WINTER 2016
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT Dear Parents and Community, Our spring semester is underway, and it is shaping up to be another banner year for Arkadelphia Public Schools. In January, we were pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with Henderson State University that will benefit our students for many years. The “Badger College and Career Reddie Scholarship” and early college initiative was designed exclusively for Arkadelphia students and will be available to the AHS Class of 2016. We are proud to partner with HSU on this new initiative and are grateful for their spirit of collaboration and leadership. The future is bright for our students! Our students and staff are gearing up for the new ACT Aspire assessment that will be administered across Arkansas this spring. The test will be administered online and will replace the 2015 PARCC test and the former Benchmark paper/pencil exam. Our instructional team has been preparing for the transition, and we look forward to reviewing the data that will come from the new assessment. For more information, please contact your child’s principal or counselor. Our building projects continue to move forward with the planning and design of our new schools, and in collaboration with a great team of professionals. As the process and plans advance, we will provide regular updates, projected timelines and various ways for our patrons to participate in our progress over the coming years. It is an exciting time for Arkadelphia Public Schools. Finally, we encourage you to show your support by attending the outstanding activities and events that showcase our talented students. Our young people are the pride of our community, and we encourage you to be a part of these special moments. You’ll be glad you did. Go Badgers! Sincerely,
Donnie Whitten, Ed.D. Superitendent
Arkadelphia Wrestling Kicks Off
Arkadelphia Superintendent Dr. Donnie Whitten and Athletic Director Chris Babb first announced the inception of the wrestling team on June 12, 2015. The two, along with AHS Coach J.R. Eldridge, noticed the increase in popularity of wrestling in Ark. and wanted to give Arkadelphia students the opportunity to participate. The students making up the opening year of Arkadelphia’s wrestling program are: Ricky Rodgers, Zachary Clark, Patrick Dobbins, Griffin Smith, Garret Collie, Kyle Whittle, Keaundre Dawson, Gabriel Curlin, Caleb Bird, Jordan Jarboe, Dakota Barnum, Keaton Goodrum and Rhett Womack. “We’re very excited for our students who have formed our inaugural wrestling team to represent AHS,” Babb said. “Coaches Casey Moreland and JR Eldridge have really done a great job with our group, many of whom have not wrestled before.”
In addition to the dedication of Moreland and Eldridge, the support from the community has influenced the Badgers’ success tremendously thus far. Todd Allen, Ouachita Baptist University’s head wrestling coach, and current OBU wrestlers have volunteered to help Arkadelphia begin the program. “I think the wrestling program has gotten off to a great start,” Eldridge said. “Coach Moreland’s leadership for the program has been excellent. He has really been able to motivate the athletes. The experienced wrestlers continue to improve, and the new wrestlers are learning everyday. We have been very successful at our duals.” The Badger Wrestling program had its debut at Hot Springs High School on Jan. 19. The team wrestled Hot Springs and Benton. Goodrum, a sophomore at AHS, was the first individual win for Arkadelphia, accompanied by Rodgers, Curlin, Jarboe and Dawson. “We have had football players that are non-experienced wrestlers win a couple of matches,”
Moreland said. “I was pretty satisfied with that, because the only thing they know is what they’ve been taught here. I know that was due to what they’ve learned through OBU or us. I felt good about that.” The wrestling team practices every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 3:30 p.m. For the first two weeks, Eldridge and Moreland focused solely on conditioning and getting the wrestlers in shape. As mid-season approaches, the Badgers are spending more time doing drills and facing each other in practice matches. “The Badger wrestling team has brought great energy to their matches and has seen individual and team progress even in such a short time,” Babb said. “It’s been fun to see the excitement grow among the group, as they get more and more comfortable with the sport and learn some of the techniques that will help them. Even as a young program, Coach Moreland believes that in talking with other coaches and those affiliated with the sport of wrestling around the state that our group has a chance to hold its own at the State championship in Little Rock in mid-February.”
APS Superintendent Dr. Donnie Whitten APS Communications Dept. Hanna Dean, Director Arkadelphia Public Schools Voice is a publication of the Arkadelphia Public Schools Communications Department. Questions regarding this publication may be directed to: E-mail - hanna.dean@ arkadelphiaschools.org Phone - (870) 246-5564 x1214 Mail - Arkadelphia Public Schools attn: Dept. of Comm. 235 N. 11th St. Arkadelphia, AR 71923
Arkadelphia Public Schools Board of Education Dr. Jeff Root, President Dr. Kenneth G. Harris, Jr., Vice President Karrie Goodman, Secretary Gina White Billy Groom Randy Turner Dr. Casey Motl
Downtown Arkadelphia Christmas Parade
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Badger College and Career Reddie Scholarship
Arkadelphia High School students who earn advanced diplomas will have the opportunity to earn a new type of scholarship at Henderson State University starting with the university’s fall 2016 entering class. The Badger College and Career Reddie Scholarship program was announced at a Jan. 29 event in the Arkadelphia High School gymnasium. The initiative is designed to focus on students who have the determination to finish a rigorous academic program and maintain a minimum 3.3 grade point average (GPA) each semester. Henderson State Provost Dr. Steve Adkison applauded both the rigor of the advanced diploma and the college-going rate for AHS graduates. The advanced diploma requires 27 credits, including numerous Advanced Placement courses, upon graduation with a GPA of 3.300 or greater per semester. “This scholarship does not require a minimum ACT score, as we firmly believe a student’s ACT score is not the sole indicator of college readiness,” Adkison said. “By earning an advanced diploma, the students who will receive the Badger College and Career Reddie Scholarship have demonstrated their motivation and grit in a challenging academic environment. These are the very students
we want to see at Henderson State; we don’t have any doubt that they are ready to succeed.” The university and Arkadelphia High have always shared a special relationship, AHS principal David Maxwell said, and the school district’s leaders have worked hard over a number of years to increase the demands of programs in order to prepare students for college
success. “This financial aid package came about because of our body of work,” Maxwell said. “It is hard work to have this level of rigor in a degree plan. It is hard work on the students, faculty and staff to maintain these standards, but as a campus family we believe this is the direction we should be going.” The work done at AHS has paid off for students and their parents. About 87 percent of students from the 2014 graduating class who enrolled in college returned for their sophomore year. Badger College and Career Reddie Scholarship recipients must enroll and complete 15 college hours per semester. Recipients may renew the scholarship for eight consecutive semesters as long as they complete 30 credit hours and maintain a cumulative 3.00 GPA for each academic year. The Badger College and Career Reddie Scholarship is designed to fill any funding gaps the student may have for tuition, fees and books after primary sources of scholarships and financial aid are applied. The initiative will work hand-in-hand with the Arkadelphia Promise to make college a reality for more students. “We are thrilled that Henderson State is coming alongside the
Arkadelphia Promise and rewarding our AHS students for their hard work,” Arkadelphia Promise Executive Director Jason Jones said. “Making college more affordable through scholarships like these increases the number of students who will graduate from college and make themselves more marketable in the 21st century.” In addition to the Badger College and Career Reddie Scholarship, Henderson State University will be providing AHS students with the opportunity to receive early college credit as of the 2016-2017 school year. A Memorandum of Understanding signed by Henderson State University President Glen Jones and Arkadelphia Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Donnie Whitten, will be in effect beginning in August 2016 and is one of the dimensions of the larger Arkadelphia High/Henderson State early college partnership also marked by the new Reddie Scholarship. “We have always been proud of our strong partnership with Henderson State University, and today’s announcement takes that partnership to the next level,” Whitten said. “The collaborative spirit between these two organizations is making a difference in the lives of our students and in our community. This is a great day for Arkadelphia Public Schools.” Early college courses will include Intermediate Algebra/Algebra III, College Algebra and General Physics. Intermediate Algebra will be taught at AHS concurrently. College Algebra and General Physics will be taught on the campus of Henderson State University by HSU faculty. These early college courses will allow Arkadelphia High students to engage in classes on the Henderson State campus alongside current college students, earning both high school and college credit. 3
Badger Pride Volleyball
2015 marked another year with a state tournament appearance for the Lady Badger volleyball program under the direction of third-year head coach Jenny Coon. The Lady Badgers entered the tournament as the third seed from the 4A-West and lost to the Southside Lady Southerners in the first round 3-1. A season sweep of Malvern along with conference wins over Ashdown and Waldron highlighted a season that saw three Lady Badgers named first-team All-Conference in the 4A-West. Seniors Madeline Wallace and Cassidy Witherspoon along with junior August McClure were named All-Conference at the post-season 4A-West coaches’ meeting. McClure led the Lady Badgers in kills with 137 from the outside/middle hitter position while Witherspoon was second on the team in kills. Wallace led the Lady Badger defense from her libero position during her senior season. Joining Wallace and Witherspoon as seniors on the 2015 team were Autumn Bailey, Keashaun Smith and Kaitlyn Williams. The future is bright for the Lady Badger volleyball program as the 9th grade Lady Badgers finished as conference runners-up in the 4A-West junior high conference. The Lady Badgers also put together a good regular season with conference wins over teams including Mena and Malvern as well as a tournament win in the silver bracket of the LadyCat Invitational in Mena.
Football It was a tale of two seasons for the Arkadelphia Badger football team and the second half of that season saw the Badgers end the year in the 4A state semifinals. Fifth-year head coach J.R. Eldridge led the Badgers to the state semis for the first time in 28 years, falling to Prairie Grove in week 14. The Badgers ended the season with an 8-6 overall record after earning the fourth seed in the always-tough 4A-7 with a regular season-ending 49-42 win over the Malvern Leopards at AllCare Field at Badger Stadium. A week before the Senior Night win over Malvern, the Badgers began their hot streak with a 50-0 win at Bauxite. With the Badgers being the fourth seed, road games were on the menu for Arkadelphia throughout the playoffs. Arkadelphia would extend the win streak to three games with a 51-19 win at Helena-West Helena in the first round of the state playoffs. Being named All-Conference for The win over the Cougars set up a rematch with 4A-7 foe Fountain Lake which had defeated the Badgers 35-13 in week five in the Badgers’ the 4A-7 for Arkadelphia were: Homecoming game. Arkadelphia traveled to Fountain Lake on the Friday before Thanksgiving and earned a third straight state quarterfinal First Team: appearance with a 19-14 win over the Cobras. Sr QB Jeff Blake Making its program-record third consecutive appearance in the state Sr DL Cameron Breashears quarterfinals, the Badgers faced a tall task in undefeated and consenSr RB Jathan Bowens sus No. 1 Dardanelle if AHS wanted to advance to the semifinals for Jr WR Shemar Dickens the first time since 1987. In a torrential downpour at Dardanelle, the Sr CB Bailey Goza Badger defense shut down the high-powered Sand Lizard offense and Sr DL Kameron Hall the Badger offense used three sustained drives to come away from the Sr OL Brannon Rogers River Valley with a hard-fought 21-14 win over Dardanelle. Sr LB Danny Joe Spradlin The win sent the Badgers on the road even further up I-40 as the top seed from the 4A-1 in the Prairie Grove Tigers were on tap in the state semifinals. The Badgers ran into an offensive buzzsaw in the Tigers in Second Team: the first half, and despite a valiant effort in the second half, the Badgers Jr RB Tajhan McKenzie came up on the short end of a 61-42 semifinal shootout. Sr OL Sam Burdett Other wins in the season came over Stuttgart, Waldron and Mena. Jr PK Nathan Warner At the end of the season, several individuals were recognized for their Soph. LB Jack Burnham efforts throughout the 2015 campaign. Senior offensive lineman BranSoph. LB Josh Burnham 4non Rogers was the Badgers’ only selection to the 4A All-State team.
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#BadgerPride
Arkadelphia Promise Tops $1,000,000
Eight Baseball Badgers Sign National Letter of Intent
“It’s important to remember that this has been a ‘ramping up’ process to get us to the point where we now have four classes of college students enrolled and receiving assistance from the Arkadelphia Promise. Now that we are at this point, we will be investing about $500,000 per year in our student’s pursuit of college degrees.”
Signing Day December 10, 2015 Henderson State University Danny Joe Spradlin Ty Jones Dylan Parnham Parker Herron Brayden Bebee Ouachita Baptist University Cutter Jester Brandon Matros University of Central Arkansas Ty Kosters 6
Jason Jones Executive Director
Since its inception in the fall of 2010, the Arkadelphia Promise has awarded $1,175,000.00 in scholarship money to Arkadelphia High School graduates in hopes of making college a reality for all local students. Executive Director Jason Jones is pleased to announce that the Arkadelphia Promise, funded by Southern Bancorp and the Ross Foundation, has provided financial aid for a total of 718 college semesters and awarded an average of $3,342.62 per year to students. The Arkadelphia High School Class of 2011 was the first to receive financial assistance from the Arkadelphia Promise. During the Fall 2014 semester, four Arkadelphia High School classes had graduated and were given the opportunity to apply for the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship. “It’s important to remember that this has been a ‘ramping up’ process to get us to the point where we now have four classes of college students enrolled and receiving as-
sistance from the Arkadelphia Promise,” Jones said. “Now that we are at this point, we will be investing about $500,000 per year in our student’s pursuit of college degrees.” Arkadelphia students have attended 45 different colleges and universities in 10 states ranging from California to New York, including prestigious schools such as the University of Chicago, Baylor University and Belmont University. The two biggest beneficiaries of the Arkadelphia Promise are Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University. Out of all five graduating classes to receive the benefit of the Arkadelphia Promise, 44 percent of students have started school at Henderson and 14 percent have started at Ouachita. The University of Arkansas, U.C.A, Arkansas State University and College of the Ouachita’s have about 20 percent of the Arkadelphia High School graduates over the last 5 years. Almost 6
percent of Arkadelphia Promise recipients have chosen to attend college out of state. Jones recently announced that the retention rate for 2014 AHS graduates has increased to 87.1 percent, which is 24.2 percent higher than the highest average in Arkansas for the past five years. In the past four years, the retention rates have remained at least 10 percent higher than the state average. The primary goal of the Arkadelphia Promise is “to increase the college-going rate for local students, reduce the number of students dropping out of college for financial reasons and provide for a more educated workforce.” The Arkadelphia Promise was first announced on Nov. 16, 2010. For more information about the Arkadelphia Promise, you may visit arkadelphiapromise.com or contact Jones at jjones@arkadelphiapromise.com.
Arkadelphia Bands Present a Christmas Concert
Beginning Band
First Christmas March - arr. John O’ Reilly Jingle Bells - arr. George Pokorski
Seventh Grade Band
Flourishing Noels (Fanfare on the First Noel) - arr.Travis J. Weller Fantasia on “Christmas Comes Anew” - arr. Michael Story Reindeer Galop - arr. Robert W. Smith
Eighth Grade Band
A Celtic Christmas - arr. Richard L Saucedo The Moon of Winter - arr. Vince Gassi Patapan - arr. Tom Wallace The Santa of Seville - arr. Mark Williams
High School Band
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Holiday Piece - David Foster/arr. Jay Dawson Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - arr. Douglas Wagner Maria Pinkerton, vocal soloist Winterfest - John Prescott
#ARKIDSCANCODE The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas sponsored the first annual #ARKidsCanCode - Girls of Promise Coding Summit on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock, Ark. The Arkadelphia Public School District sent 16 students from Goza Middle School and six students from Arkadelphia High School. Clair Mays, the AP Science instructor at AHS, took the following AHS students: Tea Burgess, Tiara Burgess, Jayla Henderson, Cheyenne Gray, Victoria Sharma and McKaylin Sheets. Phyllis Watts, teacher and sponsor of Goza’s new coding club, took the following Goza students: Aisha Faiq, Alexandria Guttierrez, Aryanna Guttierrez, Darbeigh Hale, Dorothy Mcduffie, Jasmin Moren, Kristen Curtis, Kristen Leguin, Madsion Green, McKinley Green, Olivia Dixon, Reagan Rorie, Shelly Smith, Sydni Smith, Sydni Bryant and Trinity Harrison. “There is a great deal of excitement about coding in Arkansas, and APS is proud to be a part of this initiative,” Superintendent Dr. Donnie Whitten said. “Our teachers and administrators have done a great job of promoting the initiative, and it’s even more exciting to see our females students involved in these activities.” The conference began with Katherine Prewitt, a senior director for Midcontinent Independent System Operator, welcoming the girls to the coding summit and introducing the emcee of the conference, Warwick Sabin. Sabin is the Arkansas State Representative for District 33 and the Executive Director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. Governor Asa Hutchinson welcomed all of the girls and offered a message about the importance of coding, whether students are planning to work in that field or not. “Coders will develop software, and software will define our future,” Hutchinson said. “I want our future defined not by a bunch of men around a table. I want software to be defined by everyone, because it defines our future. And I want you girls to be involved in defining and developing our future.” Code.org’s COO and Vice President of Government Affairs Cameron Wilson followed Hutchinson’s speech and offered a message declaring Arkansas a “leader of the nation” in expanding computer science instruction. Wilson explained computer science as fun, engaging and an obtainable skill for any individual. Students were able to put their skills to practice at the summit during the “Hour of Code” under the instruction of Alia Borroho, founder of Devfluent. All students, both experienced coders and novices, spent an hour working on a code.org course with the aid of several Arkansas Women in Tech Mentors. To encourage the students to continue to practice coding, AT&T is sponsoring a tech contest for all Arkansas female students in grades six through 12. Students will be responsible for developing a website, app or other technical project for a philanthropy. Students will be judged on their technical skills, communication skills and level of completion. The deadline to submit projects is Feb. 15, 2016.
Goza STARS
After attending the 29th Annual High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference, Dr. Virginia Anderson, Director of Federal Programs and Administrative Services, and Ms. Sharon Clark, teacher of Career Orientation, began to implement an effective advisory program at Goza Middle School called STARS. STARS stands for Students, Teachers and Relationships. Anderson and Clark attended advisory sessions presented by representatives from West Virginia. Since advisory groups are a requirement in West Virginia, the two were able to obtain quality information and advice from people who have developed successful programs. The Goza STARS committee includes Anderson and Clark, along with Principal Angela Garner, Ms. LaKesha Berry, Ms. Vanilla Hannah, and Ms. Dana Tuggle. The committee placed students into small groups based on random selection and provided a file box to each advisor consisting of rosters, lesson plans, handouts, and a list of advisors for their homeroom students. “Our focus really is to have
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Cone Foundation Awards Grants to Community small groups, to have students interact with a teacher that they may not have in class and to create a relationship with that teacher, so that they have some other adult in their life who they can go to, relate to and learn from,” Clark said. There are 36 Goza faculty members who are STAR advisors. Each group consists of 10 to 12 middle school students that meet once a month during fourth period, because it is the only time when all of the Goza faculty is on campus since many coach or
“The teachers didn’t have to worry about a lesson plan, because we gave all of that to them. My intentions as an administrator were to give them their file box and say, ‘Just spend 30 minutes of quality time with those kids.’ It’s all about building relationships. Several of the teachers emailed me after the first session and said, ‘Wow, that was really fun! I enjoyed getting to know these kids.’” Angela Garner
Goza Middle School Principal
teach at the high school as well. “We are wanting a bond,” Anderson said. “Teacher-student
interaction includes teacher praise to reinforce positive behavior. Part of the research is that students with behavioral problems or low grades do better working with their mentor. If their mentor needs to meet with the student, or if they need some one-on-one time, they can seek out that student, or that student will have the freedom and ability to seek you out as a mentor.” The students met for the first time in October. The advisors conducted a “get to know you” session, where the students and mentors participated in activities to get acquainted with the rest of their STAR group. Each meeting is guided by a lesson plan that includes time requirements, content standards, indicators, materials, procedures, activities, and additional resources. “The teachers didn’t have to worry about a lesson plan, because we gave all of that to them,” said Garner. “My intentions as an administrator were to give them their file box and say, ‘Just spend 30 minutes of quality time with those kids.’ It’s all about building relationships. Several of the teachers emailed me after the first session and said, ‘Wow, that was really fun! I enjoyed getting to know these kids.’” All sixth graders were placed with an eighth grade advisor and will be the first grade to complete all three middle school years with the same mentor. Seventh grade students have sixth grade advisors and will be with them for their two remaining years. “It is a rotation, and after the first three years, each student will have the same mentor for three consecutive years,” Garner said. “That’s exciting. Throughout this scatter, they are allowed to get to know teachers they were never able to meet, which opened the door to form new relationships for our kids.”
The Arkadelphia High School’s CONE Foundation awarded 25 grants to various non-profit organizations for their proposed projects in Clark County at their annual awards ceremony. The CONE Foundation made up of 20 Gifted and Talented Seniors at Arkadelphia High School, received over 34 proposals requesting almost $25,000.00. The 2015 selected recipients at the December 1st ceremony were:
Educational Grants Perritt Primary School- Mrs. Amanda McMillion Badger Scholar- Courtney/Ben Barris Central Primary- Mrs. Charlotte Dewitt Peake Elem- Shannon Prince/Susan Sorrells AHS Spec. Ed- Mrs. Kim Moore Career Education- Mrs. Clair Mays AHS Engineering Design- Mr. Bud McMillion Community Grants Lighthouse Ministry-Mrs. Debbie Files Clark Co. Humane Society-Mr. Jesse Jones Pregnancy Resource Center of SW AR- Mrs. Beverly Hankins OBU Kinesiology Dept.-Mr. Mike Reynolds Boys & Girls Club-Mr.Erik Edington CASA-Mrs. Carrie Goodman Arkadelphia Jr. Auxilary-Mrs. Nicole McGough Clark Co. Historical Society- Mr. Charles Todd CALL Foster Care of AR- Mrs. Shawna Childs Healthier Clark Co. Coalition- Dr. Virginia Anderson Group Living, Inc.- Mrs. Jane Lucas Percy & Donna Malone Child Safety Center- Christa Neal Clark Co. Ecumenical Food Pantry-Cynthia Jackson Arkadelphia Little Theatre- Mr. Kim Adams 1st Baptist Church of Okolona- Mr. Marcus Muldrew Elrod Center for Family/Comm.-Mrs. Elizabeth Kelly YAC Student-Initiated Grants AHS JROTC- Miss Vicki Sharma OBU Design Project- Mr. Jace Bradshaw
The senior students making up the CONE Foundation are: Jacob Coon, Race Craft, Trace Fryar, Kameron Hall, Brock Huerkamp, Alexandria Hunter, Kenneth Jarboe, Aswa Khan, David Lloyd, Brandon Matros, Declend McMurry, Erin Mecum, Johnathan Miles, Lance Morvin, Victoria Sharma, Kasey Smith, Mackenzie Suggs, Camille Tedder, Jahishmah Whittie, Cassidy Witherspoon, and Adeline Goodman. The Foundation’s sponsor is Ms. Nancy Mortensen.
Great Kindness Challenge The Great Kindness Challenge, presented by Kids for Peace, encouraged schools to participate in “Kind Coins for Kenya” during the week. According to the Great Challenge website, “Kind Coins for Kenya is a global service project to help build a new school in a village in Kenya.” Perritt, Central and Peake showed a video explaining this mission to the students at the start of the week. Students throughout the week collected change to go towards the construction of the new school in Kenya.
I think it is important to participate in the Great Kindness Challenge Week because it gives our students an opportunity to participate in an event that is taking place throughout the nation, focusing on the importance of being kind to others and how to be kind. Hopefully, students will be more conscious of their actions toward others and really focus on being kind, not just for a week, but continuing after the Challenge week is over. I love that the students have a challenge list to work on throughout the week! This gives them some concrete examples of how to show kindness to others! Nikki Thomas, principal of Peake Elementary
“Smile at 25 people.”
“Be kind to yourself and eat a healthy snack.”
“Learn to say ‘Hello’ in a different language.” “Make a new friend.” “Help a younger student.”
“Make a wish for a child in another country.”
The Great Kindness Challenge kicked off on Jan. 25. Students of Perritt Primary, Central Primary and Peake Elementary were challenged to complete all 50 items on the Acts of Kindness Checklist. To encourage participation, students and teachers dressed according to the “theme of the day” for each day of the week. Monday’s theme was “Score Points with Kindness.” Those who participated came to school in their favorite sports gear. On Tuesday, many students were seen wearing ties, because “Kindness Ties Us Together.” For “Kindness Colors Our World” Wednesday, each class chose a specific color to wear. On Thursday, Arkadelphia Public Schools were “Crazy about Kindness”. Students and teachers came to school with the crazy hair and socks. To wrap up the Great Kindness Challenge Week, students put on their best elderly attire to show that “Kindness Never Gets Old.” 12
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Central Primary Celebrates Veterans Day
School Board Recognition Month
Central Primary honored our heroes on Wednesday, Nov. 11, with a Veterans Day assembly. Veterans were escorted to their seats by Central students. Five parents of Central students that have served and are serving our country gave encouraging speeches about the importance of Veterans Day. To conclude the assembly, Central presented a slideshow of pictures and names of Veterans from various years and branches of the military, and students placed star cutouts with the names of Veterans on the wall marked “Our Heroes”.
“There have been some exhilarating moments and some tremendously difficult moments, but on the whole, it has been a distinct honor to serve the students, teachers, administrators, parents and citizens in this position,” Board of Education President Jeff Root said. “I believe in Arkadelphia, and serving on this board has only strengthened that.” Root was born in Hot Springs, Ark. but grew up mostly in Arkadelphia, Ark. He is a 1979 graduate of Arkadelphia High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Ouachita Baptist University. Root received a master’s degree in history from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a doctorate in mass communications/high education from Oklahoma State University. Root and his wife, Dr. Deborah Root, have been a part of the Ouachita Baptist University faculty and staff for 25 years. He currently serves as the Dean of the School of Humanities and is a professor of communications. Dr. Kenneth Harris, Jr., vice president of the Board of Education, is originally from Fordyce, Ark. Harris was elected to the Board in 1983 and has also served as president and secretary. He graduated from Calhoun County High School in Thornton, Ark. and received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal (AM&N) College, which is now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Harris continued his education at Henderson State University and received a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. He then earned his Doctorate in Education in curriculum and instruction from East Texas State University. Harris is a retired Henderson State University education professor. His wife, Pamala Hall Harris, and daughter are both educators, and he has a granddaughter in the seventh grade. “My most memorable moment while serving on the Board of Educa-
tion was when two of our schools were recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a ‘School of Excellence’,” Harris said. “In both cases, they had to undergo very rigorous scrutiny, and for them to obtain that level of recognition really helped to embellish the notion that Arkadelphia is a town noted for outstanding schools.” Ms. Karrie Goodman was elected to the Board of Education in 2012 and currently serves as secretary. Goodman is from Stilwell, Kan. She graduated from Blue Valley High School and received her degree in Business Education from Henderson State University. Goodman is the Executive Director for CASA of Clark & Pike Counties, a local non-profit organization. Goodman and her husband, David, have two children that are currently enrolled in Arkadelphia Public Schools. Goodman wanted to run for a Board of Education position to represent not only her children, but “for all of the kids that I know and love here in Arkadelphia, and the kids that I don’t know but deserve to be known and advocated for.” “I am always hoping to find ways to better serve our kids,” Goodman said. “I don’t ever want to be stagnate in giving them the best education and experiences. I believe there is always room for improvement in everything.” Mr. Billy Groom was elected to the Board in 2010. Groom was born in Arkadelphia, graduated from Arkadelphia High School and attended Henderson State University. He is a coordinator at National Apprenticeship Training Foundation. Groom is married to Lori Groom, owner and operator of the local Hair Hype Salon. He has two children currently enrolled at Arkadelphia Public Schools. His eldest son is an aviation student at Henderson State University. Dr. Casey Motl has served on the Board of Education since 2013 and will be up for reelection this year. Motl grew up in Bryan, Texas and graduated
from Bryan High School in 1989. He received his undergraduate degree in history from Texas A&M University in College Station, a master’s degree in history from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in history from Texas A&M University. Motl currently is an associate professor of history at Ouachita Baptist University. He has been married to Lori Motl, Director of Admissions Counseling at OBU, for eighteen years. The two have three children currently enrolled in Arkadelphia Public Schools. Ms. Gina White is the most recent addition to the Arkadelphia Public Schools Board of Education. White was appointed to fill the Zone 7 vacancy in 2015. As a native of Arkadelphia, White graduated from Arkadelphia High School and attended Henderson State University, where she received her degree in business administration. She also holds a degree from the University of Little Rock Bowen School of Law. White is a partner in the Arkadelphia based law firm Wright, Berry & White. She is married to Rob White and has a daughter that is a current student at Arkadelphia Public Schools. Mr. Randy Turner, born and raised in Arkadelphia, Ark., was first elected to the Board of Education in 2005. He served for six years, including his presidential term from 2007 to 2009. After taking off for a few years, Turner was reelected to the Board in 2013. He is a 1971 graduate of Arkadelphia High School and received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Ouachita Baptist University. Turner is a certified public accountant and is married to Glenetta Turner. The two have one daughter, residing in Arkadelphia, and a son, living in Little Rock. Two of Turner’s three grandchildren attend Arkadelphia Public Schools. “I am proud to be from Arkadelphia, and my own children received a great education at the Arkadelphia Public School District,” Turner said.
APS Celebrates the Holiday Season Through Music!
“A Martian Christmas” The classes of Ms. Bright, Ms. Garner, and Ms. Tuttle presented “A Martian Christmas,” under the direction of Ms. Misha Parker, on Dec. 10. Central’s Christmas Musical An outstanding performance from Central Primary on Dec. 17. Happy Holidays!
Peake’s Christmas Musical The classes of Calhoon, Wright, Jackson, New Edition Choir and C.S. Dancers presented “Snow Biz” on Tuesday, Dec. 15.
“Three Cheers for Thanksgiving!” Directed by Misha Parker and presented by the classes of Childs, Hendrix, and Syler on Nov. 12 at Perritt Primary School.
AHS Students Place Third in Region Stock Market Game
Since 1999, Economics Arkansas has offered the Stock Market Game. Jequetta Berry, an AHS Financial Literacy instructor, entered seven groups in the Stock Market Game for the first time this year. Each student in the class was required to participate. Berry chose each group through a random selection process. The students were required to spend at least one class period per week working amongst their groups on their stocks. “The students would check their stock portfolio and decide if there was an action to take and, if so, what action,” Berry said. “They learn about investing by experiencing it.” There are 6 regions, and the top two schools in each region are recognized. One of Berry’s Financial Literacy groups, consisting of Daisy Derry, Kirby Smith, and Destiny Walker, ended up placing third in our region. “It is offered every semester, and the next one starts in February,” Berry said. “It will definitely remain a part of my financial literacy curriculum.”
AHS Senior High All Region Band
First Band: Tierra McCraney, Kasey Smith, Michaela Forthman, Olivia Harford, Rebecca Fellers, David Lloyd and Johnathan Miles. Second Band: Fateemah Faiq, Travis Brown and Eric Carter.
Terry Nelson Recognized by NFL #SBHonorRoll Terry Nelson was recognized in between basketball games on Jan. 26 as a part of the National Football League Super Bowl Honor Roll. Nelson is a graduate of Peake High School and played college football at the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff. He went on to play eight seasons for the Los Angeles Rams from 1973-1980. Nelson started as the Rams’ tight end for Superbowl XIV. Nelson was accompanied by his family, Arkadelphia Coach J.R. Eldridge and current members of the Badger football team. Nelson presented the golden football that he was awarded to Eldrige before tip off of the boy’s varsity game.