Workshop Presenter:  The director of financial aid at Arkansas State University - Mtn. Home.
Location:  High School Cafeteria
Time:       6:30 P.M.

Act 35 of 2003 required the Department of Education to establish a numerical school ranking system that is based on student performance.  The Arkansas Department of Education recently released the 2010 achievement status rating for Arkansas schools.

Ranking scale of 1 to 5:
1 refers to a low-achieving school “in need of immediate improvement”
2 refers to a school “approaching standards(alert)”
3 refers to a school that is “meeting standards”
4 refers to a school that is “exceeding standards”
5 refers to “a school of excellence”  

2010 Salem Schools Rankings:
Salem Elementary           5 – A school of excellence
Salem High School           4 – Exceeding standards

 

I am very proud of the performance by our students and staff at both schools.  These results are not obtainable without dedicated students, teachers, and support staff.  I also want to express our appreciation to each parent and patron for their support.  Your support plays a crucial role in our schools performing at a high level.

 

The Salem School District will be closed December 21 – January 1 for Christmas Break. 

The final day of the first semester will be December 20.  Classes will resume on January 2.

 

Enjoy the break!

 

 

Salem Public School will hold a public meeting to discuss the school district’s facility plan in the Salem Board Room on Monday, December 19, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. 

The purpose of the meeting is to hear public comments on the school district’s master facilities plan.

Date:    November 28, 2011
To:        Parents/Guardians
From:   Ken Rich, Superintendent
Re:       School Cancellation Policy

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It won’t be long before winter weather is in the local forecast and school cancellations are possible.  All decisions made concerning school cancellations will be made with the safety of our children as the top priority. 

Please listen to one of the radio/TV stations listed below for announcements concerning cancellations.  Announcements will only be made to cancel school -- no announcement means school will be in session.  As soon as a decision to cancel school is made, we will call the radio/TV stations and ask them to announce the cancellation.  They usually get the message out as soon as they receive it.   In addition, cancellation information will be posted to the district website (www.salemschools.net) as soon as possible.

Please do not attempt to call radio/TV stations or school officials.  These calls will only tie up phone lines and cause delays in the announcements.

The Salem School District will also use the AlertNow telephone announcement program to announce school cancellations and/or early dismissals.  School cancellations due to inclement weather will be broadcast at 6:00 a.m.  If a decision regarding school cancellation is made after 6:00 a.m., the call will go out as soon as possible after the decision has been made to cancel school.  If a decision regarding school cancellation is made in the evening, regarding the next school day, the message will be sent during the evening.
Please help us keep our database up-to-date by notifying the elementary or high school office if your phone number changes.

The AlertNow broadcast is made as a service to Salem School District parents.   Please do not depend solely on the broadcast system for school cancellation announcements.  Phone problems can occur during inclement weather and interfere with AlertNow announcements.  This system is being used in addition to local radio and TV station announcements.  Parents are encouraged to monitor the radio and TV stations listed below.                                                                         
Radio/TV Stations will be called in this order.

          

KSAR (Salem)              92.3 FM        

K-Kountry 95 (Thayer)  95.1 FM   www.kkountry.com                                                        

KTLO (Mtn. Home)     97.9 FM   www.ktlo.com

KAIT/TV  Channel 8  (Jonesboro)   www.kait8.com

Springfield, MO - Channels 3, 10, 27, 33

Salem Schools Website    www.salemschools.net

The National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA), a department of ACT, Inc., recognized Salem Elementary School as a 2011 NCEA Higher Performing School. Salem Elementary School received Higher Performing (HP) recognition in the following areas:

·        Math – Higher performing in both Advanced Performance and Growth

·        Literacy – Higher performing in both Advanced Performance and Growth

·        Science – Higher performing in both Advanced Performance and Growth

The Higher Performing Schools (formerly known as Just for the Kids Schools) are identified by two measures: consistent improvement in student achievement from previous years (growth) and/or absolute student achievement using the school's advanced performance results on the spring 2010 Arkansas ABE (Augmented Benchmark Examinations). NCEA's higher performing methodology controls for school and student demographics to allow for an apples-to-apples comparison of school achievement and to demonstrate that with the commitment of educators, all schools can have success no matter the zip code. NCEA provided award certificates to each Higher Performing School and the district.

This is the fourth time that Salem Elementary School has received the Higher Performing School Award.  The school also received the award in 2004, 2009, and 2010. 

83 Arkansas schools received the award in 2011.  Salem Elementary School is the only Arkansas' school recognized by NCEA that received Higher Performing recognition in all three subject areas for both advanced performance and growth. 

 

Salem Elementary students take a moment to thank all Veterans.

The re-roofing project for the high school physical education building is complete.  Sixty-two (62%) of the project cost was paid by the Arkansas Division of Public Schools Partnership Program.  This project was funded under the warm, safe, and dry portion of the program for roofs that have reached the end of their life cycle.  The partnership program provides funding for school district facilities based on the district's wealth index. 

What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative?

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort to establish a shared set of clear educational standards for English language arts and mathematics that states can voluntarily adopt. 44 states, including Arkansas, have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  The standards have been informed by the best available evidence and the highest state standards across the country and globe and designed by a diverse group of teachers, experts, parents, and school administrators, so they reflect both our aspirations for our children and the realities of the classroom. These standards are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to go to college or enter the workforce and that parents, teachers, and students have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. The standards are benchmarked to international standards to guarantee that our students are competitive in the emerging global marketplace.

Arkansas – Common Core State Standards Initiative information can be found at:  www.commoncorearkansas.org

Common Core will be implemented into Arkansas public schools in the timeframe below:

• Kindergarten – 2nd grades:
  2011-2012
• 3rd – 8th grades:
  2012-2013
• 9th – 12th grades:
  2013-2014
• Common Assessment:
  2014-2015

Arkansas is one of 24 states in PARCC – Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career.

What is PARCC?
PARCC is a 24-state consortium working together to develop next-generation K-12 assessments in English and math. 

PARCC benefits:
Students who will know if they are on track to graduate ready for college and careers
Teachers with regular results available to guide learning and instruction
Parents with clear and timely information about the progress of their children
States with valid results that are comparable across the member states
The nation as it is based on college- and career-ready, internationally-benchmarked CCSS

Where can I find out more about PARCC?
www.parcconline.org