It’s Lasagna Day at Gentry Primary! The food looks amazing, and we can’t thank our incredible lunch ladies enough for all they do in every building. They play such an important role in nourishing our Pioneer students, day in and day out. Our lunch ladies truly are pioneers at their best!
This week's teacher spotlight is Thomas Clement. Mr. Clement began his teaching career in Gentry and currently serves as a GMS English Teacher and MCL. Mr. Clement works extremely hard to serve the needs of all students and to support his fellow department members. He is a true asset to Gentry Public Schools. Go Pioneers!
We want to recognize the active encouragement and support that Senator Bart Hester provides for Gentry Public Schools. He is a true champion for education! Thank you, Senator Hester. We appreciate you!
We have our very 1st Coffee With The Counselors tomorrow morning October 23 at 8:30am! Counselors from all buildings will be presenting at the Gentry Middle/High School Cafeteria on bullying. We will have donuts and Ember Mountain coffee to go alongside important community conversations! This is a wonderful event for any families who want to hear directly from school counselors about what we can do as a community to help. We hope to see you there!
Gentry Pioneer students and athletes took a fan bus to support the Pride of Gentry High School Marching Band at the marching assessment this evening. Administrators and staff were also there to cheer on the band. Thank you to our students and staff for proving why Gentry has the best fan base! Great job, band!
The Gentry Intermiediate School fire marshalls were recognized at the October Board Meeting. The Intermediate School Marshalls are Anna Ruth, Brayden Tucker, Maddox Smartt, Alayna Ahrents, and Hayes Holland. Go Pioneers!
Do you want to be a substitute at Gentry Public Schools? Existing substitutes will be happy to learn about our increase in substitute daily pay! New substitutes can apply on the ESS website at https://ess.com/.
We just finished a fantastic Homecoming. Lots of memories were made. How many past homecoming queens and maids do we have out there? Comment below with your year if you were a Pioneer Homecoming Queen or Maid in the past. We'd love to hear from you! #PioneerPride
Gentry Public Schools is excited to announce significant updates, including the appointment of Devon Conrad as Assistant Superintendent, increased pay for substitutes, and new security enhancements. Click the link for more detailed information!
https://bit.ly/4eSgggO
Gentry Public Schools is thrilled to share several significant updates from tonight's school board meeting.
New Assistant Superintendent Announcement:
We are delighted to announce that Devon Conrad has been appointed as the new Assistant Superintendent for Gentry Public Schools. Currently the Principal of Gentry Primary School, Mrs. Conrad will take over from Christie Toland, who is retiring at the end of this school year. Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Conrad when you see her! We will soon begin the process of hiring her replacement.
Increased Substitute Teacher Pay:
Just a reminder that our substitute teachers are contracted through ESS (formerly Subteach) and are not directly employed by us. We’re pleased to inform you that the board has approved ESS to offer a raise in the daily pay rate for our substitutes, aligning us with the highest-paying neighboring districts. This change is vital, as we had previously been one of the lowest-paying districts, making Gentry a less attractive option for substitutes. We hope this pay increase, along with enhanced promotion from both ESS and our school, will improve our fill rates and lessen the need for staff to cover classes.
Security Enhancements: CSSO Program:
Safety is our utmost priority. We’re excited to announce that the board has approved the establishment of a CSSO (Commissioned School Security Officer) program, following a presentation from detectives with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). Many neighboring districts and schools statewide have already implemented CSSO programs.
CSSOs will be staff members who undergo comprehensive law enforcement training under BCSO’s authority and will add an important layer of security for our students and staff. The selection process for CSSOs will be highly selective to ensure only the most qualified individuals are chosen. We expect the program to be operational as early as late spring. The CSSO program will complement our existing security team, which includes two full-time School Resource Officers (SROs) and two part-time SROs.
Facility Security Enhancements:
We’re also happy to report that we’ve secured a safety grant that will enable us to make significant security upgrades to several of our buildings. This funding will facilitate the installation of a two-way radio system for communication between building administrators and the addition of fencing to control foot traffic at secondary entrances.
The board has approved locally funded initiatives to complete our master key system, which is nearly finished but needs a few final improvements. We are also moving forward with the implementation of more electronic door access controls at our middle and high schools to ensure these buildings meet the standards of our other facilities. These controls will feature badge access for staff, buzz-in cameras for students, and enhanced door security to prevent unauthorized entry. Additionally, staff will have access to more doors using their badges, while students can utilize the buzz-in camera system to be let in remotely, eliminating the need to knock for assistance. These upgrades will be installed at the entrances most commonly used by staff and students.
These facility improvements align with the priorities identified by the state. These updates signify meaningful progress in our district’s commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for our students and staff.
Remember, you can find staff and administrator contact information on our website, www.gentrypioneers.com; reaching out to us directly ensures you receive timely and accurate information through the appropriate channels if you have any questions. Thank you all for your ongoing dedication, and as always, go Pioneers!
Go Pioneers!
Gentry vs. Berryville Community Tailgate
It’s time for our annual Chili Competition Tailgate! Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 chili pots. Since it’s Senior Night, we’ll start at 5:00 and finish in time for everyone to be seated for the Senior Night festivities. Let’s come together to celebrate our team’s amazing season—it’s our last regular season home game, and we want to pack the stands! We were just voted NWA’s best fanbase, so let’s show everyone why! Please sign up to bring a pot of chili or side dishes. We’ll provide paper products and homemade cinnamon rolls from Sleepy Hollow. Chili, cinnamon rolls, and Pioneer football—there’s no better way to spend a Friday night!
Congrats Gentry Pioneer Fans! We won the title of Best Fanbase in NWA by a landslide over Har-Ber with a 97.6%. (OVER 36,000 VOTES!!!)
Gentry wins Yarnell's Sweetest Play again - Week 6! That's two weeks this season!
https://www.5newsonline.com/video/sports/high-school/hs-football/sweetest-play/gentry-wins-yarnells-sweetest-play-of-week-six/527-7582ce25-daf6-4c0a-838b-01cd1ebc3738
Go Pioneers!
Go Pioneers!
Important information for School Bus Safety Week including the Practice Bus Emergency Evacuations Schedule, Bus Safety Guidelines, and Bus Seating Changes. Please visit http://bit.ly/40bytBE for details.
Hey Gentry fans! We’ve made it to the FINALS in the competition to determine the best fan base in NWA! We really need your votes right now. You can vote as many times as you'd like using the form. Voting ends at 12:30 pm on Sunday. Click the link below and show your support for Gentry! https://bit.ly/3zTYdYv
The Pioneer Reminder is here! You can access this and past copies in the link below. For more information, check our website. Go Pioneers! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1He153_JAjnr4Z0LFSLm-Z38j9_h6qZ1l?usp=drive_link
Janae Fairchild is our featured educator this week. Mrs. Fairchild is a key part of the success of our FFA program at Gentry. Agriculture education is her passion, and it shows. This program requires a lot of sweat and labor to be successful. Thank you, Mrs. Fairchild, for your investment into the future of Gentry!
