Jenks Public Schools - A Tradition of Excellence with a Vision for Tomorrow.

A day of inclusion, leadership, and Trojan connection at the St. John Ascension SportPlex!
Earlier this week, students from Jenks Northwest Young Athletes, the Special Olympics team, Project Unify, and Jenks High School joined together for this special event, bringing students from all grades together to connect and learn from one another. Students also got an exciting visit from FC Tulsa players, who met with students, signed autographs, and made the event even more memorable!

Congrats to these sensational students from the Jenks High School Theatre program for earning superior ratings at the Oklahoma Thespian Festival in the areas of group scenes, duets scene, and make up design. One student—Gwendolyn Varnell—captured Best in Show in the category of stage management for "The Crucible." Several of these students will compete at the national level at the University of Indiana in June. Proud of you, Trojans!

March Madness started early at Jenks Middle School! 🏀
JMS Student Council hosted the annual Teacher vs. 8th Grade Basketball Teams game, and it was a battle until the final buzzer. Teachers got the W and some serious bragging rights. Good game, Trojans!

Dr. Butterfield got a front-row seat to the creativity and collaboration happening at Jenks Southeast Elementary! 🎨🎵
First stop: Ms. Faber’s incredible music class! Kindergarteners and 2nd graders teamed up for a play-long experience, bringing stories to life with instruments. They drummed, shook maracas, and tapped xylophones along to books Rumble in the Jungle and A Frog in the Bog. It was a perfect mix of music, collaboration, and storytelling! Next, we explored art, where students were crafting colorful circle weavings, and 4th graders transformed wire hangers, buttons, fabric, yarn, and plastic into one-of-a-kind Scrappy Sculptures. Thanks for the great visit, JSE!

The Jenks Public Schools Board of Education voted to approve Thursday, May 21 as the last day of school for the 2025-26 school year.

JPS used four (4) weather days (January 26-29), and those days must be made up at the end of the school year. The last day of school is moved from May 15 to May 21.

View the updated 2025-26 calendar:
https://www.jenksps.org/o/jenksps/page/jps-calendars

Behind every successful school day is a team of dedicated professionals whose work often happens outside the spotlight but makes all the difference for students, staff, and families. The 2025-26 JPS Classified Employees of the Year represent the very best of this essential workforce. Selected by their school sites and departments, these outstanding individuals are recognized for their exceptional work ethic, positive attitude, and unwavering commitment to supporting the daily operations that help our schools thrive.

We are thrilled to announce the 2025-26 Classified Employees of the Year!

Cathy Miner
Administrative Assistant
East Elementary

Dana Knight
Paraprofessional
Northwest Elementary

Chelsea Tichenor
Teacher Assistant
Southeast Elementary

Albirda Square
Paraprofessional
West Elementary

Lacrisha Denver
Permanent Substitute
East Intermediate

Katelyn Bartha
Paraprofessional
West Intermediate

Bill Tildsley
Site Maintenance
Jenks Middle School

Miranda Garrigus
Site Administrative Assistant
Freshman Academy

Angela Seibal
Administrative Assistant
Jenks High School

Vatsany Norinh
Child Nutrition Worker
Child Nutrition

David Conrad
Revenue and Purchasing Coordinator
Community Education

Jamie Resendiz
District Insurance and Benefits Coordinator
Education Service Center

Bryan Dooley
General Maintenance
Facilities Management

Joshua Simpson
District Police Officer
Jenks Public Schools Police Department

Pamela Higgs
Administrative Assistant
Technology

Missy Gibbs
Bus Driver and Administrative Assistant
Transportation

Matt O'Bannon
Warehouse Delivery
Printing/Warehousing Services

3️⃣4️⃣ student authors
3️⃣0️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ word goal
3️⃣0️⃣ days of writing
Jenks West Intermediate students who completed National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) were celebrated this morning! Over the course of 30 days, these students set goals, participated in writing and creativity workshops, and dedicated time at school and home to bring their stories to life. Now they are officially published authors, with their autographed books becoming part of the JWI library collection. Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment, Trojans!

You might have seen Taylor Swift, King Tut, Jacqueline Kennedy, and LeBron James visiting Jenks Southeast Elementary today… but it was actually JSE 4th graders! Today, students presented their People of Purpose projects, sharing research on influential figures who have made a difference in the world. Dressed as the people they studied, students brought their learning to life while teaching others about the impact these individuals have made. Great job, Trojans!

Jenks High School STUCO officers and members of Student Body Leadership recently returned from the 2026 LEAD Conference in Washington D.C. where they connected with 2,000+ students from across the country. Through hearing from keynote speakers, attending breakout sessions, and listening to ideas from other schools, these Trojans brought back valuable lessons on shaping school culture and personal growth. The sights from around our nation's capital only added to this incredible experience!

Instruction + Assessment + Collaboration = Impact

Dr. Luis Cruz joined JPS today to guide certified staff through a meaningful day of professional development centered on our District's mission and vision. His leadership reinforced how intentional instruction, aligned assessment, and strong professional learning teams work together to support every student. Thank you, Dr. Cruz, for investing in our educators and our students.

REMINDER: Tomorrow-Friday, February 27-is a Distance Learning Day for students and a Collaboration Day for staff.
All students will stay home tomorrow to participate in distance learning. There is no in-person instruction tomorrow. Staff members will use this time for collaboration, professional development, and strategizing to support students.

Students in grades Pre-K-2 will bring home assignments today, while students in grades 3-12 will access assignments via Canvas. Watch this video for a full explanation of what to expect on Distance Learning Days at Jenks Public Schools.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9BcJEDqa1M

The remaining Distance Learning Days for 2025-26 are:
Friday, February 27
Friday, April 17

Big Trojans, little Trojans, and one hilarious performance at Jenks Southeast Elementary this morning! The Jenks High School Trojan Players visited JSE to perform "Stories from an Elementary Classroom," which had everyone laughing, including teachers! Storytelling at its finest!

Jenks East Elementary 1st graders took their learning to the next level with a hands-on visit to the Discovery Lab! Students explored the science of sound waves through interactive experiments, such as making rice dance with a tuning fork, creating melodies on a water xylophone, and using forks and string to hear vibrations travel right to their ears. 🎶👂

This unforgettable experience was made possible through the Growing Through the Arts initiative, funded by the Jenks Public Schools Foundation, bringing unique arts experiences to students from Pre-K through 11th grade.

Jenks Middle School eighth graders prepared for their futures at the Junior Achievement of Oklahoma Inspire Career Exploration, where hands-on experiences brought a wide range of careers to life. From operating heavy equipment to diving into health sciences and media production, students connected with industry professionals and discovered pathways they may have never considered. Thank you to JA Inspire and all the local partners who are helping our Trojans build confidence and career readiness early.

ICYMI...The boys and girls swimming teams from Jenks High School are state champs (again)! Both squads margin of victory was more than 100 points in another dominant display of talent. The girls successfully defended their title and have now won 5 of the last 7 state tournaments with a total of 16 championships in program history. For the boys, it's a three-peat, their 7th title in the past 8 years and 24th overall (most of any Jenks athletic program). Join us in congratulating our Trojan swimmers and coaches!

It is an exclusive honor. Only 100 seniors from public high schools across the state earn the distinction of 2026 Oklahoma Academic All-State Scholar from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Jenks High School has six students—second most of any high school in Oklahoma—named to the prestigious list.

Tej Beniwal, Krishna Bhadriraju, Cody Brown, Aiden Hoskin, Sahil Patel, and Emma Zhang will each receive a $1,500 merit-based scholarship and be honored at the annual Academic Awards Celebration in May in Oklahoma City.

Academic All-Staters are selected based on academic achievement, leadership, and community service, as well as letters of recommendation and an essay submitted by each nominee. Join us in congratulating these Trojans!

Take a glimpse into Dr. Butterfield’s visit to Jenks West Elementary, where she spent time in Ms. Greenwood and Ms. Ybarra’s pre-K classrooms. A great reminder that the future starts right here with our tiniest Trojans. There’s nothing quite like the joy of visiting with preschoolers!

Kindness Week is underway across the district, with students joining in meaningful celebrations at every site! Today at Jenks West Elementary, students kicked off the day with a Wizard of Oz–themed parade, as students dressed in yellow or as their favorite characters from the classic movie. Through the magic of Oz, they’ll explore how kindness, courage, and heart can make a meaningful impact on those around them. 💛

A helping hand for heroes. Members of STUCO and Student Body Leadership at Jenks High School have been gathering donations, assembling furniture, and getting a home move-in ready for veterans. This effort is only one part of the partnership between JHS leaders and Heroes Hope, a non-profit organization providing restoration, housing, mentorship and life-changing resources to veterans in need.

During DUB Week (Donate yoUR Best) April 27-May 1, and in events leading up to DUB Week, STUCO is hosting events, raising money, and bringing the entire Jenks community together to support Heroes Hope and the opportunities they create for the men and women who have proudly served our country.

Learn more about DUB Week here https://www.jenksdubweek.com/ and learn more about Heroes Hope here https://heroeshope.net/

An unforgettable author visit at Northwest Elementary! JNWE welcomed Tami Sauer as she shared her Top 10 Writing Secrets and emphasized the power of imagination. Students acted out scenes from Mostly Monsterly and participated in an interactive game of “Guess the Word,” creating a memorable celebration of storytelling. Thank you, Tami, for inspiring our students to let their imaginations lead the way! ✨