Union County schools encourage parent, community involvement
The combination of parent involvement and community partnerships serve as the pulse that keeps area schools alive.
The El Dorado School District launched a new website and mobile app, which is available on Android and Apple devices, to keep the community updated, marketing director Katie Sandifer said.
“On the website, you can find information for all areas of the schools,” Sandifer said. “The app offers quick access to school news and events. It allows users to sign up to receive notifications when new information is posted to the website. Users can even set a default school for their app, so each time they open it, they immediately see the news that is most relevant to them.”
Parental involvement events include Community Hot Dog and Bingo Nights, K-6 Fall Open House and the Districtwide Black History Program, which featured a keynote speech from Grambling State University President Rick Gallot and an occasion by former football standout Kevin Payne, Junction City School District Robby Lowe said.
“The district welcomes parent involvement and strives to make administration and staff available to meet with parents,” he said. “We encourage parents to check out our website and Facebook pages and to download our mobile app to stay abreast of relevant information. On our website, parents can find user-friendly contact links to all staff members.”
It’s been years since Parkers Chapel Elementary had an active Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and it’s something principal Carrie Burson said the school will be looking forward “to encourage parent participation in student activities.”
The Strong-Huttig School District’s PTO restarted this year and is hosting fundraisers to purchases new elementary playground equipment. The district’s also planning an anniversary celebration that’ll be held on Apr. 21, superintendent Jeff Alphin said.
“All of the activities are based around promoting school choice and presenting information to parents that consider sending their children to the Strong-Huttig School District. We want the public to be aware of the things that are happening,” he said.
The Smackover-Norphlet School District is already planning its 2018 K-12 Family STEM Night. Over 700 people, including representatives from South Arkansas industry, participated, district curriculum director Jennifer Lee said.
“Any South Arkansas industries which would like to support the K-12 Family STEM Night this year by presenting a STEM-related activity for students and their families on (Nov. 13) may contact (me),” Lee said.
SNSD is also hosting the 3A baseball and softball state tournaments May 10-12. Volunteers can contact athletic director Mike Poff or coaches Dennis Steele and BJ Greene. The Smackover Chamber of Commerce’s annual Oil Town Festival will be held the same weekend, Lee said.
“This is a great opportunity not only for Smackover and Norphlet but also for the economy of the surrounding area including El Dorado. There will be teams of students from all across the state as well as their families, friends and supporters who will be coming to our community, staying in hotels and eating at our restaurants,” she said.
After reading “The Lemonade War,” Retta Brown Elementary partnered up with Simmons Bank to provide Retta Bucks and mock checkbooks to teach math and financial literacy.
“Students receive Retta Bucks as positive reinforcement throughout the week and then every other Friday, they have a chance to either spend their bucks on something at the store or save them to make a larger purchase later,” said Bonnie Haynie, El Dorado School District special programs director. “Simmons Bank has enhanced this lesson in financial discipline by giving each fourth grade child their own mock checkbooks. Students use these during math class to learn about depositing and withdrawing money and balancing their accounts.”
The Junction City School District, and others, worked with the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce to connect industry leaders with high school students to “get a better understanding of the skills needed,” Lowe said.
“The Strong-Huttig School District already has in place a plan for collaborating with colleges/universities and industries. There are plans to continue this collaboration and look for industries that will partner with the high school offer our students more opportunities,” Alphin said.
With community support, WMS holds two, two-week long “Big STEAM” events that incorporate literacy, art and engineering. Last semester’s event was fairy tale-themed, where students built structures that withstand the Big Bad Wolf’s wind or boats that could transport the Gingerbread Man.
Parkers Chapel Elementary School counselor Mona Williams lead CHAMPS training for fourth and sixth graders, the school Burson said.
“(CHAMPS) is a community-based program that stresses health, wellness and citizenship,” Burson said. “The students were involved with mini-lessons about the effects of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. The students’ groups also chose community service projects in which they would focus on during the school year.”
Service learning projects are also encouraged on the high school level, Parkers Chapel High School Seth Williams said.