News

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Santa Fe South Trinity Elementary teacher Carli Schrader was recognized by the City of Oklahoma City and the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City as the October 2025 Teacher of the Month.

The City Council and Mayor David Holt passed a resolution honoring Schrader at the October 7, 2025, City Council Meeting, and she was also celebrated at Tuesday’s Rotary Club luncheon. You can read the resolution below.

RESOLUTION:

WHEREAS, Carli Schrader has been named Teacher of the Month for October 2025 by Santa Fe South Schools and Rotary Club of Oklahoma City, and

WHEREAS, Carli, a graduate of Oklahoma Christian University, began her teaching career at Santa Fe South Schools, the state's largest public charter school district, and now serves as a kindergarten teacher and founding educator at Santa Fe South Trinity Elementary, where she played an instrumental role in establishing a strong foundation of excellence in early childhood instruction, and

WHEREAS, Carli's principal, Dr. Dudley, has recognized her as a phenomenal educator whose classroom consistently demonstrates outstanding academic results while also fostering a nurturing and supportive community where every child feels valued and empowered, and

WHEREAS, through her vision, creativity, and tireless dedication, Carli has helped to build a community at Trinity Elementary where students are known, loved, and inspired to reach their fullest potential, standing as a model of professional excellence and personal devotion to the mission of Santa Fe South Schools.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of The City of Oklahoma City that they do hereby recognize and commend Carli Schrader on her selection as October 2025 Teacher of the Month by Santa Fe South Schools and Rotary Club of Oklahoma City.

Adopted by the Council and Signed by the Mayor of The City of Oklahoma City this 7th day of October 2025.

Santa Fe South is incredibly proud to celebrate the 33 ribbons won by our SFS High School FFA members at the 2025 Oklahoma State Fair. This is a remarkable achievement, nearly tripling the ribbons our students were awarded last year.

A special congratulations goes to our newest FFA state champions, Angelique Plunkett and Joel Flores Serna, who both secured first-place finishes in their classes. Joel also earned the prestigious title of Grand Champion for his Honeybee Life Cycle project! Our students dominated this category, taking home 6 of the 10 ribbons awarded.

These winning projects will be on display at the Oklahoma State Fair until Sunday, September 21, in Oklahoma Expo Hall 3.

Here are all of our award winners by category:

Cotton Life Cycle
Allison Salas, 10th Grade, 3rd Place
Fernando Munoz, 10th Grade, 4th Place

Artificial Flower Arrangement
Frida Ruiz Murillo, 12th Grade, 3rd Place

Herbarium Card Collection
Heidi Medina Chavez, 11th Grade, 3rd Place
Giovanny Valencia, 10th Grade, 7th Place

Honeybee Life Cycle
Joel Flores Serna, 11th Grade, 1st Place, Grand Champion
Emoni Rollins, 11th Grade, 2nd Place
Lucero Martinez, 11th Grade, 3rd Place
Yuriana Cano, 11th Grade, 4th Place
Henry Mendoza Lopez, 10th Grade, 8th Place
Candy Munoz, 11th Grade, 9th Place

Insect Collection (7th-10th)
Vaun Miller, 9th Grade, 2nd Place
Valentina Maldonado Martinez, 10th Grade, 3rd Place
Ernesto Salazar, 9th Grade, 4th Place
Maria Pina, 10th Grade, 6th Place

Insect Collection (11th-12th)
Dominic Rutiaga, 12th Grade, 2nd Place
Hugo Sandoval-Olmedo, 11th Grade, 3rd Place
Allison Camara Tabora, 11th Grade, 5th Place

Landscape Design (7th-10th)
Damian Santos Salazar, 9th Grade, 3rd Place
Natalia Estrada, 12th Grade, 7th Place
Felicitas Rodriguez, 12th Grade, 9th Place

News Reporting
Cynthia Macias-Ortiz, 9th Grade, 2nd Place
Vaun Miller, 9th Grade, 3rd Place

History of Agronomy
Alonso Rios, 12th Grade, 5th Place
Manual ‘Anthony’ Morales, 10th Grade, 6th Place
Consuelo Perez, 12th Grade, 7th Place

Seasonal Wreath
Alissa Velazquez, 10th Grade, 4th Place
Nadia Gallegos, 10th Grade, 6th Place

Turnip Life Cycle (7th-10th)
Jaziel Alvarez, 10th Grade, 3rd Place

Turnip Life Cycle (11th-12th)
Angelique Plunkett, 11th Grade, 1st Place
Akaray Mancilla, 12th Grade, 2nd Place
Itzel Cordova-de Los Santos, 12th Grade, 3rd Place
Oscar Avila, 11th Grade, 7th Place

 

OKLAHOMA CITY — Santa Fe South Schools, a leading public charter school district in Oklahoma City, announced the grand opening of its newest campus, Santa Fe South El Camino Elementary. The new school will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at its location within Crossroads Church, 8901 S Shields, Oklahoma City, OK 73149.

El Camino Elementary marks a significant expansion for Santa Fe South, extending its reach to serve families in both South Oklahoma City and North Moore. The school will open its doors to full-day Pre-K through first-grade students this fall, with plans to expand one grade level each year until it serves Pre-K through fifth grade.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome families to Santa Fe South El Camino Elementary," said Principal Sarah Tirnanic, who previously served as the district's math curriculum director. "I'm most excited to open a school where every child is deeply known, challenged academically, and loved like family. El Camino will be a place where students feel seen, supported, and celebrated for who they are and who they’re becoming. We are building something special, designed for our kids, where joy and rigor can live in the same classroom."

Principal Tirnanic was instrumental in transforming academic strategies across Santa Fe South, helping improve district elementary school curriculums to outperform neighboring institutions. The new campus’s community partnership with Crossroads Church further strengthens Santa Fe South’s legacy of academic growth and community engagement.

Chris Brewster, Superintendent of Santa Fe South Schools, who has led the district since its founding in 2001, said the school opening marks a new milestone for the history of Santa Fe South.

"We are thrilled and truly humbled to be able to serve our community in this way,” Brewster said.  “There is no greater privilege than being allowed to care for and educate the youngest members of our city. We can't wait to see them enter our hallways for the first time."

Santa Fe South Schools has been a cornerstone of innovative academic growth in South Oklahoma City since 2001, serving nearly 5,000 students from Pre-K through 12th grade. The award-winning district is recognized for its commitment to student success, even offering students the unique opportunity to earn an associate’s degree before receiving their high school diploma.

Santa Fe South Schools invites members of the media to El Camino Elementary’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Please email Santa Fe South Communications Director Elijah Morlett at emorlett@santafesouth.org to coordinate coverage opportunities.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Santa Fe South Schools has announced today that it is a 2025 Education Top Workplaces winner by Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplace.

Santa Fe South Schools has been a cornerstone of innovative academic growth in South Oklahoma City since 2001, serving nearly 5,000 students from Pre-K through 12th grade. The award-winning district is recognized for its commitment to student success, even offering students the unique opportunity to earn an associate’s degree before receiving their high school diploma.

Santa Fe South Schools strives to cultivate exceptional educators and foster a rigorous academic environment. Through comprehensive professional development, data-driven instruction, and individualized support, they empower teachers to deliver a curriculum designed to ensure all students achieve at or above grade level in Math and Reading, preparing them for lifelong learning and future success.

“At Santa Fe South Schools, success is measured not just by academic growth, but by the strength of our community and the heart our employees bring to our mission every day,” said Felisha Watson, Santa Fe South Director of Human Resources. “Being named a Top Workplace is an incredible honor that reflects the passion, dedication, and unity of our entire team. It means we are building more than a school system. We are building a place where people feel valued, supported, and inspired to make a difference.”

The Top Workplaces program has a 17-year history of surveying and celebrating people-first organizations nationally and across 60 regional markets.

Top Workplaces Industry awards celebrate organizations that have built people-first workplace cultures within their sector. The award marks them as an employer of choice for those seeking employment in the industry. Top Workplaces awards are based on feedback from a research-backed employee engagement survey. 

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That's something to be proud of. In today's market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That's paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

OKLAHOMA CITY — Santa Fe South High School will host more than 500 student council members from 26 states for the 2025 VISION National Conference. The delegations will meet from June 27-29, 2025, offering students the chance to learn from other young leaders like themselves.

“It’s an opportunity for students to reset their perspective on their role as a leader in their school and then to connect with leaders from across the country,” Jace Kirk, conference organizer, said. “Attending a conference like this helps them see that they’re leaders of leaders.”

The VISION Conference — Value, Inspire, Share, Insight, Opportunity, Network —  began as a regional conference in 2016 by Region 6 of the National Association of Student Councils, consisting of seven states including Oklahoma.

The conference emphasizes peer-to-peer learning through networking, student-led roundtables, a school projects gallery walk, national motivational speakers, leadership skill training, hands-on community service, and more.  

The conference’s theme is “The Greatest Leaders on Earth All Under One Tent.” Kirk, who serves as Santa Fe South High School’s Principal of People and Culture, said it’s all about the importance of diversity in leadership, and how it takes everyone’s talents to make the circus – or any of their endeavors – happen.

“We want students to know that's true in leadership as well,” he said. “It takes everyone to make it work. Whether you're on stage or behind the stage or out in the lobby of the show, it takes your contribution to make the show work.”

Kirk said it’s an amazing opportunity for SFSHS student council members. In the last six years, SFSHS students have run for district and state office, and successfully campaigned a SFSHS student to become the first Hispanic president of the Oklahoma Association of Student Councils.

“Now we’re being asked to host this national convention for Oklahoma’s turn to host,” Kirk said. “It’s really meaningful to us to be able to do this. In some ways, it shows how we’ve really arrived.”

For more information on the conference, including the schedule and list of keynote speakers, visit stucovisionconference.org.

Please email Santa Fe South Director of Communications Elijah Morlett, emorlett@santefesouth.org, to arrange media coverage opportunities and interviews.