Louise Durham Elementary School

Tell your Instagram friends to like the NEW Mena Schools account! https://www.instagram.com/menaschools/

Tell your Twitter friends to like the NEW Mena Schools account! https://twitter.com/SchoolsMena

JLG’s May Librarian of the Month honor goes to Louise Durham Elementary and Tiffany Williams. We could tell from seeing her social media posts that she was always willing to go the extra mile to get students to engage with books, whether through sensory mats to form a check-out line or loading up her cart to deliver books to classrooms. Read on to learn more about Tiffany... https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/blog/post/detail/id/3050/

Attention Parents of Students who attended Mena School District: State and Federal guidelines require that all special education due process forms and records be destroyed within six (6) years after a student leaves the special education or speech therapy program. If your child was dismissed, graduated, dropped from the program or found to be ineligible for special education services and/ or speech therapy during the school year 2012-2013, you have the right to review and request copies of your child’s due process records before they are destroyed. Your child also has the right to review these records providing he or she is 18 years or older. If you wish to see these records, they will be available at Mena School Special Education office beginning May 25, 2020 to June 15, 2020 from 7:00 am to 4:00 p.m. Records, which are not picked up will be destroyed on June 22, 2020. These records are NOT your child’s permanent school records, they are only special education due process forms and records. You may contact Laura Bunch Special Education Supervisor 479-394-1144

Welcome Dr. Lee Smith back to Mena. Smith has been hired as the next Assistant Superintendent at the Mena Public Schools.. GO BEARCATS!!!

The Mena School Board met on Tuesday, May 19th. The meeting began with the Superintendents Report. Mr. Benny Weston updated the board on the multiple phases the leadership team is working on for reentry & the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year. Assistant Superintendent Paulette Sherrer added that a needs assesment is underway in anticipation of the award from federal COVID-19 CARES Act monies. Personnel was next on the agenda. RESIGNATIONS Traci Gray Malani Vega RESCIND CONTRACT Markie Blocker TRANSFER Amy Dollar - 6th grade social studies Justin Goodnight - Mena High School Agri Chelsea Johnson - 8th grade algebra Susan McKeever - LDE Special Education paraprofessional HIRE Dr. Lee Smith - Assistant Superintendent Cheyenne Burdess - HHE Lisa Falls - HHE LPN Alicia Farringer - MMS Special Education self contained Amy Martin - MMS Chase McCormick - MMS Agri Colby Singleton - Secondary MHS COACHING DUTIES Landon Dover - head sr. girls track Tia Fryer - assistant jr. boys basketball Ryan Luttmer - head jr. boys basketball & head jr. boys track Brad Lyle - assistant sr. boys basketball Heather Goss - head jr. girls track All were approved unanimously. The board then renewed the contract with Aramark Food Service & also renewed the agreement with Horizon Software. The board accepted the Freedom of Choice Applications of 9 students. Next was an update on the district's Five Year Plan to improve the FTE (Full-time equivalent). For the 20/21 school year the FTE has improved to 91.4% & is expected to jump to 95% once final calculations are made. Finally financial reports were approved & the meeting adjourned.

Meal pick up Monday Mena Public Schools is be able to provide one more week of meals & distribution is tomorrow, Monday, May 11th...

Want to know more about the Polk County Virtual Academy? Just click the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2PzxYOwJi4&feature=youtu.be

Congratulations Penny Smedley from LDE !!!!

Mena Public Schools Would like to express our appreciation for today's donation by one of our patrons to the Feed a Bearcat Program. This donation will help those students who are behind on meal charges. If you would like to help Feed a Bearcat you can make a donation at the Administration Building located at 501 Hickory in Mena or call 479-394-1710...

Louise Durham Elementary Yearbook Pick Up. Thursday/ April 30th. Pre-K 9am-10am Kindergarten 10am-11am 1st Grade 11am- Noon to 2nd Grade Noon-2pm We are asking that parents put a large piece of paper on the right side of their dashboard in the windshield that has their students name and students teacher. Drive through the bus loop in front of the school. We will see the child’s name and hand them the yearbook through a window.We have put siblings together and they will be picked up with the oldest child. Those that have not bought a yearbook can bring a check or exact cash of $16 and drive through Friday morning from 9 to 10.

For more information Email jimma.holder@menaschools.org

Those that have completed packets for Pre K Can drop them in a tub outside the front doors at Louise Durham Elementary. The Tub will be available on Monday-Thursday 8:00 am until 3:00 pm, April 27- May 1. New applications can be emailed to you. Call 479-243-3813 to have an application emailed to you. Please have packets in an envelope or a large ziplock bag and marked with the student name. For more information Email jimma.holder@menaschools.org

The Mena School District is accepting applications for many positions at this time. Follow the link to our website for more information.. https://menaschools.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

At this time, Mena Public Schools will be able to provide 3 more weeks of meals. We will be distributing weekly Monday meals on April 27th, May 4th, and May 11th. To help us maintain an accurate count, please choose one of the following options: 1. If you are already on the meal pick-up list, simply continue what procedure you were following for the next three weeks. 2. If you were on the pre-list and wish to be removed, please call our Aramark Food Director at 234-1161. 3. If you would like to be added to the list to receive the next three weekly meals, please call our Aramark Food Director at 234-1161. We appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain our commitment to meet the needs of our students.

Mena Assistant Superintendent Paulette Sherrer announces retirement after 30 years with TEAM Mena. 2019-2020 Assistant Superintendent 2015-2019 Federal Programs Coordinator/District Compliance Administrator 2014-2015 Holly Harshman Elementary Principal/District Compliance Administrator 2011-2014 Holly Harshman Elementary Principal 2009-2011 K-6 Literacy Instructional Facilitator 1999-2009 Third Grade Teacher - Holly Harshman Elementary 1990-1999 First Grade Teacher - Louise Durham Elementary

The Mena School Board held their April meeting Tuesday night & a number of personnel changes were addressed.. Recommendation to Hire – Jamie Grasman – 1st Grade Teacher Markie Blocker – 2nd Grade Teacher Abigail Sims – GT Coordinator/ESL Coordinator Recommendation to transfer within district – Robin Castor from 2nd Grade Teacher to LD PE Teacher Paula Cox from 3rd Grade Teacher to HHE Library Media Specialist Christy Harrison from MMS Self-Contained Teacher to SPED Director/504 Coordinator Randy Peters from Jr High Head BB Coach/Teacher to Sr High Head BB Coach/Teacher Deedra Hooker from Paraprofessional to Secondary English Teacher Accepted Resignations – Norma Foster Jim Pennington Accepted Resignations for Retirement – Mike Collins Paulette Crawford Freda Moore Marsha Riley Penny Smedley Paulette Sherrer Rose Tedder Complete minutes from the meeting will be posted later,,

Applications for the 2020-2021 school year are now available and can be completed online at the link below. PCVA is an online, home based educational option for K-12 students. For more information, contact PCVA Director Bridget Buckley at bridget.buckley@menaschools.org or 479-216-0205. https://forms.gle/13iWJAdUPgCMYDKS7 tagTag PhotopinAdd LocationpencilEdit

Those that have completed packets for Pre K Can drop them in the tub outside the front doors at Louise Durham Elementary. New applications will also be in the tub or they can be emailed to you. Call 479-243-3813 to have an application emailed to you. Please have packets in an envelope or a large ziplock bag and marked with the student name. The Tub will be available on Monday-Thursday 8:00 am until 3:00 pm, April 13-16, and again April 27- May 1. Stay tuned for further details! For more information Email jimma.holder@menaschools.org

SCHOOL CHOICE DEADLINE IS MAY 1st ! Follow the link to the forms & email or mail the completed form to 501 Hickory Avenue Mena, AR 71953. Contact sherry.newman@menaschools.org for more information. https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/…/School_Choice_Form_202… tagTag PhotopinAdd Locationpencil