This is National Teacher Appreciation Week! We're grateful for these incredible people. They truly make Bentonville Schools #whereexcellencelives
This is what can happen when you have a big idea and you stay after it! More than a year ago, the students in Mr. Carter Coriell's class at Evening Star Elementary set out to make the month of May Bike Month in Arkansas. They wrote Arkansas State Senator Bart Hester and Arkansas State Representative Delia Haak who took up the resolution in the legislature and just this week Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed off on the proclamation. Nothing worth having comes easily! Way to go, Evening Star! #whereexcellencelives
Our students gain real world experience while still in school, preparing them for life after graduation. Recently, Teresa was honored for her extraordinary career by Superintendent Dr. Debbie Jones with the Pinnacle Educators Award. Congratulations, Teresa! We wish you happiness, joy and no alarm clocks as you enter retirement this summer! #whereexcellencelives
Fourth quarter, baby. Fourth quarter. #whereexcellencelives
Not a bad day’s work! Washington Jr. High Band, Choir and Orchestra traveled to St. Louis this weekend to compete against schools from across the south and walked away with a clean sweep! Each group placed first in its respective division, and the Orchestra & Band programs both finished best overall! #whereexcellencelives
The Bentonville Schools Foundation knows how to end the week! Thank you to every runner, walker and rider who rolled out in the rain tonight to support Bentonville Schools. #whereexcellencelives
It’s with profound sadness we share the passing of Elm Tree Elementary Principal Amy Simpson. Amy passed unexpectedly from natural causes over the weekend.
Amy was so much fun and loved to laugh. She adored her friends and her precious students. More than anything, Amy loved her beautiful family. She is survived by her husband of nearly 30 years, Stan, and their three children, Madison, Makenzie, Mason, and her beloved family dog, Wrigley.
We hope you’ll join us in lifting up the Simpson family in your thoughts and prayers.
The Bentonville West High School Chamber Choir is the best of the best in Arkansas. These students under the direction of Kayla Abernathy recently competed in Conway and returned home with an Arkansas State Championship. The group received perfect scores and was named Best Overall 7A Performance! Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen! #whereexcellencelives
Bentonville students are making a difference literally across the globe. Maahi Sethi is a senior at Bentonville West High. She was recently recognized by the government of India for her work to get feminine hygiene products to some of the most impoverished women in Bombay. Maahi began her work as an outreach analyst for Project Eka. From Bentonville, she coordinated volunteers on the ground in Bombay to get this critical access to more than 200 families. Maahi, we love your compassion for others. #whereexcellencelives
Old High Middle School's Leslie Lyons is the 2023 Arkansas State Middle-Level Principal of the Year! Today we celebrated with a completely surprised Leslie, her family, students, teachers and staff. Many thanks to the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators for recognizing Mrs. Lyons with this honor. #whereexcellencelives
Our April Lunch & Learn has something for everyone. You'll hear from a local registered dietitian and fitness professional about how to nourish your child with balanced meals and snacks, as well as tips to help nurture a positive relationship with food and exercise in your child. Grab a lunch and join us April 25. #whereexcellencelives
Bentonville West High School students Nayana Swain and Sangamitra Reshmy are in Houston today reppin' us well! These two young ladies were named finalists in the Conrad Challenge. The international science competition, founded by the wife of the late NASA astronaut Pete Conrad, encourages students to take their STEM knowledge and solve real-world problems. More than 950 teams from across the globe competed for the chance to travel to the Space Center in Houston this week.
Sangamitra is a freshman while Nayana is a junior at West. The two tackled the issues that plague astronauts' health while in space. Their work focused on a space station MRI machine called HUBRIS, the Halbach Universal Brain Resonance Imaging System. Through their research, they remodeled vital parts of the machine and its design to fit the space station’s new environment. This key innovation plays a significant role in space medicine and can completely change the future of space travel. Way to go, ladies! Now travel back to Arkansas safely! #whereexcellencelives
Ride on, Bentonville! We're bringing back one of our most popular weeks! If you can safely ride your bike to school, do it! We'll be watching for you April 24-28!
What a perfect day for four phenomenal teachers in Bentonville! The Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Teacher of the Year luncheon today honoring the best of the best. We're proud of these individuals for their commitment to the students of Bentonville. Our teachers are why we can say with confidence this is #whereexcellencelives
Pictured L to R:
Michelle Cearley Martin from Fulbright Junior High, Garrett King from Creekside Middle, Krystal Farrar from Bentonville West High & Jenna Stacey from Evening Star Elementary
Sometimes when we read the headlines, we can become disheartened. The reality though is people are quietly doing beautiful things every day. Not long ago, the Bright Field Middle School Student Council organized a food drive to benefit Second Street Pantry Missions, Inc. The student body at Bright Field collected more than 9,000 items. The food and toiletries they gathered will go to men, women and children who need a hand-up to get through a tough week, month or year. Thank you, Bright Field, for making this #whereexcellencelives
Recently, five students representing Bentonville Schools auditioned with thousands of vocalists from across the nation for the opportunity to perform at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Cincinnati. After auditioning, our students were selected to perform in the association's honor choir.
This is one of the highest recognitions a singer in jr high or high school can achieve, putting our students among the best singers in the U.S.
Music to our ears!
Pictured L to R: JT Loveless (BHS), Isaac Sides (BHS), Kadyn Claborn (BHS) & Grant Stimis (Fulbright Jr. High)
Not Pictured: Lyndia Bingham (Washington Jr. High)
#whereexcellencelives
Register today for Camp Explore! This is going to be big in Bentonville!
https://www.bentonvillek12.org/page/camp-explore
#whereexcellencelives
We look forward to this post every year. Once again, Bentonville Schools can boast more National Merit Finalists than any district in Arkansas. These 20 students are the best of the best. Of the 1.5 million students who submitted a PSAT score, there are only 7,500 National Merit Scholarship winners. This means you have a 0.5% chance of becoming a National Merit Scholar. Congratulations to these phenomenal students, their parents and their teachers.
Pictured Front Row, Left to Right:
Akshaj Tadiparthi, Sindhuja Kudapa, Jack White, Kaitlin Deans, Lauren Jackson, Kate Pearce, Farah Khalil Ahamed, Brett Miller & Muskan Taori
Back Row, Left to Right:
Aniket Gupta, Dinesh Vasireddy, Aryan Mahajan, Wyatt Rice, Rohith Ratheesh, Alton Holscher, Douglas Bingham, Elisabeth Macy & Lola Sommer
Not Pictured: Anish Leekkala & Morgan Schaefer
#whereexcellencelives
Every organization needs a Jeri Schulz. We find ourselves on the other side of her desk in the best and worst of times. Maybe one has just been hired or is getting married or caring for a sick child. Jeri is the go-to for everything pertaining to benefits in Bentonville Schools. She celebrates and laments with each employee, but, more than that, she is a fiercely loyal colleague. Jeri is known for her relentless pursuit to care for any Bentonville Schools employee. She was nominated for this award by a Ruth Barker Middle teacher who inadvertently made an error in some of her insurance benefits documents. Not only did Jeri catch the mistake, but she also called the insurance provider to advocate on behalf of the employee. She’s done the same for teammates injured while working. Actually, the list of people who have benefitted from Jeri taking up their cause is a lengthy one. She could hide out behind her desk amongst the intense load of paperwork, but she says it’s those human connections that keep her going. The stories about the first baby on the way, the need for braces for the oldest child or glasses for the colleague approaching 40. The reality is all of that paperwork is tied back to a human, a teammate in the district. We applaud Jeri for her commitment to the people who make up Bentonville Schools. #whereexcellencelives
We started off this week with a few hundred friends in celebration of Superintendent Dr. Debbie Jones. She's the recipient of the 2023 Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce R.E. "Ed" Buck award. The recognition is shared with an individual who personifies servant-leadership. Dr. Jones was presented with the honor at today's State of the Chamber event. Congratulations, Dr. Jones! #whereexcellencelives
