Louise Durham Elementary School

Proud to have the Mena Star on board as a Community Partner! If you own or manage a business and want to be included send an Email to bridget.buckley@menaschools.org . The deadline is August 15th. https://www.menaschools.org/page/one-school-one-book

Proud to have the Union Bank of Mena on board as a Community Partner! If you own or manage a business and want to be included send an Email to bridget.buckley@menaschools.org . The deadline is August 15th. https://www.menaschools.org/page/one-school-one-book

Mary Alice at the Shop is a "One District, One Book" Community Partner! https://www.facebook.com/theshopmena

Louise Durham Elementary is proud to announce that we have partnered with All Kids Bike and the Strider Education Foundation to bring bike riding instruction to our Kindergarten and early First Grade PE Classes. At the Strider Education Foundation, we believe learning to ride a bike builds the confidence that changes everything! Our mission is to deliver superior balance bikes and a proven Learn-To-Ride curriculum to schools and organizations that wish to teach all individuals how to ride.

A new app is up and running for Mena Public Schools & it includes a link to the FM101 stream. Get ready for the new school year by downloading the new app asap !!!!

The Mena Public Schools are placing a renewed emphasis on security in 2022/2023. Mena SROs and the School Security Team spent time at the range on Tuesday. Our students safety is of the utmost importance,

Want to know more about "Summer of the Monkeys" and the "One District, One Book" community reading event? Just follow the link. https://www.menaschools.org/page/one-school-one-book?fbclid=IwAR2sjC5pTH78UFkV4h8GaG0GYGrM6zXxSHDg3yOjJRwR5dmQIJ-TUupusaM

Special education teachers and para professionals continue preparation for 2022/2023. Mena hosted Dalene Magsam and Debbie Ware with Easter seals who presented the SpED update on Thursday in the Mena High School library. https://eastersealsopts.org/

A new app is up and running for Mena Public Schools & it includes a link to the FM101 stream. Get ready for the new school year by downloading the new app asap !!!!

Louise Durham Elementary Counselor Avanlea Chaney with author/speaker Dr. Ruby Payne! Dr. Payne spoke at the Emotional Poverty Professional Development held in DeQueen on Wednesday.. https://www.facebook.com/rubypayne

Parents can quickly and easily make payments and monitor what their students are purchasing with MyPaymentsPlus. Whether you utilize the online platform or the mobile app, MyPaymentsPlus is your one-stop shop for school-related payments.

Mena administrators are attending the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators Annual Summer Conference this week. The theme for the event is is Love Public Education - Changing the Narrative. GO BEARCATS!

1st grade teachers as well as Pete Rose, and Curtis Black visited the Polk County Senior Citizen Center recently. We had a great time with live music, delicious food, and creating new friendships! Thanks again to everyone at the Center for allowing us to visit and for being so welcoming.

Mena teachers continue to work in preparation for 2022-2023. On Tuesday educators underwent MathQuEST training the MHS Library. Math QuEST (Quantitative Essentials for Students and Teachers) is a journey for ambitious teaching that promotes equity and engagement of all students in meaningful mathematics learning experiences of reasoning and problem solving. AR Math QuEST empowers educators and families to help students develop positive identities as doers of mathematics to increase student achievement.

Please welcome Sandra Spence to Louise Durham Elementary! I graduated from University of Oregon with a BA in English. I put my degree to good use drafting manufacturing contracts in California’s Silicon Valley. While working, I added an Associates in Paralegal Studies. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, writing, quilting and many forms of art. Passing on my love of the written word is a challenge and a blessing, and if there’s one thing I could teach your student, it’s this: The only limit to what you can achieve is the limit you set for yourself.

Mena School administrators are teaming up with our local Walmart for the annual “Tip the Tank,” a fundraising activity for the Arkansas Children’s Miracle Network. Pictured are Louise Durham Principal Curtis Black and Superintendent Dr. Lee Smith.

Please welcome STACY SALISBURY to the staff at Mena Public Schools ! Hello Bearcat Nation- I am so happy to be a part of Mena Schools as your dyslexia specialist and coordinator of the dyslexia program at Mena Schools. I am a CALT or Certified Academic Language Therapist. I received my CALT training from Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, Texas at the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders in 2007. I have been a dyslexia therapist for several school districts in Texarkana,Texas serving grades K-12. I started my teaching career in 1982 (graduating from Texas A&M- Texarkana with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education) and have been a classroom teacher for grades 1st-6th until becoming a dyslexia therapist. I retired from teaching in Texas in 2017. After only being retired a few months, I returned part-time as a dyslexia therapist for Texas High School in Texarkana. I truly enjoy helping students overcome their dyslexic challenges and achieving their highest academic success. My husband of 42 years, Dennis Salisbury, and I found your beautiful community about 4 years ago and bought property on Highway 8 West. We have been busy building our home here and finally Dennis has decided to retire! He has been a quality home builder in the Texarkana area building beautiful homes for over 30 years. I look forward to continuing my passion of helping dyslexic students and bringing my experience and knowledge of dyslexia to Mena Schools. I feel extremely blessed to be a part of Bearcat Nation!

Mena School Staff are wrapping up three days of professional development at the Arkansas School Counseling Association Conference in Hot Springs.

The history of Mena Public School Part 5: Friday, June 10, 1949 will always be remembered as a very special day for Central School. This was Louise Durham Day for all the pupils. Teachers and community came together to honor Miss Louise Durham who was retiring from the Mena Schools after fifty-seven years in education. All students in grades seven through twelve were housed in the high school building. The enrollment in these grades had increased in number until the high school building was not large enough to care for the students without overcrowding. Mena Junior High School was organized in 1951. A new gymnasium was approved by district patrons and construction on the project was completed in 1958. In 1960-61 a much needed school auditorium was added to the high school building. In 1968 students first occupied a new cafeteria. The 1968-19 term was a time of change at Stillwell. The first four grades were all moved to Louise Durham School. Only fifth and sixth grade children attended Stillwell. In 1973, the district asked for a five-dollar-per-thousand tax increase to build a new high school. Following the completion of the high school project, the Mena District underwent a reorganization as a middle school was created and kindergarten was added to Louise Durham Elementary. This reorganization began in 1976. The middle school housed 6-8, and the high school housed 9-12. The Stillwell school remained until 1983. In the fall of that year, grades three, four, and five were moved to a new elementary facility that was named after Miss Holly Harshman who had served the Mena District 45 years as a teacher and elementary principal. In 1986 a total of 10 new classrooms plus a band room and athletic facility was built by the district to help meet new state standards. Two years later a new 2200 seat stadium was constructed to replace Boyd Stadium which was plagued by inadequate seating, restrooms, and lighting. The Mena District went from 1973 to 1991 without asking its patrons for a millage increase. However, In September of 1991 district patrons were asked to vote a two mill increase in order to bring the district into compliance with Arkansas Law. The two mills were approved by the people. As of May. 2022, the Mena District has a present enrollment of 1696.. Louise Durham PreK-2 has 460, Holly Harshman has 368, Mena Middle School has 391, Mena High School has 463, Polk County Virtual Academy 14.

Please welcome REBECCA SPRAGUE to our team at Mena Public Schools !!! My name is Rebecca Sprague and I’m excited to be joining the Louise Durham Elementary teaching team as a special education teacher. I’ve taught in the general education kindergarten classroom, K-6 special education, and early intervention settings for the past 14 years. My family of five enjoys spending time outside camping, fishing, hunting, and baseball. I love to read, crochet, and spend time with my family. I grew up on a farm outside of Mena and I look forward to giving back to a school district that provided my K-12 foundation in education. I can’t wait to meet everyone and be a part of this thriving community of educators, learners, families, and supporters.