El Dorado School District

Did you know that you can send your teacher an ePostcard to say THANK YOU for all they do? It's as simple as clicking on a link, typing in your response, and boom! Email sent! Visit eldoradopublicschools.org/page/teacher-appreciation for more info!

ESD is seeking feedback from various stakeholders who have insight into the effects of family and parent engagement on the success of our students. Feedback will be used to form the district's annual Family and Parent Engagement Plan. To offer your feedback, please complete this form by 6pm on Friday, May 6th. bit.ly/ESDPFESurvey22

As part of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-6), we're inviting students, families, and community members to share their thanks with our staff members by using one of our electronic postcards. Visit eldoradopublicschools.org/page/teacher-appreciation for more information.

We are kicking off Teacher Appreciation Week with a special THANK YOU to our principals! Today is School Principals' Day, and we are so thankful for all they do for our students and staff! ESD is blessed to have you!

Join us for a job fair TOMORROW, April 30th at El Dorado High School! Meet administrators from each building, apply for open positions, and learn more about why the El Dorado School District is the promising choice!

Yesterday, the El Dorado School District Athletic Director, Phillip Lansdell, and Athletic Trainer, Morgan Atkins, presented Junction City High School and Strong-Hutting High School coaches with inflatable cooling tubs to be used to help prevent heat related illnesses in their athletes. Mrs. Morgan said, "This donation was made possible through the Korey Stringer Institute. The KSI mission is to provide research, education, advocacy and consultation to maximize performance, optimize safety and prevent sudden death for the athlete, warfighter and laborer. KSI reached out to Athletic Trainers in our state to help find schools without an Athletic Trainer to donate these cooling tubs to. Both schools were very appreciative of the donation." Thank you, Mrs. Morgan, for being an advocate for our students and all the students in our area! We are so blessed to have you on our ESD team!

Today, we celebrate Northwest Elementary Administrative Assistant Lori Bagley and the positive impact she makes each day! Community member Bettye Sue Kavanaugh says, “I nominate Lori Bagley for recognition as a remarkable staff member of ESD. She is admired and respected by all affiliated with Northwest Elementary. Mrs. Bagley greets everyone with a warm, friendly smile. Her willingness to help students, parents, and staff is unlimited. Efficient management of office functions is a top priority of hers. She goes the extra mile to ensure all runs smoothly at Northwest Elementary.” The Northwest family couldn’t agree more, Mrs. Kavanaugh! Thank you, Mrs. Bagley, for everything you do for our students and for Northwest! If you’d like to nominate a staff member, visit bit.ly/ESDWildcatImpact.

Bus Route #19 will not run this afternoon. If your student rides this route, please make arrangements to pick them up from EHS this afternoon.

El Dorado School District is blessed with some of the BEST administrative professionals in the business. Some are at the front desk greeting you when you walk in the building, and others work behind the scenes, taking care of all the details. Wherever they work, whatever job they do, we know our district would not run as smoothly without them! Thank you, and Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

The El Dorado School District Job Fair scheduled for THIS SATURDAY, April 30TH will be held at El Dorado High School. Pre-registration is encouraged. Register now at https://bit.ly/ESDJobFairSpr22.

The Arkansas STEM Coalition hosted its quarterly meeting at the El Dorado Conference Center on Tuesday, April 19. In addition to industry, community, and higher education partners, the El Dorado School District also participated. Superintendent Jim Tucker presented a keynote on the benefits of STEM partnerships between school districts and industry. Jackie Phillips, EHS Computer Science teacher, participated in a panel discussion about STEM resources and supporting STEM skill development. Finally, Washington Middle School’s robotics team (EldoSharks) presented their award winning robot which they built and will be taking to the World Championships in May.

For the last five years, the El Dorado School District, like many schools throughout the state, has held a waiver from the state of Arkansas that allows the district to hire applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree while they complete the teaching licensure requirements. During this time, ESD has hired 88 teachers through this program, 65% of them originally from South Arkansas. The waiver is renewed every five years. ESD would appreciate community feedback as we review our decision going forward. Please complete this form if you would like to submit your feedback on the impact of the waiver in our district. Thank you. https://bit.ly/WaiverFeedback

Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the celebration of Earth Day. To learn more, visit earthday.org.

Today, we celebrate Washington Middle School Special Education teacher Kristyna Newton and the positive impact she makes each day! Fellow staff member, Katie Taylor, comments, “She goes above and beyond her duties to get things done to make things better for her students. She works hard finding resources, answering questions, and assisting any teacher with not only special education issues, but with any issues in the classroom. She ensures that all the students in the El Dorado School District feel included and get the best education possible. I know that I personally would not be able to do what I do without her.” Thank you, Ms. Newton, for everything you do for our students! If you’d like to nominate a staff member, visit bit.ly/ESDWildcatImpact.

Destinee Rogers, former EHS basketball coach and current Arkansas State head women's basketball coach, brought a message that the entire audience could connect with at today's Academic Signing. Thank you, Coach, for encouraging the Class of 2022 to work hard, focus, and never give up on their goals or themselves. We know they'll remember #netsaintfree for years to come! ESD would like to extend a special thank you to the Murphy Oil Corporation for their continuous contribution to our students' education through the El Dorado Promise. ESD truly is #thepromisingchoice.

Congratulations to Barton Junior High basketball coach Andrew “Rudy” McDaniel for being awarded the 2021-2022 Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association (ArBCA) Junior High Coach of the Year! We are proud that your hard work and dedication has been noticed!

Are you a grandparent in a parent/guardian role? Check out this great resource--a partnership of the Share Foundation, Union County Violence Intervention Plan, and F.A.C.T. Inc. The next meeting is tomorrow, April 20th at 12:30pm.

Happy Easter, ESD families! We are thankful for the hope and beauty of springtime and the promise of brighter days! PS. We hope you aren't too eggs-hausted to come to school tomorrow!

Academic Signing will take place next Wednesday, April 20th at 1pm in the Wildcat Arena. ESD looks forward to welcoming back former teacher and coach Destinee Rogers to speak to the Class of 2022!

Today, we celebrate Barton Junior High librarian Carson Keith and the positive impact she makes each day! BJHS staff member Sandra Jamerson says, “I nominate this young lady, because she is very creative and incorporates fresh ideas into her library. The students love coming to visit the library, because there is always something exciting to do and see. I especially like the idea of “a blind date with a book” and “the book tasting event.” It was just different and sweet. She's friendly to the staff and enjoys her students. We love having her at Barton!” Thank you, Mrs. Keith, for everything you do to make the library so welcoming! If you’d like to nominate a staff member, visit bit.ly/ESDWildcatImpact.