Mena Middle School
Home of the Bearcats
What an incredible week at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.!
Our Mena FCCLA members represented Mena Public Schools with excellence through competition, leadership, volunteer service, and professionalism. We could not be more proud of each and every student who traveled to our nation’s capital and demonstrated what it means to be a Bearcat.
A special congratulations to Mena High School’s Makinnley Vega, who earned 3rd place in the Nation in AI for Impact!
Our Mena Middle School competitors also had an outstanding showing. Jenna Williams & Averie Martin (Focus on Children), Avori Gortemiller & Macy Flores (Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation), Addison Emmitte (Public Policy Advocate), and Melanie Cude & Serenity Hogan (Sustainability Challenge) all placed in the Top 10 in the Nation and had the honor of walking across the national stage. Every one of our competitors earned Gold or Silver ratings in their respective events—a tremendous accomplishment!
Beyond competition, our students experienced a week filled with unforgettable learning opportunities. A highlight of the trip was touring the U.S. Capitol with former Bearcat Travis Thrailkill, who graciously shared his workplace with us and treated our entire group to lunch. We are so thankful for his generosity and the opportunity he gave our students.
Throughout the week, our chapter visited the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, the United States Botanic Garden, and the Smithsonian National Zoo. These experiences created memories and learning opportunities that will last a lifetime.
This amazing journey for our 17 students would not have been possible without the incredible parents who gave up an entire week to chaperone, volunteer, encourage, and care for our students. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to Charmaine Martin, Cassondra Gortemiller, Ashton Herod, Tiffany Williams, and Malani Vega. Your willingness to serve made this trip a success, and I am beyond grateful for each of you.
Finally, we want to extend our deepest appreciation to the businesses, organizations, and community members whose generous support helped make this trip possible. A heartfelt thank you to Farm Bureau, Union Bank, Nidec, Re-Pops, and the many other sponsors, donors, families, and supporters who invested in our students. Because of your generosity, these young leaders had the opportunity to compete on the national stage, explore our nation’s capital, and gain experiences that will impact them for years to come.
Thank you for believing in our students and in the mission of Mena FCCLA. We are incredibly proud of this group and excited to see what they accomplish next.
Mena Public School Counselors had a great time at the 2026 ArSCA School Counselor Conference, June 29–July 1! Be the spark!
Today, members of the MMS Project Prevent Team — Katherine Goodnight, Annabelle Sprague, and Melanie Cude — are representing Harbor House as they present to Polk County 7th graders on the important topics of mental health and addiction awareness.
Mena Middle School 7th Graders enjoyed a Fishing Derby on Thursday at UA Rich Mountain.
We Recommend Wednesday: Abree likes horror and dystopian novels, and her favorite is The Maze Runner. It has just enough action and mystery to keep you reading. Come in and check out her recommendation shelf today!
Mena Middle School FBLA spoke to the Mena School Board on Monday. The team focused on the FBLA competition experiences of seventh-grade students, highlighting their achievements at district and state levels. The students shared their learning opportunities and future participation in competitions, emphasizing their commitment to continue engaging in FBLA activities.
Mena Athletes from Louise Durham Elementary, Holly Harshman Elementary, Mena Middle School and Mena High School are participating in the Area 14 Special Olympics today in the Hensley Activity Center and Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium.
The Mena Jr. High Track Team competed at the 4A Region 4 Conference Meet on Monday.
Skylar Bahr & Bentley Brewer won High Point and the Jr. Bearcats finished as Runners-up as a team.
GIRLS
Skylar Bahr-Pole Vault-1st
Long Jump-1st
Triple Jump-1st
BOYS
Bentley Brewer-400 Meter Dash-1st
Triple Jump-1st
Hank Rose-Long Jump-1st
See complete results at the link below.
https://ar.milesplit.com/meets/737081-4a-region-4-jr-high-conference-2026/results/1284818/raw
Skylar Bahr & Bentley Brewer won High Point and the Jr. Bearcats finished as Runners-up as a team.
GIRLS
Skylar Bahr-Pole Vault-1st
Long Jump-1st
Triple Jump-1st
BOYS
Bentley Brewer-400 Meter Dash-1st
Triple Jump-1st
Hank Rose-Long Jump-1st
See complete results at the link below.
https://ar.milesplit.com/meets/737081-4a-region-4-jr-high-conference-2026/results/1284818/raw
MMS Staff pulled off their first Underground Spirit Day. Our student’s were perplexed with the “anything but a cup” theme. We have a creative team!
Mena Middle School Theatre Students performed "How to Survive the AI Apocalypse" for CTE Business classes at Mena High School on Friday.
Six outstanding young ladies from Mena Middle School represented their school at the Girls of Promise STEAM Conference on Friday, April 10th! 💡✨
These scholars had an incredible opportunity to connect with fellow STEAM students, meet inspiring professional women in STEAM careers, and participate in hands-on workshops where they explored, created, and learned. They also enjoyed everything the Arkansas 4-H Center had to offer!
Students in attendance:
Camilla Ashcraft, Joscelyn Bates, Melanie Cude, Katy Goodnight, Makaylee Smith, and Annabelle Sprague
A big thank you to their teacher chaperones, STEM educators Sarah Billings and Jamie Copelin, for supporting and guiding these future leaders!
We are so proud of these students for representing Mena Middle School and embracing opportunities to grow in STEAM! 🌟
These scholars had an incredible opportunity to connect with fellow STEAM students, meet inspiring professional women in STEAM careers, and participate in hands-on workshops where they explored, created, and learned. They also enjoyed everything the Arkansas 4-H Center had to offer!
Students in attendance:
Camilla Ashcraft, Joscelyn Bates, Melanie Cude, Katy Goodnight, Makaylee Smith, and Annabelle Sprague
A big thank you to their teacher chaperones, STEM educators Sarah Billings and Jamie Copelin, for supporting and guiding these future leaders!
We are so proud of these students for representing Mena Middle School and embracing opportunities to grow in STEAM! 🌟
The Mena 7th Grade Track Team competed at the Waldron Bulldog Relays on Tuesday! The Bearcats finished Runner-up Congratulations boys!
Mena Middle School Theatre Students performed "Julius Ceasar" for AP Lit and Theatre classes on Wednesday.
Mena Middle School students competed in the 2026 STEM Challenge at the DeQueen Mena Education Service Cooperative on Thursday. Instead of just learning facts, students were given a real-world problem and asked to solve it by building, testing, and improving something.
Balloon Car:
1st: Kloe Phillips
2nd: Cord Gibbs
Earthquake Tower:
1st: Abbie Dees and Annabeth Evans
2nd: Judius Steffler and Paul Holiday
3rd: Brayley Smedley and Avery Smedley
High school Earthquake Tower:
1st: Briggs Robertson
2nd: Wesley Warren
Egg Drop:
1st: Raul Toribio, Jaycee Hoobler and Macy Herod
2nd: Sophie Meyers
High school Egg Drop:
2nd: Hollie Hamilton
3rd: Skylar Bahr
Generator:
1st: Gabe Elizalde and Aiden Broach
3rd: Jerome Warner and Braylon Brandenburg
High school Generator:
1st: Sason Walker
2nd: Bronson Cummings
Header profile photo
Sarah Billings (sarah.billings@menaschools.org) has invited you to view the following shared folder:
2026 MMS STEM Challenge Winners
Balloon Car:
1st: Kloe Phillips
2nd: Cord Gibbs
Earthquake Tower:
1st: Abbie Dees and Annabeth Evans
2nd: Judius Steffler and Paul Holiday
3rd: Brayley Smedley and Avery Smedley
High school Earthquake Tower:
1st: Briggs Robertson
2nd: Wesley Warren
Egg Drop:
1st: Raul Toribio, Jaycee Hoobler and Macy Herod
2nd: Sophie Meyers
High school Egg Drop:
2nd: Hollie Hamilton
3rd: Skylar Bahr
Generator:
1st: Gabe Elizalde and Aiden Broach
3rd: Jerome Warner and Braylon Brandenburg
High school Generator:
1st: Sason Walker
2nd: Bronson Cummings
Multimedia- Web Presence
2nd: Joscelyn Bates
3rd: Addie Emmitte
Multimedia- Video:
1st: Camilla Ashcraft
2nd: Journey Copelin
3rd: Caysen Killian
High school Multimedia-Video:
1st: Juliet Scheoppey
2nd: Prachi Desai
3rd: Braylon Brandenburg
Paper Rocket:
1st: Thaniel Copelin
Paper Rollercoaster:
1st: Mallory Chaney and Joscely Bates
2nd: Jenna Williams and Katy Goodnight
3rd: Presley Nash and Maddie Farriell
Robotics-Ollie/Sphero
1st: Eli Johnson and Jerome Warner
2nd: Jared Phillips and Collin Campbell
3rd: Obediah Noble and Hudson Hughes
High school level Robotics- Ollie/Sphero
2nd: Rayleigh Allen and Ashton Tidwell
Robotics-LEGO:
1st: Brent Epperson
2nd: Jayden Bishop
Header profile photo
Sarah Billings (sarah.billings@menaschools.org) has invited you to view the following shared folder:
2026 MMS STEM Challenge Winners
Balloon Car:
1st: Kloe Phillips
2nd: Cord Gibbs
Earthquake Tower:
1st: Abbie Dees and Annabeth Evans
2nd: Judius Steffler and Paul Holiday
3rd: Brayley Smedley and Avery Smedley
High school Earthquake Tower:
1st: Briggs Robertson
2nd: Wesley Warren
Egg Drop:
1st: Raul Toribio, Jaycee Hoobler and Macy Herod
2nd: Sophie Meyers
High school Egg Drop:
2nd: Hollie Hamilton
3rd: Skylar Bahr
Generator:
1st: Gabe Elizalde and Aiden Broach
3rd: Jerome Warner and Braylon Brandenburg
High school Generator:
1st: Sason Walker
2nd: Bronson Cummings
Multimedia- Web Presence
2nd: Joscelyn Bates
3rd: Addie Emmitte
Multimedia- Video:
1st: Camilla Ashcraft
2nd: Journey Copelin
3rd: Caysen Killian
High school Multimedia-Video:
1st: Juliet Scheoppey
2nd: Prachi Desai
3rd: Braylon Brandenburg
Paper Rocket:
1st: Thaniel Copelin
Paper Rollercoaster:
1st: Mallory Chaney and Joscely Bates
2nd: Jenna Williams and Katy Goodnight
3rd: Presley Nash and Maddie Farriell
Robotics-Ollie/Sphero
1st: Eli Johnson and Jerome Warner
2nd: Jared Phillips and Collin Campbell
3rd: Obediah Noble and Hudson Hughes
High school level Robotics- Ollie/Sphero
2nd: Rayleigh Allen and Ashton Tidwell
Robotics-LEGO:
1st: Brent Epperson
2nd: Jayden Bishop
Robotics-VEX:
1st: Briar Robinson and Judius Steffler
2nd: Levi Lawrence, Jack Parsons, and Zach Horn
3rd: Wesley Warren
Sailboat:
1st: Averie Martin
3rd: Jhase Smith
High School Level Sailboat:
1st: Makaylee Smith
2nd: Allen Starr
3rd: Drayden Thompson
Toothpick Bridge:
1st Lyela Hohmann and Lexy Garrett
2nd: Aubree Abernathy and Reagan Spence
3rd: Zallie Evan and Melanie Cude
It was a great day for the annual Mena Middle School Project Prevent Prevention Easter Egg Relay for 6th grade. Tomorrow the 8th graders get a chance.
Students and adults had a good time at the Mena Middle School Library Cookies and Canvas event on Monday.
Mena Middle School 8th graders explored college and career options at U of A Rich Mountain on Monday. Thank you to the college staff for the information, snacks and tour.
Jr. High Softball!
Mena Middle School Project Prevent Team celebrated Threw with Chew Week on Friday with the annual Pickle you Choices Wisely event. Team members traded a pickle for a pledge to be Chew/Spit tobacco/nicotine free. Members collected 218 pledges.
Mena High School hosted the Basketball Skills Competition for Special Olympics on Monday in the Union Bank Center. Athletes from LD, HHE, MMS, MHS, and PCDC competed.
