Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon students get Prime Time classes offered

Gurdon Public School students have a new program that is sure to keep them busy and interested.

Jean Smithey, Grant Coordinator for Gurdon School District, has worked hard with the students and lots of volunteers to get the Prime Time Program underway.

Smithey, Dora Albert and Susan Robertson, human resources leader from International Paper, will all be attending a workshop in Houston, Tex. September 26-28. International Paper has been a great help to the Prime Time program by supporting the Accelerated Math program for second, third, fourth, fifth and 12th grade.

International Paper Company was gracious enough to donate $3,500. Teachers were glad to have the opportunity to get such a program.

The school is also offering tutoring sessions after school.

High school started in August when school began. The sessions are held in the library on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4:30 p.m. Tutors are Gurdon High School students Brant Weems, Lyndi Escalante and Whitney Smith.

Cabe Middle School and Gurdon Primary School will begin their homework tutoring in October from 3-4 p.m.

However, GPS and MMS students will be able to attend other courses from 4-5 p.m. Snacks will be served, and the children can enjoy such classes as Spanish, Journalism, Sports, Art, Cooking and Drug Prevention Education.

Dora Albert is the primary school coordinator and Bill Hulan will act as middle school coordinator.

Volunteers for the courses include Heather Davis, a senior from Henderson State University, who will be teaching the Spanish course. Rebecca Cooper, from the Gurdon Times, who will be teaching Art and Journalism. Other volunteers include, LeAndra Dillard, Angie Winfrey, Sharon Lasker and Sheryl Gardner.

Introduction to Computers classes will begin in the Spring. Gurdon schools are partnering with Ouachita Technical College on the class.

The class will hold about 20 students and will be taught by Charles Faila.

Anyone wishing to receive a college credit for the course they must enroll at OTC in December. However, the class will be free to anyone else wishing to learn more about computers.

Other classes being offered are Spanish and English. Smithey will be teaching the classes to help people primarily speaking Spanish to speak English and vice versa.

Classes will begin Monday, September 10, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The classes are free to the public and will be held at the Cabe Center at Gurdon High School.

Parenting classes will be starting in September and October. The classes will be partnering with the Title 1 program to provide a workshop called "Partners in Print". Pam Runyan will be facilitator of this program and Shellie Stroud is the Parent Coordinator.

Family Math will also be offered. Facilitators of this course will be Runyan and Linda Hulan.

Other parenting sessions are being planned with Rita Guthrie presenting a special parenting class.

John Rosemond, a best-selling author, columnist, speaker and family psychologist, will be holding a seminar Sunday, September 30, at Christ the King High School Auditorium in Little Rock. The seminar is titled "Parenting the Strong-Willed Child".

This seminar will be free for 10 parents to attend. A school van will transport the parents and will be leaving the buss garage at 12 p.m. the day of the seminar. If you are interested contact the school.

The school is also excited to be holding it's first chess competition. Tutoring for this will be held in the Primary school library. J.T. Tarpley and Adrian Gamble will be tutoring the chess class to those interested from grades K-5. They will compete with other students in the area.

The Dawson Coop is sponsoring the Chess competition.

Plans are also coming together for a school play. Tarpley is working hard to get the play and it's cast together. He has participated in many play productions before while attending AEGIS drama programs and other programs offered at Lyon College in Batesville and Harding University in Searcy. Tarpley will be director of the play.