Broken Arrow Public Schools’ homecoming traditions continually welcomes hundreds of alumni, family and friends back home each fall. The 2022 edition of this year’s celebration is Oct. 3-7, and the theme is “Escape to the Elements.”
In keeping with tradition, the homecoming parade is Thursday, Oct. 6, at 4:45 p.m., and will feature floats and displays from student groups, athletes and community members. The parade begins on Main Street at 1st and College and concludes at the Education Service Center (701 S. Main. Street).
Tigers will host Westmoore High School at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. During the game, a special ceremony will recognize the 2022 Great Graduates. These individuals have brought honor to their community and alma mater through personal and professional accomplishments.
Known as the culminating event, Broken Arrow High School will host its annual homecoming dance on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets will be on sale only online for $20 the week of the dance on 5-Star. Tickets will not be sold at the door. The homecoming dance entry is included in the student All-Access pass, which can be purchased in the high school’s Student Union for $85.
For more information on this year’s homecoming events, please contact the high school’s student activities office at 918-259-8570. For information regarding football tickets, please contact the athletics office at 918-259-5900.
Every fall, the Broken Arrow High School Alumni Association selects a group of “Great Graduates” who exhibit strong leadership skills and remain dedicated to service within their community, bringing honor to their alma mater through personal and professional accomplishments.
This year, joining the ranks of Broken Arrow’s Great Graduates are Bill Cade, Class of 1975; Frankie Catlett, Class of 1990; *Ruth Ann Cooper, Class of 1957; Dr. Kathryn Gardner-Vandy, Class of 2000.
Each will be recognized during homecoming week.
The Broken Arrow High School Alumni Association was revived in 1999, starting the tradition of the Great Graduates. Nominations are solicited throughout the Broken Arrow community for alumni who have modeled a selfless life of achievement and service to others for at least 20 years.
*Denotes recipient being honored posthumously
The Broken Arrow Alumni Association is pleased to introduce the following Great Graduates. Bios provided by Bob Lewis.
Bill Cade – Class of 1975
Bill Cade attended Broken Arrow Public Schools all twelve years. After graduation, he began employment with the City of Broken Arrow in the parks department. After a few months, he transferred to the sanitation department, now called the solid waste and recycling department, where he is currently in a manager position. In the 1980’s, Bill joined the 279th Infantry of the National Guard. After basic training, he returned to his employment at the city while serving in the Guard for six years.
Bill’s care and compassion for children and families prompted him to start the Sanitation Santa program. After seeing a little boy named Chris running behind his bike-riding friends, trying to keep up with them, Bill was moved with compassion. He asked the boy’s mother if he could buy her son a bike for Christmas. “She was overwhelmed that somebody would do that,” Bill said. “And to see that little dude’s face light up! I bought him a bike, and it started right there.”
They have since then delivered Christmas miracles to Broken Arrow children in need, impacting lives of Broken Arrow families for more than 40 years.
Frankie Catlett – Class of 1990
Frankie Catlett is a 1990 graduate of Broken Arrow High School. His wife, Tina Catlett, and he have been married for 26 years and have two children; daughter, Addison, a junior nursing student at Rogers State University and son, Owen, a BA Senior, both following in their father’s footsteps as members of the” Pride of Broken Arrow.” Frankie’s career at Walmart spans 34 years, the last eight years as the manager of the Hillside Store. Frankie’s awards and appointments throughout his years at Walmart are numerous.
Frankie serves on the Broken Arrow Public Schools Long Range Planning Committee, while also serving as president of the BAPS Foundation, which has raised $400k in three years. He was instrumental in BA teachers receiving $15,000 through the Walmart/BAPS Teacher Hero program.
Being a member of the Pride during his school years, Frankie is a Pride Operations Parent and a Pride Chaperone. Frankie is active in community organizations, one of which is the Broken Arrow Police and Fire Departments’ Shop with a Cops program. He has worked with the Timber Ridge Elementary School in securing backpacks for the students there. Through his leadership with Broken Arrow Neighbors, he was able to procure grants for the Back-to-School Supply Drive
Ruth Ann Cooper – Class of 1957 (being honored posthumously)
Ruth Ann was born in Broken Arrow and attended all twelve grades in Broken Arrow Public Schools, graduating in the class of 1957. Numerous classmates advocated for Ruth Ann’s nomination. Many have known and observed her leadership skills for over 70 years and greatly admired her. She continued her education at Northeastern State College and later the University of Tulsa earning her Bachelor of Science degree in education and a master’s degree in Modern Letters.
Ruth Ann taught communication skills for 21 years at Tulsa Public Schools, and then was district curriculum coordinator for language arts, reading and speech arts. An avid reader, Ruth Ann had a keen interest in books about World War II and the fate of European Jews. In 1989, Ruth Ann had an opportunity to join 44 teachers nationwide in studying the Holocaust and Jewish Resistance through a three-week Summer Fellowship Program, being the first teacher from Oklahoma. From there, she developed an extensive teaching guide, “From Holocaust to Hope,” and made it available to educators. She conducted conferences and conventions ranging from Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, to local workshops in Oklahoma City and Broken Arrow. Her curriculum has been distributed nationwide and adaptable for students from sixth grade to adults.
In 2001, the Jewish Federation of Tulsa presented Ruth Ann with the Janusz Korczak Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education.
Dr. Kathryn Gardner-Vandy – Class of 2000
Dr. Kat Gardner-Vandy is a BA Great Graduate who takes flight and shoots for the moon. When at South Intermediate High School, AP History teacher Paul Shaddox said that Gardner-Vandy wrote and thought like a scientist. It is no surprise that Gardner-Vandy moved to Norman, Okla., after graduating from Broken Arrow in the Top 3% of the Class of 2000 to obtain a BS in Geology summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma in 2005. While at OU, she participated in several NASA internships and was awarded the prestigious national Goldwater Scholarship for undergraduate research.
Gardner-Vandy then moved to Tucson, Ariz., to obtain a PhD in Planetary Sciences from the University of Arizona in 2012. While becoming an expert in the study of meteorites, she was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership Fellowship and the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship. Upon completing her doctorate, she did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History where she had the honor of working directly with the Smithsonian’s collection of meteorites.
Now, Gardner-Vandy is an assistant professor of aviation and space at Oklahoma State University where she teaches and studies her two favorite topics: space and flight.
Back for an incredible 14th season, The Spotlight Series presented by AVB Bank returns with a first-class line-up, truly bringing the world to Broken Arrow! ARTSOK Inc.- The Regional Arts Alliance of Broken has been bringing the sounds of concert artists, Broadway favorites and new delights since 2009, partnering with Broken Arrow schools and Visit Broken Arrow. Tickets are available at brokenarrowpac.com or by calling 918-259-5778.
The Manhattan Transfer 50th Anniversary Tour
Oct. 9, 2022
Beginning with their first performances in the early 1970s, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER have become the cornerstones of contemporary music. Originally launched by Tim Hauser in 1969, Hauser, Alan Paul, Janis Siegel and Laurel Masse were the group by 1972. Cheryl Bentyne joined the group in 1979 after Laurel Masse left. Known for their amazing harmony and versatility, incorporating pop, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, swing, symphonic, and a cappella music, the group was signed by the legendary Ahmet Ertegun to Atlantic Records. The group made their recording debut with their self-titled album in 1975. Known primarily as an East Coast cult act, they expanded their following by starring in their own 1975 CBS-TV variety series as a summer replacement for the Cher Bono Show. Starting as an underground group in New York City, The Manhattan Transfer garnered international popularity when “Chanson D’Amour” from the 1976 Coming Out album became a number one hit in Europe.
“Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story”
Oct. 25, 2022
“Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story” tells the true story of Buddy’s meteoric rise to fame, from the moment in 1957 when “That’ll Be The Day” hit the airwaves until his tragic death less than two years later on “The Day The Music Died.” The show features over 20 of Buddy Holly’s greatest hits including “That’ll Be The Day,” “Peggy Sue,” “Everyday,” “Oh Boy,” “Not Fade Away,” “Rave On” and “Raining In My Heart,” plus Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” and The Big Bopper’s “Chantilly Lace.” The incredible legacy of the young man with glasses, whose musical career spanned an all-too-brief period during the golden days of rock & roll, continues to live on in “Buddy.”
Vienna Boys Choir
Nov. 5, 2022
The Vienna Boys Choir, renowned as one of the finest vocal ensembles in the world for over 5 centuries, is a frequent visitor to North America, performing throughout the country in everything from houses of worship to great concert venues like New York’s Carnegie Hall and Chicago’s Symphony Hall. The enormously popular chorus is actually comprised of four separate ensembles of 23 - 26 boys each, totaling 100 choristers at the Vienna Boys Choir’s school at any given time - all of them between the ages of 10 and 14. The four choirs are of equal standing, and the Vienna Boys Choir’s tours, concerts in Vienna and audio and video recording projects are shared among them.
Voctave: Sounds of the Season
Dec. 10, 2022
A cappella sensation Voctave has had over 150 million social media views of their videos, and their latest album, The Spirit of the Season, Deluxe Edition, reached No. 6 on the Billboard charts. Their previous album, The Corner of Broadway & Main Street Vol. 2, debuted at number 3 on the iTunes charts. Formed in 2015 by producer and arranger Jamey Ray, the voices that bring their arrangements to life represent a wealth of diverse backgrounds and musical experiences. Hailing from Central Florida, the eleven members of Voctave have performed across the globe and appear on countless recordings. The group has performed with GRAMMY, Dove and American Music Award recipients including Sandi Patty, Pentatonix’s Kirstin Maldonado, Mark Lowry, David Phelps, and Jody McBrayer. Voctave’s eight albums are digitally available on all platforms.
Kristin Chenoweth Christmas
Dec. 17, 2022
Kristin Chenoweth is the definition of Christmas in this symphony spectacular! With two big-selling holiday albums under her belt (2008’s “A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas” and 2021’s “Happiness Is...Christmas!”), Kristin knows the way to tug at the heart strings and help families and friends celebrate the season! The Emmy and Tony winner’s career spans film, television, voiceover and stage, as well as being a celebrated author and passionate supporter of charities, including her own Arts & Education Fund, and the nationally-known Kristin Chenoweth Broadway Boot Camp, housed right here in Broken Arrow.
“On Your Feet!” The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan
Feb. 1, 2023
“ON YOUR FEET!” is the inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people who believed in their talent—and each other—to become an international sensation: Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Now their story is an all-new exhilarating original musical winning the hearts of critics and audiences alike, with the Chicago Tribune declaring “IT’S A HIT!” and The New York Times cheering, “The very air in the room seems to vibrate in this undeniably crowd-pleasing musical!” ON YOUR FEET! features some of the most iconic songs of the past quarter-century, including “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “Get On Your Feet,” “Don’t Want To Lose You Now,” “1-2-3” and “Coming Out of the Dark.” Prepare to be on your feet from start to finish!
Jessica Vosk
March 24, 2023
Jessica Vosk is a celebrated singer and actress known for stirring roles on the musical theater and concert stage. Vosk made her Carnegie Hall debut in November 2021 in a sold-out solo show titled “My Golden Age.” Other upcoming concert debuts include London’s Cadogan Hall in 2022. Before the infamous shutdown, she starred as the Narrator in the 50th anniversary of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoa”t at Lincoln Center. She also created the role of Aunt Val in the world premiere of “Becoming Nancy,” directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Before that, Vosk finished an acclaimed run as Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway, having played the role for two years. Vosk starred in New York City Ballet’s Jerome Robbins tribute “Something to Dance About,” directed by Warren Carlyle, and re-created the role of Fruma Sarah in the most recent Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is an exam that helps students prepare for the SAT and provides entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition conducted by NMSC. Broken Arrow High School is giving this exam on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
This will be a distance learning day for BAHS, BA Options Academy and Vanguard Academy students not taking the test. These students will complete coursework at home.
To prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT, students can visit www.collegereadiness.collegeboard.org to access practice tests.
Sophomores at BAHS, Virtual and BA Options
All sophomores who attend BAHS, Virtual Academy or BA Options will take the PSAT at Broken Arrow High School on Wednesday, Oct 12. Students should report to the main building by 8:15 am and will be directed to their testing room.
For any questions regarding the PSAT/NMSQT, please call Steve Butcher at 918-259-4724 or email him at sbutcher@baschools.org.
Current Juniors at BAHS, ECHS, Vanguard, Virtual and BA Options
All INTERESTED juniors are encouraged to take the PSAT/NMSQT if they would like to apply for National Merit Finalist. Taking the PSAT/NMSQT and achieving a qualifying score as a junior is the first step in this process. Interested juniors must register with Ms. Goodin in the Junior Class office, Building B, at BAHS by Wednesday, Oct. 6.
The juniors who have registered for the PSAT/NMSQT will take the exam at BAHS on Wednesday, Oct 12. All other juniors, who are not testing, will have a distance learning day. TCC and Tulsa Tech students will still have class.
For any questions regarding the PSAT/NMSQT, please call Steve Butcher at 918-259-4724 or email him at sbutcher@baschools.org.
Early College High School Freshman and Sophomore Students
Early College High School freshmen and sophomores will be taking the PSAT at their regular location on the campus of Northeastern State University on Wednesday, Oct. 12. This will be a regular school day for all ECHS students.
For questions, please call Julie Sunderland at 918-449-6185 or email her at jsunderland@baschools.org.
Vanguard Academy Freshman and Sophomore Students
Vanguard Academy freshmen and sophomores will be taking the PSAT 10 at Vanguard on Wednesday, Oct 12.
For questions, please call Stacy Replogle at 918-259-4320 or email her at sdreplogle@baschools.org.
