The Bartlesville Public School District 's theme for the 2009-10 academic year is “It's a Great Time To Be a Bruin.”
That was certainly the case on the morning of Aug. 11 as a full-blown Bruin bash was held in the Fine Arts Center auditorium on the Bartlesville High School campus. An event for all employees of the BPSD – but free and open to the public as well – the 2009-10 Back to School Rally featured performances by the Bruin Brigade Marching Band, the Bruin Color Guard and the Bruin pom squad in addition to several guest speakers. The event was meant to build positive momentum heading into the new academic year and most assuredly did that.
“It's always so nice to see everyone and feel the excitement in the air,” said Madison Middle School principal Lexie Radebaugh of the rally. “And, you could really feel the excitement. It was a nice, uplifting feeling.”
The BPSD's annual Back to School Rally always features a special guest speaker, and handling the role with great aplomb on Tuesday was Franklin P.Schargel, a noted author educator, staff developer, trainer and consultant. He focused his speech on the importance of building world-class schools and educating every student while preventing dropouts.
“I'm here as a seed planter,” said Schargel during his presentation of the ideas he was sharing with the audience. “Hopefully, after I leave, you'll go on to have some productive discussions.”
The superintendent of the Bartlesville Public School District , Dr. Gary W. Quinn spoke immediately before Schargel and talked about the importance of dropout prevention. A special dropout prevention committee was formed within the district last year and released a special report on addressing the problem within the BPSD in June. The stated goal of the district is to cut its total number of dropouts by 90 percent in three years. During the 2008-09 academic year, 23 students dropped out of Bartlesville High School .
Following the rally, all BPSD employees were able to pick up complimentary T-shirts bearing the Bruin logo and the district's theme for the 2009-10 academic year. There was another special gift for those in the Bruin family as well, silicone bracelets with a special message in keeping with the dropout prevention theme: “It's Great To Graduate: No Bruin Left Behind.”
“We are all responsible to keep our students in school and to assist them toward graduation,” said Quinn during his rally address. “I am asking each site to develop a plan on what you are doing to do to assist the ‘potential dropouts' to stay in school.
“The good news is that we are on pace to reduce the number from last year to this year significantly.”
The BPSD's 2009-10 Back to School Rally opened with the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 3 presenting the colors and leading everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance before giving way to the Bruin Brigade Marching Band for a performance of the National Anthem. Senior Kim Gray delivered a fine rendition of “God Bless America ” as she was joined on stage by members of the Bruin Color Guard.
As was the case last year, former educators with the Bartlesville Public School District were recognized during the rally as a group for the fine contributions they had made.
In addition to Schargel and Quinn, the special speakers at the rally included Bartlesville Board of Education president Marta Manning, Bartlesville Education Association president Stacy Gerth and Bartlesville Education Classified Personnel Organization president Robert Snellgrove.
During his address, Schargel, a New York native who now lives in New Mexico , noted that Oklahoma has a graduation rate (70.8 percent) which exceeds the national average (70.6 percent). Still, an estimated 14,600 students drop out of Sooner State schools every year. Studies show that dropouts are more likely than high school graduates to be unemployed, in poor health, living in poverty, on public assistance, and single parents with children who drop out of high school.
“Education isn't expensive,” said Schargel, “ignorance is.”
The Bartlesville Public School District 's 2009-10 Back to School Rally was all about building positive momentum among its educators as they head into the new academic year, which began Wednesday. The event helped to bring home the fact that it most assuredly is a great time to be a Bruin.
Members of the Bruin Color Guard perform during the Bartlesville Public School District's 2009-10 Back to School Rally on Aug. 11 in the Fine Arts Center auditorium on the Bartlesville High School campus. Below, keynote speaker Franklin P. Schargel addresses the audience.
