Ouachita River School District

ORSD: Our school district has been selected again to participate in Kinsa's FLUency school health program sponsored by Lysol. This program allows us to give FREE smart thermometers to all school families & staff. Ordering yours is easy! Text JOIN to 24020 to get started. For Oden students and staff, please select Oden for your school. For ALL Acorn students and staff please select Acorn Elementary School for your school. If you have any questions please email Nurse Leigh at Lgarner@orsd.k12.ar.us

POLK COUNTY SPELLING BEE JANUARY 18, 2022 9:00-2:00 OLD MAIN AUDITORIUM EACH PARTICIPATE CAN BRING 2 GUESTS.

This weeks basketball schedule:)

Oden Preschool Grandparent Volunteer honored!!❤️ The Foster Grandparent Volunteer Program with the Dequeen Mena Educational Service Cooperative held their annual December recognition and service project workshops. During the workshops, the volunteers worked together making blankets for their annual Martin Luther King service project. In January, the handmade blankets will be delivered to the local cancer hospitals. Also, during this time, the Foster Grandparents were recognized for their service to the program. The volunteers were recognized for their services and dedication to the program. A few volunteers received special honors for reaching their volunteer service hours. Those receiving special recognition include the following: -Mary Chambers from Oden Preschool received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award and a 5-year pin for her service hours with the program.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation ORSD Recognizes School Resource Officers Duane Harvey and Andrew Thompson for their leadership and service!

Oden 2022 Homecoming Spirit Dress up Week-January 17-21 Monday: Betty White Day-Dress up like Betty White or be golden! Tuesday: Bundle up for the Winter Wonderland! Wear Winter Clothes Wednesday: Woke up like this! Wear pajamas Thursday: Winter Wonderland Whiteout! Wear White Friday: Orange and Black day or Homecoming Tshirt Day

ODEN CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENT: The Oden Junior and Oden Senior Basketball Team games schedule with Ouachita on January 13 have been cancelled.

ODEN CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENT: Oden Pee Wee Basketball activities have been cancelled through January 16. Oden Pee Wee Basketball practices and games will resume at a later date.

~Attention parents & Acorn Community~ All elementary archery and Peewee Basketball games and practices have been canceled for the rest of this week and weekend.

ATTENTION ACORN TIGERS FANS: All games scheduled for Friday vs Mountainburg have been cancelled, and will be rescheduled at a later date.

ATTENTION ACORN ARCHERS: Archery practices for the week and meet on Saturday have been cancelled.

Due to COVID cases, Acorn High School only will pivot to AMI (Alternative Method of Instruction) for Wednesday, January 12 - Friday, January 14, 2022. AHS students are to begin conducting AMI Days 1, 2, & 3. AHS teachers and staff will be contacting parents/guardians and students to communicate how to facilitate the online learning process this week to assist you and your child. Acorn Preschool, Acorn Elementary School and Oden K-12 campus will remain open at this time as we continue to monitor new cases. Parents/guardians and students, please contact your building office if you have questions or need assistance. You may also reach your child’s teacher by email if you have questions. Respectfully, Jerrall A. Strasner Superintendent of Schools

ACORN SCHOOLS RECEIVES GRANT for CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM Ouachita River School District received notification for approval of start-up grant funding for the 2022-2023 school year in the amount of $44,402.95 for Construction Technology Program for Acorn High School. Congratulations on a job well done and appreciation to AHS Construction Technology Program Instructor Ricky Dollar, ORSD Administration, DMESC Career and Technical Education Coordinator Stacey Southerland, Dequeen/Mena Education Service Cooperative Staff, and area business and industry partners for grant assistance and support. The Construction Technology Program of Study course offerings include: Construction Fundamentals, Carpentry, Plumbing and Electrical for our students on the Acorn High School campus. Students earn high school credit and gain valuable soft skills, hands-on training, industry recognized certifications, knowledge and experience to prepare them for gainful employment and equip them for careers in the industry. 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! #orsdlifeprep

ACORN SCHOOLS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR OUTDOOR LEARNING ACTIVITIES Students to learn about wildlife, outdoors, and nature journaling Acorn Elementary and High Schools will “kick-off” a week of outdoor learning beginning on Monday, January 17, 2022 as part of the National School Choice Week celebrations. The week’s themes will include Project Wild, where students will learn about Arkansas wildlife; Project Learning Tree, where students will learn about the outdoors; and Pause for Inspiration, where students will learn to use nature journaling to make good choices. Many activities will be conducted on the fifteen acre Acorn Outdoor Classroom on the campus. Throughout the week, students will learn from speakers and presentations conducted by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission which include: Southwest Regional Educator Casey Hardaway; Project Wild Coordinator Sheila Connerly; Arkansas Project Learning Tree Director Rob Beadel; and Cossatot River State Park Interpreter and Ozark Chiquapin Board Member Victoria Young. This event is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2022, which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states. “The Ouachita River School District promotes outdoor education programs for all our students. Our 15-acre outdoor classroom on the Acorn Campus provides a rich learning environment where teachers can incorporate content to make learning meaningful and relevant”, stated Kathy Rusert. ORSD Superintendent Jerry Strasner shared, “This is a great opportunity and celebration for our District to promote outdoor learning and enrich student learning experiences. Ouachita River School District’s purpose is to SERVE - See Everyone Receive Victory Everyday. Learning at its best!” The Ouachita River School District has been chosen as one of 70 schools to be a “spotlight” school for this nation-wide event. National School Choice Week shines a spotlight on effective K-12 education options for children, focusing equally on traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education options. Each January, participants plan tens of thousands of celebrations –– such as school fairs and open houses–– to raise awareness about school choice across all 50 states. School Choice Week also develops resources and guides to K-12 education for families. As a not-for-profit effort, the Week is nonpolitical and nonpartisan and does not advocate for legislation. For more information visit schoolchoiceweek.com. For more information relating to outdoor learning activities on the ORSD campuses, contact Kathy Rusert at (479) 394-4833 or krusert@orsd.k12.ar.us. Congratulations to Acorn Schools, Kathy Rusert, teachers and staff for coordinating outstanding learning activities and programming for students to celebrate National School Choice Week! 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! #orsdlifeprep

There will be no after school tutoring at Acorn High School for the rest of the week.

Attention Acorn Elementary Parents!!!! There will be no after-school tutoring the rest of the week, January 11-13, 2022.

ATTENTION ACORN TIGERS FANS: All games scheduled for tomorrow at Lavaca have been cancelled, and will be rescheduled at a later date.

~Acorn Elementary~ We are excited to announce our 2022 Grade Level Spelling Bee Winners and alternates. Students placing in 1st and 2nd place will move on to compete in the Polk County Spelling Bee on January 18th. 1st Grade~ 1st Place- Emma Hargis, 2nd Place- Kylie Kincaid, Alternate- Chisum Myers 2nd Grade~ 1st Place-Kylee Horn, 2nd Place- Makenzie Kincaid, Alternate- Summer Wagner 3rd Grade~ 1st Place-Lily Arender, 2nd Place- Raj Dandikar, Alternate- Jeffery Robertson 4th Grade~ 1st Place-Braxton Harris, 2nd Place- Aubrey Arnold, Alternate- Cody Rusert 5th Grade~ 1st Place-Drew Mabry, 2nd Place- Cy Young, Alternate- Jasmine Anderson 6th Grade~ 1st Place-Zoie Horn, 2nd Place- Jonathan Varnado, Alternate- Caston Horn

AHS Wrestling - Acorn Tigers vs Lake Hamilton Timber Wolves Monday, 1-10-2022 - 6:00 PM - Acorn Gymnasium

ORSD: Healthy Connections will be offering the annual dental sealants to all ORSD students in February. This is offered to all second through sixth grade students. The patient registration forms will be sent home with your student and will need to be returned to school by January 15th. Your child will be transported to Healthy Connections in Mena by an ORSD staff member and returned to school during school hours. If you have any questions please contact your school campus nurse.