Pryor Public Schools Board of Education members recently spent the day touring campuses across the district, with each stop highlighting student learning, leadership, and growth. Their first visit was to Lincoln Early Childhood Center, where they were welcomed by a group of student guides who led the Board and Administration through classrooms filled with active learning.
Kindergarten students were focused on word recognition, with “girl” as the word of the day, while in nearby rooms, peers worked together in pairs to explore new concepts through pair/share activities. The tour continued through Lincoln Elementary, where upper-grade students demonstrated their understanding of sentence structure. As part of the visit, students challenged the Board to connect classroom activities to one of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, as practiced by Lincoln’s “Eight Houses, One Family” school culture.
At Jefferson Elementary, two upper elementary students served as tour guides, leading the group through vibrant hallway displays showcasing academic goals, particularly in reading. The tour then went outside in the sunshine, where the group visited Jefferson’s greenhouse project. Students shared their excitement about growing vegetables—some of which may even end up on their lunch trays.
While passing by Roosevelt Elementary, Board members viewed the newly installed playground equipment and the improved east-side driveway access, both of which enhance student safety and campus functionality.
Pryor Middle School offered a student-led tour that showcased the creative and academic achievements lining the hallway walls. Board members were treated to a band rehearsal of “Ghosts of the Lost Ship” under the direction of Mr. Collin Stout, and they visited Mr. Campbell’s Gateway to Technology class, where students demonstrated skills in CAD design and 3D printing. The visit concluded with a view of the ongoing construction project that will add new classrooms and modernize the school library.
The final stop was Pryor High School, where PHS Principal Dr. Fielding Elseman greeted the Board. The first tour stop was in Ms. Katie Hendrickson’s AP Language and Composition class. As this year’s PHS Teacher of the Year nominee, Ms. Hendrickson guided students through synthesis essay writing and multiple-choice test preparation. In her College Composition I class, students were collaborating in peer review groups to strengthen draft essays.
Next, in Mrs. Freeman’s Geometry class, Board members observed students participating in a hands-on problem-solving game. Students shared how the new curriculum’s individual notebooks have made note-taking and studying more accessible and effective.
The visit concluded in Mrs. Jenkins’ Biology I class, where students investigated the concept of genetic bottlenecks using the black-footed ferret as a case study. Board members engaged with student groups to discuss how genetic diversity impacts species survival, asking thoughtful questions about their research findings.
This tour offered a firsthand look at how Pryor students are thriving in learning environments that emphasize academic rigor, creativity, leadership, and real-world application.