Shirley School District

A huge shout out to these groups for supporting our district.

Well, here we go again!! We are getting all the things ready for another great year of yummy goodness here at the Blue Devil Cafe! As always remember that every student has an account they can put money on for extras. Just send it to the cafeteria or your child's teacher and it will be added to their account.

The salad bar will be available for grades 3-12 so long as it is not abused. We are trying to cut down on wastefulness, so please talk to your child about getting what they want but also wanting what they get. The Shirley Cafeteria serves meals on an offer vs serve basis. This means that students have the opportunity to turn down foods as long as they are taking the required components for a reimbursable meal. Mrs. Angie will go over these guidelines with them as well as post them on this page.

Let's have a great year!

Good Morning Blue Devils!!! We are so pumped for our new school year. We wanted to remind everyone of the following things:

Open House is this afternoon from 4 - 7. Please come meet your teachers. We would love to see you.

*** BUS ROUTES will run 15 minutes earlier this year and drop off 1 hr later each day***

Our ACES program will be on Mondays from 8 - 3:30.

If you have any questions please come see us at Open House tonight or any time that you need us.

Thank you

Rick Ward - Elementary Principal
Ann Clark - High School Principal
Scottie Coleman - Transportation Director
Aaron Wiggins - Superintendent

Penny Howard is the K-12 school counselor for Shirley School District. She has lived in Higden for the past 27 years with her husband and their four-legged children. She loves working in her yard, and they are huge racing fans. They enjoy being on the lake and love to be outside in our beautiful state.

Mrs. Howard's journey in education began with her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Arkansas Tech University in 1997 and continued with a Master’s in School Counseling from Arkansas Tech University in 2015. From 2000 to 2014, she worked in 1st, 3rd, and 4th-grade classrooms. Since 2015, she has been working with students in the field of school counseling. She has greatly enjoyed each opportunity to build relationships with her students.

Mrs. Howard says, "I am excited to begin a new chapter in my book of life at Shirley School District. I am glad to be part of a district that is passionate and loves its students. "

Mrs. Baker has a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Arkansas Tech University. She is certified in preschool through 4th grade. This is her 18th year teaching, and her 7th year teaching kindergarten. Mrs. Baker says, "It is my absolute favorite grade! I eat, sleep, and breathe teaching. Literacy is my specialty, and I love teaching kids how to read and write." Her career in education actually started teaching kindergarten right here in Shirley in 2007, and she couldn’t be more excited to be back! I live in Drasco. Mrs. Baker is married, and they have a 13-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, who will be attending 8th grade at Shirley High School this year. They have a toy Aussiedoodle puppy named Theo. Mrs. Baker enjoys traveling, shopping, watching TV, and spending time with family and friends.

Mrs. McDaniel graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a Master's in Teaching in 2020. She loved teaching her kids at North Little Rock’s alternative school for 5 years before marrying the best man in the world and moving to the Heber area. She loved teaching her kids at Heber elementary for 2 years before finding a family at the Shirley School District. Mrs. McDaniel is certified to teach K-6 All Subjects, K-12 English as a Second or Other Language, and 7-12 English. She has been Google Certified and has had an AP Literature Endorsement. Mrs. McDaniel has taught English, Reading, Math, Social Studies, and Science in public schools and has been a dyslexia interventionist.

Mrs. McDaniel says, "My goal no matter who/what I teach, is to teach my kids how to learn so that they have the ability and relevant skills to prepare themselves for jobs that haven’t been created yet and to make relevant connections so that kids will take their learning outside of the 4 walls of my classroom."

Good Morning Shirley Blue Devils. I am so excited about the new year. I am sure that you are too, especially the parents. I know that we posted that you could get your paperwork this afternoon, but we will be closing the office at 12:30 today. I am sorry for any inconvenience. We will be back open Tuesday morning at 8. Have a great weekend and I will see you in about 11 days!!!! Can't Wait!!!

SHS Device Lockers: 📌 Locker & Personal Electronic Device (PED) Policy

All students will be assigned a locker located in the rotunda and issued a key.

🔒 PED Expectations:
Students not eating breakfast must place their PEDs in their lockers as soon as they arrive on campus.
Students eating breakfast must secure their PEDs before reporting to their first period class.
PEDs should remain in lockers until the final bell at 4:30 PM or until the student is checked out for the day.

🚨 Empty lockers may prompt administrative follow-up regarding the student’s device.

Loss or damage of your key will result in a $10 replacement fee.

Thank you for helping us maintain a focused and distraction-free learning environment!

We are excited to see our students at Open House on Thursday, August 7, from 4-7 pm.

To make the process easier, families can pick up the paperwork early at the times listed below.

We are so excited about the start of the 2025-26 school year and wanted to announce some important dates coming up. Also don't forget about the Back to School Bash happening this Saturday, July 26th 9-3 at Full Gospel Tabernacle Church. Students can get 5 new outfits to start the year, as well as shoes, backpacks and so much more.

Congratulations to our students who scored a 3 on their AP exams this year! Passing an AP exam requires a lot of hard work and studying. By scoring a 3, these students have earned college credit for these classes.

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!