Week 35: Finishing The School Year

Happy Friday!

This is the last Friday of the school year and the last Wrap-up, too.

Tomorrow will be graduation day for the class of 2023 and our culminating event to put our product into the marketplaces of the world. Although much of the fanfare takes place at the high school, each one of you who taught these graduates from Pre-K to twelfth grade, had the academic and social influence that it took to get them to this stage of life. Not only the teachers but also the paraprofessionals, food service workers, bus drivers, maintenance, tech support, and especially the secretaries. You all are responsible for this latest graduating class.

Today, the seniors had their Senior Success Assembly at UBC where each one was recognized for their NEXT. This is the next step in their professional lives. All of them were recognized for the choice they have made to continue their education by remaining in academic institutions or continuing it by entering the workforce. There were several representatives from colleges, the military, and industry who were all there to welcome this class to their NEXT.

Before the assembly, I had a conversation with Brad Castor, Director of the Rich Mountain Electric Coop, and he commented on the pride he felt for the school and that type of assembly. So, I want to thank Mr. Maxwell, Mrs. Ashcraft, Mrs. Hobson, and Mrs. Plunkett for organizing today’s ceremony. We should all be proud of the class we have produced but should take a lesson from them and determine our own NEXT. Nothing is ever done, complete, or perfect. We should always look for our next opportunity, strategy, technique, or idea, that makes us better in order to make an even better-prepared graduating class of 2024 and beyond.

Closing

Our final report on our District Goals was given to the board Tuesday night and not much changed since the last report. We have stayed on track to meet expectations for discipline referrals and reading levels; however, attendance averaged 92.5 percent. I informed the board that even though we did not meet our attendance goal, the state average is usually around 85 percent. I also told them that our ACT Aspire reading levels will matter the most when school report cards come out next fall and we will not know how we did until sometime this summer. Nevertheless, we had an outstanding year and you should each be proud of our accomplishments and your contribution to these successes. Let us not be content, however, but strive to get even better in 2023-2024.

In another portion of my report to the board, I was honored to inform them that Mena Middle School Math Teacher, Chelsea Johnson, was recognized by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a High-Impact Teacher. This means that she was responsible for more than a year’s worth of academic growth in math for her students. This is a new designation by the department under the leadership of our new Secretary of Education, Jacob Oliva, and it is determined by ACT Aspire scores.

Our Thought Exchanges are still open. Please take some time to respond to the two Thought Exchanges - one for reflecting on all of our goals and one for reflecting on the goal we did not attain - attendance. This will help us this summer as we plan for next year. These will close on Tuesday, May 23rd, with results shared on Wednesday the 24th.

We will have our end-of-year celebration on Wednesday, May 24th, in the PAC at 11 am with lunch immediately after. Our lunch is being prepared by Christ Community Fellowship and it is sponsored by American Fidelity, RePops, Montgomery Shelter Insurance, Farm Bureau, Edward Jones, and Non-Stop Fitness.

Please use this form to notify us if this is your 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, or 30th year at Mena Public Schools or if you achieved major accomplishments this year such as an advanced degree or credential. We also want to recognize accomplishments in your classrooms related to our district goals.

Congratulations to our retirees! Yesterday was the reception for Malea Ellison and Staci Brooks at Mena Middle School and today there is a reception for Patty Oglesby and Brent Tibbs at Louise Durham Elementary.

This will be the final Wrap-up for this school year but I will use this forum through the summer, if needed, to provide you with information and updates. Please keep an eye on your email.

It was a really good week at Mena Public Schools!!

At Mena Public Schools our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.

Have a great weekend!!