We're the best there is alive -- we're the Class of '65!
Class Motto
The great thing in this world is, not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.
This site is a place to connect with other members of the Oklahoma City Harding High School Class of '65, to share memories, and to remember those who are no longer with us.
It should be much easier to view than the old website, and allows for a good deal of individual member input and interaction with other class members.
Photos from our 50-year class reunion are at the link on the left-hand side.
Click on Grade Schools for grade school "class photos ".
For those on Facebook, "Class Connection" (on this page) will help you to interact with your class via Facebook. All privacy and security settings are honored by the app. Class Connection feeds no private data to Facebook whatsoever.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Our story
#hardingishome
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You are cordially invited to attend an informational meeting this Thursday, June 20, at 6:30 p.m. at 3333 N. Shartel in Oklahoma City to learn more about the status of our Harding school building, which has recently been marked for closure and is up for sale by the Oklahoma City Public Schools District. We hope you will make plans to attend.
We thought that as alumni, you might share our attachment to the Harding building and want to know more about its future, thus the reason for this letter. The school is a venerable repository for so many of our important memories of friends, teachers and the experiences of our high school years. The good news is that the building is still functioning as a place for excellence in teaching and learning, and it has been home to more than one great school for 15 years!
Since 2005, two public charter high schools have called the Harding school building their home. They are Harding Fine Arts Academy and Harding Charter Preparatory. These fine schools are ranked in the top five of Oklahoma’s public schools, and we are so proud of their accomplishments. The two schools have a combined enrollment of more than 860 students. For background purposes, charter schools are part of the public-school system, but they are different in that they are more independent in curriculum choices and hiring, they have their own boards composed of community volunteers and they receive less state funding.
Over the years, the three of us—Kenyon Morgan, Sally Frye Bentley, and Carol Meeks McPheeters—have served on the Harding Fine Arts Academy board, and just recently helped found and became directors of the Harding Fine Arts Academy Foundation board, a non-profit organization created to support Harding Fine Arts Academy. We feel strongly about the need to support this great school and help it deliver its mission by raising money for programs throughout the year. Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, Harding Fine Arts Academy has since its founding been focused on integrating the arts with academics so that students receive a well-rounded education and are prepared for college.
In January, the OKCPS District announced a citywide “Pathway to Greatness” plan that recommended closing 15 schools due to a shrinking public schools’ population. Unfortunately, this plan includes the Harding building, which both schools have been leasing since they were formed. Harding Charter Preparatory has decided to move to a building offered by the District (Centennial Mid-High), which they believe better suits their needs. On the other hand, Harding Fine Arts Academy’s closest supporters believe the building it has always called home is where it needs to be long-term, so we will participate in a July 1 sealed bid process to purchase it and are hopeful that when bids are opened on July 15 that we will be chosen as its owner.
Community support for our effort to purchase the building is growing, but we would enjoy having more support, thus the reason for our meeting this Thursday, June 20th at 6:30 p.m. at 3333 N. Shartel. We hope you can attend, but if you’re unable to do so but want to show your support or to comment, please "Like us" on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can get more information about our school and its status updates by visiting our website at hfaaokc.org or our Facebook page, #HardingIsHome.
Our immediate goal is to focus on obtaining the large gifts necessary to buy the building and to make needed physical plant improvements during the first year. We anticipate a future capital campaign, too. After purchasing the building, we will restore the exterior to its original beauty, add energy efficient windows replicating the original look and make it more accessible for students, parents, faculty, and visitors.
You are cordially invited to help us reach these goals by spreading the word of our efforts, and of course, contributions are welcomed and appreciated. If you are interested in making a large gift now to help purchase the building and make needed renovations during year one, please contact one of us by phone or email to discuss your intentions.
Thank you for sharing our excitement and commitment to preserving the excellence that is Harding High School. |
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Harding Fine Arts Academy Foundation
PO Box 18895
Oklahoma City, OK 73154
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