Mena School District

Dear Principal Sherrer and Superintendent Weston, Congratulations! MENA MIDDLE has been recognized by the Office for Education Policy (OEP) at the University of Arkansas as a school where students demonstrated high growth on the ACT Aspire! The OEP creates an annual report entitled the Outstanding Educational Performance Awards where we recognize schools with high student academic growth. We think growth is the best indicator of the positive impact that your school is having on students. In our Middle School Level report which will be published tomorrow, MENA MIDDLE received the following award: High Overall Growth: Middle Level (Southwest Region) A personalized paper award will be sent to the district later this school year. Awards are based on the 2019 content growth score calculated by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. These growth scores reflect how much students at the school improved from 2018 compared to how much they were expected to grow considering prior achievement. We recognize schools based on Overall growth, as well as for growth in Math and English Language Arts separately. To learn more about how we determined the OEP award winners and to see the full list of award recipients, you can view the report here. We congratulate you on this accomplishment and hope that you will share this good news with teachers, students, and others who contributed to your school’s success. We find that local papers and social media are effective in spreading the news of your school’s success to the community. ***Stay tuned as we will be High School level awards next week!*** Congratulations again on your OEP Growth award! Sincerely, Sarah McKenzie, Ph.D. Executive Director Office for Education Policy 211 Graduate Education Building Fayetteville, AR 72701

"Don't Let Drugs Mix You Up Day" is the theme for Red Ribbon Week at HHE today!

Tuesday, October 29, 2019 Lunch Today: Orange Chicken, Bacon Cheeseburger, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Tenders We have Gatorade, Water, Chips, Beef Jerky and Rice Krispy Treats that are available for purchase if you have money in your lunch account. Students you must get a juice and/or fruit at breakfast. Students, please remember, you have to have money in your account to buy extras. Do not get extras unless you pay for it first. Library closed for Lunch B on Monday & Wednesday, and Lunch A on Friday. Students are not to be in the hallways during Lunch A or Lunch B. The library, cafeteria, or patio are available areas during lunch. Ms.Jackson’s Enrichment class is in the lead for most cans/non perishable items donated so far. Don't forget to bring your cans or non perishable items to win a pizza party for your enrichment class!! FFA Meat order pick-up will be Nov.4 (Monday) from 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm @ the Agri.Building. All students who sold FFA meat products must pick up orders on this date. This date has changed from the original date which was Nov. 5th. CLUB MEETINGS & SPORTS THIS WEEK October 28- October 30, FFA Meeting in the PAC. FFA Winter leadership ($20.00) money deadline is Tuesday, October 29, pay Mr. Collins. Thursday, October 31st, Sci-Fi in the Art room during Enrichment, if you have not paid your dues, you can not come to the meeting. Thursday, October 31st, RTI Rm 404 will be in the Choir room during Enrichment. November 1, Pep Rally during Enrichment. November 1, Bearcat FB vs. Subiaco at Mena 7 p.m. (Senior Night) October 31, Jr. High FB @ Mena vs. Broken Bow November 5, Jr. High FB @ Pottsville at 6 p.m. The 2019 SAU Creative Writing Festival will be on Friday, November 8, and Mr. Philpot will be taking a group of students to this event this year. The trip is open to Creative Writing and NEHS students. See Mr. Philpot for more information about the trip. AE will be hosting a food drive for God’s Feeding Hands Ministry October 14-November 15. If your Enrichment class elects to participate, please bring a canned good to your Enrichment class. The class that donates the most, will receive a pizza party provided by AE. Girls can sign up for a Powder Puff Football Tournament in Ms.Hobson’s room. Each class will have a team and compete against each other on November 4th. The cost is $3 to play and all proceeds go to Relay for Life! Guest speaker Kyon Weathersby with God's feeding hands Ministry during enrichment October 31st, all enrichment classes are welcome! There will be a Neon Dance in the high school saferoom after the football game Friday night. Cost is $5 and will last until 11:30pm. There will be a quick Art Club Picture for the yearbook next Wednesday (November 6th) during Enrichment in the Art Room. All members who have paid dues please come for the picture.

The Mena cross country team competed in the 7-4A District Championship at O.B.U. Monday. Logan Myers won the meet and was first team all conference. Trevin Plunkett got all conference as well. As a team the Sr. Boys finished as runner up in district! Go Bearcats! See complete results at this link https://ar.milesplit.com/meets/368926/results#.XbdoNOhKjIV

This Thursday's Jr. High football games were scheduled to be played at Broken Bow but will now be played in Mena at Bearcat Stadium.... Also the Jr. High football game at Pottsville which was cancelled by weather earlier this year will be played on Tuesday 11/5 at 6pm..

Holly Harshman Elementary is kicking off Red Ribbon Week with students showing their SWAG (Students Who Achieve Goals) wearing favorite hats and their HHE RISE shirts! "Keeping Our Paws Off Drugs" red ribbons have been passed out with SWAG theme stickers for all students. Raffle prizes will be passed out daily with the important message to Just Say NO to Drugs and Bullies!

Red Ribbon Week began today at Mena Public Schools & Mena Middle School kicked it off with their annual Red Ribbon Walk!

Dance this Friday!

The Basscats were in action this weekend at Lake Degray. Austin Johnston and Cason Cannon finished the tournament in 3rd place. Austin & Cason were the AYFA Senior division Anglers of the Year for the 2018-19 Season. They are on track to make it Back to Back Anglers of the Year! The Basscats will be traveling to Lake Hamilton for the next AYFA Tournament on Saturday December 14. Congatulations to the Basscats!

Monday, October 28, 2019 Lunch Today: Meatloaf, Cheeseburger, Chicken Patty Sandwich, Rib Patty Sandwich We have Gatorade, Water, Chips, Beef Jerky and Rice Krispy Treats that are available for purchase if you have money in your lunch account. Students you must get a juice and/or fruit at breakfast. Students, please remember, you have to have money in your account to buy extras. Do not get extras unless you pay for it first. Students are not to be in the hallways during Lunch A or Lunch B. The library, cafeteria, or patio are available areas during lunch. Ms. Kropps Enrichment class is in the lead for most cans/non perishable items donated so far. Don't forget to bring your cans or non perishable items to win a pizza party for your enrichment class!! FFA Meat order pick-up will be Nov.4 (Monday) from 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm @ the Agri.Building. All students who sold FFA meat products must pick up orders on this date. This date has changed from the original date which was Nov. 5th. CLUB MEETINGS & SPORTS THIS WEEK October 28- October 30, FFA Meeting in the PAC. FFA Winter leadership ($20.00) money deadline is Tuesday, October 29, pay Mr. Collins. Thursday, October 31st, Sci-Fi in the Art room during Enrichment, if you have not paid your dues, you can not come to the meeting. November 1, Pep Rally during Enrichment. November 1, Bearcat FB vs. Subiaco at Mena 7 p.m. (Senior Night) October 31, Jr. High FB @ Broken Bow 5:30 pm The 2019 SAU Creative Writing Festival will be on Friday, November 8, and Mr. Philpot will be taking a group of students to this event this year. The trip is open to Creative Writing and NEHS students. See Mr. Philpot for more information about the trip. AE will be hosting a food drive for God’s Feeding Hands Ministry October 14-November 15. If your Enrichment class elects to participate, please bring a canned good to your Enrichment class. The class that donates the most, will receive a pizza party provided by AE. Girls can sign up for a Powder Puff Football Tournament in Ms.Hobson’s room. Each class will have a team and compete against each other on November 4th. The cost is $3 to play and all proceeds go to Relay for Life! Today, (Monday) is the last day to preorder BFI Mena Basketball Shirts! Cost is $16 and you can pay when they arrive. See Ms.Hobson to order! Guest speaker Kyon Weathersby with God's feeding hands Ministry during enrichment October 31st, all enrichment classes are welcome! There will be a Neon Dance in the high school saferoom after the football game Friday night. Cost is $5 and will last until 11:30pm.

UA Rich Mountain staff are meeting with MHS parents & students this morning about FAFSA. If you need help filling out the forms come by the Bearcat Room beneath the home stands in the Union Bank Center today by 6pm. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa

MPS facilities keep the maintenance staff busy. This morning they were working on lighting in the MHS cafeteria.

Workers spent the weekend putting a new coating on the floor of the Union Bank Center. It looks great & just in time for basketball season. GO BEARCATS!!!

The Jr. Ladycats won the district championship on Saturday. Mena beat Malvern 2-0 & then Bauxite 2-0 in the Finals. The Ladycats finish the season as Conference & District Champs... Go Ladycats!

Mena defeats Waldron 35-6 & improves to 6-2 / 3-2 on the season. Next Friday is Senior Night at Bearcat Stadium as Mena will play Subiaco in it's final regular season home game. GO BEARCATS!

Gameday Friday!

Congratulations to Devin Durham who was voted Bearcat Chorus Student of the Month by his peers. Devin is one of the nicest people in choir. He is always smiling and takes time to make each person in choir feel welcome. Thank you to Simple Simon's Pizza for sponsoring our student of the month!!!

Fall Party in Mrs. Bentley's class @ Louise Durham !

Announcements for Friday, October 25th Students, remember that you are allowed 6 unexcused tardies for each 9-week quarter. We still have 7 more weeks to go in this quarter and there are already several of you with 5 unexcused tardies. Once you reach 7 or more, it is one day of ISS. Get to class on time. From Mrs. Rose: Red Ribbon Week is next week. The Theme for the week is “Send a Message. Stay Drug Free.” Everyone is invited to participate in a poster decoration contest. The poster must be regular poster board size and have a drug free message. Posters can be completed by individuals or as groups. We will have special guest judges. The top 5 posters will get an Ice Cream Sundae Party. Monday we will “walk away” from drugs on the track during ACHIEVE, so in case of cool weather bring a jacket Monday! See the fliers on the Library windows to see what the themes are for next week’s dress-up days. There will be a MMS Dance next Tuesday as part of Red Ribbon Week. As usual, the dance will be from 6:00 – 8:00 in our cafeteria. Reminders: The AE Food Drive begins on Monday. The ACHIEVE class that collects the most food will be treated to a popsicle party. There will be a Trunk or Treat tomorrow at Cavalry Baptist Church from 6:00 – 8:00 All Red Ribbon Week Committees will meet with Mrs. Rose after these announcements FBLA & FCCLA will have group photos taken for the yearbook after these announcements Lunchtime Weather: We will be inside for lunch. You may use your PED once you leave the Cafeteria. Lunch Menu: Line 1 – Burrito with Cheese, MTO Baked Potato Line 2 – Sausage & Jalapeno Pizza, Deli Sandwich, Pizza Salad Concession – Bacon Cheeseburger, Corn Dog, Chicken Sandwich Club / Group Meetings: At this time: FBLA & FCCLA members need to go to the gym for a group photo. All Red Ribbon Week Committees need to go to Mrs. Rose’s office Everyone else go to where you are assigned for FLEX Friday.

The Jr. Ladycats will be competing in the District Volleyball Tournament in Arkadelphia on Saturday. Mena's first game is at 10:00am. Check the bracket below.