The following post is a message from ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice sent at 7pm on March 12, 2020.  ASMSA understands this is a fluid situation, and as new information becomes available, we will provide updates.

As noted in my previous communications to campus, the circumstances regarding COVID-19 and institutional responses across Arkansas are evolving rapidly.  In the time since my most recent message, school closures in central Arkansas as well as shifts to digital instruction at the majority of universities across the state have accelerated our response plans to ensure that students remain safe while still engaged in their learning.

While our initial hope had been to reach Spring Break before shifting to remote instruction, we believe there are two compelling reasons to move forward with sending students home.  First, our students come from two-thirds of the state’s counties. We believe it is productive to release students to the care of their parents prior to a case of the virus in Hot Springs or on the ASMSA campus.  Second, in times of uncertainty, parents and guardians will always prefer to have their children nearby. We accept our role of stewardship of these young people with the utmost pride and care and have made this decision out of an abundance of caution.

With that said, ASMSA students will be asked to leave campus no later than 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2020.  Remote instruction will begin on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, and continue through the remainder of the week. During spring break week, ASMSA leadership will continue to assess statewide circumstances and will make a determination on if remote instruction will continue or if we will be able to safely resume the residential experience on campus with check-in on Sunday, March 29, 2020.

Classes will meet Friday, March 13, 2020, as usual following the B schedule. 

The ASMSA campus will remain open through this period under otherwise normal operations.  All employees will be expected to report to campus.

Students:  We will meet tonight at 9:30 p.m. in the CIC to go over some basic preparation for your transition away from campus and into remote instruction.  Dean Flynn, Dean Morris, and I will take your questions. Dean Morris will discuss signout procedures and preparing your room for your absence. Dean Flynn will talk about gathering textbooks and other materials you will need to continue your studies while away.

We still need your assistance in determining your access at home to broadband internet and phone service. While this week’s developments will have resulted in some changes to your spring break plans, we do ask that you provide that information so we will have it in case there is a need for self-quarantine and further remote instruction.  Finally, we ask that you alert staff to any concerns about food insecurity and access to meals while away from campus.

Employees: We will meet on Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. in the CIC to discuss the transition.  We will continue our discussions with faculty about preparing students for continued instruction.  We will work collectively on Monday to align our remote instruction efforts.

Parents: We ask that you refrain from signing your student out from campus until after 3:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon.  Again, students will have until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday to complete the checkout process.  

There will be a special Possip check on Friday that asks the following question: “ASMSA is using Possip to help plan for the next steps in response to COVID-19.  What additional questions do you have about COVID-19 and how it may impact school?”

This information will be especially insightful as we continue to provide updates by email.  ASMSA leadership will look to hold a digital forum by Zoom and phone next week to answer further questions and outline additional steps in how we will work together to support students.

ASMSA will be making additional decisions over the next few days regarding cancellation of other on-campus meetings and events.  Whenever possible, we will work to replicate those events digitally.

These are extraordinary measures and challenges that ASMSA has not faced at any point in the past three decades.  I want to commend our faculty and staff for their efforts and work they have been doing behind the scenes over the last few weeks.  I appreciate the patience and care of our students and parents as we have responded to the shifting landscape as new information has become available.  Our goal remains to provide exceptional instruction, support students as they reach their final decisions on opportunities for college after ASMSA, carry forward with the selection of our next cohort of talented young Arkansans, and continue our outreach programs that make an impact across the state.  ASMSA has always been a lab-based learning environment where we embrace flexibility and rise to unknown challenges. That spirit will continue to define our campus in the coming days as we move forward, together.

Original Post

The following post is a message from ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice sent at 12:45pm on March 12, 2020.

As you will have likely seen in the news, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff as well as the University of Arkansas at Monticello will suspend on-campus classes until at least Monday, March 30, 2020. The closures are being undertaken to limit the spread of COVID-19 in light of nursing student interactions with the first presumptive cases of the virus in the state.

There are no active cases under investigation or quarantines on the ASMSA campus at this time. Our intent at this stage is for campus to remain open through the start of spring break on the afternoon of Friday, March 20, 2020, and make further determinations as needed.

Governor Hutchinson’s stance on the topic is that widespread closures are not yet necessary, and ASMSA will only consider a campus closure should the circumstances necessitate it for the safety of our students and employees. The realities of this situation will continue to evolve in the coming days and weeks, but I would like to outline several topics related to COVID-19, campus preparedness, and response scenarios. Please know that circumstances are likely to change quickly and we will revise plans as necessary.

The Arkansas Department of Health has provided a variety of online resources to better inform citizens about the COVID-19 virus as well as state responses:
https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/novel-coronavirus

Global Learning
You are aware by now that the Greece program has been delayed and both Japanese exchange visits cancelled for this semester. I do not believe it would be prudent for the Costa Rica program to continue as planned; however, we have not been able to reach a suitable outcome should the original spring break trip be cancelled. Rescheduling for both Greece and Costa Rica are ongoing discussions, and we are striving for a solution that is fair for students and families. The Sister City Program has not yet made a determination regarding the June trip to Hanamaki. At this time, we are not yet expecting changes to the summer language immersion program in Quebec.

Travel, Events, and Competitions
Governor Hutchinson announced yesterday that out-of-state travel for state employees would be restricted for the next sixty days. We will adopt the Governor’s recommendations regarding travel out-of-state. Any events which are scheduled to continue out of state through early May will need special authorization from the Director to continue. The two primary events affected by this restriction are the Ocean Bowl National Competition and Regeneron ISEF. A decision has not yet been reached by either organizer to cancel, and will we work to determine if participation is prudent.

In-state events like the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair, FBLA Leadership Conference, State Quiz Bowl, and other events remain as scheduled for the moment. Because many of these events are hosted on university campuses, we will continue to monitor other campus policies regarding large group events and meetings, which could result in the cancellation of these activities.

Students have worked incredibly hard over the past year to be prepared to compete as well as represent themselves and ASMSA at the highest levels. While any event cancellation will be disappointing, I hope you will understand the necessity of doing so.

We will make a decision regarding Interview Weekends for applicants in the Classes of 2022 and 2023 prior to notification of semifinalist status in the coming week. Interviews have served as supplemental components of the review and selection process, and the on-campus activities that day are part of our pre-orientation processes for incoming students. We will continue to explore alternatives and make a decision that is best for campus and our prospective families.

ASMSA will also evaluate individual events that have been scheduled on campus such as workshops, external meetings, and other activities on a case-by-case basis.

Online/Blended Learning
I have previously shared that System leadership has encouraged campuses to take proactive measures to plan for a shift to digital learning in the event of a campus closure. For example, all University of Arkansas at Fayetteville faculty have been requested to be ready to implement digital learning by March 30th. Because of the nature of ASMSA’s residential experience, we do not often utilize blended learning as frequently as many other institutions.

I asked faculty earlier this week to begin thinking about what the transition for courses would look like should we need to close campus. While students all have access to technology, one of my greatest concerns is that not all students will have access to quality broadband (or any internet connection at all) at home. We must keep equity in access in mind as we plan but must also consider additional ways that technology can scaffold and expand core instruction. I recognize that some experiences will be difficult to replicate and have encouraged faculty to think about the core concepts and essential ideas that need to be explored in classes. Completing labs and earning concurrent credit will be tertiary components of our planning rather than initial priorities.

Should ASMSA have to shift to an independent or blended learning model, we will ensure that expectations on assignments, learning outcomes, and process are both flexible and appropriate. Much of ASMSA’s work in digital learning has been focused on adapting aspects of the ASMSA curriculum for blended environments. The goal has not been to directly translate our courses or experiences. As such, this scenario will involve a variety of challenges. This shift will naturally create some stress and anxiety for both students and faculty, and we will encourage patience and grace on everyone’s part.

Information Gathering
While social distancing remains one of the most effective strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, I recognize that many of you have established plans for spring break that cannot be changed. If you are traveling out of the country, to an area of the United States that has experienced significant cases (i.e., New York, California, Washington), or to a major tourist area or large gathering of people (Disney World, for example), I would ask that you proactively inform your Residential Mentor of these plans. We will make decisions regarding any potential need for self-quarantining in conjunction with health officials as we reach the end of spring break or sooner should the need arise.

During room checks on Thursday night, Residence Life Staff will be asking students to electively provide this information in addition to information about their access to broadband and unlimited phone minutes at home. We are also mindful of cases where lack of access to meals may be a concern for some students in the event of an extended campus closure. If this is a concern for you or your family, please share that information as well.

Hand Washing and Campus Cleaning
From the Centers for Disease Control: “Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. It's quick, it's simple, and it can keep us all from getting sick. Handwashing is a win for everyone, except the germs.” As simple as it sounds, regular handwashing with soap is one of the most effective strategies to prevent spread of viruses.

The Arkansas Department of Education also makes the following general recommendations for health and safety. To reduce the risk for getting and spreading viral respiratory infections, including the flu and the common cold, students are encouraged to take simple steps to help prevent COVID-19. These include:

• Alerting the nurse or other staff member if they feel sick;
• Frequent handwashing with soap and water. If soap and water are not readily available, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol;
• Advising persons to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing;
• Urging students and staff to get a flu shot during the flu season; and
• Providing adequate supplies for good hygiene.

In addition to usual campus cleaning measures, additional emphasis will be placed on frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, handrails, elevator buttons and other common surfaces.

New Resource for Arkansas
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is pleased to announce that UAMS HealthNow, its 24-hour digital connection to healthcare professionals, will soon offer free screenings for all Arkansans who have questions about whether they may have the COVID-19 virus.

UAMS HealthNow site will have a screening tool with a series of questions about their symptoms, age, overall health, travel and other potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus and guide them regarding next steps, if any. This may include a video session with a UAMS HealthNow provider, advice to contact their local physician for further evaluation and possible testing for the virus. People who have symptoms and who have been exposed to COVID-19 are urged not to visit a physician office, urgent care clinic, emergency room or hospital without first talking to the facility and getting instructions on how to prevent spreading the virus to healthcare providers and other patients. This service will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to patients of all ages across the state of Arkansas and can be accessed from a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer. https://uamshealth.com/healthnow/

A Word of Thanks
The discussions we’ve had and decisions we’ve reached over the past several days have required input and insight from a variety of individuals on campus. I wish to express appreciation to Ron Luckow and other faculty for their work with the Global Learning Program, Amy Brown-Westmoreland for her communication with our Japanese partners, Nurse Monica, Nia Rieves in HR, finance/travel staff, the maintenance and janitorial staff, as well as everyone who has offered individual perspective. Challenging times require communication and support. We will continue to be transparent as decisions are made and keep you updated as frequently as possible.

 

Corey Alderdice
Director

Hot Springs-based author Stephanie Storey - Author will present a lecture on the relevance of Art History and the nuances of self-promotion for artists, authors, and creative entrepreneurs at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Art Studio on ASMSA's campus.

Her debut novel, "Oil and Marble" was hailed as “tremendously entertaining” by The New York Times, was named one of Hudson Booksellers’ Best Books of 2016, is a Los Angeles Times and #1 Amazon bestseller, and is currently in development as a feature film by Pioneer Pictures. Her newest novel, Raphael, Painter in Rome, is due out in April 2020 in conjunction with the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death (April 1520).

Fourth District Congressman Bruce Westerman will hold a Service Academy Information Night at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in the Hugo Room of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Science and the Arts’ Creativity and Innovation Complex at 200 Whittington Ave. in Hot Springs.

Students and their parents will be provided information on the application, nomination, selection, and appointment processes. Attendees will receive information and be able to ask questions about each academy:

The United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.;
The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.;
The United States Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut;
The United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y; and
The United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colo.

An academy appointment has an estimated value of over $400,000 and competition for an appointment is keen. Each academy selects nominees on the basis of moral character, scholastic achievement, physical fitness, leadership, and college admission test scores.

Seven Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students were named National Merit Finalists for the 2019-20 academic year by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. recently announced the names of the Finalists for the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The students who are all members of the Class of 2020 will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $31 million that will be offered next spring.

The ASMSA seniors named Finalists are:

• Yoo-Jin Ahn of Jonesboro;
• Tristan Eoff of Little Rock;
• Carson Hardin of East End;
• Jason Hoang of Hartman;
• Howard Orlina of Little Rock;
• Emily Smith of Cabot; and
• Haven Whitney of Searcy.

To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of anticipated graduating seniors.
Students were required to fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist standing, including a detailed scholarship application that includes information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Scholarships are underwritten by the corporation with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions.

Three Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students earned a trip to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May at the West Central Regional Science Fair held Feb. 26-28.

Victoria Hwang of Maumelle won first place overall followed by Catherine Kwon of Little Rock in second, Jason Hoang of Hartman in third place and Roriana Burgess of Blytheville taking fourth place. Hwang, Kwon and Hoang will compete in the Regeneron ISEF in Anaheim, Calif., in May.

Hwang’s project focused on removing a protein from cancer cells that would not allow them to reproduce and die thus providing treatment without harsh chemicals. Kwon researched ways to predict epileptic seizures through machine learning. Hoang studied bacteria in soil that may break down a common ingredient in plastics, allowing the plastic to degrade over time.

Students who placed in first through third in their individual categories are eligible to compete in the Arkansas State and Science and Engineering Fair that will be held April 3-4 at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. ASMSA has won the state overall school title at the state science fair for seven straight years.

Individual category awards included:

Animal Science: Amadeo Scott of West Fork, first; Maria Quintero-Pena of White Hall, second; Kaitlyn Pearson of Berryville, Lilli Hickman of Omaha and Peyton Manry of Melbourne, tied for third; and Chloe Kirk of Eurkea Springs, honorable mention.

Behavioral and Social Science: Team of Max Green of North Little Rock, Reed Karman of Little Rock and Rhiannon Smith of Bismarck, first place and winner of the American Psychological Association award; Abigail Bryan of Huntsville, second place; Michah Vess of Dover, third place; and the team of Benjamin Smith of Mountain Home and Ryan Reynolds of Hampton, honorable mention.

Cellular and Molecular Biology: Victoria Hwang of Maumelle, first place; Tristan Eoff of Little Rock, second place; and Kindall Evans of Dumas, third place.

Chemistry: Blayne Griffin of Conway, first place; Yoo-Jin Ahn of Jonesboro, second place; and Brayden Ireland of Harrison, third place.

Computer Science: Ronan Devlin of De Queen, first place and the recipient of the Intel Excellence in Computer Science Award; Jaden Turner of Sherwood, second place; Trinity Robinson of Fayetteville, third place; and Tyler Kuper of Van Buren, honorable mention.
Systems Software: Karsen Beck of Maumelle, first place; Devin Patel of Blytheville, second place; Isha Patel of White Hall, third place; and Hannah Grimes of Benton, honorable mention.

Earth Science: Team of Howard Orlina of Little Rock and Amanda Carson of Russellville, first place; team of Esther Filipek of Bismarck and Sydney Hazeslip of Cabot, second place; and Paul McDonald of Pine Bluff, third place.

Engineering — Electrical and Mechanical: Roriana Burgess of Blytheville, first place; Haven Whitney of Searcy, second place; Salim Al-Tamimi of Jacksonville, third place; and Cooper North of Conway and Caleb Brown of Harrisburg, honorable mentions.

Engineering — Materials and Bioengineering: Hyunseo Seok of Jonesboro, first place; Joshua Bryant of West Helena, second place; and the team of Luke Stouffer of Fort Smith and Ian Panzer of Hot Springs, third place.

Environmental Science: Jason Hoang of Hartman, first place; Ethan Talley of Conway, second place; team of Emily Smith of Cabot and Minola Lee of Charleston, third place; Tyler Crabtree of Altus and Whitney Hazeslip of Cabot, honorable mentions.

Mathematics: Team of David Huang of Little Rock and Jacob Holmes of Rector, first place and winners of the Mu Alpha Theta Award; Sarah Balenko of Russellville, second place; and Coen Winter of West Memphis, third place.

Medicine and Health Science: Catherine Kwon of Little Rock, first place; team of Nnume Nwankwo of Alexander and Macey Ross of Jonesboro, second place; Madelyn Talbert of Greers Ferry, third place; and Bailey Scoggins of Lepanto, honorable mention.

Microbiology: Team of Katrina Smith of Franklin, Gwyneth Coleman of Clarksville and Sarah Xie of White Hall, first place; Caitlin England of Magnet Cove, second place; team of Aly Navarro of Hot Springs and Laura Hansen of Rogers, third place; team of Lidia Belete of Marion and Aviance Haymon of Osceola, honorable mention; and Rachel Means of Carlisle, honorable mention.

Physics and Astronomy: Nova Ammerman of Cherokee Village, first place; and Kyle Smith of Emerson, second place.

Plant Science: Xander Adams of Arkadelphia, honorable mention.

Several special awards were also announced during Friday’s ceremony. They included:

Regeneron Science Talent Search Awards: Entrants included Ethan Talley of Conway, Blaine Martin of Texarkana and Victoria Hwang of Maumelle, who was chosen as a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar.

American Fisheries Society Outstanding Aquatic Science Contestant and Advisor: Maria Quintero-Pena of White Hall and ASMSA mathematics instructor Nikki Kennedy.

American Meteorological Society Outstanding Climate or Earth Science Project: Whitney Hazeslip of Cabot and the team of Esther Filipek of Bismarck and Sydney Hazeslip of Cabot.

ASM Materials Education Foundation Outstanding Materials Science Project: Team of Luke Stouffer of Fort Smith and Ian Panzer of Hot Springs.

Association of Women Geoscientists Outstanding Geoscience Project by a Female Student: Team of Emily Smith of Cabot and Minola Lee of Charleston.

NASA Earth Systems Award for Outstanding Earth Science: Team of Howard Orlina of Little Rock and Amanda Carson of Russellville.

NOAA Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award for Outstanding project in NOAA-related Science: Team of Esther Filipek of Bismarck and Sydney Hazeslip of Cabot.

Office of Naval Research Award for Outstanding Projects Related to the mission of Navy and Marine Corps: Jason Hoang of Hartman, Rorianna Burgess of Blytheville and Victoria Hwang of Maumelle.

Ricoh Sustainable Development Award for Outstanding SD Project: Salim Al-Tamimi of Jacksonville.

Society for In-Vitro Biology Award for Outstanding 11th-grade Life Science Project: Kindall Evans of Dumas.

Soybean Science Challenge Award for Best Project and Project Advisor: Joshua Bryant of West Helena and ASMSA physics instructor Shane Thompson.

USAF Awards for Best Projects supporting U.S. Air Force Mission: Catherine Kwon of Little Rock, Blayne Griffin of Conway, Hannah Grimes of Benton, Sarah Balenko of Russellville, Bailey Scoggins of Lepanto, Nova Ammerman of Cherokee Village, Karsen Beck of Maumelle and Haven Whitney of Searcy.

U.S. Metric Association Award for Best Use of SI Units: Brayden Ireland of Harrison.

Stockholm Junior Water Prize for Best Aquatic Science Project: Team of Emily Smith of Cabot and Minola Lee of Charleston.

Yale Science and Engineering Association Award for Best 11th-grade exhibit in Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry or Engineering: Hyunseo Seok of Jonesboro.

U.S. Agency for International Development Award: Team of Aishani Singh of Hot Springs and Sara Ali of Little Rock; honorable mention for Ethan Talley of Conway.

Oaklawn Foundation Community Innovation Award, created for the purpose of supporting communities in underserved areas in Arkansas. The award goes to a student or team who has done a project that could better humanity and improve conditions in the local community. The winner was Rorianna Burgess of Blytheville.

Arkansas Environmental Foundation Award: Jason Hoang of Hartman, Victoria Hwang of Maumelle and Catherine Kwon of Little Rock.

To view an album of photos from the awards ceremony, visit https://asmsa.me/2020scifairawardsphotos.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts will hold the annual West Central Regional Science Fair on Feb. 26-28 on campus. The science fair will be open to the public on Friday, Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. in the Creativity and Innovation Complex on campus.

The West Central Regional Science Fair features exhibits by ASMSA students. Participants compete for the opportunity to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, the largest international science fair competition in May.

The public viewing of the West Central Regional Science Fair is an opportunity for the public to view some of the top competitors in the state. Participants also compete to qualify for the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair that will be held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway on April 3-4. ASMSA has won the state science fair school title seven years in a row.

The regional fair awards ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday. For more information about the West Central Regional Science Fair, visit https://sites.google.com/a/asmsa.org/wcrsf/home.

Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts seniors Amanda Carson of Russellville and Caitlin England of Magnet Cove were recently named semifinalists for the prestigious Cooke College Scholarship Program.

The highly selective scholarship provides high-achieving students with financial need up to $40,000 annually for four years of college to enable them to attend a top college or university. The program is sponsored by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded more than $200 million in scholarships to more than 2,700 students from eighth grade through graduate school.

The 477 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 5,300 applicants. Students from all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico and 420 school applied for the scholarship. Approximately 60 semifinalists will be selected to receive the scholarship. The 2020 Cooke College Scholarship recipients will be announced in April.

Cooke College Scholars are selected on exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service to others and leadership. Students must be current high school seniors residing in the United States.

For more on the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, visit www.jkcf.org.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts has found a unique way to address the challenges that come when students live and learn away from home. ASMSA will bridge the distance between the school and its students’ families with technology.

Recently, ASMSA partnered with Possip to empower parents to routinely share praise and constructive feedback about their family’s experience with the school. ASMSA is the first school in Arkansas to use Possip, and the first residential school to partner with the EdTech company, recently named by the Nashville Business Journal as one of Nashville’s top start-ups to watch in 2020.

Parents were able to share praise about teachers and culture.

“My daughter’s teacher contacted me because she had noticed she seemed sad and homesick. She just wanted to make sure I knew. I was so impressed that she had taken the time to get to really know our daughter and recognized that something was off with her.”

Parents are also able to share feedback, needs, or ideas.

This ability for parents to have a routine and easy way to share their thoughts and ideas is very important to ASMSA.  One of the nation's top public schools, students come from 50 counties across Arkansas to live and learn within a community of 230 intellectual peers. Many students attending ASMSA live 3 to 4 hours away from the school’s Hot Springs campus.

“Schools like ASMSA are redefining family engagement by showing parents that they don’t have to be physically present in a school building to participate in their child’s school experiences,” said Shani Dowell, founder and CEO of Possip.

“Whether parents are working, providing military service, or have their kids at a residential school, they should still be able to easily participate in their child’s school experience.”

“Our students don’t have traditional time at home with parents.  We get to see one part of their daily lives - but parents have important information as well,” said ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice. “We are using this tool to remove any barriers for families who want share and participate in ASMSA’s community of learning.”

Possip—so named from a mashup of positive gossip—was created by a former educator and school parent based in Nashville, Tenn. Shani Dowell, whose own children are in elementary school, shared “We know that parents and school staff share a goal of creating the best school experience possible for kids. The research is clear that an engaged parent body is one of the surest ways to achieve that goal.”

In the simple form of a text message, which can be sent in over 100 languages, Possip sends parents routine prompts asking about their happiness, praise and feedback for schools and gathers the responses into an actionable report for principals. Possip staff crafts each report, surfacing and organizing praise and feedback into priorities and recommendations for follow-up or development.

ASMSA will use the bi-weekly reports in the school’s weekly Strategies Team meetings.  The group of nine employees includes staff across the academic and residential experience.  The Possip report provides additional opportunities for student intervention and parent engagement.

“We were incredibly pleased with the format of the report and the insights we gained,” said Alderdice. “We have already used the first round of feedback to follow up directly with parents while also using their suggestions for new programs and opportunities as we plan for the next academic year this fall.”

Learn more about Possip at www.possip.com.

When many of us are asked to think back to our interaction with our school counselor, the answers are often similar. It was very limited. In many cases, we didn’t even visit with the school counselor.

It wouldn’t be surprising to hear the same answers from today’s graduates. The American School Counselor Association says the national average is a 442-to-1 ratio of students to school counselors. That’s a large number of students for one person to try to assist. Even the ASCA’s recommended 250-to-1 ratio is very large.

Yet deciding what path to follow after high school graduation is one of the more important decisions we are asked to make in our lives. But without proper guidance, making the right decision isn’t always easy.

At the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, students have the benefit of working with one of three student success coordinators — Penny Lock, Jasmine Phillips and Bret Vallun. ASMSA’s 230-plus students are split between the three SSCs to try to ensure a more individualized attention.

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Lock, Phillips and Vallun provide important information about college admission changes and scholarships to the students. They also help guide the students in selecting coursework and class schedules that will be the most beneficial for students to reach their goals.

“It is important for a student success coordinator to stay up to date on college admission changes and scholarship information,” Locke said. “Therefore, maintaining connections to various college and military admission representatives is vital. Having such contacts helps in mapping specific planning for each individual student.”

Vallun said he encourages students to visit him early during their first semester. As he helps them work on their schedules, he asks them about their interests and passions. Getting to know the individual student is important, he said.

“Once I have that information, I can recommend specific opportunities to students as I am made aware of them. At any given time, no matter the subject, I can recommend a handful of students who would be perfect for a scholarship, award or program,” Vallun said.

Lock agreed that getting to know the student beyond their grades is important.

“I enjoy working with students and getting to know the individual student as a whole,” Lock said. “Each student has individual needs and goals. They have different personalities. I try to provide a welcoming and safe space for my students to ask questions and to try to express themselves and any concerns.”

Having that knowledge about each student also helps the SSCs with one of their more important duties — writing recommendation letters.

“Individualized attention allows us the opportunity to know a lot about each student,” Vallun said. “We know their personality, learning style, past, present and aspirations. They have the opportunity to share personal stories of success and failure. It allows us to write outstanding recommendations for their prospective colleges and create individualized action plans instead of a generic trial and error approach to common struggles. We can really advocate for these students while remaining credible because we know them.”

It’s also important for the SSCs to have a relationship with a student’s parents, Lock said.

“I believe it important for the parents to continue an active role in their student’s journey at ASMSA. They know their student therefore their insight can be helpful to us in assisting the student,” she said.

Vallun agreed with Lock, saying it is important that parents encourage and support their students.

“As long as parents are motivating their students to pursue their educational dreams, supporting them through the process despite failures, and encouraging them to seek out helpful resources, their student will have a positive high school experience,” he said.

Both Lock and Vallun said the favorite part of their job is watching students grow and succeed.

“It is amazing to witness the transformation from their beginnings at ASMSA to graduation day,” Lock said.

“My favorite part of my job is when a student shares their success stories with me,” Vallun said. “Whether it is a college acceptance, scholarship or award, it is a great moment because they are so happy and grateful.

“I especially relish college signing day. Students experience so much stress throughout the application process, so when they have several acceptances in front of them, it makes me happy to see that all of their work was recognized.”

Vallun enjoys when ASMSA graduates come back to visit him as well because they usually provide some information that he can share with current students.

“They usually offer some insight into their college experience that I can share with current ASMSA students. Most importantly, it helps me realize that our office is making a positive impact on our students,” he said.