Student Achievements

Elementary Schools

The Northridge Elementary School 5th-grade academic team won first place in state in the 2008 spring contest of Knowledge Masters Open held in mid-March. Team members were Briah Bennett, Caleb Coder, DeAundre Conner, Christian Cooper, Sydney Gibson, Jason Karjoo, Logan Price and Paige West.

Western Oaks Elementary School 2nd grader Daniela Montoya won first place and $250 in a statewide anti-litter contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Her winning poster will be printed and distributed throughout the state.

Aaron Wilder, an 8th grader at Hefner Middle School, competed in the Oklahoma State Geography Bee on April 4. Wilder won the schoolwide bee and then passed a qualifying test to earn a spot in state competition.

The Will Rogers Elementary School 5th-grade ballroom dance troupe was invited to perform at the State Capitol for Oklahoma Youth Arts Day. They were one of three elementary schools invited to perform at the opening ceremonies.

Middle Schools

The Hefner seventh grade quiz bowl teams competed in the state tournament in Norman, April 11, and made the district proud once again. Both teams captured titles. First place in state went to the team of Connor Hamilton, Tate Roberson, John Barritt, Lauren Long, Matthew Leake, Cole Morris, Logan Carlile ,Mitch Bayne and Max Reed. Capturing fourth place in the state tournament were Conrad Walcher, Tyler Watson, Austin Curtis, Charlotte Mitchell, Marquez Flowers, Jeran Kruta, Nathan Moelling, and Magen Eissenstat.

High Schools

The Putnam City High School debate team of Taylor Foster and Niekia Franklin are going to nationals as a result of winning the district tournament in late March. The team topped 30 others from across the state in the three-day competition. Another Putnam City debate team, Chris Cornman and Sean Sales, took first place in the Tournament Champions over spring break, qualifying them to compete in the state tournament in April. The winner of the state tournament also goes to nationals.

In regional speech and drama competition, six Putnam City students placed high enough to advance to state competition.
Megan McConnell was the regional champion in original oratory.
Lindsay Pitman placed second in dramatic interpretation.
Ryan Jones and Zak Miller placed second in humorous duet
Grae Rose placed third in standard oratory
D'train Gilbert-Phippips placed third in humorous interpretation

Putnam City High School student Judith Huerta was named the February Latino Youth Leader of the Month by the Latino Community Development Agency. Huerta was featured on Cox Cable in recognition of her honor. Putnam City High School student Nallely Galviz received the same honor in April.

Several Putnam City High School students participated in UCO’s Multicultural Institute. Out of dozens of essay entries from high schools throughout the state, eight students’ essays were chosen as outstanding. Among the eight winning essays, two were from Putnam City High School. Cynthia Huynh earned an honorable mention for her essay and Yen Tran took a first place award and a $50 prize.

The Putnam City High newspaper staff received honors for the school's newspaper, PIRATE LOG, at the annual Oklahoma Scholastic Media/Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association meeting. In addition, McKinsey O'Neal was selected to represent Putnam City High School as Second Vice President of the student organized annual assembly for the 2008-2009 school year. McKinsey will travel to Norman next year to meet with three other executive officers (selected from student journalists from all over Oklahoma) to plan next year's convention.

Cheers and applause to the staff members of Putnam City North’s newspaper, the North Star. As a Division I publication, the paper received Highest Honors in its yearly critique and was also named as one of three All Oklahomans. The staff also received the “James F. Paschal Spirit Award”. Individuals who earned awards for their Prepare In Advance or On Site Writing Best in State competitions were junior Nathan Hatcher, First Place in Inside Page Design, a Second Place in Front Page Design and Honorable Mention in Inside Page Spread; senior Cody Ruby placed Second in Sports News and senior Taylor Jorgensen received an Honorable Mention in the same category; and freshman Alyson Stejskal placed Second in Trend Feature.

Congratulations to the 2006-2007 PANTHER TRACKS yearbook staff of Putnam City North. The 2007 book, “Your Life, Your Book" was recently recognized for Excellence and highlighted in the 2008 Jostens Gotcha Covered Look Book. Published annually, the 2008 edition is the sixth volume of this industry-leading publication. “The yearbooks chosen for the 2008 edition exemplify creativity and energy,” Gary Lundren, Jostens’ senior program manager/education director said. Those chosen for the pages of the Look Book are truly the best of the best.”

Putnam City North High School’s advanced choirs earned the Outstanding Achievement Award at the April 2 state choir contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association. In addition, the school’s Advanced Mixed Choir scored I in Concert and a I in Sightreading and the Advanced Women’s Choir earned a I in Concert and II in Sightreading. In addition, Putnam City North choirs earned an Academic Achievement Award from the OSSAA for achieving a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or above.

Senior LaRon Chapman of Putnam City North's high school newspaper, The North Star, was one of 102 journalism students nationwide to receive an Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship. The Free Spirit Scholarship awards $1,000 college scholarships to 102 seniors (a male and female from each state and the District of Columbia) who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism and who demonstrate qualities of "free spirit." Chapman spent spring break in Washington, D.C., attending the journalism conference. Chapman met Tim Russert of Meet the Press, was a guest on CSAN 2, and met a number of professional journalists.

The Oklahoma Heritage Foundation presented Putnam City Academy first place in the High School Division for their art entry for Respect Diversity. The award was presented to Putnam City Academy’s Cathy O’Connor and her Leadership Class at the Oklahoma Heritage Foundation by Michael Kornblit, who spoke to PCA students about the Holocaust and his parents’ inspiring story of survival.

Former Putnam City West student Tony LoPresto has been selected as a member of the Achiever Under 40 Class of 2008 by The Journal Record, one of Oklahoma City’s business newspaper.