Hello, everyone! My husband Adam and
I are Mena natives and we have four kids
- Macy, Maddox, Makenzie and Myles. I
have a degree in Early Childhood Education
from SAU and this will be my first year
teaching kindergarten. I’m so excited to
meet my students and see how they learn
and grow this year!!
Welcome Liliana Roberts to the team at HHE!
I graduated from Southern Arkansas
University in 2020 with my Bachelor’s
in Elementary Education. I will be
entering my 6th year of teaching and
I can’t wait to see what this new
school year brings at the Mena School
District.
Mena School Counselors are attending the Arkansas School Counselors Association Conference this week at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
Guin Nash enjoyed a stack of pancakes at the Skyline Cafe for meeting her accelerated reading goal at Holly Harshman Elementary.
Welcome Kloey Eakin to the team at Louise Durham Elementary.
This will be my second year teaching Kindergarten, and I am excited to be a part of the Mena School District. I look forward to starting this year!
Mena High School rising senior Mallori Brotherton is the daughter of Greg Brotherton and Christy Thrailkill. Mallori was a delegate to the American Legion Auxiliary Arkansas Girls State 2025 and was sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. Mallori was elected by her peers to be a District Court Judge.
“I would like to thank the American Legion Auxiliary for allowing me to attend Girls State 2025. All throughout the week I was able to make new friends, learn new things, and see new places. I will forever cherish the memories that I was able to make and the friends I made while doing so! I hope to one day have an opportunity to use some of the knowledge I learned during my time away because I didn’t just learn more about the government, I learned more about myself as well. Once again, thank you so much to the American Legion Auxiliary and the other sponsors that helped make this possible for my classmates and I. I will forever be grateful!!” - Mallori Brotherton
WE have the rest of the yearbooks in!!! IF we owe you a yearbook- please come & pick it up anytime at Holly Harshman Elementary:
Summer Hours 🌞
MONDAY-THURSDAY
7:00am~5:00pm
Or give us a call ☎️ to set up a time!
and…. we ordered a FEW extra 📚if you didn’t order one the first round!!
The Jr. Ladycats spent Monday and Tuesday at the Morrilton Team Basketball Camp.
We’re gearing up to Stuff the Bus for all area schools, and we need your help! 🎉
📍 This Friday, June 20th
🕗 8 AM – 6 PM
📍 Mena Walmart Parking Lot
We’ll be collecting school supplies for students across Polk County to help them start the school year prepared and confident. Let’s make a big impact together!
📝 Most needed items include:
#2 Pencils ✏️
Crayons 🖍️
Glue & Glue Sticks
Pencil Boxes & Zipper Bags
Colored Pencils
Plastic & Paper Folders
Composition Notebooks 📓
Loose Leaf Paper (Wide & College Ruled)
📅 Can’t make it this Friday? Mark your calendar for our next Stuff the Bus date: July 18th!
Let’s pack the bus and set our students up for success!
Mena High School rising senior Katherine Wilson is the daughter of Phillip and Kristi Wilson. Kate was a delegate to the American Legion Auxiliary Arkansas Girls State 2025 and was sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She was elected by her peers as a Senator for the Nationalist Party.
"I want to give a big thanks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars for giving me the opportunity to attend Girls State. It was a great opportunity to meet people and immerse myself in the mock-government experience that Girls State provides. It was a very interesting, crazy week that I won’t forget anytime soon! Also a huge shout out to the American Legion Auxiliary for putting on the program. I’m very thankful to be part of such a supportive community that enables so many opportunities for my classmates and me." - Kate Wilson
Mena High School rising senior Eli Swall is the son of Steve and Stacy Swall. Eli was a delegate of Arkansas Boys State 2025 and was sponsored by Ginger Sterner of Edward Jones.
"Participating in Boys State was an unforgettable experience that gave me a powerful introduction to leadership and how government works from the inside out. I want to sincerely thank Ginger Sterner and Edward Jones for their support, and express my deep appreciation to the American Legion for organizing this outstanding program. Boys State was more than just an event, it was a transformative first step into civic engagement, and I’m incredibly grateful for that opportunity." - Eli Swall
Eli is pictured with the elected State Treasurer of Arkansas Boy’s State, Zeke Young. Zeke selected Eli to be his Chief Deputy and Eli was able to meet Treasurer Thurston and some of his staff.
Mena High School rising senior Jackson Thompson is the son of Cory and Candace Thompson. Jackson was a delegate of Arkansas Boys State 2025 and was sponsored by Brian Erickson of Freedom Pharmacy.
"I want to thank Brian Erickson of Freedom Pharmacy for giving me the chance to experience something such as Boys State. I learned a lot alongside my fellow classmates and youth of Arkansas and hope to implement it in our community. I also want to thank the American Legion program for organizing the overall experience of boys state and am grateful for the opportunity!" -Jackson Thompson
Welcome Leilani Day to the team at Mena Middle and Mena High School.
I am so excited to be back home and
have the opportunity to coach the
sport I enjoy so much as well as teach
the subject that made me want to
become a teacher. I am excited for the
school year and all the new beginnings
it will bring.
Welcome Lindsey Sawyer to the team at Louise Durham Elementary.
My little family and I moved back to Mena
to be closer to family after 3 years in
Siloam Springs. This will be my fourth
year teaching 1st grade! I am so excited
to pour into Mena students as my teachers
once did for me.
Mena Public School Administrators have been attending the Leadership Institute hosted by the DeQueen Mena Education Service Cooperative at Degray Lake State Park this week. Mena staff continues preparations for the 2025-2026 school year which begins on August 13th. See the complete school calendar at the link below.
https://www.menaschools.org/page/school-calendars
Welcome LaShea Holder to the team at Holly Harshman Elementary.
I just recently graduated from Reach University with
my education degree, and I’m so excited to join the
team as the new 3rd-grade literacy teacher! I’m
passionate about helping students grow as readers
and writers. Outside the classroom, I’m a proud wife
and girl mom who loves spending time with family.
I can’t wait to get to know my students and their
families!
Welcome Audrey Youmans to the staff at Holly Harshman Elementary!!!
Hello, everyone. I am originally from Texas and moved
to Mena with my husband Travis and kids 8 years ago.
We have four children, Liliana, Makenzie, Kate, and
Derek, and we love Mena and everything it has to offer.
I recently graduated from Southern Arkansas
University in Magnolia with a Bachelor's in Elementary
Education specializing in STEM. I am so excited to work
as a literacy teacher in 4th grade and cannot wait for
a year full of learning, growth, and fun!
The Jr. Ladycats attended the Harding Team Basketball Camp on Sunday and Monday. The Jr. Ladycats will attend the Morrilton Team Camp on Monday, June 16th and Tuesday, June 17th.
The Mena Jr. High Cheer Team is preparing for the 2025-2026 season. The group attended the Varsity Stunt Clinic in Hot Springs on Monday.
Mena coaches & players helped area youngsters improve their basketball skills this week at the Little Cats Camp in the Union Bank Center.
A busy week is ahead for the Bearcat basketball team beginning at the Southeast Oklahoma State Team Camp and followed by the NWA Shootout.
