Week 25: Read, Read, Read

Happy Friday!

As we wrap up Week 25 of our academic year, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated staff at Mena Public Schools. Your continuing commitment and tireless efforts have been instrumental in steering our students toward our district performance targets. As we continue to foster a culture of excellence and learning, this week we turn our focus to a cornerstone of educational and personal development—reading practice. Emphasizing the importance of literacy, we encourage our Bearcats to immerse themselves in reading, a skill that not only enhances academic achievement but also opens doors to endless possibilities and worlds. Let us rally together to inspire a love for reading that will last a lifetime.

Read Across America…..Bearcat Style!

Every year schools across the nation launch the Read Across America Week beginning with Dr. Suess' birthday on March 2nd. Mena Schools are no different and are looking forward to promoting reading on every campus. Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading. We hope that every classroom and teacher will take this opportunity to confirm to students the importance of reading. Our libraries are the hub of this activity, and they have worked hard to create fun and engaging activities for our students. 

Louise Durham has a wide variety of activities happening including dress-up days, read-alouds, and giveaways but their overall mission is to READ, READ, READ! Ms. Williams has set a goal of reading 3,000 books by the end of the week! That is just over 7 books per student! We know they can do it and we are excited to see these K-2 students achieve their goal! Holly Harshman will have a Read-A-Thon and will be attending a Book Buffet hosted by a local community church where they will get to choose a book to keep! We are so thankful for our partners who promote reading and learning in our community! Middle School and High School are working together to launch March Book Madness for all of their students to participate in. You can see brackets in the hallways and will be seeing pictures all month long promoting the reading that our students are doing.

We want to promote that culture of reading in our district every day, and while we hope that is something that everyone already knows, we are taking this opportunity to revisit how important we believe reading is to our students and their futures. Please recognize when students are reading and engage with them in a productive discussion about what they are learning through their reading. As we approach Read Across America week (March 2-8), think about what you can do in your classroom to promote reading. Be creative and share in your buildings as well as through our social media outlets. In the words of a great promoter of reading, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr. Seuss  

What are YOU reading good?

Closing

There was a lot that happened this week:

I want to thank Holly Harshman Elementary for donating to the Lions Club Hamburger Fund Raiser to raise funds for the purchase of specialized vision screening equipment. Mrs. Smart, Mrs. Carter, and Mrs. Scott spoke at today’s Lions meeting to receive thanks from the club and to highlight the things happening at their school. Topics were academic take-home packets to enhance parental involvement and their positive behavior rewards program.

Special thanks go to high school counselors Shannon Lyle and Tim Walston for helping orchestrate the Career Connect event at UA Rich Mountain, where Mena High School seniors, and other seniors from area schools, showcased their talents to local employers through a reverse career fair. This event offered our seniors a unique platform to network and engage directly with potential employers, setting a foundation for their future careers.

Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to the dedicated teachers and staff who meticulously organized the Family Science Night at Mena Middle School this past Tuesday. This engaging event brought together students, families, and educators for an evening filled with exploration and discovery, highlighting the wonders of science in our everyday lives. Through hands-on experiments, displays, and presentations, attendees were immersed in a world of scientific inquiry, fostering a deeper appreciation and curiosity for the subject. The success of this night is a testament to the passion and effort of our educators in making learning both accessible and exciting for the community.

Congratulations to our Ladycat Basketball team on a great season. The Ladycats were defeated in the regional tournament earlier this week, but their spirit, determination, and teamwork throughout the season were inspiring. A special congratulations goes out to Coaches Brad Lyle and Tanner Womack for leading our team with dedication and determination. To all of our senior players, we applaud you for your successful careers as Ladycat Basketball players. Your hard work, leadership, and contributions to the team have left an indelible mark on the program. Thank you for your commitment and for showcasing what it means to be a Bearcat with pride and excellence.

This week, we celebrated National FFA Week, a time to honor the achievements and dedication of our Mena FFA Chapter. Throughout the week, our chapter hosted a series of workshops and celebratory events designed to highlight the invaluable benefits of the FFA program, while also offering extensive leadership training opportunities for our members. We were privileged to have former Oklahoma FFA President Brayden Burns join us as a workshop facilitator, bringing his wealth of experience and insights to inspire our students. A special word of appreciation goes to our advisors Bryan Maye, Justin Goodnight, and Chase McCormick, whose leadership and commitment have been instrumental in guiding our chapter to new heights.

The state wrestling tournament started today and we have many of our wrestlers who qualified to compete there. Three of our boys and one girl won their first-round matches. Final results are still to be determined but you can keep track at this link.

I want to recognize Mena Middle School 8th grade student, Nathan Williamson, who won the VFW Patriot's Pen Essay state competition. He was awarded a plaque and $1000.00. We wish Nathan the best of luck as his essay advances to the national level.

The 24-25 school calendar options will be out in next week’s Wrap up.

Check out the latest grants that are available at this link.

It was a really good week at Mena Public Schools and we look forward to more!

At Mena Public Schools our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.

Remember, school is closed Monday so have a nice long weekend!

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