GRAVETTE — Editor’s Note: This is the second of two articles containing information of importance for students and parents concerning the new school year at Gravette Public Schools which begins August 19. This second article introduces new teachers, curriculum additions, student support information.

Among new instructors joining the district teacher leaders are:

1. Ashley Armstrong and Andrea Nall, full-time teachers in the Glenn Duffy Elementary, and Tori Hunt as the half-time gifted and talented teacher.

2. Joining Hendrick in the Middle School is Meghan Reimer, hired as the English as a Second Language teacher.

3. New teachers in the high school are Mollie Hendrick, art; Randall Hunt, math; Jamie Porter, English; Seanne Sain, Culinary Arts; Matthew Skrocki, English; Ron Turvey, computer-aided drafting; Kimberly Williams, Spanish and English as a second language; and Tamara Reith, business technology and core academic teacher in the Lion Pride Academy, the district’s alternative learning center.

Two additions to the high school course schedule are German II and online college classes in partnership with NWACC available to seniors in the high school distance learning lab. The college credit courses approved by the Board of Education are chemistry in the modern world, survey of world literature to 1750, human geography, Western civilization to 1650, principles of accounting I and II, medical terminology, art appreciation, art history I, survey of the universe, Internet resourcing, Web page design, PhotoShop, introduction to computer information systems, fundamentals of communication, fire suppression, wellness concepts, introduction to hospitality management, travel and tourism, retail management and business communications.

Classes are $165 per semester for three college credits, which will be considered as concurrent credit and placed on the student’s high school transcript as .5 high school credits per semester.

The distance learning lab will be available for three periods per day during the students’ school day.

With grant funds available for technology infusion as a part of the curriculum, the high school teachers will be using Macbooks this year, and the new iPad is being introduced to other teachers for use in their instructional delivery.

There is a shift in many schools to move the hardbound textbooks to Internet accessibility with the new electronic readers. Teachers and students may store electronic textbooks on the new Macbook or iPad, as well as take notes during class, watch lectures or presentations and check on grades and assignments.

Instead of information being in hefty texts and numerous notebooks, it will be a finger-tap away on the 1 1/2 pound device that is about 10 inches tall, 8 inches wide and a half-inch think. Users can perform searches within the text, highlight portions, take notes and jump to any chapter immediately. Using the technology in the classroom prepares students for the business world where instantaneous communication is the norm.

While technology is not the future of education, the future of education lies in the effective use of technology.

Under the direction of Pat Hastings, federal programs coordinator and curriculum specialist, the district continues to align and link the curriculum program from grades kindergarten through twelve. As the district continues to improve its curriculum under the guidelines of No Child Left Behind, the district is poised to make another transition built on NCLB through President Obama’s education improvement initiative of the Common Core State Standards which were recently announced. Implementation of the CCSS will begin within the next eighteen months.

An item for which we’re very proud is that the school district continues to meet standards as defined in the state’s annual yearly progress report due to the diligent efforts of the district’s teacher leaders.

Critical to the success of the students is the support of their parents and guardians. The school principals actively encourage parental involvement through keeping a close watch on their child’s progress in class, providing support while their child is completing homework, making sure he/she is prepared and ready for class, making sure they eat breakfast either at home or having made provisions for them to eat breakfast at school, arriving on time and limiting absenteeism to family emergency events and scheduling medical appointments during school breaks or days when students are not required to be on campus.

If a family needs support for school supplies, medical assistance, clothing and food, please contact the child’s school counselor. The contact for each is as follows: Glenn Duffy Elementary, Barbara Roberts at 787-4135; Jaymey Boston in Gravette Upper Elementary at 787-4145; Roger Sharp in the Middle School at 787-4175; and Gravette High School counselor Shannon Mitchell at 787-4185.

The Gravette School District is fortunate because many individuals, churches and community organizations are always ready to assist children and their families when the need arises. All requests and referrals for assistance are confidential.

Two new buses have been purchased as replacements for aged buses in the fleet to cover the district’s 149 square miles of bus routes. The district serves the west half of Bella Vista and the communities of Gravette, Maysville and Sulphur Springs.

We’re looking forward to return of the students and all the attendant excitement that goes with a school year — athletic events, music productions, academic achievement and, more importantly, the educational success of our students.