Ouachita River School District

Acorn Elementary has a new good behavior reward system this school year. It is called our "Pawsome" Behavior. Students are rewarded randomly throughout the week with "Pawsome tickets" that go into a classroom bucket. At the end of each week, Mrs. Jackson will draw 3 tickets from each class to pick from our "Pawsome" Cart of prizes! All leftover tickets that didn't get drawn will be put in a big tote to be pulled from later every nine weeks for more prizes. Students can earn tickets from classroom teachers, activity class teachers, like library, art, GT, Music, and PE. In the cafeteria or on the playground. Tickets can be earned by students for making good choices, showing respect, and/or following school rules.

OHS Trey Beshears Recognized for College Board National Award Congratulations to Trey Beshears, who was selected to earn academic honors from the College Board’s National Recognition Programs! These National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them stand out during the admissions process. Colleges and scholarship programs use these honors to identify students from underrepresented groups through College Board’s Student Search Service. Trey is a dedicated student who has put in hard work to prepare him for college that has also paid off with honors from the CollegeBoard’s National Recognition Programs. Trey earned the College Board National Rural and Small Town Award. Colleges and scholarship programs use these honors to recruit students. Trey is a high school student at Oden High School and has plans to pursue higher educational goals in his career field. Students earn this recognition by excelling on their PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams and in their classrooms. Students who may be eligible have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams; and are African American or Black, Hispanic American or Latino, Indigenous, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town. Eligible students are invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year, and are awarded at the beginning of the next school year. Congratulations, Trey! We are proud of you! Ouachita River School District…preparing students for life! #orsdlifeprep Ouachita River School District Through a safe, caring, and serving environment, students learn, grow, excel, and succeed...this is our mission in preparing students for LIFE!

Acorn Elementary parents: Tomorrow (Friday September 8) is the last day to sign up for Peewee Basketball. Practices will be starting soon and your coach will contact you to let you know when your child's practice will be. To register go to the following link and fill out the form: https://forms.gle/DrAXiuQDfb6LEhjd8

AHS 2023-2024 Harvest Festival Royalty Court Announced! (see attached flier) Harvest Festival at Acorn High School will be held on Friday, October 13, 2023! Details to follow.

Acorn Tigers 2023-2024 class elections results for grades 7-12. Congratulations to class favorites, class officers and student council representatives for 7th - 12th grade students!

AHS Juniors Recognized for College Board National Awards Congratulations to Christian Christiana and Hailee Shores, who are just a few selected, among thousands of students from across the country who applied and qualified, to earn academic honors from the College Board’s National Recognition Programs! These National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them stand out during the admissions process. Colleges and scholarship programs use these honors to identify students from underrepresented groups through College Board’s Student Search Service. Christian and Hailee are dedicated to their studies and have put in hard work to prepare them for college that has paid off with honors from the CollegeBoard’s National Recognition Programs. Christian Christiana earned the College Board National Rural and Small Town Award and Hailee Shores earned the College Board National Indigenous Award. Colleges and scholarship programs use these honors to recruit students. Christiana and Shores are juniors at Acorn High School and have plans to pursue higher educational goals in their career fields.. Students earn this recognition by excelling on their PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams and in their classrooms. Students who may be eligible have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams; and are African American or Black, Hispanic American or Latino, Indigenous, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town. Eligible students are invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year, and are awarded at the beginning of the next school year. Congratulations, Christian and Hailee! We are proud of you! Ouachita River School District…preparing students for life! #orsdlifeprep

Acorn Elementary and High School students showing livestock at the Polk County Fair this week!

Acorn Campus Fall Pictures will be taken on Thursday September 7th for Pre-k retakes and K-11th grades. Picture proofs will be sent home approximately 2 weeks afterward for ordering. You can contact Mrs. Pearce at gpearce@orsd.k12.ar.us, 479-394-5544 ext. 106 (during school hours) and by text at 479-234-0614 if you have any questions about school pictures.

Acorn Elementary readers are off to an amazing year of reading. It's the second week of school and we already have two AR Point Clubers! 25 Point Club~ Evie Norris (not pictured) 50 Point Club~ Vee Mabry We also have classrooms full of awesome readers as well. So far our leading classes are: 1st-2nd~ Mrs. Bohlman's Class with 36.6 Points 3nd-4th~ Mrs. Wilcher's Class with 47.2 Points 5th-6th~ Mrs. Kesterson's Class with 118.3 Points

Time to celebrate those amazing grandparents! We would like to invite all of our grandmas, grandpas, or other "grand people" in your child's life to come to visit their classroom, meet their teacher & classmates, and also read with them on Tuesday, September 12th beginning at 8:30. Kindergarten & 1st Grade @ 8:30 2nd, 3rd & 4th Grade @ 9:00 5th & 6th Grade @ 9:30 Please share this with the special grands in your family.

Ouachita River School District (Acorn and Oden campuses) will be closed in observance of Labor Day Monday, September 4, 2023 School will resume on Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Attention Acorn Elementary parents: it is time to register for peewee basketball. Go to this link to sign your child up: https://forms.gle/DrAXiuQDfb6LEhjd8 This is for 3rd-6th grades.

AHS TigerFEST '23 Acorn High School students in grades 7-12 participated in AHS TigerFEST on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The event included an “information exchange” for student club/organization members and advisors, extracurricular program coaches and instructors, and community organizations that serve secondary school-age students. The event is held each fall semester during the first week of school to promote student involvement, engagement, awareness and community service learning opportunities. A special thank you to all who participated in and helped with this year’s event! Ouachita River School District…preparing students for life! #orsdlifeprep

Oden Campus Announcement: Today, 8/25, the afternoon bus route for the Oden campus will run later than normal. Contact William Edwards at 479-216-2251 if you have any questions.

If you complete the online application through the EZ MEAL APP, be sure to choose OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT, not Ouachita School District. Thank you! Questions, please contact your child's building office.

Acorn High School CLASS of 2024 SENIOR SUNRISE A group of this year's senior class met for senior sunrise today, the first day of school for the senior's last year of high school! Go TIGERS!

ORSD will be taking sealed bids on the following bus for two weeks. Mail bids to: Ouachita River School District ATTN: Jerrall A. Strasner Superintendent of Schools 143 Polk 96 Mena, AR 71953 Questions, contact: 1-479-394-2348 Bus Information: 2009 Blue Bird 78 Capacity Cummins Motor 114127.7 Miles

ATTENTION: Acorn High School Athletes in Grades 7-12 Acorn High School Athletics Physicals Friday, September 15, 2023 3:30 PM Acorn Gymnasium Dewayne Taylor (479) 394-5544 dtaylor@orsd.k12.ar.us OR Nurse Leigh Garner lgarner@orsd.k12.ar.us

Charity Lewis School Nurse, LPN Oden Schools Welcome to the ORSD family, Charity!

Acorn Elementary Families! Join us for Open House this Thursday, August 17, beginning at 6:30. Use this opportunity to visit your child's classroom and meet the teachers. Your child's teacher will contact you to schedule a time for your visit. We are BLASTING OFF FOR A GREAT YEAR AT AES!