During the first week of October, four students and three staff members from Jones Academy attended the National American Indian Science and Engineering Society conference in San Antonio, TX. The students participated in various STEM activities, attended sessions covering a wide variety of STEM subjects, and had the opportunity to network in different rooms. They also attended a college and career fair. The conference focuses on educational, professional, and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands. The event concluded with dinner and a fashion show at the closing banquet, followed by a Pow wow.
Jones Academy Elementary Library recently hosted a Book Tasting for students in 1st through 6th grades. The library was decorated as “Starbooks Cafe” for 4th through 6th. Students had a cookie and "Starbooks Tea" as they "tasted" books in various Dewey decimal numbers. 1st through 3rd grade students became chefs in “Bistro Read-A-Lot, where they decorated a sticker pizza and had cookies and drinks, while they "tasted" fiction and nonfiction books and series. Thanks to JA Cafeteria for providing cookies for our event! This event was funded by The Institute of Libraries and Museums.
Four high school students from Jones Academy are participating in the AISES National Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The photos showcase our students engaging in various science and cultural activities with conference representatives. The girls focused on coding robots and traditional beading, while the boys concentrated on researching sustainable energy. They built several windmills to enhance turbine wind speed as a way to model efficient power generation.
Students took the opportunity to show their hogs at shows in Ft. Smith and the Tulsa State Fair.
Jones Academy offers students the opportunity to raise award winning hogs by feeding, cleaning pens, exercising, and brushing the hogs all the while gaining a valuable understanding of hard work.
August Students of the Month
Maya Baker is a proud member of both the Choctaw and Cherokee tribes. She enjoys reading, being outdoors, and hanging out with her friends. Her plans for the future include finishing high school, going to Julliard School of Performing Arts to pursue a degree in acting. She later wants to get another degree in culinary arts and business to open her own bakery when she retires from acting.
Malakai Franklin is a proud member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting and hanging out with his friends. His plans for the future are to graduate high school, go to college and get a degree in business. He plans on owning his own trucking company one day.
Joseph Scott is a 6th grade student in Mrs. Martin's class. Joseph Scott is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. His favorite color is dark red, and he enjoys playing with LEGOS, playing video games, and exploring nature. When Joseph Scott grows up, he wants to be a YouTuber.
Amerianna Sankey-Moore is a 1st grade student in Mrs. Ketchum's class. Amerianna is a member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho tribe. Her favorite color is pink, and she enjoys playing outside! When Amerianna grows up, she wants to a police officer.
3rd-6th Grade Basketball Games for Thursday the 26th at Jones Academy Gym.
Our Lego Education Club is now active and running! Yakoke for the support from IMLS (Institute of Museums and Library Services) for the grant funding. Students come together after school to learn and build during the Lego Education Club. #lego #playwell
Some of our 2024 graduates from Jones Academy have settled into their dorms and have begun their Fall Semester with enthusiasm to make the most of the year and take on the world. All 8 of our JA graduates are attending college, a trade school, or working.
Jones Academy students took part in the Youth Fitness Challenge during the Tvshka Homma Labor Day Festival. Students competed in dodgeball, tug of war and several other activities during the evening.
It is Student Council election week at Jones Academy and the campaigning is in full swing. Students are learning what is takes to be a candidate, how the election process works, and the importance of letting their voices be heard.
The Jones Academy library is open for the year and thriving! Our librarian, Sierra McAfee, has been actively engaging students by using our book vending machine and making her first round of Literati book deliveries to the dormitories with our mobile library bicycle. *These projects are funded by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS).*
We're excited to announce that the Jones Academy Library has been awarded the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS) Basic Library grant! These funds will be used to bring Lego Education to our Library, complementing our existing MakerSpace. Exciting things are underway at Jones Academy! Yakoke to everyone who contributed to making this project a reality!
PSA: Jones Academy will be testing its warning system today. Several tests may be conducted throughout the day.
Welcome back, Jones Academy students! Last week's Back 2 School Bash was truly fantastic. A huge Yakoke to the Jones Academy Foundation donors for their generous contributions, making this event extra special for our students. Everyone had an amazing time!
Alumni Spotlight
Albert Cervantes attended Jones Academy and Hartshorne Schools from 2003 to 2007, where he completed his freshman through senior years. During his high school years, Albert was active in sports, playing football, basketball, and baseball. He was also involved in the youth group at Cornerstone Baptist Church.
After graduating from high school, Albert pursued further education at Tulsa Welding School. He began his career at Dolese in Davis, Oklahoma, as a Maintenance Technician from 2008 to 2009. In April 2009, Albert married Sara Pope, who he had been dating since 2003, and they lived in Davis for a little under a year before relocating back to Hartshorne. They have one son, Aiden Cervantes, who is a Freshman at Hartshorne High School.
At the end of 2009, Albert was offered a position at Franklin Electric in Wilburton, where he worked as a Fabricator from 2009 to early 2015. In 2015, Albert started working at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant and was able to attend KTC, where he received several certifications in PLC Programming. From this point, he then transitioned to a role as an Industrial Electronic Control Technician and now specializes in FANUC Robotics Programming and PLC Programming.
In 2020, he started Cervantes Cattle Co. after acquiring land to establish a cattle business, which he continues to operate alongside his family. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and watching his son play sports.
Jones Academy was a blessing for Albert, and the experiences he had while living there made a huge and positive impact on his life. It was what he needed while he was there, and he has remained actively involved with Jones Academy, serving as the FCA leader for high school students.
“You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
― C.S. Lewis
Albert is a member of The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Jones Academy participated with CNO Head Start and Childcare in this year’s Preservice and Education Bash that took place in Durant. With engaging speakers and fun activities organized by the admin team, a true sense of teamwork and purpose was inspired across the entire education system of the Choctaw Nation. The theme for the week was superheroes showcasing that we all can make a difference in the children’s lives we encounter every day. During the education bash the festivities included pickleball, cornhole, bingo and 1 of the 3 Jones Academy teams taking the championship in volleyball.
Did you know Jones Academy has a Recreation Department that offers various activities for its students all year round? The department is located in the campus gym, which features a basketball court, weight room, game rooms and other amenities. Additionally, there are outdoor recreational areas such as softball and baseball fields, stickball fields, a pond for fishing and volleyball courts. The recreation staff works with the residential staff to plan activities that promote physical activity among the students.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JONES ACADEMY, PLEASE VISIT: JONESACADEMY.ORG
Did you know Jones Academy provides several career opportunities, employing nearly 200 Choctaw Nation associates? Among these associates, many serve as academic coaches, providing academic assistance to students 5 days a week. The administrative team works with all departments to ensure all services are provided at a high level.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JONES ACADEMY, PLEASE VISIT: JONESACADEMY.ORG
Congratulations Jones Academy Senior class 2024 for graduating today!
Kaya Zimiga joined other students on a GEAR UP trip to Silicon Valley, California exploring technology and engineering during a STEAM Academy.
EOSC GEAR UP recently took ten GEAR UP students and two teachers to the National STEAM Academy in Silicon Valley, CA, at Stanford University. The academy was hosted by Zion Leadership Group, Northeastern Illinois University, and Stanford University. The students dove into the future with an Underwater Robotics course taught by Aaron Cortes, Director of STEAM Pathways at Northeastern Illinois University. They explored cutting-edge technology, collaborated with experts, and toured the prestigious Stanford University! Students built an underwater robot and learned basic skills in engineering and coding. The students also visited the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39 in San Francisco.
The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College’s GEAR UP program. Eastern received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant in 2017 and will serve more than 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.
EOSC GEAR UP poses for a picture at a water fountain at Stanford University. Pictured are: (left to right) Kaylee Ashley, Preston Fin, Boo Sanchez, Gracie Driskill, Kaya Zimiga, Abrianna Hudlow, Weldon Harrison, Chase Slone, Zackery Hurst, Steffan Kraft, and Andreas Bergljung.
EOSC GEAR UP pose for a picture while visiting the Golden Gate Bridge. Pictured are: front row (left to right) Keith Craig, Kaylee Ashley, Kaya Zimiga, Boo Sanchez, Chase Sloan, back row (left to right( Gracie Driskill, Zackery Hurst, Abrianna Hudlow, Weldon Harrison, Andreas Bergljung, and Preston Fin.
