Shirley School District

Ms. Johnson earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Alabama, Class of 2020, and has always had a deep appreciation for the way math connects us all—it’s the same in every language. She is passionate about creating a supportive, engaging classroom where students feel confident exploring problem-solving and critical thinking.

Outside of school, Ms. Johnson enjoys kayaking, getting lost in a good video game, and relaxing at home with her two cats—Magic and Leroy—who are both turning 7 this summer. She is also a devoted fan of The Lord of the Rings.

Ms. Johnson says, "From the wisdom of Gandalf to the courage of Frodo, I carry a bit of Middle-earth with me wherever I go. One of my favorite reminders: 'Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.' I’m beyond excited to begin this journey and bring a little heart, a little humor, and maybe even a little hobbit energy to the classroom. After all, *“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”—*and I plan to use mine helping students discover their own strengths, one equation at a time."

Coach Brandon is a recent graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, where he earned his degree in Physical Education Teacher Education with a Coaching Endorsement. Although he was raised in Arlington, Texas, he finished his high school career at Conway High School. Outside of coaching, he is an avid golfer and enjoys spending quality time with friends and family. He is recently engaged to his college sweetheart and is a proud parent to two fur children, Lila and Stink.

Coach Brandon has been a proud supporter of Shirley basketball for the past couple of years, as Coach Pettit, his good friend and former roommate, has shared his passion and pride for the program. Coach Brandon says, "I'm excited to officially join the Shirley High School community and look forward to making a positive impact both in the classroom and on the field."

Mrs. Jackson is a wife and mother to four amazing kids, ages 20 to 8, and is excited to be joining the team at Shirley! She is a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a degree in Animal Science and Agricultural Engineering Technology, and also holds an associate degree in Animal Science and Ranch Management from Trinity Valley Community College. Mrs. Jackson has a background in agricultural education with two years of classroom experience in Texas and over 15 years of involvement in the industry through my work with Arkansas FFA, Arkansas 4-H, Arkansas Farm Bureau, and community ag events. She is passionate about hands-on, real-world learning and helping students build skills that prepare them for life beyond the classroom. Mrs. Jackson says, "I look forward to becoming part of the Shirley community and making a positive impact both in and out of the classroom."

As Summer ACES is coming to an end, we want to make sure you are all gearing up for the school year program starting in August. Our students are discovering that math, science, literacy, and history can be FUN and are looking forward to continuing the good times when school starts back. We have had a slight change of plans in our calendar for the 25-26 school year. We will extend our Monday program to 3:30 p.m. and will not have programming Tuesday - Thursday due to an extended regular school day. As for the timing of Monday ACES, we will continue to serve breakfast at 8:00 a.m. followed by sessions designed to provide enrichment and intervention for all students. Lunch will be served each day at 11:30 a.m. There will also be time each day for things like Blue Devil Book Club, Mr. Wiggins' T.I.E. Club for Young Men, and many opportunities to learn the concept of proper physical activity and nutrition. Registration forms can be found on Class Dojo and the Shirley School District Facebook page. New registration forms will also be sent home at Open House with the first day of school paperwork. Please take time to complete the registration forms and give your children the opportunity to learn and grow with our Shirley Out-of-School program, ACES.

Shirley School District is excited to welcome Courtland Clark as a new teacher in the high school. Mr. Clark is a 26-year-old husband, father, hunter, avid reader, and coffee connoisseur. He graduated from high school in Lavaca, AR, before getting a Bachelor's Degree in Christian Ministry from Oklahoma Baptist University. He and his wife moved back to Arkansas in August of 2023, and that is when he first became involved with the Shirley School District. Mr. Clark says, "I am excited to join the staff as a teacher because I have observed the culture change that has happened at Shirley Schools, and I am ready to contribute and observe the success of our students!”

Week 2 is a wrap! On to the final week of Summer ACES! We have had some fun! I wonder what Week 3 has in store for us!

Reminder: 📢 Attention Parents & Guardians: Starting in the 2025–2026 school year, Arkansas law (SB142, now Act 122) mandates a strict “bell-to-bell” ban on all personal electronic devices—such as cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, and Bluetooth-capable gadgets—during the school day unless explicitly allowed. Shirley Schools has not updated the school policy at this time. We just wanted to give some advanced information to keep you informed. 📚 Why? This law aims to enhance learning, reduce distractions, and improve student mental health by minimizing unrestricted smartphone and social media access during instructional hours.

What does it mean to think in pictures? This is what our Summer ACES K-2 students talked about this morning. After reading The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca with Mrs. Angie, the students talked about all the different things they think about throughout the day. Many thought of their families. Some thought about things they are learning about this week. Others thought about their favorite things. Thinking in pictures is just one way to describe our thought processes. Using fine motor skills like coloring, drawing, and using scissors and rulers, students were asked to draw their thoughts and create a spinning selfie that showcases those thoughts. This was a ton of fun. Learning about how others think and how just because it is different from our way of thinking, it doesn't make the person any less, only different. Being unique is a good thing!

Week 1 is in the books! Let's move on to Week 2 and see what sort of fun we can find!

Sometimes, learning isn't all fun and games. However, here at Summer ACES, we do our best to make it as fun as possible. Multiplication facts and money counting were hot topics in math with the 3-6 students this week. Even if it isn't the most popular subject in school, the right incentives can trigger the best learning. In this case, giant Connect4 helped with multiplication while the game Making Change helped with the money. Fun math is the best math!

Ms. Tonya and Mrs. Auderia have been working with the Summer ACES program on Arkansas History this week. These students were amazed when they stepped outside and noticed that the district had Arkansas flags hanging across campus. Isn't it great when education is FUN!!

The first two days of Summer ACES have been a HIT! The kids are learning all about teamwork, sharing, nutrition at school, Arkansas History, tall tales, and so much more! Thank you to our teachers, Tonya Clark, Auderia Cooper, Angela Bennett, and Kannon Bradley, for taking time out of your summer to help these students learn more about what it means to be a Blue Devil! Mrs. Angie

We proudly announce that Shirley School District's Blue Devil Cafe has received a Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award for making improvements to the nutritional quality of our district's school meals. Awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), Shirley's Blue Devil Cafe received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award for our work in bringing more nutrition education to our students and community by way of taste testing, allowing students to help in menu planning, and presenting nutrition information on social media. The team introduced several new menu items over the course of the school year that were student approved! "We congratulate Shirley School District's Blue Devil Cafe on this important achievement," said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Officer & President for Action for Healthy Kids. "The HMI Recognition Awards are an opportunity to showcase innovative school nutrition practices that provide children with access to nutritious school meals," he added. "It is an honor for us to be able to feed these kiddos every day. They are the highlight of our days. We try our best to include them in creating the menus we have each week. It seems to be something they take more pride in than we ever thought they would. Having their name on the menu always makes them smile, " says Angie Williams, Shirley's Child Nutrition Director. "We plan to include nutrition education in our summer school and afterschool programming as well allowing the students to build menus according to the USDA meal patterns the Child Nutrition Department has to follow. They might be surprised what all goes into creating the perfect menu." AFHK is recognizing school districts to spotlight innovative practices, student and community engagement activities, and strategies schools have used to provide meals that are consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - all as part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA FNS's Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. Learn more about the Healthy Meals Incentives at www.healthymealsincentives.org. Healthy school meals are an essential part of the school environment and a proven tool for improving a child's health, growth, development, and educational outcomes. AFHK and USDA are committed to working together to strengthen school meals and investment in a bright future for our children.

HERE WE GO!!!!! Week 1 of Summer ACES starts NEXT MONDAY! Can you believe it!? Just like through the school year, you will be able to find menus here, on our cafeteria's Facebook page, as well as on Class Dojo. We look forward to seeing you!

Mr. Wiggins recognized teachers and staff for their years of service to the Shirley School District. The dedication of these teachers and staff have built a strong foundation on which Shirley Schools can flourish. Service pins for 5-35 years were presented to the following employees: 5-year service pin: Kannon Bradley, Maggie Bradley, Kelli Prince, Nicole Rushing, Marcia Smith, Peyton Loeschner, Rachel Sikes, Ashley Lewis, Jessica Carlton, April Keeling, Matthew Scharein, 5- and 10-year pins: Laura Shirley, Mark Sutterfield 5-, 10-, and 15-year pins: Elaine Enns, Jeff Mannon, Jess Mannon, Sue Allen, Linda Azar, Erin Ekhoff, Susan Howard 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20- year pins: Sheila Gardner, Cindy Ferrell, Nancy Berry, Jenni Lewis 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 25-year pins: Penny Little, Angie Williams 5-, 10-, 15,-, 20-, 25-, and 30-year pins: Rick Ward 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-,25-,30-, AND 35- year pins: Rick Ward

Mr. Rick Ward was honored today for his 35 years of service to the Shirley School District. Included in the picture are current faculty and staff members that were once students of Mr. Ward! He truly has made a great impact on our school! Thank you for your dedication and service! (Left to Right) Ashley Green, Sheila Gardner, Penny Little, Rick Ward, Peyton Loeschner, Maggie Bradley, Samantha Shull, and Chad Brown.

We would like to thank Goode's Cash Saver of Clinton and Starla Mackey for providing a delicious meal on our last day of the 2024-25 school year! These teachers and staff have worked extremely hard this year, and these community members wanted to send them off with full bellies! Thank you for always supporting our school family! We hope everyone has a great summer!

I wanted to give a huge shout out to Rory Bradley for providing lunch today for the teachers at Shirley. Thank you so much for your support and thanks to Cody Richey from Little Red for the excellent BBQ.

If you need help providing meals to your children during the summer months, please visit the site below to find Summer Feeding Programs near you. Just click the link and enter your zip code. https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids

At the board meeting last night, we recognized our April Distinguished Devils.