Paragould School District

Over the next few weeks, we'll be getting to know our new faculty members for 2020-21. Mr. Marcus Jones is the principal at Oak Grove Elementary. Welcome, Mr. Jones!

The deadline for the school year planning parent survey has been extended until July 31. Visit our website at paragould.k12.ar.us for the link to take this important survey.

Our final food backpack program distribution for the summer will be July 30 at the front entrance of Paragould Jr High School from 10-11:30 am. Come see us to receive your 2-week supply of snacks/food!

The National ACT will be administered on July 18, 2020. Registered students should report to the Paragould Jr. High School for testing.

Roof Raiders is donating $1 for every share up to $250 to the Smoking Skulls Ride for Knowledge fundraiser for Paragould Schools! Search for Roof Raiders on Facebook and share their post pictured below to help.

We are happy to announce that individual graduation ceremonies for our 2020 seniors and 8 guests are planned for July 20, 2020. Time slots are available ranging from 2 pm-8 pm. 2020 seniors, check your school email accounts to sign up for your time slot.

A frequently asked questions (FAQ) document and planning survey for the fall have been posted in the bulletin board area of the Paragould School District website (paragould.k12.ar.us). The survey is required for all students. A guardian should fill out the survey for each Kindergarten through 12th grade PSD student in the family. We recommend that you read the FAQ document first, then take the survey. The deadline for the survey is July 17. With your help, we can plan for a great, safe 2020-21 school year! GO RAMS!

The 2020 Stuff the Bus event is virtual this year and is going on right now! See these flyers for more details.

We have some new methods of Kindergarten registration, including online. If you haven't already registered, it's now even easier to register today!

The Paragould School District Administration was notified of a racially insensitive social media post made by a district employee. The posting shows poor judgment, a lack of cultural awareness, and does not reflect the district’s values. Paragould School District is committed to support all students and faculty regardless of gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. This incident has offended many people in our community and shown the need to provide additional cultural sensitivity training for our staff. The district will take the appropriate steps to address this situation and use this incident as an opportunity to further our conversation on inclusiveness and cultural awareness.

Paragould School District is looking forward to opening as scheduled on August 13, 2020! As the guidance from the Arkansas Department of Health can change quickly, it is important that PSD have multiple plans in place not only to ensure the safety of students and staff, but also to provide quality instruction to students. These plans, which will allow the district to pivot between on-site instruction, off-site instruction, and/or blended instruction, are being developed and will be released in July. Please continue to check the district website and social media sites for the most recent information pertaining to the 2020-2021 school year. #psdrams

Thank you, Virginia Walls State Farm Insurance Agency, for your $100 donation to our food backpack program today. We appreciate your support and generosity!

Arkansas has been approved to provide Pandemic Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for families whose children were enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program at school at the time the Governor declared a public health emergency and closed schools. It is designed to help replace the cost of meals incurred by families as a result of the State closing schools. If you are already enrolled in SNAP, you will see the additional benefits on your EBT card in late June. For families who are not on SNAP, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) has given DHS their addresses. DHS will mail an EBT card, information about Pandemic SNAP, and information about how to access benefits on the EBT card to the address ADE has on file. You do not need to be enrolled in SNAP already or eligible for the regular SNAP program. This is for families who have students enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program, which has a different income limit than SNAP. EBT cards will be mailed in late June. For each child enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program, the family will get $319. PSD participates in the Community Eligibility Program; therefore, ALL PSD students who were enrolled in school at the time of the closing are included in the program.

Congratulations to Mrs. Debbie Smith on being named Superintendent of the Year by AR Rural Ed Association! She's a great asset to our district.

The PSD summer feeding program is currently available for children ages 1-18. Food is available Monday through Friday, June 1-26 and July 6-31, from 10-11:30 am. Food can be picked up from the parking lots at Paragould Junior High and Oak Grove Middle School. Children must be present.

Our regular backpack food program will continue through July 30, 2020. Students that received food backpacks each Friday of the regular school year may pick up 2 weeks of packaged food bags in front of Paragould Junior High School from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the following dates: Thursday, June 18 Thursday, July 2 Thursday, July 16 Thursday, July 30

Congratulations to our employees with milestone service anniversaries this year! We appreciate your dedication to education and to PSD. 20 years: Freida DaVault, Lisa Holder, Richard Taylor, Sheila Wicker, and Starla Wood 25 years: Sandra Eddleman, Rita Lawrence, Robbie Mosley, Teresa Rowe, and Ann Tritch 30 years: Tamra Powell 35 years: Erma Bateman, Melinda Dodd, and Wynell Wess 45 years: Mary Ann Washington

We were informed earlier today that Mrs. Debbie Smith has been named Superintendent of the Year by the Arkansas Rural Ed Association. We have had the honor and privilege of working with Mrs. Smith for several years and have witnessed her extraordinary ability and determination. Her work ethic, compassion and desire to serve others is immeasurable. Congratulations Mrs. Smith! We are proud to call you our Superintendent.

Please help us congratulate the following PSD retirees. These great teachers and staff have touched many lives over the years and will be missed. Enjoy your retirement! Angie Donner Melissa Miller Mala Weaver Mike Mathis Melinda Dodd Rene Hale Steffanie Hoggard Diane Keen Linda Parson Ann Pickney Ellen Rawls Betty Smith Mike McClanahan

Congratulations to the 2019-2020 classified employees of the year from each site! S21C: Ronnie Wells Primary: Isela Garcia Baldwin Elem: Tammy Cuadra Oak Grove Elem: Tammie Clark Woodrow Wilson Elem: Misty McIlvoy Oak Grove Middle: Matt Gage PJHS: Gaye Smith PHS: Rena Loyd Ram Academy: James Hatley Food Service/Maintenance/Operations/Transportation and overall PSD honoree: Katrina Brewer Central Office: Ann Tritch