Holly Harshman Elementary School

The Mena School Board met for their October meeting on Tuesday the 20th in the Mena High School Library. It was a brief meeting but included significant topics on the agenda. The board began by approving the closing documents on a bond issue. The closing date is November 5th, 2020. This will reduce the current interest rate from 4% to a new rate of 2.55%. This change will save the district $250,000 per year for the first four years and $2.2 million over the life of the bond. Superintendent Benny Weston reported that a part of the new facility near Holly Harshman Elementary will carry a Bearcat theme. The facility is owned by the Rich Mountain Nursing & Rehabilitation Center & they will be naming one of the homes Bearcat House & another the Ladycat House. Next on the agenda was discussion on adding “Flex Friday” to the district’s Ready for Learning Plan. The addition was approved & the first Flex Friday will be October 30th. A video explaining this adjustment will be released on Mena Public School’s social media & website. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lee Smith reported to the board that this year’s Annual Report to the Public will be virtual & available to patrons of the district online. The board was then made aware of upcoming training dates available to them & the meeting was adjourned.

Click the link for the meal order form for the week of October 26th-30th. PIck up is Friday from 1pm-2pm at Louise Durham & Mena High School. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmGfEKqUNExBm6xVWgERoOFam3F0NLUD7DYmHwz6BSjUPiyw/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2QKQBTf5xjq3dq8q7iuL3RWoGW_ZByMnuJn6UZPes8r3n2ywZLzgJ-qgA

Holly Harshman Elementary has been selected for the 2020 Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association Red Ribbon Week Grant. Polk Co. Sheriff Scott Sawyer will be sent the check in the amount of $1500 that he will present to HHE on Monday, October 26 at 830 am. Holly Harshman Elementary Red Ribbon Week Oct. 26-30, 2020. Monday, Oct. 26- Follow Your Dreams & Stay Drug Free! Say goodnight to drugs by wearing pajamas to school. Tuesday, Oct. 27- Team Up Against Drugs Dress up as twins with your friend or friends OR Dress up as your favorite team. Wednesday, Oct. 28-We are wild about being Drug-Free! Wear wild hair and wild/mismatched clothes. Thursday, Oct. 29- Drug-Free and Proud to be a Bearcat! Dress in Bearcat School Colors. Friday. Oct. 30-I’m too bright for drugs!!! Wear Bright/Neon Colors. Red Ribbon Week is focused on educating students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and ways to say “NO!”. The dress up days are a fun way of reinforcing what is being taught.

To: All ESS Staff serving Mena School District From: Benny Weston Re: Your Safety We want to assure our substitute teachers that Mena Public Schools is making sincere efforts to reduce everyone’s risk of exposure to COVID-19. Although we cannot guarantee that exposure will not happen, we are doing these things to maintain a safe environment: 1. Reducing the interactions between teachers and other students not in their classrooms through scheduling and student pods. 2. Requiring masks to be worn by all people in the buildings ages 10 and older. 3. Reducing exchange of materials such as food trays and books. 4. Disinfecting surfaces daily and providing hand sanitizing in every room throughout the district. 5. Maintaining social distancing protocols in classrooms and commons areas when possible and maintaining students pods when it is not. 6. Not allowing large assemblies. 7. Restricting outside guests from entering the buildings to maintain a controlled environment. 8. Quarantining infected individuals and their close contacts using Arkansas Department of Health standards, which are strictly adhered to. We feel that our school buildings are as safe as any other facility which hosts large numbers of people and would invite all substitute teachers to return to the classrooms. Our cases at Mena Public Schools have been very few and we feel that our attention to the standards and protocols are why we have been successful at controlling the spread of COVID-19.

Please remember that Mena Public Schools will be closed on Friday 10/16. That means that Virtual & Blended meal pick up will be today from 1pm-2pm at Louise Durham Elementary & Mena High School. These are meals for 10/19 thru 10/23...

On October 9, USDA approved waivers for school districts to operate SSO (Covid-19 Response #59) until June 30, 2021. This will allow districts to serve all meals at the free rate.

All on-site students attending school on Thursday, October 15th will have a free breakfast and lunch (no refrigeration needed) sent home with them at the end of the day for our virtual day Monday, October 19th – NO NEED TO REGISTER Blended and PCVA students – please continue filling out the online meal form each week to receive your free breakfasts and lunches – NOTE – this week’s online form closes Wednesday, October 14th and pick up is Thursday, October 15th between 1:00 – 2:00p.m.

Click the link for the meal order form for the week of October 19th-23rd. PIck up is THURSDAY 10/15 from 1pm-2pm at Louise Durham & Mena High School. https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSebK70jKyy.../viewform...

Just a reminder that Mena Public Schools will be closed on Friday, October 16th. This is a vacation day for students & teachers. Mena Public Schools will be closed on Monday, October 19th. This is a virtual day for students. Meaning they will have assignments from their teacher to complete that day at home. This will be a day of professional development for teachers.. All on-site students attending school on Thursday, October 15 th will have a free breakfast and lunch (no refrigeration needed) sent home with them at the end of the day for our virtual day Monday, October 19th – NO NEED TO REGISTER Blended and PCVA students – please continue filling out the online meal form each week to receive your free breakfasts and lunches – NOTE – this week’s online form closes tomorrow, Wednesday, October 14th and pick up is Thursday, October 15 th between 1:00 – 2:00p.m.

Let’s #BlueUp together on Thursday, Oct. 15th to take a stand against bullying. Staff and students are encouraged to wear blue! We want to see a sea of blue at HHE to show our support of taking a stand against bullying!

Click the link for the meal order form for the week of October 19th-23rd. PIck up is THURSDAY 10/15 from 1pm-2pm at Louise Durham & Mena High School. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSebK70jKyyhhIk9HArpxkStPuuv_sBdkMIyiTCwg9MfltQQHQ/viewform?gxids=7757

Soccer during P.E. on Senioritis Day during Spirit Week at HHE !!!! Yes Please !!!!!

Mena Bearcat Seniors & Homecoming Court are zooming with classes at Holly Harshman & Louise Durham Elementary this week in celebration of Spirit Week. The high school students are reading books, answering questions, & visiting with the elementary students via zoom.

Click the link for the meal order form for the week of October 12th-15th. PIck up is Friday from 1pm-2pm at Louise Durham & Mena High School. https://forms.gle/fZxSi3ZCx8ueXm4f9

Congratulations to Avery Singleton and Meadow! First in their class today at the Arkansas Youth Expo. https://www.facebook.com/aryouthexpo

Click the link for the meal order form for the week of October 12th-15th. https://forms.gle/fZxSi3ZCx8ueXm4f9

Today is National School Custodian Day & at the Mena Public Schools we have the best. Thanks for all your hard work. Rodney Dominguez Mitch Milne Leo Barge Brent Tibbs Keri Duer Cheryl Goodner Diane Barber Maddie Fletcher

Virtual, blended, or non-enrolled students have to sign up for meals every week. Meals may be picked up at Louise Durham Elementary or Mena High School on Fridays between 1 and 2pm. The form will need to be filled out by 2 pm Thursday for meal pick up on Friday. Follow the link to fill out the form for October 5th-9th. https://forms.gle/98bmtEwb1ijmCDmD8

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Students in Mrs. White's 3rd grade classroom became Engineers in Science today.