LRSD Spotlight

Four seniors at Little Rock Central High School recently were named Semifinalists in the 48th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program:

Autumn M. Brown
Alexis I. Fuller
Felicia A. Headley
Jordon A. Thomas

These scholastically talented students now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 800 Achievement Scholarship® awards worth more than $2.4 million to be offered next spring.

Only about 1,600 black American high school seniors were so honored with National Achievement Semifinalist status this year.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program was initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students throughout the nation and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding program participants. 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 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

National service programs, civic groups, local celebrities, heroes and volunteers in Arkansas joined together for the third year to focus on childhood literacy in honor of the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, and in observance of the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe joined with other volunteers for Arkansas’ "Together We Read" service initiative at Gibbs International Magnet School. Many volunteers, including Arkansas Service Commissioner Ron Coon, read to students in Pre-K through 3rd grade.

Mrs. Beebe read to students in Jennifer White's 2nd-grade class. Her book selection was The Little Chapel that Stood by A.B. Curtis, a story about the historic chapel that stood only 100 yards from the World Trade Center and remains standing to this day. The book also is about the men and women who made a difference on September 11.

A list of 10 children’s books, all with a ‘hero’ theme, were provided for volunteer readers. The goal of the "Together We Read" initiative is to read to 30,000 children in elementary schools and daycare centers across Arkansas, bringing attention to childhood literacy, the role of volunteers in addressing community needs and the everyday heroes living among us. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) State Office spearheaded this event and targeted the week of September 6-9 to read to children.

The bottom photo shows Mrs. Beebe with 1st-grade student Malachi Gober during the day's welcome ceremony.

Students, staff and families at Gibbs Magnet School of International Studies and Foreign Languages celebrated the successful conclusion of the first service learning project of the school year on the National Day of Service and Remembrance (September 9).

The project, organized by Physical Education Specialist Nancy Passini and carried out in conjunction with Ozark Water Projects, was a challenge to the Gibbs community to donate 10 pairs of new or gently used shoes per student to help obtain clean drinking water for people in Kenya, South America and Haiti. How does that work? Read on...

The Ozark Water Projects team of Beckham and Karla Allen exports shoes/footwear to distributers in South America, Haiti and Kenya. Shoe resale builds the local developing economy with micro-businesses and affordable shoes for pennies on the dollar or for barter. Affordable shoes/footwear are a life-saving tool as they protect the new owner’s feet from foot abrasions, parasites and mites and help to improve the wearer's overall health. Funds generated from the shoes are then used to purchase well-digging rigs, water filtration systems and other supplies to bring clean drinking water to those in need. This is how shoes are turned into clean drinking water.

Beckham and Karla Allen challenged the Gibbs students to donate 10 pairs of shoes each. The challenge was accepted, carried out and surpassed! Gibbs donated a "mountain" of new and gently-used shoes, boots and sandals totaling more than 3,300 pairs -- an average of 10.7 pairs per student (see photo at top!). The students and staff celebrated their success at a special gathering with the Ozark Water Projects team. The Allens also announced that a well in Kenya would be named in honor of the students at Gibbs.

Pulaski Heights Elementary's grandparents rock! One day just didn't seem adequate to celebrate these wonderful grands, so the school hosted an entire week of activities for the students to appreciate the parents of their parents.

Each grade-level team hosted a different day for grandparents to come to the classroom and take part in fun educational lessons, tour the school and have lunch with their grandchildren. Some highlights of the recent week-long celebration included taking part in exciting student poetry readings, exploring the Pulaski Heights vegetable garden, taking a turn through the school's new playground and experiencing student oral history projects.

The grandparents got to experience first-hand how much has changed in education since they were in elementary school, and it also was a great opportunity for the students to connect with their grandparents and strengthen the bond with another generation.

Brady Elementary's cafeteria recently was magically transformed into a beautiful palace to celebrate Grandparents Day. The theme of the event was “You Put the grand in Grandparent” because grandparents are grand in every sense of the word! Grandparents are royalty to the students at Brady, so they were honored with love and appreciation.

Grandparents Day is a great opportunity to honor grandparents and give them an opportunity to show love for their children’s children. It also is a day to help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer. Grandparents play an important role in the lives of their grandchildren. They often serve as role models and mentors, teach values and pass on family traditions. There are a number of grandparents who care for their grandchildren during the day or even have full custody of their grandchildren. These grandparents have a very strong influence on their grandchildren. Grandparents are always welcome at Brady, and they are an integral part in the education of their grandchildren!