Speaker 1: I'm now to talk with Chuck McCauley here. He is
Speaker 1: the superintendent of Bartonsville Public Schools And this is our
Speaker 1: community connection. It's being brought to you by Wesley and
Speaker 1: Kidney College and twelve Grass Motors and Jack welcome aboard.
Speaker 1: It's great to have you here. We're getting closer and
Speaker 1: closer and closer to the end of that calendar.
Speaker 2: You're right, Thank you, Yeah, thank Tom, thanks for having us. Yeah,
Speaker 2: we're just a little over about four weeks from tomorrow,
Speaker 2: I guess to be the last day of school. And
Speaker 2: so it's just a busy.
Speaker 3: Time lot going on.
Speaker 2: And we had our April school Board meeting earlier this
Speaker 2: week and had a couple of those annual items that
Speaker 2: we kind of started the meeting with. We first of
Speaker 2: all with our school board officers. That's when they are
Speaker 2: chosen for those positions as well. And Starboard made some
Speaker 2: slight changes. Scott Builder is going to remain as board president.
Speaker 2: He's been ward president now I think for about nine years,
Speaker 2: and Andrey and Nightingale is now vice president. And Kender
Speaker 2: Shamhart is going to move over and serve as a clerk.
Speaker 2: But appreciate their those hardboard board officers for willingness to
Speaker 2: step up and take those roles. We also had a
Speaker 2: couple of spotlights. The first one we did was our
Speaker 2: Bruins on the Run mentors. They with our so we
Speaker 2: have a lead teacher at six elementary schools that mentor
Speaker 2: our kids. We have over fifty mentors that worked with
Speaker 2: over one hundred and fifth graders. That that's our after
Speaker 2: school running program, mentorship program. And like I said, we
Speaker 2: have fifty eight mentors, so we couldn't quite get them
Speaker 2: all in the boardroom, so we just have the six
Speaker 2: six teachers come and thank them for all their effort.
Speaker 2: They really do tremendous work and really model healthy behavior
Speaker 2: for our kids. And you know, that's something that I
Speaker 2: think it's really important in this world that we live
Speaker 2: in now for kids to pick up some good habits,
Speaker 2: some high quality habits. And so, you know, we had
Speaker 2: one hundred and I think it was one hundred and
Speaker 2: well over one hundred kids that completed the Bruin at
Speaker 2: K in the fall, and they went through their spring
Speaker 2: program that ended with scheduled to end with the K
Speaker 2: Life ten K. They didn't because of the weather, they
Speaker 2: didn't participate in that, but they did all the training
Speaker 2: for that. So really proud of the kids, and we
Speaker 2: just continue to make that part of our culture of
Speaker 2: what we do in taking care of yourself, that healthy lifestyle.
Speaker 2: And then we had Anthony Tucker come on and a
Speaker 2: couple of our students, Owen May and ell A good
Speaker 2: One talking about our internship program. And we had a
Speaker 2: couple of videos at the State Chamber of Commerce put
Speaker 2: on using our Bartlesville High School internship program as a
Speaker 2: model for the state.
Speaker 3: Good it's pretty cool, yeah, Owen May.
Speaker 2: Owen May does something with our local here with Phillip
Speaker 2: sixty six. He has an internship with them. And then
Speaker 2: Ella good One who graduated last year, she's went with
Speaker 2: Washington County Emergency Management. She's actually in there working on
Speaker 2: being a fire department a firefighter.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and she's she's amazing. And so we had a
Speaker 2: video that we showed the Nanthy Tucker who directs the program,
Speaker 2: an gave a update with that.
Speaker 3: And so we have over one.
Speaker 2: Hundred kids involved in an internship tom, I know, arranging
Speaker 2: from folks that are interesting teachers to intersted in, you know,
Speaker 2: with Phillip sixty six or Conico Phillips and abb we
Speaker 2: have lots of hospital, we have numbers of several kids
Speaker 2: that spend time there, so it's really great h experience.
Speaker 2: So we did all those things at a board meeting,
Speaker 2: and then also just something else that came up, just
Speaker 2: a couple of things I'll mentioned over on the academic side,
Speaker 2: kind of new things for the upcoming school year. We're
Speaker 2: going to add our fourth AG teacher for Barsel Public Schools.
Speaker 2: We had enough interest, we finished up enrollment. We need
Speaker 2: we need, we need some more teachers to teach. The
Speaker 2: number of kids that want to take AG if you
Speaker 2: build it, that's exactly right. And we're going to expand
Speaker 2: AG to our seventh graders this this upcoming year. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 2: so we'll have so they're working on fill in that position.
Speaker 2: As you can imagine, there's been a great deal of
Speaker 2: interest in that with our with our community and so
Speaker 2: with our to staff that AG teacher. So what we'll
Speaker 2: end up doing is we'll have a full time AG
Speaker 2: teacher at Central, a full time teacher at Madison, and
Speaker 2: the two at the high school. So and and Marty
Speaker 2: Jones tells me, we'll see what the how the enrollment
Speaker 2: numbers end up. But we'll we may have ended up
Speaker 2: having the largest ACT program in the state of Oklahoma.
Speaker 3: We'll see, we'll see how all the enrollment shakes to
Speaker 3: number one in five years. It's incredible. Yeah, it's really
Speaker 3: really proud of that. It's really cool.
Speaker 1: I told you Martin is the best cheerleader you could ride.
Speaker 3: You're right, You're right.
Speaker 2: And you know Cameron Dale who also oh yeah, she
Speaker 2: teaches I got the high school.
Speaker 3: She was our second teacher that we hired.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 2: And she's the president elect for the National f f
Speaker 2: A program.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And so our program is just really recognized across the country.
Speaker 2: So really really really excited for that. Construction and aviation
Speaker 2: continues to grow. Our construction matter of fact, Uh, Doug Boudreau,
Speaker 2: we're gonna have hired an additional person to kind of
Speaker 2: help with that program because we have so many kids
Speaker 2: that are interested in and we anticipate having about one
Speaker 2: hundred and fifty kids. We're gonna we started with construction
Speaker 2: one this year. We're gonna add a construction to class
Speaker 2: this year. So that continues to grow. In an aviation, Uh, well,
Speaker 2: well this is this year we've we started, you know,
Speaker 2: we have Aviation three and the next year we're gonna
Speaker 2: add Aviation four. So we have over uh many kids
Speaker 2: that are enrolled in that. Matter of fact, we're looking
Speaker 2: at expanding that as well. We have actually highest towers
Speaker 2: able to teach all those classes now and now we're
Speaker 2: looking at if we need to have additional teacher get
Speaker 2: them trained to teach the course as well.
Speaker 1: These kids what this does, and you know, it all
Speaker 1: of a sudden, school becomes cool, that's right, you know,
Speaker 1: and they're paying attention not only into that class, right,
Speaker 1: but to all of them.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's and I think that's the big thing.
Speaker 2: And we've always had and we you know, on the
Speaker 2: academic side, just with you know, our AP program, Events
Speaker 2: Placement College, you know, those college bound classes, we've expanded that.
Speaker 2: We have more kids taking an AP class than we've had.
Speaker 2: I've been in the district now for twenty four years,
Speaker 2: and we've got more kids taking AP classes than we
Speaker 2: ever had. And so in a lot of those kids
Speaker 2: on that track obviously are getting ready to go to college.
Speaker 2: We've been nationally recognized for that program. But you know,
Speaker 2: we have a lot of kids that aren't going to college,
Speaker 2: and that's okay, and we'll make sure they're getting those
Speaker 2: skills I think about, you know, in our AG program.
Speaker 2: Of course with a lot of our ad kids are
Speaker 2: going to college as well, but some of the skills
Speaker 2: that they're learning to get them ready for work, you know,
Speaker 2: internship program, you know, construction and aviation and so really
Speaker 2: just giving kids flexibility, especially when they get to the
Speaker 2: end of their high school years where they can really
Speaker 2: be spend time on courses that they're interested in, they
Speaker 2: are most interested in. It kind of help get them
Speaker 2: ready for that next step. So it's exciting stuff, it's fun.
Speaker 2: And then the springtime also, Tom, I need to kind
Speaker 2: of jump over and mention I know your daughter is involved.
Speaker 2: We have our big spring production is this weekend.
Speaker 3: Yes, it is lame As Big Days, one big Avenaue.
Speaker 2: That's right Friday, Saturday at seven and then Sunday at three.
Speaker 2: Bartlesville Choir dot com is where you can buy tickets.
Speaker 2: It's our kind of our twentieth year anniversary. I was
Speaker 2: working at the high school. I remember when they last
Speaker 2: time they did lame Is. It's it's quite a production.
Speaker 2: It's a huge production. Yeah, I've often teld folks in
Speaker 2: the spring it's probably the if you want to see
Speaker 2: the as many kids as possible participate in an event,
Speaker 2: would become to that program. Because whether it's building the
Speaker 2: sets or obviously involved in it or playing the music.
Speaker 2: I mean, it's incredible doing all. Yes, and we have
Speaker 2: super super talented kids and what a great Uh. You
Speaker 2: were obviously heavily invested in the arts as well, you know,
Speaker 2: mentioned on some of the academic and career and so
Speaker 2: as well, and uh, it's really fun to watch them,
Speaker 2: and so it courage people to come out uh and
Speaker 2: see that as well. And then you know, spring sports
Speaker 2: we're in the probably more towards the tail end of
Speaker 2: that's kind of ending up. I think next week, as
Speaker 2: a matter of fact, we're hosting softball regionals on Tuesday.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 2: Coach Men's done a really good job. Just as a
Speaker 2: reminder of you know, they went to the state tournament
Speaker 2: last year in the spring, and they're able to play
Speaker 2: on the same field where they host the you know,
Speaker 2: the women's College World Series and also the Olympics is
Speaker 2: going to be hosted.
Speaker 3: There as well. So what a great deal.
Speaker 2: Our girls got to play on that field last year
Speaker 2: and they went to the state tournament fast pitching the fall,
Speaker 2: and they're hosting a regional on Tuesday. I think our
Speaker 2: girls golf regionals next week or regional girl girls and
Speaker 2: boys golf, and uh you know tennis and baseball, and
Speaker 2: uh Cody Price continues to do great things on baseball
Speaker 2: leading that program as well. And just as a reminder,
Speaker 2: we've got some kids. Uh you know, Jacob Hall, one
Speaker 2: of our baseball players, was drafted last year. You know,
Speaker 2: he's in the Minnesota organization. And uh zeb Henry's uh
Speaker 2: playing for Wichita State currently and uh you know Brendan
Speaker 2: Asher is pitching at Oral Roberts University. You know, he's
Speaker 2: a true freshman and he got to start over at
Speaker 2: the University of Arkansas game.
Speaker 3: And so kids are really uh.
Speaker 2: Coach Price is a tremendous job of developing kids and
Speaker 2: getting them ready for for those that have the talent
Speaker 2: and the work ethic to go to that next step
Speaker 2: as well. And then mentioned as well, May fourteenth, we'll
Speaker 2: have our special Olympics send off. We'll give some information
Speaker 2: out and that's really a fun thing we do. At
Speaker 2: seven o'clock in the morning, kids they load the buses
Speaker 2: in front of the circle drive there at the high
Speaker 2: school and go to special Olympics, and we do. You know,
Speaker 2: we have everybody there. We have the only football kids
Speaker 2: come out and cheer and palm and the band and
Speaker 2: we play for him, make a big deal.
Speaker 3: And matter of fact, Tom, I think.
Speaker 2: I've got a call from you before about what's going
Speaker 2: on at the high school at seven o'clock.
Speaker 3: It happens.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but we'll be doing that again. He's the community
Speaker 2: to come out. And then graduation is coming up obviously quickly.
Speaker 2: We're scheduled for that Friday before Memorial Day, May twenty third,
Speaker 2: scheduled for seven pm. We will have an outdoor graduation.
Speaker 2: We want to make sure we can get everybody wants
Speaker 2: to come can come uh that ceremony. Typically it's going
Speaker 2: to take an hour and twenty minutes or so, even
Speaker 2: with the number of graduates that we have. We don't
Speaker 2: have a We just have kids speak during that program.
Speaker 2: We don't hire an additional speaker to come in and
Speaker 2: you know, take a long time because that's not why
Speaker 2: people are there. They're there to see their kid walk
Speaker 2: across the stage. We may shift that time depending on
Speaker 2: the weather. You know, sometimes we've had to move it up,
Speaker 2: you know, a little bit earlier, a little bit later.
Speaker 2: H but we're gonna do everything we can to have
Speaker 2: it on Friday. If if we get rained out on
Speaker 2: that Friday, then we'll look at we'll look at the
Speaker 2: weather and schedule on Saturday, we'll have it that next day.
Speaker 2: But we're gonna have an outdoor, outdoor ceremony. We we
Speaker 2: did have that indoors a few years ago when we
Speaker 2: just we just you know, the feedback that we had,
Speaker 2: we're just best off having it outside where everybody wants
Speaker 2: to come can come.
Speaker 3: Yeah, So yeah, we're gonna do that again.
Speaker 2: And then last thing, I'll just mention just a reminder
Speaker 2: Tom that our pre k enrollment's going on. We have
Speaker 2: room at all six of our elementary school. So if
Speaker 2: you have a four year old, it's gonna be four
Speaker 2: before September first and they're ready to come to school.
Speaker 2: You know, we have full day pre k at all
Speaker 2: six elementaries as well, and we really especially I know parents,
Speaker 2: if it's their first child, they may be and sometimes
Speaker 2: maybe not sure whether they're ready to start or not.
Speaker 2: So you'd really encourage them to contact the school and
Speaker 2: make an employment come up and visit and help determine
Speaker 2: if that if the kiddo is ready or not, and
Speaker 2: and sometimes I can change over the summer too, but
Speaker 2: just for staffing purposes, we would love to know if
Speaker 2: they're make sure we're staffed appropriately, and then we're also
Speaker 2: mentioned that our to help with that in terms of
Speaker 2: those class sizes. You know, we're finishing up our first
Speaker 2: year at Wayside Elementary. We're in that it's going great.
Speaker 2: Ranch heights. I walked through yesterday that's going to be
Speaker 2: opened up this this coming year, and boy that got
Speaker 2: some It's a beautiful addition.
Speaker 3: I know, I went through.
Speaker 2: There, like their art elementary art and elementary music rooms
Speaker 2: are huge and beautiful and kids are going to get
Speaker 2: to do some wonderful things. And so really glad to
Speaker 2: be able to offer those experiences for our kids. And
Speaker 2: now with those space, you know, we're able to staff
Speaker 2: appropriately so we can have good class sizes as well.
Speaker 2: Our average elementary class sizes won the twenty or one
Speaker 2: the twenty one, depending on the age level. So anyway, Tom,
Speaker 2: a lot going on. We're finishing up here just a
Speaker 2: little bit. You got a new principal, we.
Speaker 3: Did, Oh, thank you Stacy Goodwin.
Speaker 2: Yeah, she's been with the district now for twenty five years,
Speaker 2: and she's been in several roles. Most of her career
Speaker 2: has been at Ranch Heights, but she's most recently been
Speaker 2: over at Jane Phillips Elementary as an instructional coach. And
Speaker 2: Stacy's she's ready. She's going to be We're really excited
Speaker 2: to elevate her in that role. She's been there working
Speaker 2: kind of a lot of assistant principal type duties and
Speaker 2: she does a tremendous job.
Speaker 3: She's ready.
Speaker 2: Kevin Brown, who has been the principal there for nine years,
Speaker 2: he's going to go to the he's going to the
Speaker 2: high school and being assistant principal. He's getting kind of
Speaker 2: closer to the end of his career and he wanted
Speaker 2: to kind of he's been there leading Jane Phillipson, done
Speaker 2: a great job, and he was ready for a new challenge.
Speaker 2: And so he's gonna go back to the high school
Speaker 2: as an assistant principal and he's been there before, he'd
Speaker 2: done that several years ago. We've hired he's a great person.
Speaker 2: He'll help round out that staff there as well. So yep,
Speaker 2: really happy for Stacey and really looking forward to laymen's
Speaker 2: this weekend.
Speaker 1: All right, Hey, thank you very much, mister McCauley, appreciate it. Folks,
Speaker 1: you've been watching and listening to our community connection