Hello to all readers! I want to begin by thanking the Sooner Catholic for allowing my co-writer Diana Garcia and I this wonderful opportunity. I also want to thank Principal Kelsey Herman for trusting Diana and I with this big responsibility and letting us write on behalf of our great community.
Spirit Week with the Royals
We recently had our first spirit week hosted by the junior class. It was great getting to see everyone dressed up each day for the different themes.
On Monday, it was camo day, and many people went all out with full-on camo outfits. Tacky Tourist Tuesday was my favorite day because I got to dress normal, and I decided to wear Hawaiian leis. Wednesday was Jersey Day, and many people wore soccer, basketball and baseball jerseys. PJ day Thursday is many of the students’ favorite, because they get to wear their PJs and be comfy all day. Finally, Friday was colors wars where each grade wore a different Cristo Rey color, and we had our pep assembly at the end of the day where students played games against other students and some of the staff as well.
Also, the fall sports were announced. Our fall sports are volleyball, cross country and rowing.
Mental Health Month Here at Cristo Rey OKC, we have two mental health counselors who only focus on the students' mental health and making sure everyone is OK. Once a month, we have a different mental health topic. For the month of September, it was suicide prevention month, and we had an assembly where Dr. Cheryl Delk, manager of Youth Mental Health Program with Mental Health Association of Oklahoma, came to speak to us about ways to prevent suicide.
We watched a video and got to ask questions and converse with the guest speaker. Ms. Chavez, who is one of our health counselors, sends everybody a couple of emails every day to remind us how important it is to be careful with our mental health and the people around us.
A very special staff member
Let me introduce you to Orlene Chaney, the dean of Academic Support and Accountability. When I tell you she is the best, she is literally the best person. She does a lot for our school and stays on top of everything, making sure all the students are doing well academically. She loves students and wants the best for every single one of us. She is also in charge of the esports team. She is a very competitive person and loves to win.
SAT and PSAT
SAT and PSAT testing are coming up. This is all new for the freshmen who will be taking the PSAT test. Sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSAT NMSQT test and seniors will be taking the SAT test.
Also, we have a variety of AP courses and concurrent courses, the latter a program that allows students to take college classes outside of school. All sophomores take AP World History and junior and senior students can choose which AP classes they want to take. Also, junior and senior students can apply for concurrent. All these courses give students valuable opportunities to be more advanced once they go off to college.
Photo: Students from Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School enjoyed their first pep rally of the year. Photo Abby Clanin.