Springdale Public Schools

STEPHANIE LONG NAMED PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FINALIST Springdale will have the Presidential Award for Science winner. Turnbow Elementary third grade teacher Stephanie Long has joined Lisa Taylor of Shaw Elementary as the finalists for the award. “I’m floored,” says Long. “I’m in shock. This has been a professional goal of mine. To be named a finalist is a humbling experience. My dad, Steve Long, taught chemistry for 45 years, mostly in Rogers. When I was growing up he was named a finalist one year, then won the award the next. He is my role model so this is very exciting.” Long, though, would have preferred not to know who the other finalist is because, “I didn’t want to view this as competition. I’ve met Lisa through professional development and I have friends who teach at Shaw but I don’t know Lisa well. To make it to this point means all the finalists are doing great work. For Springdale to have both finalists speaks volumes about our district. It’s great that Springdale will have the winner. And, we have a finalist (Lindsey Hall at Young Elementary) in math, too.” This is the second time Long has been nominated but the first time she has been qualified. “I earned national board certification in December of 2017 and was working with Jake Beers, who is now assistant principal at Jones but was our district math teacher on special assignment then, on science curriculum for district first and second graders,” Long explains. “He nominated me but at that time I didn’t meet qualifications because you had to have taught more years than I had in kindergarten through 12 th grade. “I’ve been at Turnbow Elementary for my entire 11-year teaching career but the first four years were teaching pre-k. So, in 2019, Jake nominated me again. I am very thankful.” What does Long, a University of Central Arkansas graduate with a master’s from the school and ESL degree from the University of Arkansas, like best about teaching science? “Science is hands-on and applicable to living in the real world,” she responds. “Before the pandemic I brought in local scientists and science groups to visit with our students in the classroom. I like giving our students real life experiences.” Long has had several teaching experiences, herself, even though all have been at Turnbow. She has taught first, second and third grade, including some blended classes with students from different grades. She is in her first year as a third-grade teacher and 15 of her students from last year’s second grade class are with her again this year. “Looping with 15 of our students from last year has provided some consistency during a pandemic,” Long says. “I started this Presidential Award process last year with these students and they are finishing it with me now.” Long, Taylor and Hall are perfect examples of the whole district working to benefit the whole child. They are among hundreds of great teachers who help make Springdale Public Schools #THEChoice.

DR. ANNETTE THOMPSON NAMED PRINCIPAL OF NEW JIM D. ROLLINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Dr. Annette Thompson, in her 19th year as principal at George Elementary School, has been named the principal of the new elementary school currently under construction in Tontitown. “We are overjoyed that Dr. Thompson has chosen to lead the new elementary school as she begins this new journey with the community of Tontitown,” said Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland. Dr. Thompson said, “This is an exciting opportunity. I am grateful to Dr. Cleveland and the school board for allowing me to start a new journey in the Springdale District. I’ve been involved in the Northwest Arkansas Innovation Hub for four years and am anxious to take what I’ve learned into a new environment.” Named Arkansas Elementary Principal of the Year in 2017, Dr. Thompson has been a principal in the district for 21 years. She was principal at Lee Elementary for two years before moving to George. She served as a student teacher at Smith Elementary while she was at the University of Arkansas, then taught three years in Amarillo, Texas before returning to Smith where she taught for nine years. She moved to Lee as assistant principal and was in that position for two years before being elevated to principal. In partnership with the Walton Foundation and the Arkansas Office of Innovation for Education, Dr. Thompson was selected to study innovative educational practices in New Zealand. She has also visited several schools dedicated to innovative learning practices throughout the United States. Dr. Thompson will begin her new role July 1, 2021. The Tontitown elementary school is scheduled to open in August, 2021.

LYNDSAY HALL NAMED PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR MATH FINALIST In her third year as a teacher at Young Elementary, Lyndsay Hall believes “everyone is a math person. Each person’s mindset toward math determines how far they will go.” Hall’s thought process and passion for teaching math has earned her one of two finalist spots in Arkansas for the Presidential Award in Math. “My goal was to be a finalist,” Hall says. “Yes, I’d like to win but being a finalist is one of the highest teaching honors you can attain. I’m glad I still have a shot at winning. I’m not sure when they announce the winner but our addendum to all we produced earlier is due in the next two weeks.” Completing the work toward the Presidential Award should not be difficult for Hall since she is teaching most of the same students she had last year when she began the process. “We worked on fractions last year and I pushed our students past the third grade into fourth grade work,” Hall explains. “I looped with this group of students to teach fourth grade this year. All I’ve ever taught is third and fourth grade but this year we want to challenge them with some fifth-grade work before the year is over.” Hall admits finishing her video was tricky last spring as COVID’s forced change to remote learning was coming. “We produced our video on the last Thursday we were in class,” Hall says. “The deadline was May but we knew there was a chance we would be going remote. The deadline was later extended to October but our video was done without wearing masks since we completed it in March while we were still in school. “The video shows how our students are discovering things on their own rather than learning from me, the teacher. They know it’s okay if they are wrong. In fact, we learned that’s how our brain grows. They ask questions of each other and you can see them grow. “I’ve taught math the traditional way and the way we are teaching it today. Our current methods allow students to learn faster and go farther. They learn that good mathematicians don’t give up.” Hall is glad she didn’t give up on pursuing the Presidential Award and is honored to be one of only two finalists in Arkansas. She and so many teachers like her are examples of how the entire district community comes together for the benefit of the whole child. Amazing teachers are another reason Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.

It was a great day at Monitor Elementary today! School board members walked the hallways and visited the classrooms.

LISA TAYLOR NAMED PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FINALIST IN SCIENCE Lisa Taylor has been a teacher at Shaw Elementary since it opened in the fall of 2007. She has earned several honors for her work in teaching economics but, in the most unusual year of her career, she was surprised to learn she is one of two finalists in Arkansas for the Presidential Award in Science. “I turned in the video and did the paperwork but had forgotten about it,” Taylor explains. “Because of COVID, everything was delayed. It was surreal to be named a finalist when there are so many other things we have been concentrating on. It is a silver lining to a crazy year.” Final documents were due in May but the deadline was extended until October because of COVID. Taylor wasn’t notified until early December. Now she is required to write an addendum to her original paper. “I am working on a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on STEM at the University of Arkansas,” says Taylor. “I’m addicted to learning and want to share my knowledge and passion for teaching. The paper for the Presidential Award and the completion of the UA semester are coming at the same time but I will get it all done.” It’s ironic Taylor is up for the Presidential Award in science since she did not take the subject until she was completing elementary school. “As a kid I struggled with reading so I didn’t go to social studies or science,” Taylor recalls. “They put me in extra reading sessions. My first science class was in the sixth grade. At a convention for teaching science I attended in 2012 they told us by fourth grade students already have attitudes toward liking science or not. That puts a lot of weight on the shoulders of elementary teachers. “I use science to get students interested and teach reading through it. Our job is to create the wonder of science for our students. We do some different things. We even take apart things like vacuum cleaners so the students can see what they are made of. They love discovery. They bring items, like printers and motors, into class and take them apart. I let them explore and they are creative.” Creative teaching has allowed Taylor to be recognized as a Presidential Award finalist in science. In her 23 rd year as a teacher, Taylor is among the many instructors that exemplify working together for the whole child. That’s one of the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.

A great day visiting Archer Learning Center! School Board President Michelle Cook and member Eddie Ramos joined Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland and team to learn about the 21 CCLC tutoring program and tour a chemistry classroom

A huge shoutout and thank you to Central Manufacturing for all the support and gifts gearing up for our Annual Parson Hills Winter Wonderland!

SHS SENIOR IS COCA-COLA SCHOLAR SEMIFINALIST Cindy Ledezma Alanis, an International Baccalaureate senior at Springdale High School, has been named a semifinalist for the 2021 class of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program. She is one of 1,609 seniors selected from a pool of 99,403 submitted applications based on academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities. Ledezma Alanis now will complete a phase 2 application, which includes essays, a recommendation and transcripts. An independent committee will review the applications and select 250 Regional Finalists by the end of January to participate in online interviews. In March, 150 Coca-Cola Scholars will be named to receive a $20,000 college scholarship and participate in the Coca-Cola Scholars Leadership Development Institute. “Mrs. (Annick) Downing, our school counselor, sent out an email encouraging seniors to apply,” Ledezma Alanis explains. “I was doubting whether I had any chance but decided to give it a try. I had no chance if I didn’t apply. The application asked about my volunteer experience, community service, family background and what getting the scholarship would mean to me. “I have a social media page encouraging students to get involved with IB. It expands your skills, helps you manage your time and promotes taking risks. It has helped me through challenging courses that give a worldwide perspective. That was one example of community service.” Ledezma Alanis is in her third year in the IB program. She was at Lakeside Junior High when the program was presented to ninth grade students. “I liked the concept,” she says. “Courses are taught from the perspective of people in other cultures. I valued that. I wanted courses that went beyond the normal. IB has really helped me with time management. That’s one of the reasons I recommend it. I tell younger students they can do IB if they put their minds to it.” With her IB background, how would Ledezma Alanis utilize her scholarship funds if she becomes a Coca-Cola Scholar? “I want to go to the University of Arkansas, major in international business management and eventually work for Tyson or Walmart,” she responds. “I would lean more toward Tyson because of my technology skills and I managed a team that finished second in the Tyson Hackathon. I am applying for scholarships through the UA fund and Hispanic Heritage and would like to do an internship with Tyson while I am in college.” Handling an internship wouldn’t be difficult for Ledezma Alanis, who has her own internet dessert business and also helps her father in his business of detailing vehicles. “I make desserts for sale on Wednesdays through Saturdays,” she says. “Customers can pick them up or for an additional $3, I will deliver them. People can order by going to cindy.desserts. I am on Facebook and Instagram. My favorite dessert to make is flans. It is sooo good!” She also loves working with her dad. She notes, “He has been a big influence in encouraging me to do my best in everything I do. He tells me nobody is perfect but we can try to be. He came here from Mexico and started his own business. The values I’ve gained from helping him have made me realize I can contribute to the community. He is a role model for me.” She is also appreciative of Springdale High School staff members who have guided her during her three years there. “Mrs. Downing has gone over and beyond in helping me look for scholarships,” says Ledezma Alanis. “She has always been there for me. I am very thankful for her. She has helped me manage my courses and even gave me a planner to help with best utilizing my time. “Mrs. (IB director, Carol) Turley has also helped me with time management. I love her. She pushes me to be my best. She has even talked to me about taking care of my mental health because IB can be stressful.” Another adviser is her close friend, Alice Oliveras, a fellow SHS senior. She says, “Alice is the one who told me about the Hackathon. She and I bounce ideas off each other. She is a great friend.” Ledezma Alanis has lots of great friends at SHS as a result of being in the school system since pre-k. She is a remarkable example of persistence and hopes to become only the second Springdale District student ever to become a Coca-Cola Scholar. (Sojas Wagle of Har-Ber High was the first). She is a perfect example of someone who has seen district teachers and administrators care for the whole child and can testify to Springdale Public Schools being #THEChoice.

Bayyari Elementary held their Spelling Bee this afternoon! Parents were able to drop off their kids to participate and watch the event live from home. The winner of the Spelling Bee today is Layla Ramirez!

GEORGE JUNIOR HIGH COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS THRIVING Jazmin Fuller was inspired by her sister. Luis Renc just wanted a fun, easy class. While their motivations differed, both George Junior High students are thriving in their computer science class. “My sister, Clarissa, is at the University of Arkansas studying to become a biological engineer,” says Fuller, an eighth grader. “I admire her. She uses her computer all the time so I wanted to take computer science.” Renc, a ninth grader, admits, “I was looking at electives and was told computer science was an easy course. I wanted something easy and fun, too. The course hasn’t been as easy as I thought but it has been fun because when we have free time we can experiment on our own.” What does Renc experiment with? “I like shapes,” he responds. “I really like triangles because they have more variables. There’s a processing website we can go to that gives us things to experiment with.” Marie Fowler, George Junior High’s computer science instructor, explains, “The processing website has references, including pieces of code. There is a lot of information on the website. One day I was looking at Luis’ computer, saw a beautiful design on his screen and I asked him, ‘where did that come from?’ He had mastered a code.” Are the website and creativity the biggest difference between a computer science course and learning on Chromebooks? “We’ve been on Chromebooks since second grade,” Fuller points out. “We learned the basics of using a computer on our Chromebooks. In computer science class we learn how to be creative with coding. It is much more personal.” Fowler agrees, noting, “Computer science is very personalized. As a teacher, it is fulfilling when I see students go forth and find out things on their own. I love the amazing things they have created and they have only been doing this since August. Students have to have vision for what they want to create and then figure out how to do it.” Fuller says, “That’s the fun part, seeing the end product. Is it as we imagined it or not? It took me four hours to do one project because I didn’t know all the functions. I had 242 lines of code. I made rainbow colored shapes. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, really.” “It was very pretty,” Fowler interjects. Fuller adds, “It was all done by trial and error. I was basically doing it manually, which wasn’t very efficient. Our assignment was to create our own function and minimize the coding. I learned I could have completed the same project in half the time.” Renc’s projects include learning to design houses. He would like to eventually become an architect. “In sixth grade at J.O. Kelly, I was in the EAST program and I used different programs to design houses,” Renc says. “I really enjoyed it. Knowing how to use the software made it easier for me to plot out things. Last year I used software. This year I am creating things myself.” While Renc is interested in designing homes, Fuller has an interest in video games. “I am fascinated by people who play Minecraft but they modify the game and add things,” Fuller says. “They beat Minecraft and add challenges to make it harder. I want to spread my wings and learn video game codes.” Learning new codes is a large part of the computer science course. Renc and Fuller have different approaches to the classroom. “I’m in class five days a week,” Renc says. “Last year when we went to AMI (alternative method of instruction) and we were away from school, I didn’t do well. I prefer being in class. Even this week of remote learning has been weird for me. I will be glad to be back in class.” Fuller notes, “I am on a blended schedule. I am in class Tuesday and Thursday and work from home the other days. It has worked really well for me. My grades are above average. If I need a teacher I can send an email. When I email Ms. Fowler, she responds immediately.” Fuller and Renc are examples of students who are thriving in personalized instruction, particularly in computer science. Fowler is an example of a teacher who is part of the whole district community working for the benefit of the whole student. That’s why Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.

On-site Instruction Resumes Monday December 7, 2020

GENA SMITH, SUPERVISOR OF FOOD SERVICES As a college student at Arkansas Tech, Gena Smith earned a degree in hospitality administration. As supervisor of food services for the Springdale Public School District, Smith believes she is extending hospitality every day. “Hospitality is a business major and we are running a business in food service,” Smith says. “Customer service is the key to what we do. Our numbers are down a little this year because of students taking blended and fully remote learning but normally we feed three fourths of the students in our district.” With nearly 22,000 students, that’s between 16,000 and 17,000 students per day. Smith concedes this year has been different and challenging. “We’ve had to adjust our ordering and forecasting,” says Smith. “We’ve been feeding about 12,000 students per day this year. That includes providing for those blended and remote learning students who come to their schools to pick up their meals. At times we have had staff in quarantine. Every day is a new day with new challenges.” Smith doesn’t mind the challenges and credits her staff for the superb service provided throughout the district. “We have 238 staff members who have been through a lot of changes in the last six months,” Smith explains. “Last March hit us hard when all students went remote. Even then I knew our staff could handle anything as long as they had a good plan. “After going through last spring, we were more prepared for the remote learning days we’ve had this year. I appreciate the willingness of our staff members to take care of kids. They’ve stood in the rain and cold to distribute drive by meals. They’ve gone above and beyond during this time.” There are very few off times for Smith and her staff since they serve meals in the summer and have to plan for future meals. “Right now, we are planning for the new elementary school of innovation that will open in the fall,” says Smith. “We order a good portion of our food for next year in February. We just found out there is a shortage of flour and our order for next year was cancelled. So, we will be looking for another source for flour.” How did Smith prepare for such a challenging position? “I was director of school cafeterias in Greenland for five years, then had the same position in Farmington for seven years,” Smith responds. “When Springdale called I was nervous at first because the district is so large. But, the teamwork and sense of community in Springdale is amazing. They made me feel at home.” In her fourth year in Springdale, Smith started her career in private business after once considering becoming an accountant. “I started as an accounting major but it didn’t fit me,” Smith recalls. “I had a long conversation with my college roommate and told her I like to take care of people. I also like cooking and planning events. That’s why I switched to hospitality administration.” She gained early experience as an intern at the Bentonville Clarion Hotel. Her initial full-time position was event coordinator at Chartwells in Russellville. Next, she was hired as food and beverage manager at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. She was elevated to special events coordinator before beginning her own business in Magnolia. Eventually she returned to Northwest Arkansas for a job at the Fayetteville Clarion Hotel. “I ended up getting married and my husband, Brad, had two daughters,” Smith says. “I needed more time at home. That’s when I entered the school cafeteria profession at Greenland.” She and Brad have had two sons, ages 12 and 8, and they have two grand children, ages three and three months, from Smith’s oldest stepdaughter. “When the girls were younger we did a lot of horseback riding because that’s what they loved,” Smith says. “We do a lot of camping with our boys. We spend time at the lake in the summer. The boys love to ride side by sides.” While Smith loves time with her family, she realizes she has a huge family to feed every day. Smith and the entire food service staff are among those making sure the whole district works for the benefit of the whole child. They are also among the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.

SYLVIA HERNANDEZ, EAST FACILITATOR BECOMES A BRIDGE FOR ESL STUDENTS AND PARENTS CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN CULTURES AND COMMUNITIES AT SHAW ELEMENTARY As a bridge for Hispanic families, Sylvia Hernandez, an EAST facilitator at Shaw Elementary, meets with parents through Zoom to teach them how to use technology to better assist their kids while juggling other roles like Spanish translator, SeeSaw expert, and volunteering as a curriculum creator. In her 11th year at Shaw, Hernandez was an ESL instructional assistant for 10 years in the district before obtaining her teaching degree. She later worked at Jones Elementary as a kindergarten teacher before continuing her career at Shaw. Born in El Paso, Texas, Hernandez’s family migrated to Rogers in search of a safer close-knit community. Family members already in that area told them about numerous job opportunities. While her parents spoke Spanish nearly all the time, Hernandez began to learn English when she was dropped off with the babysitter. At school, Hernandez was pulled aside by her teachers to assist them with new students who were non-English speakers. At an early age she became a bridge of communication by translating. “I remember teachers asking me to help.” says Hernandez. ESL programs weren’t available at the time. This proved to be a motivating factor in her decision to become a teacher. “I love working with kids and I believe I could make an impact, especially since I know both languages.” says Hernandez. Why does she like working at Shaw Elementary? “Because I feel like I can help the kids. All of our hispanic kids.” She responds, “For Hispanic kids, there is no one else who speaks Spanish except me. Our Spanish speaking parents all have my cell number. They are not shy about using it and they ask me questions. That closes the gap between the cultures and communities and makes them feel like they are part of Shaw.” Hernandez switched to EAST hoping to make a greater impact and teach more kids. EAST students learn coding and more opportunities are opened for them. She noted how shocked kids are when they realize all the different careers EAST can lead to as they learn of their potential, even as elementary students. Because of EAST, her daughter learned she had a passion for engineering and is now attending the University of Arkansas to pursue her career in that field. “Our philosophy of teaching at EAST is the kids think we don’t know anything because we make them research everything. ‘I don’t know’ is what we tell them so they dig deep and research to find out how to work things. I don’t tell them the step by step of everything. Their learning becomes self directive learning. You see the excitement when they accomplish it on their own. It’s amazing!” In her roles at Shaw, Hernandez is a major asset to teachers, staff and Spanish speaking parents. “She’s impacting everybody, says Shelly Bewley, Shaw principal. “She’s helping kids and teachers. ESL kids text her and parents text her, she translates the newsletters.” During this week of remote learning, Shaw is having small groups of students show up at the school for help. Shaw also has a team reaching out to parents and legal guardians with students who don’t connect online. “We call those parents immediately and see if they need any help, if they need internet access, or why their students aren’t completing the work,” says Hernandez. Hernandez focuses on helping Spanish speaking parents through Zoom calls in order to help them learn how to use their iPad, chrome book or laptop to help their kids. In this way, Hernandez is closing the gap at Shaw Elementary and is another prime example of how the whole district is working together for the whole child. #THEChoice

CHELSEA JENNINGS NAMED ARKANSAS JUNIOR HIGH ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR Chelsea Jennings of Lakeside Junior High has been named Arkansas Junior High School Assistant Principal of the Year by the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. In her fifth year as assistant principal at Lakeside Junior High, Jennings taught two years at J.O. Kelly Middle School and six years at Springdale High School before becoming a district TOSA (teacher on special assignment. “I was surprised, excited and a little shell shocked when I found out,” said Jennings, a University of Central Arkansas graduate. “I am proud to represent Lakeside, the Springdale School District and the state of Arkansas, especially considering there are so many great educators in our state. “This award is the result of a strong collaborative culture at Lakeside. Our principal, Dr. Michael Shepherd, has been a mentor to me, and our faculty members are amazing. They are not afraid to take risks.” Shepherd said, “Chelsea has all the ideals of leadership. She is an outstanding leader, colleague and friend.” Springdale District Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland added, “We are very proud of Chelsea. We are excited she is in Springdale and for the work she does every day. Her character shines through in everything she does.” Dr. Mike Hernandez, Executive Director – Elect of the AAEA, presented the award in the Lakeside cafeteria in front of members of the school’s faculty and district administrators. He explained, “The award is given annually to a secondary level assistant principal who has succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students and has been acknowledged by peers for exemplary contribution to the profession.” Jennings is the fifth honoree from Lakeside during 2020. Joel Lookadoo is the current Arkansas Teacher of the Year, Lauren Willis is the Arkansas Junior High Counselor of the Year, Brian Johnson is the Arkansas Junior High Library Media Specialist of the Year and Rachel Cornett is the Junior High Regional Choir Director of the Year. The whole district working for the whole child is another reason Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.

You are invited! Please join Northwest Technical Institute LIVE on December 3rd at 9:45AM and 6PM to celebrate diversity!

J.O. Kelly Middle School is hosting elementary students with Instructional Assistants and After School Program staff. Students receive instruction from their home schools and have mentors available to help. This is the whole district working for the whole child. #THEChoice

J.O. Kelly math instructor Tania Cardenas connects with her students by Zoom during this week of remote learning. She says, "It's pretty cool! We have been preparing for this all year. It has gone very well so far. Students turn in their work every day. We just started a new unit." Innovative instruction is one of many reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice

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