Beebe Junior High School is 'student-driven'
By By Mackye Sandlin
This article was published September 25, 2008 at 4:26 a.m.
LITTLE ROCK — Growth spurts, acne, hormones. Changing bodies, examining beliefs, questioning authority.
Hanging out, catching up, fitting in. The world of the young adolescent is one of constant change and confusion.
One constant for nearly 460 of them, though, is the care they're given at Beebe Junior High School. Situated at the back of a beautiful campus dotted with red-roofed buildings and sprawling oak trees, BJH provides a safe, yet exciting daytime home for seventh- and eighth-graders from Beebe, McRae, Antioch, Opal, Floyd, El Paso and the surrounding countryside.
"Our school is student-driven," Principal Don Sandlin said. "By that I mean that every decision that's made is based on the needs of our kids. We're dedicated to helping each student develop intellectually, physically, emotionally and socially."
"Teaching young people who are in the throes of adolescence can be a challenge, but we have 41 teachers who choose to work with this age level because they love young teenagers," Assistant Principal Shelma Winningham said.
Sandlin believes the biggest key to junior high student success is parental involvement and said that he is excited about moving the first parent-teacher conference of the year to mid-way through the first grading period.
Parents are also invited to a Benchmark night to get tips on helping their students score well on standardized tests and a "math evening" where they learn how to promote good math skills at home by understanding instructional strategies and seeing technology in action.
Besides the parents, great community support and outstanding district leadership are factors Sandlin credits when discussing the success and stability of the school.
"Community members always come through in attending and helping fund extracurricular events as well as sponsoring programs like Arkansas Scholars and Abstinence by Choice," Sandlin said.
A new program developed by the teachers and staff this year is designed to strengthen the consistency needed by adolescents. Called ZAP for Zero Action Plan, it eliminates tolerance for students failing to complete class work. Rather than being allowed to "take a zero" on work they don't want to complete, students will be required to complete all assignments in every class after their parents have been notified about missing work.
Emphasis on basic skills is stressed in required classes in language arts, math, social studies and science, but students are given ample opportunities to develop other interests as well. Students in both seventh and eighth grades can participate in a variety of athletic and music programs, as well as art and drama classes.
Inter-school competition in those areas begins at the seventhgrade level, and students are also involved in public performances and exhibitions. The school's EAST lab provides an opportunity for students to design and implement problem-solving projects using technology.
Since social development is such a critical part of adolescence, the school offers a number of clubs and activities from which students may choose, including yearbook, Library Club, Astronomy Club, Student Council, Beta Club, Art Club, Chess Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Math/Science Club.
"Our students may be changing daily in many ways, but they can count on us to help them through those changes," Sandlin said.
(Mackye Sandlin is librarian for the nine-10 campus at Beebe Schools.)at a glance
Mission Statement: To empower all students to adapt to a changing society, to treat others and themselves with respect and above all, to value learning.
Grades: Seven and eight
Enrollment: 458
Faculty: 41
Mascot: Badgers
Colors: Red and white
Athletics: 5A football, basketball, track, volleyball, bowling, golf, tennis
Principal: Don Sandlin
Assistant Principal: Shelma Winningham
Address: 1201 W. Center St.
Beebe AR 72012
Telephone: (501) 882-8414
Web site: http://badger.k12.
ar.us
Three Rivers, Pages 60 on 09/25/2008
