Free school meals are still available on the All Virtual Days, Friday and Monday, October 16 and 19. Order your meals by 9am October 16 at http://go.sdale.org/food. Families may pick up their meals from any school. Serving families is why Springdale is #TheChoice!
Come on...share the love! #ThankaTeacher
MATT RAY, HAR-BER HIGH SCHOOL SRO
Matt Ray bleeds Springdale red when he doesn’t bleed Har-Ber blue. A Springdale High School graduate who serves as a student resource officer at Har-Ber High, Ray supports both schools and agonizes when they play each other.
“I grew up a Springdale Bulldog,” Ray says, “but I love the students at Har-Ber, too. I like to see Springdale kids be successful whether they are Bulldogs, Wildcats or the Phoenix of the Don Tyson School of Innovation. When Har-Ber plays Springdale I pull for both. I am always happy for the winner but feel bad for the team that doesn’t win. We have more than one high school now but we are still one city.”
Ray loves that city. He says, “Springdale is an awesome town. I am grateful to live in Northwest Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas is a great place to be a police officer. There is still a lot of growth coming to Springdale. It is a hidden gem.”
Har-Ber students and staff consider Ray a gem. He is in his fifth year at the school after serving in many other areas of the Springdale police force. He was a dispatcher, jailer, patrolman and detective over a 10-year period before becoming an SRO. Why did he switch from patrol to school?
“It really started with our summer Sandlot program,” Ray responds. “About the time of Ferguson (Missouri), Lieutenant Jeff Taylor started doing community events. I love being part of the community and I was drawn to working with kids.
“An SRO position opened and I came to Har-Ber. I thought, oh my gosh, this is fun. Being around students, teachers and staff is a great gig. This is a great opportunity to build relationships with students. In fact, one of our newest officers was at Har-Ber during my first year at the school. He remembered me as his SRO.”
Ray also remembers his SRO at Springdale High School. It was Mike Hignite, who still serves as an SRO in the district.
“Mike Hignite was the biggest influence on me getting into law enforcement,” Ray says. “Unfortunately, they started the Law Academy the year after I graduated. I wish they would have had it while I was there. No doubt I would have been a better student.”
Hignite is one reason he still has such a fondness for Springdale High. Another reason is his dad drew the logo that is used all over the school.
“My dad (Russ Ray) drew the bulldog head that is used at Springdale High,” Ray says. He had an ad agency on the corner of Emma and Spring. He also drew the giant mascot for George Elementary. I was a fourth grader there when the school opened. A student hand drew a giant but it was a little rough. My dad made it neater.”
It was at his father’s business that Ray became interested in becoming a police officer.
“We would watch the parades from his office and see the police cars,” Ray remembers. “They were very impressive. The rest of the year police officers drove up and down Emma Avenue, past his office.”
Once he got to know Hignite, Ray’s future was set. He recalls, “Mike Hignite would come into our classrooms and visit with us. I had his wife, Marjay, for psychology. She had us do career assessments and I would talk to Mike about being a policeman.
“I was already thinking about a career because I didn’t do many activities in high school. I had played Babe Ruth baseball growing up because my dad coached and that was our thing but at Springdale High the only activity I was involved in was choir. I was a terrible singer. I lip synched.”
Lip synching never got Ray in trouble but one day he did get stopped by the other Springdale SRO, Tim Hill.
“I was squealing tires in the in the high school parking lot and Officer Hill stopped me,” Ray says. “He talked to me but didn’t give me a ticket. He said we are all humans and capable of making mistakes. We need to grow from them.
“That’s how I look at the high school students I work with now. They are human. They make mistakes. I try to help them grow from them. I still have to be vigilant but this is such a good community I just want our kids to take advantage of the amazing opportunities they have. I didn’t graduate that long ago – 2001 – but the opportunities available to students now are much greater than they were then.”
Ray is glad to have the opportunity to serve on the police force in Springdale. He is quick to say, “I am all Springdale. My parents are from Springdale. My wife is from Springdale and my daughter is involved in volleyball at Hellstern Middle School. We love this community.”
The Har-Ber community loves Ray back. So does the city of Springdale. He and the other officers who serve in the schools are among the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.
SCOTT JOHNSON, SRO, HAR-BER HIGH SCHOOL
When Scott Johnson isn’t patrolling the halls of Springdale Har-Ber High School as one of its student resource officers, he is likely to be found on a golf course. He describes his pursuit of golfing excellence as “a second job.”
In his second year as a Har-Ber SRO, Johnson says he is “110 percent committed to golf. I’ve played since I was seven. When I was in sixth grade I shot even par on the Springdale Country Club course when it was nine holes. Roy Hobbs, the pro there, gave me lessons. I won several junior golf tournaments.”
But, how could golf be a second job?
“I’m 45 years old and when I’m 50 I intend to try to make the Senior Tour,” Johnson responds. “You have to be really good to play with the professionals. But, if I don’t try I will regret it and I have a lot of try in me.”
Married less than two years to former Arkansas basketball standout Rochelle Masengill, Johnson credits his wife for “supporting me 110 percent. She looks at golf as my retirement job since nearly every weekend I am playing in a tournament or practicing. I was 43 when I got married. She is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
While Johnson prefers to be in the fairways on the golf course, he also loves being in the woods. He says, “I love cutting wood. I cut 15-20 ricks of wood a year and sell some of them. I also like hunting. I’ve been hunting since I was five years old.”
He was only a little older than five when he realized “I was born to wear the uniform. My dad was a policeman in Springdale, then Fayetteville and I have always admired the police. There is no doubt this is what God put me on the earth to do. My dad taught me the right personality it takes to do this job.”
What type of personality does it take to be a police officer?
“You have to be able to control yourself,” Johnson responds. “Your emotions can’t be visible. If you can’t control yourself, you’ve lost the battle.”
Knowing early in life he wanted to be a police officer, what route did he take?
“I played baseball at Springdale High School and the University of Arkansas showed some interest in me but I decided against college and went to work for Multicraft after graduating from high school. You have to be 21 before you can go to police academy so as soon as I turned 21 I went to the Missouri Southern Academy.
“After I graduated I joined the police force in Rolla, Missouri. I was there two years when there was an opening on the Springdale police force. That’s where I was born and raised and it was my dream to work in Springdale. When I was hired I was definitely moving back home.”
Johnson was thrilled to be working in Springdale but near the end of 2004 he “regretted not going into the military so I took at job with CPI as an international police officer. I was sent to Kosovo. It was a great experience. They love Americans there and it was very safe.
“As much as I liked Kosovo, it was culture shock. I realized quickly we have things very good in America. I missed ice in my drinks as well as full time electricity and hot water. Those are things we take for granted.”
After a year he returned to Springdale and rejoined the police force. After serving for 20 years on patrol, the drug task force and as a member of the SWAT team, Johnson became an SRO at Shiloh Christian for a year before moving to Har-Ber. He is in his second year at the school.
“Being an SRO gives you a different perspective,” Johnson says. “It’s a break from being on the street. It’s good to see our students and get to know them. It’s an opportunity to be a positive influence and build relationships.”
His current job also gives him time for golf and to help the Har-Ber girls golf team. Har-Ber recently won the state 6A championship by a large margin. Johnson has been working with sophomore Lauren Milligan at the request of her father.
“It was very exciting for Har-Ber to win the state championship,” Johnson says. “Their team is really good. In fact, I think they are one of the top 10 teams in the country. Lauren is only a sophomore but she can play. I’m hoping by her junior or senior year she will be offered scholarships to play golf in college.”
Milligan has some work to do to equal Johnson’s high school prowess. He was an all-conference baseball player for coach David McGinnis. The Bulldogs played for the state championship during his junior season.
“We played Pine Bluff in the championship game,” Johnson recalls. “Torii Hunter was their centerfielder. They were stacked. They had about eight division one players and beat us. I didn’t realize who Torii Hunter was at the time.”
Hunter went on to a brilliant major league career. Johnson is hoping to be as successful on the Senior PGA tour when he reaches age 50. Until then he will continue to make sure the students at Har-Ber High School are always kept safe. Johnson and the entire staff of district school resource officers are among the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.
Thank you for the grant and support for families for over the last five months!
Help control the spread. Let's #ShieldUp !
Andrew Peterson and Tyler Hart are this week's Shelter Insurance Players of the Week for Springdale and Har-Ber High Schools.
John Tyson Elementary would like to send a big THANK YOU to Arvest Bank, one of their partners in education, for sponsoring mask lanyards for all of their students. These lanyards secure student masks during mask breaks to keep the mask clean and keep it from getting lost. The students love them. Thank you, Arvest!
Addi Harrison, sixth grade daughter of Hellstern Middle School assistant principal Misty Harrison, made face coverings for every student resource officer in the district. The face coverings have the officer's last name on one side and badge number on the other. She did it because "I think officers don't get appreciation for what they go through." It took her three days to make the face coverings. She used her sowing and embroidering skills to make them. As a result she was named an honorary member of Northwest Arkansas Adopt A Cop. #THEChoice
Math is better face-to-face! Grateful for educators like Brian Jamison and their years of dedication to our students!
Watch this story produced by J.O. Kelly East Program for the Springdale Fire Department. This year's theme is fire safety in the kitchen.
https://youtu.be/b44wh2fZ9_Y
MILISA STEINER, SRO, Hellstern, Young, Hunt
On Milisa Steiner’s 18th birthday her father allowed her to drive her parents’ brand new vehicle. She didn’t make it out of the garage. As she was backing up, she hit her own Jeep. She quickly made two phone calls, one to her older brother and another to her favorite police officer.
“I called my brother Alex,” recalls Steiner, whose maiden name was Tejada. “Then I called Officer (Mike) Hignite. He was my teacher in the Springdale High School Law Academy and he was also our school student resource officer.”
Why did she choose to call Officer Hignite?
“I knew I could talk to him,” Steiner responds. “I wanted him to tell me how I could fix my father’s car. He told me to call my dad, so I did. My dad wasn’t angry. He’s amazing. He said it was an accident and accidents happen.”
That wasn’t the only time Steiner visited with Officer Hignite. In fact, Steiner credits Hignite with her decision to become a police officer. Now she serves as an SRO, working at Hellstern Middle School as well as Young and Hunt Elementary Schools.
“Officer Hignite is the reason I am on the Springdale police force,” Steiner says. “He was my law and public safety teacher in the Law Academy. He was always there for us. He built us up. That stuck with me. I decided one day I wanted to be in position where students could come to me just as we did to Officer Hignite.”
Now that she is an SRO, she’s had plenty of opportunities to visit with students. One example comes quickly to her mind.
“I’m in my fifth year at Hellstern,” says Steiner. “One girl from a few years ago moved from Springdale to Texas. She still keeps my updated on her grades and jobs. When she applies for jobs she uses me as a reference. She has always reached out to me. She’s 18 now and wants to go into law enforcement.
“Any time students reach out to me, it’s the best feeling. I try to make every interaction with students positive. That’s what they will remember. That’s why even if it’s helping them get a ball off the roof or translating for them (Steiner is fluent in English and Spanish), I always want to be positive.”
Steiner’s intent is to make a difference in the lives of the students, teachers and staff she interacts with. Her parents laid the framework for her desire to be a difference maker.
“My mom and dad moved to California from El Salvador when they were teenagers,” Steiner explains of her parents, Samuel and Milagro Tejada. “They are grateful they have lived the American dream. So, every year they go back to El Salvador and donate clothes, shoes and school supplies. They have taught me what it means to give back.”
The community Steiner loves giving back to is Springdale. Her family moved to Springdale when she was five years old and she is quick to say, “Springdale is home. I went to George Elementary from first through fourth grade, then Harp Elementary for fifth grade, J.O. Kelly Middle School, George Junior High and Springdale High School. Then I went to the University of Arkansas, where I earned my degree.
At SHS she followed in the footsteps of Alex, who was a superstar kicker for the football team before becoming an outstanding placekicker for the Razorbacks.
“Since everyone knew Alex was my brother, I had to carry myself a certain way,” Steiner says. “Everyone knew him. Now that I am an officer, people talk to me rather than think of me as Alex’s sister.”
According to Steiner’s husband, Bob, everyone talks to his wife.
“My husband calls me ‘Mayor Millie’ because everywhere we go somebody talks to me,” Steiner says. “It’s especially nice when students recognize me out of uniform. It’s a great feeling when they are comfortable coming up to me away from school.”
Steiner likes everyone to be comfortable around her. It’s easy for her husband, who is a United States Marshall (“We met at work,” she says.) It’s just as easy for staffs at the schools where she works.
“I have a coffee pot in my office,” Steiner explains. “Counselors, custodians and other staff members know they can come have a cup of coffee with me.
“There’s a time to be nice and there is a time to go to work. I can go to work. At the end of the day it’s all about helping people.”
Helping people is what Milisa Steiner is all about. She and the entire staff of SROs that serve the district are among the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.
Let's #ShieldUp to protect our families.
The world is a better place because of teachers! Happy World Teacher's Day! Springdale Schools is grateful for all the educators in our district.
Thank you for keeping Springdale Public Schools a safe place for everyone.
It is October 5th, please apply for Free and Reduced Lunch. It is time to POWER UP!
Thanks to T&T Expresso and United Federal Credit Union, Sonora Elementary teachers enjoyed coffee delivery Friday morning. Since the school encouraged its teachers to "Be the Bean" for students last semester, it was only natural to deliver coffee beans, in a delicious form, to the teachers as a thank you. Great partnerships help make Springdale Public Schools #THEChoice !
Christine Dolan, a second grade teacher at Tyson Elementary, has won $500 and 500 bonus points from Scholastic Books after entering the company's contest for the eighth time. She says, "I enter every year and when I received notification I had won I had to consult another teacher to make sure I had actually won. Our students are excited. We normally add about 100 books to our classroom in a year. This will allow us to add about 250 books. I am so grateful for winning that I wouldn't mind winning again next year." Principal Shelly Poage adds, "We are book crazy in our school. Readers are leaders at Tyson Elementary."
Springdale Schools is proud to be home of seven National Merit Semifinalists! Congratulations! Way to go, Scholars!
Springdale Public Schools is grateful for all our custodians and recognizes the hard work they do every day! Thank you! #NationalCustodianDay
