Students took a big step toward college readiness today at GFESC! 📚 Our ACT Prep Classes brought high school students together to sharpen their skills, build confidence, and prepare for success on test day. From strategies to practice, these students are putting in the work to reach their goals! We’re proud to support our students as they plan for bright futures ahead. #GFESC #ACTPrep #CollegeReady #StudentSuccess #FutureFocused #AcademicExcellence

Great conversations and meaningful learning took place today at GFESC! ⭐️ Educators gathered for Using a Powerful Interactions Coaching Stance, led by Julie Yarberry, to explore how a strengths-based approach can support lasting change in their programs. Participants engaged in thoughtful collaboration and left with practical strategies—plus a copy of Coaching with Powerful Interactions to continue their learning. Thank you to all the directors and lead teachers who joined us and are committed to making a positive impact every day! #GFESC #PowerfulInteractions #EarlyChildhoodEducation #InstructionalCoaching #ProfessionalLearning #StrongerTogether

Glad to have AAA on campus with us today for our District Meeting! We’re hard at work collaborating, sharing ideas, and strengthening support for our schools and students. Together, we’re building stronger programs and opportunities across our districts! #GFESC #AAADistrict #EducationMatters #SupportingSchools #StrongerTogether

Mansfield School District new teachers striving for success for all students

Wrapping up an impactful learning experience at GFESC! 🌟 Today marked Day 3 of the Secondary Building the Base EL Teacher Cohort, bringing this three-day institute to a close. Throughout the series, educators have built a strong foundation in English Learner/Multilingual Learner pedagogy—deepening their understanding of language acquisition, student needs, and effective instructional strategies. Participants explored ways to create inclusive, student-centered classrooms with meaningful opportunities for student talk, while also strengthening their ability to design instruction that makes content accessible for all learners. We’re proud of the dedication shown by these educators as they continue working to support and empower every student in their classrooms! #GFESC #ELL #MultilingualLearners #TeacherGrowth #InclusiveClassrooms #EducationMatters #ArkansasEducation

Staying proactive in a digital world! 💻🔐 Today, GFESC hosted a Virtual Watch Party for the Act 504 K12 Cybersecurity Policy Regional Workshop Series – Phase 2, where participants engaged in a hands-on learning experience focused on upcoming cybersecurity requirements. Attendees explored key policy control groups that will take effect July 1, 2026, and utilized a customizable tool to assess district readiness and plan for compliance. The session also provided valuable opportunities to connect and collaborate with peers across the region. Thank you to everyone who joined us as we continue working together to strengthen cybersecurity practices in our schools! #GFESC #Cybersecurity #K12Education #Act504 #EdTech #SchoolSafety #ArkansasEducation

Strong partnerships in action at today’s GFESC LEA Monthly Meeting! 🤝 District leaders from across the GFESC area came together to connect, share updates, and work through important topics impacting our schools. These meetings provide a valuable space for collaboration, problem-solving, and staying aligned to best support students and staff. We appreciate the continued partnership and commitment from our LEAs to make a difference in education every day! #GFESC #EducationMatters #SchoolLeadership

Great collaboration happening at today’s GFESC Secondary Principals Meeting! Area secondary principals came together for their monthly meeting to share updates, discuss current challenges, and collaborate on strategies that support student success across our schools. These meetings continue to strengthen leadership, communication, and innovation throughout our districts. We appreciate the dedication of our principals and their commitment to making a positive impact every day! #GFESC #EducationalLeadership #SchoolLeaders #Collaboration #StudentSuccess #ArkansasEducation

That’s a wrap on our Elementary Building the Base EL Teacher Cohort at GFESC! 🌟 Today marked the final day of this three-day institute, where educators came together to strengthen their foundation in supporting English Learners and Multilingual Learners. Throughout the cohort, participants explored language acquisition, student-centered strategies, and ways to create inclusive classrooms that promote meaningful learning for all students. We’re proud of the collaboration, growth, and dedication shown every step of the way—your impact will be felt in classrooms across the region! 🌎✨ #BetterTogether #ConnectGrowServe #GFESC #EnglishLearners #TeacherCohort #ProfessionalLearning #StudentSuccess

Another great day of learning at GFESC! 💻 Today’s Computer Science Praxis Review Day brought educators together for a focused session designed to support success on the Praxis 5652. Participants worked on building personalized study plans, explored helpful resources, and reviewed key concepts across multiple areas of computer science. Best of luck to everyone as you continue preparing—we’re cheering you on every step of the way! 🚀 #BetterTogether #ConnectGrowServe #GFESC #ComputerScience #PraxisPrep #TeacherSupport #ProfessionalLearning

Great collaboration happening today at GFESC! 🍎 Elementary principals from across the region gathered for our monthly Elementary Principals Meeting, led by Angela Miller. This time together provided an opportunity to connect, share updates, and collaborate on ways to best support students, staff, and school communities. We’re always stronger when we learn and lead together! 💡 #BetterTogether #ConnectGrowServe #GFESC #EducationalLeadership #ElementaryPrincipals #LeadToLearn

Fort Smith School District’s teachers and students nearing Spring break, but the learning mission continues!

Today at GFESC, Federal Programs and Curriculum Coordinators came together for a productive morning of collaboration and learning, followed by an afternoon ArAPP Workday. Participants engaged in meaningful discussions during the monthly meeting and then rolled up their sleeves to continue building strong, data-driven district plans through the AR App process. These ongoing sessions, in partnership with DESE, are designed to support schools in developing high-quality strategic plans that truly meet their students’ needs. We appreciate the dedication of our districts as they continue this important work! #GFESC #ConnectGrowServe #EducationalLeadership #SchoolImprovement

GFESC Counselors gathered today for their monthly meeting, led by Karen Grady! This collaborative session provided valuable updates, meaningful discussion, and the opportunity to learn from guest speakers on topics that matter most to our schools and students. These meetings continue to strengthen connections and support the important work counselors do every day. Thank you to all who attended and contributed to a great day of learning and collaboration! #GFESC #SchoolCounselors #StudentSupport #Collaboration #EducationMatters

Participants completed Heartsaver CPR/AED/First Aid Certification training today at GFESC! This course provided school staff with essential, life-saving skills designed for non-health professionals in educational settings. From responding to emergencies to preventing injuries, attendees gained practical knowledge and hands-on experience to help keep students and staff safe. Thank you to everyone who participated and is committed to creating safer school environments! ❤️ #GFESC #SchoolSafety #CPRTraining

Today at GFESC, school teams kicked off Day 1 of 2 of Developing Tier 2 Systems for School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS). Participants explored key components of Tier 2 support, including identifying students who need additional behavior support, progress monitoring, and ensuring interventions are implemented with fidelity. Teams are working together to strengthen their school-wide systems and will leave with an action plan to support student success in their buildings. We look forward to continuing the learning on April 8th! #GFESC #SWPBS #ConnectGrowServe

GFESC ArPEP Year 1 is complete! We are so proud of all of our candidates!

GFESC ArPEP Year 2 wrapped up today with the submission of their edTPA portfolios! Yay! We are so proud of all our of their hard work!

We thought the past two weeks of Quiz Bowl at GFESC were fast and furious—but today’s Battle of the Books took the excitement to a whole new level! Students in 3rd–6th grade teams gathered for a day full of lightning-fast thinking. Each grade level had its own reading list and then competed in 13 matches, where every question had only one type of answer: the book title and the author. 3rd grade First:Clarksville - Second: Charleston - Third: County Line 4th grade First:Charleston - Second: Booneville A - Third: Ozark 5th grade First: Paris B - Second: Van Buren - Third: Couinty Line 6th grade First:Paris B - Second Paris A - Third Mansfield B Now picture this: a room with as many as nine matches happening at once, buzzers going off at every table, teams checking their schedules, and students racing to their next match. It was organized chaos in the best way—crazy fun! These students were incredible. Teams of 2–4 readers were responsible for keeping track of their own schedules and rotating to their next match on time, and they handled it like pros. A huge thank you goes out to our coaches and volunteers, who served as fantastic moderators and kept matches running smoothly all day long. We also want to give a big shout-out to Misty Hawkins and her Regional Library staff for joining us and supporting this event year after year. Our regional library system is such an incredible asset to our schools and communities, and we are grateful for their partnership in promoting literacy. And a special thank you to Christie Mahl, who moderated six of the eight days of Quiz Bowl over the past two weeks and today stepped in to moderate her first Battle of the Books. Christie, we appreciate your dedication and commitment to supporting our students! We were excited to host 31 teams representing schools from Booneville, County Line, Charleston, Clarksville, Greenwood, Mansfield, Ozark, Paris, Scranton, and Van Buren. Wow—what a day and what a fantastic way to promote reading! #GFESC #BattleoftheBooks #BooksAndBrains

GFESC hosted Secondary Scheduling – Day 1 & 2 this week! Middle School and Junior High counselors, along with eSchool System Administrators and Coordinators, worked together on Day 1 to focus on Course Catalog and Master Schedule setup. These sessions help ensure schools are prepared for a smooth and successful scheduling process for the upcoming school year. Collaboration and planning like this help support students and staff across our districts! #GFESC #BetterTogether #ConnectGrowServe