Mena High School and Mena Middle School teachers attended a workshop in Jacksonville, AR this week for Arkansas. Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science, Inc., (AR AIMS), is an organization affiliated with the National Math & Science Initiative. AR AIMS opens the door for all middle school and high school students in Arkansas to reach their academic potential by offering high quality, student centered teacher training and support to empower teachers to become more effective in advanced instructional methods and strategies. Not pictured Linda Willard.Inc., (AR AIMS),
The Mena Jr Ladycats and Coaches put on a volleyball clinic for the Cossatot Jr Lady Eagles on Tuesday. We all had a blast and loved their enthusiasm to learn. Good luck Lady Eagles during your first volleyball season!
The baseboard painting project continues at Mena High School. That's just one of the many projects happening across the district as preparations continue for the first day of school on August 16th.
Mena Bearcat Basketball hosted Horatio and Arkansas High in a team camp on Tuesday.
Mrs. Colby Singleton is instructing students in the ACT Boot Camp this week at Mena High School.
SUSAN BODEY and AMY BARTOW with Aramark Food Services are representing the Mena Public Schools at the Arkansas Department of Education Summit in Hot Springs. The ADE Summit gives participants the opportunity to attend sessions on a wide range of topics. With access to exciting presenters while learning about innovative programs and much more!
The Mena Boys Basketball Team Camp is this Tuesday in the Union Bank Center!
For the second year in a row, the Mena High School AP Lit classes showed excellence on this year’s AP exam. 69% (20/29) of the class scored a 3 or better (out of 5 total), earning them a college credit for Comp II in Arkansas. The test is rigorous, consisting of both multiple choice items over several poems and passages and then giving students two hours to read passages and write three college level essays that analyze author’s choice in literature. This year, our students showed that they have what it takes to write for college, beating the averages of both Arkansas and surrounding states in number of students who passed the test.
Mena Football Head Coach Craig Bentley represented the Bearcats at the “ Tip the Tank” fundraiser for Arkansas Children's Hospital at Walmart this weekend!
Mena Public Schools counselors attended the ArSCA Conference this week! You don’t have to wear a cape to be a hero…you just have to care!
Local teacher, Rachel Dover of Mena School District, recently attended Southwest ESOL Institute, a partnership of Henderson State University and Dawson Education Service Cooperative. Attendance at the Southwest ESOL Institute signifies a teacher’s commitment to best classroom practices for helping students acquire knowledge while developing their academic English. The Institute is a 10-day, intense training in the field of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Six days were completed this summer, while the other four will be completed on Saturdays throughout the 2023 - 2024 school year. The Institute is funded by a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education.
Teachers heard from nationally recognized speakers such as Lynda Franco, Mark Vasquez, and Keith Folse. Local teachers who are experts in their field provided real-world scenarios through demonstrations and panel discussions. Through the Institute, teachers will earn 12 hours of graduate credit and take the ESL Praxis test. Upon receiving passing scores, English as a Second Language will be added to a teacher’s license.
Congratulation to MADI LYLE on her performance in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All Star Volleyball Game. The game was played in the Farris Center at the University of Central Arkansas.
Thank you to the Spotlight Singers and Mrs.Tilley for packing our food bags this week!
If Mena Public Schools Radio is not number one on your radio's preset then you're missing out!
Mena teachers are attending the 2023 summer conference "All In For All Learners" at the DeQueen Mena education Service Cooperative. Today they heard a presentation from Dr. Paula Kluth and another on trauma informed teaching. The conference continues on Thursday with sessions on trauma informed schools, literacy inclusion, math inclusion, science inclusion, CTE and tech inclusion as well as behavior.
The JR Ladycats have competed at the Morrilton Basketball Teamcamp Monday and Tuesday. They have improved tremendously over the past two weeks at their team camps.
Alicia Farringer, Dyslexia Interventionist, finished year two of CALT training the last two weeks at the Southwest Education Cooperative in Hope. The curriculum learned is called Take Flight. Take Flight, A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia, was implemented in our school last year and will be continued in the years to come. The design of this curriculum was to enable students with dyslexia to achieve and maintain better word recognition, reading fluency, reading comprehension and aid in the transition from a therapy setting to ‘real world’ learning. Our school district is extremely excited to offer this high quality instructional program to our students that was designed by the staff of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorder at Scottish Rite for Children.
Mena football hosted DeQueen and Horatio for a team camp at Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium on Tuesday.
The Bearcats will play a scrimmage at Mansfield on August 15th and the season opener is August 25th against DeQueen.
The Mena High School performing arts center hosted Dr. Luis Cruz on Friday. He discussed transforming school culture with Mena teachers & others from around the area.
Junior and Senior boys finished this week playing over 24 games between the two teams at the Northwest Arkansas Shootout in Fayetteville! Thank you Jimmy Jester for your hospitality and Smitty’s Garage of Fayetteville and Rogers for sponsoring a meal for both teams!
