Story/Photo: Fort Smith School District News
March 26th, 2019
FORT SMITH- The Board of Education for the Fort Smith Public School System recently recognized a number of exceptional students at a recent board meeting.
Superintendent’s Star Award Winners
Superintendent Stars are selected for this recognition as students who are exceptional citizens and who consistently make good choices.
Navaeh Brown is the daughter of Francis Murphy. She is a sixth at Cavanaugh. Principal Hank Needham says that Navaeh is hard working, very kind, and extremely helpful. She aspires to be a teacher, and is always the first one to help a new student learn the ropes at Cavanaugh. Naveah is the Co-Captain of the Cavanaugh Safety Patrol and Vice-President of the K-Kids Service Club. She is a positive student leader!
Elaina Cheeks is a kindergarten student at Pike Elementary School. She is the daughter of Chelsea and Bryan Cheeks. Principal Monica Austin nominated Elaina because she has a positive attitude towards learning and her peers. She cheers on her classmates when they do a job well done. Elaina exhibits kindness, compassion, and empathy. She is very inquisitive, has a love of learning and reading books! Great job, Elaina!
Jeremiah Greene is a second grader at Ballman Elementary. Principal Lori Griffin nominated Kelly because of his commitment to learning as he has improved an AMAZING 9 reading levels this school year!! Jeremiah is not only a wonderful student academically, but he is also a helpful friend to others in his classroom and tries to lift everyone’s spirit with his smile and positive attitude!!
Edwin Gomez is the son of Adolfo Gomez and Yessica Najera. Carnall Principal Dr. Taneka Tate says that Edwin is TRULY a seed that has blossomed! At the beginning of the year, Edwin struggled. Many teachers and students rallied around him and now he comes to school ready to work and learn; he is a vibrant confident student that smiles ALL the time and is excited to be at school. We are thrilled, Edwin!
Dahna Leon is a student at Sunnymede. She in the third grade and was selected by Principal Krystle Smith who says that in order to increase her reading fluency, Dahna took the initiative to constantly check with her teacher and be timed to improve her average. Dahna also asked her teacher to provide her parents with suggestions to help her improve in math. She does not place limitations on herself!
Barry Lowrimore was nominated by Principal Dawn Childress because he has become an important member of Orr’s Mustang Morning Reading Round-Up mentoring program. He voluntarily arrives to school at 7:00 a.m. each day to work with students in grades K-2 who need help mastering reading skills. He is a favorite among the little ones because of his patience and his kindness.
Christian Moreno is the son of Omar and Sandra Moreno. He is a sixth grader at Fairview Elementary. Principal Peggy Walter nominated Christian because of his happy attitude! He always has a smile on his face and is a diligent student who is conscientious of everything that he does. Christian enjoys playing sports and is an excellent team player. Thank you for being a positive role model for other students!
Gabrielle Rhone is currently as a sixth grader at Tilles Elementary. Principal Regina Thompson says that Gabrielle is a kind leader to her peers, and is always making sure everyone is included. She is not afraid to go against the crowd to do the right thing! She exhibits integrity, honesty, and respect. Gabrielle is focused on her future and does not let anything hold her back!
Alee Thongprachanh is in sixth grade. She was nominated by Barling Principal Carl Hill. Alee has impressed Mr. Hill with her polite demeanor and kindness to others. Her teachers brag on her expressiveness in class discussions about difficult concepts, her sensitivity to literature, and her enthusiasm for reading and writing. We are also proud of Alee for always respecting others’ opinions even when they differ from her own!
Student & Staff Recognition
Southside Thespians
Southside Drama students earned three superior ratings at the annual Arkansas Thespian Festival
Isabella Gilley, Superior, Stage Management
Sadie Hanesworth and Ashleigh Mathews, Superior, Duet Musical
Jacob Gates and Amaica Howard, Superior, Duet Acting
Amaica Howard was also named to serve on the student board for Arkansas State Thespians where she will help with advocacy and planning for our festival next year. The students also earned $75,000 in scholarships.
Northside HOSA
Northside HOSA, Future Health Professionals, earned honors during the organization’s state conference on March 4-6. HOSA’s goal is to promote the healthcare industry and those who are interested in the field.
1st-Crystal Yeung and Darren Keuthirath - Community Awareness
1st- Kaitlyn Gilkey and Addison McDougal - Medical Innovation - Original
1st- Bernice Garcia, Tabatha Nguyen, Junelle Balagtas and Amber Keomany - Public Service Announcement
1st- Emily Austin, Ngoc Le, and Katie Pearson- Public Service Announcement
Sarah Tomlin is their sponsor ably assisted by Olivia Jennings.
National Merit Finalists
Ryan Beallis, Vinh Nguyen and Madelene Riche’ have been named as 2019 National Merit Finalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Only the top 1.25 percent of students are recognized as national merit semifinalists. Semi-Finalists then compete for the finalist designation.
Southside DECA
Southside DECA students, advised by Adina Boatright, competed in State Competition, Southside DECA was recognized as a Gold-Level Chapter and for reaching the Thrive Level in their chapter’s Promotional Campaign & Community Service Campaign. They are also the largest chapter in Arkansas.
Of the 29 who competed, 27 were state finalists in their respective categories. Of the 27 state finalists, 19 qualify for national competition.
First place winners include:
Keaton Black - Business Finance
Parker Ross & Hudson Clark - Financial Service Team Decision-Making
Arkansas PTA Reflections
This year the 2019 Arkansas PTA Reflections theme was “Heroes Around Me”. As in years past Fort Smith Public Schools were well represented with dozens of entries and 31 winners. Three earned first place recognition.
Averi Bottjen (botch-in), Cook Elementary PTA, Dance Choreography in the Middle School Division.
Beth Litherland (leather-lind), Woods Elementary PTA, Visual Arts in the Middle School Division
Sebastian Arevalo (A-rev-uh-lo), Fairview Elementary PTA, Visual Arts in the Primary School Division.
Chaffin Quiz Bowl
Chaffin Quiz Bowl has done it again! Chaffin’s 9th Grade Quiz Bowl team won their bracket in the 7A State Quiz Bowl Tournament. They are Jackson Wollschied (wool-seid), Vivian Apple, Zain Rana (Raw-nuh), Jacob Reeder, Dat Nguyen, Asher Gibson, Lindsey Garretson. Team Managers are Thess Holloway and Liv Todd. Jackson Wollscheid was also named the State MVP and Vivian Apple was named the 2nd Overall All Star. Their sponsors are Logan Hoopes and Travis Minor.
Chaffin Science Bowl
The Chaffin Science Bowl Team advances to competition in Washington, D.C. in April with a regional win in National Science Bowl competition. More 14,000 students on hundreds of Science Bowl Teams compete for 16 spots in a series of 111 regional middle and high schools tournaments across the country. Congratulations to Zain Rana, Lance Roffine (raw-fin), Eshal (ee-shall con) Khan, Parker Daffron (dah-fron) and Tu Nguyen. Their sponsors are Logan Hoopes and Travis Minor.
American Choral Music Directors Association National Honor Choir
Board members, you recognized these young women last month for their selection to the Arkansas All-State Mixed Chorus. This month we recognize Northside High School’s Angel Keohacksa and Southside High School’s Avery Laster for their selection to the National American Choral Music Directors Association’s National Honor Choir. They were selected to participate through competitive auditions. The concert was held in the beginning of March in Kansas City. Congratulations to these young women and their teachers Kathryn Featherston and Gaye McClure Mings.
Dr. Tony Jones
Board you also recognized Tony Jones last fall for his selection as the Belle Point Center: A New Tech Academy instructional leader. Tonight, we get to applaud hard work that has resulted in a completed doctorate in Educational Leadership from Arkansas Tech. Dr. Jones is a home-grown success story. He attended Spradling Elementary, Kimmons Junior High and Northside High School. He began his teaching career at Northside where he taught for five years. He served as an assistant principal at Kimmons and Northside before his selection as Belle Point director.