EDMOND — New online Christian school option for Edmond-area students

America’s newest high school is being built without the assistance of a single architect, engineer or contractor.

When St. Mark’s Academy opens this fall it will be completely online.

A key feature of the school is 24/7 on-demand access to e-instructors. Most of the content-area experts are Master’s or Ph.D-level educators.

In addition, St. Mark’s digital curriculum offers a range of solutions to support students, from pre-high school Foundations level courses through college-level Advanced Placement.

For more information visit the school’s Web site at www.stmarks-

academy.net or call 1-866-296-3140.



11 students attend leadership conference

Eleven selected Edmond high school student leaders met with student leaders from throughout the state June 2-5.

They were among 80 students attending the 2009 Southwest Youth Leadership Conference on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City.

Edmond students attending were Dennis Bond, Tyler Dohrne, Angel Gomez, Eric Hoemann, Jennifer Johnson, Guido Lastra, Paige Minasky, Jullian Riley, Kenton Standard, Daniel Storer and Mirah Wallace.

The annual conference is one of the 29 sponsored nationwide by the Military Order of the World Wars and the Sojourner organization. Other co-sponsors of the Oklahoma conference are the Oklahoma City chapter of Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge and the American Citizenship Center of OC.



North grad receives Sam Walton Community Scholarship

Brittany Todd, a 2009 graduate of North High School, is one of 2,695 students across the United States to receive a 2009 Sam Walton Community Scholarship.

Funded by the Wal-Mart Foundation, this $3,000 scholarship will assist Todd with her tuition, fees, books or on-campus room and board during the 2009-10 academic year.

Todd has had leadership positions including Freshman Class president, DECA Sophomore Representative, Junior Class vice president, Senior DECA Social Chair and Husky Mentor all the while maintaining an unweighted GPA of 3.975. She has served as a church nursery volunteer at Providence Fellowship, participated in Share Fest 2008 and volunteered for many community events as part of the National Honor Society. Her future goals include attending Oklahoma State University and obtaining a degree in interior design.



Edmond North Freshmen raising funds to purchase memorial bench

The Class of 2012 has plans to purchase a bench to be placed outside of the Freshman Academy to leave a legacy signifying that they were the first freshman class to utilize the academy. They have received the approval and support of both the ENHS and EPS administrators to proceed with the project.

“Our plan is to purchase a granite bench with a plaque for approximately $1,600,” said Jesse Mathews, freshman class president.

Class members are asking residents to consider making a tax–deductible donation by sending a check made out to ENHS Class of 2012 to 215 W. Danforth, Edmond, OK 73003.

“We think this project will be a great way to leave our mark on Edmond North High School,” said Cole Parsons, freshman class vice president. Call class sponsor, Ashley Foster at 340-2875 for more information.



2009 Lincoln Essay Contest winners announced

The Oklahoma Humanities Council recognized 15 students as winners of the 2009 Lincoln Essay Contest at a reception April 18 at the Oklahoma History Center. Winners were chosen from 3,000 entries, representing 200 public, private, parochial and home schools in 60 communities statewide. BancFirst and Sonic, America’s Drive-In provided funding for this year’s competition. Cookies bearing Lincoln’s portrait were provided by Kathy Tegart of Cookies by Design in Moore.

In connection with the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial, students were asked to address the subject, “Why should Oklahomans celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth?” At the awards reception, Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, made remarks on the Lincoln legacy in Oklahoma. Students were then invited to tour the History Center.

OHC Assistant Director David Pettyjohn said the contest is an important part of the council’s outreach to K-12 students. “The council recognizes the value of relating the lessons of the past with the issues facing Oklahomans today,” Pettyjohn stated.

Kindergarten through third-grade students participated with drawings; fourth- through twelfth- grade students submitted essays. First, second, and third place winners in each grade category received cash awards of $100, $150 and $200 respectively. Winners included second place winner Daniel Huls from Deer Creek Elementary.



Local high school graduate wins scholarship

Edmond high school graduate Ethan Scott has received a $2,500 scholarship toward his college education from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association and SolidWorks Corporation. Scott will attend Oklahoma State University and plans to major in mechanical engineering.

Scott also will receive the full licensed version of the SolidWorks Student Design Kit CAD software, a Windows-based 3D CAD application that gives students the ability to create “real-life” 3D designs.

The NBT/SolidWorks scholarships are awarded annually to college- or trade school-bound high school seniors who seek careers in manufacturing. This year, scholarships totaling $47,000 were awarded to 26 students from across the country.

To be eligible, applicants were required to be full-time students with a minimum 3.0 GPA (for a college scholarship) or a 2.0 GPA (for a trade/technical school scholarship) enrolled in an engineering or manufacturing-related course of study, or a trade or technical program that may lead to a career in manufacturing.

For more information about scholarship winners and information about next year’s awards, visit www.NutsAndBolts-Foundation.org/Scholarships.cfm.