Izard County STEM School

📣 Exciting News for Izard County STEM Families! 📣

We’re thrilled to announce that Izard County STEM School will provide FREE school supplies and FREE meals for ALL students for the 2025-2026 school year! 🎒🍎

That’s right—every student will be fully equipped and well-fed, at no cost to families. We’re committed to removing barriers so our students can focus on learning, growing, and thriving.

Here’s to a strong start and an incredible year ahead! 💙📚 #EveryChildEveryDayWhateverItTakes #CougarNation #BackToSchool2025

Fall camp will begin soon for our Cougar Football teams, and the coaches are kicking it off with a parent meeting and spaghetti dinner on August 1! It will begin at 6:00pm and last until approximately 7:30. A lot of important information regarding fall camp and the upcoming season will be discussed - parents of all players in grades 7-12 should try to be there.

Go Cougars!

IC STEM Kindergarten-Sixth grade teachers had the privilege to attend an Amplify Science PD session instructed by Amplify's Josie Flores. K-5 teachers are excited to implement Amplify Science, identified as a High Quality Instructional Material by the Arkansas Department of Education. This phenomenon-based, hands-on science curriculum supports our district's STEM Mission and Vision and completes our district's goal of having High Quality Instructional Materials across all subject areas!

Exciting news from Izard County STEM School! Eve Hatman, Ashley Johnson, and Rebecca Norton collaborated to secure a $4,000 Ag for Autism grant to help create a sensory room for students with sensory needs.

Ag for Autism is a nonprofit alliance of agriculture businesses and community partners working to support autism education and therapy in rural Arkansas. Since 2012, they’ve awarded over $1 million to help children thrive in school and beyond.

Thanks to this grant, students will soon have access to a calming, supportive sensory space designed to promote focus, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. We're so grateful for the opportunity to make this vision a reality!

REMINDER: There is a meeting tonight at 5:30 in the High School Cafeteria for all Mighty Mite Football players and parents. A short practice will follow!

📣 Help us give a big Cougar Nation welcome to Dr. Candace Killian, the newest addition to our high school faculty for the 2025–2026 school year!

Dr. Killian will be joining our team as a 9th–12th grade Social Studies teacher, bringing her passion and expertise to Civics, Economics, World History, and U.S. History. We’re also thrilled to share that she’ll be offering an Advanced Placement U.S. History course—complete with dual credit—allowing students to earn both high school and college credit while fulfilling graduation requirements.

We’re so excited to welcome Dr. Killian to the team and can’t wait for our students to learn from her! 📚🇺🇸

Here's a bit of background knowledge and a note from Dr. Killian:
"I am more than enthusiastic about joining Cougar Nation as faculty in the 25-26 school year after serving on the ICC school board for nine years. I was raised in Izard County and am proud to have been part of the second graduating class of the Izard County Consolidated School District. My three children all graduated from ICC and this year I will have six grandchildren attending ICC ranging from preschool through seventh grade.
My passion is and has always been education. I earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts (history, sociology, and political science) from UA Little Rock, a master's degree in history and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University. I was recently endorsed by the College Board, AP, Advanced Placement Program to teach AP US History. I have 23 years of experience in education in several areas from Pre-K through higher education including teaching in the classroom and online college-level, and dual-credit history courses (Missouri State University-WP and Ozarka College). I am committed to fostering academic success by delivering high-quality educational experiences and creating inclusive and supportive learning environments that empower student knowledge in historical contexts."
#CougarNation #WelcomeDrKillian #ICHighSchool #SocialStudiesExcellence

Congratulations to Izard County Elementary STEM Media Specialist Molly Koelling for her recent appointment to the Izard County Library Board!

📌 New Student Registration 📌 We can't wait to meet all of our new families on Monday, July 28, from 9 AM-2 PM! This is a great time to complete paperwork, take a campus tour, and meet with principals and guidance counselors. If you have a social security card, birth certificate, and vaccination records available, please bring those to New Student Registration Day.

🐾 The 2025-26 Izard Co. STEM school year will begin soon! 🐾 🌟 New Student Registration will take place on July 28 from 9 AM - 2 PM. 🌭 Open House will be on Aug 11 from 5 - 6:30 PM. Bring the family to meet our teachers, see classrooms, and enjoy hotdogs and bounce houses with friends! 🚸 First day of school will be Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Our school day runs from 7:45 AM - 3:19 PM. 📞 For more information on any of these events, please call or stop by. Preschool: 870-322-8414 Elementary: 870-322-7229 Middle School: 870-258-3142 High School: 870-258-7788

🌟 STEM Spotlight! 🌟 We’re making history in Izard County! 🎉 Middle School Principal Sarah Burns and District STEM Coordinator Courtney Selph proudly accepted STEM Model School recognition banners at the Arkansas Department of Education Summit in Hot Springs this week! 🏅🔬 Izard County is officially: ✅ The first high school in the state to earn the STEM Model School designation ✅ The first entire school district in Arkansas to receive this statewide recognition This milestone reflects our district’s deep commitment to providing innovative, hands-on, future-focused learning for every student—every grade, every campus, every day. 💡🌱🚀 Thank you to our incredible students, staff, and community partners for helping us lead the way in STEM education! #STEMModelSchool #ADEsummit #IzardCountySTEM #ArkansasSTEM #FutureReady #STEMLeadership #EducationInnovation

We are so proud of Akynna Nielsen! She took the initiative to apply to become an ambassador at the Arkansas Youth Expo this spring. She was selected to be on the team out of multiple applications from around the state! This is such an exciting opportunity and can't wait to watch her do big things!

Yesterday in Summer Camp, 2nd graders explored pollinators and seed dispersal! They began investigating different types of pollinators and ways that plants disperse their seeds!

Today in Summer Camp, our young 5th grade environmental heroes got their hands dirty for a sweet cause, helping our buzzing friends by making bee nesting boxes! Bees are vital pollinators, and their populations are in trouble. By building and filling these special homes, we’re giving solitary bees a safe place to rest, nest, and thrive. Small actions can make a BIG impact. We’re proud to be doing our part for the planet — one bee at a time! #EcoWarriors #SaveTheBees #HandsOnLearning #PollinatorPower #BeeKind

It's almost time for Week 3 of our Academic Summer Camp! We have so many fun and educational STEM activities planned for Monday - Friday, 8 AM to noon. We can't wait to see our students tomorrow (Monday), July 14!

Congratulations to IC STEM High School students for passing their recent AP (Advanced Placement) English Language and Composition exam! 2025 graduate Josie Morgan, and rising senior Harrison Oss, both earned a top score of 5! According to apstudents.collegeboard.org, only 13% of students who took this national exam scored a 5. Recent graduate Carson Mahan also passed his exam with a 3! While each college and university varies in its requirements, most award corresponding class credit to students who participate in AP courses and pass the exam with a score of 3 or higher. In many universities, two college class credits are awarded to students earning a score of 4 or 5. Congrats to these students and their teacher, Danielle Treat, who has taught AP English for the past five years!

📣 Exciting News from Izard County STEM High School! 🎓✨ We’re proud to announce the addition of a brand-new Pre-Educator Pathway to our already extensive list of graduation pathways! Beginning this school year, students interested in a career in education can take concurrent credit courses taught by Mrs. Amanda Brewer through a partnership with Ozarka College. 📚🍎 Students who complete this pathway will graduate as a pathway completer with college credits in education already earned — giving them a head start toward becoming future teachers and educational leaders! 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 This new pathway joins our robust lineup of CTE offerings, which now includes: •Pre-Educator •Engineering •Agricultural Business •Ag Power, Structure & Technical Systems •Animal Systems •Plant Systems •Biomedical Sciences •Marketing •Emergency Preparedness •Criminal Justice We are committed to providing students with real-world learning experiences, that prepare them for success beyond high school!

It's time for Mighty Mite Football sign ups! If your child is entering grades 3-6 and interested in being a part of the 2025 Cougars' Mighty Mite teams, please fill out the attached form as soon as possible. If you have any questions, send us message and we can help!

Link to form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdywAhREDjw3-kXa3NWYgDD1guJu3AUzog44G1Tpr7zjWwbzw/viewform

Here is a reminder to get your 3rd-6th grader signed up for Mighty Mite Cheer for this season!
Fill out this Google Form:
https://forms.gle/Ng9VxF3wi9AhUedM6
Contact Coach Chelsea Phillips with any questions!

REMINDER: Students in grades 7-12 who plan to be on the Cross Country and/or Volleyball teams this fall should be at these meetings on Monday evening!

Cross Country will meet with Coach Ninemire at 4:30.
Volleyball will meet with Coach McBride at 5:00.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Happy 4th of July from Izard County STEM School! We hope you have a safe and fun holiday weekend.