🚍 Flashing Red. Kids Ahead. — Bus Safety Reminder 🛑
As the school year starts, Arkansas motorists are reminded of a critical safety rule:
According to Arkansas law, it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus whenever its red lights are flashing, meaning children are boarding or exiting the bus.
📋 What Every Driver Should Know:
You must stop in both directions on 2‑lane roads and 4‑lane highways with or without a center turn lane, unless there's a median 20 feet or wider.
Outstanding penalties under Arkansas’ Isaac’s Law can include fines up to $1,000 or more, plus potential jail time—highlighting how serious this violation is .
👫 What Students & Pedestrians Should Do:
Be visible and alert near bus stops and crosswalks.
Stay clear of the road until the bus has pulled away.
Avoid distractions—keep phones down and eyes focused when walking.
🔁 Community Safety Is a Shared Responsibility
Every driver and pedestrian contributes to keeping our students safe. Let’s commit to obeying the law, being patient, and slowing down as a bus approaches or departs. Click the link below for traffic flow and drop-off/pick-up information:
🔗 https://www.gentrypioneers.com/page/traffic-flow-student-pick-up-drop-off
Remember: Flashing Red Means Kids Ahead. Together, we can make sure Arkansas children arrive safely at school. 💛🚌✨
GHS parents and families: It was so great to see your smiling faces as you eagerly await our return to school next week! We are excited for a fantastic year.
For those of you with schedule changes, thank you for your patience. We will work diligently on those changes and get schedules on the first day of school!
📣 REMINDER: Open House Dates for All Grades!
Open House is a great way for families to meet teachers, drop off supplies, and get excited for the school year! All students and families are welcome. If your child is entering a new building (a transition grade), Open House is a great supplement to Orientation and can help make the transition even smoother.
🏫 Open House Schedule (All Grades Welcome):
📍 Middle & High School – Wednesday, August 6 | 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 Primary School – Thursday, August 7 | 4:00–6:00 PM
📍 Intermediate School – Thursday, August 7 | 5:00–7:00 PM
🎒 First Day of School: Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Visit our Back to School Hub: https://www.gentrypioneers.com/page/back-to-school. We’re looking forward to seeing you there! 💙✏️
📣 REMINDER: Orientation & Open House Dates!
Here’s a quick look at some important upcoming events as we prepare for the new school year! Families of students in transition grades (moving to a new building) are invited to attend Orientation for a chance to learn more and explore their new school environment. While optional, Orientation is a great opportunity to ease the transition.
Students in any grade are welcome to attend Open House, where families can meet teachers, drop off supplies, and get ready for the year ahead. Transition grade students may benefit from attending both events!
🧭 Orientation for Transition Grades
➡️ 3rd Grade (Intermediate): Aug. 7 | 4:00–5:00 PM
➡️ 6th Grade (Middle): July 31 | 5:00–7:30 PM
➡️ 9th Grade (High): July 31 | 5:00–7:30 PM
🏫 Open House (All Grades Welcome)
📍 Middle & High School: Aug. 6 | 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 Primary School: Aug. 7 | 4:00–6:00 PM
📍 Intermediate School: Aug. 7 | 5:00–7:00 PM
🎒 First Day of School: Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Visit our Back to School Hub: https://www.gentrypioneers.com/page/back-to-school. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back! 💙📚✏️
Pioneer Families,
I hope your summer has been filled with fun, rest, and rejuvenation. I also hope that your students are looking forward to the return to school! As the 2025-26 school year rapidly approaches, I wanted to take a moment to give you some important information. We have a couple of opportunities for families to visit campus within the next week to help prepare for a successful beginning to the school year. We have been hard at work getting ready for the return of students and staff. We cannot wait to see your students!
Thursday, July 31 from 5-7:30
Freshman/New Student Orientation - Come learn a little about Gentry High School. We will have parents in a Q&A session and students will have several rotations to learn about different aspects of GHS life.
Wednesday, August 6 from 4:30-6:30
Open House for ALL students - Come get your schedules (from your Advisory teacher) and visit your teachers. Also, take the time to fill out the Back to School Paperwork while you are here. Please fill out the Free and Reduced Lunch form while you are filling out paperwork. This application helps us as we hope to be able to provide free lunches to ALL students beginning in the 26-27 school year. Planning for this begins with this year’s applications.
Important notes about the school year
School begins at 8:00 and ends at 3:30 - Plan for traffic on the first days of school. Pioneer Lane is very busy in the mornings for school, especially the first week of school.
We’ve made some changes and updates to our building. Several classrooms have received new furniture. All our hallways have had a fresh coat of paint. We have new flooring in the gym lobby and a new reception area at the front entrance. We’ve added a new Animal and Plant Science Lab by Ms. Jackson’s room, too. It’s been a busy and productive summer preparing to ensure our students have every opportunity to Connect, Learn, and Succeed! We’re ready for you!
Schedules will be available at open house for students. Schedule changes will go through our counseling office and will only be permitted for those students missing required classes or for students with pathway pre-requisite concerns.
As expected, Bell-to-Bell No Cell has become law. With the passing of the law, the ban extends beyond cell phones to include all personal electronic devices including but not limited to cell phones, bluetooth devices like ear buds, personal computers or handheld gaming devices, and smart watches. More information can be found on our school webpage (https://www.gentrypioneers.com/page/bell-to-bell-no-cell-policy).
Expecting great things!
Justin Blanchard
Principal, Gentry High School
As we look ahead to the 2025-2026 school year, we want to kindly remind you that the Bell-to-Bell No Cell Phone Policy will apply to all Gentry campuses this year—Primary, Intermediate, Middle, and High School. While we started early with this at the middle and high school levels last year, the policy is now required by state law and must be followed by all schools in Arkansas.
This means all Gentry students will now follow the same expectations: personal electronic devices—such as phones, smartwatches, and tablets—must be off and out of sight during the school day unless specifically allowed under the policy (such as in emergencies, for health accommodations, or district-issued devices for learning).
To help you review the details, including what’s allowed and how violations are handled, please visit our website to read the full policy: https://www.gentrypioneers.com/page/bell-to-bell-no-cell-policy
We appreciate your support as we work to maintain a focused and safe learning environment for all students.
Warm regards,
Dr. Tyler Broyles
Superintendent
Gentry Public Schools
