Tag Archives: Jonesboro Public Schools

Jonesboro Public Schools welcome new nationally certified board teachers

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By Krishnan Collins
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO –The Jonesboro Public Schools’ school board recognized eight new nationally certified board teachers at the JPS school board meeting Feb 11.

   The district now has 44 nationally certified board teachers and the process to become a nationally certified board teacher is a challenging process. 

    Christopher Taylor, a kindergarten teacher, described the challenges. 

   “Intense,” Taylor said. “It was very intense. It was probably one of the hardest professional things I’ve ever had to do. But I feel like it’s made me a better teacher. As I was going through the process I was actually able to see things that would help me improve as a teacher.”

   Teachers worked for months and sometimes even years producing videos, collaborating and typing reports all to be able to identify student needs inside and outside of the classroom. One teacher said there were 100 plus pages of typed material in the process. 

   Although a big goal of the process was identifying student needs, the ability to identify teacher needs was also gained. 

   The JPS board did not divert from the agenda on a very straight forward meeting night. The board did enter executive session, as the agenda said it would, to discuss employment, transfers, resignations and retirement for the 2020-21 school year. 

   Some discussion ensued over the issue of approving next school year’s academic calendar.    

   Board member Archie Ryan asked, “Is there anything unusual about the calendar?”

    It was said there was nothing unusual about the calendar but the school year would be starting on Aug. 13 which is the first day the district is allowed to have school and on a Thursday. The calendar also allows school to get out seemingly earlier than usual as school will end before Memorial Day. Memorial day in 2021 is May 31. 

   Students of Annie Camp Junior High School, Jimaria Jackson, Diamonique Reynolds, A’niah Graves, McKinna Robinson and Allannah Orsby were recognized at the board meeting after saving the life of a man who was going to attempt suicide. 

   According to KAIT8, Dec. 5, 2019, the members of the Annie Camp Junior High School basketball team were walking to Sonic. On the way there, they saw a man tying cords to a bridge and he put a cord around his neck. 

   The players called the police and continued to talk to the man. The man’s life was saved as officers arrived on the scene. 

   The JPS board’s next meeting is set for March 10 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in the JPS administration building.

Editors Note: Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

NEARK Schools Prepare for Solar Eclipse

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by Tucker Crain
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Northeast Arkansas high schools are taking the necessary precautions in preparation for viewing the solar eclipse on Monday, Aug. 21.

The eclipse, which is predicted to take place around 1 p.m., will be visible in the United States from coast-to-coast for the first time since 1918. This brings a new challenge to the school districts, which have not faced the prospect of viewing a potentially hazardous eclipse in recent memory.

The Valley View School District opted out of allowing the students to view the eclipse altogether. Select schools in the Jonesboro, Nettleton, Westside and Ridgefield Christian districts are allowing students to view the eclipse.

“No one will be outside watching the eclipse. Our district made the decision to stay inside and watch a livestream instead,” said David Goodin, Valley View High School principal. “We were worried about the glasses. They’re supposed to be one-size-fits-all, but maybe they don’t fit some students. Younger students may not use the glasses properly, or someone might take their glasses off and get hurt.”

Valley View decided to stream the eclipse instead of going outside to watch even after consent forms were sent home with students. Glasses purchased for the event will go unused.

“Our older students may be checked out by their parents to watch the eclipse with their own approved glasses, and that’s fine. This decision is really just for the general welfare of our student body,” Goodin said.

At Jonesboro Public Schools, all students will be supplied with glasses and allowed to watch the eclipse with an approved consent form.

“We purchased approved solar eclipse glasses for all the students and faculty in the Jonesboro Public Schools district, except for our kindergarten and pre-K students,” Carol Neves, Jonesboro Public School District’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math specialist. “Every student has a permission slip to get signed by a parent or guardian to be able to watch it. If they don’t get it signed, we’ll still be streaming the event inside our buildings.”

Jonesboro Public Schools is the only district allowing all of its students to watch the solar eclipse. Nettleton, Westside and Ridgefield Christian are only allowing older students to watch, though “older” is different at every district.

“Our eighth-grade through 12th-grade students can view the eclipse. We have contacted local eye doctors and developed a safety plan for what type of glasses to use,” said Michael Graham, Westside High School principal. “We’re conducting a safety briefing before the event. We’ve had some concerns, but our consultations with the local specialists made us feel like students will be safe to watch.”

Ridgefield Christian will also allow seventh-grade students to watch.

“Our secondary students will be invited to view the event. Our glasses will be provided free of charge, but the students must have their consent form approved by a parent or guardian. All our younger students will watch a stream online,” said academic adviser Veronica Reeves.

While other schools secured enough glasses for all students to view the eclipse, the Nettleton School District only secured enough for certain classes.

“All of our science classes will be viewing the eclipse, and we’re trying to find enough glasses to get the entire school out there,” said Brian Carter, Nettleton High School principal. “The ninth through 12th-grade students who are in a science class during the eclipse will be able to go outside and watch it if they have their consent form signed by a parent or guardian.”

The path of the solar eclipse will show between 75-90 percent totality in Jonesboro and the surrounding areas. The totality in each area lasts around 2 minutes and should not be looked at without using approved glasses.

Bus Drivers Keep Students Safe

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by Austin Hayslip
Courtesy of A-State Department of Media

JONESBORO — “It’s a challenge. It’s a big challenge driving a school bus,” school bus driver Barney Totten said.

The most precious cargo you could ever transport. Fifty anxious kids sitting on the bus with their friends, waiting for their stop; the bus driver with one mission on his mind — getting them home safely. But before any driver is allowed behind the wheel, they go through pretty extensive training.

“You hit two cones, you fail,” Jonesboro Public Schools’ Transportation Director Mickey Long said.

After applying for the job, you immediately take a test.

“They have to take a written test, which is four parts. They have to take a general knowledge, air brakes, passenger and school bus, that’s the four sections,” Long said.

Then if you pass the test, you begin training for the district to ensure you can actually handle the bus. But before you’re allowed to drive on your own, you ride with the trainer. Then the trainer rides with you — this all before kids are even on the bus.

“Until those people feel good and the new person feels good, they’re not turned loose on their own,” Long said.

Totten said you’re doing more than just driving the bus.

“As a bus driver, you probably spend the biggest majority of your time looking at the student mirror up here in the front to see what the kids are doing in the back,” he said.

While there is a lot of attention on school bus drivers right now, Long is confident students are safe on his busses.