LRSD Spotlight

Volunteerism continues to grow and grow! Over 652,604 hours of volunteer service, valued at $13,215,246, were contributed by volunteers to the Little Rock School District during the 2009-10 school year, the most volunteer hours ever recorded for a single school year.

The Little Rock School District's Volunteers in Public Schools (ViPS) honored the many men, women, students and organizations that donate their time and energy to the LRSD and its students at its 28th annual district-wide volunteer recognition reception, “An Evening for the Stars,” on April 20 at Hall High School.

Awards in outstanding volunteerism were presented to schools, volunteers and partners. A special award established by ViPS in memory of the program’s founder, Jane Mendel, was presented to two volunteers who have achieved an exceptional level of service. This year’s Jane Mendel Award recipients were Linda K. Smith (left in photo above) and Rita F. Qualls (right).

Ron McAdoo, a musician, writer, artist and LRSD teacher, emceed the awards portion of the program. Ninety individual and business nominees were recognized for their volunteer service and support, and 30 nominees were honored with awards for their accomplishments. Thirty-five schools were recognized for special achievements in volunteer hours. The top performing schools were Fulbright Elementary, Pulaski Heights Middle and Central High schools. See a complete list of winners below.

ViPS was founded in 1972 to provide assistance to teachers and other staff members of the Little Rock School District by promoting volunteerism. ViPS serves as a link between the district and the community while providing patrons and citizens the opportunity to be significantly involved in the education of children.

2010 ViPS Award Winners

Jane Mendel Award: Linda K. Smith, Central High School; Rita F. Qualls, J.A. Fair High School.

Community Volunteer Award: Rafael Vega, Wilson Elementary School; Nathanael Wills, Felder Learning Academy; Jim Sanders, Jefferson Elementary School.

Staff Award: Neva Johnson, Felder Learning Academy; Oscar Lester, Dodd Elementary.

Parent Involvement Award: Project Graduation, Central High School; Loriee Evans, Gibbs Elementary School.

Administrator Award: Donna Hall, Otter Creek Elementary School.

Community Resource Award: Verizon Wireless, Central High School; UAMS House of Delegates, Woodruff Early Childhood Center; OK Program, Dunbar Middle and Central High Schools.

Leadership Award: Melissa Hawkins, Central High School; Eric and Sherrie McKisick, Hall High School; Lauren Wickersham, Carver Elementary School.

Elementary Student Volunteer Award: Megan Easter, Carver Magnet School; Janee Townsend, Stephens Elementary School.

High School Student Volunteer Award: Vanessa Pickett, McClellan High School.

Elementary Educator Award: Gene Williams, Carver Elementary School; Gloria Carroll, Franklin Elementary School.

Secondary Educator Award: Maurice Guest, Mann Middle School; The Memory Project—George West, Keith Richardson and Cynthia Nunnley, Central High School.

Tutor Award: Lisa Gondek, Terry Elementary School.

Family School Volunteer Award: Tonya Mitchell, King Elementary School; Tom and Angie King, Carver Elementary School; Beverly Jones, Central High School; Kendra Boyle, Dunbar Middle School.

Partners in Education Award: Arkansas Sustainability Network, Felder Learning Academy; Transamerica Worksite Marketing, Dodd Elementary School.

School Achievements

ViPS recognizes schools for significant accomplishments and achievements reflective through volunteer service contributed on behalf of the school. Thirty-five schools were recognized this year.

100% in volunteer service reported for the 2009-10 school year: McDermott Elementary School, Wakefield Elementary School, Hall High School, King Elementary School, Chicot Primary School, Geyer Springs Elementary School, Mabelvale Middle School, Forest Heights Middle School.

10+ Award: Schools reporting an average of 10 volunteer hours per student. Accelerated Learning Center, Mabelvale Middle School, Dodd Elementary School, Meadowcliff Elementary School, Stephens Elementary School, Fair Park Early Childhood Center, JA Fair High School, Mabelvale Elementary School, Western Hills Elementary School, Pulaski Heights Elementary School, Hall High School, McDermott Elementary School.

20+ Award: Schools reporting an average of 20 volunteer hours per student. Gibbs Elementary School, Dunbar Middle School, Mann Middle School, Franklin Elementary School, Geyer Springs Elementary School, McClellan High School.

30+ Award: Schools reporting an average of 30 volunteer hours per student. Chicot Primary School, M.L. King Elementary School.

40+ Award: Schools reporting an average of 40 volunteer hours per student. Brady Elementary School, Williams Elementary School, Wilson Elementary School, Woodruff Early Childhood Center.

50+ Award: Reporting an average of 50 volunteer hours or more per student. Jefferson Elementary School, Carver Elementary School.

60+ Awards: Reporting an average of 60 volunteer hours or more per student. Booker Elementary School.

80+ Award: Reporting an average of 80 volunteer hours per student. Forest Park Elementary School.

Top elementary school performer: Fulbright Elementary School, reporting 70,558 total volunteer service hours, averaging 89 volunteer service hours per student.

Top middle school performer: Pulaski Heights Middle School, reporting 29,977 volunteer hours, averaging 33 hours per student.

Top high school performer: Central High School, reporting 115,000 hours, averaging 50 hours per student.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes recently honored Coach Bernie Cox, retiring head football coach at Central High School, for his 35 seasons as the head coach, seven state championships, and over 270 wins in a long successful career.

This award will be presented to a head football coach from a school in Central Arkansas each year in Coach Cox's honor.

Students at M.L. King Magnet Elementary recently participated in "Wellness Week," a week-long activity centered on health and safety. Students learned about bike safety, developing healthy habits, how to make their homes more fire safe, fitness and nutrition, and even what it's like to be in a hospital!

Kindergarten students in the photo above are dressed in hospital scrubs and have "casts" on their fingers as they go through the "Hospital Ties" module. King school nurse Stevanna Cherepski, a.k.a. Nurse Stevie, and Jennifer Hurst from Arkansas Children's Hospital (sitting on floor) lead the "lesson."

The staff at King believes that fun activities will help reinforce the message of staying safe and healthy at home and while away.

Amanda Zraick, M.S., CCC-SLP (left), and Carol Fleming, M.S., CCC-SLP (right), were honored at the annual Arkansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention in Hot Springs on October 15.  Both speech-language pathologists were nominated by Cassandra Steele, M.S., CCC-SLP; Coordinator of Speech and Hearing Services with the Little Rock School District Division of Special Programs. Sue Hale, M.C.D., CCC-SLP, President of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), was present during the awards ceremony when both Mrs. Zraick and Mrs. Fleming were recognized.

Mrs. Zraick, speech-language pathologist at Central High School, received the Paula Gober Public School Award from Arkansas Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ArkSHA). This award is given to an individual who displays distinguished clinical service in a public school setting.
 
Mrs. Zraick received the award because of her dedication to her profession, her school and the Little Rock School District. As a member of her school’s Literacy Team, she led the development and implementation of a school-wide vocabulary program, “Tiger Words.” She is the team leader for the district’s AAC team (Augmentative/Alternative Communication), and she supervises graduate students in speech-language pathology from the UALR/UAMS graduate program. Mrs. Zraick also works with her students and their teachers to promote a positive environment where students with speech and language impairments can succeed.

Mrs. Fleming, a speech-language pathologist at Pulaski Heights Middle School, received the Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Clinical Achievement from ArkSHA. This award is given to an individual who has shown advancement of knowledge in clinical practice as evidenced by a significant recent accomplishment. 

In 2008, Mrs. Fleming developed a web-based resource related to Medicaid reimbursement, IDEA compliance and service delivery. This resource was created while she was a member of ASHA’s Leadership Development Program. At the legislative level, Mrs. Fleming continues to work towards the passage of an appropriations bill for speech-language pathologists in the public schools; she has been involved with this legislative issue since 2004. 

Mrs. Fleming is the current President Elect and Chair of the Salary Supplement Adhoc Committee for ArkSHA. In 2010, she will become the President Elect of the Council for State Speech and Hearing Association Presidents.  She also has been appointed to the ASHA School Finance Committee; her term will run from 2010 to 2012.

Our students are still doing a phenomenal job on First in Math!  As of October 19, we’ve earned more than 2,422,500 stickers! Furthermore, our students have solved more than 7.2 million math problems!!! The estimated time on task for the District is 20,000+ hours!!!

View First In Math Rankings

First In Math Website