B i x b y H i g h S c h o o l n e w s l e t t e r s u m m e r 2 0 2 3
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BPS Art Spotlight:
Take a look at this small sampling of amazing art made by students throughout the Bixby district recently showcased at our first ever Bixby Fine Arts Fair! A huge shoutout to our amazing art teachers at each campus for their work with all our students!
Mayfest Piano
by Julie Jankowski, HS Art Teacher
Bixby High School art students wanted to create a piano design that illustrated "Old School Justice League/DC" characters With the stresses of school and social issues within our culture today, students wanted to design something fun and laid back to take their mind off of everyday life. The saying by Batman, "You are stronger than you think. Trust Me" is something our students need to hear from time-to-time
The top was designed by several Bixby HS students by printing off colored comic scenes from the 1970's and mod-podging them onto the piano We diluted paint to create the soft layer on top of the comics and then added the logos of each super hero within the Justice League. The top was finished with a layer of epoxy to help protect it from the weather Senior and AP Studio Art Student Carlos Escobedo drew and painted most of the designs onto the piano sides and back He stayed late many days to finish his vision that you see today. I am very proud of all of his hard work on this piano in addition to the many students who stepped up to make this happen. I am proud to be their teacher and a Bixby Spartan!
B a n d a n d
Instrumental Music
BEEF Scholarsh Winners
We are very proud of these s and all their accomplishmen year, including winning scho awards from the Bixby Educ Endowment Foundation
Congratulations Isaac Haas, Haas, Raegan Hula, Carter L Amelia Shoemake, Gabrielle and Gideon Trenary!
Bixby Bands
International Band Champions
Limerick International Band Championship
Bixby Bands in Ireland!
A YEAR IN REVIEW
Your Bixby High School Choir has had quite the year! From the participation in the Northeast Oklahoma Choral Directors All-District Choir to our phenomenal Pops Concert on May 9, we have grown and sung and sung and sung.
Members of the Ambassador Choir before singing for a University of Tulsa women ’ s basketball game.
Student Emma Goff and BHS Choir’s Collaborative Pianist Cynthia John pose after a successful Masterworks Concert in March.
The BHS Mixed Choir prepares to take a welldeserved bow during May’s Pops Concert.
A trio of BHS Choir Seniors pose for a portrait in their caps and gowns.
The speech and debate team had a banner year at the state tournament. We brought 15 students to the state championship and had 5 make the top 8 in their categories.
Congratulations to Joseph Graver, Natalie Lane, Kyle Steward, Kacie Moore, and Macie Dunham! And thank you to the Drama Booster Club for providing goody bags for all our state-qualifiers. Our most competitive speech and debate students competed at the open-division district tournament for a shot at the national tournament this summer. Congratulations to Ellie Blankenship and Lilliana Branson for their success, and good luck in Phoenix!
The school musical was a roaring success this year. Over 75 students were involved with participation from the Band, the Choir, the Drama Department, and Dance. The cast, crew, and musicians worked together to bring the classic story of Oklahoma! to life for a total audience of over 600 people. We want to thank all the parents, administration, and community members who worked so hard to make this experience special for all these talented students.
O k l a h o m a !
R o d g e r s & H a m m e r s t e i n ' s
ne Arts?
Being involved in both band and drama has taught me some incredible things, such as creativity, risk-taking, collaboration, and many other life skills Some of the best memories that I will remember forever are from a show or a rehearsal I was a part of. I have learned that a career in theater or music is possible, and that a passion for the arts doesn't have to stop at the high school level. My education through Bixby Fine Arts has shaped my future in more ways than I ever could have imagined
Natalie Lane, senior
When I first joined, I was only in band. I didn't know what to think about band at the time, but now I'm grateful that I joined. It lead me to life in the Fine Arts, got me to join dance/color guard, and I ended up being the featured baton twirler and was even shown on Bands of America These programs have helped shape me in a positive way I found how to express myself Being a part of Fine Arts programs helped me when I experienced the worst things, and it was my place to escape and show who I am.
Isaac Yazzie, senior
Being a part of the band program for the past six years has given me so many opportunities. In my time playing flute, I have gained confidence, invaluable leadership skills, and numerous lifetime friends. The Fine Arts program at Bixby is unlike any other Every day you learn something new while being surrounded by a family of musicians I am so grateful for how well this school continues to equip me for the future and my career path as a music educator!
BHS Choir is important to me because it is the first choir I have been in that feels like a community rather than just a group of people singing. I have learned so much, and I now have a whole new appreciation for music and myself I have gained so much confidence from being in choir Before BHS choir I hadn't really viewed music as a language you could read; it was just notes that you memorized. I now read music better, and I have a new understanding of it. I never planned on pursuing music as a career or even in college, but being in choir has made me completely rethink that While I have been in choirs before, these past two years I have come to love choir so much, and I don't see how I could just stop after high school
Lilli Fowler, sophomore
