Arkadelphia Public Schools

The Arkadelphia School Board recognized Ms. Beverly Slavens at the May School Board meeting. We were privileged to honor her for receiving the inaugural Clinton Presidential Center’s Arkansas Educator Impact Guiding Light Award. This award is given to an educator “for encouraging leadership, school spirit, and a sense of belonging in the classroom, school, and community.” A perfect description of Ms. Slavens and her impact. She just completed her 47th year at Arkadelphia High School. Congratulations, Ms. Slavens!
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Arkadelphia Public Schools is proud to celebrate Mr. Michael Ankton, Social Studies teacher at Goza Middle School, for two outstanding professional recognitions.

🏆 Mr. Ankton was recently named the Arkansas Council for the Social Studies Secondary Teacher of the Year and was honored during the awards ceremony held at the Clinton Presidential Center today.

🌿 He was also recognized by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission during its May 21 Commission meeting as a member of the 2024–2026 AGFC Teacher Leader Council, representing the Arkadelphia School District. Through this leadership role, Mr. Ankton has helped connect students with outdoor learning opportunities, conservation education, and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission programming.

These honors reflect Mr. Ankton’s commitment to engaging students both inside and outside the classroom and his dedication to providing meaningful learning experiences for our students.

Please join us in congratulating Mr. Ankton on these well-deserved recognitions!
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At the May School Board meeting, Peake’s Lillian Ball, De’Shae Craig, and Chris Golston, along with three other deserving nominees who were unable to attend, received Badger Pride awards for their involvement in helping make the high-impact tutoring (HIT) program a success.

Principal Mary Snowden said that these individuals represent those on campus who are willing to do whatever is asked of them, whether it is serving as facilitators for tutoring, accommodating placement changes, giving up time, or encouraging students to do their best. We are grateful for everyone at Peake who worked together as a team to see the HIT program succeed. Thank you!

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The summer break is just getting started, but our district and campus leaders are already hitting the road! 🗺️

Arkadelphia Public Schools held its annual summer Admin Retreat last week. Chasing the theme, "The Great Badger Roadtrip: Mapping the Journey. Leading the Way. Empowering Every Crew Member," our leadership team is already collaborating, setting goals, and focusing heavily on the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.

A huge shoutout to Rendi Currey, Angela Middleton, and Judy Talley for designing a theme that perfectly set the tone for the week!

It’s always a great day to be a Badger! 💙❤️
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We are so excited to welcome our new students for the 2026-2027 school year! Arkadelphia Public Schools is now accepting online enrollment for the upcoming year, including Kindergarten through 12th-grade.

What You Need to Know:

KINDERGARTEN: If your child is 5 years old on or before August 1, 2026, and you missed onsite registration, register online now!

NEW K-12 STUDENTS: Register your students for the upcoming 2026-27 school year online.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.arkadelphiaschools.org/26-27newstudentenrollment
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Badger Alumni Spotlight!

Congratulations to Arkadelphia Class of 2023 graduate Marveon Berry! Marveon, who is an English-creative writing major at Hendrix College in Conway, is among 24 student and faculty-led projects at Hendrix that were approved for funding. This funding for his project, Revision and Remixing Towards Academia, will allow him to travel to Provincetown, Massachusetts, to participate in the Fine Arts Work Center’s poetry workshop with John Murillo. Amazing!
Marveon, we are so proud of your accomplishments. Select the link below to read more about this project.

https://arkadelphian.com/2026/06/03/hendrix-college-student-from-arkadelphia-included-in-hendrix-murphy-foundation-funding-awards/
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Arkadelphia High School Students Chestin Mitchell and Heidi Marlar received a Badger Pride Award at the May School Board meeting. Chestin and Heidi successfully completed the entire Barton program. There has only been one other student to achieve this milestone in our school district. This is an incredible accomplishment done through hard work and dedication. We are all very proud of them, but especially Mrs. Joan Crowder, who nominated them for this award.
Great job!
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Ms. Christy Cleaves was recognized with a Badger Pride award at the May School Board meeting. She was nominated by Peake Second Grade Teacher Arnesha Talley. Christy consistently volunteers her time to help with many school events, including musicals, fundraisers, picture day, and other activities throughout the year. Her positive attitude, reliability, and willingness to step in wherever needed have been incredibly valuable to our school community. We truly appreciate her commitment and the countless ways she helps make Peake a welcoming and successful environment this year.
Thank you, Christy Cleaves!
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AHS Student Jordan Askew was recognized with a Badger Pride Award in May. He was nominated by Superintendent Nikki Thomas and Tamara Elgas. They shared that “not only is Jordan an exceptional student and JROTC cadet at school, but he also exemplifies the character traits that are desired in our students outside of school.” Jordan goes above and beyond in his own physical fitness preparation by independently working out after school at the Rec Center. He is always friendly and respectful to others. He is a great example of Badger Pride.

Thank you, Jordan, for representing yourself and your school in such a positive way, on and off campus.
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Representatives of our PLC leadership team from across the district spent two and a half days at the PLC Institute in Tulsa last week! We are committed to keep strengthening our Professional Learning Communities and building on the academic success of our students. A big THANK YOU to this incredible group for investing some time during their summer break for our schools! ☀️👏
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Free summer meals starts tomorrow for ages 18 years old and under. Check out the flyer for more information! #BadgerPride

Starting next week, the Arkadelphia Public School District offices and buildings will observe summer hours until the week of August 3rd. This means that office hours are extended on Monday through Thursday starting next week. All offices are closed on Fridays. Offices will also be closed on July 2nd and 3rd for the Independence Day holiday.
Thank you.

Have a great weekend!
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First-year and new-to-the-district teachers got a visit from Superintendent Nikki Thomas at the end of the school year. They received a “Survivor” Gift Bag after completing their first year with Arkadelphia Public Schools and are returning in 2026-27. We are so happy that you are a part of the Badger Family!

Ms. Thomas and Dr. Turner also delivered cupcakes to each campus from district administration.
It’s always a great day to be a Badger!
#BadgerPride

Mrs. Robin Jones and Mrs. Heather Crocker were recognized at the May School Board meeting with a Badger Pride Award. They worked extremely hard with the Arkadelphia High School parent group and students to make sure the 2026 Prom was a memorable experience. The goal was for everyone to have a fun, safe time and for students to remain at the event for the entire evening. Through their leadership, numerous prizes were awarded to students throughout the night, including televisions, dorm refrigerators, and gift certificates. Thank you to Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Crocker for your hard work to make this event a special memory for our students!
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Tomorrow night, Grant Rollins will be representing Arkadelphia in the 2026 FCA Senior Football Showdown! The showdown will feature Arkansas athletes taking on Texas.
The game is on Friday, 6:00p.m., at Pleasant Grove Stadium in Texarkana, TX. Gates open one hour before game time.

Congratulations to Grant on your selection! In the fall, he will be heading to Arkansas Tech University.
Let’s go, Grant!
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We hope your summer break is off to a great start!
Our 2026-27 school calendar was approved at the January school board meeting. We are sharing it again as a reminder that school starts back on August 12th.
For a PDF copy of the calendar, visit: https://arkadelphiaar.sites.thrillshare.com/documents/24893923

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Hayden Darby has been one of the "above and beyond" students in art this year. According to his teacher, Candace Eriksson, "he has worked to create projects outside of what is expected in class."

Hayden's artwork titled "Arkansas Entertainers Award" was accepted into the 2026 Governor's Young Artist Show. This is a statewide art competition in which only 50 pieces by high school students are selected to hang in the Governor's Mansion during May.

Congratulations Hayden!
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Fourth grader Aubree Patterson received a Badger Pride Award at the May School Board meeting. She was nominated by Mrs. Kaila Murphy. Aubree entered the Arkansas Literary Association's Writers Showcase, “Everyone's An Author” essay contest. Aubree won 3rd place in the Arkansas 4th-5th Grade Division. Great job, Aubree. Congratulations!
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