Eureka Springs School District

The ESHS Cheer Squad attended a 3-day UCA camp and was awarded superior ratings after their evaluations. We are proud of their hard work and we are excited for the upcoming season!

Please join us in celebrating these teachers who were recognized by the state for high student achievement, high student growth and/or teaching in a shortage area: Susan Ragsdale, Eric Hearth, Tilenna Hill, Misty Holloway, Kyle Farrar, Carrie Gay and Shawna Miller (not pictured).

A big welcome to Mr. Aaron Standridge! He will be teaching music at ESES and ESMS, grades K-8! Here's more about him! ⁃- What inspired you to join our team? Eureka Springs is an arts driven community but also a small town. It’s a perfect place for me and my wife to settle down. ⁃- What are you most excited about in your new role? I’m most excited about becoming a music teacher: having my own classroom, my own program, and making ESSD my home. ⁃ - What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? My hobbies or interest include spending time with my wife, watching movies, and playing video games. When I get the time I love to work on classic cars. ⁃- What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? The thing I love most about teaching is being able to make a difference through building a community in music. I love being able to enrich students’ lives. ⁃- One fun fact! I am an Eagle Scout. I went from being to a Tiger Cub in the Cub Scouts to an Eagle Scout. Only 7% of kids who start Boy Scouts as a Tiger Cub become an Eagle Scout.

Mr. Jarrett McIntyre will be joining the ESMS as a 5th grade language arts and social studies teacher! Here's more about Jarrett! - What inspired you to join our team? I come from a small town in Oklahoma, because of my upbringing I have always wanted to to teach in a community that is close and values the individual. Eureka Springs seems to be the epitome of this. - What are you most excited about in your new role? I am excited to make learning personal in the classroom, both between myself and the students and with the students and their education. - What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? I genuinely like camping, and watching classic films. - What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? I enjoy the opportunity to educate young minds and facilitate original thought in the classroom. One fun fact! Although I am not originally from the area I have often visited Eureka Springs and was love with the town before I ever knew I would be a local.

Help us welcome a dynamic duo to the district! Mrs. Brandie Taylor will teach 4th grade at ESES and Mr. Cody Taylor will teach 5th/6th grade science at ESMS! Here's more about them! What inspired you to join our team? We have loved NW Arkansas for many years and finally decided to relocate there. We’ve enjoyed Eureka Springs from our many visits and we felt very welcomed by the staff and superintendent. We knew this was the right fit for us. - What are you most excited about in your new role? We are looking forward to teaching on smaller campuses than we’re accustomed to, which will give us the opportunity to get to know our students, parents, and community better. - What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? We are avid outdoors people and we enjoy tent camping as well as in our RV. One of our bucket list goals is to visit every national park in the lower 48 states. We are now well over halfway to meeting that goal. - What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? We enjoy the relationships we build with our students. It’s rewarding in itself to see students achieve success through the effort they put forth. - One fun fact! We met while working on the set of an NBC Miniseries featuring Sally Field. Cody worked in the camera department and Brandie worked in costumes. We both worked on feature films and TV productions before leaving that glamorous industry for the glamour of teaching.

Hello everyone! Our Wonderful Wednesdays have been going great so far! Next week, Mrs. Amy will be away at a conference so our fantastic art teacher, Mrs. Shelby, will be taking over! Please plan on joining us on June 19th from 10am - 2pm for a surprise craft and all kinds of fun! We hope to see you then!

Please help us welcome our new Child Nutrition Director, Ms. Halli Ceola! Here's more about Halli and her desire to work with the nutrition team!! -What inspired you to join our team? I have always loved Eureka and how beautiful the area is. I have 16 years experience in child and adult nutrition and I love working with children, food, recipes and nutrition . I'm all about scratch homemade meals and trying new recipes. - What are you most excited about in your new role? I am most excited about working with my staff in creating new recipes and making good from scratch meals. - What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? I love being out in nature, gardening, spending time with family , friends and my animals. - What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? I like making connections with the students and of course baking/cooking and experimenting with different recipes - One fun fact! I am Italian , my family came here with from Italy and were some of the first settlers in Tontitown and later started the Venesian Inn.

Parents - If you have already signed up for this program or would like to, please fill out the form only one time! Thank you FREE summer meals for kids!! ESSD staff and volunteers are hard at work to provide meals for kids 18 and under. If you would like to participate please follow the link provided to sign up: https://ss.ly/OKaFdz "The Federal Government is allowing rural schools, such as Eureka Springs, to provide non-congregate, free meals to children under the age of 18. "Non-congregate" means that we can provide up to 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches, each week during the summer. ANY child aged 18 and under qualifies, even if they don't attend a public school. "

📣 Hey Highlanders!! Come meet your new principal! 👨‍🏫 Join us for a Meet and Greet on the available dates. We can’t wait to see you there!

We'd like you to meet and welcome our new school counselor for grades 7-12, Mrs. Gena Wenger! Here's more about her: -What inspired you to join our team? After completing 28 years in education and school counseling in Missouri, it was my desire to continue to advocate for children and foster and strengthen their social, emotional, and academic well-being. - What are you most excited about in your new role? Being new to the area, I'm most excited about planting roots in the community. Getting to know the staff, the students, and their families is extremely exciting to me. I love people and I already love this area so much after living here just two short years. I hope to add to the positive school climate and continue the tradition of fostering a supportive community. It's extremely important to me to contribute to this type of environment. - What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? Oh Goodness, well we live on the lake...so you can imagine. We love to boat, we love to jeep, and we love to spend time with our friends and family (especially our two grandbabies). My husband is retired but still does a lot of coaching basketball so we are extremely busy! We also own two short term rentals called "It's a Match Cottages at Table Rock Lake" in Eagle Rock that we love sharing with those that are looking for a relaxing and fun time on the lake, or exploring Eureka Springs. - What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? To me that's a pretty easy question to answer because it just comes down to caring for and serving kids. The opportunity to guide and influence young people during their formative years, helping them to build resilience, make informed decisions, and achieve their potential, can be incredibly fulfilling. - One fun fact! I was born and raised in Colorado and love the Rocky Mountains, just built our dream home on the lake, love music and in my mind I can sing a mean karaoke...but again, that's only in my mind! Welcome to the ESSD family, Gena!

Important information regarding ES Elementary School Kindergarten registration... If you were unable to attend our recent kindergarten registration event, please contact Ms. Kim at 479-253-8704 to make an appointment as soon as possible. It is important to register now so we may plan accordingly for the 24-25 school year. This will also ensure that your child has been assigned to a classroom for our Open House event to meet their new teacher. *** If Ms. Kim is unable to answer your call or on another line, please leave a message!!

Hello everyone! Our Wonderful Wednesday last week was a huge success! Thank you to all who came. Last week, we were building things. This Wednesday, what can you create using color? We will be painting rocks, making jewelry, coloring on giant art sheets, working with clay, and making a poster using colored tiny post-it notes. Reminder - parents must stay with their child. We will be in the library from 10am - 2pm. See you then!

Hey ESHS students and families! Help us welcome your new principal, Dr. Jacob Hayward! 🏫 Here's a little bit about him! What inspired you to join our team?- Eureka Springs has always been a place that my wife and I enjoyed coming to see and experience, whether it be the Opera in the Ozarks or just a quick weekend getaway. Eureka Springs has always had a high level of academic excellence coupled with being student focused and an inclusive school culture. When this opportunity presents itself, I knew I needed to apply for the position and wanted to be a part of this district. My hope is to be able to continue on with the high level of excellence already found here! - What are you most excited about in your new role? Getting to support students and staff in a high school setting again. It has always been very rewarding to watch students grow over the years they are in high school, meet their graduation goal, and start on a new adventure post high school. - What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? I have a blended family of 5 children, all of whom are grown and married. With this, I have now become an Obi to 8 grandchildren, whose ages range from 1 to 10 years. These littles keep me busy much of the time. When I do get time, I enjoy reading, traveling with my wife, and being with my friends. I am also a huge fan of Star Wars, collect comics and attend various comic conventions when I can. - What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? While it may sound a bit cliche, I really do enjoy working with the students and helping them reach their goals. There is so much promise and potential with each individual student. - One fun fact! I am a US Army veteran who has jumped out of perfectly good airplanes. Welcome to the ESSD family! ✏️

Please help us welcome Ben Johnson to the district!! 📝 Mr. Johnson will be teaching English Language Arts at the high school! Here's a little bit about him: -What inspired you to join our team? I was inspired to join the ESSD team once I discovered their mission to achieve and maintain academic excellence with students! -What are you most excited about in your new role? I am most excited to embrace the new opportunities and relationships that come with being apart of the ESSD team! -What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? Outside of work, I love getting to spend time with my Fiancee’ and our cat. I’m a pretty huge nerd who loves video games, comics, exercising, and football. -What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? I would say what I enjoy most about teaching is getting to work with students to try and unlock their fullest potential! Approaching an issue and allowing ourselves to solve that issue as a team is such a rewarding experience. -Tell us a fun fact! A fun fact is that I am probably the biggest Packers fan you’ll ever meet. I'm currently working on a bucket list to watch a game at every NFL stadium (checked off six so far). Welcome to the ESSD family! 🏫

Please help us welcome Tara Scott to the district!! 📝 Tara will be teaching 1st grade at ESES!! Here's a little bit about her: -What inspired you to join our team? I was looking for a fresh start and a school with an innovative administration and collaborative community. I am excited to be a part of this amazing team! -What are you most excited about in your new role? I can’t wait to meet my class and get to know everyone! I’m looking forward to learning more about my students and developing future leaders. -What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? When I’m not at work, I enjoy being at home with my family. I also love the outdoors, traveling, and attending my boys’ sports events. -What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? I love being a teacher and being a part of all the tiny moments that build knowledge, character and creativity in students. I love the friendships and relationships that are built in the classroom, the hallways, and the playground. Those good morning smiles and hugs make it worth it every single day! -Tell us a fun fact! Did you know that I once performed in a play that Morgan Freeman watched? 😊 Welcome to the ESSD crew! 🏫

Please help us welcome Amber Jester to the district!! 📝 Amber will be teaching Special Education in grades 7-12. Here's a little bit about her: -What inspired you to join our team? When my husband and I decided to move to the area, I knew I wanted to plug in with the community and work at the local school district if possible. We have heard amazing things about the Eureka Springs school district and all that it has to offer to students. -What are you most excited about in your new role? I am excited to go back to the classroom to work with students after working at large Texas school districts coaching/training staff over the past few years. -What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? I enjoy reading, drinking coffee, taking our dogs on walks, and playing board games with our son. -What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? Public education has always been my passion. I believe every student deserves the best education and success is individualized. I enjoy watching students realize they can succeed no matter what they struggle with or where they come from. -Tell us a fun fact! I love watching a good documentary!

FREE summer meals for kids!! ESSD staff and volunteers are hard at work to provide meals for kids 18 and under. If you would like to participate please follow the link provided to sign up: https://ss.ly/OKaFdz "The Federal Government is allowing rural schools, such as Eureka Springs, to provide non-congregate, free meals to children under the age of 18. "Non-congregate" means that we can provide up to 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches, each week during the summer. ANY child aged 18 and under qualifies, even if they don't attend a public school. "

It's here!! Our first Wonderful Wednesday! We will be here from 10:00am - 2:00pm. Today is all about building things with Legos, blocks, cups, Brain Flakes, straws, and Clip Connects. Using your imagination, what can you create? Remember - parents you must stay with your child. We hope to see you today!

We had so much fun meeting our new Scotties and their families at our "Kindergarten Signing" event today!!! If you were unable to attend, we will be posting further information regarding how you may register. Please continue to follow us here or check the ESSD website.

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