Dear Spartan Families,
As I was standing outside one of our elementary schools during this morning’s downpour, I overheard a young student joke to his friend, “God is using his Super Soaker this morning.” They both laughed and gave me a high five as they walked through the door - a bit soggy and disheveled - but otherwise filled with joy. Their smiles persisted inside to join those of dozens of other students (and a few teachers) dancing to festive music playing from the school speakers.
Shortly thereafter, another student came up to me to show me the two medals around his neck that he earned at the state Special Olympics yesterday. He and his teacher were both beaming with pride. A few days ago, a sixth grade ‘friend’ at the same school sent me a video to wish me a happy birthday - it’s a “tradition” we started four years ago when we first met. It’s now something I cherish every year.
At our BHS graduation Wednesday evening, I was honored to share some brief remarks to our seniors and pose with them for a final picture before they head off to begin the next phase of their lives. I am continually impressed by the intelligence, wit, and amiable nature of so many of our high school students. It makes me very optimistic about the future of our community and state.
These are just a sampling of the real stories that help explain why I absolutely love being an educator in Bixby and serving as your superintendent. Of course, I am biased, so I believe we are the best school district in Oklahoma, certainly not due to anything I’ve done, but because of our amazing teachers, phenomenal coaches, hard-working school leaders, and dedicated support employees.
I also reflect daily on just how intelligent, talented, friendly, and kind our Bixby students are. I recognize this doesn’t happen by accident. They develop those qualities at home - through your daily teaching, guidance, love, modeling and encouragement. It is our privilege to work with you every day to educate and inspire your kids to reach their full potential, both in and out of the classroom. We are so fortunate that you choose to share your children with us and we strive to continually earn your trust.
This year was very much a return to normalcy after the disrupted years of the COVID pandemic. It was wonderful to see our parents and families back on our campuses and in our classrooms. The support of our PTOs, booster clubs, volunteers, and community partners is simply outstanding. Thank you!
As we close the books on this school year, I am more excited than ever about the direction we are moving as a district and as a community. It is no surprise that Bixby has become a destination for many young families. This growth is both a blessing and a challenge, but it is one we fully embrace. As a district, we are committed to growing “in the right way,” which means doing all we can to continue to “feel small” by providing a safe, comfortable, nurturing learning environment for every child, every day, even as the number of students we serve increases.
The next few years will undoubtedly be fast-moving and exciting. With the rapidly changing workforce needs of our society, we must continue to introduce innovative ideas for teaching and learning to ensure our students are well-prepared for the jobs and careers of the future. We remain accountable to you and your children to teach the requisite skills and knowledge they need to learn for academic success, while also promoting engagement, creativity, curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in every classroom.
We are moving quickly to implement the key projects associated with last year’s bond issue. We are nearly finished with the classroom expansion at our West Campus, recently completed our new track building, and added new bleachers as phase one of our stadium expansion. This summer, we will be working on HVAC, furniture, and flooring upgrades at our North campuses and have scheduled interior painting and playground enhancements for several schools
By late summer, we will break ground on a new gym at East intermediate and begin adding additional sidewalk canopies at multiple schools across the district. The district will also begin a 20,000 sq foot expansion of the Home of the Spartans athletic facility this fall. And, of course, we continue work on the new High School Academic Building which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2024. A current exterior rendering is shown below.
It is a great time to be a Bixby Spartan. We appreciate your strong support and encouragement of our teachers and schools.
I hope you and your families have a safe and positive summer break. We will miss your kids and look forward to seeing them back in August!
Learn Well. Live with Honor. Go Spartans!
Best wishes,
Rob Miller
Superintendent