Learning with Leaming

Story by Adam Leaming, Ponca City Public Schools/Contributing Writer

January is here and your local school district is in high gear to welcome back teachers, students, and our support staff. We want to kick start 2022 with a bang, and we have laid out ambitious goals for the upcoming calendar year. How ambitious? We will be kicking off sixteen (16) different projects over the next twelve months. These projects are not inclusive of all the work the district does on an annual basis but are some of the larger projects you will see as an engaged citizen in our community.

When our bond issue passed on October 12th, the real work urgently kicked off. We’ve been and are still actively designing and meeting multiple times each week to bring these projects from dreams to reality. Now that it’s January we’re ready to roll with three projects at the conclusion of the school year in May. You will see work kicking off at Lincoln, Union, and the high school this summer.

Lincoln and Union are set to receive a number of refreshes including bathrooms, flooring, and quality of life upgrades for our students and staff. Each of these projects have been identified through extensive needs assessments and input from students, staff, and the community.

Before we even get into summer you will see dirt work this spring to build a new pad site for the Garfield Elementary playground. This project will help with water drainage from the building to the detention pond while allowing us to finally get Garfield a playground built for their students behind their school.

Speaking of playgrounds, our hope is that each of the elementary schools and Pre-K center will have their playgrounds installed and ready to go by the first day of school in August. Design work is ongoing on this project, and we’re hoping we can kick this project off as soon as regular warm temperatures return to Ponca City. Eight new playground structures with a soft solid poured in place surfacing are set to be purchased and installed for each of our youngest students in Ponca City to enjoy in the fall.

The high school will see a flurry of activity as we’re poised to refresh half of the bathrooms over the summer, with the remaining restrooms to be refreshed in 2023. These bathrooms will bring a much-needed face lift to the services we have available for our students. In addition to bathrooms, the high school commons will have new glass installed in the commons to go with new flooring. The tile floor from the late 90s will be going away and a new flooring design will add dimension and increase the visual appeal of our commons area.

The Anderson building will begin its complete interior demolition as we prepare to rebuild an amazing new STEM area for our high school students to enjoy by August of 2024. New fire alarm upgrades and a new intercom system are set to be deployed throughout the high school and campus.

Other notable projects that will kickoff this year in our school district will be in late fall of 2022 and they include our Concert Hall classroom addition and the dirt work of our indoor multipurpose facility and new turfed athletic field. Both of these projects will add additional square footage that the district can utilize to serve students.

Our aim is to serve our students and the citizens of Ponca City. I take a great deal of pride in our facilities and the individuals charged to help us maintain them. We strive to create facilities that work for our students and staff. In 2022, our goal is to continue with that focus as we break ground on each of these new projects for our community.

7PC Main Street Winter Blues Sale Downtown PONCA CITY ALL WEEKEND The Winter Blues Sale is a great time to snag all those items on your Christmas list that didn’t make it under the tree. In-store deals, events, & hours will vary with each participating merchant. Check with your favorite local merchants to see what exciting offers are up for grabs to start your year off in style!

The Taming of the Shrew Ponca Playhouse 301 S 1st St PONCA CITY

7:30PM The Ponca Playhouse is proud to present The Taming of the Shrew, January 14-16 and 21-23, 2022. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm and Sunday Matinees at 2:00 pm.

The Taming of the Shrew, is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous comedies, depicting the tumultuous courtship of Petruchio and Katherine. This comedy has been retold many times, most popularly in the Cole Porter musical Kiss Me Kate and more recently in 10 Things I Hate About You. Enjoy the courtship of Petruchio and Kate, while watching the suitors vie for Katherine’s younger sister, Bianca. Directed by the capable hand of Meghann Borum, with costumes by Emily Rose Parman, you do not want to miss The Taming of the Shrew in 2022 at the Ponca Playhouse.

Tickets will be available beginning Jan. 3 on the website poncaplayhouse. com or at the door. Ponca Playhouse members can email or call the Playhouse at 580.765.5360 to reserve their seats. Masks are welcomed in the theater. We hope you will come and Play with us!

7:30PM Ponca City Concert Series Thalea String Quartet PONCAN THEATER

The Four O’Clock Garden Club Home of Jane Thomason

9:30AM The Four O’Clock Garden Club will hold its January 2022 meeting in the home of Jane Thomason at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 26. Co-hostesses are Betsy Carter and Sheila Kirkpatrick. Refreshments will be served prior to the general meeting. Kay Zang, Quilter, member Pioneer Area Quilters Guild, will be the guest speaker. Kay will present a program on what she says is her calling - an endeavor of love - making “Quilts of Valor” for Ponca City Veterans. This is a members-only event.

Mutt Gala Northern Oklahoma Humane Society MARLAND MANSION

7PM The Mutt Gala is a fundraising event hosted for the benefit of the Northern Oklahoma Humane Society. Guests from all over will gather to show off their most extravagant alter ego fashions. This event features a dress code that screams extraordinary. From body paint to fantasy to full-drag, your alter-ego is welcome! For more information, follow us @nokhumane on Facebook and Instagram.

The Thalea String Quartet is dedicated to bringing timeless music to audiences from all walks of life by connecting on a musical, emotional and personal level. They have performed in prestigious venues like the Kennedy Center, Massey Hall, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall as well as served as Associated Artists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium. The quartet members are also dedicated educators and share their commitment to teaching and community engagement. Unique engaging musical experience.

One of Kay’s “Quilts of Valor” that she recently displayed at Grace Episcopal Church Women (ECW) annual fall luncheon - Kay Zang with Diane Beekman assisting.