Mena School District

Mena Middle School & Holly Harshman Elementary Open House Videos are now available for you to watch. Just click on the link below to get started. Mena High Schools video will be added as soon as it is available. LDE has sent their videos to the individual students on SeeSaw & they will not be available online. https://docs.google.com/…/2PACX-1vRxBBzTmS50mV_Kz9ceNv…/pub…

LDE Drop Off & Pick Up Times and Procedures We will accept K-2 car rider students starting at 7:20am each morning. The K-2 Drop off/pick up will be the same route as last year. K-2 car rider pick up will be split into 2 groups. The first group will begin picking up at 2:45pm. The 2nd group will begin picking up at 3:05pm. Teachers have notified families about times and other drop off and pick up information via internet and mail. The Pre-K drop off/pick up needs to turn on Gann street then turn left on Missouri then left on North Reine street then right on Bolton. When Pre-K is leaving they need to turn LEFT on North Reine. This will help with traffic congestion and make traffic run more smoothly for everyone.

Mena Golf will be playing at the Degray Lake State Park Golf Course against teams from around the area on Thursday at 4:00pm. The Mena Sr. Ladycats will host Van Buren in a benefit game at 5:30pm Thursday in the Union Bank Center.

Joe Bunch & James Davis walk you through bus safety policies for the start of the 20/21 school year. The first day of school is Monday, August 24th. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sNMmvbQBiZu3Ru1mYSlLPeLNrIJCoY4K/view?usp=sharing

The Mena School Board conducted their August meeting on Tuesday Evening in the Mena High School Library. The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the July meeting & a brief Superintendents Report. In new business the board approved the 2019/2020 inventory list. Assistant Superintendent Lee Smith spoke on changes in the District Policies Manual. A majority of the changes revolved around recently released changes in Title IX requirements. The changes were accepted. Administrators from LDE, HHE, MMS, MHS & PCVA then spoke on changes in the handbook as well as the reentry plan at each campus. All were minor & mostly related to Covid 19. The changes & re-entry plans were unanimously approved. Little to no changes have been made to the extracurricular/athletic handbook, coaches handbook & athletic administration guidebook. The few changes had to do with Covid policies & all were approved. Mr. Shane Torix then presented point of contact information to the board. He updated them on Covid policies & the reporting procedure. No action was required. Mr. Danny Minton then gave an update on projects around the district of which Included the installation of new equipment in the kitchen at HHE, a walk in cooler at MMS, new track fencing at Bearcat Stadium and painting of faded red awnings at the high school. Minton also happily reported that the district has passed all inspections leading up to the school year. The board approved a year end transfer of $362,767.22 to the building fund. These funds were designated for projects in 19- 20. These funds will be transferred back as those projects are completed. Personnel was the final item on the agenda. The board accepted the retirement of Tammy Taylor & the resignation of Terry Dino Cabello as well as Julie Gordon. The board also approved the hiring of Heather Catlett for MHS History & Kristi Cogburn for MHS/MMS Choir. The next meeting of the Mena School Board will be held on Tuesday, September 22nd

The Mena Bearcats & Ladycats competed at the Waldron Country Club earlier today. They will play again on Thursday at Degray. https://www.menaschools.org/o/athletics/athletics…

BLENDED STUDENTS! Chrome Book check out will be on Wednesday, August 19th. Here is the schedule for the following grade levels: 3rd grade- 8:30-9:30 4th grade- 10:00-11:00 5th grade- 1:00-2:00

Changes have been made to the Jr. High & Sr. High volleyball schedules.. Click the link https://www.menaschools.org/o/athletics/athletics

A message from Mr. David Maxwell!

MMS Blended Students Next Steps Make sure you have completed the Blended Application. Complete the School Registration for new and returning students. Call the MMS office if you need a “snap code” Complete the Online Meal Application, this helps the school receive funding regardless of those that qualify. Watch our Virtual Open House to get information about MMS. Come by Mena Middle School Bus Loop: (Wednesday or Friday 8:00- 11:30, 1:00-3:00) sign the Parent/Student Compact for Blended Learning** sign the Mena Public Schools Chromebook Acceptable Use agreement** Sign the Parent Acknowledgement and Permission sheet.** sign or pick up any grade specific paperwork. Receive the checked out Chromebook for the student. Monday, August 24th login to Google classroom and start working. Students check your email and classroom daily. ** IF you can print and sign these documents early, it will speed up the process.** Schedules Available! Student Schedules are available online in HAC. For a printed copy of the Schedule, drive by the Middle School Bus Loop on Wednesday, August 19th from 8:00 to 10:00 to pick one up.

Student Schedules are available online in HAC. For a printed copy of the Schedule, drive by the Middle School Bus Loop on Wednesday, August 19th from 8:00 to 10:00 to pick one up.

From Susan Bodey Aramark Food Service Director We will be handing out 5 days of breakfast and 5 days of lunch beginning this Friday Aug. 21. Meals may be picked up at Louise Durham or High School on Fridays between 1 and 2 pm We are no longer allowed to serve on the SSO option so meals will be charged to the student’s account, as though the student was in school, based on their Free/Reduced/Paid status. The form will need to be filled out by 2 pm Thursday for meal pick up on Friday. https://forms.gle/J81xjdomzJMfHr7X6

Holly Harshman Elementary is asking that parents not drop off their students before 7:30am if at all possible. The first day of school is Monday, August 24th.

Dear Parents / Guardians, The safety of our students, staff, and patrons is an integral part of the daily routine at Mena Middle School. The purpose of this letter is to inform you about our established procedures for dropping off and picking up your child. Officers from both the Mena Police Department and Polk County Sheriff’s Office are aware of the following safety procedures and assist in their enforcement. The Car Rider Line is located in our back parking lot on Dallas Avenue. The entry and exit points are clearly marked with signs. This is the only authorized drop off and pick up area for students who are not transported by bus. *In the mornings, students may not exit your vehicle until you have reached the clearly-marked drop off / pick up area and are not allowed to walk across the parking lot from a vehicle that is parked. *During after-school pickup, your child will not be allowed to approach your vehicle until you have stopped in the designated drop off / pick up area. Students are not allowed to walk across the parking lot to a parked vehicle. If you desire to have your child walk to your parked vehicle, you as the parent or guardian, must walk your child across the parking lot, making sure that the duty teacher is aware that you are doing so. *Vehicles are not allowed in the Bus Loading / Unloading Areas from 7:15 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.and from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. *Students are not allowed to be dropped off or picked up at the Bearcat Stadium parking lot because doing so would require the child to walk across the path of incoming and outgoing buses. *Arkansas Act 738 – Prohibits drivers of all ages from using cell phones in a school zone during school hours. If you have any questions or comments regarding the safety procedures at Mena Middle School, please feel free to contact us. 479-394-2572

Hello Mena High School students! We are looking forward to our students returning to campus on Monday, August 24th! For our first day to be as smooth as possible, we would like to issue Chromebooks, schedules, and parking passes early. Students and parents may come pick up a Chromebook, welcome packet, schedule, and parking pass on Wednesday, August 19th and Thursday, August 20th, from 11:00am to 6:00 pm. Parents must accompany their students to sign the acceptable use/Chromebook policy. Staff will be set up under the Bus Loop Pavillion. Parking can be on the bus loop or field house parking lot. Please wear a mask. To make this process as smooth and quick as possible, please fill out all paperwork online prior to arrival. Neither Chromebooks nor parking passes will be issued without the completion of the paperwork. Find the paperwork at this link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpaEOaxMkBvaQrt6QccxyZj7_8Ffju82rt_2Zg-5lBN_gsEg/viewform Parking spots will be $10 per student. The cheerleaders are offering custom painted parking spots for an additional $25 per student. Custom painted spots will be limited to student name & 3x3 design. There will be three stations. You will need to visit stations one and two, station three is optional. 1.Chromebook & Acceptable Use Policy 2.Packet & schedule 3.Parking pass (optional)

ATTENTION STUDENTS! A link has been sent to student emails grade 9-12 for schedule change request. The form will be live until Wednesday the 19th at 4 pm.

Mena will play at the Waldron Country Club on Tuesday at 3:30pm.. GO BEARCATS!!!

Free and Reduced Meal Applications are available on-line Only ONE application PER household is needed. If your household received a Notice of Direct Certification - there is no need to complete a meal application this year - To apply online click on the link:: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/…/FREQUENTLY_ASKED_QUEST… If you have any questions, contact Sherry Newman - sherry.newman@menaschools.org - 479-394-1710

HHE parents need to complete this form and submit it on students Grades 3, 4, and 5 before August 24. We look forward to seeing all of you. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVBKvlwJM3z2wB656wZzfeAGqMWN6lQbF-7jWtUN_hCmOG0Q/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

Watch your email for news! Teachers have emailed all parents with instructions for the new year. If we did not have your emaiI address, you can expect a letter or a call. If you do not receive either, we probably don’t have you registered. If that is the case, please call the office at 394-2943. We cant wait to have our HEROES return to the building!