SPS Staff and Families,

 

I appreciate the hard work from everyone during state testing – biggest of shoutouts to our students, appreciation to our teachers and staff, and kudos to the parents, guardians, and families for their dedication to making sure students are ready each day. Please bear with us as we still have a little more to do to capture these metrics. We’re almost done with it!  

 

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Reading Growth

Speaking of metrics, at the last board meeting I shared data from our Istation reading testing. As you can see from the charts below we’ve made great gains over last year’s numbers, and we have a lot to be proud of, especially when you compare the performance of Stillwater students to the rest of the state. 

 

 

 

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I Love Stillwater - Travel

 

One of my favorite stories to share is a time we were working with students to understand their perspectives on a variety of issues. One of our conversations turned to their futures. The students said they appreciate so much that we teach them about the wider world and encourage them to explore and experience it.

 

I love when we’re able to facilitate trips for groups like our performing arts organizations, robotics teams, athletics, and FFA. Our students explore places like Dallas, Chicago, New York, London, and Paris. These trips take a lot of effort and fundraising from students, staff, and parents, but they're worth it. 

 

Stillwater students gain perspective from travel and contact with people from around the globe through the nature of our community. They come to appreciate the world outside of Stillwater, Oklahoma, and even the U.S. After SHS, they go out all over the place and do great things, and then, as one of those students put it, “A lot of us will come back home, because Stillwater is a great place to raise a family.”

 

 

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Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Rebecca Palmatary! Our District Teacher of the Year is the STEM and Computer Science Teacher at SJHS, teaches at Meridian Technology Center during Technovation Days, and is the coach of five SJHS and two SHS Robotics teams. Saying she goes above and beyond doesn’t even come close to describing her dedication to her students. The long list of the many roles she fills for our district makes me marvel at how she does them all – and does them all so well. We couldn’t be prouder!

 

 

Special thanks this year to the Wilson Auto Family. Through their generous donation, Mrs. Palmatary has received a new car, complete with insurance, for two years!

 

 

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Grady Lambert Memorial Library

On Thursday, we dedicated the Grady Lambert Memorial Library at Lincoln Academy. Grady was an exceptional student with a big philanthropic heart. As a student, he started a library at Lincoln, which did not have one at the time.  In 2022, while running across the country to promote “Compassion for our Fellow Man and our Country," Grady was struck by a vehicle and passed away. His legacy of kindness and giving will live on though the library, a scholarship, and countless other ways in the people whose lives he touched. Thank you to his family for their generosity, and thank you to Grady.

 

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FORE!

 

Stillwater Country Club hosts the 6A State Golf Championship Monday and Tuesday, April 29-30.  Come out to the course and cheer on our Varsity Lady Pioneers, Lucy Darr (Sr.), Jade Gosney (Sr.), Amy Reavis (Jr.), Nikki Pitts (So.), and Maggie Ruby (Fr.).

Follow Pioneer Golf’s Facebook group for all their updates at facebook.com/groups/880181373492321

 

 

 

 

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They deserve IT

Thanks to EM for providing lunch and a little pampering to our IT Department. They’re about to embark on a lot of summer projects including refreshing and maintaining the district’s more than 7,000 Chromebooks.

 

 

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Career Day

Apologies for duplicating a section to accompany these pics from Sangre’s Career Day in last week’s update. Here’s the correct blurb.

 

Recently, Sangre Ridge hosted its second annual Career Day. It’s wonderful to see kids learn a little about the many possible career paths they may follow. Thank you to the 37 participating businesses and organizations. The kids had a great time, and we appreciate you helping spark interests in many possible career paths they may someday follow. Kudos to Sangre Ridge Counselor Emily Deason for taking the lead on coordinating such a successful event.

 

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Pioneer Proud

• SHS Robotics Team 74074y Bamboozled made it to the elimination matches, won the Energy Award, and finished 35th in skills at the VEX World Championship!
  

• JR High Girls Soccer went 3 for 3 in 24 hours!  

• SHS & SJHS 2024 Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain (OSAI) participants. They claimed 8 of the 240 spots at this prestigious program from a group of 900 applicants!
  

• 8th Grade Band earned Superior ratings at the North Texas Festival of Distinction. Extra proud of the way this group has come together this year.

• Sophomore Abhi Sukhdial for Silver Key and Honorable mention in the 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

• Orchestra students Nicole Xiang, Kathy Liu, Jessica Wang, Alex Kim, Stephen Zhang, and Sophie Deng for their performance in the OKC Phil Young Musician Competition. Stillwater students claimed the top three awards. Jessica Wang was the Buttram Award Grand Prize winner and will be a soloist with the OKC Phil next year. Jessica extends a Pioneer winning streak. Stephan Zhang won the award last year (and will perform with them on May 19), and Sophie Deng won the previous year!

• Junior LaDarion Lockett and alumnus Cael Hughes - both U.S. Open wrestling champs! 

 

 

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Don’t Miss - www.stillwaterschools.com/calendar 

• 4.28 - Matilda Tickets

• 4.28 - Kaleidoscope Festival

• 5.1 - 6th & 7th grade Orchestra Symphony in Spring @ 7-8PM, SHS PAC

• 5.2-10 - SHS Art Show at Modella. Opening Reception on 5.2 @ 4-6pm

• 5.2 - Multicultural Night - 5-7pm, SHS Student Center

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• 5.2 - Band Concert - 7pm, SHS PAC

• 5.3 - Powerful Peers Deadline - SPS teachers and support staff can nominate their coworkers for recognition at stillwaterschools.com/spefpeers

• 5.3 - No School 

• 5.17 - Graduation @ 7pm in Gallagher Iba Arena
  
  

 

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I love Stillwater,

 

Uwe Gordon
Superintendent
Stillwater Public Schools