New signage will greet parents & students at Mena Middle School when the new school year begins on August 22nd.
Please welcome Brooke Macheler to the staff at Mena Middle School!
Hello, my name is Brooke Macheler. I am so excited to be joining Mena Middle School as your new school nurse. I received my LPN from the U of A at Rich Mountain in 2017. I have worked in long term care, but look forward to this opportunity to work with our youth. I have 5 children, 4 of whom attend Mena Public schools. I'm passionate about being a mother and helping others. I love being outdoors and being with my kids. I am so blessed to be given this opportunity and look forward to this upcoming school year.
The Mena Jr. High Bearcats hosted Horatio & Mansfield for a team camp at Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium on Tuesday. The season opener is September 1st at Centerpoint.
The Sr. High, Jr. High & 7th grade boys basketball teams hosted Horatio, Booneville, Jessieville & Cossatot in a team camp on Thursday.
Mena teachers continue to work in preparation for 2022-2023.
On Tuesday educators underwent MathQuEST training the MHS Library.
Math QuEST (Quantitative Essentials for Students and Teachers)
is a journey for ambitious teaching that promotes equity and engagement of all students in meaningful mathematics learning experiences of reasoning and problem solving. AR Math QuEST empowers educators and families to help students develop positive identities as doers
of mathematics to increase student achievement.
The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is offering a two-year Dyslexia Therapist Training Course for certified Arkansas public school teachers. The goal of this project is to develop a network of Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALT) for the purpose of providing a specialized dyslexia instructional program designed to provide therapy to public school students with dyslexia or related reading and written-language difficulties. Mena Middle School RTI/Dyslexia Interventionist, Mrs. Alicia Farringer was chosen to take part in this initiative. This training is being provided using the Take Flight Curriculum. Noel Leif, co-founder and instructor of Springfield Center for Learning and Dyslexia is pictured below with Mrs. Farringer.
Mr. Max Hartwig is joining the crew at Mena Middle School!
Hi, My name is Max Hartwig. I am excited to be a part of what is happening at the Mena Public School District. I am looking forward to working with students and staff, taking every opportunity to learn and teach. I have worked with students of all ages from 6th grade to college age through youth and college ministry. I am a graduate of Mena High School and have attended college at RMCC and UAFS. I am a Christian husband and father. My wife, Holly, and I have been married for 8 years and we have 4 awesome and crazy kids (soon to be 5)! We are both proud Texans and are looking forward to what God has in store for us and this community!
Social Studies, Art, and Math working together to gain some practical life skills to pass on to our Middle School students! Pictured MMS staff: Claire Williamson 7th grade Social Studies, Le Ann Johnson 6th - 8th Math, and Malea Ellison 7th grade Math. “
Please welcome DAVID CHANEY to the staff at Mena Middle School!
Hello, my name is David Chaney and I am the new Mena Middle School Band Director. I grew up in the Mena band program and am excited to be home! My primary instrument is the Saxophone and I had the opportunity to play in the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble before transferring to Central Baptist College and playing in the Mustang Band. I graduated from CBC in 2021. I have been married to my beautiful wife Avanlea Chaney for nearly 2 years, and we have two pets a dog and a cat. I am so excited to be back home in Mena! Go Bearcats!
Welcome SUSAN TYLER to the staff at Mena Middle School !
My name is Susan Tyler and I am very pleased to be joining the staff of Mena Middle School as a Special Education Teacher. This is a picture of the day I began moving into my farmhouse this past March. I have taught for 12 years in both general and special education. After spending the last decade in the Dallas area, I along with my children have decided to get back to my country roots. I am originally from Louisiana but have vacationed, camped in this area for most of my life. Arkansas has always had a special place in my family’s heart and we are happy to be part of this community. Joining me on my adventure are my 20-year old son, my 14-year old daughter, my 70 year old mother and my critters (the fur and feather family is already growing since arriving here in Mena). We enjoy being in the great outdoors and this is a wonderful place to now call home.
Mena School administrators are teaming up with our local Walmart for the annual “Tip the Tank,” a fundraising activity for the Arkansas Children’s Miracle Network. Pictured are Louise Durham Principal Curtis Black and Superintendent Dr. Lee Smith.
Please welcome COREY COLLINS to hi new position at Mena MIddle School!
Hello, my name is Corey Collins. I am the Head Jr. Boys Basketball Coach, Assistant Sr. Boys Basketball Coach, and Assistant Baseball Coach! I will also be teaching Middle School Health and P.E. I played at Williams Baptist University before transferring and graduating from Arkansas Tech University. I am a member of the Arkansas Army National Guard. I am getting married to my fiance, Ashton Andrews, in September of this year, and we are so excited to be a part of the Bearcat Family!
Please welcome STACY SALISBURY to the staff at Mena Public Schools !
Hello Bearcat Nation-
I am so happy to be a part of Mena Schools as your dyslexia specialist and coordinator of the dyslexia program at Mena Schools. I am a CALT or Certified Academic Language Therapist. I received my CALT training from Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, Texas at the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders in 2007. I have been a dyslexia therapist for several school districts in Texarkana,Texas serving grades K-12. I started my teaching career in 1982 (graduating from Texas A&M- Texarkana with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education) and have been a classroom teacher for grades 1st-6th until becoming a dyslexia therapist. I retired from teaching in Texas in 2017. After only being retired a few months, I returned part-time as a dyslexia therapist for Texas High School in Texarkana. I truly enjoy helping students overcome their dyslexic challenges and achieving their highest academic success.
My husband of 42 years, Dennis Salisbury, and I found your beautiful community about 4 years ago and bought property on Highway 8 West. We have been busy building our home here and finally Dennis has decided to retire! He has been a quality home builder in the Texarkana area building beautiful homes for over 30 years. I look forward to continuing my passion of helping dyslexic students and bringing my experience and knowledge of dyslexia to Mena Schools. I feel extremely blessed to be a part of Bearcat Nation!
Mena School Staff are wrapping up three days of professional development at the Arkansas School Counseling Association Conference in Hot Springs.
The history of Mena Public School Part 5:
Friday, June 10, 1949 will always be remembered as a very special day for Central School. This was Louise Durham Day for all the pupils. Teachers and community came together to honor Miss Louise Durham who was retiring from the Mena Schools after fifty-seven years in education. All students in grades seven through twelve were housed in the high school building. The enrollment in these grades had increased in number until the high school building was not large enough to care for the students without overcrowding. Mena Junior High School was organized in 1951. A new gymnasium was approved by district patrons and construction on the project was completed in 1958. In 1960-61 a much needed school auditorium was added to the high school building. In 1968 students first occupied a new cafeteria. The 1968-19 term was a time of change at Stillwell. The first four grades were all moved to Louise Durham School. Only fifth and sixth grade children attended Stillwell. In 1973, the district asked for a five-dollar-per-thousand tax increase to build a new high school. Following the completion of the high school project, the Mena District underwent a reorganization as a middle school was created and kindergarten was added to Louise Durham Elementary. This reorganization began in 1976. The middle school housed 6-8, and the high school housed 9-12. The Stillwell school remained until 1983. In the fall of that year, grades three, four, and five were moved to a new elementary facility that was named after Miss Holly Harshman who had served the Mena District 45 years as a teacher and elementary principal. In 1986 a total of 10 new classrooms plus a band room and athletic facility was built by the district to help meet new state standards. Two years later a new 2200 seat stadium was constructed to replace Boyd Stadium which was plagued by inadequate seating, restrooms, and lighting. The Mena District went from 1973 to 1991 without asking its patrons for a millage increase. However, In September of 1991 district patrons were asked to vote a two mill increase in order to bring the district into compliance with Arkansas Law. The two mills were approved by the people.
As of May. 2022, the Mena District has a present enrollment of 1696.. Louise Durham PreK-2 has 460, Holly Harshman has 368, Mena Middle School has 391, Mena High School has 463, Polk County Virtual Academy 14.
Hi! My name is Abigail Denton. I will be a Para for MMS Special Education/Self Contained. This is my first year being employed by the school district, but I have been a substitute with the schools since February! I was a substitute for LD SPED for the last 3 weeks of school this year and absolutely fell in love with it! My husband and I will be married a year in December and have been together for 4. We have 2 basset hounds that we adore! I'm so excited to begin my MPS journey!
Mena Counselors Delivered over 300 pounds of can tabs to the Arkansas School Counselors Summer Conference today. Tabs were donated this past school year to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Thank you to all who helped by donating!
Kitchen Chemistry Camp !
Mrs. Frost did an outstanding job guiding students of the proper use of knives. All students successfully sliced their own lemons for the lemon volcanoes. Once sliced, each student added a few kitchen ingredients, which resulted in a beautiful chemical reaction. That beauty was then captured on paper by making lemon prints. The finale of the week was creating their very own “Slush-ees”. It took a lot of patience while waiting for the “Slush” to occur but they were well worth the wait!!
The THRIVE Academy launched this week with educators learning how to implement multi-tiered systems of support for behavior and mental health. The Mena Public Schools were well represented!
The Mena Public Schools are pleased to have ZEN VALENCIA join the staff in 2022/2023 !
Hello my name is Zen Valencia I went to high school at Hackett High school not too far from Mena. I graduated from Arkansas Tech with my Social Studies education degree. Spent a year in South West Arkansas coaching and Teaching at Lafayette County. This is my first year coaching Wrestling but I cannot express how excited I am to start this program. I am also an assistant football coach with the senior high football team, and Defensive Coordinator for the junior high. I Love being outdoors and am truly blessed to be apart of this district, community, and group of coaches! Go Bearcats!
