Mena Schools Leadership are meeting this morning in the Mena High School Performing Arts Center. Many of the questions that our patrons have concerning the 20/21 school year are on the agenda. Options will be available & answers can be expected soon. Your patience is appreciated.
Preparations continue for the new school year at all Mena campuses. The first day of school is scheduled for Thursday, August 13th.
Kindergarten Registration!
We are so excited to have our online registration ready for incoming kindergarteners. If you have a student that will be 5 years old before August 1, 2020, please click on the link below and start your journey as a Bearcat!
https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=24780&culture=en
The Mena School Board met on Tuesday in the Mena Middle School Library & faced a lengthy agenda.
Follow the link for the full story.
https://www.menaschools.org/article/261150?org=mena-school-district
Mr. Benny Weston awarded Mrs. Paulete Sherrer with a plaque honoring her for her service to the Mena School District at Tuesday's school board meeting. Those attending applauded & wished her well in retirement.
Governor Asa Hutchinson & Dr. Ivy Pfeffer spoke at length today about a return to the classroom. Dr, Pfeffer is the Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Click the link to watch today's press conference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch
Mena School District Parent/Guardian Survey for Fall 2020 - Please complete 1 survey per household.
Please take the time to complete the following survey. Your input is valuable to us.
We have never before had to prepare for a school year like the upcoming Fall 2020 Semester.
There are still so many unanswered questions for parents, students, and school personnel.
The Mena School District is asking you to consider the following statements in each category and check all of them that apply to your situation.
Your choices for your student and shared concerns are important to us.
Your feedback will assist us to make important decisions about the upcoming 1st semester of the 2020-2021 school year.
With your input our goal is to continue to strive to best meet the needs of our students and their families while still remaining in compliance with all the state agency guidelines and restrictions.
We will offer you similar choices again in preparation for the 2nd semester of the 2020-2021 school year.
Please complete one survey per household. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your input.
*If you are participating in this survey and you know someone in our district with no internet access, please direct them to call our Administration Office at (479)394-1710 and answer these important survey questions over the phone.
https://forms.gle/mzHQpZVujrqW7tT87
Applications for the 2020-2021 school year are now available and can be completed online at the link below. PCVA is an online, home based educational option for K-12 students. For more information, contact PCVA Director Bridget Buckley at bridget.buckley@menaschools.org or 479-216-0205.
https://forms.gle/13iWJAdUPgCMYDKS7
Tell your Instagram friends to like the NEW Mena Schools account!
https://www.instagram.com/menaschools/
JLG’s May Librarian of the Month honor goes to Louise Durham Elementary and Tiffany Williams. We could tell from seeing her social media posts that she was always willing to go the extra mile to get students to engage with books, whether through sensory mats to form a check-out line or loading up her cart to deliver books to classrooms. Read on to learn more about Tiffany...
https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/blog/post/detail/id/3050/
Attention Parents of Students who attended Mena School District:
State and Federal guidelines require that all special education due process forms and records be destroyed within six (6) years after a student leaves the special education or speech therapy program.
If your child was dismissed, graduated, dropped from the program or found to be ineligible for special education services and/ or speech therapy during the school year 2012-2013, you have the right to review and request copies of your child’s due process records before they are destroyed. Your child also has the right to review these records providing he or she is 18 years or older. If you wish to see these records, they will be available at Mena School Special Education office beginning May 25, 2020 to June 15, 2020 from 7:00 am to 4:00 p.m. Records, which are not picked up will be destroyed on June 22, 2020.
These records are NOT your child’s permanent school records, they are only special education due process forms and records. You may contact Laura Bunch Special Education Supervisor 479-394-1144
Welcome Dr. Lee Smith back to Mena. Smith has been hired as the next Assistant Superintendent at the Mena Public Schools.. GO BEARCATS!!!
The Mena School Board met on Tuesday, May 19th.
The meeting began with the Superintendents Report. Mr. Benny Weston updated the board on the multiple phases the leadership team is working on for reentry & the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year. Assistant Superintendent Paulette Sherrer added that a needs assesment is underway in anticipation of the award from federal COVID-19 CARES Act monies.
Personnel was next on the agenda.
RESIGNATIONS
Traci Gray
Malani Vega
RESCIND CONTRACT
Markie Blocker
TRANSFER
Amy Dollar - 6th grade social studies
Justin Goodnight - Mena High School Agri
Chelsea Johnson - 8th grade algebra
Susan McKeever - LDE Special Education paraprofessional
HIRE
Dr. Lee Smith - Assistant Superintendent
Cheyenne Burdess - HHE
Lisa Falls - HHE LPN
Alicia Farringer - MMS Special Education self contained
Amy Martin - MMS
Chase McCormick - MMS Agri
Colby Singleton - Secondary MHS
COACHING DUTIES
Landon Dover - head sr. girls track
Tia Fryer - assistant jr. boys basketball
Ryan Luttmer - head jr. boys basketball & head jr. boys track
Brad Lyle - assistant sr. boys basketball
Heather Goss - head jr. girls track
All were approved unanimously.
The board then renewed the contract with Aramark Food Service & also renewed the agreement with Horizon Software.
The board accepted the Freedom of Choice Applications of 9 students.
Next was an update on the district's Five Year Plan to improve the FTE (Full-time equivalent). For the 20/21 school year the FTE has improved to 91.4% & is expected to jump to 95% once final calculations are made.
Finally financial reports were approved & the meeting adjourned.
Meal pick up Monday
Mena Public Schools is be able to provide one more week of meals & distribution is tomorrow, Monday, May 11th...
Want to know more about the Polk County Virtual Academy? Just click the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2PzxYOwJi4&feature=youtu.be
Congratulations Penny Smedley from LDE !!!!
Mena Public Schools Would like to express our appreciation for today's donation by one of our patrons to the Feed a Bearcat Program. This donation will help those students who are behind on meal charges. If you would like to help Feed a Bearcat you can make a donation at the Administration Building located at 501 Hickory in Mena or call
479-394-1710...
Louise Durham Elementary Yearbook Pick Up.
Thursday/ April 30th.
Pre-K 9am-10am
Kindergarten 10am-11am
1st Grade 11am- Noon to
2nd Grade Noon-2pm
We are asking that parents put a large piece of paper on the right side of their dashboard in the windshield that has their students name and students teacher. Drive through the bus loop in front of the school. We will see the child’s name and hand them the yearbook through a window.We have put siblings together and they will be picked up with the oldest child.
Those that have not bought a yearbook can bring a check or exact cash of $16 and drive through Friday morning from 9 to 10.
