Our own Dr. Debbie Jones is the Arkansas Superintendent of the Year! She was surprised with the honor this evening at our Board of Education meeting by Dr. Mike Hernandez, Executive Director of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. Dr. Jones was chosen for her work to make schools safer for students across the state and her efforts to secure affordable housing for Bentonville teachers. Bentonville Schools is #whereexcellencelives and it starts at the top!
Jasmine Huerta, Bentonville High School Class of 2024, is one of six Sturgis Fellows nationwide enrolled at the University of Arkansas! Her academic achievements at BHS have afforded her more than $100,000 in scholarships! Jasmine credits the forensic and debate community in Bentonville Schools for her success and says teacher Amy Davis helped her every step of the way. She's studying history and public health and hopes to work as a university professor later in life. Her proud parents are Joey and Jenny Huerta. Way to go, Jasmine! #whereexcellencelives
May we never forget.
Nature can teach us beautiful lessons when we find the time to take it all in! Mrs. Shannon Johnson, a kindergarten teacher at Vaughn Elementary, is sharing a unit on the five senses. She invited her littles on an outdoor hike where they smelled sweet roses, saw a bird’s nest in a tree, felt soft grass and prickly evergreens and listened to singing birds. They thought of tasting some wild berries but decided against it, leaving them for the birds and squirrels. ☺️ #whereexcellencelives
Make plans now to join us on September 23 for this impactful conversation! #whereexcellencelives
Dustin High, a teacher at Ardis Ann Middle School, started a beautiful garden this spring and kept it going through the summer with the help of his students. The fruits and vegetables of their labor are now here, with tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs harvested daily. Mr. High taught students how to collect rainwater for irrigation, attract bees for pollination, and, most importantly, how to give. They donate the vegetables to Centerton Cares, an organization helping local families. Way to grow, Ardis Ann! #whereexcellencelives
Save the date! Dr. Joe Thompson, President & CEO of Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, is our keynote on September 23 for an essential conversation regarding our kids and technology. #whereexcellencelives
An awesome nice to meet ya for our new class of Ignitecaps students! Ignite Professional Studies juniors and seniors recently gathered for an onboarding experience at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Almost 600 students are enrolled in Ignite this fall, gaining relevant real-world experience in their chosen career pathway. Fields of study include global business, technology, medicine, culinary, video production, construction, graphic design, public policy, education, aviation and engineering. #whereexcellencelives
Apple Glen Elementary teacher Grace Brownell is our August Extra Mile Award recipient. An Apple Glen mom nominated her for the outstanding work she did just before summer break to bring the hard knock life to the Apple Glen stage! Grace cast, produced and directed the most fun production of Annie! The work meant long hours for Grace, but the performance was exceptional! Thank you, Grace, for going the Extra Mile and sharing your passion for the arts with your elementary students! #whereexcellencelives
Save the number. Use it when you need it. #whereexcellencelives
In our first day feels. #whereexcellencelives
Could your family use a hand-up this school year? We're here to help! Apply today for free or reduced lunch prices at https://bentonville.familyportal.cloud/
What a privilege to welcome Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva to Ardis Ann Middle School today to discuss a cell phone-free classroom. Thanks to state funding to support this pilot program, our middle school and junior high students will now leave their phones in a locked storage pouch during the school day. We look forward to watching students put down their phones and pick up new connections with classmates and teachers! #whereexcellencelives
Bentonville High School boasts the third-best athletics program in the nation! This is the second consecutive year BHS has claimed a spot in the top three. Tiger student-athletes won 10 Arkansas State Champions in the last year. #whereexcellencelives
Source: MaxPreps
Some 1,200 educators applied for a teaching position in Bentonville Schools this spring. Knowing the best consider this district a destination is a true blessing. This week at New Teacher Orientation, we welcomed 150 fresh faces who are ready to get to work! Without question, our teachers, educator staff and students make Bentonville Schools #whereexcellencelives
They don't call it the skillet for nothing! Both the Bentonville West High School Band and Bentonville Pride are feeling the heat while putting in the hours. These students and their directors are militant in their summer practices to perfect the fall halftime performances we've come to expect with a work ethic second to none! Bring on the water and popsicles! #whereexcellencelives
Welcome, Cooper Elementary School Principal Maribel Childress! Maribel comes to us from Gravette Schools, where she most recently served as superintendent. Her experience in education spans more than 30 years.
Maribel's husband, Dan, is a teacher in Pea Ridge. Together they have four adult children: Mary Christine, Christian, Jon and Aaron, who are all doing exceptional things in this world. Their family loves traveling together, and Maribel has visited all 50 states.
In her spare time, Maribel likes to rock out! Painting sweet messages and pictures on stones is one of her favorite hobbies.
Glad you're here, Maribel! #whereexcellencelives
Our littlest leaders are in the building! We recently organized Kickstart Kindergarten across Bentonville Schools, inviting incoming kindergarten students to participate! These students will serve as ambassadors next month when all kindergarteners report to class, helping them along the way! #whereexcellencelives
'Tis the season! Our staff is putting in the hours this summer to make sure we're good to go in August. We're grateful to our facilities, technology and transportation teams for the work they do to make sure schools are safe, clean, wired and ready! #whereexcellencelives
Once in a lifetime opportunity! Dr. Katherine Ellsworth oversees our student mental health services and is an avid hiker. This previous resident of Alaska has trekked some of the most beautiful terrains in the world, but the last two weeks were bucket list check-offs. She recently summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with a peak of 19,341. Katie and her group also took in a safari while in Africa. Welcome home, Katie! #whereexcellencelives
