Claremore Public Schools

Mrs. McCracken's 5th grade science class, at Catalayah, invited us to participate in their science experiment. They learned about force; all forces have strength and direction - which are equally important. Think of it like golf; you have to hit the ball in the right direction AND swing with the correct amount of strength for the ball to go in the hole. The egg balancing on top of the toilet paper roll and the pie plate demonstrates a balanced force. The cardboard roll is holding the egg up, while gravity is also forcing it down. When the students hit the pie plate, the forces become unbalanced, and the stronger force (gravity) makes the egg fall into the cup of water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vTK3Uht-kM What are some science experiments you remember from elementary school? #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Patrick Gotcher has been a part of the Zebra family since 1990; hired as a teacher/coach at Roosa Elementary. Over the next ten years, he moved up the ranks to Principal when he resigned in 2001. Eight years after changing careers, Gotcher began his service on the CPS Board of Education and is in his third term. He has served as Member, Clerk and now holds the position of President. In 2001 Gotcher moved into pharmaceutical sales. He continues to be actively involved in Zebra Sports Foundation, and if you’ve been to a game under the Friday night lights on Lantow Field, it’s Gotcher who is the voice of Zebra football you hear over the intercom. He’s been married to his wife, Cheri, for 33 years. She is an Elementary Teacher at Justus-Tiawah. His sons Spencer, Jordan, and Christian will have all graduated from CHS at the end of this school year. Q Why did you choose to serve? A “My passion is in the area of education, specifically CPS. Even though I chose a different occupation, education is where I am most excited. Serving on our school board gives me the ability to help set vision, direction, and goals for the current climate and future of the school system within our community.” Q What does being a Zebra mean to you? A “I am very proud to be a Zebra. Claremore is a unique community where my wife and I grew to be excited about raising a family. Our community demonstrates a deep passion for the successes of our kids. When you attend a road football, softball, Ag event, or any other program, Claremore people will show up in droves. As a community, I love that we watch out for our kids; that they have an identity. Many times in larger communities, I see kids get lost, but at Claremore, they can plug themselves into an array of successful programs to help them develop into productive citizens. I have always felt that our school system as a whole is both welcoming and supportive of both established and new students.” Q What do you think is the biggest strength of our district? A “Claremore offers many opportunities for kids to stretch themselves and succeed. They hire top-notch people to teach and support our students. As a Board, our feeling is that every program that exists should be supported to the fullest extent and find ways for that program to be as high achieving as possible.” Q What are you most proud of during your service as a BOE member? A “I am proud of the people we have continued to recruit, hire, and develop at our school system. I love our new buildings and all the new technology, but without passionate people with hearts for kids, none of it would mean much. People are what make the difference, and we have the best. From the Superintendent’s office to our teaching and support staff, we take great pride in the Red and White, and the Zebra Nation.” Q An interesting fact about you? A “I will be 55 years of age this year and can still do a backflip.” #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Fifth graders at @Claremont Elementary learn about Snap Circuits in the STEM Innovation Lab! Snap Circuits teaches basic engineering, electronics, and circuitry concepts using building components with snaps to assemble electronic circuits on a simple “rows-and-columns” base grid. The resulting projects function like the printed circuit board found in most electronic products. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Exercise isn’t just to work out your body! It’s also critical for your mental health! Exercise can help break the cycle of stress, depression, or anxiety by cueing your brain 🧠 to release the feel-good chemicals called endorphins. 🏃‍♀️𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗽 – 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴! Thank you Dr. DK for our #WellnessWednesday tip. Just MOVE IT - MOVE IT and post a photo of your child doing the first letter of their name in the comments of our FB page. #CPSZERAPRIDE

Rodrick "Rod" Henry, a Claremore High School Class of 1980 graduate, began his service to his alma mater as a CPS Board of Education member for Ward 4 in 2016. Serving in his second term, he holds the office of Clerk this year. He is married to Wendee Pauley Henry, CHS Class of 1984, and has two children: Zac, CHS Class of 2012, and Ashley, CHS Class of 2017. His wife is an officer for the CHS Alumni Association and oversees the Alumni Asso. Scholarship. After graduating, he went on to earn an A & P License and works at American Airlines. Henry is actively involved in the Claremore Public School Foundation, First Presbyterian Church of Claremore (Feed the Zebras), and Claremore Elks Lodge. He spent years volunteering and supporting fundraising efforts for booster clubs while kids were in school in CPS and was a little league coach for soccer, baseball, and football. Q Why did you choose to serve? A "I choose to serve on the BOE to become more involved in the community. I believe that our community and school system must work alongside each other to develop the City of Claremore as a whole for the future." Q What does being a Zebra mean to you? A "For me, I have seen the past and present of what it means to be a Zebra; I am proud of how we have grown and succeeded over the years. I am excited to see where we will grow from here and successes that are in our future." Q What do you think is the biggest strength of our district? A "I think the biggest strength is the collaborative work between all of the schools in the district working to make the district as a whole better." Q What is your role as a BOE member? A "My role is to give different perspectives to represent as many students as possible in the district." Q What are you most proud of during your service as a BOE member? A "Hiring Bryan Frazier as Superintendent and passing the recent bond." Q An interesting fact about you? A "I did a majority of the construction on our first home." #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Find yourself visiting the same website and tired of typing the web address over and over again? Then using Google Chrome’s Bookmark Manager to help keep track of all your sites and save time by keeping all the sites in one convenient location. This #TechTipTuesday will show individuals how to bookmark a site and remove a bookmarked site. Using this feature will help individuals stay organized and keep all the frequently visited sites conveniently accessible. https://youtu.be/rB6SWuFqs3E #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Shane Huey was appointed to fill the Ward 5 seat in 2020 and then ran unopposed in 2021 and will complete a five-year term. After graduating from Barnsdall High School in 1991, he attended Northeastern State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He is a CI Engineer at Reading Truck Body. He and his wife, Amanda, have two daughters. Samantha attends Claremore High School and is a member of the State Championship dance team. Shaylee attends Claremont Elementary and plays softball. Q Why did you choose to serve? A "To better understand what happens in our school and help support our fabulous teachers, staff, and students." Q What does being a Zebra mean to you? A "To be respectful of others, take pride in yourself, and represent your school and community at all times." Q What do you think is the biggest strength of our district? A "The small-town feel and family atmosphere of the school." Q What is your role as a BOE member? A "To help support the needs of the district." Q What are you most proud of during your service as a BOE member? A "The fact that we have been able to continue in-person learning throughout this pandemic." #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Claremore Public School Celebrates School Board Recognition Month The Claremore Public School (CPS) District joins school districts throughout Oklahoma to celebrate School Board Recognition Month, Superintendent Bryan Frazier announced. "Our school board members are volunteers who shoulder critical responsibilities and often make difficult choices for our District, all without pay. Their goal focuses on the future success of the children in our District," Superintendent Frazier said. "Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say thanks for all they do." Rea more here: https://www.claremore.k12.ok.us/o/cps/article/382373

Our #MondayMotivation today is inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' ” Volunteering your time, money, or energy to help others doesn’t just make the world better—it also makes you better. ✋🏾 CAN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER. ✋🏽 ALTRUISM IS CONTAGIOUS. ✋🏼 MAKES US HAPPY. ✋🏻 PROMOTES POSITIVE BEHAVIORS. ✋ GIVES US A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND SATISFACTION. Share with us how you serve others? #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Meet Chelsea Mize, the newest member of the CPS Board of Education (BOE). Mize began her service to her alma mater last Thursday, where she was sworn into the office and will serve a five-year term. Chelsea, born and raised a Zebra, graduated from CHS in 2003. She is the third generation to graduate from CHS, preceded by her father and grandfather; she looks forward to her children being the fourth generation of Zebras. She continued her post-secondary education at NSU, earning a degree in Early Childhood Education from NSU. Mize is the owner of The Cranberry Merchant and Cranberry Estate Sales. Her volunteer efforts have been with the Green Country Chrysalis Board of Directors and currently on the Claremore Main Street Board. She is married to Matt Mize and has two children: Titus (10) and Rosie (7). They are both currently CVS students. Q Why did you choose to serve? A “When the chance arose to serve on the BOE, I saw it as an opportunity to offer my experience as a previous educator, parent, businesswoman, and community member. I hope that during my time on the board, I will become an asset, continually bettering the educational futures of our students and district as a whole.” Q What does being a Zebra mean to you? A “Legacy. I look forward to seeing my children grow and live out the traditions and experiences that their mother, grandfather, and great grandfather experienced.” Q What do you think is the biggest strength of our district? A “Our district’s biggest strength is the community of people that comprise it. It doesn’t take much to look throughout our district and see administrators, teachers, staff, and students that constantly give of themselves sacrificially and work daily to assure the growth and success of our students.” Q What are you most proud of during your service as a BOE member? A “Since I’m the newbie on the board, I’m hopeful for the good things ahead.” Q An interesting fact about you? A “I love the history of our town, especially related to our historic downtown. I own an old commercial building where I sell old stuff (vintage and antique mall), but I also own an old home. The stories of what has come before, and the active mindset and ideas of what will come next, are what keeps my wheels turning in my professional and personal life.” #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

All CPS school sites and offices will be closed on Monday, January 18th, for Martin Luther King Day. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

We recently received our School Pride® donation from TTCU Federal Credit Union for the second half of 2020. Thank you for swiping your TTCU School Pride® debit card and giving back to our district! If you don't have one, get yours today! #ttcuSchoolPride #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

We're taking a minute for a #ThrowbackThursday post. Anyone recognize yourself or a friend in this 1990-91 class photo of Mrs. Marshall's class at @Roosa Elementary. Tag a friend and share a memory with us on the CPS District Facebook page. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Mark your calendars... February 4th is our District-wide Parent/Teacher Conference Night from 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM. We will begin scheduling appointments soon. Links will be posted on all our communication platforms to schedule your conference next week. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

NTC has 3 upcoming ACT Prep classes at the Claremore campus. Classes starting in January, March, and May Cost $88 More info here: https://netech.axstudent.com/crs/14902

It's #WellnessWednesday! At Catalayah, we start our morning by taking a few minutes to practice mindfulness in the classroom. Mindfulness means paying attention, with kindness and patience, to what's going on inside and outside of you right NOW. You can become mindful by noticing your breathing, focusing your attention, expanding your awareness, and being patient - even when things are hard. We pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them, without believing that there's a "right" or "wrong" way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice, our thoughts tune into what we're sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future. One goal of mindfulness practice is to help calm the constant chatter in our minds throughout the day. Students and teachers enjoy the early morning mindful moment and are encouraged to revisit this practice whenever they need a reset. Thank you Mrs. McCombs for helping us be more mindful! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E70D-K5ZOfc #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Trying to make a paperless classroom, office, or desk a New Year’s resolution in 2021? Need to upload a completed worksheet to Google Classroom? This #TechTip will save time, money, and help accomplish your goal. This #TechTipTuesday will show individuals how to use the built-in document scanner feature on Apple’s iOS Notes App to scan and save paper documents for reference, mark up, convert to PDF, and email to someone else or upload it to your Google Classroom. https://youtu.be/JTh-tEvPRTk

"This should be the spirit every Monday. Know that something good will always happen." - GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ 🐾 Thanks to Mrs. Book (Westside) for the puppy paws-itivity. We'd love to see your kiddos with their paws-itive pets. Post a photo in the comments on the CPS FB page. 🐾 #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

@Claremore Public School Foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year will look a little different this year due to Covid-19 BUT it will still be fun and competitive with all the #CPSZEBRAPRIDE bragging rights! Please go to their website to register for this virtual competition! https://claremorepublicschoolsfoundation.org/events/

Today we take a minute to recognize 👮 National Law Enforcement Day 👮 and especially two familiar faces in the halls of Claremore Public Schools. We appreciate our School Resources Officers, and all they do to help keep our students safe. Thank you, Officer Hershberger and Officer Sutton. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE