July 8, 2020 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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~~ & Z Since 1901 Wednesday, July 8, 2020 Weekday Edition New ECHS principal ready to get started New Elk City Elementary School Principal Haley Price, left, poses at her desk in her office at the school, while new Elk City High School Principal Jamie McClure stands on New elementary principal sees some steps inside the Pioneer Center. herself as ‘teacher of teachers’ Staff photos by Don Munsch. By Don Munsch, Editor dents learn better. I’m able to take what I Haley Price moves into the principal of- learn from the classroom and apply it to my fice this year at Elk City Elementary School position here. But instead of 25 kids, it’s 841 By Don Munsch, Editor “[ think it’s always kind of been in my after serving as the assistant principal. kids being impacted.” ‘A new principal will be at Elk City High blood,” McClure said about his decision to But as someone who had several years of Price spent a year in the assistant princi- School this coming school year, but he won’t go into education. “My dad has always been pal role at the school. She replaces Amanda be a new face on campus. a teacher and I started out in the business experience in the classroom, she describes Friesen, who is now an assistant principal at Jamie McClure, formerly assistant princi- world and did some different things. I just al- her job as principal in a particular way. pal at ECHS, takes over the principal office, ways loved the people who kind of impacted “I think of my job, more or less, as I’m Elk City High School. replacing Jeff Lewallen, who left the high my life and that I still relied on or called on “When I went back to school in 2016, that not managing people — I’m a teacher of school to take a job at Western Technology for advice, and they were my teachers and was my aspiration — to become a principal,” teachers,” she said. “And so, my classroom Center. McClure graduated from Elk City coaches.” Price said. “So I was excited to join the staff experience allows me to help our teachers last year as an assistant principal. I guess I’m High School and then attended Pratt Com- McClure decided to go into teaching, and become better teachers themselves. I know even more excited this year to become the munity College in Kansas for two years and he just finished his 17th year in education, how students learn, and that helps me, when leader of the school.” then finished at Southwestern Oklahoma with his first five years spent in Piedmont. we go in to the observation-evaluation, that As an assistant principal, she saw how State University, where he also earned his He was a teacher and coach there. McClure helps me help them know how to their stu- See Elementary page 2. master’s degree. See High school page 2. Superintendent Elk City celebrates July Fourth excited about new campus leaders By Don Munsch, Editor Elk City Public Schools Superintendent Rick Garrison said a goal ofhis is to foster leadership and grow leaders in the school district. The school district recently announced campus leaders at the elementary and high school. “T think through all the system, with how this thing turned out with Ms. [Amanda] Friesen and Mr. [Jamie] McClure and now with Ms. [Haley] Price, we’re just fortunate we got to groom some good leaders and good people who had the talent and ability and had love for the community and our kids,” he said, “It wasn’t an easy process, but it sure makes it more pleasurable when you have people in your district of that caliber.” McClure is the new principal at Elk City High School. Knox Marcum, 2, of Elk City, left, tried his hand with sparklers with parents Kade and Karter Price is the new Elk City Elementary School principal, re- Marcum nearby, while, later, fireworks light up the Elk City sky during the Fourth of July placing Friesen, who is now an assistant principal at the show held Saturday night at Ackley Park West. Photos by Terri Chervenka. high school, Concerning McClure’s strengths, Garrison made an analogy to how McClure used to be a baseball coach and that the assistant principal gets a lot of at-bats, OU, OSU home football games are vital for or problems, to deal with daily that can help down the line. “He has some real abilities to work with people, work with our parents, work with our kids and our faculty,” Gar- many businesses in Norman, Stillwater rison said. “He has proven that as an assistant principal and By Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman “We've got to have football,” said Dustin MacDonald, so that made it a pretty easy decision for us to give him that College football Saturdays are big business at O’Connell’s owner of Chris’ University Spirit in Stillwater. “You gotta opportunity.” in Norman. pray and pray hard that we have college football because McClure always weighs his decisions on what’s best for OU fans pour into the historic Campus Corner bar and if we don’t, I don’t know what the economic outlook looks students. grill whether the Sooners are at home or on the road. like for us and other businesses. Restaurants, hotels, we all “Tn everything he does, this is always his benchmark,” It’s the same at Eskimo Joe’s in Stillwater for OSU fans. depend on that. Garrison said, For home games, fans stream into not only restaurants but “If that means wearing a mask, having hand-washing sta- With Price, her work ethic and passion stand out, Gar- apparel stores, boutiques and other stores near the campuses. tions everywhere, we’ve got to have people again somehow, rison said. Price had an opportunity to prove herself in her With the prospect of a season severely impacted - or even some way.” first year as an assistant principal at Elk City Elementary canceled or postponed - by the COVID-19 pandemic, busi- While athletic departments across the country have been School last year. ness owners in these areas are trying to prepare for some- deeply affected by the pandemic, cutting costs and in some See Excited page? hing that not only is unprecedented but unknown. See Football page 2. 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