LRSD News

          Do you recognize any of the following phrases? Sticks and stones...words can never hurt....; invisible weapons; a violent age.....violence continues to.....; Silent witness....don't just stand there......; Children of hope.....there may be several ways to....

          If so, parents, families, educators, and the community are invited to participate in this webinar, an interactive presentation conducted over the internet.  Stacey DeWitt, President and Founder of Connect with Kids will provide participants vital information to prevent and stop bullying.  There are three possible ways to participate:

• access the webinar via the home computer;
  
• access the webinar via a Smartphone;
  
• attend the live webinar at the LRSD Technology Center, 7701 Scott Hamilton Drive (the Metropolitan Career Technical Center campus);
  

This presentation will address the causes, solutions, and the impact of bullying on student achievement.

Click on this link to go to the webinar.

     If you do not have a computer at home, contact a Little Rock School District school to ask if the school site will be providing a viewing of this webinar. If you have questions or for additional information, contact Kaye Rainey at 501-447-3358 or email kaye.rainey@lrsd.org.

The time to enroll your child for the 2012-2013 school year is begins this month, January 23 through February 3. If you would like to apply to attend a magnet school, minority-to-majority tranfer, or other transfer options this is time period to submit your application.

This year from January 23 to January 27, Open Enrollment will be held at St. Mark Baptist Church at 5722 W. 12th Street from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

From January 30 to February 3, Open Enrollment will be will be held at the Student Registration office at 501 Sherman Street from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

REMEMBER: Registration is NOT based on a first come basis. You may register anytime at either location between January 23 through February 3.

What are the steps I should take?
1. Visit the schools you are considering and call ahead to schedule a tour.

2. Once you have decided which schools you would like to apply for, download the appropriate 2012-2013 registration forms below. These forms WILL NOT be accepted any earlier than January 23.

3. You may bring copies of the documents you need.  Originals are not required.

English Forms:

• PUPIL INFORMATION FORM
• HOME LANGUAGE SURVEY
• THREE-YEAR OLD APPLICATION - CHICOT / ROCKEFELLER / WOODRUFF
• ROCKEFELLER EARLY CHILDHOOD APPLICATION
• FOUR-YEAR OLD APPLICATION
• OPTIONAL ENROLLMENT REQUEST FORM ELEMENTARY (Kindergarten - 5th)
• OPTIONAL ENROLLMENT REQUEST FORM MIDDLE (Grades 6-8)
• OPTIONAL ENROLLMENT REQUEST FORM HIGH SCHOOL (Grades 9-12)
• ELEMENTARY TNT (Transfer with NO bus Transportation)
• SECONDARY TNT (Transfer with NO bus Transportation)- This form can only be submitted March 5th - March 16th

• 2012-2013 ABC Application

Spanish Forms:

• FORMULARIO DE INFORMACIÓN DEL ALUMNO
• FORMULARIO DE ENCUESTA DEL IDIOMA
• APLICACION DE 3 AÑOS - CHICOT / ROCKEFELLER / WOODRUFF
• APLICACION DE 4 AÑOS
• FORMULARIO DE SOLICITUD DE INSCRIPCIÓN OPCIONAL PRIMARIA (Kinder-5)
• FORMULARIO DE SOLICITUD DE INSCRIPCIÓN OPCIONAL SECUNDARIA (Grados 6-8)
• FORMULARIO DE SOLICITUD DE INSCRIPCIÓN OPCIONAL PREPARATORIA (Grados 9-12)
• TNT de Primaria (Traslado NO Transportacion)
• TNT de Secundaria/Preparatoria (Traslado NO Transportacion) - Este formulario solo puede ser sometido entre el 6 de marzo al 16 de marzo
• 2012-2013 ABC Application - Spanish

Each year teachers in the Little Rock School District strive to achieve the highest level of certification a teacher can achieve, the National Board Certification. This rigorous process will take several years to reach and requires many different forms of evaluation. But when the final results come in, it is a monumental moment in every teacher's life.

This year, twenty-one teachers in the Little Rock School District were awarded their National Certification. This year's successful candidates include:

Tracy Barbarotto, Gibbs Magnet Elementary

Patricia Bearden, Parkview Magnet High

Sara Brown, Carver Magnet Elementary

Mauri Shay Callicott, Parkview Magnet High

Lynda Charles, J. A. Fair High

Sandra Courtois, Otter Creek Elementary

Marian Cunningham, Roberts Elementary

Margaret Dawson, Forest Park Elementary

Lori Diffey, Carver Magnet Elementary

Deokie Fleming, Pulaski Heights Middle

Lori Gibson, Gibbs Magnet Elementary

Lauren Harrison, Pulaski Heights Elementary

Jillane Johnson, Gibbs Magnet Elementary

Jason McCann, Central High

Rosemary Rogers, Brady Elementary

Amanda Swift, Dodd Elementary

Sharolyn Jones-Taylor, Central High

Pamela Wallace, Mabelvale Middle

Jennifer White, Gibbs Magnet Elementary

Anderson Williams, Forest Park Elementary

Lecia Willis, J. A. Fair High

Congratulations to these teachers on their outstanding accomplishment.

On Tuesday November 15th, L.O.V.E. team members from Forest Heights, Hall, Henderson, JA Fair and McClellan participated in the  Annual ViPS Reading Day at Baseline Elementary. Twenty-three (23) L.O.V.E. team members and sponsors read to over three hundred seventy-five (375) students in grades Kindergarten through 5th grade. The L.O.V.E. to Read Initiative was a collaborative effort between the L.O.V.E. program and the LRSD Volunteer In Public Schools (ViPS) in conjunction with the LRSD Office of Dropout Prevention. The goal of the initiative was to promote literacy at the elementary level, while emphasizing how important reading is to their success in school and beyond. L.O.V.E. team members also encouraged students at Baseline to become avid readers and to exercise their reading skills daily.

On October 21st, over 1,200 youth and adult sponsors joined together at the Riverfront Amphitheater to celebrate being drug-free. The LRSD in conjunction with the Arkansas Prescription Drug Takeback Campaign hosted a rally in observance of Red Ribbon Week. This year’s theme for Red Ribbon Week was “It’s Up to Me to Be Drug-Free”. The Rally featured a “Parade of Banners” by participating schools, student speakers from Dunbar Magnet Middle School and McClellan Magnet High School, band and spirit team performances from both McClellan and Parkview Magnet High School, and a drug-free skit by Drama students from Central High School. In addition, State Drug Director Fran Flener, Natalie Tucker with MADD and Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay offered a few remarks. Also, representatives from the Governor’s and Mayor’s offices respectively were in attendance to present proclamations acknowledging the observance.   To view a pictorial video, click here

The 2011 National Red Ribbon Campaign was October 23- 31, 2011. During this observance, schools and communities across the nation participated in a wide variety of activities to affirm and proclaim their pledge to maintain and support safe and drug free schools and neighborhoods.

The first nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign was organized and held in 1988 to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice made by DEA Agent, Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was killed by drug traffickers while on assignment in Guadalajara, Mexico. Since that time, Red Ribbon Week has been celebrated every year to honor Camarena and all people who have died in the battle against the illegal drug trade. No other single drug prevention movement has had such an impact on so many lives.

A special thank you to all of our event sponsors: Center for Healing Heart and Spirits, Cloverdale Aerospace Magnet ROTC, L.O.V.E., MADD, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, Department of Health Stamp Out Smoking Campaign, UAPB Minority-Sub-Recipient Grant Office, the Y.E.S. Team, the U.S. Department of Drug-Enforcement Administration, the National Prescription Drug Takeback Campaign, DJ Whathedo and the City of Little Rock Visitors and Conventions Bureau.

Study hard, pay attention in class, do your homework… Some students actually heed these commands from their parents and teachers, and a select few have been rewarded for their hard work.
Thirteen LRSD students recently have been named Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, and four are Semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

About 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools entered the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The LRSD's 2012 National Merit Semifinalists include:

Joseph Berleant, Central High

Kathleen Conley, Central

Catie Edwards, Parkview Magnet High

William Finkelstein, Central High

Whitney Gao, Central High

Daniel Imbro, Central High

Jesse Mellor, Central High

Yaroslav Melnyk, Central High

Samia Nawaz, Central High

Christopher Westfall, Central High

Ian Wren, Central High

Aaron Yin, Central High

Colin Zohoori, Central High

In addition, four students were honored as National Merit Commended Students, meaning they are among the top five percent of students who took the 2010 PSAT/NMSQT:

Zachary Goldberg, Central High

Daniel Halford, Central High

Rhett Smith, Parkview Magnet High

Ty Spradley, Central High

The four LRSD students who were named Semifinalists in the National Achievement program represent fully one-third of all National Achievement Semifinalists in Arkansas this year.
The National Achievement Scholarship Program is an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding African-American high school students. More than 160,000 high school juniors from all parts of the United States requested consideration in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program when they took the 2010 PSAT/NMSQT.
Students may enter both the National Achievement Program and the National Merit Program. Semifinalists are designated within geographic regions and are the highest-scoring program entrants in the states that make up each region.

The LRSD's 2012 National Achievement Semifinalists include:

Autumn Brown, Central High

Alexis Fuller, Central High

Felicia Headley, Central High

Jordan Thomas, Central High

 One student was honored as a National Hispanic Scholar, meaning he is among the top five percent of hispanic students who took the 2010 PSAT/NMSQT:

George Peters, Central High

One student was honored as an Outstanding Participant, meaning she was referred to colleges and universities for their potential academic success:

Princess Stewart, Central High

Each year, LRSD invites volunteers to come into our schools for Jane Mendel Reading Day in November. The goal is to have a reader in every elementary classroom. Volunteers are asked to donate 30 minutes of their time to read to a classroom of elementary students. Readers can share their favorite story or read a recommendation from the school librarian.

As open enrollment for the 2012-2013 school year draws closer, parents are evaluating their school choice options for next school year. One of the tough decisions parents face is where to go for middle school.

Dr. Daniel Whitehorn, Associate Superintendent for Secondary Education, has outlined fourteen reform strategies he is working to put in place to improve the middle school experience in LRSD.

Perhaps you are one of these such parents. Where do you go to find information on LRSD middle schools? How do you navigate these treacherous waters? What will be your final decision?

The Little Rock School District has created a special middle school web page to help you find information on middle school reform. Additionally, you will find links to middle schools and student registration information for school choice.

Click here to view our new middle school web page. Don't forget to sign up for alerts when new information is posted.

More than 20 Forest Heights Middle School students hosted their second annual “EAST Night Out” at the school’s EAST classroom. EAST students presented visitors with an overview of the EAST program and demonstrated a sample of the community work and service projects they hope to release in the near future.

EAST Nigh Out is open to the public and is designed to inform the community about each school’s EAST accomplishments and work with the community through service-based projects. EAST is an educational model that focuses on student-driven service projects accomplished through the use of the latest in technology.

All LRSD middle schools and high schools have EAST labs on their campus. King and Roberts are the only elementary schools to have EAST labs in LRSD.

EAST® (Environmental and Spatial Technology) is an educational model that focuses on student-driven service projects accomplished by using teamwork and cutting-edge technology. EAST schools are equipped with classrooms containing state-of-the-art work-stations, servers, software and accessories, including GPS/GIS mapping tools, architectural and CAD design software, 3D animation suites, virtual reality development and more. Students identify problems in their local communities and then use these tools to develop solutions, collaborating with civic and other groups in the process.

It may be autumn, and the leaves may have only fallen from the trees, but it's already time to think about the next school year!

Check Us Out is November 8, 9, & 10. Visit any school in the Little Rock School District between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Call the school today to schedule your tour time.