Speaker 1: Good morning, good morning, good morning, Welcome, welcome, Munckem. It's
Speaker 1: time now for our community connection right here on Kay one.
Speaker 1: The One You Trust and Today Are program is being
Speaker 1: brought to you by Wesley and Kitty College, Artol Moore,
Speaker 1: Knee Camp Funeral Home and to all Grass motors. We
Speaker 1: have both Bartlesville Public Schools is superintended Chuck mccalling in
Speaker 1: here and also from Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation.
Speaker 2: Larry ellis with us today.
Speaker 1: Good morning. How are we doing today on this very
Speaker 1: very autumn feeling day.
Speaker 3: We're actually getting a little bit of a fall here.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we get it for a couple of days and
Speaker 1: then it just turns flat winter.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it kind of felt like spring a couple of
Speaker 4: days ago. But yeah, we're gonna enjoy it.
Speaker 1: It is.
Speaker 4: It is, you know, November and Thanksgiving next week. And
Speaker 4: I just wanted to mention, just want to start off
Speaker 4: to saying just being thankful, thankful to for our community
Speaker 4: for everything that they've done. You know, often try to reflect,
Speaker 4: you know, get this time here, try to reflect on
Speaker 4: some things. And I spoke at it. I was on
Speaker 4: a panel last week through the State Chamber and and
Speaker 4: and just sharing some of the things that we're able
Speaker 4: to do here in Bartlesville. And really a lot of
Speaker 4: it comes down to our strong community support of what
Speaker 4: we've got going on, and Blair and our foundation is
Speaker 4: such a big, a big piece of that. But just
Speaker 4: just thankful to be here. It's really you know, we
Speaker 4: had our our Veterans Day assemblies this month and and
Speaker 4: across at every school and just some really neat things
Speaker 4: that are going on, uh since I've been here. Last
Speaker 4: we had a couple of uh special board meetings that
Speaker 4: we have every year. We have our principals come and
Speaker 4: give an update of what's going on at their school
Speaker 4: and it's so it's fun. We did that over a
Speaker 4: couple of a couple of meetings and our principals come
Speaker 4: and give report and of course they talk about academic achievement,
Speaker 4: how they did on their test scores, but also I
Speaker 4: talk about all the wonderful things they are doing for
Speaker 4: our kids. I mean, and it's really it's in it's
Speaker 4: it's Uh.
Speaker 3: I'm so thankful for.
Speaker 4: The level the quality people that we have leading our schools.
Speaker 4: I mean, they are really there with a servants heart,
Speaker 4: art and doing the best I can. Every day to
Speaker 4: serve and it really makes me proud. So I just
Speaker 4: want to sound thankful for everyone, thankful to be in
Speaker 4: this role. So we did have our regular board meeting
Speaker 4: Monday night, and we started off and turn it over
Speaker 4: to Blair because we started off with the Public School
Speaker 4: Foundation kind of gave us an update on a couple
Speaker 4: of things and I'll turn it over to Blair and
Speaker 4: let her. I don't want to steal any for a thunder.
Speaker 5: It's thunder, yeah. So we were at the school board
Speaker 5: meeting on Monday. We appreciate that time to get to
Speaker 5: share with the community and the school board what's going
Speaker 5: on with the foundation. One thing we did that's always
Speaker 5: really fun is this is the second year in a
Speaker 5: row that we've held the Beat the Soup competition within
Speaker 5: the Bruin eight K, so we had to take another
Speaker 5: opportunity to spotlight those students. There were eleven kids who
Speaker 5: came out who crossed the finish line before our superintendent
Speaker 5: at the Bruin eight K, So they were recognized as
Speaker 5: the school board meeting and take a lot of pride
Speaker 5: in that, and we just really appreciate Superintendent McAuley for
Speaker 5: letting us use him as a challenge. And also of
Speaker 5: course he had sponsored that Bruin eight K, which was
Speaker 5: very successful. I came on LAS time to talk about that,
Speaker 5: but I sponsors at a level that allows all of
Speaker 5: our teachers and staff to participate for the costs of
Speaker 5: the shirt, and so we had a great turnout of
Speaker 5: staff and students. So again another great opportunity to get
Speaker 5: to highlight our students and their prioritizing their health.
Speaker 1: Very good.
Speaker 2: And then the other thing that we.
Speaker 5: Shared just as we lead into a year and giving,
Speaker 5: and we were just talking about how many nonprofits we
Speaker 5: have here and we do and they're all amazing. We
Speaker 5: of course think public education is very important, so we
Speaker 5: continue to advocate for that and support that. And with
Speaker 5: that we have is the third year in a row
Speaker 5: that the state has offered tax credits for qualified donations
Speaker 5: to our local school foundation. So if our donors make
Speaker 5: a contribution to the school foundation, they can receive seventy
Speaker 5: five percent of that gift back in the form of
Speaker 5: a tax credit. So for example, if any donor can
Speaker 5: is in the position to donate at least two hundred
Speaker 5: and fifty dollars to the school foundation, they can actually
Speaker 5: make a one thousand dollar or gift, it's only going
Speaker 5: to cost them two hundred and fifty dollars, So really
Speaker 5: great opportunity.
Speaker 2: We want people to consider taking advantage of that.
Speaker 5: Again, if they're in a position to give two hundred
Speaker 5: and fifty dollars this year to the school Foundation, all
Speaker 5: that money supports our teacher grants, so that it's required
Speaker 5: actually by law, that that money supports innovative programming in
Speaker 5: our schools, and we make sure that all of those
Speaker 5: donations are earmarked for that purpose.
Speaker 1: Very good good investment folks to saying.
Speaker 5: That, well, and it's a great way to maximize your dollars,
Speaker 5: especially if you can take advantage of company matching, because
Speaker 5: what we were looking at the other day with the math
Speaker 5: is that your gift can actually be eight times the
Speaker 5: amount that it costs you. So for something that costs
Speaker 5: you two hundred and fifty dollars, the school Foundation is
Speaker 5: going to receive two thousand dollars when you're taking advantage
Speaker 5: of those tax credits and the company match So individuals
Speaker 5: are limited to a two thousand dollars tax credit, but
Speaker 5: companies are limited to a one hundred thousand dollars tax credit.
Speaker 5: So if you have a local business or company that
Speaker 5: might be interested in saving on their Oklahoma income tax
Speaker 5: using these tax credits are a great way to support
Speaker 5: public education.
Speaker 1: And Chuck, that's some pretty good man.
Speaker 3: That's exactly right.
Speaker 4: I know, I shared at the meeting and Blair mentioned
Speaker 4: Jennifer and I we sponsor, you know, so our sponsorship
Speaker 4: through the race, we use that so we donate twenty
Speaker 4: five hundred dollars and so we were able to donate
Speaker 4: that through the foundation and look forward to getting that
Speaker 4: tax credit as well. So of course people just have
Speaker 4: to think about that, you know, even some sponsorship opportunities,
Speaker 4: and we have different events that come up. If folks
Speaker 4: are you have the ability and maybe they're already making
Speaker 4: a donation, maybe this is some way that they could
Speaker 4: expand that opportunity and give them that quality benefit as well.
Speaker 5: Absolutely, and just going along one last thing talking about
Speaker 5: being grateful for all of our facilities and community support.
Speaker 5: Just last week we took a group through the AG Center.
Speaker 5: We had about sixteen members of our community that had
Speaker 5: not seen the a Center although they are supporters of
Speaker 5: course of our public schools, and so Marty Jones and
Speaker 5: Cameron Dale and Ashley darso All took them on and
Speaker 5: the students actually led the tour.
Speaker 2: I took them on a great tour of the Accenter
Speaker 2: and I've been through it.
Speaker 5: Several times now, but just a great reminder of all
Speaker 5: the resources that we offer our kids, all the opportunities
Speaker 5: and the vision of our ag teachers to really grow
Speaker 5: that program.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's pretty cool. I'm glad.
Speaker 4: I'm glad that they're able to do that, and we're
Speaker 4: happy to make that happen. And a lot of folks
Speaker 4: have maybe seen that, and we'll make the definitely take
Speaker 4: the time for him to come and take a look
Speaker 4: and see how that money is being spent and how
Speaker 4: we've invested that right into our kids. You know, most
Speaker 4: recently I do Anthony Tucker, who's who works at our
Speaker 4: high school and he's in charge of our internship program,
Speaker 4: is really doing a great job.
Speaker 3: I really appreciate him.
Speaker 4: He's a two thousand and seven Bartlesvill graduate and he
Speaker 4: started a podcast and so that I sit on with him.
Speaker 4: It's called either Tuck and Chuck or Chuck and Tuck.
Speaker 4: I can't remember. I think Chuck and Tuck. But last week,
Speaker 4: last week we had our aviation teacher.
Speaker 3: Actually High Tower.
Speaker 4: Was on it, and it's encourage people if they have
Speaker 4: any interest to listen to that because it's pretty amazing
Speaker 4: what we've you know, we just started that program and
Speaker 4: really Kevin Potter is a big part of that here
Speaker 4: at the radio station being on the Oak Aviation Commission.
Speaker 4: But telling that story, we're in our third year. We
Speaker 4: have one hundred and forty two kids taking aviation and
Speaker 4: it's it's pretty amazing. I know that are the space
Speaker 4: that we have now really two classroom spaces, but they
Speaker 4: have a you know, their flight simulators that they have
Speaker 4: and we're able to Yeah, they are really neat. I
Speaker 4: know through the foundation we might Jeffer and I and
Speaker 4: some friends we went in a couple of weeks ago
Speaker 4: and they with the kids and they had us to
Speaker 4: go through the flight simulators and the kids taught us
Speaker 4: how to use them, and I learned that I'm not
Speaker 4: definitely not ready to be a pilot.
Speaker 2: We also learned that Jennifer is an exceptional drone pilot.
Speaker 4: My wife was a chance drone pilot, which is not
Speaker 4: a surprise, but it's really impressive. I mean really, what
Speaker 4: was most impressive to me was the level of understanding
Speaker 4: in the way that kids were able to teach us
Speaker 4: how to do it, so they were really bought into
Speaker 4: the program and just thinking that, you know, that's something
Speaker 4: we didn't have just three years ago, and it's that's
Speaker 4: not something that we you know, acts the same way
Speaker 4: on our fifth year of that program. But those are
Speaker 4: we don't require anybody to take those classes. Those are
Speaker 4: just things that you know, kids, our kids know what's quality,
Speaker 4: parents know what their kids they want to have their
Speaker 4: kids enrolled in. And so it's another thing that that's
Speaker 4: thankful for to have the resources to be able to
Speaker 4: offer those opportunities as well. Also, we'll mention and I
Speaker 4: speak a book on here before about we started a construction.
Speaker 3: Class at the high school. Yeah, and so.
Speaker 4: We have ninety two kids that are taking that class
Speaker 4: and we're going to expand that next year.
Speaker 3: We have a construction one.
Speaker 4: We're gonna add a second second year of that as well.
Speaker 4: And that's once again, that's one of those things that
Speaker 4: that's because of student interest, that's because of you know,
Speaker 4: we've got kids that are interested in that, and so
Speaker 4: thankful for all the resources that we have to be
Speaker 4: able to offer.
Speaker 1: That you might not be able to build a house,
Speaker 1: but by belly, you're gonna live in one someday and
Speaker 1: you better learn it goes into it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 4: If you talked of many of our some our local employers,
Speaker 4: I mean they tell us, you know, gosh, if we
Speaker 4: have a f you'll work hard and you can red
Speaker 4: a tape measure, you can make a good living, you
Speaker 4: can make a break good you can, and so those
Speaker 4: are things we want to make sure and sometimes kids
Speaker 4: aren't getting that. So we want to make sure that
Speaker 4: kids have that interest that we want to get them.
Speaker 3: Exposed to that h as well.
Speaker 4: So we're also we're kind of transitioning now. It's transition
Speaker 4: time from our fall you're kind of going from fall
Speaker 4: to winter activities. We've just finished up our football season
Speaker 4: last week and so we're a full fledged winter I know,
Speaker 4: Blair's got her son's a swimmer and we've had I
Speaker 4: think three swim meets now, is that right?
Speaker 3: You know? Swimming? Yeah, swimming.
Speaker 4: Swimming is going on, and then our wrestling has been
Speaker 4: going our I wanted to be sure and mentioned that
Speaker 4: we've got our first home basketball game is Friday night.
Speaker 4: I know, there's quite a bit of excitement, I know.
Speaker 4: Or we have a new coach with Tommy Dessom, who's
Speaker 4: kind of a well he's not kind of if he
Speaker 4: really is a local legend uh here, And I know
Speaker 4: I've been able to catch him practice a few times
Speaker 4: and was able to come to a scrimmage on Saturday.
Speaker 4: And I really encourage people to come out, you know,
Speaker 4: we those kids are really bought in, are playing extremely hard,
Speaker 4: and it's going to look differently than what they've seen
Speaker 4: in a long time in the fieldhouse. So I really
Speaker 4: encourage him to come out and watch us play.
Speaker 3: It's going to be a fun time.
Speaker 4: We play Friday night play Ponca City girls play at
Speaker 4: six thirty and boys will play after as well. And
Speaker 4: then kind of the last thing I wanted to mention,
Speaker 4: at least on my end from well, like I said,
Speaker 4: a couple couple of different things. One would be over
Speaker 4: on Earl Sars Park in front of Central Middle School.
Speaker 4: Just wanted to mention that there was one house remaining
Speaker 4: there and folks were interested in the Some folks that
Speaker 4: have been around a while may remember when that whole
Speaker 4: park was full of houses. I mean it was a
Speaker 4: neighborhood and so it's been over the last thirty years,
Speaker 4: that's been a process, and so it's become a park
Speaker 4: and there's one house remaining, and I just kind of
Speaker 4: wanted to share that we have finally the district has
Speaker 4: closed on purchasing acquiring that house, and so kind of
Speaker 4: our goal with that is to event have it demolished
Speaker 4: and and become part of really just become part of
Speaker 4: that park. It's more space for our kids. And we
Speaker 4: received a generous, generous grant Monday from the Lion Foundation
Speaker 4: to kind of.
Speaker 3: Help offset the cost of that.
Speaker 4: Earl Seares himself, Earl gave me extensive history because he
Speaker 4: was extensive Earl, and it's the parks named after him.
Speaker 4: But he's really the one that made all that happen
Speaker 4: in terms of, you know, he was working, he was
Speaker 4: the principal at school and knew that they needed a playground,
Speaker 4: and so really he's.
Speaker 3: The one that made that happen.
Speaker 4: Him and Jane made a making a donation to help
Speaker 4: offset the cost of that. So I just wanted to
Speaker 4: share that in case people when they whenever they do
Speaker 4: see that being demolished, that that is in the in
Speaker 4: the process of happening. I shared that at the board
Speaker 4: meeting on Monday night. And then lastly, we've had on
Speaker 4: our agenda I think since July or August every month
Speaker 4: been talking about the anxious generation.
Speaker 3: And we've continued to.
Speaker 4: Talk about that with our all of our administrators, all
Speaker 4: of our staff, talking about social media and cell phones
Speaker 4: and that impact on our kids, really on everybody. And
Speaker 4: then also that the lack of childhood independence and people
Speaker 4: are so reliant on their phone is convenient and it's
Speaker 4: not necessarily a positive thing on us.
Speaker 3: You know. Now there's enough research out.
Speaker 4: There that tells us there's there's concerns with that. So
Speaker 4: we contend good more to good discussion about that on
Speaker 4: Monday night. I know our parents support group, we have
Speaker 4: a district meeting after Thanksgiving. We'll continue to talk to
Speaker 4: our parents about that. But just a couple of reminders
Speaker 4: I like to share. There's some I think and really
Speaker 4: we just want to just help our parents because it's
Speaker 4: a new world for all of us and we're just
Speaker 4: trying to help. And there's some good recommendations in the book,
Speaker 4: and they kind of start with kids don't need a
Speaker 4: smartphone before they're in high school, really don't need to
Speaker 4: be on social media before they're sixteen years old, really
Speaker 4: don't need to have access to don't be using their
Speaker 4: phone during the school day, and then just more childhood independence.
Speaker 4: And so it's well, I got to continue to share
Speaker 4: those things as we continue to everyone continues to navigate
Speaker 4: this world that we live in, and because so many
Speaker 4: people are just losing the ability to be present with
Speaker 4: you because they're so tied up and whatever is happening
Speaker 4: through social media on their phone. So it's called the
Speaker 4: Anxious Generation and really would encourage everybody to read it.
Speaker 5: Larry, you have any comments about that about that, well,
Speaker 5: we just actually had our final book study on it
Speaker 5: yesterday and we.
Speaker 2: Were just kind of saying my general takeaway as a
Speaker 2: parent is it really gave me.
Speaker 5: Kind of empowered me to enforce some of those regulations
Speaker 5: around my kids. When my kids says everybody has Snapchat,
Speaker 5: everybody has this, you know, I'm able to kind of
Speaker 5: give some concrete information, some data on why that's not
Speaker 5: the best decision.
Speaker 2: So it's really helped me be able to parent my kids.
Speaker 1: Now, Blair, I saw something at the nonprofit thing and
Speaker 1: it was a hard back cover of that book, tell
Speaker 1: us a little bit about that where folks can sure so.
Speaker 5: Good Night Bartlesville. That's a book that we wrote with
Speaker 5: the School Foundation. Gosh, it's been probably three or four
Speaker 5: years at this point. All of our local school art
Speaker 5: teachers did the art. We had even a couple of
Speaker 5: art students do the art. But it's all around Bartleswell.
Speaker 5: It's set to the tone of good Night Moon, but
Speaker 5: it's about Bartleswell, features all of our great landmarks that
Speaker 5: we all know and love. You can purchase those at
Speaker 5: Moxie on second or on our website bpsfoundation dot org.
Speaker 5: We do have hard back copies, we have note cards,
Speaker 5: and we have soft back versions. But they're a great
Speaker 5: Christmas gift for anybody who knows and loves Bartlesville.
Speaker 1: You know, this started out as kind of like, hey,
Speaker 1: that's a cute idea. It's got a life of its own.
Speaker 2: Now that we've sold thousands of copies, it's been great.
Speaker 2: It's been great.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's something else and I need to mean no, you're good, Tom.
Speaker 4: That's really want to say. Once again, just happy Thanksgiving everybody.
Speaker 4: We're out of school obviously all all of next week.
Speaker 4: That's a change in the calendar made a few years ago,
Speaker 4: and I don't think we'll ever go back. I think
Speaker 4: people have gotten used to that, so I hope everyone
Speaker 4: has a great holiday.
Speaker 1: All right, thank you both for coming in and well,
Speaker 1: have a great home yourselves. Folks, you have been watching
Speaker 1: and listening to our community connection right here on K one,
Speaker 1: the one you trust,