Page 7 - 2016BackToSchool

El Dorado NEWS-TIMES – Wednesday, August 10, 2016 – 7
Janice McIntyre/News-Times
Elementary: First-time elementary teachers in the El Dorado School District include, from left, Jennifer Duncan, third grade, Yocum; Anne Oldham, fourth grade, Yocum; JaNell Aplin, second grade, Yocum; Hannah Ponder, first grade, Yocum; Emily Gammon, kindergarten, Yocum; Kaitlyn Clark, kindergarten, Yocum; Amy Claire Rabinowitz, second grade, Yocum; Stephanie Spain, second grade, Retta Brown; Ashley Johnson, third grade, Yocum; Sheryle Sandy, third grade, Northwest; Bailey Camacho, second grade, Northwest; Aime Allgood, first grade, Northwest; Holly Morgan, third grade, Northwest and Xavier Broughton, kindergarten through fourth grade, Yocum, music.
Signs a tutor might be necessary
School is not always easy, and some students strug- gle as they transition from grade to grade. As students get older, some who may have experienced smooth sailing as youngsters may find they need some extra help grasping the materi- al as coursework becomes more complicated.
Those who need some extra clarification and rein- forcement may first turn to their parents. But parents may not be familiar with certain subjects or capa- ble of explaining certain concepts in terms kids can understand. In such situa- tions, tutors can prove to be valuable resources to get kids back on the right aca- demic track.
One-on-one attention from a tutor can benefit all types of learners. Students who discover newfound success under the guidance of a tutor may have more
self-confidence in the class- room. Parents wondering if a tutor can help their children may want to con- sider the following indica- tors that students may need tutors.
• Consistently falling grades: Tutors may be nec- essary for students whose grades are gradually on the decline. First speak with your child's teachers, who may recommend tutors that specialize in certain sub- jects.
• Confusion in and out of the classroom: Some kids struggle to grasp certain concepts, and such con- fusion can sometimes be remedied with the kind of intense study available in tutoring sessions.
• Low confidence: Some kids' confidence wanes when their grades suffer. Kids whose grades have been on the decline may feel a sense of defeat even
before they take a test or work on an assignment. Tutors can help restore confidence by creating small victories that slowly build up to larger successes.
• Indifference to course- work: No student will be captivated by every subject he or she studies, but there should be some subjects that students find engaging. Students battling indiffer- ence toward their course- work may benefit from a dynamic tutor who can present subject matter in new ways and revive stu- dents' interest.
Students who are strug- gling in the classroom may need some extra help out- side the classroom, and many tutors are adept at reviving interest in subjects kids are studying at school. Some teachers may recom- mend certain tutors, while others may do some tutor- ing work themselves.
Janice McIntyre/News-Times
BJHS: New teachers at Barton Junior High School for the 2016-17 school year in- clude, from left, Julian Jones, Sara Bullard, Callie Caldwell, Buffey Knight, Elizabeth Kieffer, Sarah Steele and Tim Mullenax.
Phone numbers, officials for area schools
There are five public schools and one private school in Union County to educate students grades kindergarten through 12.
The following is a list of telephone numbers for school districts, names of superintendents and addresses.
El Dorado
Jim Tucker is the superintendent and the Central Office is located at 200 W. Oak. The number for the Central Office is 864-5006. El Dorado High School is located at 2000 Wildcat Drive and the phone number is 864- 5100; Barton Junior High is at 400 W. Faulkner and the number is 864-5051; Washington Middle School is located at 601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and the phone number is 864-5032; Hugh Goodwin Elementary is located at 201 E. Fifth St. and the number is 864-5071; Northwest Elementary is located at 1600 N. College and the phone number is 864-5078; Retta Brown Elementary is located at 505 Dixie Drive and the phone number is 864-5081; Yocum
Elementary is located at 308 S. College Ave., and the phone number is 864- 5096; Yocum Primary is located at 1103 W. Cedar and the phone number is 864-5074.
Junction City
Robby Lowe is the superintendent and the phone number is 870-924-
4574.
Michael White is the superintendent and the phone number is 870-862- 4641.
Smackover-Norphlet
Dave Wilcox is the superintendent and the phone number is 870-725- 3132.
Strong-Huttig
Jeff Alphin is the superintendent and the phone number is 870-797-3040.
West Side Christian School
Jennifer Wylie is the administrator and the phone number is 870-863-5636.
Parkers Chapel
How to help, support a school
Good schools help to harbor a strong sense of community. Children often make their first friends at school, and par- ents often meet their neighbors through school-sponsored activities.
Students and school districts face a new set of challenges each year. Many of them can be remedied or made less daunting with the help of volunteers. Here are some of the many ways men and women can support the schools in their communities.
• Practice open communication. Parents of children in the school should become familiar with teachers and the staff in the school. Find a balance between being involved and being intrusive. Joining the PTA is one way to be active in the goings- on of the school. When the opportunity arises, exercise your right vote on pro- posed policy changes and programs. Show an interest in your children's assignments and ask to meet with teachers if the need arises. Doing so illustrates to the teacher that there is a connection at home and they're not alone in the journey.
Fundraisers may provide money for the entire school or be collected for particular efforts, such as new technology or athletic uniforms. While you don't have to get behind every fundraiser, participating in just a few can help the school raise needed funds.
• Keep a clean campus. Students and par- ents can work together to keep the school and surrounding areas clean. Organize trash pickup days when participants gath- er and dispose of litter. Parents also can pitch in to make school grounds more aesthetically appealing. Donate and plant flowers or trees, and encourage groups that meet at the school, such as Boy and Girl Scout troops, to donate their time and effort as well.
• Donate books to the library. Members of the community can ensure students have plenty of reading materials available to them by donating used books in good condition to the school library. If you can afford it, purchase new books on sum- mer reading lists and donate them to the school library. Schools also may appreci- ate donated subscriptions to magazines, newspapers and other periodicals.
to fill out the free or reduced lunch form. School officials will notify households of their eligibility and the households must notify the school when they no longer receive food SNAP. Households notified of the eligibility but who do not want their children to receive free meals must contact the school. For more information, call the El Dorado School Administration Office at 870-864-5001. Union County Schools other than El Dorado, use application forms which are distributed by the school with a letter informing the households of the availability of free and reduced price meals for their children. Applications are also available at the principal’s office in
• Participate in school fundraisers. Schools may not have enough money to cover all of their needs, and fundraisers are vital to the success of many schools.
Meals
each school. To apply for free or reduced price meals, households must fill out the application and return it to the school. Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year.
The information provided on the appli- cation will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility and verification data. Applications may be verified at any time during the school year by school officials. For school officials to determine eligibility for free and reduced price ben- efits, households receiving food stamps should only list their child’s name and food stamp case number and an adult household member must sign the appli-
cation. Households who do not list a food stamp case number must list the names of all household members, the amount and the source of the income received by each household member and the Social Security number of the adult household member who signs the application. A household may submit an application any- time during the school year.
Each school’s superintendents’ office number follows: El Dorado: 870-864- 5000, Junction City: 870-924-4590, Parkers Chapel: 870-862-4641, Smackover- Norphlet: 870-725-3132, Strong-Huttig: 870- 797-7322, F.A.C.T., Inc. nutrition coordina- tor: 870-862-4545.
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established at the beginning of the school year is good for the entire year and no action will be taken on the second appli- cation.
Most El Dorado students will receive a letter of direct certification from the school district prior to the beginning of the school year. Children who are enrolled in Head Start/Even Start programs are categorically eligible for free meals. In El Dorado, call 870-864-5134 with questions regarding Head Start/Even Start meal ben- efits. If they do not receive the certifica- tion and are eligible, the family will need
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