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
Jessica Imel is a familiar face in Bentonville Schools, having been with us for 11 years, but she's wearing a new hat these days! Jessica is the new Ignitecaps Director! She most recently served as the Global Business Instructor with the Ignite Professional Studies program.
More importantly, Jessica is a wife to her husband, Paul, and mom to their 11-year-old son, Malcolm. In college, at the University of Arkansas, Jessica played snare drum in the Razorback Marching Band. She says it was in that family she first learned how to contribute to a high-performing team. She carries that mindset over to her students, helping them gain real, relevant learning experiences before graduating from high school. #whereexcellencelives
Camp Explore is the sweetest summer adventure with forest exploration, fashion merchandising and space study! So many opportunities for your child to learn under the careful watch of our certified teachers. Register now at https://www.bentonvillek12.org/page/camp-explore
#whereexcellencelives
Graduation is a special thing in Bentonville. Seniors walk across the football field on their home campus to receive their high school diplomas. It’s a beautiful day for the families of Bentonville Schools, but it would never happen without a dream team of administrators from both campuses. That group is led by three individuals. Dr. Jennifer Morrow, Dr. Jonathon Guthrie and Mr. Jack Loyd worked what felt like never ending days in the month of May to ensure seniors and their families enjoy commencement exercises.
This trio was recently recognized by Superintendent Dr. Debbie Jones for going the Extra Mile. Despite days of dicey weather forecasts, hours of setup and down to the last-minute planning, this group never gives up when it comes to creating one final high school memory.
Dr. Morrow is the Executive Director of Secondary Education, Dr. Guthrie is the Principal at Bentonville West High and Mr. Loyd is the Principal at Bentonville High.
Join us in congratulating Kendra Schacht who was recently promoted to principal at Vaughn Elementary School. Kendra is currently in her eighth year with Bentonville Schools and previously served as the assistant principal at Vaughn.
This woman has the biggest heart for children and animals alike. Kendra and her husband, Ryan, are parents to two sons, Jonathon and Eric, who are both in high school. Four rescue dogs also make their home with the Schacht family, and she keeps a small plastic shovel in her car to rescue turtles trying to cross the road! (We couldn't make this up if we tried!) She says all kids and animals deserve a safe passageway in this life, even the snapping turtles! #whereexcellencelives
Takin' over the 202! Four of our best from Washington Junior High School competed in the National History Day Competition in Washington, D.C. this week.
Maliya Gurel's presentation on the life of aviation pioneer Louise Thaden was selected as one of the 10 best in the nation and the top winner from the state of Arkansas.
Riley Woody, Emma Morrow and Cecilia Chenault, also students from Washington Jr. High, presented on the World War II Code Girls who secretly worked to crack enemy code.
We're proud of these young ladies for reppin' us well and their sponsor Erin Valentine! #whereexcellencelives
Camp Explore is on for summer! It's not too late to register your kiddos for one of our camps taught by licensed teachers! For more information, go to https://www.bentonvillek12.org/page/camp-explore
One of the best things about summer is seeing the Bentonville Schools' Book Bus out and about! Tonight's route starts near Vaughn Elementary School and will be available for Park & Play at the Vaughn playground at about 7:00 p.m. A culture of reading is no accident, and it starts at home! If you live close to Vaughn, roll out for a good book and a fun time! #whereexcellencelives
