Today we kicked off eight exciting days of Quiz Bowl tournaments at GFESC, and what a fantastic start it was! We were thrilled to welcome our 4th Grade 4A and below teams to campus.
Representing their schools with pride were students from Booneville, Hackett, Lamar, Lavaca, Mansfield, Ozark, Paris, Scranton, and two teams from Waldron. Seeing so many schools come together for a day of academic competition is always special — but there’s just something extra memorable about fourth-grade tournament day.
First Place: Hackett
Second Place: Paris
Third Place: Lamar
Better Luck Next Time, Winner: Ozark
MVP: Abe Jacinto from Hackett
For many of these 3rd and 4th grade students, this was their very first tournament. You could see the mix of excitement and nerves on their faces — that unforgettable moment when they realize, “I have to hit the buzzer… and then I actually have to know the answer!” It’s priceless. The enthusiasm, the teamwork, the deep concentration, and yes—a little anxiety—are all part of the experience. And they handled it beautifully.
We had some incredible competition throughout the day, including
-A game that went all the way to a tie-breaker
-Lower-seeded teams mounting comeback wins
-An exciting upset that had the room buzzing
-And of course, no fourth-grade tournament would be complete without the legendary pizza lunch break—all-you-can-eat, with one important condition: please don’t get sick on the bus ride home!
A huge shoutout to our Waldron principals who volunteered their time today to moderate and judge games. Having administrators step in to support events like this makes a tremendous difference. It’s an amazing experience to witness students thinking on their feet, collaborating under pressure, and representing their schools so well. We would love to see even more administrators join us in the coming days!
#GFESC #QuizBowl #ThinkFast
Great collaboration happening at GFESC today! 🤝📚
Our GFESC LEA Monthly Meeting brought together area Local Education Agencies to connect, share updates, and work through important topics impacting our schools. These meetings provide valuable time for collaboration, problem-solving, and staying aligned in support of our districts, staff, and students. We’re always better when we work together!
#GFESC #EducationalLeadership #ConnectGrowServe
Today we hosted the GFESC Spring Computer Science Impact Meeting 💻✨ This one-day session gave educators the opportunity to explore computer science content, resources, and engaging classroom activities. Together, participants strengthened their content knowledge and added new tools to their CS teaching toolkit. We’re excited to continue meeting each semester to support collaboration, innovation, and growth in computer science education. Anyone with an interest in Computer Science is always welcome to join us!
#BetterTogether #ConnectGrowServe #ComputerScience
Today was Day 2 of our GFESC's Building the Base EL Teacher Cohort! (Secondary) 📚✨
This three-day institute is designed to help teams build a strong, shared foundation in English Learner/Multilingual Learner pedagogy. Participants are deepening their understanding of language acquisition, English proficiency level descriptors, and the specific social, emotional, and instructional needs of ELs/MLs. Teachers are also exploring practical strategies to create inclusive, student-centered classrooms with meaningful student talk, comprehensible content, and instruction that’s backward-mapped from clear learning goals.
We’re proud to support our secondary educators as they strengthen practices that ensure every multilingual learner thrives. 💬🌎
#BetterTogether #ConnectGrowServe #MultilingualLearners
Today on campus, we hosted a Virtual Watch Party for the Act 504 K–12 Cybersecurity Policy Regional Workshop Series – Phase 2 💻🔐
Participants joined Jeff Killingsworth and Krissy Cross for a hands-on session focused on the Arkansas Department of Education K–12 Cybersecurity Policy and the Phase 2 control groups taking effect July 1, 2026. Attendees worked through a customizable spreadsheet tool to assess district readiness, plan next steps, and strengthen compliance efforts—all while connecting with peers from across the region. We’re proud to support our districts as they prepare for successful cybersecurity implementation and keep student data safe.
#BetterTogether #ConnectGrowServe #CyberSecurity
GFESC was excited to host Day 2 of 3 for Building the Base EL Teacher Cohort (Elementary) on campus today! This institute helps educators build a strong foundation in English Learner/Multilingual Learner pedagogy, focusing on language acquisition, inclusive and student-centered classrooms, and effective strategies to make content comprehensible for all learners. We’re proud of these teachers for continuing to grow their practice and strengthen support for multilingual students! 💙 Looking forward to the last session date on March 18th!
#GFESC #ELCohort #EmpoweringEducators
We were proud to host the GFESC AR THRIVE Leader Academy this week, a powerful 3-day workshop designed for building-level leaders, counselors, and teachers who directly manage student behavior in K–12 settings. Participants gained practical tools to support student behavior and mental health both proactively and reactively, while strengthening schoolwide systems that teach academic and social behaviors effectively. Throughout the academy, attendees explored strategies for prevention, de-escalation, and positive behavior support. Topics included recognizing internal and external biases, identifying signs of trauma or distress that impact behavior, implementing a multi-tiered system of support, and reinforcing positive behaviors to correct undesirable ones.
Thank you to everyone who committed three days to learning, growing, and strengthening support for ALL students! 💙📚
#GFESC #ARThrive #BetterTogether
Mansfield School District’s newest teachers are engaging learners and inspiring creativity.
GFESC hosted MITS Personal Care Training for paraprofessionals and nurses today on campus!
This session fulfills the required 10 practical hours toward Personal Care certification and provides essential guidance on Medicaid billing, documentation, and supervision. Participants learned more about care planning and billable services such as mobility, hygiene, eating, dressing, and other daily living supports that help students succeed.
Thank you to everyone dedicated to supporting students and ensuring quality services across our cooperative!
#GFESC #PersonalCareTraining #SchoolNurses #ConnectGrowServe
Superintendent's Meeting and Board Meeting day at GFESC is always a special day. We trained on New Superintendent Mentoring, 3rd Grade Promotion, Accelerating Student Outcomes, CTE, Bottom Quartile Strategies, Legislative Updates, Summer Training and Current Events. High level collaboration with these outstanding Education Leaders as always! Thank you to all of our presenters and our Lunch Sponsor Booknook. #LeadershipLivesHere #BetterTogether
Charleston High School’s Brittany Wilson teaching students about investing
Shoutout to Lavaca’s newest teachers for their dedication to the students’ learning
Recognizing Lamar Schools’ new teachers for their hard word and creativity
GFESC novice and mentor support presentation a University
of the Ozarks’ Education Department interns .
Greenwood High School’s Coach Ross encouraging learning and fostering commitment for all students.
County Line Schools welcomes Jameson Hall as new teaching staff focusing on accelerating student learning.
Another productive day of learning at GFESC!⭐️ Today’s GFESC Hearing, Vision, BMI & Scoliosis Training provided school nurses with the essential training needed to complete mandated screenings with confidence and accuracy. Participants received hands-on guidance and practical updates to ensure they are fully prepared to serve students in their districts.
Thank you to Katelyn Chambers and our dedicated school nurses for your commitment to keeping students healthy and ready to learn. Your work truly makes a difference every day!
#GFESC #SchoolNurses #ServingSchools
Great day at the GFESC Elementary & Secondary Principals Meeting today! Our principals came together to collaborate, share updates, and discuss the important work happening across our districts. Meetings like this provide valuable time to connect, problem-solve, and focus on supporting students, teachers, and school communities.
We appreciate the leadership and dedication each principal brings to their school every day. Working together makes us stronger!
#GFESC #PrincipalsMeeting #SupportingSchools
Today at Guy Fenter, we kicked off the day with a comprehensive overview workshop of Triand (Rollcall) in the morning session, ensuring all users feel confident navigating and utilizing the system effectively.
In the afternoon, participants transitioned into hands-on work with the New Year DataBase (NYDB) System. Together, we began copying the current school year into the 2026–2027 school year, making necessary updates, building next year’s calendars, and reviewing the rules that will guide the upcoming year.
It’s always exciting to prepare ahead and make sure our systems are ready to support schools for a successful new year! Thank you to Debbie Featherston, Angel Peugh, and everyone who participated and collaborated today.
#GFESC #NYDBS #StrongerTogether
GFESC hosted a Virtual Watch Party on campus today for the Act 504 K-12 Cybersecurity Policy Regional Workshop Series – Phase 2, led by Matt Pipkins.
Participants joined Jeff Killingsworth and Krissy Cross for a hands-on session focused on the ADE K-12 Cybersecurity Policy. This training highlighted one of the six Phase 2 policy control groups set to take effect July 1, 2026. Attendees also received a customizable spreadsheet tool to help districts review, assess readiness, and plan for compliance.
Thank you to everyone who participated and collaborated with district and state peers to strengthen cybersecurity readiness across our schools!
#GFESC #Cybersecurity
