Student Achievements

Matthew Hester, an 8th grader at Cooper Middle School, has been an Oklahoma PTA Reflections winner three years in a row. Even more impressive, each year has been in a different category. In the 2005-2006 school year, Hester won the State Award of Merit in Music. In the 2006-2007 school year, Hester won the State Award of Merit in Literature. This year, Hester took home the State Award of Merit in Film/Video Production.

The Hefner Middle School Knowledge Master Team placed first in state and in the top 25 percent internationally in spring competition in late April. The team members were Josh Burgess, Chris Jourden, Sean Burton, Tyler Jakeway, Kedrin Daley, Lucas Adams, Nathan Miles, Courtney King, Spencer Cornelius, Cierra Keith, Jeremy Allen, Jordan Tanner and Toni Massey. These students gathered around a smart board and answered 200 questions as a team. The students are part of the Hefner PEAK program and are coached by Ann Chesney and Barbara Fowler.

Hefner Middle School’s 8th-grade quiz bowl team took second place at the state tournament held in mid-April at the University of Oklahoma. Celebrating the win were team members Kedrin Daley, Luke Adams, Nathan Miles, Steve Harsha, Jarod Harsha, Courtney King, Tyler Jakeway and Josh Burgess. The team is coached by Ann Chesney and Barbara Fowler.

Congratulations to the Putnam City North’s drama students for winning at regional and state speech competitions. Katie Eissenstat was regional champion in Poetry, regional champion in Monologue and regional fifth-place winner in Dramatic Interpretation. She was state runner-up in Poetry and placed fifth in the state in Monologue. Grant Wood placed fourth in Prose at regionals and finished second in state in the same event. Catie Mosley placed third in Prose at regionals.

Putnam City debaters swept the State Rotary Club 4-Way Speech contest in mid-April. Niki Franklin and Sean Sales won first and second place,respectively. With her first place finish, Franklin earned $1,000 cash, a $5,000 University of Central Oklahoma scholarship and a $4,000 general college scholarship. Sales earned $300 cash and a $2,000 scholarship to the University of Central Oklahoma.

Putnam City High School’s girls’ soccer team has been honored by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association with a Distinguished Academic Award for a cumulative grade point average above 3.50.