Lion's Pride
January Newsletter
Message from the Superintendent
Students and teachers returned to school January 6, 2020, and hit the ground running. Awards ceremonies have been held for all three schools to celebrate student achievement for the second nine weeks and the first semester, athletic events and practices are continuing, and students and teachers alike are getting back in the school routine. 2020 promises to be a good year for the Jessieville School District. We are continuing our focus on reading, writing, and discussing in the classrooms, teachers are being strategic in meeting students' academic needs in preparation for testing later in the spring, and schedules for the 2020-2021 school year are being discussed.
January also brings cold and flu season. Please remind your students to wash their hands frequently and keep them at home if they have a fever or are vomiting. Attendance is VERY important, but we don't expect students to attend if they are contagious.
Best wishes to all of our students and their families throughout the new year!
Melissa G. Speers, Ed.S.
Jessieville School District
Superintendent
Trey Perkins Scores Against CMA
Charlie also mentioned that Trey can often be seen at the Rec Center in Hot Springs Village practicing his shooting and dribbling skills, demonstrating his passion for the game. Off the court, Charlie and Trey are lunch buddies at school and have also participated in a variety of other extracurricular activities together.
For more details about Trey's big moment and other notable plays during the Lions' game against CMA, please see this article from The Sentinel Record:
Students and Staff of the Month
Cheer Competition
When asked about this year's squad, Coach Horton remarked, "These girls have started a strong foundation for competitive cheer at our school, and I look forward to what the future holds for us." Congratulations, girls!
Jessieville Students Represent their School at Garland County Spelling Bee
Jessieville had its annual spelling bee at the beginning of the month. Winners for elementary included first grader Timbreann Harbin, second grader Micah Layfield, third grader Jacob Hickox, fourth grader Noah Grise, and fifth grader Thomas Sinclair. Overall elementary winners were Thomas Sinclair (winner), Micah Layfield (second place), and Jacob Hickox (third place). These three students competed in the Garland County Bee on January 9 at Gospel Light.
The top 3 middle school spellers for Jessieville were Breya Raney (winner), Blake Goings (second place), and Serena Benson (third place), who also moved on to represent Jessieville Middle School at the Garland County Spelling Bee.


FCCLA STAR Competition
Jakiarah Hickey, Emily Hemund, Rebekah George, Megan Brown, and Carrie Biggerstaff will all advance to the State STAR Events that will be held March 3 at Hot Springs Convention Center. Mrs. Churchill remarked, "Please congratulate these students when you see them. I'm proud to be a Jessieville teacher and a Lion."
To learn more about this organization, please visit https://fcclainc.org/
Academic and Athletic Awards
During the first few weeks back from Christmas break, students in grades K-12 were recognized at separate assemblies for their academic achievements during the second quarter. Family members and Jessieville staff applauded as teachers presented a variety of awards ranging from Accelerated Reader to Honor Roll to Terrific Kid certificates. As our school mission statement says, "We will produce confident 21st century global citizens through high quality instruction and an involved community." Awards ceremonies help us acheive this goal by focusing on instruction and encouraging families to support their students' learning. Thank you to all of the families and community members who came to cheer for the students.

In addition to celebrating academics, Jessieville recognized its fall sport athletes on January 9 in the safe room. Athletes from cross country, volleyball, football, tennis, and golf received plaques for All Conference and All State, and certificates for Letterman awards. At the ceremony, coaches recapped their seasons, talked about key players and topics like overcoming adversity and the importance of team work.
Spring sports teams (basketball, cheer, bowling, baseball, softball, and Special Olympics) will receive their awards in May.
Band Competition

The Lion's Pride Newsletter is brought to you by Ashley Layfield,
Jessieville School District Public Relations Coordinator.
Office: 501-984-4226
Email: ashley.layfield@jsdlions.net