Virtual & blended students will have to sign up for meals every week. Meals may be picked up at Louise Durham or High School on Fridays between 1 and 2 pm We are no longer allowed to serve on the SSO option so meals will be charged to the student’s account, as though the student was in school, based on their Free/Reduced/Paid status. The form will need to be filled out by 2 pm Thursday for meal pick up on Friday. Follow the link to fill out the form. https://forms.gle/J81xjdomzJMfHr7X6

The MHS math department is geared up for the first day!!!!

Seniors set the tone! MHS Principal David Maxwell spoke to seniors fist thing this morning about the coming year. It's great to have a facility like the performing arts center where these large group meetings can happen.

Announcements for Monday, August 24 th I. If you think your schedule is incorrect or if you need to discuss a schedule change, you need to check your school email. Our Counselor, Mrs. Rose, has emailed a form for you to fill out. II. Reminder about the water bottle filling stations. Please arrive at school with a full bottle and refill as needed. The school does not supply empty water bottles to students. III. At some point fairly soon, all 6 th graders and all new students will receive an MMS ID card. Sometime after that, the 7 th & 8 th grade students will be able to request a replacement card. The first replacement card is free. Any replacement card after that will cost $3. If you do not have an ID card and you don’t have your ID number memorized, write it down somewhere so that you will know it when you go through the lunch line. 6 th graders that have their ID cards from HHE can use those at the cafeteria scanner until you receive your new one. IV. Reminder: If you are going to ride a bus today but are not sure which bus you need to ride, please let a teacher know so that they can contact the office. Someone will get with you today to let you know. V. After you eat lunch, throw your trash away before you begin any games or lunch activities. VI. Lunchtime Weather: VII. Lunch Menu: Chicken Fried Steak, Bacon Cheeseburger, Chicken Sandwich, Waffle Bar, PB&J, Turkey Sandwich, Chef Salad VIII. Club / Group Meetings: None today.

First day photos are pouring in! Click the link & send us yours! https://forms.gle/Ag7xgSoEvmjwbNqP6

Jr. Volleyball starts at 4:30pm in the Union Bank Center. Golf begins at 3:30pm at the Nashville Country Club. GO BEARCATS!! https://www.menaschools.org/o/athletics/athletics

Mena MIddle School students arrive for the first day of school. Spirits seemed high as we begin adjusting to the new normal. https://www.menaschools.org/o/mena-middle-school

Send us your first day of school pictures! Whether your student is traditional, blended or virtual. Just click the link to submit a photo. https://forms.gle/Ag7xgSoEvmjwbNqP6

It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus whenever its red lights are flashing, as students are present. The law requires drivers to stop on 2 lane and 4 land highways in both directions, even those with a middle lane. Drivers cannot attempt to pass in any direction until the school bus vehicle has finished receiving or discharging its passengers and is in motion. Follow the link for more info http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/public/userfiles/Communications/Flashing_Red_Kids_Ahead/Bus_Flier_2019.pdf

Mena scrimmaged Mansfield at Bearcat Stadium Friday night. The first game of the season is Friday 8/28 at DeQueen. GO BEARCATS!!! https://www.menaschools.org/o/athletics/athletics?filter=19617

4,000 face masks for students and staff will be distributed for the 20/21 school year that begins on August 24th. Each student, age 10 & above, will receive face masks for use on campus. These face masks will become the responsibility of the student. The Centers for Disease Control has info on how to wear & care for masks. Just follow the link. https://www.cdc.gov/…/prevent…/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

What a nice surprise from the Union Bank of Mena! Our staff has been working a huge amount of hours in preparation for the first day of school on Monday. We so appreciate your support. Pizza was delivered to all campuses for lunch today.

4,000 face masks arrived at Mena Public Schools on Friday. They will be distributed to students and staff for the 20/21 school year that begins on August 24th. Each student, age 10 & above, will receive face masks for use on campus. These face masks will become the responsibility of the student. The Centers for Disease Control has info on how to wear & care for masks. Just follow the link. https://www.cdc.gov/…/prevent…/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

If you missed the Chromebook pickup on Wednesday and Thursday, there will be stations set up before the bell Monday morning. You need to will visit all three stations before the bell rings. Station #1 -- Chromebook Pickup will be in the library with Mrs. Ashcraft. Station #2 -- Schedules and Information packets will be at the Bearcat head with Mrs. Jackson. Station #3 -- Parking Permits will be at the front of the math hall with Mrs. Warner.

The Sr. High Bearcats will scrimmage Mansfield Friday night at Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium beginning at 7pm... GO BEARCATS!!!

ATTENTION PARENTS! Please daily check your students for symptoms of Covid 1) Do they have a cough? 2) Any difficulty Breathing? 3) Sore throat? 4) A Loss of taste or smell? 5) Had contact with a positive Covid-19 person in the last 14 days? 6) A fever? If any of these are a yes, please keep your child home, notify the school and monitor your child. They should be fever free for 48 hours before returning to school.

Please remember that traditional students can pick up schedules & blended students can pick up Chromebooks on Friday 8/21 from 8:30am-11:30am & 1:00pm-3:00pm at the Middle School Bus Loop..GO BEARCATS!!!!

Attention All Mena High School Students Please have your parent or guardian fill out the on-line lunch application, do not fill it out yourself. Your parent/guardian should be listed as the applicant, not the student. It does affect the status of your meal application. If you have already submitted an on-line application, DO NOT resubmit or do another application. If you have any questions regarding your application, please have your parent call Sherry Newman at our Administration Office.

Mena Public Schools—Ticket Sales for 2020-21 The Mena Public School District has announced plans for sales of tickets for athletic events for the 2020-21 school year. Due to Covid-19, the Governor and Arkansas Department of Health has put a limit on the number of people who can attend indoor and outdoor activities. These restrictions are not the desire of anyone in the district. However, for the health and safety of our players, coaches and fans, we MUST adhere to the guidelines set by the ADH and Governor. We are fortunate, at this time, to be able to continue with our sporting events. Mena Public Schools will adhere to the Indoor and Outdoor venue guidelines set forth by the Arkansas Department of Health. Anyone over 10 years of age must wear a face covering at all times. Single-household family groups can sit together but must be 6-feet apart from other groups or individuals. Seating areas will be marked such that every other row is unoccupied. Anyone found not to be in compliance with the regulations set forth by the ADH will be asked by an administrator or security officer to comply. Refusal to follow directives will result in removal from the premises. Due to the new guidelines, MPS will no longer allow FREE ADMISSION passes other than those issued by the Arkansas Athletics Association. Ticket Prices: Per game admission is $5.00 per person. Football Games: -Bearcat Stadium Capacity-680 Football Players, Band, and Cheer will be issued a certain number of redeemable tickets first. Then there will be a limited number of tickets available to the general public (no more than 2 tickets per person) that can be picked up at the Central Office the day of the event from (8:00am to 3:45pm). Volleyball Games (7th-12th grade):--UBC Capacity-240 Volleyball players will be issued a certain number of redeemable tickets first. Then there will be a limited number of tickets available to the general public (no more than 2 tickets per person) that can be picked up at the Central Office the day of the event from (8:00am to 3:45pm). Football and Volleyball Visitors: a limited number of tickets will be provided for the visiting team at the beginning of each week. State officials are not allowing band and cheer to attend away games. (The same will happen when the Bearcats/Ladycats go on the road—we will get the ticket information out ASAP for these events.) Unfortunately, during this time, tailgating before athletic events is NOT ALLOWED. Attendees will NOT be allowed on the track, field, or court at any time before, during or after the event. Immediately after the event, fans need to exit the facility. During multi-game nights, parents are encouraged to exit the facility when their child’s game is over to allow room for other parents/family the opportunity to watch their child’s game. Hopefully, we can complete our seasons as scheduled and YOU can help by supporting our efforts. GO LADYCATS and BEARCATS! tagTag

Mena Middle School & Holly Harshman Elementary Open House Videos are now available for you to watch. Just click on the link below to get started. Mena High Schools video will be added as soon as it is available. LDE has sent their videos to the individual students on SeeSaw & they will not be available online. https://docs.google.com/…/2PACX-1vRxBBzTmS50mV_Kz9ceNv…/pub…