aps voice, fall 2012

FALL 2012

Dear Patrons of the Arkadelphia School District,

It is with great pleasure that we present the first edition of the APS Voice, a newsletter designed to keep our parents and community apprised of the extraordinary achievements of our schools, students and staff in Arkadelphia. Our school district has a rich history of excellence in academics and extracurricu-lar activities in Arkansas and we take great pride in sharing our story with you. These successes could never be possible without the involvement of our supportive partners and we thank you for your commitment to our students and schools.

The beginning of school is in the books and we are off to an incredible start! In addition to our new teachers and staff, we are proud to welcome our new students and families to Arkadelphia Public Schools. Our enrollment continues to increase at every school as we focus on our vision of quality, excellence and equi-ty in all schools and programs.

This school year also brings several transitions in leadership within the district including Jill Hilton (District Treasurer), Sean Ruggles (Communications), Carla Narlesky (Assistant Principal at AHS), Judith Davis (Alternative School), Callie Hunley (Principal at Perritt) and Karrie Goodman (Board of Education). We look forward to seeing the great things they will accom-plish as they provide support to our students and programs across the district.

Finally, the Arkadelphia School District is proud to announce the opening of our New Tech Academy at Arkadel-phia High School. Our district was selected as one of the first schools in Arkansas to implement the model with a goal of 40 high schools by 2014. We encourage you to read more about this innovative initiative in our publica-tion and on their website at www.newtechnetwork.org. The future of our schools and district is very bright and we thank you for sharing your children with us.

Go Badgers!

Sincerely,

Donnie Whitten, Ed.S.Superintendent

6 New Faculty Welcome the new members of the Arkadelphia Public Schools team.

2 NewTechfindsstrongbeginning The approach to education at AHS is changing, making technology and teamwork central focuses.

4 AAIMS:Explainedbythenumbers AP classes and exams are serious business. The value of this program is surprising.

5 “TheWall”-TLIDataWallandTests Why does my student spend so much time testing?

Superintendent Donnie Whitten

Director of CommunicationsSean Ruggles

Communications InternNicole McPhate

Arkadelphia Public Schools Voice is a publication of the Arkadelphia Public Schools Department of Communica-tions. Questions regarding this publication may be directed to:

e-mail - [email protected]

phone - (870) 246-5564 x1214

mail - Arkadelphia Public Schools attn: Dept. of Comm. 235 N. 11th St. Arkadelphia, AR 71923

Arkadelphia Public Schools Board of Education

Dr. Jeff Root, President

Dr. Kenneth G. Harris, Jr., Vice President

Dr. Shelly Perrin, Secretary

Karrie Goodman

Billy Groom

Terri King

Rodney Moore

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The approach to education at Arka-delphia High School is changing, mak-ing technology and teamwork central focuses.

During September’s annual report to the public, a tour of AHS’s New Tech facility was led by Assistant Principal and AHS New Tech Director Cheryl Merk. AHS freshmen and teachers in-volved in the New Tech program guid-ed participants through the areas of AHS, remodeled to accommodate the paired classes and teamwork and tech-nology-oriented structure. Large class spaces, with circular tables with Smart Boards and laptops form the progres-sive learning environment designed to simulate the fast paced environments of modern college campuses and the workplace.

The program in its inaugural year at AHS, and was started with this year’s freshmen class. By 2016, the program will be integrated from freshmen to senior levels at the high school.

“It is extraordinary to see the idea of New Tech become a reality for our dis-trict in less than one year,” Superinten-dent Donnie Whitten said. “Our staff has done a tremendous job of prepar-ing for this innovative initiative.”

The first presentation of the tour was delivered by students from Bud Mc-Million and James Williams’s GeoDe-sign class, which is a “paired” class of engineering and geometry. The group’s design project was a smartphone case with an integrated ID card holder. Stu-dents explained how their group took an open ended assignment and then progressed as a team toward a physical, final product and what challenges they faced along the way.

Students elaborated on the advan-tages of having school-issued laptops to utilize on campus and at home; the most commonly cited advantage being that their text books are now replaced with e-book versions accessed through

their computers, eliminating the need to tote heavy backpacks back and forth to classes and home. The groups can also collaborate on projects via the in-ternet while working from home after the school day has ended. If a student was not able to be on campus during the day, due to illness or an activity that took them elsewhere, as long as there is access to the internet, they are still able to receive their assignments and continue work with their group in real time.

Other stops on the tour included ex-planations from students and teachers on key elements of the New Tech pro-gram including student norms, school-wide learning outcomes, and Echo.

The Student Norms were presented by students from Sean Queen and Ben Barras’s Humanities class, which pairs English and Civics/Economics. All 156 members of the freshmen class con-tributed to the creation of the norms which, in conjunction with the AHS handbook, defines the expectations of the students. The norms serve as the guidelines for day-to-day operation of the classrooms and include items such as students beginning work as soon as class starts without needing to be asked to do so, movement around the classroom being limited to only what is necessary and discipline matters being handled individually instead of blan-ket punishments being issued to entire

Above, AHS New Tech students work on projects in teams, collaborating through the use of online resources such as Echo and Google Docs which allow them to continue their work regardless of if they are on campus or not. Individual grades are given based on each student’s work and responsibili-ties. Members can be “fired” from their group for not contributing fairly.

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New Tech finds strong beginning

groups.“Every freshman had input on what

the norms would be,” Merk said. “After the norms were prepared, they pre-sented them to a board of faculty and parents for approval.”

Following the student norms pre-sentation, Kelly Foshee and Kather-ine Sykes explained the school-wide learning outcomes. Foshee and Sykes co teach Phylgebra, which is a pairing of Physical Science and Algebra. The school-wide learning outcomes estab-lish a rubric which determines how students in the New Tech program will be graded in every subject, and pro-vides a footing for students to better understand how the material they are

learning in the classroom is relevant to life after high school.

The school-wide learning outcomes are comprised of the following:60% - Content mastery: AHS New-

Tech students will learn the state ap-proved content for each class.10% - Critical thinking: AHS New-

Tech Students will be able to approach problem solving by considering a variety of viewpoints and will use orga-nized and rational methods for devel-oping solutions.10% - Communication: AHS New-

Tech Students will be able to effectively share ideas and knowledge through various modes including: Formal and informal writing, speaking, listening,

and the use of visual aids.5% - Collaboration: AHS NewTech

Students will be able to develop a pos-itive vocabulary and show an under-standing of group dynamics by work-ing together effectively in a professional environment.5% - Global and community aware-

ness: AHS NewTech Students will ac-tively engage and participate in making connections with their community and beyond while demonstrating an under-standing of global issues.5% - Technology: AHS NewTech

Students will be able to use available technological resources and demon-strate professional etiquette when using formal and informal communications.5% - Work ethic: AHS NewTech

Students will show the ability to be on time, on task, and contribute positively to school culture.

Since the learning outcomes are school-wide, the principles apply to every New Tech class. For instance, stu-dents in Algebra are also being graded on their ability to communicate using proper grammar.

Teachers Rebecca Alexander and Amy Hornsby ended the tour with a presen-tation on Echo, the online platform used to post assignments, provide the mate-rials necessary to complete assignments, host discussion forums for classes and groups and give students their grades.

“We owe the success of the tour to the teachers that were involved,” Merk said. “They were the ones who recruited the student presenters and really orchestrat-ed the event.”

As for the New Tech program over-all, Merk is pleased to see how well the freshmen are adapting the new environ-ment.

“It takes an entire district to make this program work,”Merk said, “and the students coming up from the middle school are very well prepared to take on this endeavor.”

Above, AHS New Tech students work on projects in teams, collaborating through the use of online resources such as Echo and Google Docs which allow them to continue their work regardless of if they are on campus or not. Individual grades are given based on each student’s work and responsibili-ties. Members can be “fired” from their group for not contributing fairly.

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$1,956,930 When the number of pass-ing scores on Math, Science and English AP assessments is multiplied by the average cost per college class in Arkansas, the total represents the amount that AAIMS students state-wide offset college expenses in the 2011-12 school year. By earning these college credits as high school students pass-ing AP exams, they collectively saved $1,956,930 in tuition alone.

$215 (average cost per college credit hour in Arkansas)X 3 (hours per average class) $645 (tuition cost per class)X 3,034 (AAIMS-supported passing AP scores) $1,956,930

$45,795 Using the same figures for calculat-ing college tuition, AHS students offset college tuition ex-penses by $45,795. Fifty-two AHS students earned 71 pass-ing scores on AP assessments in Math, Science and English during the 2011-12 school year. Not only will these students enter college with credit hours already accumulating, but they will be better prepared for the academic challenges of higher education because of the increased rigor of the high school AP curriculum.

“This curriculum, paired with our intense training and open enrollment, has allowed our campus to really dig deep and prepare our graduates for the rigor of college and career,” AHS Principal David Maxwell said. $645 (tuition cost per class)X 71 (passing AHS AP scores for 2011-12) $45,795

$14,200 At September’s AAIMS award assembly held at AHS, $14,200 of cash incentives were distributed to students and teachers. For every passing score a student earns on a Math, Science or English AP exam, they receive $100. For every student that earns as passing score on an AP exam in Math, Science or English, the teacher of that class earns $100. And cash incentives are just the beginning. AAIMS provides extensive training

for the AP /Pre-AP teachers during the summer as well as sessions throughout the school year. With the additional training, the teachers provide Saturday test prep sessions, after school tutoring, lead teacher to teacher teaming, and vertical team meetings for both middle school and high school campuses.

“This program has dramatically increased the number of students in my AP classes,” AHS AP Chemistry teacher Tanya Ruble said. “But more than that, it has provided me with training to ensure that I am able to help my students achieve success on the AP exams.”

$100 (cash incentive per passing score for student / teacher)X 71 (passing scores) $7,100 to students / $7,100 to teachers

103% In 2010 and prior to their involvement in AAIMS, AHS produced 35 passing scores on AP assess-ments. In 2012, after AAIMS had been in place for two years, the number of passing scores on AP assessments at AHS increased 103 percent, from 35 to 71. This statis-tic demonstrates that AAIMS is effective in achieving its primary goal: Producing more passing scores on AP assess-ments in Math, Science and English and therefore better preparing high school graduates for further study in STEM subject areas.

“The results from the past two years show a rather dra-matic increase in enrollment in these challenging AP cours-es,” AHS AAIMS coordinator Nancy Mortensen said.

82% Participation in the AP program at AHS has also seen a substantial increase. In 2010, 252 AP assess-ments were administered. In 2012, that number increased to 459. Some students even elect to take AP assessments in subjects that are not offered at AHS as a class, yet several still pass the AP test.

4 AHS ranked No. 4 in Arkansas in The Washington Post’s High School challenge index. The index score is the number of college-level tests given at a school in 2011 di-vided by the number of graduates that year.

Arkadelphia High School is one of 39 schools in Arkansas which was selected to participate in the Arkansas Ad-vanced Initiative for Math and Science. The AAIMS program provides teacher training and student and teacher incentives for succeeding in advanced placement (AP) courses. The central focus of the program is to increase the number of students enrolling in, and earning college credit through, the more challenging AP classes. Since the AA-IMS program is designed to assist the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Initiative (STEM), the AP classes included in AAIMS are only Math, Science and English.

AAIMS: Explained by the numbers

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What happens after the test ends, the pencils are down and the students breathe a sigh of relief? For students in Arkadelphia Public Schools, the end of a TLI test marks the beginning of a comprehensive examination of every test question and every test answer.

Do you ever wonder where test result data goes after it is delivered to schools? How is that data used? Does it impact the way teachers teach and classrooms are operated? Or does it sit on a shelf or in a closet? In Arkadelphia Public Schools, that data becomes the driving force behind almost every instruction-al decision, guiding teachers to adjust their classrooms to fit the needs of every student.

Every year for The Learning Insti-tute tests’, the district invests a lot of resources, the staff spends a lot of time organizing, and teachers spend a lot of time preparing the students, who spend a lot of time testing. This produces a lot of valuable information that teachers can use to determine what is work-ing and what is not. TLI testing dates average twice a month from September to April, so a school with more than 450 students, such as Goza Middle School, is analyzing about 7,200 individual test results in a school year. How does a school manage so much information?

Enter “The Wall.”“The Wall” is the instructional facili-

tator’s war room. This is where test data becomes a visual aid and the results are tracked test-to-test and year-to-year for every single student in both math and literacy. Trends in individual student, and overall school, performance are easily appreciated once the color coded cards, which show a combination of scores and demographic information, are arranged on white boards on the walls of the instructional facilitator’s room. TLI test are administered mul-tiple times a month throughout the school year and the trends in progress

can be seen just days after the test is giv-en. A room is set aside on each campus in the district to house the assessment wall. Access to the room is restricted to faculty and staff since the information on display is confidential.

“The cards are placed to show the most current round of scores,” GMS’s instructional facilitator Joan Crowder said. “Every time the students test and the results come back, the cards are rearranged.”

The APSD September Instructional Leadership Team meeting was held on GMS’s campus and led by school Principal Angela Garner. School princi-pals and instructional facilitators were joined by members of the administra-tion at the meeting to share ideas about increasing student achievement and utilizing test data to provide unique stu-dent guidance. Garner and Crowder’s presentation explained the ways their TLI data becomes a critical role in GMS’s classrooms.

“This (the assessment wall) shows the facts, the numbers,” Garner said. “There’s not any getting around it. The teachers meet in here and look at where their students are and they are able to see the results for themselves. This allows us to translate test data into in-dividual student success. We see where we might need to push a student harder or provide an intervention to get one on the right track. The teachers that buy-in see positive results.”

District-wide, TLI data keeps stu-dents, as well as faculty, on track to reach their greatest potential.

“The information we get from TLI interim assessments and the data walls being used on each campus allow our teachers and principals to make very specific, targeted instructional decisions based on the needs of individual stu-dents,” APSD Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jeanette Turner said. “We strongly believe in the power of

data-driven decision making.”Because of the focus on student-spe-

cific results, school faculty can tell what kind of misconceptions a student may have based on the wrong answer choic-es they make on a TLI test. For exam-ple, if a student adds “47 + 15” and in-correctly selects “52” as the answer and that student is consistently making the same mistake, then it can be assumed the student understands the concept of addition, but he or she is forgetting to “carry” or regroup. The teacher would then work with that student individual-ly to correct that specific misconception instead of unnecessarily spending valu-able class time re-teaching multi-digit addition to the entire class.

The end goal is student success. TLI tests and “The Wall” are another set of tools in the educator’s quiver.

“With these tests, practice is harder than the game,” Garner said. “Often stu-dents will take the state (Benchmark) test, after testing with TLI throughout the year, and say that the state test was easy.”

TLI: Data driven decisions

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Goza Middle School Principal Angela Garner explains the arrangement of color-coded cards on “The Wall” as they relate to student test scores.

//Erin Oldershawposition:

hometown:Gainesvill, FL (& all over)

Special Education Resource Teacher

education:B.S.E & M.S.EUniversity of Florida

previous position:Special EducationAlachua County School District

family:Travis HusbandGraham & TessChildren

hobbies:Cooking, exercising, Gator football games & watching my children in events.

best part of Central?“The kids are great! The staff is very supportive.”

favorite part of teaching?“I love seeing a student ‘get it’ for the first time.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“I like the small town atmo-sphere. I think it’s the friendliest place I have ever lived.”

# of years teaching:6

//Jana Kellyposition:

hometown:Arkadelphia, AR

Speech Pathologist

education:B.A Communication DisordersHenderson State UniversityM.S Communication DisordersUniversity of Central Arkansas

previous position:Speech PathologistCenterpoint School District

family:Mikayla Daughter

hobbies:Floating, going to the beach, member of Emmaus Community (attending walk to Emmaus Ceremonies).

best part of Central?“All of the support from co-workers and the positive attitudes used with the students.”

favorite part of teaching?“When a student first realizes they have done a skill succcessfully.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“The beautiful lakes and rivers that are near Arka-delphia.”


//Ashley Hunterposition:


Paraprofessional

education:B.A SociologyUniversity of North TexasM.A. Clinical & Mental HealthCounselingUniversity of Central Arkansas

previous position:Speech PathologistCenterpoint School District

family:Anaiya & AmariChildren

hobbies:Reading, writing, playingboard games and event planning.

best part of Perritt?“All the wonderful children.”

favorite part of teaching?“Being able to help children reach their goals.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“My grandmother’s house.”


//Callie Hunleyposition:

hometown:Ashdown, AR

Principal

education:B.A Speech PathologyOuachita Baptist University M.S. Special EducationTexas A & M, TexarkanaEd. Leadership SAU

previous position:PrincipalForeman School District

family:Schaff, Jack & HenrySons

hobbies:Reading & spending time with her sons.

best part of Perritt?“The kids! I also love the rich history.”

favorite part of teaching?

favorite part of Arkadelphia?


“Every day is different.”

“The people - everyone has been so kind in welcoming us to Arkadelphia.”

//Phyllis DeLoachposition:


Paraprofessional

education:B.A Buisness/Ed.Philander Smith College

previous position:Rainbow Junction

family:4 children, one grandson & one on the way.

hobbies:Surfing the net, meeting people, attending church & community events.

best part of Perritt?“The children and staff.”

favorite part of teaching?

favorite part of Arkadelphia?

# of years teaching:20+

“I learn something new everyday.”

“The hometown environment.”

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//Brandi Cottonposition:

hometown:Sparkman, AR

5th Grade Math & Science

education:B.S.E Middle Level Education (Math & Science)Henderson State Univeristy

previous position:Claims ProcessorProgressive Insurance

family:Married with two sons.

hobbies:Enjoying outdoors, sporting events, working in the yard and decorating cakes.

best part of Peake?“The teachers & administrative staff have been very welcoming.”

favorite part of teaching?“I love when students have the ‘light bulb moments’ when it all clicks into place.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“Besides Sonic happy hour, I would have to say the water park, youth sports complex and DeGray Lake.”


//Jessica Glaserposition:

hometown:Greenwood, AR

4th Grade Math & Science

education:B.S.E Early Childhood EducationHenderson State Univeristy

family:Fiancé.

hobbies:Reading, hiking, being outdoors, gardening, spending time with family & traveling.

best part of Peake?“I love the friendly environment.”

favorite part of teaching?“The students. I can’t wait to get to school in the mornings because I know something funny will be said first thing.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“Lake Degray and Henderson football games.”

# of years teaching:

//Jodie Daniellposition:

hometown:Sparkman, AR

4th Grade

education:B.A Mass Communications Ouachita Baptist Univeristy

Non-traditional Teacher LicensureArkansas Dept. of Education

family:MikeHusbandTyler, Colby & BradySons

hobbies:Horses, fishing, gardening and cooking.

best part of Peake?“Friendly atmosphere focused on student learning.”

favorite part of teaching?“I enjoy having the opportunity to teach students life-long lessons that go beyond the classroom.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“I went to college here so it’s home!”


//Leah Boyetteposition:


4th Grade Literacy & Social Studies

education:B.S.E Early Childhood EducationHenderson state Univeristy

hobbies:Spending time with family& friends, camping, goingto the beach and Razorback football.

best part of Peake?“Everyone works together.”

favorite part of teaching?“Helping the students succeed for the future.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“Close knit community.”


//Grenellya “Nikki” Hannahposition:


Self Contained Teacher

education:B.A TelecommunicationsMorgan State UniversityM.A. Sped California State University

previous position:Dean of StudentsCompton High School

family:Hannah & Gabriel Children

hobbies:Travel, swimming, fitness, cooking, television/movies, and reading.

best part of Peake?“I love the family atmosphere.”

favorite part of teaching?“Watching children come to campus day one as seedlings, and blossom into a field of flowered possibilities by the end of the school year.” ”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“DeGray Lake and outdoors.”


Rainbow Junction

“The children and staff.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“The hometown environment.”

First-Year Teacher

First-Year Teacher

7

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//Jennifer Coonposition:

hometown:Benton, AR

Teacher & Coach

education:B.S.EOuachita Baptist UniversityM.S.EHenderson State University

previous position:Teacher & CoachPleasant Grove ISD

family:MarkHusbandJacob & JudsenSons

hobbies:Running, Pinterest, watch-ing her kids play sports.

best part of Goza?“It’s a great place to be!”

favorite part of teaching?“Every day is different.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“Both of our moms live here, and so do other family mem-bers!”


//Kimberly Davisposition:

hometown:Little Rock, AR

GT

education:B.S.E & M.S.EUALR

previous position:7th Grade TeacherBryant Middle School

family:Married with one daughter & another on the way.

hobbies:Reading, traveling, swim-ming and playing outside with my daughter.

best part of Goza?“The friendly, dedicated faculty and staff.”

favorite part of teaching?“Spending time with kids.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“It’s a beautiful part of the country!”


//Randi Hasleyposition:

hometown:DeQueen, AR

7th Grade Math

education:B.S.E

previous position:Student

family:CoyHusband TaylorDaughter

hobbies:Crafts and going to thebeach.

best part of Goza?“I have a FANTASTICprincipal who truly caresabout her employees!”

favorite part of teaching?“I love seeing the light bulbmoments when they finallyunderstand a concept!”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“It’s a small community and everyone knows just about everyone.”


//Vicki Nuttposition:

hometown:Fort Worth, TX

6th Grade Resource Teacher

education:Undergrad & MastersTexas Christian University

previous position:AVID Teacher (College Readiness)Early College High School

family:DennisHusband Macy & MycaDaughters

hobbies:Reading and traveling.

best part of Goza?“The staff is awesome, ex-tremely helpful & support-ive of one another.”

favorite part of teaching?“Making a difference in student’s lives.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“The people, everyone is so nice here.”


First-Year Teacher

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//Melanie Williamsposition:

hometown:Hot Springs, AR

Special EducationSelf-Contained

education:B.S.E Henderson State UniversityMasters in Special EducationArkansas State University

previous position:Special Education Aide & Bus DriverLake Hamilton Intermediate School

family:SteveHusband Faith & JamesChildren

hobbies:Taking care of animals and traveling.

best part of Goza?“The atmosphere is wonder-ful and uplifting!”

favorite part of teaching?“I love when a student finally gets it. It is a very rewarding job.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“Everyone is very friend-ly and welcoming.”


//Misty Smithposition:

hometown:Genoa, AR

6th Grade Literacy

education:B.S. Education Henderson State University

previous position:5th Grade Math/Science Teacher

family:JeremyHusband Carson & EmilyChildren

hobbies:Running, reading, excercis-ing and Bible study.

best part of Goza?“They work hard, but they also play hard.”

favorite part of teaching?“Seeing students get it. They thank me, but really I thank them because of their hard work. They did it!”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“It has a small town feel, but it’s close enough to larger cites if you need that flare.”


//Tami Greenposition:

hometown:Malvern, AR

7th Grade Social Studies & History

education:Undergrad Henderson State UniversityGraduateUniversity of Arkansas

previous position:English & Special EducationOuachita Jr. High & High School

family:KeithHusband Madi & McKinleyDaughters

hobbies:Outdoor sports, flower gar-dens, drawing & traveling.

best part of Goza?“Teenagers. And I love the faculty.”

favorite part of teaching?“I love watching their confi-dences build as they realize that they CAN reach their potentials & see their dreams come true.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“Outdoor wildlife, lakes, rivers and sports.”


//Dolores Fae Williamsposition:

hometown:Stamps, AR

6th Grade Social Studies

education:B.S.E Henderson State UniversityM.S Theory & EducationArkansas State University

previous position:Worked for APSD for 10 years in various positions.

family:Donald Husband Dimitri & KaitlynChildren

hobbies:Cooking, reading and play-ing the piano & Hammond organ.

best part of Goza?“I love the administration and I am working with a great group of great teachers!”

favorite part of teaching?“I love teaching the students!”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“Marrying my husband who was from here & it then became my hometown.”

# of years teaching:First-Year Teacher

//Carolanne Pinegarposition:

hometown:Gurdon, AR

Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher

education:B.S. Family & Consumer SciencesHenderson State UniversityM.A.T. Southern Arkansas University

previous position:Enterprise Business SalesHewlett Packard

family:Zack PinegarHusband

hobbies:Running, sewing, decorating and being outdoors.

best part of AHS?“I have had several teachers be very supportive of me as afirst year teacher.”

favorite part of teaching?“No day is ever the same!”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“I enjoy being close to my family again.”

//Donna Jonesposition:

hometown:Malvern, AR

Math Teacher

education:BSBA, BSE, MSE

previous position:Math TeacherForrest City School District

family:Aiden McCall JonesDaughter

hobbies:Camping, hiking, reading,playing with Aiden and my dogs.

best part of AHS?“The community & staff are always willing to helpmake this school the very best.”

favorite part of teaching?“When the student’s facelights up right after they get a difficult math concept.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“The drive for excellence in education to help all students reach their goal of graduating and going to college.”

# of years teaching:18.5

//David Gustavesonposition:

hometown:Neosho, MO

Marketing Education Internship Coordinator

education:B.S. Business AdministrationMissouri Southern State CollegeM.A.T Missouri State University

previous position:Business Education Instructor, FBLA Adviser, DECA Co-AdvisorHillcrest High School

best part of AHS?“The community & staff are always willing to help make this school the very best.”


//Eli Cranorposition:

hometown:Russellville, AR

10th Grade English& Football Coach Offensive Coordinator

education:UndergradOuachita Baptist University

previous position:QuaterbackCarlstad Crusaders

family:Mallory LawrenceFiance

hobbies:Playing guitar, fishing,reading & writing.

best part of AHS?“I love the Badgers!”

favorite part of teaching?“The kids.”

favorite part of Arkadelphia?“It has a lot of attractions for a small town.”

//Carla Narleskyposition:


Assitant Principal

education:Educational Specialist Henderson State University

previous position:School Achievement ServicesPearson School District

family:MarkHusbandCamdon & Sam Sons

hobbies:Cooking, reading and listening to opera.

best part of AHS?“It’s a privilege and honorto serve the school that taught me and served me well.”

favorite part of teaching?“Watching students learn new concepts and invent new ways of teaching eachother and us.”

# of years in education:15



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aps voice, fall 2012

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