Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

School Meetings Held August 15 And 21

Prescott Elementary School held its annual public meeting and open house August 15 at 2 p.m. for kindergarten parents. It held another August 21 at 6:30 p.m. for parents who have children in grades one through four.

The meetings were in the Prescott Elementary School cafetorium.

Parents were welcomed by principal Howard G. Austin, who introduced the elementary staff. A general overview of the total elementary school program was presented to the parents.

Austin gave the parents an update on the new computer lab installed during the summer for all of the elementary students to use this year. PES improvement plans were given to the parents which were the following:

1. Continue to strive for community funds and help through the school's PTP to equip the computer labs with computers, cabinets, software and training for the teachers. This goal has been achieved with the installation of a lab this summer.

2. Continue to provide workshop opportunities for the teachers to enable them to keep up with the latest educational practices and methods for instruction. This goal is being accomplished through workshops that we are providing for the teachers this summer and during the school year.

3. To strive for the development of safety zones around all of the playground equipment and have all playground equipment checked and repaired twice each semester or as needed. The local Jaycees are helping to achieve this goal by putting safety zones around the playground equipment.

4. To implement additional incentives for students as awards for good citizenship and educational achievements. The school is achieving this goal, because of the extra incentives it is providing for good citizenship.

5. To work closely with the parent coordinator in providing programs for parents to help them with their children and to help create a better community and school relationship. The school is working closely with the parent coordinator to provide programs for parents to help their children.

6. To continue meeting with each grade chairperson each month to check on their instructional program for their grade as a part of the site base management program. School personnel will be meeting each month with each grade chairperson to their instructional program.

7. To make Prescott Elementary School the best elementary school in Arkansas by providing its students, parents and teachers with all the educational programs and methods that we can secure and implement. "We will always be updating the instructional program at Prescott Elementary School in order to provide the students with the best education in Arkansas as well as in the United States," Austin said.

The parents were made aware of many important rules and policies for this year. The following rules and policies were presented: assertive discipline, homework, student attendance, absences and excuses, suspension, in school suspension (ISS), K-3 summer school program and dangerous weapons.

Act 779 was presented to the parents which protect non-smokers and students. The parents were made aware of how the school will address this law for the non-smokers and students.

Faculty members and parents will not be allowed to smoke on campus except in their cars (this is a state law) and will not be allowed to smoke in the bleachers or press box at football games.

Other important topics presented at the open house and public meeting were the following: PTP (Parents and Teachers as Partners) overview information, transportation overview, special education outlook, library overview, counselor overview and Title I overview.

"Prescott Elementary School would like to thank the 200 parents who attended its open house and public meeting," Austin said.