A BIG thank you to Alisha Moore State Farm in Bella Vista for treating our teachers to lunch AND door prizes. Great community partners is one of the things that makes Cooper Elementary so special! We appreciate you!!
Bronco hit the trail to success early this morning to read in Cooper Elementary School's outdoor classroom. He can't wait to see you! 8 days until school starts!
Bronco says, "School is just 13 days away! If you need any help with school supplies, please call the CES school office at 479-696-3700."
Not sure what supplies you need? Here 's the link to the district's school supply lists. https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3173/Bentonville/4325692/2024-2025_School_Supply_Lists.pdf
Good evening! I hope you and your family are having a great summer! With the new school year quickly approaching, we wanted to share some Cooper Elementary back-to-school information with you. You may access the information with this link https://docs.google.com/document/d/13kVC3eTBDgmNnOrOwZAUR9dd9xgUs4U8IC6ACFxp6XE/edit
Our office is open every day from 7:00-3:30, please call, email or come by if there is anything we can do for you!
"Buses arrived today without students?" "It's okay, Bronco," said Principal Childress. "Students are coming soon!" 20 days until school starts!
Bronco says, "The new slide is ready for you!" 30 days until school starts!
Bronco misses you! The halls are too quiet when you aren't here! 35 days until school starts!
Bronco says, "Happy Fourth of July!" 41 days until school starts!
School starts in 48 days! The Bronco says, "Look at what's happening at Cooper Elementary this week!" Keep following along as the Bronco counts down to a new school year!
Broncos, we'll see you tomorrow when you pick up your items from Cooper. Our drop in times are 7:30-9:30 and 12:30-2:30. Teachers will be in their classrooms during these times to help our families. Today, however, we would like to recognize our Classified Staff Member of the Year, Tia Glover. First of all, our entire classified team is amazing, and each member is well deserving of this recognition. It speaks volumes about Tia to see just how many nominations she received from her Cooper peers (half of all nominations were for Tia). In short, Tia is absolutely incredible. Tia is a member of our WIN Team. WIN stands for “What I Need.” Each grade level has a daily WIN block that provides intervention and/or extension to students. This is Tia’s first year on the WIN team and her second year as a Cooper Bronco. In her first year, she was selected by her peers to serve on our School of Innovation Committee. She was a great addition to that team and helped us dig into our school’s current state and plan for the future. She has a do-whatever-it-takes-to-help-kids mindset. We are so fortunate to work with her each and every day!
Today was an awesome day at Cooper. We celebrated our Cooper Elementary 4th Grade Class of 2024! Students and their families joined us for a celebration this morning where we recognized each Cooper graduate. Students were also recognized for their work in Encore classes, Student Council, Round Up Crew, Math & Literacy Achievement, Math & Literacy Growth, and Citizenship. At the end of the event, hundreds of parents and over 500 fellow Broncos lined the halls for the 4th grade graduate walk. It was a great way to celebrate these kids.
We are thankful for this group of students. They have represented our school well and have consistently set a high example for our younger students. We will also miss their families. They, too, have been a part of our school and partnered with us to help their students find success and feel successful. Even though these students will walk the halls of Old High Middle School next year, they will always be Broncos. Parents: You, too, will always be Broncos.
I also want to give a shout out to the 4th grade teachers. They have done an awesome job this year (and every year). Mrs. Dwyer, Mrs. Fraser, Mrs. Horath, Mrs. Spruiell, and Mrs. Tweedy are great teachers and people. I’m thankful to work with them each and every day, and I know your students are, too.
Mrs. Spruiell also has some pretty nice video skills. Click the link below to view the 2024 4th Grade Video she created for today’s event. Have a great weekend, Broncos!
--Josh
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGGLQ76W8s/sD0E6xymUTspJ14fJ4-a9g/edit?utm_content=DAGGLQ76W8s&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
Earlier this semester, an awesome 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Treme, partnered with Benton County Master Gardeners and Mercy to apply for an Arkansas Farm Bureau Outdoor Classroom Garden grant. The Arkansas Farm Bureau awarded a grant! For several years, Cooper has helped Mercy maintain their community garden. This partnership was, like many things, disrupted by the pandemic. However, last year we started the process to bring it back, and now Mrs. Treme has created a path for us to grow and sustain this partnership. The Mercy garden grows a variety of plants, including vegetables and pollinators. This grant will help provide hands-on community-centered learning for current and future Broncos.
Earlier this week after Fun and Field Day, Mrs. Treme’s students joined Master Gardeners at the Mercy Community Garden. Each student was able to plant several plants. It was a great afternoon, and all of the students will be able to return to the garden to see their work bloom and thrive. We want to thank Mrs. Treme, Mercy, and the Benton County Master Gardeners for extending student learning well beyond the classroom!
This week’s Bronco Breakdown featured a short get-to-know-you piece about our new principal, Mrs. Childress. Mrs. Childress is currently the superintendent of the Gravette School District. She will officially begin her work at Cooper in July, but we are already getting started to ensure a smooth transition for students and staff. Mrs. Childress brings decades of experience to Cooper and is going to be a great fit. Check out the feature below to Meet Mrs. Childress!
https://youtu.be/tu6evHknas8
Today was a special day as we welcomed back former Cooper kids, our graduating seniors from the Bentonville Schools Class of 2024! Seniors and their families returned to our hallways and caught up with friends and former teachers. This event is special for staff, students, former students, former Bronco parents, and former Bronco teachers. It is essentially a school reunion, and the best part about it--aside from the Senior Walk itself--is just seeing people reconnect. We look forward to seeing our current Broncos return in their cap and gowns to walk the halls and reconnect with us when they graduate in the 2030s. Congratulations to the Bentonville Schools and Cooper class of 2024!
When we send out the information for the Senior Walk, we include a space for these kids to share their memories about Cooper. Below are those memories. Have a great weekend, Broncos!
I loved all of my teachers, specifically in the 3rd and 4th grade having Mr.Brew and Ms.Tweedy made me fall in love with teaching, and I’m now going to be a teacher to hopefully influence kids the way I was influenced by them!
All of my 3rd and 4th grade years were so memorable! I loved making friends that I still have today!
Everything I love(d) about Cooper is due to the teachers and the staff, including Mrs. Maise, Mrs. Trosper, Mr. Stinespring, Mr. Brew, Mr. Leslie, and the many other teachers, custodians, coaches, assistants, and administrators. Thank you all for making the first and most important years of school great for so many children.
My favorite memories come from all the fun and games we had in PE.
I will never forget the excitement of Round Up’s on Fridays.
I loved recess and lunch and being able to ride bikes and enjoy the Bella Vista scenery and being able to go through the trails.
Mr. L's Music class!
It was second or third grade. My grandma came with me to field day. Looking back I'm so glad I got to spend the day with her.
Mr. Steinsprings class.
All of the field trips were awesome and probably the best years throughout my K-12.
Being Mrs Welch’s helper when the firemen came and they let me put their mask on or when Mr Brew let us touch the cow heart he brought in. I have a lot of fun memories of my time at Cooper Elementary. I also loved Adventure Club!
I loved to swing on the swings and fun and field day.
Round Up was the best thing at Cooper Elementary. Nothing brought the school together more than having fun every Friday morning! I always looked forward to Round Up and never wanted to miss it!
Round Up!!
I really enjoyed the games we played in P.E. and dressing up for Halloween.
I don’t know if this is the best thing to share, but, in retrospect, it’s my favorite memory from Cooper. When I was in second grade, my teacher would hand out tickets for being good- like getting a good grade, being kind to others, etc.- and you could turn them in for a reward like a piece of candy or sitting in a certain chair. Well I had collected so many by the end of the year and I decided I was never gonna use them, so I started giving them away. I had and gave away so many that I caused my teacher to have to raise the number of tickets required for each prize. So that’s how I inflated the ticket economy of my 2nd grade class.
My favorite memories from Cooper include the round-ups, my kindergarten and 1st grade teacher Mrs. Southworth, and PE time. All of my teachers were the best.
The fun and engaging activities during class, along with the after assembly dances.
Going on field trips with friends.
My mom throwing the coolest parties for our holiday get togethers in class!
Mr. Stinespring's class, the creatures we brought into class, and the trail walks.
Ice cream parties for math club!
MR BREW THE GOAT!
Fun and Field day (all of them lol).
My favorite part about Cooper was the amazing field days that I always looked forward to.
I loved going on the trails in Mr Stinesprings class, the extravagant field days, and having Mr L. in music class!
Being in Mr. Stinespring's class and playing kickball!
I only went there in kindergarten, but I loved Ms. Mayes
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. We have an incredible staff at Cooper. Our staff is truly like a family. We hope our teachers and staff feel appreciated all day every day, but we know they feel appreciated this week thanks to our awesome PTO. We want to thank our PTO for their support throughout the year. This week, however, they have gone above and beyond. We all feel very appreciated and very full thanks to the treats, the quiche, the tacos, the coffee, and the love. Wendy Hughes and her team are awesome. We appreciate you, too, PTO!
Today was a great day. Somehow, our staff and PTO managed to keep today's "Vestival" a secret from me (which is crazy). I walked into my office, and every square inch of the floor was covered in balloons. Confetti was everywhere (sorry, King Richard). There were mountains of cards and gifts from students, staff, and parents. It was an awesome way to start the day, but it got even better. I went outside, and kids were rolling up in vests and outfits dressed like me. The school walls were covered in posters and signs with messages from our kids. There was even a card my yard sign in front of the school that read "Happy Vestival" and had everything I love: This school, music, coffee!
The day was filled with hugs and fist bumps. Video messages from kids played during all lunches, and moments ago, I viewed a video from the staff. I'm viewing it again after this post. I still have several weeks here, but I couldn't ask for a better send off. You all are awesome, and I am going to miss this place, our kids, our staff, and our parents so much.
Cooper is a special place, and it has been an incredible experience to be a part of this school and to work with you. There are those impactful moments in life that stick with us. Today was full of those moments. "Vestival" is going to stick with me for a long time. Thank you, Broncos! I'm going to feel your impact for years and years to come. --Josh
Friday night’s Gold Rush was canceled due to weather conditions. So, Coach Lewis has organized a Cooper Gold Rush. This make up Gold Rush will start at 6:00 pm tomorrow evening and will feature a fun run and a 5k. The fun run and 5K will begin at 6:00 in front of Cooper, and both will end at the soccer fields across the street. Please park at the soccer fields across the street since the race will end there. Even if you didn't sign up for the Gold Rush, you are still welcome to run with us.
We want to thank Coach Lewis for putting this together for our families. The weather looks like it’s going to be perfect. We hope to see you there!
I would like to recognize our April staff member of the month, Kelly Parks. This is Mrs. Parks first year as a Cooper teacher. However, she has been a part of our school for several years as a parent. Kelly is a fantastic teacher who brings a wide variety of experiences to our team. She is creative, kind, and a bringer of new ideas and strategies. Prior to becoming a Bronco, Kelly taught in a variety of settings and served several grade levels. At Cooper, she is an all star member of our all star 3rd grade team.
Kelly also gets results in her classroom. She was a leader in district-wide science growth, and I anticipate growth in other spring assessments, too. On top of that, she creates an incredible classroom culture for her students. Her classroom is kind and supportive, and that is a big part of her students' academic gains. It all starts with relationships, and Kelly creates strong connections with her students, and more importantly, they create strong connections with each other.
We are thankful Kelly Parks joined our team this year. Great things are ahead for her! Congrats, Kelly! --Josh
This semester, 4th grade students are experiencing Cooper Academies. Cooper Academies allow students to explore and discover Bentonville Schools career pathways. Students have learned alongside their high school peers in some memorable learning experiences: filming candy bar commercials, piloting airplanes in flight simulators, printing 3D action figures, polishing off their veterinary skills, touring the BHS Arend Arts Center while Into the Woods is in production, learning how to use medical equipment, maintaining and riding bikes, preparing hummus and more. The best part about it: There are still more experiences to come!
https://youtu.be/PRXsFO17KZU
STREAM Night was awesome. Thank you to all of our community partners for helping us create a fun, interactive, and straight up awesome night for our families!
https://youtu.be/SGZdLFWCvkM?si=T_gBcxltrq1qZ5za