🎶 Music in Our Schools Month 🎶
Concert Band is where fundamental ensemble skills are developed and nurtured. Students who play brass, percussion, and woodwind instruments come together to rehearse, collaborate, and perform as one unified group.
Beginning in 6th grade, students are able to join their very first concert band, where our experienced directors help guide them in choosing the instrument that best suits their interests and abilities. That’s where the passion begins!
Throughout their time at Will Rogers Junior High, students continue building their skills and musicianship in preparation for high school band. At the high school level, they focus on concert and contest literature, prepare for solo and ensemble competitions, and strengthen foundational music concepts that build year after year.
Music education is more than learning notes and rhythms — it’s about teamwork, discipline, creativity, and growth. We are proud of the dedication our band students show as they develop new skills and grow in their artistry. 🎵

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Student playing flute in the band room
CHS Concert Band performing their Christmas Concert
6th Grade student smiling after playing his first concert
Students playing in an ensemble for a judge
CHS Band at Concert Band Contest after winning a sweepstakes award.
CHS Students playing in a band concert
WRJH Students playing in their concert
7th and 8th graders in a percussion ensemble playing for a judge
WRJH Students in the GCBDA Honor Band
CHS Concert Band live at the PAC
Rehearsals are in full swing and the energy is ELECTRIC! Over the past few weeks, the cast has been diving into choreography, locking in blocking, and bringing every dance number to life. The vocals? Powerful. The performances? Next level. The talent on that stage is absolutely shining.

This show is packed with high-energy numbers, big moments, and the kind of excitement that will have you clapping along in your seat. Trust us, you do NOT want to miss this production.

🎟 Tickets go on sale March 23rd
🎭 Opening Night: April 24th

Start making plans now… because when the curtain rises, we’re ready to CUT. LOOSE.

LET’S GET EXCITED! 💃🕺✨
3 months ago, CPS Communications
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.
Footloose rehearsals.

🎨✨ It’s Youth Art Month! ✨🎨

Studio Art challenges students to push their creativity and skills to the next level. After completing Art 1 and Art 2, these dedicated CHS artists step into advanced coursework focused on refined techniques, deeper artistic exploration, and meaningful visual expression.

Recently, our Studio Art students explored the vibrant world of Batik, a centuries-old fabric art technique rich in color, creativity, and tradition.

Batik is created by applying melted wax to fabric to block out areas before dyeing. Using a traditional tjanting tool, students carefully draw intricate designs in wax before hand-painting their pieces with bold, expressive color.

The most exciting part? The big reveal! Students remove the wax by ironing the fabric between sheets of newsprint and washing away any remaining residue — unveiling stunning contrasts, luminous colors, and beautifully detailed designs.

Youth Art Month is all about celebrating the importance of art education and the incredible talent of our students. We are so proud of the creativity, focus, and craftsmanship happening every day in the art rooms across the district! 🖌️

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Student holding her Baltik project in studio art
Batik art of a frog with a flower on its head
Student working on the batik art of a ladybug
Student working on an art project
student in art working on art project
Student making a batik art of a large bug
Student working on batik art with birds flowers and Lilypad's
Student painting her art work green in studio art
Completed coy fish in art.  orange fish with teal ocean water around him

In the month of March, we are celebrating the many facets of the fine arts: Music In Our Schools Month, Theatre In Our Schools Month, and Youth Art Month. While each is unique, they all come together to make the world we live in a more colorful place.

Join us this month as we celebrate and showcase the incredible fine arts programs at Claremore Public Schools! 🎭🎶🎨

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Student smiling while drawing a sea turtle in art class.
WRJH students on stage in the play Haphazardly Ever After
Sound Express show choir on stage.
Zebra Band in a parade in Claremore
Two Theatre Production students painting a backdrop.
Students in the CHS production of Harvey
WRJH Beginning choir singing at their first concert of the school year.
WRJH Jazz Band at contest
WRJH Art learning new and exciting things in class
🎭 The Show Must Go On!

The cast of the CHS production of Footloose was busy rehearsing for their spring musical when a brief power outage left them in the dark. Instead of calling it a day, Mr. Doonkeen led the crew outside to rehearse in the warm February sunshine!

These students are hard at work learning new choreography and perfecting every move. We can’t wait to see them light up the stage in just eight short weeks! Stay tuned for ticket information—but in the meantime, save the date!

April 23, 24, and 25, 2026
at the Robson Performing Arts Center

It’s going to be a show you won’t want to miss! 🎶

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Student celebrating with teacher outside at musical rehearsal
Student sitting on Mr. Doonkeens shoulders showing students the new move.
Students working on Footloose Choreography
Students having musical practice outside in the warm sun
Students working on executing a new move for the show Footloose
Student working on new move for the musical
Student working on new moves for the musical Footloose.
Claremore students Jude Rinehart and Kaylee Peters were honored to perform in the 2026 Green Country Band Directors Association Honor Jazz Band! 🎶

After preparing on their own time, they joined talented musicians from other GCBDA member schools to form this prestigious ensemble. With Jude on guitar and Kaylee on vibraphone, they brought some of our favorite jazz tunes to the stage! 🎸✨

Great job, Jude and Kaylee — we are so proud of you! 👏🎹

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Claremore students playing in the GCBDA Jazz Band
The GCBDA Jazz Band
Students smiling on stage during the jazz concert
Congratulations to these students for making the GCBDA Honor Band
This month’s TRY DAY is… Chicken Tikka Masala!

You can always feel the excitement when Chef Ryan walks in because students know that means it’s time to try something NEW! After serving Chicken Tikka Masala at the high school during a previous exhibition, we decided it was time to let our elementary students get a little taste (pun absolutely intended 😉) of what’s waiting for them in the future.

Try Day is all about exploration, curiosity, and bold bites! While we know every new flavor won’t be everyone’s favorite—and that’s okay—we’re so proud of our students for keeping an open mind and giving it a shot. That willingness to try something different is a win all on its own! 🙌

New flavors. New experiences. Same Zebra spirit. 🦓🍽️
3 months ago, CPS Communications
Westside Elementary student trying new foods.
Chef Ryan serving Westside Elementary students.
Westside Elementary student trying new foods.
Chef Ryan serving Westside Elementary students.
Westside Elementary student trying new foods.
Westside Elementary student trying new foods.
Westside Elementary student trying new foods.
Westside Elementary student trying new foods.
Kindness has been shining bright at Catalayah this week, and it has been incredible to watch it ripple through our building.

Thanks to our amazing counselor, Mrs. McComb, students and staff took part in secret kindness missions designed to spread encouragement in simple but meaningful ways. From quiet acts of service to thoughtful words of affirmation, these small moments made a big impact.

One of the highlights has been the growing Kindness Wall, where students have been recognizing one another for positive actions. The wall is quickly filling with notes of gratitude, encouragement, and appreciation—clear proof that kindness is contagious.

We are so proud of our students and staff for intentionally choosing to lift others up. Let’s keep the momentum going—look for ways to serve, speak words that encourage, notice the good, and be the reason someone smiles.

That’s the Catalayah way. ❤️
3 months ago, CPS Communications
Catalayah students spreading kindness with treats.
Catalayah students spreading kindness with treats.
Catalayah students spreading kindness with treats.
Catalayah students spreading kindness with treats.
Catalayah students spreading kindness with treats.
Catalayah students spreading kindness with treats.
Catalayah students spreading kindness with treats.
Mrs. Ratcliff’s art class is bringing Laurel Burch–style cats to life as 3rd–5th graders use bold colors, black paper, and metallic Sharpies to create truly purr-fect masterpieces.

Projects like this highlight the power of arts in education—encouraging self-expression, building confidence, and helping students develop creativity and problem-solving skills that reach far beyond the art room. We love seeing our students explore their imagination and let their creativity shine! 🦓✨

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Catalaya students with their art work
Student working on her art work in school
Student smiling as they work on their Art
Students smiling holding up their art work
Student focused on his art work and making it the best he can
Student smiling as she has a wonderful time in art
Student working diligently on his art work
Students working on their art work and having fun
Sound Express Shines at Jenks Trochella! 🎤✨

Sound Express Show Choir recently took the stage at the Jenks Trochella Show Choir Invitational for their very first competition performance—and what a debut it was!

Competing against some of the top show choirs in the nation, Sound Express earned 4th place in their division, with only 6A schools placing higher. An incredible accomplishment—especially for a brand-new ensemble established in Spring 2025 at Claremore High School.

In addition to their performance, students participated in a clinic led by contest adjudicators, where they refined advanced vocal and dance techniques and received valuable feedback to elevate their show. A special congratulations to Rylee Thornton, who was honored with the Outstanding Performer Award.

It was an energetic, educational, and highly successful day filled with growth and achievement. We are so proud of these talented young ladies for representing CHS with excellence. The season is off to a fantastic start—and this is just the beginning! 🦓✨
3 months ago, CPS Communications
Claremore high school performing at Jenks Trochella Invitational.
Claremore high school performing at Jenks Trochella Invitational.
Rylee Thornton, winner of Outstanding Performer.
Students from Catalayah, Claremont, and Westside made the drive to Oologah High School to be part of the 2026 OKMEA Circle the State with Song. With a full afternoon of rehearsals, these students had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other talented singers from Region X to bring this incredible performance to life.
Under the direction of Lacey Reyes-Sosi, they performed selections ranging from Ave Maria to Turkish folk songs like Uskudar. This was an incredible experience for these students—one they won’t soon forget.

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Claremont Students at Circle the State
Catalayah students at Circle the state
Westside students that attended circle the state
Claremont students eating lunch
Students rehearsing at circle the state
students waiting to perform at circle the state
Students on stage performing at Circle the State
Students on stage at Circle the State.
7th–12th graders from across northeast Oklahoma gathered at the Robson Performing Arts Center last month for the annual Green Country Band Directors Association Honor Band Concert. These students spent countless hours preparing—not only for the audition to earn a spot in the band, but also rehearsing their music before the clinic to ensure they sounded their very best.
Students from both WRJH and CHS participated, and we were proud to host this event and support our talented young musicians.
Great job, everyone! 🎶👏

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
CHS Students playing in the GCBDA Honor band
CHS Student playing in band
CHS students playing in the GCBDA Honor Band
The GCBDA Honor band playing at the RPAC
WRJH trumpet players playing in the GCBDA honor band
High school students playing their best at the GCBDA concert
WRJH students playing in the gcbda band
WRJH Students in the 7th grade GCBDA Honor Band
Grant Update from Claremore High School! 🎨✨

Thanks to the Promise of Pastels grant from the Claremore Public Schools Foundation, CHS students have jumped into their pastel unit with both feet! Under the guidance of Ms. Mercer, students kicked things off with a follow-along orange demonstration and are now diving into their Reflective Object Projects. Creativity, confidence, and COLOR are shining bright in the classroom—we can’t wait to see what they create next!

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Student holding up her artwork made with pastels in class.
Students holding up their art work they made.  All with similar oranges but different backgrounds.
Student holding up a picture of the orange she drew
Students holding up their art work and smiling
This past weekend, our Will Rogers Junior High students brought the laughs with their hilariously chaotic performance of “Haphazardly Ever After.” 🎭✨

Since September, the cast and crew have dedicated countless hours to rehearsals, line runs, set work, and perfecting every comedic moment and it absolutely paid off. Each student performed with heart, confidence, and a unique spark that made their characters unforgettable. We could not be more proud of our young Zebras and the growth they showed both on and off the stage.

A production like this is never the work of just a few, it’s the combined effort of many. A heartfelt thank you to the high school students who stepped in to help every step of the way. Your mentorship and support made a difference.

And of course, a standing ovation for our two fearless leaders, Miss Kendall Fudge and Miss Riley Ketterling. Their dedication, guidance, and belief in these students turned months of hard work into an amazing performance.

Bravo to everyone involved. This is Zebra Pride shining bright under the stage lights. 🦓👏
3 months ago, CPS Communications
Haphazardly Ever After Full Cast
Fairies on stage
Junior high students performing during the play
Junior high students performing during the play
Junior high students performing during the play
Junior high students performing during the play
Miss Fudge and Miss Ketterling
High school student helping Junior high student with make up.
High school student helping Junior high student with make up.
High school student helping Junior high student with make up.
The World Needs Art.

That’s the theme for the Oklahoma Art Education Association’s 2026 Youth Art Month this March—a powerful reminder of the impact creativity has on our schools, communities, and beyond.

Leading up to Youth Art Month, students across the state compete in various exhibitions, with top winners receiving prizes and gift certificates. One of those prestigious events is the Young People’s Art Exhibition and we are proud to share that two Claremore High School artists rose to the top.

Amelia Matthews (Senior) — BEST OF SHOW
Kellie Stuard (Junior) — 1st Place, High School Division

Please join us in congratulating these two amazing artists for their creativity, vision, and hard work. And a major shoutout to Art Teacher Taylor Hoffer for mentoring, encouraging, and inspiring our students as they pursue excellence in the arts.

The world needs art and Claremore students are proving why.
3 months ago, CPS Communications
Ameilia with her award winning artwork
Kellie with her award winning artwork
Amelia and Miss Hoffer at art show.
Kellie and Miss Hoffer at art show.
Spreading joy across Catalayah!

Mrs. Ratcliff’s 3rd grade WIN (What I Need) enrichment group got hands-on and creative! These talented young artists created textured paper that will be used in future art projects for ALL Catalayah students! 🖍️🖌️

Using oil pastels, paint sticks, tempera paint, and a mix of printing tools (plus some reused materials!), students explored new textures, colors, and techniques — letting loose, experimenting, and having fun while making something special for others. ❤️

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE #CPSFINEARTS
3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Student smiling while making a backdrop for pictures
Student working on his art work
Student working on art in WIN
Students enjoying art
Student working on his art
Student being creative in Art
Student coloring in art
Student working in art
Student smiling and happy to be in art
IT’S SHOWTIME! 🎤🎶

Claremore High School Sound Express Show Choir will be performing at the Jenks Trochella Show Choir Invitational! Our students have been putting in the time and effort to prepare an incredible performance, and we can’t wait to see them take the stage.

Event Info:
📍 @ Jenks High School PAC
📅 Saturday, February 14
⏰ Showtime – 9:30 AM
🎟 Tickets: $20 Adults | $10 Students & Seniors

Let’s show up, cheer loud, and support our performers as they represent #CPSZebraPride! 🎶🖤🤍
3 months ago, CPS Communications
Jenks Trochella Show Choir Invitational graphic.
🎭 WRJH Actors of the Week (February 2–6) 🎭

Huge congratulations to Sophia Jacobson and Landon Campbell, our WRJH Actors of the Week! These two are taking center stage as the lead actors in this weekend’s junior high play, Haphazardly Ever After, and their hard work, dedication, and talent truly shine.

✨ Come see them light up the stage! ✨
Join us Saturday night, February 14, at the Robson Performing Arts Center. The show kicks off at 6:30 PM, and admission is just $5 at the door—all to support our growing WRJH Drama Department!

Bravo, Landon and Sophia—you are absolutely CRUSHING IT! 🎉👏🎬
3 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Landon and Sophia, the WRJH Actors of the week
WRJH Presents Haphazardly Ever After on February 14th at the Robson Performing Arts Center. 6:30pm, admission is $5 to support WRJH Drama
Claremore Speech and Debate recently traveled to Bartlesville to compete, and our students came in ready after weeks of preparation! Please join us in congratulating these outstanding competitors:

• Crow Bratt and Kaylee Smith – 1st Place, Humorous Duet
• Michael Rogers – 2nd Place, Monologue
• Marley Gray – 1st Place, Monologue
• Rain Dorsey – 1st Place, Humorous Interpretation; 1st Place, Dramatic Interpretation; 2nd Place, Poetry

Not pictured:
• Cheyenne Stratton – 1st Place, Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate
• Beckett Schmidt and Ellis Fears – 1st Place, Policy Debate

We are so proud of these students and their hard work—way to represent Claremore!

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE
4 months ago, Claremore Zebra Fine Arts
Crow Bratt and Kaylee Smith: first place winners of the Humorous Duet division.
Male student smiling with a ribbon around his neck with his thumbs up
Student shrugging in a lunch room
Rain Dorsey smiling holding her awards.
We’re excited to share that our Winter Guard will be competing at the WGPO Contest this weekend! These students have been working tirelessly to perfect their performances, and their dedication, precision, and passion truly shine every time they take the floor.

Contest Info:
📍 @ Broken Arrow High School
📅 Saturday, February 7
⏰ Winter Guard JV – 11:27 AM
⏰ Winter Guard Varsity – 2:29 AM
🎟 Tickets – $10

We are incredibly proud of the commitment and artistry our Winter Guard brings to the floor. Their hard work and determination are a true reflection of Zebra Pride, and we can’t wait to see them represent our school this weekend. Good luck, Zebras! 🖤🤍
4 months ago, CPS Communications
Winter Guard Competition Day graphic.