School news

JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

The board of trustees at John Brown University in Siloam Springs recently approved construction of the Peer-Andrus Studio and Project Barn, to provide studio and project space for art and engineering students. The new building is named after Charles Peer, professor of visual arts, and Dave Andrus, professor of visual arts and department head, who together founded JBU’s visual arts program in 1990. The school received a $2 million grant from the Windgate Foundation to fund the art studio portion of the new $3.25 million facility.

PHI KAPPA PHI

Two local residents recently were initiated into the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, a national collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Paige Bowen of Rogers was initiated at University of South Alabama in Mobile, and Rachel Ford of Siloam Springs was initiated at University of Mississippi in Oxford.

HAAS HALL ACADEMY

Rebecca Moll of Haas Hall Academy has been named the Arkansas history teacher of the year by Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Moll, in her 13th year at Haas Hall Academy, was recognized during a schoolwide celebration Nov. 14. Gilder Lehrman recognizes outstanding kindergarten through 12th grade American history teachers across the country. Each state winner receives a certificate of recognition, a $1,000 award, a collection of classroom resources to be presented in his name to the school library and an invitation to participate in a Gilder Lehrman teacher seminar. Each winner’s school will become a Gilder Lehrman affiliate school.

Moll is the social sciences department head and teaches Advanced Placement U.S. history, government and politics. She also is athletic director for the school, coaching cross country, swimming and rowing.

ARKANSAS ENERGY ROCKS!

Jaime

Cavitt, a teacher in the Springdale school district, received

The “Arkansas Energy

Rocks!” outstanding educator award during the Arkansas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners annual meeting Sept. 28 at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock. Cavitt works with gifted and talented students at Walker Elementary and Hellstern Middle School. Presenting the “Energy Rocks” award were Mike Callan, AIPRO president, Stephens Production Co.; Andy Miller, president of the Arkansas Energy Education Foundation, Southwestern Energy; Marty Durbin, executive vice president, American Petroleum Institute; and Tom Parker, executive director, Arkansas Petroleum Council.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Two representatives of Northwest Arkansas Community College were honored at the October conference of the Arkansas Association of Continuing and Adult Education.

Former adult education student

Zowe Decator was the recipient of the Luther

H. Black Scholarship, recognizing an Arkansas

High School Diploma (GED) graduate who demonstrates outstanding leadership, citizenship and professional promise.

Viktoria Eldridge was honored as the

2017 Adult Education teacher of the year.

Eldridge has been teaching in NWACC’s program for five years and currently teaches students who are 16 and 17 years of age and pursuing GEDs before they begin college classes.

BENTONVILLE GARDEN CLUB

The Bentonville Garden Club awarded scholarship to University of Arkansas students Juan Moscoso and Autumn Brown during the scholarship luncheon Nov. 3 for students in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.