MHPS Wings 2023-2024

A STRONG FOUNDATION

Kindergarten Principal Kevin Roach instills a love of learning in students

2465 Rodeo Drive

Mountain Home, Arkansas 72653 (870) 425-1201

MOUNTAIN HOME PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ VISION/MISSION

Committed to Excellence in Education … Every Student — Every Time! mhbombers.com

mountainhomeeducationfoundation.org

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Mountain Home Kindergarten 870.425.1256

Kevin Roach, Principal

Nelson-Wilks-Herron Elementary (grades 1 & 2) 870.425.1251

Judy Lawrence, Principal Hackler Intermediate School (grades 3-5) 870.425.1288

Kristyn Goodwin, Principal

Pinkston Middle School (grades 6 & 7) 870.425.1236

Justin Smith, Principal

Mountain Home Junior High (grades 8 & 9) 870.425.1231

Kyle McCarn, Principal

Mountain Home High School (grades 10-12) 870.425.1215

Mary Beth Russell, Principal

Guy Berry College & Career Academy (ALE grades 6-12) 870.425.1261

Jeff Kincade, Principal District Office 870.425.1201

Mountain Home Education Foundation 870.425.1201

MHPS Board of Education

Lisa House, President

Jason Schmeski, Vice President

Bill Wehmeyer, Secretary

Bob Chester

Barbara Horton

Daniel Smakal

Scott Booth

Allyson Dewey, Superintendent

Dr. Dana Brown, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services

Dustin Rose, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning

Leah Cotter, CFO is

Publisher Sarah Knight

Contributing Writer Dwain Hebda

Project Manager Ellie Lassister

Contributing Photographer James Moore

comments should be directed to the MHEF Executive Director at mhef@mhbombers.com.

Bomber Community

Iam honored to serve as the new Superintendent of Mountain Home Public Schools. I am a fourth generation Bomber, and I have raised my children in this district. I believe in our mission of a commitment to excellence in education for every student, every time. In keeping with this mission, my main focus has and always will be academic excellence. As we move through the school year, our educators are focused on providing world-class educational experiences to our students every day.

Within this third volume of Wings Magazine, you’ll see several of the ways we’re focused on providing unique learning opportunities for our kids. You’ll also get a deeper look into the work being done to meet the requirements of the new LEARNS Act, see the focus on reading at our Kindergarten Center, and read some incredible feature stories about our staff and students.

One of the most exciting new initiatives within our district is the Aviation Program of Study for our students in grades 9-12. Establishing this program is meeting an immediate need in our community and across the country for young people willing to work in the aviation field. As you’ll see in the coming pages, we’ve partnered closely with community organizations to establish this program, and it’s just another example of the ways we work to meet the needs of our workforce while offering our students viable career-connected training.

I want to continue to meet the needs of our community in a variety of ways, and to do that I will need to hear from you. I will host “Drop In With Dewey” events all school year on the last Friday of each month from 8:30-3:30. Please stop in and see me to discuss all things MHPS-related. I am also available by email at adewey@mhbombers.com. I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones.

More than anything, I want you to read this magazine and walk away with the understanding that we want the best for each of our students. We have an incredible faculty and staff available to serve our local young people, and each one of us recognizes the importance of support from our community in the educational process.

Thank you and GO BOMBERS!

Allyson Dewey Superintendent

On the cover: Kindergarten Principal Kevin Roach and students.

AVIATION NEW COURSE TAKES OFF

AVIATION

For as long as he can remember, Tyler Webb has wanted to fly.

Where other kids fell into and out of hobbies and interests growing up, Webb never wavered in his obsession with aviation.

“It kind of came up on me when I was really young,” he said. “I’d just be in an airplane going on vacation with my family and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so cool!’ I was just so fascinated. I wanted to know how it all worked.

I looked inside the cockpit where the pilots were and I’m like, ‘Wow!’”

Left to right: Doug Meurer, Dylan Prins, Tyler Webb and Gere Gaige

The incoming Mountain Home High School freshman has already followed his passion into the Civil Air Patrol leadership program in middle school. He’s enrolled in the high school’s decorated Navy Junior ROTC program which offers, among other things, a drone program. And he’s already got his eyes set on the post-graduation horizon, with the dream of entering either the Air Force Academy or Naval Academy, en route to ultimately earning his aviator’s wings.

Given all of this, you can imagine the 15-year-old’s excitement when the school announced it was unveiling a new aviation class starting with the fall 2023 semester. Webb couldn’t register fast enough for the new course and has spent the months leading up to the start of school champing at the bit to get started.

“I was so pumped up,” he said. “I didn’t worry about any other classes. That was my first pick. I was like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, let’s do that!’ I was so excited because there had been rumors about it between my mom and some other people for maybe a year or two. I was just so happy that they actually got it to work out and pulled it off.”

Across Arkansas and around the country, aviation careers are booming. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 18,000 job openings for pilots every year, and job growth is expected to remain steady at 6% annually through 2031. Demand for aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians is also expected to grow at a rate of 6% a year, with 13,000 annual openings projected through 2031. And aerospace engineers, who design and test aircraft, spacecraft and other flying things, are expected to be in demand to the tune of about 3,800 openings a year over that same span.

And that doesn’t even begin to address the need for pilots and related personnel in military jobs or people who just want to own their own private planes for work or pleasure. All of this is not lost on Gere

Gaige, a Vietnam-era Air Force flight instructor and retired businessman who is responsible for bringing the aviation program to Mountain Home High School.

“I’m just a retired guy in the community,” he said by way of introduction. “I am an interested citizen and one of the directors of the Leading Edge Aviation Foundation, which is a nonprofit aviation group here in the area. I am also the airport support network volunteer for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association at Baxter County Airport.

“AOPA does things like create public events and public media to enhance awareness in the community about aviation and generally increase the image and the attitude about the value of an airport to the community.”

As part of that mission, Gaige said, AOPA developed a STEM curriculum for high schools built around the science of flight. The course, which was a decade in development, sought to address the coming shortages of aviation professionals from pilots and mechanics to air traffic controllers and dispatchers.

“AOPA created this high school curriculum to help students prepare for and recognize the benefit and the potential of aviation careers,” he said. “They developed it with professional curriculum academics as well as pilots. It basically is a program that uses aviation principles and concepts to present all the science, technology, engineering and mathematics that high school students need.

“They learn all of their STEM criteria using examples and projects in the background of aviation, which makes it much more interesting and motivating. And at the same time, it prepares them, if they choose, to go into some kind of aviation-related career, whether it’s aeronautical engineering, aircraft design, airport management, air traffic control or even just to pursue being a pilot.”

The proposed class was presented to the school board a year ago and was promptly approved. As Principal Mary Beth Russell recalls, Gaige had created such a compelling presentation it was almost impossible to say no.

“If you talk to Mr. Gaige, he is so passionate about this,” she said. “It all started just with a conversation. We are constantly looking for new opportunities for our students in our area and exposing them to careers that they may not have thought about before. In North Central Arkansas, a lot of our students have never even flown on an airplane and never been to an airport.

“From that conversation, Mr. Gaige had arranged a wonderful field trip for our 10th graders last spring where students got to rotate through stations. He had all kinds of aircraft out there from a million-dollar jet to something that looked like a go-cart. The kids got to touch and ask questions, and then he had a station set up where they talked about the science behind flight, Bernoulli’s principle and how all of that works.

“I mean, I’m 47 years old, and I came back after that saying, ‘Well, maybe I want to be a pilot.’”

One big hurdle the process cleared early on was locating an instructor for the new course. That role has been filled by Doug Meurer, a former law officer who also teaches criminal justice and EAST classes at the school.

“(The coursework) is put together so well. I can tell a group of people have spent a lot of time and discussion on it,” he said.

“ AOPA created this high school curriculum to help students prepare for and recognize the benefit and the potential of aviation careers. ”

— GERE GAIGE, COMMUNITY PARTNER

“ If a kid comes in here and truly has an interest and wants to apply themselves, they’re going to go places. ”

— DOUG MEURER, MHHS INSTRUCTOR

“There’s so much detail in there. I looked at it, and I’m like, my gosh, I’m basically just a presenter at this point. There’s so much hands-on stuff for students to do and critical thinking stuff.

“To be able to give them part of that knowledge and experience while they’re still students is invaluable. If a kid comes in here and truly has an interest and wants to apply themselves, they’re going to go places.”

Meuer said while he doesn’t currently have a pilot’s license, he does hold some FAA credentials going back to his previous career in law enforcement. He also grew up in an aviation family that has a compelling connection to the field of flying.

“My grandfather, Ken Hatridge, was a naval aviator,” he said. “He later was a pilot for the Rockefellers when (Winthrop) Rockefeller was governor, and he also

spent some time working for Boeing.”

The class has already captured the imagination of the student body, which quickly filled up the available seats and created a waiting list. One of the lucky ones, sophomore Dylan Prins, shares a dream with many in the class to one day soar across the sky. It’s something he plans to achieve after his 16th birthday, the minimum age for gaining one’s solo pilot’s license in Arkansas. He hopes to continue at the Air Force Academy in a couple of years.

“When I got to fly for the first time in a small aircraft, that kind of started my whole dream of flying,” he said. “From then on out, I have tried to learn as much about flying as I can. I’m excited about the aviation courses at the high school, so I can learn about all of the weather and all of the other factors that affect flight, other than jumping in an airplane and flying.

“I think as more students start to realize how cool flying is and how many jobs there are in aviation and how much money can be made in aviation, they’ll want to learn more about it. Seeing more of my peers getting to fly or learning more about aviation is really exciting. I know there is a big future ahead of me in flight. It’s definitely a good career field.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 18,000 job openings for pilots every year, and job growth is expected to remain steady at 6% annually through 2031.

Paying it Back by

Paying it Forward

Kiara Alvarez, a second-year kindergarten teacher in Mountain Home Public Schools’ ALE program, envisions great things for the 5-year-olds she greets every day. Like all good teachers, she sees the very best in each one of them, marveling at their unlimited future possibilities and is committed to giving each the best possible start in school.

“I think they’re fun. They’re so creative,” she said. “For a lot of them, it’s the first time they’ve been in a school setting at all. A lot of them come in just shellshocked, and it’s nice to be that caring, supportive person for them so they can build a good foundation of liking and enjoying school.”

Alvarez isn’t the only caring teacher here, but she does have a perspective of her students’ lives and circumstances few of her colleagues can claim. After all, she was once just like them, and that allows her to relate to her kids on a different level. It’s not too much to say that she sees a little bit of herself reflected from each young face.

A native of Mountain Home, Alvarez spent her formative years in the public school system, some of it in ALE, which stands for Alternative Learning Environment. There, she developed into a solid student, thanks to the extra attention and investment by the staff.

“I had several teachers who were role models for me,” she said. “Carie O’Brien is one of them. She was at the ALE school when I attended middle school. She taught language and social studies, I believe, and she made a huge impact on my life as a person as well as a teacher.”

Not long after, Alvarez found herself at a difficult

crossroads during her sophomore year. She became pregnant with her first child and dropped out of school. But instead of ending up just another statistic, Alvarez set her mind to become something more.

“I got a GED through the help of ASU Mountain Home that same year. In fact, I was able to start college a year before I would have graduated from high school,” she said. “I didn’t really have a lot of downtime in between high school and college.”

Alvarez would earn her degree in K-6 education through ASU Mountain Home and Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She said she didn’t have the specific goal of returning to her hometown to start her teaching career, but she can’t help but smile at the symmetry of coming back to the school that had invested so much in her as a student.

“The ALE program is set up for students who are having a hard time functioning in the general education classroom. It provides more emotional support to the students in their times of need,” she said.

“It utilizes smaller settings, and the teachers were not only academically focused but also emotionally focused on what is happening to students at that time.”

Now the mother of three, Alvarez’s eldest daughter has just entered kindergarten, giving her another measure of empathy with parents hoping to provide the best start for their children. Her advice to them is simple.

“The most important thing that a parent can do is just love your baby,” she said. “You just love them at home, and we’ll love them and care for them at school. I really think that’s what makes things all work out.”

“ The most important thing that a parent can do is just love your baby. You just love them at home, and we’ll love them and care for them at school. I really think that’s what makes things all work out. . ”

— KIARA ALVAREZ, KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, SECOND-YEAR

SETTING A

FOUNDATION STRONG

MOUNTAIN HOME KINDERGARTEN INSTILLS STUDENTS WITH A LOVE OF LEARNING

Being around students every day is enough to make any adult feel like they’ve waded into the fabled Fountain of Youth. For kindergarten Principal Kevin Roach, that’s been particularly true as each chapter of his educational journey has run the aging clock backward.

“I’ve only been in one school district, Mountain Home, starting in the fall of 1992,” he said. “I taught high school biology for a year and a half and the next semester of my second year, I took a physical science position at the junior high. I taught at the junior high and primarily coached junior high football up until 2012. At that point, I took an assistant principal job at Hackler (Intermediate School), and I worked there until 2021 when I became the principal here.

“So, in my career, I started with high school, moved to junior high students, as

an administrator moved to the fifth grade, fourth grade and third grade. That gave me a really good adjustment and assisted me in my transition to kindergarten.”

Working with the various grade levels in reverse chronological order helped Roach understand one of the main components of student success was engagement and that the earlier that engagement is solidified, the longer it lasts into the teenage years and beyond. He’s thus made that a priority in the kindergarten ranks, using that golden first year to set children up for success throughout their academic lives.

“The expectation from the state is that we’ll have these children reading by the time they finish kindergarten,” he said. “The challenge is trying to lay that foundation and get everybody, the best you can, to the same level to know their letters and sounds and be able to read. The luxury and joy in that is the excitement you get when a child learns a letter, learns a sound, learns a word. It’s amazing and rewarding.”

Sara Recktenwald, a former teacher herself, said her son Reece showed noticeable advancement in his literacy skills last year.

“Going in, he knew most of his letters, but as the year went on, I saw growth in his ability to read,” she said. “He also had a greater understanding of numbers and told me words and what they started with. Most of all, I saw he had an interest in learning.”

Recktenwald volunteered as a room parent during Reece’s kindergarten year, which gave her a front-row seat to the quality of instruction by teachers and the nurturing overall environment.

“It was great how they’d find a strength that maybe you didn’t even realize your kid had,” she said. “His teacher would give me stuff that I could do at home when she’d see something he was good at or took an interest in. They gave me resources to work on it at home if I wanted.

“Mountain Home Kindergarten is a happy little place because they want them to love school and get a good start. I feel like they do a good job with that.”

While the fundamental goals of kindergarten may be consistent with previous generations, the actual offering today is much different than what 5-yearolds of past eras were exposed to. Unlike their parents and grandparents, some of whom may have only attended a halfday of instruction, Mountain Home’s kindergarten is a well-oiled educational machine that puts nearly 300 kids in classrooms of 20 through their paces during a full school day.

“A normal day for a child starts in our cafeteria where they have breakfast if they haven’t already had one at home,” Roach said. “When they dismiss to their homeroom classroom with their teachers, they start with some type of engaging activity just to get their brains going.

“That a.m. session is our prime session, so we really try to get our foundational literacy block done in that first hour and then the children get a recess break. When they come in from recess, teachers either continue with some part of literacy or transition to a part of their math block with some science and social studies embedded in that.”

Various types of activity-based curricula follow, including library, music and physical education. The most unique part of the kids’ day, STEM, opens the doorway to science and technologybased subject matter.

“The STEM class is very engaging,” Roach said. “We have some computer coding embedded in that, and we even have a little robot they can interact with. It’s pretty fascinating what they can do.”

For all that’s different, some of the most familiar generational elements of kindergarten remain, such as snacks and rest time, but it’s a far cry from school-sanctioned babysitting with finger paints. Today’s kindergarten teachers are highly skilled in their profession,

expert educators trained to communicate effectively with a population that’s the least developed intellectually and emotionally, and who often are the least prepared to learn.

“Not every kid comes in at the same level, foundationally,” Roach said. “You have some who have had pre-K and you have some who have very involved parents who have really worked hard to get them prepared. And then you’ve got some children who come in with basically zero foundation. They may not even recognize a letter in their name. Working with young children at that age, it just takes a special person.”

The less-prepared students aren’t the

“ Mountain Home Kindergarten is a happy little place because they want them to love school and get a good start. I feel like they do a good job with that. ”

— SARA RECKTENWALD, PARENT

only challenges facing a kindergarten program; students who are advanced also require special handling to ensure they receive assignments and content that challenges them on their level. Hannah Walker’s daughter, Claire, came into kindergarten already functioning on an advanced level, and at first, her mother was concerned she’d be bored and disengaged with the curriculum.

“Claire was talking in complete sentences by the age of 1 ½ and was already thriving from having been through preschool,” Walker said. “I was very worried that she wasn’t going to be challenged, and that was a concern that I did bring up to her teacher. But that was

never a problem as she absolutely was engaged throughout the year.

“In fact, if I made a list of everything that she learned through the year. I would have already been lost probably three weeks into the school year because they put so much into their little minds throughout the day, it’s insane. And then for them to retain it is even cooler.”

Such feedback is music to Roach’s ear. He said for everything new in terms of educational tools and technology that exists today and that is on the horizon, the secret ingredient for the program’s success is something that’s transcended time, trends and fashion.

“Our teachers have developed and

honed their skill sets, and they’re amazing, each in their own way,” he said. “We have very few first-year new teachers. I’ve got a teacher who, I believe, is starting year 38. I’ve got another teacher who’s starting year 34 in education. I’m starting year 32. We’ve got veterans here.

“Having taught so many years myself, I can tell you, you’re called to be a teacher. You either have the skill or you don’t. And I think each person here has found their area, their niche, teaching very young students. I know I had a heart for children no matter what age, but I feel like I fit in well with these kindergarten students. I’ve really kind of found my place here.”

The most unique part of the kids’ day, STEM , opens the doorway to science and technologybased subject matter.

A Call to Arms

NJROTC program sees explosive growth

Emalyn Stephens likely never thought she’d see this day. The senior and four-year participant in the Navy Jr. ROTC program at Mountain Home High School can recall when cadet numbers were down overall – and female cadets in particular – to nearly nothing.

Over the past two years, however, the NJROTC program has seen a spike in interest. Cadet numbers are way up, and participation in its core activities is brimming. And while females still trail male cadets in headcount, 74 to 48 this year, two out of the top three leadership roles are held by women.

Stephens is one of them, having been tapped to lead the group as its commanding officer. It was an honor that surprised her but one she’s accepted with pride.

“The positions of commanding officer and executive officer are appointed by the past commanding officer and executive officer. They choose who they think have been the best cadets and the best leaders,” she said. “I was shocked at first because I didn’t really expect that. It’s really given me a sense of responsibility to be in charge of all of these different cadets. I need to be able to set the unit at a pace where it can continue to grow after I leave.”

There is arguably no greater success story going at Mountain Home High School than the NJROTC program. After years of struggling to attract participation – the program actually lost Navy funding in 2011 due to its enrollment – the group

has attracted more than 100 cadets for two years in a row. This has resumed Navy funding and revitalized participation in various competitive activities in drilling, marksmanship, physical fitness and more.

“We’re based off the military, but this isn’t a military program,” said Chief Jason Williams, naval science instructor, whose tenure at the helm coincides with the organization’s rebirth. “It’s a citizenship program, where we teach about responsibility, communication and being good stewards of the community. We use the military discipline, rank structure and authority structure as the backbone for the program.”

When asked what allowed the group to grow so large so fast, he said the easy answer was the resumption of competitive programming. Of more consequence, he said, was the manner in which cadets have become personally invested in the group.

“We’re at the point where the cadets are taking ownership of the program again,” he said. “They want to be here, so much so that we find we’re having to work to keep them in their normal classes so they can actually stay in the unit with good grades. It’s been a good process the last two years.”

Junior Ethan Darracq is one such dyedin-the-wool cadet. Darracq joined in the first year of the group’s rebound, and it doesn’t take much for him to talk at length about what NJROTC means to him.

“My goals are to be the highest rank I can get so I can help other people,” Darracq said. “Teamwork is the main thing; we have to work together to get everything done. We always work as a team, and I feel like that’s brought a lot of people in. We’re like a big family.

“I’ve also developed a lot of discipline; when I make a goal to get something done, I get it done. If I say I’m going to show up to something, I don’t just dog out at the last second. I stick to it even if I have to sacrifice family time. If I commit to something, I make sure I get it done.”

The spike in numbers has even

necessitated the hiring of additional personnel. That brought Lt. Commander Allan Hale, senior naval science instructor, aboard this year. Hale, who grew up in Pine Bluff, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2000 as a nuclear reactor electrician and was commissioned through the Navy Seaman to the Admiral 21 program through Auburn University’s ROTC unit in 2008. He served as the executive officer on the USS Bremerton SSM698 until retiring from active duty in 2021. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in operations management from the University of Arkansas.

“I knew I was coming back to Arkansas for family,” he said of his Navy days. “I got certified to teach ROTC while I was still active just in case Mountain Home came

open. I was living the retired life when I started substitute teaching at Bruno-Pyatt and fell in love with teaching.”

Though new, Hale has already made his mark in a big way with the program. Through his ongoing contacts with the submarine community, he petitioned the Navy for a very special designation.

“The Navy is building a new submarine right now, the USS Arkansas (SSN 800),” he said. “I have coordinated with their chain of command, and they are adopting us as their official ROTC unit. In the next couple of months, they’re going to be coming down and visiting the school and other dignitaries in the state. We’re very excited about this honor and connecting our unit to a United States warship submarine out there that has our name on it.”

“ We use the military discipline, rank structure and authority structure as the backbone for the program. ”

— JASON WILLIAMS, CHIEF NAVAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR

“ The Navy is building a new submarine right now, the USS Arkansas (SSN 800). I have coordinated with their chain of command, and they are adopting us as their official ROTC unit. ”

— LT. COMMANDER ALLAN HALE, SENIOR NAVAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR

WATCH AND LEARNS

MHPS practices generally meet or exceed new legislation

Earlier this year, when Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law her signature legislation the LEARNS Act, there was much handwringing from all corners of the state as to what this would mean and what it would require by way of changes to the curriculum and protocols of Arkansas’ public schools.

And while there’s much more to come on the implementation of the new law’s wide-reaching requirements, early indications are that Mountain Home Public Schools are already doing what LEARNS seeks to bring to schools all over the state.

“We have a vision for Mountain Home Public Schools, and that vision is academic excellence,” said Allyson Dewey who took over in July as superintendent of schools. “We’ve got to execute that vision, and we are now being given tools and opportunities for improvement and opportunities for growth from our legislators and senators. They see a similar need for academic excellence statewide.

“With this new program, they’re acknowledging the importance of our teachers, and we’ve just got to continue the work that we do and just get better. Excellence has to be No. 1.”

LEARNS spelled out a broad framework for achieving that excellence, including benchmarks for literacy and math, strengthening graduation requirements and outlining remediation steps for failing schools. Dewey said the next step in the implementation of LEARNS lies with statewide work groups comprised of teachers and other education stakeholders who will hammer out the details. Amy Sanders, a fifthgrade teacher at Hackler Intermediate in the Mountain Home School District, has been appointed to one of the regional work groups.

“There are six work groups in the state,” Dewey said. “The work groups are divided into career readiness, early learning, educator workforce, parental empowerment, school safety, and teaching and learning. Now that the working groups have all been assigned, we’ll start to see exactly what some of these things (in the new law) mean specifically.”

The uncertainty of what’s coming from the work groups aside, administrators are confident the district’s existing processes, programs and curriculum will meet or exceed anything LEARNS can throw at it.

“Honestly, for us, it’s not going to be a huge shift here at the high school because we’ve already been doing a lot of what the LEARNS Act requires,” said Mary Beth Russell, principal. “For example, career readiness is a huge part of this, and our district as a whole has already embarked on a pathways approach a few years ago.

“We stress K-12 career awareness in kindergarten through fifth grade, provide exposure to these careers in grades six

and seven, and start exploring those career fields in grades eight and nine. By the time they get to high school, we are actually putting them in touch with experiences through our internships, externships, career practicum and service learning. And that’s one example of having something that LEARNS requires already in place.”

Russell said career readiness was but one example of how Mountain Home Public Schools are ahead of the LEARNS curve, with many other programs likely needing only minor changes or expansion.

“Student success plans, for example,” she said. “The state may come out with details on a different way that we have to do them, but we’ve already been doing this. The community service component is another example; we’re already doing it through our service-learning class, available to seniors, or through the National Honor Society and other clubs and organizations. We already have a system in place, we will just have to

“ We have a vision for Mountain Home Public Schools, and that vision is academic excellence. We’ve got to execute that vision, and we are now being given tools and opportunities for improvement and opportunities for growth from our legislators and senators. ”

— ALLYSON DEWEY, SUPERINTENDENT

“ Career readiness is a huge part of [LEARNS], and our district as a whole has already embarked on a pathways approach a few years ago. ”

— MARY BETH RUSSELL, PRINCIPAL

expand that and document it, beginning in ninth grade.”

LEARNS also outlines school safety guidelines, and here again, Mountain Home already meets much of the criteria as currently outlined.

“The school has been really proactive (regarding security),” said Lt. Eddie Helmert, head of school resource officers through the Mountain Home Police Department and a school resource officer for 21 years. “The LEARNS Act recommends an armed officer on each campus and at Mountain Home, we already have that on all seven of our sites.”

Arguably the most public piece of the LEARNS Act was upping public schoolteacher pay to a minimum annual salary of $50,000. That piece not only serves today’s instructors, but it also sets

up the state to attract outstanding teaching talent from other parts of the country.

“That’s definitely the piece that is most exciting for our teachers because we are now honoring the work they are doing with a wage that is comparable to other professionals,” Dewey said. “Arkansas certainly now is competitive on teacher pay. We’ll be one of the top five states in the country as far as starting wages for new teachers.

“As a parent with college-age students, if my child came to me and said ‘I want to be a teacher,’ I would now be more than comfortable supporting that. Not just because they love and are passionate about education, but because they will have a wage that they can live on. That’s a game-changer for many teachers and their families.”

“ The LEARNS Act recommends an armed officer on each campus, and at Mountain Home, we already have that on all seven of our sites. . ”

— LT. EDDIE HELMERT, HEAD OF SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS

With its beautiful Ozark scenery and relaxed pace, Mountain Home has long been a haven for artists, attracting creatives to town specializing in every genre. But as Ella Dover proves, some of the best artistic talent here is homegrown.

Dover, a senior at Mountain Home High School, won the Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock. Her work, a self-portrait in charcoal, topped a field of 350 entries and guaranteed the 18-yearold one of 45 spots in the University of

Arkansas Little Rock’s artWAYS workshop for juniors and seniors, held June 17–24.

“The charcoal piece was called ‘Spacing Out,’” she said. “It had one face looking out and then it merged into my face looking at the person.”

Charcoal has emerged as the young artist’s medium of choice, but it’s not her only one. She’s also accomplished using watercolor and has dabbled with chalk pastels as well. As for the inspiration for her pieces, she doesn’t have to look far.

“I’m a big nature person. I like to take pictures of nature and different stuff,” she said. “Inspiration comes mostly from the photos that I take. I’m not a photographer, but I like taking pictures of nature. I love color; anything colorful, I like to take pictures of.”

Art has been a passion of Dover’s since she was little, but she very nearly gave it up a few years ago, convinced she didn’t have the ability to excel. She said the guidance of Beth Ivens, MHHS’s recently retired art teacher and her mentor, showed her how to appreciate her art both as a result and a process.

“My mom’s side of the family is very artistic, and I developed a liking for art at a very young age because of her,” Dover said. “However, when I was very young, I definitely did not have the best ability. In ninth grade, I was about to quit art because I just felt like I didn’t have the ability. Ms. Ivens opened up new mediums to me, and I pushed myself to keep on doing art in 10th grade. That’s when I developed.”

Dover said art has also held therapeutic value for her and the accolades she’s received have done wonders for her selfesteem.

“Most of my inspiration is positive,” she said. “This year, most of my paintings and drawings are self-portraits because I’m trying to develop love for myself. Doing self-portraits really does help.”

Producing art takes time — Dover said she spent about six weeks on her winning entry — but she also fits in participating in other clubs and extracurricular activities. She’s vice president of the student council, an officer in Art Club and treasurer for Troop 6560, the theater club.

Dover’s advice to aspiring artists and student creatives alike is simple.

“You’re your own person, and you need to listen to yourself because it’s actually you that you’re in charge of, not other people,” she said. “You’re in the driver’s seat, but you also need to have that drive to do what you want to do. Don’t put yourself down or be like, ‘Oh, I can’t do that.’ Try it out first.”

A MASTERPIECE IN THE MAKING

TOOK THE MONEY AND WON

Chase takes first place in statewide investment contest

He’s not quite to hedge fund status yet, but when sophomore Nathan Chase talks about investing these days, people tend to listen. The 15-year-old topped a field of 400 competitors in a statewide stock market game whereby players were allotted a simulated $100,000 sum and through a series of mock investments of their own choosing, attempted to grow their stake over the course of several months.

“It really was a good way to teach you how to use your money wisely,” Chase said. “It teaches you patience; we could have all just invested (our allotment) the second we got it, but you have to show patience to survive in the game.”

It would be fair to call Chase an underdog in the competition; he only got into business class a couple of years ago because another course he had his heart set on was full.

“During my seventh-grade year, we got our schedules for what classes we were going to take in eighth grade. I really wanted to take family and consumer sciences, but all the classes were taken,” he said. “I got put in a survey of business, and I did not think I was going to enjoy it at all. I even emailed the counselors and told them I didn’t want to be in it, but they did not have any other classes available.”

To his surprise, Chase enjoyed the business class and signed up for accounting and economics as a freshman, the latter of which enabled him to participate in the stock market game. The contest kicked off in the fall and continued through April.

Chase said he didn’t exactly get off to a fast start in the competition, in part due to a timid investing style that didn’t grow his capital fast enough. That, combined with the market fluctuations all stocks are subject to, had him down late in the competition.

“Within the final days I was like, I need to do something bigger to get me in a better spot,” he said. “So, the last few days I invested the rest of my money into Tesla and Apple, and when the results came out, I managed to be in first place.”

While the original stake and associated gains weren’t real, Chase did receive a firstplace certificate and $125 in actual cash for winning the competition. He’s also

continuing his business education, having enrolled in classes for tourism and medical office management this school year. And he’s got his eye on joining the school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter as an upperclassman.

The prize money, along with future earnings, is expected to fuel a real-life portfolio once he lands his first job, he said.

“I felt really awesome when I won, especially since I got my photo put up in school with a giant banner that said ‘Stock Market Winner.’” Chase said. “I have not started investing; maybe once I get a job I will because I was good at it in that class. And no, so far none of my family has asked me for a stock tip.”

FROM THE OZARKS TO THE OUTBACK

Seventh grader makes international friendships through STEM

In the never-ending quest to stay at the forefront of education programming, Mountain Home Public Schools has introduced a number of innovative classes and extracurricular activities to the curriculum. One of these, the STEMbased Lil’ Bomb Squad robotics club, is a rookie FIRST Lego League team based at Pinkston Middle School. The club educates students on the fundamentals of machines that are quickly becoming standard equipment in many job fields through various levels of competition.

Della Honey didn’t know a lot about what she was getting into when she decided to check out the robotics team last year. The then-sixth grader was simply satisfying a curiosity she had after watching a video on robotics. What she got took her to the other side of the world and back.

“I’ve always liked science class and science things and STEM projects,” said the 12-year-old. “I feel like (the club) was a good experience for me.”

Lil’ Bomb Squad competes in two project-based categories. In the first, the team developed and programmed a robot to maneuver through an obstacle course and perform a number of tasks for points along the way. In the second, the team came up with an invention that would solve a STEM-related issue. Lil’ Bomb Squad’s invention was an energy unit that doubled as a planter box and captured energy from solar panels as well as from the plants themselves.

Della and her teammates divided up the many tasks that needed to be done on each project, which kept things moving

and gave each team member a chance to do multiple things.

“Whenever we were researching something, we would all do it together,” she said. “Whenever something needed to be worked on, we would separate and some people would do the robot and some people would do the project. I helped code and I helped build. I was really just kind of a helper with everything.”

The team competed in Searcy where they won the Robot Design Award and qualified for the state competition. In January, they brought home the Rising Star Award from state and qualified for the Asia Pacific Open Invitational Competition in Sydney, Australia, this summer — one of only three American teams in the competition.

Despite having to endure a 17-hour airplane ride, Honey said she and her classmates enjoyed their visit Down

Under. She said a highlight was getting to meet and make friends with students from all over the globe.

“My favorite part was probably just being able to walk around and see everything,” she said. “There was a team from Japan; we traded shirts for their kimonos and became friends,” she said. “And there was the team from Germany; we kind of bonded because they were really interested in our project.”

Honey, whose official role was as robot driver, was joined by classmates Brooks Barber (programmer, builder and robot driver), Ben Williams (programmer and robot driver) and Jackson Bergenstock (project specialist) in the competition, which welcomed 50 teams from around the world. The entourage also included two teen mentors, Landra Ballard and Emma Sanborn, and various parent chaperones. The team is coached by Olivia Martin.

Robert Dover is not an athlete one sees every day. Despite only taking up football in eighth grade, the 6-foot-3-inch, 230-pound senior defensive end/outside linebacker is a coveted college prospect. He enters the season on many watch lists, looking to wreak havoc on the defensive side of the ball.

His head coach, Steve Ary, saw the potential in his superstar from the beginning.

“He played junior high football in ninth grade, and that was only his second year playing,” Ary said. “He was just different; he was big, strong, fast, long. He really didn’t know anything about the game, but his athleticism changed everything. He was just a different kind of athlete.

“I hadn’t had him in all year, but I moved him up and let him play a playoff game with us. He’s started every game from the tenth grade on. He’s our No. 1 guy.”

Dover’s intensity on the gridiron is the product of hard work, practice, good coaching and even better genes. But it’s also a product, at least in part, of a difficult upbringing, one marked by a steady diet of uncertainty and upheaval.

“I was about 9 or 10,” Dover said. “My parents split up, and my dad ended up going to prison and I lived with my mom for a while. We jumped around towns a lot and lived in a bunch of different places. She had a couple of different boyfriends. I ended up here in seventh grade.

“When I moved here, I was with my mom and her boyfriend and after about a year my mom kicked me and my sister out, so I lived with my aunt and uncle for a while. Then they had to move and go back to Missouri.”

His aunt and uncle offered to bring Dover with them, but the school in the town where they were headed didn’t offer football.

“I don’t come from a rich family, so I need my college paid for, and football’s what’s going to do it,” Dover said. “I

wanted to stay and pursue my dreams, so I lived with a close buddy of mine (in Mountain Home), and I’ve been with his family for about two years.”

Dover plays the game with an intensity other athletes lack, and knowing his story, it’s not hard to understand why. He said even though he has reconciled with and enjoys a healthy relationship with his father, there were still plenty of times he turned to football to work out what he was going through at home.

“Football was definitely an outlet,” he said. “It was an outlet for anger, frustration, that kind of stuff. I never even knew I wanted to play college ball until after my tenth-grade football season. Then I started liking it. Then I started getting some college opportunities.”

As he heads into his final season of high school ball, he’s narrowed his collegiate

offers down to four: University of Central Arkansas in Conway; Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky; Air Force; and Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. If character in the face of adversity counts for anything, wherever he chooses will be getting a future All-American on attitude alone.

“Robert never has a bad day. Robert never has problems. Robert’s a guy that makes the most of every day of his life,” Ary said. “He sees everything as positive. He loves everybody. He’s just a different kind of guy. He’s special.”

“There’ve been a lot of challenges,” Dover said. “There’ve been a lot of times that I felt alone, but I have a lot of family. Not necessarily blood-related, but people who are there for me, people who do things for me, my teammates, the kids around the school. They make it a lot easier.”

THE COMEBACK KID

Mountain Home Public Schools BY

3,851

1,701

2004

Fannie Pinkston

Bob Hackler

Evelyn Hackler

Mary Hogle

Larry Choate

Nell Powell Wright

Linda Pitts

Terry Poynter

Dr. Fran Coulter

Earnest Perry

2009

Sheridan Kirksey

Sarah Kelly

Barbie Kent Graham

Thomas Fowler

Bob Knight

MOUNTAIN HOME EDUCATION FOUNDATION HALL OF HONOR

2005

Thelma G. Carter

Mary Alice Elam

Willie Mae Magness

Bentley Stracener

Dr. William R. Snow

Larry Nelson

Wade Doshier

Darren Irby

Dr. Jennifer Wiseman

Imogene Roane

2010

Robert Nelson

Renata Jenkins Byler

Dean Curlee

Dr. Robert Ahrens

Elaine Hughes

2006

Norma Wood

Patsy Mooney Chambers

Betty Jo Atlinson

Dr. Stanley Trauth

Dr. Thomas Bruce

Admiral Robert Baker, M.D.

Thurston Perry

2011

Susan Bergman

Dr. Ed Coulter

Warren Haley

Gwen Khayat

Anna Jean Dahlke

2007

Dean Hudson

Vicki Brantley

Nell Ponder

Frances Hackler Jones

Dr. Darren McGuire

Dr. Simon Abraham

Nannie Lee Trammel

2008

Don Dempsey

Leo Pitchford

Mauzee Pitchford

Dr. Carson Davis

Kevin L. Perkins

Dr. Janet Cathey

Sherry Perkins

Norma Bryant

2012

Terre Ware

Jackie Edmonds

Neil Putz

James Biggers

Baxter Healthcare

2013

John Erwin

Pat Hickman

Nora Regan

Steve Singleton

Pfc. Elvin French

Richard Padget

Sergeant Tom Knebel

First National Bank

Pfc. Wilford Knight

2015

Calvin Czeschin

Nancy Knight Crawford

Patty Marion

Debbie Shearer Walker

2019

Ralph Ingram

Mike & Joy Walker

Dean Sanders

Baxter Regional

Anita King

Jeffery Koenig

Dr. James McGuire

Jane Ritter

Ted Sanders

Donel Jo Dobbs

2020

Billie Larson

Kathy Farris

Bonnie Brown

Army Infantry Private

Homer F. Strain

2016

Nancy Reed

Mica Strother

Dr. Max Cheney

Southern Tag & Label

Lance Corporal Sidney

Lee Fletcher

Wells Fargo Advisors 2014

2017

John W. “Bill” Maxwell

Brandi Sanders Joplin

First Security Bank

Hal E. “Bud”

Bodenhamer

2018

Margaret Mason

Norman Mason

Glenda Small

Robert Newton

John Partipilo

Marvin Kunz

LTG. Paul Ostrowski

ASU-Mountain Home

2021

Dr. Rob Conner

Janet Wood

Jim Bodenhamer

Judy St.Clair

2022

Lonnie Bentley

Julie Wright

Carol Wegerer

Elizabeth Ann “Libby” Baker

2023

Colleen Johnson

Marsha Partney

Sara Zimmerman

Roger Morgan

A REAL Team Player

HONOREE COLLEEN JOHNSON

Colleen Johnson may have come to the world of education by happenstance, but once she got there, she embraced it wholeheartedly. In so doing, she endeared herself to coworkers by helping in myriad ways to advance the goals of the school district.

“The school had a job opening, and I thought it would be something I would enjoy,” she said. “I’d be able to help children, even though I didn’t go to college and I’m not certified to teach. But I thought I could still give back. They took a chance on me, and that was how it all started.”

Joining Mountain Home Public Schools in 1999 as a secretary in the elementary school office, Johnson spent 24 years in service to the district. During that time, she worked hard but loved the position and environment so much that it never felt like work.

“I never just wanted to have a job, and none of the jobs I’ve had during my whole life have been just jobs; they’ve been part of who I am,” she said. “I have enjoyed and loved everything I’ve done, especially in the school district where we worked so hard, yet it’s so rewarding and family oriented. A lot of it is the people you’re surrounded by. We’ve laughed, cried, prayed together. It was just amazing.”

After a time in the elementary school, Johnson would work in the junior high, the counselor’s office and the administration building. By the time she retired last year, she was an integral part of the school’s certification team and had also helped the school change to a new master scheduling program.

“My job was entering data and making sure that everything we entered into the system was connected with the teacher’s certification,” she said. “I made sure they were connected to the correct courses

they’re certified in and did the proper inputting because it was all tied to funding for the school. Knowing I could help and make it all work to where we got a perfect accreditation was such a reward for me.”

Johnson also inspired people by her example. As she took on additional responsibilities at work, it required her to complete continuing education courses. With the support of her supervisors and the encouragement of her husband, Paul, she went out of her comfort zone, showing students and coworkers alike what persistence looked like in pursuit of a goal.

“You’re never too old to learn,” she said. “You always need to advance; you always need to improve yourself. My husband encouraged me, and I was surrounded at work by all these amazing, smart people. They gave me my selfworth and the privilege of knowing that I can do it. It was so rewarding just knowing they had faith in me.”

Johnson said she entered retirement reluctantly and has already been asked to come back to help train her replacement. Through the Earnest Perry Classified Staff Award, the school district gets the chance to pay tribute to Johnson for all she’s contributed to the district, its teachers and students.

“When they called and told me that they were going to present me with this, I was kind of in shock,” she said. “You do your best in things because that’s your job and you love it, not because you want a reward. I’m honored by this, and I am so thankful.”

“ I never just wanted to have a job, and none of the jobs I’ve had during my whole life have been just jobs; they’ve been part of who I am. ”

A Gift for Teaching

better, what their needs were and how I could advocate for them. I found I empathized with parents who were also learning to advocate for their children to get them what they needed in the education system. I was determined to make it happen for these students and their parents.”

As a longtime educator and advocate for the school’s GATE program, serving gifted and talented students, Partney displayed a deft touch in teaching kids who were literally the smartest people in the room.

“I started teaching gifted and talented in 2007,” she said. “That was a big turning point for my career and goals. Working with GT kids, I felt very passionate about their needs, and that kind of set the tone for the remainder of my career.

“Their love of learning, and the fact that they were so engaged and motivated to learn, really ignited something in me. At the same time, gifted kids are challenging to teach. You have to be pretty comfortable with students being smarter than you. Not wiser, but smarter.”

The daughter of a teacher, Partney knew early on that her life’s work would be in the classroom. After graduating

from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, she would teach several grade levels in Mountain Home and Flippin before joining GATE.

Not everybody is cut out for teaching gifted and talented students, nor are they willing to complete additional graduate studies 17 years into a decorated teaching career. Partney, on the other hand, took on the daily challenge of teaching while simultaneously completing a master’s degree. All these years later, she described the work as fulfilling both professionally and personally.

“My daughter had been identified as gifted, and then my son subsequently was identified gifted as well,” she said. “(GATE) was a great fit for me and a passion that I had. I really felt like I was making an even bigger difference, teaching a special population that had special needs.

“And then with my own children, it helped me understand them a whole lot

Partney’s commitment went beyond the classroom. She spearheaded the Odyssey of the Mind program for many years, served on local academic committees and was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to a statewide commission tasked with improving gifted and talented programs throughout Arkansas. When she finally decided to retire, she left knowing she’d given her all to her profession.

“Great teachers are measured by the success of their students. I feel very accomplished as an educator and very proud of what I was able to do,” she said. “I don’t think any other career gives you the kind of validation that a teacher gets to have, knowing you’ve had a positive impact on someone’s whole life. It’s a huge, huge blessing.

“Retirement was a really difficult decision, but I knew that I had accomplished everything I had wanted to do. I do hope that when I’m gone, the memories from my students are all fond. I loved them like my own children.”

HONOREE MARSHA PARTNEY

In most classrooms, the instructor is the unquestioned subject matter expert, having completed years of schooling and hundreds of hours of continuing education in their chosen field of study. Marsha Partney, on the other hand, enjoyed great success with a different type of student requiring a different type of instruction and guidance.

“ Great teachers are measured by the success of their students. I feel very accomplished as an educator and very proud of what I was able to do. ”

Generations OF SERVICE

MHEF

SARA ZIMMERMAN AND YELCOT COMMUNICATIONS

When it comes to the embodiment of the all-for-one spirit of a small town, it’s hard to imagine a better example than Sara Zimmerman, third-generation president of Yelcot, a local telecommunications company. Modeling the community-mindedness created by her father Calvin Czeschin before her, Zimmerman has built a long and impressive list of personal and corporate contributions in time and resources to the Mountain Home Public Schools.

“I’ve always had the attitude that I’m not trying to just help my kids, I’m trying to help make everybody better,” Zimmerman said. “When you hear the statistics on the number of kids who can’t read, who can’t do math, it hurts to know there are so many kids out there like that. Being able to help kids who might be having trouble in school has always been a big thing to me.”

Zimmerman attended Mountain Home Public Schools where she continued a multi-generational family legacy of participating in band. For that reason, the band program has been one of the primary focuses of giving back.

“My mom had been in the band. Me, my sister, my brother and my two kids were in it, and my brother’s two kids were in it. My dad was president of the band boosters,” she said. “When my kids got in school, I helped with band boosters and I became treasurer and remained treasurer even after my kids got out of school. Then my brother was president, and now he is the treasurer of band boosters. For the past couple of years, our company has printed the programs for all the concerts for the Mountain Home bands. We’ve had a long connection.

“We also do a lot with the concession stand as that’s the main fundraiser for the band. As a club, band boosters has bought uniforms, we’ve paid for kids to go to camp, we buy food when they go to competitions. We’ve sent drum majors to camp. We’ve sent flag people to camp. We’ve had percussion people and flag

people come in and work with the kids in Mountain Home. We bought trailers to carry stuff around to competitions. The school pays for the directors and the instruments they need, but band boosters supplement a whole lot of other stuff.”

Zimmerman has been equally active in supporting the school’s golf team, another passion project started by her father. Yelcot sponsors an annual tournament at the Big Creek Golf and Country Club as well as the end-of-the-year banquet to recognize the team’s accomplishments. On the academic side, Zimmerman has organized ACT/PSAT prep classes, served as a tutor and remains an active sponsor of the National Honor Society.

Through the family business, Zimmerman has supported students in other ways, from troubleshooting tech issues at the school to providing internet locations around town for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve been here forever, and one of the big things we’ve been tied to is providing part-time employment for kids,” she said. “We’ve had kids come in during the afternoon during the school year when it works in their schedule. During the summers, we have a lot of kids who help in the office or help on crews. We’ve employed a lot of high school kids through the years.

“We’re just trying to make things better for as many kids in the school as possible. That’s what my family has always been about.”

HONOREE

“ We’re just trying to make things better for as many kids in the school as possible. That’s what my family has always been about. ”

A Bomber For Life

MHEF

Roger Morgan has represented his alma mater in virtually every way one can during his life. A native of Mountain Home, he was the third generation of his family to graduate from the local high school in 1978, having proudly worn his school colors on the basketball team and in other sports.

After earning a degree in accounting from Ouachita Baptist University and a law degree from University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he made a beeline for home in 1985, joining the legal firm now known as Sanders, Morgan & Clarke, which has served as the school district’s legal counsel for five decades.

But as with his father and multiple other kinfolk before him, his support of the school went well beyond professional interests.

“I was raised with a great sense of pride about Mountain Home,” he said. “You know, in a small town, the community generally revolves around a strong school system. I can’t ever remember a time when the Mountain Home school system wasn’t important to me. I had two sisters that graduated before me who were very active within the school system. My father graduated from here, and many other relatives over several generations did, too.”

As an adult, Morgan has invested time and energy into the welfare of the district by serving multiple terms on the school board and additional time with entities that supported school activities, such as the booster club.

“My time on the school board made me realize how much the school district is a citizen-driven organization,” he said. “That board makes difficult decisions every single year, whether it be student decisions, teacher decisions or administrator decisions. These very difficult, important decisions impact not only the life of teachers and students but the whole pulse of the community. That’s something I take very seriously.

“And, like a lot of parents, we spent a lot of time supporting our kids in school activities. All three of my kids were very involved in sports and attending sporting events. Supporting them through the booster club and things like that have always been important and very enjoyable to me.”

His enthusiasm for the local school system is matched by his wife, Mollie. The two met in college, and Morgan credits her with every bit as much involvement as he’s had, even becoming the longest-serving executive director of the Mountain Home Education Foundation.

“I would like to add, as far as my wife is concerned, she was a stay-at-home mom while my kids were being educated, and that allowed me to build a really good law practice,” Morgan said. “She was raising the kids and getting them to all their school events and stuff like that. That was a major asset.”

Mountain Home Public Schools and the Morgans aren’t through with each other just yet, as Roger is proud to point out.

“We have two grandkids locally, and the oldest grandchild, William Floyd, started kindergarten this fall,” he said. “By my count, he would be the fifth generation that’s attended Mountain Home Public Schools, starting with my paternal grandmother.

“I tell people I’ve lived a really charmed life. I can’t imagine why anybody would want to have been raised anywhere else or attend any different school system than what I was fortunate enough to attend. It’s been a really good thing in my life.”

“ I cannot remember a time where the Mountain Home school system wasn’t important to me. ”

Impacting the Next Generation

Mountain Home Public Schools is a thriving, dynamic educational community that seeks to lead each student to their full potential. Our cutting-edge programs and the expertise of our staff are assets generally found in much larger school districts, made possible here by the generous support of people in the community.

The Mountain Home Education Foundation was formed to provide an easy way for individuals and organizations to invest in the future of our school and its students. Funds collected through the Foundation provide for educational programs and activities that have not been funded by the district’s normal operating budget. These programs and activities facilitate student skill achievement and development; recognize and encourage staff excellence; and expand community involvement from individuals, businesses and civic organizations.

Specifically, MHEF funds are directed to:

→ Provide scholarships for post-secondary education

→ Provide funds for teaching grants to enable innovative teaching projects

→ Recognize staff, alumni and friends of the school district for exemplary contributions

→ Build community awareness for MHEF

→ Inspire parents and the community to participate with the school district in enriching education

MHEF GIFTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

MHEF TOTAL AWARDED FOR 2022–2023 SCHOOL YEAR

◻ Traditional scholarships: $68,900

◻ Promise scholarships: $84,000

◻ Teaching grants: $29,318.55

Donations to the MHEF are changing the futures of Mountain Home Public Schools students. Through teaching grants, thousands of students are impacted each school year as teachers try new and innovative techniques in their classrooms. Our traditional scholarships allow Mountain Home High School graduates to spread their wings at accredited colleges and universities across the country. And, the Mountain Home Promise funds the tuition gap for students who wish to earn a technical certificate or associate degree from ASU Mountain Home.

Since its inception in 2003, the Mountain Home Education Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in student scholarships and more than $400,000 in teaching grants.

Your tax-deductible contribution to the Mountain Home Education Foundation is an investment in the future of our children and our community. For more information about any of the available giving options, contact Jennifer Crawford, MHEF executive director, at (870) 425-1201.

MHEF DONATIONS RECEIVED

JULY 1, 2022 - JUNE 30, 2023

◻ Traditional: $40,668.35

◻ Promise: $66,931.59

◻ Teaching grants: $8,991.16

◻ Other donations: $27,293.43

To our friends and supporters

Thank you for your commitment to the next generation. Donating to the Mountain Home Education Foundation for student scholarships or teaching grants provides endless educational opportunities for our local students. Our hope is that each student impacted will make a positive difference in the lives of others, whether that happens on the local level, the national level, or

the global level. We have had a fantastic year at the MHEF and have established a number of new scholarships. I am excited to announce one that has a special place in the hearts of the students and staff at MHPS as well as football fans around the country. The Ryan Mallett Memorial Scholarship was formed in memory of former Bomber football coach Ryan Mallett. Coach Mallett loved helping kids and watching them succeed, and the MHEF Board all agrees that this scholarship will go on to be a fantastic part of his great legacy. I’m always open to visiting with anyone interested in learning more about our programming.

Thank you,

Jennifer Crawford Executive Director Mountain Home Education Foundation

WINGS A five-year specified pledge at different levels of giving that can be used toward scholarships, teaching grants and/or operating expenditures. At the end of the five years, a plaque featuring the donor’s name will be placed in Dunbar Auditorium.

PLANNED GIVING Patrons can remember the Foundation through a gift in their estate planning. The gift can take the form of money, property, stock or other valuable items to leave a lasting legacy to Mountain Home students and faculty.

HONORARIUM/MEMORIAL

GIFTS

Sponsor

a

Promise Scholarship, Teaching

Grant or Traditional Scholarship. Upon completion of the pledge, Wings sponsors will be featured in Dunbar Auditorium.

→ CAPTAIN $10,000 annually for 5 years

→ AVIATOR $5,000 annually for 5 years

SPONSOR LEVELS:

→ EAGLE $2,500 annually for 5 years

→ FLYER $1,000 annually for 5 years

→ FRIEND $500 annually for 5 years

→ SUPPORTER $250 annually for 5 years

This vehicle is a meaningful way to honor or remember loved ones. The honored individual or families of those remembered will receive notifications of donations.

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

These funds are of vital importance to the MHEF and to the students it serves. Scholarship awards are granted according to the expressed direction of the donor as recorded in the scholarship agreement. The MHEF Scholarship Committee then selects the individual recipient(s). All endowed scholarships are named for the donor(s) or as the donor directs.

There are several ways to support the work of the Mountain Home Education Foundation going forward, including: