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Saturday, March 23, 2019 EL DORADO NEWS-TIMES — 7C
El Dorado School District celebrates success, looks to the future
By Jim Tucker
Superintendent of El Dorado School District
El Dorado schools are focused on preparing students for their future. By targeting the skills students need to be successful in and out of the classroom, teachers and staff in El Dorado are watching students grow and celebrating every achievement.
Building a strong foundation
El Dorado elementary schools are utilizing the R.I.S.E. (Reading Intervention for Students to Excel) program to enhance foundational literacy skills. Students who need to hone their reading skills receive additional one-on-one or small group sessions with our paraprofessionals. During breakfast at Northwest Elementary and Washington Middle School, reading takes center stage. Northwest teachers read to their students and Washington Middle School plays audiobooks for students to listen to while they eat breakfast.
“We hope that listening to the exciting book series we choose will peak our students’ interest to want to read more books on their own,” said Washington Middle School Principal Jody Vines.
As students reach their grade-level literacy goals, Hugh Goodwin holds a clap-out in the hallway to celebrate their success. Yocum Primary students who master their lists of sports-related sight words are recognized with a visit from some of the Barton and EHS student athletes. Every student who achieves success in the classroom is recognized by our staff with accolades and encouragement.
Preparing for the real world
El Dorado schools provide a wide variety of classes and experiences to ensure our students are ready to take on whatever their future holds.
From building computers to coding drones, Washington Middle School students utilize all aspects of technology to solve real world problems. Electives at WMS include STEM, robotics and cinematography, along with arts programs like band, orchestra and musical production.
funded by Murphy Oil Corporation, every graduate of El Dorado High School has the opportunity to attend college!
Celebrating success
This year, El Dorado students have achieved great success in and out of the classroom. Here are just a few of their achievements:
- Over 215 students participated in the Union County Math Competition.
- Wildcat Basketball advanced to the State Tournament.
- Washington Middle School’s cinematography class, taught by Michael Herren, received the top two awards in the Arkansas Department of Education’s Digital Learning Day video competition.
- BJHS Archery Team won the state championship and will attend the National Archery Competition in Kentucky.
- BJHS Quiz Bowl team won the State Quiz Bowl Tournament.
Supporting Teachers
At El Dorado, we know that student success depends on the quality of our teachers and staff.
“We have a culture here that’s student-centered and teacher supported,” says EHS Biology teacher Angie Parker.
Next school year, the ESD will partner with the New Teacher Center to create a New Teacher Induction Program that will be unlike anything in the state.
We are focused on improving student learning by creating effective teachers. Our goal is to provide new teachers with the support and resources necessary to succeed from their first day to their last. We have hired a program leader who will be responsible for this program.
At Barton Junior High,
two new classes were
added to this year’s
curriculum for seventh and
eighth-graders. A new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) class called “What’s Your Problem” allows seventh-graders to research problems facing today’s society and then create their own innovative solutions. All eighth grade students take a new class called Wildkitten Way, which addresses ways to enhance their social and emotional character to cope with real world issues.
El Dorado High School offers something of interest for every student. EHS offers 165 courses for students to choose from including technology-based courses, vocational and concurrent credit programs with South Arkansas Community College and 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Some of the most recently added classes include tourism and hospitality, cybersecurity, engineering, culinary arts and photography.
“We hope they will find their niche here and learn valuable skills that will lead to their success whether they pursue college or career,” said EHS Principal Alva Reibe.
With the unique El Dorado Promise Scholarship,
Junction City Schools: Changing the academic culture
By Robby Lowe
Superintendent of Junction City School
District
The Junction City School District (JCSD) prides itself on being a community-based school. The district encompasses more than 200 square miles and acts as a unifying force not only for the town of Junction City but also for outlying communities like Three Creeks, Wesson, Faircrest, Caledonia, Scotland, Dodge City and other small communities in south Union County.
The school district is resolved to provide not only a great academic atmosphere for our students but also maintain the very best extracurricular activities. The School Board, the administration and the faculty are committed to making our school district a place where “All Students are Important.”
JCSD certainly doesn’t
claim perfection, but we do make up for our shortfalls with compassion, dedication and fairness — all attributes that are impossible to quantify. Typical Junction City students are from hardworking families who teach their children values like respect, honesty and trustworthiness. Our school believes in the importance of connecting with the entire community to produce well-rounded graduates. As a central belief, JCSD must play a critical role in unifying a diverse community.
JCSD has set two long term goals: to have “A” rated schools, and to reach out to parents and get them actively involved in their children’s education. Both goals go hand-in-hand.
Increased student achievement is directly correlated to high levels of parental engagement. Parents who take an active role in the educational process are
Lowe
much more likely to have high achieving children.
Parents can involve themselves in a number of ways. Junction City Elementary has an active parent-teacher organization. We readily accept volunteers. Parents’ attendance to parent-teacher conferences allows them an opportunity to visit teachers and learn about program specifics as well as student progress. We encourage parents who have concerns to contact teachers
and administrators to schedule one-to-one conferences. Every staff member’s email is posted on the school website in the Contact Us section. Parents are always welcomed at our school.
Junction City, like most schools, has a variety of grade level school improvement programs. Students, whether excelling or struggling, are afforded ample academic enrichment opportunities.
From Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Gifted and Talented programs K-12 to AP and concurrent credit classes, we believe in offering students as many opportunities as possible. From kindergarten through 12th grade, JCSD has extensive programs in the arts.
Currently, we are constructing a $1.7 million arts and activities building on the high school campus. With the completion of this state-
of-the-art facility, we will vastly improve our ability to offer all students exemplary programs in the arts regardless of grade.
With an evolving world, JCSD has made a huge investment in technology and continues to look for more ways to integrate technology and coding into mainstream classes. We now have a one-to- one device ratio. In every content area, teachers have sets of Chrome Books or desktops. As STEM becomes an instructional standard, we are actively incorporating STEM practices across the curriculum. STEM and in some areas STEAM (STEM with an art component) are the norm rather than the exception. As technology changes and improves, JCSD is determined to change and improve.
Parent involvement is the key to success. Every day we, as a staff, strive to make contact with
parents, make ourselves available for conferences and schedule parental involvement activities throughout the year so that parents have plenty of opportunities to discuss issues with staff members.
One of our most popular opportunities for parent engagement is through unrivaled athletic programs. The Dragons have countless championship trophies in a multitude of sports. The community as a whole supports these programs. From ensuring players make off-season workouts to encouraging their children during competition to actively participating in fundraising efforts and through volunteering their time, parental involvement for athletics could not be greater.
It is the goal of JCSD to have parents expend this same passion in their children’s academic success.
Tucker
Opportunities flourish for students at Smackover-Norphlet schools
By John Gross
Interim Superintendent of Smackover-Norphlet School District
The Smackover School District annexed the Norphlet School District in 2014. Since that time, the newly renamed Smackover-Norphlet School District has a student body population of over 1,100 students in kindergarten through 12th grades.
Opportunities which exist now include a dedicated middle school campus; a K-12 STEM program; options for high school students to graduate with a certificate in general studies from South Arkansas Community College while enrolled in high school; a comprehensive K-12 Response to Intervention Program which includes dyslexia therapy; a school-based health center providing dental, medical and mental health care; school resource officers; and increased access
to technology including 1:1 or 1:2 device options at kindergarten through eighth grades.
Plans are also in the works to support the social emotional development of K-12 students through a new mentoring program called Buckaroo AIMS (Adults Investing by Mentoring Students), the creation of a Parent Resource Guide and the development of a student leadership program for high school students.
Gross
district has solidified many community partnerships with local industries and post-secondary education institutions including Lockheed Martin, LANXESS, SouthArk Community College, the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, Canfor Southern Pine, El Dorado Chemical, Delek, Cross Oil, the Medical Center of South Arkansas, Murphy USA, SAU Tech and Southern Arkansas University.
These partnerships have helped to grow the district’s Annual Family STEM Night to over 800 participants in addition to introducing students to the exciting job opportunities which are available in local industries in Union and Ouachita counties. These partnerships, combined with our strong academic programs, resulted in Smackover High School seniors receiving a total of $1,107,000 in scholarships for the 2017-18
See SNSD, Page 10C
In addition to the opportunities listed above, the
Strong-Huttig continuing to progress in academics, facilities, fiscally
By Jeff Alphin
Superintendent of Strong-Huttig School
District
I would like to reflect on what the district has accomplished in the years past. With the support of a great administrative leadership team, directors of child nutrition, finance, maintenance, teachers and students; the district has made progress in academics, facilities and fiscal areas. I chose to focus on these three areas,
because they are what the Arkansas Department of Education considers each year when they decide whether to allow a district to remain open under Act 377 (the waiver to allow schools under 350 students to continue to operate).
Academics: The Strong- Huttig School District students continue to show improvement on the ACT Aspire. Both schools are having more students score at ready or proficient on the interim
Alphin
test given this year. Strong High School
students also have improved scores on the
ACT Composite as they prepare to attend college or enter the work force. District scores are about 3/10 of a point below the state average for 2018-19.
Facilities: Both campuses have received upgrades over the past three years. New fire alarm systems were installed and both schools’ cafeterias received upgrades which included ventilation, removal of older equipment that was no longer in use, painting and pressure washing.
Teachers have access to four networked copiers that have the ability to sort, staple and punch holes in materials prepared for students. These copiers also provide teachers with access to be able to scan documents for use in the classroom.
All classrooms are supplied with a cart of laptop computers for student use and interactive smart boards for students and teachers. Computer labs with desktops are available at each campus
specifically for interim and summative testing and research projects for students. The wireless hardware has been updated to increase access to the internet throughout both buildings.
Gardner Strong Elementary: The main offices and several smaller offices as well as a second grade classroom had carpet and trim removed and then the concrete floors were sealed and
See SHSD, Page 10C