Attention Bomber Parents & Guardians,
This afternoon Governor Asa Hutchinson held a press conference where the Arkansas Secretary of Education Johnny Key announced that off site instruction will continue in all Arkansas schools for the remainder of the school year.
That means that classes at Mountain Home Public Schools will continue in the off-site format we are currently using until our scheduled last day of school -- May 22.
School is not scheduled to be in session on Friday, April 10 and Monday, April 13. Students will not be required to work on AMI assignments on these two days, Teachers will not work on Friday the 10th and will be in online professional development sessions on Monday the 13th.
We will continue our food delivery program for the remaining 7 weeks of the school year, and we are currently researching options for summer feeding.
We will also continue to host our technology device exchange-pickup depot for students in grades 1-12 who might still need to check out an iPad/Chromebook or who are having issues with their device that cannot be resolved over the phone. If you need to pick up or exchange a device, you may do that between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. each Tuesday during our closure in the high school front office lobby (located at 500 Bomber Boulevard). Members of the technology department are on-hand to take tech-related AMI day calls during school hours at 425-2549. The tech department is also available by email at technology@mhbombers.com.
I know that the upcoming graduation ceremony is a major concern for many families. I want you to know that we still intend to have a graduation ceremony on or near May 15. We do not know what it will look like exactly at this point, but it is a priority of ours to honor our graduates and to highlight the hard work they have done over the past 13 years. We will work hard to make graduation a special moment for our kids -- even if it ends up looking differently than we originally planned.
Please stay in touch with your kids’ teachers, and if you’re having trouble contacting someone, call one of our Helplines between 4 and 7 p.m. each school day. They’ll help reach out to the teacher you’re having trouble contacting. For students in grades K-5, call or text Mrs. Laura Strider at (662) 775-0723. For questions related to students in grades 6-12, call or text Mrs. Judy Lawrence at (901) 214-5406.
This is not how anyone wanted this year to end, but I appreciate how you are working with our educators to make this experience beneficial for your kids.
We’re here to help, so please reach out to us. I will continue to communicate with you when new information becomes available. Please focus on the health of yourselves and your families at this time, follow the Governor’s guidelines related to social distancing, and let’s work together to flatten the curve so we are able to get back to normal life sooner rather than later.
Thank you and stay healthy,
Dr. Jake Long
Superintendent
Mountain Home Public Schools