On Saturday, November 16th, the Jones Academy Youth Council and students took part in the Hartshorne Veterans Day parade. With a long history of alumni and staff who have served in the military, Jones Academy proudly honors our Veterans and all those who have served our country!
This week, Jones Academy Library hosted a sponsored Scholastic book fair, made possible through the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS). Each student received 5 free books of their choice. Classrooms, dormitories and the library also received free books. Yakoke, IMLS!
On Saturday, November 9th, a group of our students traveled to Durant to attend the Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SOSU) tailgate and football game. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's Freshman Year Initiative invited Jones Academy to join in the university’s tailgate tradition, which included games, food, and performances by the band before the game. The students also had the opportunity to tour the campus and explore what SOSU has to offer. The day concluded with SOSU’s Savage Storm football team competing against Arkansas Tech, where they unfortunately fell short of securing a victory.
Jones Academy Elementary students are learning about the election process and how important it is to exercise their right to vote through a mock election.
Jones Academy students joined 1600 high school juniors and seniors at the 2024 Choctaw Nation Career Expo in McAlester, OK, on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The event was an opportunity for students to explore career and educational options after high school. Over 100 vendors representing employment, service organizations, colleges, universities, trade schools, and the armed services met with prospective students to discuss various vocations and fields of professions. Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton, Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr., and other featured speakers offered encouraging words of wisdom and timely advice to the youth in attendance. A great shout out to the Choctaw Nation. Thank you!
*September Students of the Month*
Rylee Powell is a proud member of the Seminole Tribe. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family.
Xavier Ochoa is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, drawing, and spending time with friends and family. After high school, he plans to attend Haskell Indian Nations University to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. His goal is to build a successful career to support his family and travel the world.
Anayah Sankey-Moore is a 3rd grade student in Mrs. Well's class. Anayah is a member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho tribe. Her favorite color is blue, and she enjoys playing outside with friends, reading, and dancing! When Anayah grows up, she wants to be a dancer.
Leyon Watkins is a 1st grade student in Mrs. Ketchum's class. Leyon is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. His favorite color is red, and he enjoys playing video games as well as playing outside with his friends. When Leyon grows up, he wants to be a police officer.
Our students participated in Indigenous Day activities in McAlester, OK last week. The event, which was sponsored by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, included a parade march, cultural activities, a stick ball demonstration and a traditional evening meal.
During the first week of October, four students and three staff members from Jones Academy attended the National American Indian Science and Engineering Society conference in San Antonio, TX. The students participated in various STEM activities, attended sessions covering a wide variety of STEM subjects, and had the opportunity to network in different rooms. They also attended a college and career fair. The conference focuses on educational, professional, and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands. The event concluded with dinner and a fashion show at the closing banquet, followed by a Pow wow.
Jones Academy Elementary Library recently hosted a Book Tasting for students in 1st through 6th grades. The library was decorated as “Starbooks Cafe” for 4th through 6th. Students had a cookie and "Starbooks Tea" as they "tasted" books in various Dewey decimal numbers. 1st through 3rd grade students became chefs in “Bistro Read-A-Lot, where they decorated a sticker pizza and had cookies and drinks, while they "tasted" fiction and nonfiction books and series. Thanks to JA Cafeteria for providing cookies for our event! This event was funded by The Institute of Libraries and Museums.
Four high school students from Jones Academy are participating in the AISES National Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The photos showcase our students engaging in various science and cultural activities with conference representatives. The girls focused on coding robots and traditional beading, while the boys concentrated on researching sustainable energy. They built several windmills to enhance turbine wind speed as a way to model efficient power generation.
Students took the opportunity to show their hogs at shows in Ft. Smith and the Tulsa State Fair.
Jones Academy offers students the opportunity to raise award winning hogs by feeding, cleaning pens, exercising, and brushing the hogs all the while gaining a valuable understanding of hard work.
August Students of the Month
Maya Baker is a proud member of both the Choctaw and Cherokee tribes. She enjoys reading, being outdoors, and hanging out with her friends. Her plans for the future include finishing high school, going to Julliard School of Performing Arts to pursue a degree in acting. She later wants to get another degree in culinary arts and business to open her own bakery when she retires from acting.
Malakai Franklin is a proud member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting and hanging out with his friends. His plans for the future are to graduate high school, go to college and get a degree in business. He plans on owning his own trucking company one day.
Joseph Scott is a 6th grade student in Mrs. Martin's class. Joseph Scott is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. His favorite color is dark red, and he enjoys playing with LEGOS, playing video games, and exploring nature. When Joseph Scott grows up, he wants to be a YouTuber.
Amerianna Sankey-Moore is a 1st grade student in Mrs. Ketchum's class. Amerianna is a member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho tribe. Her favorite color is pink, and she enjoys playing outside! When Amerianna grows up, she wants to a police officer.
3rd-6th Grade Basketball Games for Thursday the 26th at Jones Academy Gym.
Our Lego Education Club is now active and running! Yakoke for the support from IMLS (Institute of Museums and Library Services) for the grant funding. Students come together after school to learn and build during the Lego Education Club. #lego #playwell
Jones Academy students took part in the Youth Fitness Challenge during the Tvshka Homma Labor Day Festival. Students competed in dodgeball, tug of war and several other activities during the evening.
Some of our 2024 graduates from Jones Academy have settled into their dorms and have begun their Fall Semester with enthusiasm to make the most of the year and take on the world. All 8 of our JA graduates are attending college, a trade school, or working.
It is Student Council election week at Jones Academy and the campaigning is in full swing. Students are learning what is takes to be a candidate, how the election process works, and the importance of letting their voices be heard.
The Jones Academy library is open for the year and thriving! Our librarian, Sierra McAfee, has been actively engaging students by using our book vending machine and making her first round of Literati book deliveries to the dormitories with our mobile library bicycle. *These projects are funded by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS).*
We're excited to announce that the Jones Academy Library has been awarded the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS) Basic Library grant! These funds will be used to bring Lego Education to our Library, complementing our existing MakerSpace. Exciting things are underway at Jones Academy! Yakoke to everyone who contributed to making this project a reality!
PSA: Jones Academy will be testing its warning system today. Several tests may be conducted throughout the day.
