LRSD NOW

 

September is National School Success Month

Suicide Prevention Month
Blood Cancer Awareness Month

Hispanic HeritageMonth
Library Card Sign-up Month

September 13 -     Now Underway
September 15 -     Hispanic Heritage Month Begins
September 16 -     Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration/Plaza Frida
September 21 -     LRSD Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
September 28 -     Fifty Fantastic Fathers/Father Figures Luncheon (Invited guests)

Important Calendar Update - Yom Kippur

Attention LRSD Families - the wrong date was inadvertently placed on the printed calendar for Yom Kippur.  It will be observed September 24-25th, not in October. We sincerely regret any confusion this may cause.  The correct date is now reflected on the online version of the printed calendar.  Thank you for understanding.  

Time for Our Favorite Other Contest - 
Our Grandparents Celebration  

                                       

LRSD Grandparents! Snap a photo of you with your current LRSD student(s) and upload the photo at www.LRSD.org/2023-GRANDPARENTS through September 29, 2023. Grandparent should be in the photo with grandchildren. Flyer with more details: www.LRSD.org/2023-grandparents-flyer

To better support our Hispanic families, the District launched LRSD en Español this week, timed to coincide with the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month -
observed annually from September 15 to October 15.  

Be sure to drop by the special celebration at La Plaza Frida this Saturday, where you'll enjoy lots of festivities, great food, and fellowship.  Additionally, LRSD students will be performing, and we'll have a booth featuring student artwork and District information.  

The World Language Culture Club at Little Rock Southwest High School will present its 2nd annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration event on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 9 a.m. 

Milestone Celebration with Ignite Reading

Nine months after the launch of Ignite Reading’s partnership with the Little Rock School District, the organization announced that students participating in the virtual, one-to-one literacy tutoring program have recorded an average of 2.4 weeks of reading progress per week, with no achievement gap for students of color, students with IEPs, multilingual learners, or students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. The District also announced that enrollment in Ignite Reading at Little Rock schools will double to serve 2,000 students this fall. To read more, click here. 

Peace Week Art Contest, Essay Contest
 &  Lesson Plans

Arkansas Peace Week (September 17-24, 2023) offers great youth programs for schools and youth programs. Peace Week Essay Contest – Essay Contest for 7th – 12 Grade Students Cash Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners in each grade.  Entry Deadline September 6, 2023 Winners are invited to read their essays at the Arkansas State Capitol on September 23. Peace Week Art Contest – Art Contest for 1st -12th Grade Students Cash Prizes for 1st, 2nd,            and 3rd Place winners in each grade.  Entry Deadline September 6, 2023 Finalists will be displayed at the Arkansas State Capitol. September 17-23. School and Group Lesson Plans and Resources  Lesson plans and resources developed in partnership with LRSD and Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS). We invite all Arkansas schools and youth groups to participate and present these lessons teaching peacemaking skills to the youth in our state. Please share this with children and organizations you know.  Schools, teachers, faith groups, and other youth organizations are encouraged to sponsor and guide students with their submissions.   Peace Week began our school programs in 2017 when Pax Christi Little Rock (PCLR) worked with school counselor Mildred Calhoun to develop a peace curriculum for Little Rock’s Rockefeller Elementary. The following year the organization worked with Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) and Little Rock School District to expand these non-violence lesson plans and resources for elementary-age students.  Today over 15,000 students participate in Arkansas Peace Week from all over the state. Please visit our website, www.arkansaspeaceweek.com or the Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/arkansaspeaceweek for the latest information.  Email arpeaceweek@gmail.com with questions. Do You Have an Event/Information You Would Like Featured in Our Blog? Fill out this media request form: https://lrsd.jotform.com/201056269402044? Remember, the deadline for each week's submissions is Thursday at noon. Annual Museum of Discovery Tinkerfest Tomorrow! Photo Courtesy Museum of Discovery Facebook Page (From Museum of Discovery) Little Rock, Ark. – The Museum of Discovery will present its 12th annual Tinkerfest, a one-day festival that brings together makers, artists, engineers, and crafters from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, September 16, inside and outside the museum. Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to engage in more than 40 activities, from using raw materials and tools to create unique machines to launching rockets and art exploration, plus numerous crafting and building options. Additionally, guests will be able to explore construction equipment and other construction-related activities provided by presenting sponsor Kiewit-Massman Construction. More than 40 activities are planned, including: Robot Races Rope Making Car Take-Aparts Drone Demonstrations Sand Pendulums Pottery Making Important Community Announcement for Tornado Victims In response to the March 31 tornado that impacted this community, Southern Bancorp has a relief program available to help individuals and families cover home repair costs in our area.  Up to $12,000 is available to those who: Were affected by the March 31, 2023 tornado Own a home that is their primary residence and is permanently affixed to a foundation Have damage repairs not covered by insurance Meet income eligibility requirements  These funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are the result of grant funding from FHLB Dallas – it is straightforward home repair assistance, not a loan that needs to be paid back. Important Traffic Info Shared by  City of Little Rock Rock Paper Run Community Partnership Event with City of Little Rock From the Downtown LR Partnership Group.... They Still Need Volunteers Speaking of which... they still need festival volunteers - if you are interested, sign up at  mainstreetfoodtrucks.com    Calling All Jazz Aficionados Week 2 FREE Live Music Here's a look at the fall 2023 Jazz in the Park lineup: Sept. 20 – Katrice Newbill 6-8PM Sept. 27 – Rodney Block (anniversary finale at First Security Amphitheater) 6-9PM If You Prefer Dancing, This Event is for You After-School Opportunity for Kids (Not Sponsored by LRSD) Annual Literary Festival Back... Check Out What's New and exciting at Upcoming Six Bridges Book Festival (From CALS) The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) will present the twentieth annual Six Bridges Book Festival from September 25 – October 1, 2023. Named for the six bridges that connect the downtowns in Little Rock and North Little Rock, the Festival bridges communities and brings people together. CALS actively solicits input from a variety of demographic groups with the goal of offering a diverse, inclusive, and widely appealing festival. The event celebrates reading, literacy, stories, and wordsmithing. Scores of nationally known authors converge on the city to offer panels on a wide variety of topics, from cooking demonstrations to award-winning comedy. Authors also venture into the community for efforts such as Writers in the Schools (WITS), bringing the joy of writing to hundreds of students in central Arkansas. Since inception, the Festival has been an important showcase for nationally and internationally writers known writers, as well as locally based talent. There is something for all ages of readers and learners at the festival. This is the link to the Six Bridges Book Festival https://cals.org/six-bridges-book-festival/. The full schedule is now on the website.