Mena Middle School

Mena leaders are attending training with the DeQueen Mena Education Service Cooperative at Degray State Park this week. Administrators from schools across the DMESC area are attending.

Mena teachers are already learning new skills to help with engaging lessons. Tuesday at HHE they were participating in Summer PD learning how to use new technology… BenQ interactive panels have been installed & will help teachers interact with students.

The history of Mena Public Schools! Part 2: In 1901 the schools were under the supervision of S. H. Allen a graduate of Ouachita College. Mena had made such rapid progress by this time that they had built and furnished three buildings containing eight large rooms of the common school grades. Central School was built in 1904. This two story red brick building was erected on the site where the First Baptist Church is now located. There were eight classrooms and one teacher for each grade first through eighth. There were times when enrollment in each room might reach 55 or 60 students for each teacher. A high wire fence was stretched from the front porch to Port Arthur Avenue to separate the girls on one side toward the library and the boys on the ninth street side. In each room was a large stove. The custodian really had to get up early to start eight separate fires and keep two full coal buckets in each of the rooms. He would go around sometimes three times a day to put the coal in the stoves. Only occasionally did the teacher have to perform this task. All the school children were suppose to bring a cup from home since the Janssen Park Spring was the only source of drinking water. Paper cups had not been introduced as yet. Teachers had spring duty in those days. The children went by rooms to the park to get water three times a day. The children did not take the drinking cups home. It was thought that the construction of the Central School would accommodate the school population for some time to come, but by 1905 it was necessary to provide other facilities as those housing the school population of the new boom-town of Mena were greatly over-worked. The first buildings that had been erected for school purposes were bulging with children. To provide further housing facilities, the Southside Ward School was built. This was a neat frame building of two rooms. At this time the late and much beloved Prof. W. T. Adams had supervision of the schools. He was untiring in his efforts to build up the city schools. Mrs. Ruby Grant was the first principal of the new school. Miss Mable Adams, now Mrs. John Mershon, was the primary teacher. Mrs. John Mershon had a room enrollment of 113 pupils. The town of Mena continued to grow rapidly and by 1907 it was necessary to add another room to the Ward building. Check bac next Wednesday for part 3!

Mena teachers are already earning professional development hours at the DeQueen/Mena Education Service Cooperative. Today exploring the latest Google Classroom updates, new features, and tips they can use for a more effective and efficient classroom.

The Mena Jr. Bearcats had a great time at the Harding Camp !

This past Friday the Mena FFA Jr. Trap team competed in the state tournament in Jacksonville! Team members competed in the second flight of the morning. However, the other squad in our bracket had our number on Friday and the team was knocked out in the first round. For first year shooters this was a great first year! These five will be able to compete in the fall at the FFA shoot in November and in the spring they will move to the senior division. Congratulations on a great first year! Team Members: Drake Dollar-Captain Dax McMellon Grayson Farringer Sean Maechler Waylon Head

The Mena Jr. High Cheerleaders attended camp at Hendrix this week. They worked on many skills and made many improvements. They have worked so hard and it has paid off! Five girls were nominated for All American Cheerleader: Chloe Cossey Bre Crider Rayleigh Goodnight Trinity Aviles Lily Kate Doughty. As a team Mena earned most improved, a stunt safe award, a bid to Nationals, a spirit stick, and 1st place for the Jr High Band Chant!

Mena Public Schools will offer breakfast and/or lunch to anyone 18 and under free of charge beginning June 6th,2022 through June 30th 2022. Locations are: Louise Durham Elementary 106 N. Reine in Mena on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mena Middle School, 700 S Morrow St. Monday -Thursday. Times are 8:00am to 8:30am for breakfast, 12:00pm to 12:30pm for lunch.

The Mena Public Schools Year End Celebration was held on Tuesday in the Performing Arts Center. A number of employees were recognized for their years of service. 1 YEAR MADYSON BIRTCHER JAMIE GROGAN WANALYNN ALEXANDER JORDAN BAILEY REAGAN BLACK ALEXA BREWER BRIANNE BURFORD CHRISTIE CHANDLER VINCENT COLEMAN LANA COOGAN HANNAH CRAFTON SHANDA CRAIG CARRI CRANFORD AUDRA CUMMINGS SHELBY GARCIA ERIN GRANT LEANNA HARPER JESSICA HUGHES AMBER LABERTEW SHANNON LYLE KRISTEN MANASCO MALLORY MCCONNELL CHERISH MICHAEL ABBY MINTON ISAAC MINTON REAGAN PETERS ASHLKEY PREGON JAQUELINE REDFEARN LISA ROBERTS KRISTI SCHULLER AILEEN SIRKIS KATHRYN SMITH ABIGAIL TILLEY TIMOTHY WALSTON COURTNEY WARREN ERIKA WILLIAMS BRIANNA PETERS LIBERTY JACOT 5 YEAR SARAH BILLINGS RACHEL CARTER DANIEL HENDRIX ALYSSA HOSTETLER CHARMAINE MARTIN KENNEDY MCCORMICK JILL NEWBOLT CYNTIA STANDRIDGE LEAH TAYLOR 10 YEAR KRYSTAL BOYD PEGGY FOSTER LORRIE HENRY TIFFANY LUTTMER AMY MONTGOMERY LINDA SHELLEY TERESA TORIX SCOTT WRIGHT 15 YEARS CE;ESTE ASHCRAFT DIANNE HUNTER MITCH MILNE SHERMA PETERS DEE SMITH HEATHER GOSS 25 YEARS STACI BROOKS DALYNNE RANDOLPH NATHAN STONE 30+ YEARS LEO BARGE TODD COOGAN TERESA CLARK BECKY RICHARDSON MEGAN TIBBS BRYAN MAYE PATTY OGLESBY ANNITA HENDRIX RETIREES RODNEY PURVIS LINDA COLLINS JIMMA HOLDER KAREN PURVIS

Mrs. Sikes is very pleased with her 6th Grade Top 3 Timed Test Typists: 1st place Brynlee Bahr - 73 WPM 2nd place Bryer Landrum - 68 WPM 3rd place: Alec Erickson -67 WPM

The Junior Ladycat’s competed in Spring Queen where they were tested in vertical, mile, 400, 100, squat, bench, power clean and push press. Several girls met the challenge. Including Elliott Dugan, Ava Fields, Emmi Hensley, Chloe Stepp, Kylene Denton, Alayna Gilbert, Pascha Wistrand, Kate Wilson, Anabelle Peters, Jayden Cox, Chloe Hooper. Kylene Denton was crowned our Spring Queen.

Mrs. Johnson's 8th grade math students had the opportunity to choose between a variety of projects to showcase the skills they have learned over the course of the year. Students could create grid drawings with scale factor, create logos with slope, plan a dinner party for 10 guests, or create a pythagorean spiral. Some students went above and beyond and brought some of their menu items to share with the class.

Mena Middle School 7th graders enjoyed the day participating in the Natural State Fishing Derby sponsored by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Friday at the UA Rich Mountain pond.

A good crowd showed up for Family Science night at Mena MIddle School on Thursday & everyone had a blast !

Mr. Tyler Huntington, the MMS beginner band and the Middle School Band introduced 5th graders at Holly Harshman Elementary to the band experience on Tuesday. They were introduced to all the instruments, questions were answered & all were encouraged to participate in band when the enter 6th grade next school year.

The Mena FFA Jr. High Trap team compete today in the West Region Trap Shoot in Jacksonville. The team competed well despite the windy conditions and place 11th! This qualifies them for the state shoot in June! Congratulations! Team Members: Drake Dollar, Dax McMellon, Grayson Farringer, Sean Maechler, Waylon Head, Hunter McClara, Tucker Stricklin, and Dylon Morris The Mena FFA Sr. High Trap team will compete tomorrow in the West Region Trap Shoot in Jacksonville.

Mena Middle School students received their 2022 Yearbook today.

If you are making plans for the summer you may be interested to know that the Arkansas Activities Association has set aside June 26th-July-9th as athletic dead weeks. All AAA member schools will observe an annual mandatory two week athletic dead period running the week prior to July 4th and the week of July 4th. During this time coaches (licensed teacher coaches and registered volunteers) shall be prohibited from engaging in any type of activity involving student athletes whether it be practice, training, weight lifting, competition, or travel. Further, school athletic facilities will be closed to student athletes during this period. Schools that have the only baseball and softball fields in the community may allow the community to use the school fields during the dead period as long as no school teams are playing and no school coaches are coaching the teams.

Ladycat Night #6 Sr High Freethrow Champ: Payton Clark Jr High Freethrow Champ: Makenley Sullivan 3 on 3 Champs: Payton Clark Makenley Sullivan Serenity Ehret 5 on 5 Champs: Payton Clark Chloe Hooper Annabelle Peters Makenley Sullivan Katie Rowe Kilee Rowe Tessa Williams Sponsors: Farm Bureau, Sterner Logging and a Loyal Ladycat Fan

Mena Middle School students competed in the DeQueen Mena Education Service Cooperative STEM Challenge on Friday. They placed in almost every competition.