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PODCAST

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast

things that Mena Public School staff members need or want to know presented in a discussion format. bearcatwrap.substack.com

education courses

All Episodes

7:49

Week 25: Choice and Opportunity

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2026/02/20

Happy Friday!It has been another steady and productive week at Mena Public Schools. I continue to see focused instruction, collaborative planning, thoughtful feedback to students, and disciplined attention to our performance targets. Growth does not occur by accident. It occurs because adults make intentional decisions every day that place students first. Thank you for that commitment.This week, I want to focus on a theme that is shaping education across our state, and that is choice. In many ways,

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9:07

Week 24: A Focus on Reading Fluency

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2026/02/13

Happy Friday!As we continue through the semester, I want to thank you for the intentional work happening across our district each day. Our progress toward our performance targets, including sustained attendance, continued growth in literacy and writing, and improved student engagement, depends on consistent, focused instruction in every classroom. Improvement is rarely dramatic in a single moment. It is the result of steady refinement, shared belief, and disciplined habits over time. I see that work

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8:57

Week 23: Regaining Momentum and Staying Aligned

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2026/02/06

Happy Friday!As we continue through the spring semester, I want to begin by thanking our staff for how quickly and effectively you helped our district regain momentum following an unexpected six-day closure due to winter weather. Returning to routine after that amount of disruption is not easy, yet classrooms, offices, and campuses across the district quickly refocused on teaching, learning, and serving students. I also want to specifically thank our maintenance and transportation teams for the work

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4:17

Week 22: Responding to Winter’s Impact

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2026/01/30

Happy Friday!Before anything else, I want to express my sincere concern for the well-being of our staff and families following this prolonged stretch of winter weather. I hope that everyone has remained safe, warm, and has not experienced undue hardship as a result of the conditions or the extended school closures. Weeks like this remind us that school is only one part of a much larger community, and the safety of our people must always come first.As you know, our schools were closed all week due to

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7:03

Week 21: The Days Ahead

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2026/01/23

Happy Friday!We have completed another week of the spring semester, and your work continues to bring positive results for our students and community. Thank you for your effort this week and for your continued dedication to our mission, vision, and goals. Our focus remains centered on the district performance targets we have set together, and with 74 school days remaining, each day represents an important opportunity to move students forward. That focus is especially important at this time of year,

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8:58

Week 20: Seeing the Work, Supporting the Work

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2026/01/16

Happy Friday!As we continue moving through the spring semester, I want to begin by thanking each of you for the steady, professional work you do every day on behalf of our students and our community. The work taking place across classrooms, campuses, and support roles continues to matter, and it shows. Our focus remains centered on the performance targets we have set together—academic growth, strong attendance, safe and orderly schools, and consistent instructional practices that prepare students

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8:14

Week 19: Beginning the Spring Semester with Purpose...

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2026/01/09

Happy Friday!I hope everyone was able to enjoy time with family, rest, and reflection over the holiday break. As we begin the spring semester, I want to thank you for the professionalism, persistence, and care you bring to your work each day. I am grateful for the work happening across Mena Public Schools, and I am excited to begin this semester together with clarity of purpose and a renewed focus on what matters most—student learning, growth, and opportunity.The spring semester is not simply a

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5:13

Week 18: Closing the Semester with Clarity and...

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/12/19

Happy Friday!As we close the final week of the fall semester and prepare for the Christmas and New Year break, I want to thank every member of our staff for the consistency, professionalism, and care you have shown our students over the past eighteen weeks. The fall semester is always the heaviest lift. It is when expectations are established, systems are built, relationships are formed, and momentum is created. That work matters, and it shows.This Wrap-Up serves as a natural pause point. It allows

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9:08

Week 17: VAM Scores and Continuous Improvement

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/12/12

Happy Friday!Good afternoon, and thank you for another strong week of work across Mena Public Schools. As we move deeper into the school year, I continue to appreciate the professionalism, persistence, and care shown by our staff every day. We remain focused on our performance targets, including student attendance, academic growth, and maintaining safe, supportive learning environments. The steady effort behind these goals does not always show itself immediately, but it matters, and it is

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10:08

Week 16: Partnerships That Strengthen Us, Decisions...

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/12/05

Happy Friday!Welcome back from Thanksgiving Break. I want to thank everyone for the steady work and professionalism shown as we returned to school this week. The weeks between now and Christmas can feel fast, but your focus and commitment continue to make an impact on our students. As always, our performance targets remain in full view: strong attendance, reduced discipline referrals, and continued academic growth across all grade levels. Thank you for the effort you bring to each of these

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2:24

Week 15: Focusing on Thankfulness as We Close the Week

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/11/21

Happy Friday!As we close out the week before Thanksgiving Break, I want to pause and express my appreciation for the people who give our district its strength. Throughout this semester, we have talked about purpose, preparation, day-to-day improvement, shared confidence, and the steady work that leads to real progress. Every one of those themes only matters because of the people who show up each day to carry them forward.I am thankful for our staff, who continue to support students through the

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11:58

Week 14: Interim ATLAS Results

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/11/14

Happy Friday!Thank you for your hard work this week and for your continued dedication to our mission. We have kept a steady focus on our district performance targets in attendance, discipline, and academic growth, and it is encouraging to see progress in all three areas. Each building has maintained strong attendance as we enter November, discipline referrals remain below last year’s levels, and teachers continue to work with precision and purpose toward improved student outcomes. Your consistency

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10:33

Week 13: Learning from Success and Aiming Higher

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/11/07

Happy Friday!As we move deeper into the fall semester, I want to thank everyone for the steady, day-by-day effort that defines Mena Public Schools. Whether you are teaching, driving, feeding, cleaning, supporting, or leading, the work you do matters. It matters to the children who look forward to seeing you each day, to the families who trust us, and to the community that counts on us to help shape its future.This has been a week of reflection and recognition, and there is much to celebrate. Our

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10:17

Week 12: Eye-opening Data About Eye-closing (Sleep)

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/10/31

Happy Halloween Friday!Thank you for the continued effort and energy you bring to your work each day. The fall semester is moving quickly, and with just over a month until the holiday break, your commitment continues to move our district toward its performance targets—steady academic growth, attendance at or above 93.5 percent, and consistent improvement in school climate and behavior. Each week brings new signs of progress, and that progress is the result of your focus, consistency, and care.This

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8:08

Week 11: The Science of Steady

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/10/24

Happy Friday!Thank you for the consistency and professionalism you continue to demonstrate each week. There were no major events on the calendar. Still, the steady rhythm of teaching, learning, and leading has continued uninterrupted, and that is often where the most significant progress takes place. Every attendance reminder, every reteaching moment, and every calm response to a student’s frustration contributes to the stability our students depend on. Together, we are proving that slow, deliberate

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8:18

Week 10: Reflecting, Refocusing, and Reaching Beyond

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/10/17

Happy Friday!Thank you for the energy, effort, and commitment you continue to bring each day. As we move beyond the first quarter of the school year, it is a meaningful time to pause, reflect, and align our work with the goals we set at the beginning of the year: academic growth, strong attendance, and a positive school culture.Throughout this week and next, I have been meeting with each building’s leadership to review first-quarter progress and discuss strategies for continued growth. These

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7:34

Week 9: Finishing the First Quarter Strong

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/10/10

Happy Friday!Strong attendance, steady behavior, and meaningful engagement across our schools have made this a successful close to the first quarter. Thank you for the energy, effort, and commitment you continue to bring each day. The pace of the year reminds us how quickly progress builds when focus and consistency are shared. Together, we have reached this first milestone with clear evidence of growth across every building.Our performance targets—academic growth, attendance at or above 93.5%, and

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8:33

Week 8: Building Futures Through Connections

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/10/03

Happy Friday!Thank you for the energy, effort, and commitment you continue to bring each day. The year is moving quickly, and we are already approaching the end of the first quarter with 135 instructional days remaining. This is a good moment to pause, take stock, and align our daily work with our performance targets—strong academic growth, attendance at or above 93.5%, and steady improvement in behavior and climate.I also want to recognize the way many of you are carefully monitoring your own

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5:43

Week 7: Staying the Course

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/09/26

Happy Friday!Thank you for the energy, effort, and commitment you continue to bring each day. From the classroom to the bus routes, from the ballfields to the offices, the work being done across our district is making a difference. It has been another week of steady progress toward our goals, and I am grateful for the dedication you show to our students and community.This week’s Wrap-up includes two important topics. First, we want to share an update on the progress we are making with our local

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11:00

Week 6: Points into Progress

Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast ·

2025/09/19

Happy Friday!Thank you all for the dedication you have shown as we move into the middle of September. This time of year, the days can begin to feel heavier, and both students and adults sometimes show the strain through shorter tempers, impatience, or discouragement. Yet in these moments, we continue to see patience, encouragement, and empathy shining through in classrooms and hallways. Those small daily choices are what keep our schools strong and our community moving forward.This week, we also

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123 results

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