Jennifer Owens of Putnam City West High School is one of 26 teachers nationwide to be accepted to the National Institute for the Teaching of Shakespeare. This four-week institute, held at Smith College in Northhampton, Mass., brings classroom teachers from across the nation together with master teachers, international scholars, professional directors and actors. Teachers immerse themselves in the exploration of Shakespeare's plays, learn the context of their original performance conditions, and create lessons and instructional approaches.

Jan Kimzey of Putnam City Academy was selected as the winner in the high school category for the Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching Award sponsored by the Oklahoma City Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association at Tinker Air Force Base. The award celebrates engineering and real life concepts made applicable in the math classroom.

Lori Bradley, library media specialist at Putnam City Academy, wrote a grant and received money to purchase books for the Academy library as a part of the "We the People Bookshelf." The "We the People Bookshelf" initiative is a collaboration of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association. As part of the program, 1,000 public and school libraries around the country are receiving 15 thematically related books which embody the theme of "Becoming American." Bradley has also has been awarded a $500 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. The money will be used to create a "landscaped landing" at the entrance of the Academy.

Connie Moffeit of Western Oaks Elementary School is the Heartland Rotary Club Teacher of the Month for April.

Lisa Brown, a 5th-grade teacher at Harvest Hills Elementary School, was named the Putnam City PTA Educator of the Year at the April meeting of the district's PTA Council. Lynette Thompson, principal at Western Oaks Middle School, was named Administrator of the Year at the same meeting.

Putnam City bus drivers won first place in the state School Bus Safety Competition in Drumright in early April. Drivers completed both a written test and a 10-part driving skills test. The district's winning team was made up of Robby Holzberger, Donnie Ryan, Steve Soper, Darryl Parker and Matt Brown. Holzberger also won third place (and $50) in individual competition.