Magnolia School District

STATEMENT FROM THE MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT Today, Magnolia High School received information of a possible threat of violence. The Magnolia Police Department was called and police officers actively investigated all claims. As of this time, no credible threat has been substantiated and there is no active threat to students or staff. The Magnolia School District will be diligent in the safety and security of all students and staff on all District campuses. A police presence will be on all school campuses on Thursday, October 28. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The Magnolia School District is aware of a threat toward Magnolia High School last night on a social media platform. School personnel are working with the Magnolia Police Department to resolve the matter. School resource officers are also on campus to aide in the investigation. We appreciate your support and patience.

Make sure to tune in to PanthersTV at the link below for the MHS RiseUp Panthers Volleyball game tonight at 5:30 when they go up against Arkadelphia. It’s senior night! https://youtu.be/BdLHTmMBHdM

COVID-19 Protocol Change for K-12 Schools During a press conference on Tuesday, October 19, Governor Asa Hutchinson in conjunction with the Arkansas Department of Health announced changes to the COVID-19 Protocol for K-12 schools. This change is limited to the school setting. The definition of a close contact in a school setting has changed from within six feet for fifteen minutes to within three feet for fifteen minutes. Reminder THREE EXCEPTIONS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE A CLOSE CONTACT TO QUARANTINE: 1. Fully vaccinated – If a person is fully vaccinated and is exposed to a positive case, they are not required to quarantine. 2. 90-day immunity – If a person is in their 90-day immunity window from having been positive and they are exposed to a positive case, they are not required to quarantine. 3. Proper mask wearing – If BOTH a positive case and a close contact are properly masked during the exposure period, the close contact is not required to quarantine.

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT TO HOLD COVID VACCINATION CLINICS The Magnolia School District will hold its next monthly Covid vaccination clinics Friday, October 22, for district students and staff. Students aged 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Staff and students may obtain their first or second dose at these clinics. The clinic for eligible high school students will be at 9 a.m. in the lobby of Panther Arena. The clinic for eligible middle school students will be at 1:30 p.m. in the Magnolia Middle School auditorium. Staff across the district may receive the vaccine at either location. Immunization forms for the vaccine must be completed and returned to the respective campus school nurse's office by end of the day Wednesday, October 20. Parents may pick up immunization forms at the front offices of the Magnolia Middle School, Freshman Academy, Magnolia High School, or District Administration Building.

October has been declared National Economic Education Month! Magnolia Schools will be celebrating all month long with fun, engaging activities in our schools. Here are some great resources to participate at home! - bit.ly/ecoar21 pic.twitter.com/JkTr7bnbre #PANTHERNATION

Currently, our positivity rate is below 8%. As a result, the requirement for masks to be worn by all school district employees, students, and visitors while inside any school district building, bus, van, or other vehicles is no longer in place. Masks have proven to reduce the number of quarantines as a result of being identified as a close contact. All protocols for quarantines remain in place, and those individuals not properly wearing a mask and/or those who have not received full vaccination, will be required to quarantine if identified as a close contact. We encourage you to consider continuing to wear a mask to reduce the potential of being quarantined, as well as to limit the spread of COVID-19. Should the 14-day average positivity rate in Columbia County exceed 8%, this policy will be reinstated.

Partners in Education to host Informational Meeting Tuesday, October 5 5;30 - 6:30 Magnolia Middle School Cafeteria

Partners In Education to host Informational Meeting Tuesday, October 5 5:30 - 6:30 Magnolia Middle School Cafeteria

Who's ready for some MHS RiseUp Volleyball?! Watch live tonight as Magnolia battles Camden-Fairview by clicking the link below! Live coverage starts at 3:45pm! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbf7UVErp9o

JV football with Camden Fairview has been canceled tonight. The 7th grade football will scrimmage each other around 5:30 tonight. There will be no charge to get in and no concessions! Thanks Coach Long

MAGNOLIA SCHOOLS TO HOLD COVID VACCINATION CLINIC The Magnolia School District will hold a Covid vaccination clinic Friday, September 24, for District students and staff. Students twelve years and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Both first and second doses of the vaccine will be available at the clinic. The clinic for students in grades 9-12 will begin a 9:00 a.m. in the Panther Arena lobby. Students in grades 6-8 will receive their vaccine at 1:30 p.m. in the Magnolia Middle School auditorium. District staff members may receive the vaccine at either location. Parents may be pick up immunization forms in the front offices of the Magnolia Middle School, Freshman Academy, Magnolia High School, or the District Administration Building. Completed immunization forms must be returned to the respective campus school nurse's office by end of the day Wednesday, September 22.

JESSICA TALLEY WINS BESSIE B. MOORE AWARD East Side Elementary School teacher, Jessica Talley, was recently surprised at a pep assembly given in her honor. Surrounded by the second grade student body, East Side teachers, and District personnel, Mrs. Talley was recognized as one of five Economics Arkansas’ Bessie B. Moore award winners for the 2020-2021 school year. Marsha Masters, Associate Director of Economics Arkansas presented Mrs. Talley with the “Bessie” award and a check for $1,000. Economics Arkansas launched the Bessie B. Moore Awards program in 1995 to honor exemplary teachers for successfully developing outstanding economic and personal finance classroom projects. Arkansas educators in grades PreK-12 may enter the program by submitting written descriptions of their creative projects. These projects are reviewed and judged by an independent panel of economic education specialists. The winners receive $1,000 cash awards, statewide recognition and “The Bessie.” During the Magnolia READS financial literacy campaign in the spring of 2021, Jessica used her project, Billy Sure Could; We Sure Can, Too! to integrate economic concepts into her classroom lessons. Her K-2 students participated in various activities to learn about the world of finance and economics. Economics Arkansas (through the Arkansas Council on Economic Education) is a private, non-profit, non-partisan educational organization founded in 1962 by Dr. Arch Ford, with Dr. Bessie B. Moore as its first executive director, to promote economic literacy in Arkansas. Its mission is to equip PreK-12 schools with standards-based resources and professional development to teach economics, personal finance and the free enterprise system. It uses practical, innovative and inspiring methods so that Arkansas students can master an understanding of economics and personal finance and apply that knowledge for success in the free enterprise system.

DAI NOTIFIED OF NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALIST STATUS Guangqian Christopher Dai, a senior at Magnolia High School, has been notified by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that he has been named a Semifinalist in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Chris is the son of Yonghu Dai and Juping Wang.

FOOTBALL SCHEDULE UPDATES The JV football game scheduled tonight with Texarkana has been canceled. The 7th grade game has been postponed and will be played before the junior high games on Thursday. This game should start at 5:00.

JOHN WARD SELECTED ARKANSAS SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR During the regularly scheduled Magnolia School Board meeting on Monday, September 13, 2021, Superintendent John Ward was surprised with an official visit from members of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. AAEA Executive Director, Mike Hernandez presented Mr. Ward with the 2021-2022 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year award. Ward starts this fall in his eighth year as superintendent of the Magnolia School District.

BUS SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 The following buses will be running late today: Flag Dinosaur Ball Tiger We ask for your patience as we try to get our students home safely. Thank You!

Watch Magnolia Vs Little Rock Christian LIVE from Panther Stadium https://youtu.be/jLKuz8pwBlM Many thanks to the PanthersTV Crew!

Arkansas Council for Military Children Hosts Annual Military Family Forum.

Attention Magnolia Panther Football Fans! Tonight's HOME game against Crossett will be live streamed by our very own PanthersTV! We'd love everyone to come out and join us live at Panther Stadium, but if you are unable to and/or live out of town the PanthersTV crew will be LIVE starting at 6:00pm! Here's the link to join: https://youtu.be/UYI-gH4q6gc #PANTHERNATION