Sheridan School District - Inspire. Empower. Serve.

To wrap up a great week for the GT/AP Program, DESE announced today that it will fund another grant for AP Art Teacher LeAnn Whitmire! The grant will be used to purchase updated resources that allow Mrs. Whitmire to teach her students high-demand graphic design skills. This final award means that all 3 of the district's submitted grant applications were fully funded.

It's another good day for our GT/AP Program! SHS AP teachers, Jeanne Gartman (AP Statistics) and John Hart (AP Chemistry), have been awarded AP Equipment and Materials Grants from DESE's Office of Gifted & Talented/Advanced Placement. Both grants will fund instructional resources up to $1,000 per teacher. Pictured left to right: John Hart (AP Chemistry), Summer Williams (GT/AP Coordinator), Jeanne Gartman (AP Statistics)

SSD Families: REMINDER We will have no school tomorrow, Jan. 18. We hope you are enjoying your 3-day weekend!

Sherri DeSoto and Angie Walters (GT facilitators) and Summer Williams (GT Coordinator) were recently awarded the annual Arkansas Securities Department Grant that will be used to support 5th grade GT classes' Stock Market Game endeavors. The grant, which totaled almost $900 for our schools, is intended to support investment education for Arkansas students.

Upcoming Juniors and Seniors! It's time to be thinking about which courses you want to take next year. As a student at SHS, you will have access to 10 Programs of Study through the Saline Co Career & Technical Campus, which opens next fall. These Programs of Study will help prepare you for high-demand high-paying careers! Learn more at bit.ly/SalineCTE.

We are grateful to have received a $10,000 grant through the Arkansas AWARE program. The funding will be primarily used to contract with a mental health provider who will support our staff’s mental health and well-being during the spring semester. Big thanks to our district mental health coordinator, Ryane Sorey, for taking the lead on securing this funding and bringing these beneficial services to our district staff!

Congratulations to these AMAZING nominees for the 2021 Grant County Chamber of Commerce Secondary Teacher of the Year! Thank you for all you do for the #YJNation!

Congratulations to these AMAZING nominees for the 2021 Grant County Chamber of Commerce Elementary Teacher of the Year! Thank you for all you do for the #YJNation!

SSD Families: INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOOL MEALS All school meals will be FREE to families through the end of the school year whether your student learns virtually or attends onsite. School Meal Pick Up for Virtual Students will be Tuesday, Jan. 5 this week since today is a Virtual Day. Participating families will pick up meals for the week at Sheridan High School or East End Middle School, from 10 - 10:30 a.m. School Meal Pick Up for virtual students is on Monday each week except for weeks when the Monday falls on a holiday. If you have not already signed up your virtual student for School Meal Pick Up and you want to begin picking up meals, you can sign up at http://bit.ly/2KRg3lq. Please respond today by 6 p.m.

SSD Families: We hope you had a wonderful Christmas Break! We are excited to welcome our students back to school. Remember, Monday, Jan. 4, will be a Virtual-Only Day. Campuses will be closed for onsite instruction. We want to ensure our students and staff come back to the safest environment possible on Tuesday. If someone in your household has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been in direct contact with a positive case, we ask that you email your child’s campus at the addresses below so we can conduct contact tracing before we return to onsite instruction on Tuesday. SHS: mattscarbrough@sheridanschools.org SMS: justinrasnick@sheridanschools.org SIS: teresaknight@sheridanschools.org SES: lindseybohler@sheridanschools.org EEM: lupepena@sheridanschools.org EEI: jaymesteinbeck@sheridanschools.org EEE: vickieeasley@sheridanschools.org ALA: deecreed@sheridanschools.org

Merry Christmas #YJNation! #MakeItCount

Good luck to our Lady Jacket Cheer at State Competition today! The live stream link is below. 6A begins at 11:54 AM, and 5A (our division) begins at 12:42 PM. They are supposed to compete at 1 PM, and awards begin at 2 PM. #MakeItCount #YJNation http://bit.ly/3aqrF9k

SSD Families: We hope you have a wonderful Christmas Break! Christmas Break will be Dec. 21 - Jan. 1 and Monday, Jan. 4 will be a Virtual Only Day. Campuses will be closed for onsite instruction on that day. Students will be back on campus on Tuesday Jan. 5. Remember, as cases in Arkansas continue to rise and you decide how you will celebrate the holidays, the ADH strongly encourages you to take precautions to protect yourself, your loved ones and others from the spread of COVID-19. After the break, we want our students and staff to come back to the safest environment possible. If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in direct contact with a positive case, we ask that you email your child’s campus at the addresses below so we can continue contact tracing throughout the break.  SHS: mattscarbrough@sheridanschools.org  SMS: justinrasnick@sheridanschools.org  SIS: teresaknight@sheridanschools.org  SES: lindseybohler@sheridanschools.org  EEM: lupepena@sheridanschools.org  EEI: jaymesteinbeck@sheridanschools.org  EEE: vickieeasley@sheridanschools.org  ALA: deecreed@sheridanschools.org

SSD Families: REMINDER Tomorrow, Dec. 18, is the day we will distribute Christmas Break groceries for those who signed up. Groceries will be available for pick up at SHS or EEM, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. & 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Santa will be there from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. to pass out candy canes to all the children in the drive-thru! If you requested the delivery option, please expect the delivery to take place between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Someone must be on location to receive your order.

SSD Families (East End Campuses): Our internet and phone lines are down at the East End campuses. We have set up our fax lines to take calls while our regular phone system is down. If you need to reach us, please call using the following numbers. EEM: 501-261-7036 EEI: 501-888-8937 EEE: 501-888-4275

SSD Families: Please tap on the link to view an update regarding the continuation of Virtual Fridays after Christmas Break. Thank you for all the support and cooperation you have shown for our teachers and staff during this challenging time. https://bit.ly/3gQZB03

SSD Families: REMINDER The deadline to sign up for free meals during Christmas Break is tomorrow, Dec. 14 at 1 PM. Families who sign up to receive meals will receive a box of groceries for each child living in their home. Sign up at https://bit.ly/36TJHyn or call the Central Office at 870-942-1335.

Congratulations to our SHS Debate Students!

Here is the link to the live stream for tonight's games, and tonight is Senior Night!! The ceremony will begin at 5:45 PM. https://youtu.be/mtRB5V8oY0g

COVID-19 UPDATE REGARDING QUARANTINE In accordance with new ADH guidelines, the probable close contact quarantine can end after 10 days without testing if no symptoms have occurred. Or, it can end after 7 days if no symptoms have occurred and a test returned a negative result. Note that the test sample must have been collected at least 5 days after exposure (day 5 of quarantine). Send-off PCR tests are preferred, but rapid antigen tests are acceptable. If your child is exposed again during quarantine, the period must start over again. If your child develops symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 during the quarantine period, you must follow the instructions for isolation. If your child is returning to school before the 14-day quarantine period, you must contact your child’s campus before they return to confirm the child is cleared to be released from quarantine. Documentation of the negative test result must be provided to the school office to return after a 7-day quarantine. The isolation period of 10 days remains unchanged for individuals who have tested positive.