Week 3: Staying Connected, Staying Alert

Happy Friday!Thank you to our entire Mena Public Schools team for another strong week of collective effort toward our performance targets in academic growth, attendance, and behavior and climate. Three weeks into the year, our routines are taking hold in every classroom and in every hallway, and the relationships behind those routines are growing stronger by the day. That is what leveling up looks like in practice: not a single big change, but steady, daily progress that adds up. This week’s Wrap-up covers a change in how we communicate with families, an online safety concern every staff member needs to understand, two strong opportunities worth putting in front of our students, and a look back at a busy week of Bearcat and Ladycat activity.Transition From Rooms to ParentSquareI want to update everyone on a change to how we communicate with families. We have discontinued Rooms, the parent communication tool from Apptegy, because feedback from staff and families did not show it was strong enough to justify staying with it. We are transitioning to ParentSquare, which now includes the messaging technology behind Remind, a tool many of our teachers already use and trust. I will be honest that we are behind our original schedule on this rollout, but ParentSquare will be up and running district-wide in September.Once it is in place, ParentSquare will let us reach every family through the channel that works best for them, whether that is the app, text message, email, or even an automated voice call, and messages will translate automatically into a family’s preferred language. Families will be able to reply directly by text or email without needing to download anything, and we will be able to send forms, permission slips, and sign-ups through the same system. Teachers will also be able to schedule messages ahead of time and use templates to save time while keeping communication organized and visible at the building and district level.In the meantime, and even after ParentSquare is fully rolled out, I want to ask every teacher and building staff member not to rely on Facebook alone to get important information to families. Facebook is a wonderful way to celebrate our students and share good news, but not every parent sees it, and it should never be our only method for anything families truly need to know. Please continue to use paper notes home, email, phone calls, and other direct methods alongside social media and Thrillshare (contact Mark Hobson) so that no family misses information that matters to their child.A Serious Online Safety Concern: “764”For those who do not know already, the FBI has issued repeated warnings, including one specific to Arkansas from the Little Rock field office, about a decentralized online network known as “764” that targets minors through platforms our students use every day, including gaming apps, Discord, and social media. Predators build trust with a young person, then use blackmail and fear to coerce escalating and dangerous behavior, sometimes including self-harm. Federal investigators have already confirmed cases in Arkansas.Please treat this as a mandated-reporter issue. Warning signs include a student suddenly withdrawing or becoming secretive, fixation on or fear of a new online contact, unexplained gifts or gaming currency, or unexplained marks or injuries. If a student discloses anything that sounds like this, or you notice these signs, please report it immediately through our normal reporting channels. It can also be reported directly to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov. It is far better that all of us over-report a false alarm than miss a student who needs help.Opportunities for Our StudentsA couple of strong opportunities are open right now and worth putting in front of the right students.America250, the organization Congress charged with leading the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration, has opened a national startup competition for student innovators, and the window is open right now. Students submit a short written proposal and a brief pitch video explaining a business idea, why it matters, and how it could grow. Entries are due Thursday, October 8th. Ten finalists receive $25,000 each in grant funding that they do not have to give up equity for; the top three receive another $25,000, and the strongest 100 proposals earn an invitation into NVIDIA’s startup program. The contest is open to students currently enrolled at an accredited college, univers