of Catoosa's junior high girls soccer team, shown here with head coach Shawnee Hodge, have contributed to the team's 2-1 early season record.

[photo by Hailey Spears]

by Kynadi Carl and Hailey Spears

Catoosa's junior high girls soccer team has started its season with a winning record through its first six matches, including a 3-2 win at home against Claremore Sequoia March 11.

Head coach Shawnee Hodge said she’s coached soccer since sixth grade son was little. “My dad played for the Tulsa Roughnecks, so soccer has been a part of my life forever," she said.

Coach Hodge added that her favorite thing about coaching soccer is "watching the kids play, watching them figure it out, and come together. When they start out they’re not confident, and then once they gain their confidence, they can work as a team and It's fun to watch."

"My uncle inspired me to do soccer, because he played soccer all the way through high school," said sixth grader Alexis Hutchins. After the team's first win of the season, she said "I'm excited for our next game."

Sixth grader Anna Prickett said her old friend inspired her to play soccer. She said her best experience was taking the ball from an opponent who ” said she think’s the best on the team -- and then I scored.”

“My mom inspired me because she always played," seventh grader Raelie Goff said. She added that last season, when she met several of the current eighth graders on the team, they had encouraged her.

Soccer season has officially started for junior high boys with an undefeated record through the first three matches, including its most recent 7-1 victory at home over Claremore Sequoia.

Head coach Nathan Fultz has started his sixth year coaching Catoosa soccer. "I coach boys soccer because I want to help these young men to become the best version of themselves, and soccer is a tool to do that," he said.

Below: Jr High boys in action March 11 ... final score, Catoosa 7, Claremore Sequoia 1.

[photo by Anlli Alcudia-Avalos]

Wells Press staff: Anlli Alcudia-Avalos, Nevaeh Alexander, Bella Borum, Kynadi Carl, Jailin Duran, Harlee Fox, McKenzie Hargrove, Izzy Holmes, Dakohtah Jordan, Brooklyn McAnally, Yanely Olvera-Stephenson, Eva Ortiz-Becerra, Karley Reich, Laveah Robertson, Connor Russell, Kamdyn Scott, Kaylin Searcy, Anna Smith, Hailey Spears, Jaidyn Swarer, Kamryn White ... Send inquiries to kmcanany@catoosa.k12.ok.us