✈️ CHS Senior Blake Clark Named ODAA Student of the Month
Claremore High School senior Blake Clark has been named the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA) Student of the Month for January 2026, and it’s easy to see why. From the classroom to the skies, Blake is forging a powerful path fueled by precision, discipline, and a deep passion for flight.
As a first-year student in CHS’s AOPA “You Can Fly” Aviation Pathway, Blake has already taken off, earning his FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification through Claremore’s Navy JROTC program in December 2023 with an outstanding score of 92%.
Blake served in multiple leadership roles within the Claremore NJROTC program, attended the University of Oklahoma’s High School Leadership Conference, and was selected for prestigious programs, including Tommy Franks Four-Star Leadership Camp, Oklahoma Boys State, Rogers County Sheriff’s Camp, and the Claremore Police Department Youth Camp. His service-minded spirit and team-first mentality have been a constant throughout high school.
Blake will report for duty in the United States Marine Corps, where he will train as an aircraft mechanic, merging his love of aviation with his commitment to service. He plans to use the skills he gains in the military to continue a career in aviation, supporting and maintaining aircraft with pride and precision.
💬 “Aviation is where precision, discipline, and passion come together, and it’s the path I’m proud to pursue,” Blake shared.
His aviation instructor, Mr. Joshua Cunningham, couldn’t agree more, “Blake has gone above and beyond my expectations in our inaugural year of the AOPA curriculum. He’s a student of high character who leads by example, helps his peers, and models professionalism in the classroom and in the air. He has truly discovered his calling.”
👏 We’re incredibly proud of Blake and all he’s accomplished.
This honor from ODAA celebrates not just his achievements, but the drive, leadership, and future he’s building. Congratulations, Blake! Claremore is cheering you on every step of the way.
#CPSZebraPride
REMINDER: CPS school sites and the central office will be closed next Monday, January 19th, in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Mrs. Kropp, our amazing librarian, challenged students to complete a Reading Bingo Card over the break—and they rose to the challenge! 📚✨
Students who completed the bingo earned some awesome rewards, including a box or bag of candy or an adorable squishy turtle, plus a book to keep the reading going. And the excitement didn’t stop there—one Grand Winner took home a Squishmallow!
The students had a blast, and Mrs. Kropp loved seeing their enthusiasm for reading just as much. Way to make reading fun and rewarding!
Students who completed the bingo earned some awesome rewards, including a box or bag of candy or an adorable squishy turtle, plus a book to keep the reading going. And the excitement didn’t stop there—one Grand Winner took home a Squishmallow!
The students had a blast, and Mrs. Kropp loved seeing their enthusiasm for reading just as much. Way to make reading fun and rewarding!
When your name turns into a work of art 🎨
5th graders in Mrs. Ritter’s class transformed their names into bold works of art using oil pastels and watercolor, discovering how the oil resist technique brings designs to life. The creativity, color, and confidence filling the art room were incredible to see!
We love watching our students experiment, express themselves, and turn learning into something uniquely their own.
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
5th graders in Mrs. Ritter’s class transformed their names into bold works of art using oil pastels and watercolor, discovering how the oil resist technique brings designs to life. The creativity, color, and confidence filling the art room were incredible to see!
We love watching our students experiment, express themselves, and turn learning into something uniquely their own.
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
🏆 DISTRICT DUALS
Home Turf. High Stakes. Let’s Go. 🦓🔥
It’s time to take the mat as Claremore hosts four District Duals tonight, and the Zebras are coming for the top spot. 💪
📍 Claremore High School
📆 Saturday, January 13
⏰ Start Time: 1:00 PM
🆚 Memorial, Pryor, Grove, and Collinsville
Let’s pack the stands and bring that Zebra energy as we battle through four back-to-back duals for a place at Dual State!
#ZebraWrestling | #DistrictDuals | #CPSZEBRAPRIDE
Home Turf. High Stakes. Let’s Go. 🦓🔥
It’s time to take the mat as Claremore hosts four District Duals tonight, and the Zebras are coming for the top spot. 💪
📍 Claremore High School
📆 Saturday, January 13
⏰ Start Time: 1:00 PM
🆚 Memorial, Pryor, Grove, and Collinsville
Let’s pack the stands and bring that Zebra energy as we battle through four back-to-back duals for a place at Dual State!
#ZebraWrestling | #DistrictDuals | #CPSZEBRAPRIDE
🏀 WEEK IN REVIEW: ZEBRA HOOPS
It’s a big week for Claremore Basketball as our teams hit the road to take on two tough opponents! From buzzer-beaters to lockdown defense, our Zebras are locked in and ready to compete.
📅 Tuesday, January 13
🆚 Tahlequah (Away)
🕔 5:00 PM — 9th
🕕 6:00 PM — JV
🕢 7:30 PM — Varsity
📅 Saturday, January 17
🆚 East Central (Away)
🕐 1:00 PM — JV
🕞 3:30 PM — Varsity
Let’s go, Zebras! Keep the energy high and the momentum rolling. 🦓🔥
#ZebraBasketball #CPSZebraPride
It’s a big week for Claremore Basketball as our teams hit the road to take on two tough opponents! From buzzer-beaters to lockdown defense, our Zebras are locked in and ready to compete.
📅 Tuesday, January 13
🆚 Tahlequah (Away)
🕔 5:00 PM — 9th
🕕 6:00 PM — JV
🕢 7:30 PM — Varsity
📅 Saturday, January 17
🆚 East Central (Away)
🕐 1:00 PM — JV
🕞 3:30 PM — Varsity
Let’s go, Zebras! Keep the energy high and the momentum rolling. 🦓🔥
#ZebraBasketball #CPSZebraPride
📚 Literacy Comes to Life at Westside!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Claremore Public Schools Foundation, the Westside Elementary library continues to grow, adding hundreds of engaging, high-interest books that spark imagination and support student achievement.
💬 “The Foundation has helped me put hundreds of books on the shelves of my library, allowing me to enhance our collection and provide my students with fresh opportunities to explore, learn, and grow through reading. Thank you for investing in literacy and helping us inspire a lifelong love for books.”
— Brittany Lang, Westside Elementary
📖 From fairy tales to nonfiction, every book is a new adventure waiting to happen, and this grant is helping open the door to more readers than ever.
🧠 Want to support more classroom grants like this?
Register your team for the CPSF Brainiac Brawl—our largest annual fundraiser!
👉 claremorepublicschoolsfoundation.org/brainiac-brawl
#CPSF #FallGrantPatrol #DistrictGrantPatrol #TeacherGrants #CPSZEBRAPRIDE #ReadingIsPower #LiteracyMatters #BrainiacBrawl #WestsideElementary
Thanks to a generous grant from the Claremore Public Schools Foundation, the Westside Elementary library continues to grow, adding hundreds of engaging, high-interest books that spark imagination and support student achievement.
💬 “The Foundation has helped me put hundreds of books on the shelves of my library, allowing me to enhance our collection and provide my students with fresh opportunities to explore, learn, and grow through reading. Thank you for investing in literacy and helping us inspire a lifelong love for books.”
— Brittany Lang, Westside Elementary
📖 From fairy tales to nonfiction, every book is a new adventure waiting to happen, and this grant is helping open the door to more readers than ever.
🧠 Want to support more classroom grants like this?
Register your team for the CPSF Brainiac Brawl—our largest annual fundraiser!
👉 claremorepublicschoolsfoundation.org/brainiac-brawl
#CPSF #FallGrantPatrol #DistrictGrantPatrol #TeacherGrants #CPSZEBRAPRIDE #ReadingIsPower #LiteracyMatters #BrainiacBrawl #WestsideElementary
A few weeks ago, Nurse Kyla and Mrs. Carvalho teamed up to bring an important lesson to life for our youngest Zebras and it was all about healthy smiles! 😁🪥
We are incredibly thankful to The Brace Place for going above and beyond to make dental health fun, engaging, and easy to understand for our kindergarten through second graders. Through their interactive “tooth talk,” students learned why good hygiene matters — and left excited to take care of their smiles, each equipped with a toothbrush, timer, and helpful information to take home.
This is what community support looks like: coming together to support our students, promote lifelong healthy habits, and make learning meaningful beyond the classroom. Thank you for helping us keep our kids smiling bright! 🦷✨🦓
We are incredibly thankful to The Brace Place for going above and beyond to make dental health fun, engaging, and easy to understand for our kindergarten through second graders. Through their interactive “tooth talk,” students learned why good hygiene matters — and left excited to take care of their smiles, each equipped with a toothbrush, timer, and helpful information to take home.
This is what community support looks like: coming together to support our students, promote lifelong healthy habits, and make learning meaningful beyond the classroom. Thank you for helping us keep our kids smiling bright! 🦷✨🦓
🧠✨ Exploration. Challenge. Growth.
Mrs. T’s GT students have been busy diving into a variety of enrichment activities!
Gifted & Talented (GT) programming provides students with opportunities to think critically, solve complex problems, and collaborate in small groups through STEM-focused, hands-on learning.
From creative challenges to in-depth investigations, our GT students are stretching their minds and growing their skills every day!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
Mrs. T’s GT students have been busy diving into a variety of enrichment activities!
Gifted & Talented (GT) programming provides students with opportunities to think critically, solve complex problems, and collaborate in small groups through STEM-focused, hands-on learning.
From creative challenges to in-depth investigations, our GT students are stretching their minds and growing their skills every day!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
Celebrating Student Success at Catalayah!
Special guest Scott Vaughn, Stormwater Manager for the City of Claremore, stopped by to recognize one of our outstanding students.
🏆 Congratulations to Addi, winner of the City of Claremore’s annual Trash Truck Art Contest! Her artwork, designed to raise awareness about pollution prevention, was selected from entries submitted by 5th graders across the district.
🚛 Addi’s design will be featured on a City of Claremore trash truck. Keep an eye out for her artwork around town!
Way to go, Addi!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
Special guest Scott Vaughn, Stormwater Manager for the City of Claremore, stopped by to recognize one of our outstanding students.
🏆 Congratulations to Addi, winner of the City of Claremore’s annual Trash Truck Art Contest! Her artwork, designed to raise awareness about pollution prevention, was selected from entries submitted by 5th graders across the district.
🚛 Addi’s design will be featured on a City of Claremore trash truck. Keep an eye out for her artwork around town!
Way to go, Addi!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
🦉 Science Takes Flight at WRJH!
Thanks to a grant from the Claremore Public Schools Foundation, 7th grade students at Will Rogers Junior High are diving into an unforgettable hands-on experience—dissecting owl pellets to explore predator-prey relationships and energy transfer in ecosystems!
💬 “I am so excited to receive the grant ‘Owl take that’! Our 7th grade students will enjoy dissecting the owl pellets and applying what they have learned through the digestion of an owl to what they are learning about predator-prey relationships and energy transfer.”
— Jackie Boyd, Will Rogers Junior High
🔬 From classroom science to real-world applications, this grant brings learning to life in a fun, messy, and memorable way!
🧠 Want to support more grants like this?
Register your team for the CPSF Brainiac Brawl—our largest annual fundraiser!
👉 claremorepublicschoolsfoundation.org/brainiac-brawl
#CPSF #FallGrantPatrol #DistrictGrantPatrol #TeacherGrants #CPSZEBRAPRIDE #ScienceIsAwesome #WRJH #BrainiacBrawl
Thanks to a grant from the Claremore Public Schools Foundation, 7th grade students at Will Rogers Junior High are diving into an unforgettable hands-on experience—dissecting owl pellets to explore predator-prey relationships and energy transfer in ecosystems!
💬 “I am so excited to receive the grant ‘Owl take that’! Our 7th grade students will enjoy dissecting the owl pellets and applying what they have learned through the digestion of an owl to what they are learning about predator-prey relationships and energy transfer.”
— Jackie Boyd, Will Rogers Junior High
🔬 From classroom science to real-world applications, this grant brings learning to life in a fun, messy, and memorable way!
🧠 Want to support more grants like this?
Register your team for the CPSF Brainiac Brawl—our largest annual fundraiser!
👉 claremorepublicschoolsfoundation.org/brainiac-brawl
#CPSF #FallGrantPatrol #DistrictGrantPatrol #TeacherGrants #CPSZEBRAPRIDE #ScienceIsAwesome #WRJH #BrainiacBrawl
🎨 Primary Colors in Action!
In art class at Catalayah, Mrs. Ratcliff is helping students see the world through a more colorful lens. During this lesson, Mrs. Douthitt’s class explored the magic of primary colors using pencils, Sharpies, oil pastels, and paint to create their very own primary color birds.
Their creativity took flight, and the results were both bold and beautiful! 💛❤️💙
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
In art class at Catalayah, Mrs. Ratcliff is helping students see the world through a more colorful lens. During this lesson, Mrs. Douthitt’s class explored the magic of primary colors using pencils, Sharpies, oil pastels, and paint to create their very own primary color birds.
Their creativity took flight, and the results were both bold and beautiful! 💛❤️💙
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
MATCH DAY: MUSTANG TOURNEY💪🏼
Our JH & Varsity Lady Zebras are on the road today, competing in the Mustang Tournament, an all-day event packed with tough matchups and major opportunities.
📍 Mustang High School
📆 Friday, January 9th
🕠 All Day
Time to lock in, wrestle hard, and represent Claremore!
#ZebraWrestling | #CPSZebraPride
Our JH & Varsity Lady Zebras are on the road today, competing in the Mustang Tournament, an all-day event packed with tough matchups and major opportunities.
📍 Mustang High School
📆 Friday, January 9th
🕠 All Day
Time to lock in, wrestle hard, and represent Claremore!
#ZebraWrestling | #CPSZebraPride
We're backkkkkk... It's Zebra Friday people!💪🏼🦓 #CPSZEBRAPRIDE
🔥 Bright Sparks & Brilliant Minds!
Our Pre-AP Chemistry students lit up the lab this week as they explored how different metals create the vibrant colors in fireworks. 🌈✨
From flame tests to fascinating reactions, they learned how to identify metals by their signature glow, and had a blast doing it!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
Our Pre-AP Chemistry students lit up the lab this week as they explored how different metals create the vibrant colors in fireworks. 🌈✨
From flame tests to fascinating reactions, they learned how to identify metals by their signature glow, and had a blast doing it!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
🍫🧪 Sweet Science in Action!
Mrs. Boyd’s class turned up the heat on learning with a hot cocoa science experiment!
Students explored the difference between physical and chemical reactions, then got to taste their learning with a warm and delicious reward. 🔥🍵
Learning that’s equal parts educational and delicious? Yes, please!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
Mrs. Boyd’s class turned up the heat on learning with a hot cocoa science experiment!
Students explored the difference between physical and chemical reactions, then got to taste their learning with a warm and delicious reward. 🔥🍵
Learning that’s equal parts educational and delicious? Yes, please!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
🐾 Maverick Making Moves at Westside!
Westside’s favorite therapy dog, Maverick, has been busy making his rounds, spreading love, calming energy, and lots of tail wags! 💙🐶
Students light up when they see him, and Maverick clearly loves the attention just as much. It’s a paws-itively perfect way to support social-emotional wellness in our schools.
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
Westside’s favorite therapy dog, Maverick, has been busy making his rounds, spreading love, calming energy, and lots of tail wags! 💙🐶
Students light up when they see him, and Maverick clearly loves the attention just as much. It’s a paws-itively perfect way to support social-emotional wellness in our schools.
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
We’ve GOT MILK! 🥛
This week, Zebra Nutrition proudly launched a brand-new milk delivery system at our high school and we’re already seeing the benefits in action! This innovative upgrade helps reduce carton waste, makes cleanup easier for staff, and keeps milk colder, fresher, and more delicious for students.
Right now, the system is available exclusively at the high school, giving students a first look at this exciting change. While everyone is still getting used to how it works, the early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! 🙌
Our long-term goal is to expand this system to additional sites so even more students can enjoy the benefits. We’re excited to keep innovating, improving efficiency, and enhancing the lunch experience for our Zebras, one cold cup of milk at a time! 🦓🥤
This week, Zebra Nutrition proudly launched a brand-new milk delivery system at our high school and we’re already seeing the benefits in action! This innovative upgrade helps reduce carton waste, makes cleanup easier for staff, and keeps milk colder, fresher, and more delicious for students.
Right now, the system is available exclusively at the high school, giving students a first look at this exciting change. While everyone is still getting used to how it works, the early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! 🙌
Our long-term goal is to expand this system to additional sites so even more students can enjoy the benefits. We’re excited to keep innovating, improving efficiency, and enhancing the lunch experience for our Zebras, one cold cup of milk at a time! 🦓🥤
🏊♀️💥 MEET DAY: ZEBRAS @ OOLOGAH
The Claremore Swim Team is back in action and ready to make waves!
📍 Oologah High School
📆 Thursday, January 8th
🕠 Start Time: 5:30 PM
Our athletes are diving into competition with grit and determination. Come out and cheer on the Zebras as they continue their journey through the season! 🦓💪
#ZebraSwim | #CPSZebraPride
The Claremore Swim Team is back in action and ready to make waves!
📍 Oologah High School
📆 Thursday, January 8th
🕠 Start Time: 5:30 PM
Our athletes are diving into competition with grit and determination. Come out and cheer on the Zebras as they continue their journey through the season! 🦓💪
#ZebraSwim | #CPSZebraPride
Service Above Self: CHS NJROTC Supports Local Kids
This week, our Claremore High School NJROTC cadets demonstrated true leadership and service by volunteering with the Food for Kids program.
Working side by side, the cadets assembled 568 food bags to help ensure children across our community have access to nutritious meals in the weeks ahead. 🍎🥪
💬 "Their hard work, teamwork, and willingness to serve reflect the core values of NJROTC and Claremore Public Schools' commitment to community engagement." - VR/ CAPT Ron Rutan
We are proud of these outstanding students for making a meaningful impact, right here at home.
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE #NJROTC #CommunityService
This week, our Claremore High School NJROTC cadets demonstrated true leadership and service by volunteering with the Food for Kids program.
Working side by side, the cadets assembled 568 food bags to help ensure children across our community have access to nutritious meals in the weeks ahead. 🍎🥪
💬 "Their hard work, teamwork, and willingness to serve reflect the core values of NJROTC and Claremore Public Schools' commitment to community engagement." - VR/ CAPT Ron Rutan
We are proud of these outstanding students for making a meaningful impact, right here at home.
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE #NJROTC #CommunityService
