Sunday is National Grandparents' Day, but we could celebrate these special folks every day of the year. We see grandparents in our schools for lunch, waiting with their grandbabies at the bus stop and at every play, concert and game. No doubt it takes a village to raise a child, and no village is complete without the nanas, papas, gigis and pops of this world! #whereexcellencelives
The BWHS Wolverines are Home Sweet Home! After back-to-back road games, West will welcome LR Central to their house tonight. If you can't make the game, catch it at https://www.gobentonvillewestwolverines.com/broadcasts Bentonville High enjoys a bye tonight but is home next week. #whereexcellencelives
If you got pancakes, you got a party! Second graders at Centerton Gamble Elementary School are celebrating the end of a study called Fairy Tales & Tall Tales with a visit from Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan! They made their own beards and enjoyed flapjacks (Paul’s favorite food)! #whereexcellencelives
There's been a lot of talk about students getting involved in community service recently, but the reality is Bentonville students have always been the first to say I'm in! The Bentonville High School volleyball team commits to an act of service every month. For August, they collected food for the Second Street Pantry Missions, Inc. They realized their gift would go back to other students going through a tough time, so they made sure to shop for foods they themselves love to eat. Service to others isn't a handout but a hand-up with the hope of better days ahead. #whereexcellencelives
Welcome to the jungle! Bentonville West High School is on the road tonight in Cabot, but Bentonville Tiger Football is home against Conway! Can't make it to the game? Watch both matchups live at https://www.bentonvillesportsnetwork.com/broadcasts #whereexcellencelives
One of the highest honors a principal can attain in our state is the title of Arkansas Master Principal. We're celebrating two this year. Barker Bruins Principal Eric Hipp committed to the intensive vetting process, and we couldn't be happier for him! He shares this celebration with the family of former Elm Tree Elementary Amy Simpson. Amy was a final candidate for this award when she unexpectedly passed away in April. The Arkansas Leadership Academy has awarded this distinct honor posthumously. Eric told us, "Amy and I started the same year as principals. We were very different administrators, but, at our core, we had two characteristics essential to being effective principals. We both had a great sense of humor and were fueled by the love for and the joy received when helping children." #whereexcellencelives
Forbes says we're the second-best employer in the state of Arkansas behind the good people at Arkansas Children's Hospital. No surprise here! We're blessed to employ some of the finest people in the nation! Are you looking for a career in education? Check us out at https://www.bentonvillek12.org/page/human-resources. This is where life works! This is #whereexcellencelives
We like warm hugs! Thomas Jefferson Elementary Principal Emily Carlson has shared icy popsicles with our bus drivers all this week when they arrive to pick up TJ students! It's been a scorcher for sure, but we're working to keep all our kiddos happy and hydrated! C'mon, cold front! #whereexcellencelives
Triple threat right here! Danielle Gooder, Elana Goodwin and Shannon Clark serve as administrative assistants for grades k-12 and are our August Extra Mile Award recipients.
While many educators enjoy a well-deserved break in the summer, Shannon, Danielle and Elana are just getting started. Their team is critical to organizing professional development opportunities, commencement ceremonies, teacher of the year events and managing curriculum inventory.
The hours are often long, but Shannon, Danielle and Elana do it with a strong work ethic and positive attitude. Shannon shared “If you can help someone, do so. Your kindness could be the joy that makes their day.”
Congratulations, ladies!
If you'd like to nominate a Bentonville Schools employee for going the Extra Mile, do so at http://bit.ly/44g4ZAF
#whereexcellencelives
Students + Social Media = A Complex Situation
Check out these numbers from the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement and talk with your child about his or her social media use. #whereexcellencelives
Our students are back to school on Wednesday! That means traffic is going to be an issue almost anywhere you travel. Remember to plan ahead. Leave early, put down your cell phone and watch for school buses and pedestrians! Arkansas law prohibits the passing of a stopped school bus, even on four-lane highways. Take it slow and make sure all our kids get to school and home safely! #whereexcellencelives
Have you registered for bus service? Use the QR code below to do so. Download the BusQuest app to register for service and receive your bus stop information. This app is the best place for accurate bus stop information. You may experience delays if you call the transportation division in the first few weeks of school. Our team will return calls as quickly as possible.
It may be 100 degrees today, but that wasn’t enough to stop our high school teams from celebrating some Bentonville students bringing the real heat! If you see one of these I scored 5 signs over the weekend, you can bet there’s a hard-working student in that home! A perfect 5 on an Advanced Placement exam is no joke, and we love seeing these celebrations all over town! Congratulations, students! #whereexcellencelives
Third-best athletics program in the NATION. Congratulations, Bentonville Tigers! Keep it going! #whereexcellencelives
Source: bit.ly/3KbqOdF
Do you have a little one who will enter kindergarten this fall? Enroll your child now before our classrooms are full! Go to https://bentonvillek12central.etrieve.cloud/?isAnonymous=true&fbclid=IwAR2P_QJ0fNBtqrFCexBsGdAaz0DgRIQf6H-qNDTlOkKSxujUYeZZiB-4QeY#form/11 for more information!
We can't wait to welcome your family! #whereexcellencelives
Teachers, in general, are caring people. That desire to help children is a big part of what pulls them to the profession. Sometimes though, teachers encounter students who they know are experiencing life in a very different way, and they do everything necessary to see them succeed. That’s the story with our July Extra Mile recipients.
Natalie Marts and Ashley Semingson offer a combined 52 years of service to Bentonville Schools. Natalie is a kindergarten teacher at R.E. Baker Elementary while Ashley serves our youngest students at Tennie Russell Pre-K. They were nominated for the Extra Mile Award by Baker Principal Nick Lyons for their commitment to two sweet sisters in the district.
These young siblings are being raised by their great-grandparents. (Great grandparents who have the energy of parents half their age, by the way!) When Ashley first met their parents, she knew immediately she could help! She makes sure the girls have rides to after-school events and takes extra time to help them plug into leadership roles in their schools. Natalie immediately started to do the same when the girls graduated from Tennie Russell to Baker.
In his nomination, Principal Lyons shared Ashley and Natalie are in it for the long haul with these two sisters. When parents and teachers collaborate on a path paved with mutual respect, kids win. It’s been an honor to watch Ashley and Natalie start this process with this particular family.
School supply lists are available at https://www.bentonvillek12.org/documents/parents/school-supply-lists/339785
Our high school students should come to the first day of school with a notebook and pencil or pen. Teachers will share what's needed for individual classes.
Happy shopping, students! #whereexcellencelives
Join us in congratulating Stephanie Buerkle! Stephanie has been named principal at Elm Tree Elementary where she previously served as assistant principal and was mentored by Principal Amy Simpson. Amy passed away in April, but she was so proud of Stephanie and the great work they accomplished together. We know Amy would be proud of Stephanie as she takes on this new challenge!
Stephanie has served Bentonville Schools for a decade in different educator roles and says despite growing up in central Arkansas, Bentonville is now home.
In high school, Stephanie lived with her mom in NYC and performed tap and jazz on Broadway with an elite dance company! These days, dance parties look a little different with her husband, Adam, and their six-year-old son, Paul, and two-year-old daughter, Sarah, but they've prepped her well for Rise and Shine at Elm Tree! Congratulations, Stephanie! #whereexcellencelives
Save the number to your cell. All calls are confidential. #whereexcellencelives
He's back and better than ever! Dr. Jeff Wasem has returned to Bentonville Schools to lead our parent choice school coming in the fall of 2024! This unique educational opportunity will be housed at Mary Mae Jones Elementary. If you've not met Dr. Wasem, put it on your to-do list now! Jeff previously served as principal at Old High Middle and Creekside Middle before serving as a high school principal in Rogers.
Jeff is known for a lot of love...a deep love for Nikes and his beautiful girls. His wife of 22 years is Brandy and their 18-year-old daughter, Blythe, is a graduate of Bentonville West High.
Jeff says he learned to love others early in life while living in Turkey, Italy and Holland. His father served in the Air Force allowing the family to experience new cultures, faces and relationships! Jeff is a people person through and through, and we're thrilled to welcome him home! #whereexcellencelives
