Mena Middle School

From Coach Fryar and Coach Goss This is the Remind App class code for the 20-21 school year 7th grade Jr Ladycat Volleyball and basketball. If you plan on being a 7th grade Jr Ladycat, please join for updates and info.

Mena Middle School Yearbooks Distribution Middle School Yearbooks that were pre-ordered (you have a receipt) will be distributed Thursday, May 7 as follows A - H 10:00am-11:00am I - P. 11:00am-Noon Q-Z 1:00pm=2:00pm Due to the virus, it will be curb side pickup in front of the Middle School entrance. Please do not get out of your car. It is "drive through" only through the circle drive. If, due to your work schedule, you need a different time, contact Mrs. Lunsford byTuesday, May 5 for special arrangement. Melissa.Lunsford@MenaSchools.org or text to 479-637-6599. Please provide the student's name and grade in your message. Yearbooks remaining can be purchased: Tuesday, May 12 11 am - 1 pm (1st Come / 1st Served) Limited Available Middle School entrance circle drive, curb side, drive-through Checks only accepted. Made payable to Mena Middle School Yearbook. Price is $29.

The Mena School District is accepting applications for many positions at this time. Follow the link to our website for more information.. https://menaschools.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

At this time, Mena Public Schools will be able to provide 3 more weeks of meals. We will be distributing weekly Monday meals on April 27th, May 4th, and May 11th. To help us maintain an accurate count, please choose one of the following options: 1. If you are already on the meal pick-up list, simply continue what procedure you were following for the next three weeks. 2. If you were on the pre-list and wish to be removed, please call our Aramark Food Director at 234-1161. 3. If you would like to be added to the list to receive the next three weekly meals, please call our Aramark Food Director at 234-1161. We appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain our commitment to meet the needs of our students.

Mena Assistant Superintendent Paulette Sherrer announces retirement after 30 years with TEAM Mena. 2019-2020 Assistant Superintendent 2015-2019 Federal Programs Coordinator/District Compliance Administrator 2014-2015 Holly Harshman Elementary Principal/District Compliance Administrator 2011-2014 Holly Harshman Elementary Principal 2009-2011 K-6 Literacy Instructional Facilitator 1999-2009 Third Grade Teacher - Holly Harshman Elementary 1990-1999 First Grade Teacher - Louise Durham Elementary

A Memorial Drive for Nature Brown will be held on Saturday, April 25th from 7:30-8:00 pm. You are invited to honor the life of Nature Brown and his family. Please remain in your vehicle as you drive through the Mena Public School Fieldhouse Loop.

The Mena School Board held their April meeting Tuesday night & a number of personnel changes were addressed.. Recommendation to Hire – Jamie Grasman – 1st Grade Teacher Markie Blocker – 2nd Grade Teacher Abigail Sims – GT Coordinator/ESL Coordinator Recommendation to transfer within district – Robin Castor from 2nd Grade Teacher to LD PE Teacher Paula Cox from 3rd Grade Teacher to HHE Library Media Specialist Christy Harrison from MMS Self-Contained Teacher to SPED Director/504 Coordinator Randy Peters from Jr High Head BB Coach/Teacher to Sr High Head BB Coach/Teacher Deedra Hooker from Paraprofessional to Secondary English Teacher Accepted Resignations – Norma Foster Jim Pennington Accepted Resignations for Retirement – Mike Collins Paulette Crawford Freda Moore Marsha Riley Penny Smedley Paulette Sherrer Rose Tedder Complete minutes from the meeting will be posted later,,

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 tagTag PhotopinAdd LocationpencilEdit

MMS Report Cards are available to students and parents at the Home Access Center (HAC). If you have questions about logging on or need another method of delivery, please email clifton.sherrer@menaschools.org

SCHOOL CHOICE DEADLINE IS MAY 1st ! Follow the link to the forms & email or mail the completed form to 501 Hickory Avenue Mena, AR 71953. Contact sherry.newman@menaschools.org for more information. https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/…/School_Choice_Form_202… tagTag PhotopinAdd Locationpencil

We are so grateful for the positive response to our Weekly Student Meal Preorders, but we are not able to continue filling orders for families who have not picked up the meals the past two weeks. If you filled the original order form on March 24/25 and have not picked up the meals the past two weeks your name has been removed from the list, you can contact the Food Director if you would like to be added to next week’s meal preorder list for delivery or pickup on Monday, April 13th, please directly contact our Aramark Food Service Director by phone at (479)234-1161 Any further questions or comments about your weekly preorder, please call (479)234-1161. Thank you for your continued support as we strive to meet the needs of our students, parents, and community during this time.

NEW HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE FOR FOOD DELIVERY! We strive to continue offering our weekly meal orders. Due to our intent on “Slowing the Spread” and keeping “Social Distancing”, we are adding increased measures of protection to our meal delivery process to protect our students, guardians, and employees. For onsite or offsite meal pickups each Monday, please help us by adhering to the following guidelines: 1. Please remain in your car with your windows rolled up. 2. Please have a piece of paper with the "Guardian's First and Last Name" written on it viewable on the front passenger side window. 3. We will only be loading in the trunk of your vehicle or the back of a pickup truck. We will no longer be able to load into the seats of a vehicle. If you are unable to open or offer a trunk space, please write “no trunk” on your paper. We will then have you pull up, and let you load your own sacks. 4. If possible, please wear a mask if you will need to be exiting your vehicle to self-load. These are increased measures to help us continue to serve you! We appreciate your understanding and support. Thank you.

MMS 7th grade student Clara White! Getting it done!

A thank you to MPS & Aramark employees from an anonymous patron. Thank you and all that help make it possible for the food boxes. We appreciate it so much. It has eased some stress during this time. The stress of having to purchase enough food to feed our constantly hungry growing children during a time where most are out of work. The stress of having to go to public places like the grocery store and try and shop cheaply, quickly, and stay healthy. My children who are missing going to school were very excited to see the items they are use to at school. They even pretended they were back at school with our plates that look similar to school trays. Grabbing their milks first and walking around the kitchen as it was the lunch line. Thank you so much again! We are lucky and grateful to have such a kind and helpful school and community. - A grateful family Week 2 meals will be delivered on Monday April 6th. See the schedule below..

If you would like to be added to next week’s meal preorder list for delivery or pickup on Monday, April 6th, please directly contact our Aramark Food Service Director by phone at (479)234-1161 by 3pm today (Wed. 4/1) Any further questions or comments about your weekly preorder, please call (479)234-1161. Thank you for your continued support as we strive to meet the needs of our students, parents, and community during this time.

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

Dear Mena Middle School Parents: I wanted to reach out to Mena Middle School students and parents as we begin this different and ever evolving time for education. I hope that you and your family are safe and patiently dealing with the COVID-19 situation. Here are some options as we continue our offsite education: If you have internet access: Please continue to work your lessons and communicate with your teacher through Google classroom. If you do not have internet access: You can watch Arkansas PBS “‘Arkansas AMI” for grades 6-8 at 11:00 - 1:00 for curriculum based learning from the Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. For more information about how to watch, go to myarkansaspbs.org/channelinformation At this time in an effort to slow the spread, we are not asking any packets of work to be returned from the week before Spring Break. We will release information later about how we will gather these packets. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions: clifton.sherrer@menaschools.org

Monday Pre-order Meal Pickup Times ! Old Cove Gym - 11:00-11:45 Hatfield First Baptist Church - 11:00-11:30 Old Potter Sale Barn - 11:45-12:15 Board Camp Baptist Church - 11:00-11:30 Big Fork Community Building - 11:45-12:15 Mena Union Mission - 11:00-11:15 Cherry Hill Store - 11:45-12:15 Mena Kess’ Corner - 11:00-11:30 Old Rocky Church - 12:00-12:30 Louise Durham Pickup Line 11:30-1:00 Mena High School Pickup Line 11:30-1:00 You will simply need to give the guardian name the pre-order was made under. Thank you!

The Mena School District has created safe learning zones where students can access Wi-fi and technology support. One is in the parking lot at Bearcat Stadium, Another is in the Mena High School student parking lot & a third is in the front parking lot at Louise Durham Elementary.

Commissioner Johnny Key announced today that Arkansas will be seeking the waiver to cancel the Spring State ACT Aspire Testing as well as the K-2 Assessment for this year, Here is the official statement! Due to the extraordinary circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting school closures, states have been provided flexibility regarding the assessment and accountability requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Given the widespread, extended school closures, and the interruption in school operations and on-site classroom education, Arkansas will cancel administration of state testing for the spring of 2020. This includes the Act Aspire and the K-2 assessments. Arkansas will participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s expedited waiver process and will be seeking broad flexibility from both assessment and accountability provisions.