📣 UPDATE FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE
If your student receives regular services from the school nurse—such as assistance with medication dosage, receiving medications during the school day, dietary restrictions or special dietary needs, or other ongoing health-related services—please make sure updated orders and necessary documentation are sent to Nurse Brooke Kimble as soon as possible.
Having updated information on file will help ensure that Nurse Brooke and our school staff can provide your student with the care and accommodations they need throughout the school year.
📧 Questions or updated orders may be sent to brooke.kimble@iccougars.org.
Thank you for helping us get everything in place for a safe and successful school year! 🖤🐾
If your student receives regular services from the school nurse—such as assistance with medication dosage, receiving medications during the school day, dietary restrictions or special dietary needs, or other ongoing health-related services—please make sure updated orders and necessary documentation are sent to Nurse Brooke Kimble as soon as possible.
Having updated information on file will help ensure that Nurse Brooke and our school staff can provide your student with the care and accommodations they need throughout the school year.
📧 Questions or updated orders may be sent to brooke.kimble@iccougars.org.
Thank you for helping us get everything in place for a safe and successful school year! 🖤🐾
🐾🖤 WELCOME BACK, COUGAR NATION! 🖤🐾
The first day of the 2026–2027 school year is here, and we couldn’t be more excited to have our students back on campus! 🎉📚
We’re looking forward to a GREAT year filled with learning, growth, friendships, memories, and plenty of Cougar pride!
📸 We want to see those first-day smiles! Drop your first day of school pictures in the comments below! 👇
Here’s to an amazing 2026–2027 school year! 🐾
#CougarNation #FirstDayOfSchool #BackToSchool
The first day of the 2026–2027 school year is here, and we couldn’t be more excited to have our students back on campus! 🎉📚
We’re looking forward to a GREAT year filled with learning, growth, friendships, memories, and plenty of Cougar pride!
📸 We want to see those first-day smiles! Drop your first day of school pictures in the comments below! 👇
Here’s to an amazing 2026–2027 school year! 🐾
#CougarNation #FirstDayOfSchool #BackToSchool
We are looking forward to a great school year! Here are some reminders with drop-off and pick up guidelines, as well as times for student arrival and dismissal.
To allow coaches the opportunity to attend a faculty event, tonight's Mighty Mite practice will be at 5:00 for 3rd-6th grade. It will take place in the Fine Arts Gym.
All seniors are invited to gather for breakfast at 6:45 AM on August 12 at The Calabama Restaurant in Franklin. Though this is not a school sponsored event, we hope you will join your classmates with a fun way to kick off the school year! Transportation and meal payment is on your own.
Pre-ordered 2025-26 yearbook distributions have begun! Unfortunately, we've had a very small percentage need to be exchanged due to a printing calibration issue. If you notice a severely discolored page in your copy, please return to your homeroom teacher or Manda Jackson at the middle/high school ASAP. Thank you!
Due to tomorrow's Back to School Bash and Open House, Mighty Mite Football practice has been canceled for the evening.
Instead, we hope you'll join us as we kick off another great school year!
🎉 Back to School Bash: 4:30 PM
🏫 Open House: 5:00 PM
We can't wait to welcome everyone back to Cougar Nation and see our students and families as we get ready for an exciting year. See you tomorrow! 🐾🖤
Instead, we hope you'll join us as we kick off another great school year!
🎉 Back to School Bash: 4:30 PM
🏫 Open House: 5:00 PM
We can't wait to welcome everyone back to Cougar Nation and see our students and families as we get ready for an exciting year. See you tomorrow! 🐾🖤
Thank you to Deana and Erica from FNBC for providing lunch during in-service! We appreciate you always supporting our teachers and staff.
Looking for a rewarding way to make a difference in the lives of students? Join our team as a Substitute Teacher! Apply today by clicking below link, and help us inspire the next generation.
As a substitute teacher, you'll:
📚 Support student learning in a positive environment.
🍎 Enjoy a flexible work schedule.
🌟 Make a meaningful impact in our school district.
If you're interested in becoming part of our team, we'd love to hear from you! Link to apply:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XaZOq4g_Qo_s0bCpuv_bc9FwnnFamzd1/view?usp=share_link
As a substitute teacher, you'll:
📚 Support student learning in a positive environment.
🍎 Enjoy a flexible work schedule.
🌟 Make a meaningful impact in our school district.
If you're interested in becoming part of our team, we'd love to hear from you! Link to apply:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XaZOq4g_Qo_s0bCpuv_bc9FwnnFamzd1/view?usp=share_link
Please help us keep our students safe by following these drop off and pick up guidelines! These graphics also include important times for student arrival and dismissal.
Interested in joining the IC Fishing Team? Be sure to attend this informational meeting on August 18 at 6 PM. For more info, please email: kish.pool@iccougars.org
As we gear up for this school year, we want to remind parents that our school district will once again provide school supplies, breakfast, and lunch to all students in PK-12th grades!
🥎 IC Senior Class Fundraiser 🥎 Coed Ragball, $250 per team
Register your team by sending an email to: manda.jackson@iccougars.org
Additional info:
6 boys 4 girls
1 hour time limit
15 after 4
10 after 5
Boys 15 and under can play as girl
Boy walks Girl has option to walk or hit. ONLY 1 Base.
Starting 1-1 count
1 courtesy foul ball
11” ragball
Home run band $20
Girl band $20
Home run derby $10 10 pitches
Girls will hit from pitchers mound during derby
Girls up to bat outfield on fence
Strike zone will be mat covering plate above the head and below 10ft hits mat is strike
Non banded boys 3 home runs after 3 over the fence is an out
Girls unlimited home runs
One courtesy runner per inning if on base when they come up on batting order they are out
BRING YOUR OWN RAGBALLS
Here is our tentative Mighty Mite Cheer Schedule. Registration available at below link (payment is due prior to receiving uniform).
📣 3/4 grades will practice at the elementary campus until 4:30. If proper communication has been made, those cheerleaders may ride bus home from the After School Program (when in session).
📣 5/6 grades will practice at the middle/high school campus until 4:45 and must be picked up.
🏈 We will only cheer at home games + Melbourne.
🖥 Registration Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5KC47IJgAo3xbx0Pn64xK6vpCWmaxnwVcDEn4ptPm32xjuQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=108200694876592942520
We have a lot planned for August 6th, so be sure to save the date!
🎈4:30-6:00 PM ▪︎ Back to School Bash
👩🏫 5:00-6:30 PM ▪︎ Open House
👨🎓 6:30 PM ▪︎ Senior Class Parent Meeting
🏫 First day of school ▪︎ August 12, 2026
Don't forget to register!
Don’t miss out on two more weeks of exciting summer learning at Izard County Cons STEM!
Join us for July STEM Summer Camp:
📅 July 20–24 and July 27–31
🕗 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM daily
Students will enjoy hands-on STEM activities, engineering challenges, outdoor exploration, team-building activities, and engaging academic enrichment designed to keep learning fun all summer long. All students will be provided breakfast and lunch!
Whether your child attended our June session or is joining us for the first time, we’d love to have them be part of the adventure!
📋 Register here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S9jGtMpqniYASo1WOfKigBo0D4YKc6EbvgXPaRUhwtI/edit?usp=drivesdk
Be sure to check out the flyer for additional details. We can’t wait to see our Cougars back for another unforgettable summer experience!
Don’t miss out on two more weeks of exciting summer learning at Izard County Cons STEM!
Join us for July STEM Summer Camp:
📅 July 20–24 and July 27–31
🕗 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM daily
Students will enjoy hands-on STEM activities, engineering challenges, outdoor exploration, team-building activities, and engaging academic enrichment designed to keep learning fun all summer long. All students will be provided breakfast and lunch!
Whether your child attended our June session or is joining us for the first time, we’d love to have them be part of the adventure!
📋 Register here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S9jGtMpqniYASo1WOfKigBo0D4YKc6EbvgXPaRUhwtI/edit?usp=drivesdk
Be sure to check out the flyer for additional details. We can’t wait to see our Cougars back for another unforgettable summer experience!
To top off an incredible fair week, Danielle was named the Sharp County Fair Best of the Best Showman for the second consecutive year! 🏆🥇
This prestigious competition tests exhibitors across four different species—🐖 swine, 🐄 cattle, 🐑 sheep, and 🐐 goats—making it one of the fair's most challenging and respected showmanship honors.
Success like this doesn't happen by accident. Danielle Hollingsworth puts in countless hours every single day working with her sheep and dairy goats, and that dedication continues to pay off.
Congratulations, Danielle, on another outstanding accomplishment! Your work ethic, determination, and passion for agriculture continue to set the standard. We're so proud of you!
This prestigious competition tests exhibitors across four different species—🐖 swine, 🐄 cattle, 🐑 sheep, and 🐐 goats—making it one of the fair's most challenging and respected showmanship honors.
Success like this doesn't happen by accident. Danielle Hollingsworth puts in countless hours every single day working with her sheep and dairy goats, and that dedication continues to pay off.
Congratulations, Danielle, on another outstanding accomplishment! Your work ethic, determination, and passion for agriculture continue to set the standard. We're so proud of you!
For the fourth consecutive year, the Izard County STEM School District has received the 21st Century Grant that supports a comprehensive before-and after-school learning program! With this grant, we provide literacy and math intervention, homework assistance, tutoring, STEM enrichment, family engagement opportunities, transportation, and summer programming. Students are also provided a snack during the program.
Additionally, we are excited to announce that IC STEM 5/6 language arts teacher, Alicia Pepper, has been named the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Director for our school! Ms. Pepper graduated magna cum laude from Emporia State University, and has earned High Reliability Teacher and LETRS certifications. She previously served as the 21st Century Site Coordinator before being named Grant Director.
Ms. Pepper said, "I am passionate about creating opportunities that allow our students to explore, discover, and develop new interests through experiences they may not otherwise have during the regular school day. I’m especially excited to continue growing the program’s STEM, career exploration, and family engagement opportunities."
IC's June summer academic camp centered on the themes Ecosystem Explorers and Survival Engineers, engaging students in hands-on STEM activities focused on ecosystems, wildlife, engineering, outdoor skills, and real-world problem-solving.
Students also enjoyed educational visits from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, including exploration of the Commission’s mobile cave exhibit and hands-on activities that taught students about Arkansas wildlife, animal tracks, and conservation.
Ms. Pepper said, "We’re excited to continue our summer programming with a second session on July 20–24 and July 27–31. This session will feature the themes River Rangers and Skywatchers & Flight Engineers, with hands-on STEM activities, special visitors, and opportunities for students to explore, create, and solve problems together."
Additionally, we are excited to announce that IC STEM 5/6 language arts teacher, Alicia Pepper, has been named the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Director for our school! Ms. Pepper graduated magna cum laude from Emporia State University, and has earned High Reliability Teacher and LETRS certifications. She previously served as the 21st Century Site Coordinator before being named Grant Director.
Ms. Pepper said, "I am passionate about creating opportunities that allow our students to explore, discover, and develop new interests through experiences they may not otherwise have during the regular school day. I’m especially excited to continue growing the program’s STEM, career exploration, and family engagement opportunities."
IC's June summer academic camp centered on the themes Ecosystem Explorers and Survival Engineers, engaging students in hands-on STEM activities focused on ecosystems, wildlife, engineering, outdoor skills, and real-world problem-solving.
Students also enjoyed educational visits from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, including exploration of the Commission’s mobile cave exhibit and hands-on activities that taught students about Arkansas wildlife, animal tracks, and conservation.
Ms. Pepper said, "We’re excited to continue our summer programming with a second session on July 20–24 and July 27–31. This session will feature the themes River Rangers and Skywatchers & Flight Engineers, with hands-on STEM activities, special visitors, and opportunities for students to explore, create, and solve problems together."
Thank you to the Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation for your continued support! We are excited to begin our second year of the Elementary Ag Education Pilot Program with Kish Pool continuing to help our students learn and grow in agriculture. This year, Izard County STEM Elementary School will be receiving an Egg Hatching Kit and a Hydroponic Grow Kit! This will give our school additional opportunities to educate students about poultry and growing plants.
The Egg Hatching Educational Grant includes:
· 18-egg incubator with egg candler, temperature & humidity control
·Brooder box with heat lamp, chick perch and feeder.
· Chicken Life Cycle Learning Set
· $50 Visa Gift Card to purchase: eggs, feed and shavings
· 2 Educational Books
· 100 Poultry Ag Readers
· Egg Hatching Record Forms
· Fact Sheet and Step-by-Step Instructions
The Hydroponic Grow Kit includes:
· 1 LED Grow Light
· 1 Seed Pod Kit
· 2 accurate ag books and educator guides
· The Soil in Jackie’s Garden
· I Love Blueberries
· Blueberry seeds
· 50 bookmarks with seeded paper
·100 coloring pages
· 50 bookmarks with seeded paper
The Egg Hatching Educational Grant includes:
· 18-egg incubator with egg candler, temperature & humidity control
·Brooder box with heat lamp, chick perch and feeder.
· Chicken Life Cycle Learning Set
· $50 Visa Gift Card to purchase: eggs, feed and shavings
· 2 Educational Books
· 100 Poultry Ag Readers
· Egg Hatching Record Forms
· Fact Sheet and Step-by-Step Instructions
The Hydroponic Grow Kit includes:
· 1 LED Grow Light
· 1 Seed Pod Kit
· 2 accurate ag books and educator guides
· The Soil in Jackie’s Garden
· I Love Blueberries
· Blueberry seeds
· 50 bookmarks with seeded paper
·100 coloring pages
· 50 bookmarks with seeded paper
🎓 Congratulations to Our Walker Family Scholarship Recipients! 🎓
Whitley Smith and Akynna Nielsen, both 2026 graduates of Izard County High School, have been selected as this year's recipients of the Walker Family Scholarships.
Each year, Fred and Michelle Walker award these $500 scholarships to graduating seniors from Izard County High School in honor of their three sons—Steven, Ryan, and Andrew—all proud graduates of Izard County High School. Their continued generosity helps support local students as they begin the next chapter of their educational journeys.
Whitley, the Class of 2026 Valedictorian, will attend Oklahoma State University this fall.
Akynna, the Class of 2026 Salutatorian, will attend Ozarka College this fall.
Congratulations to Whitley and Akynna on this well-deserved honor, and thank you to Fred and Michelle Walker for investing in the future of our students and continuing their family's legacy of supporting Cougar Nation!
Whitley Smith and Akynna Nielsen, both 2026 graduates of Izard County High School, have been selected as this year's recipients of the Walker Family Scholarships.
Each year, Fred and Michelle Walker award these $500 scholarships to graduating seniors from Izard County High School in honor of their three sons—Steven, Ryan, and Andrew—all proud graduates of Izard County High School. Their continued generosity helps support local students as they begin the next chapter of their educational journeys.
Whitley, the Class of 2026 Valedictorian, will attend Oklahoma State University this fall.
Akynna, the Class of 2026 Salutatorian, will attend Ozarka College this fall.
Congratulations to Whitley and Akynna on this well-deserved honor, and thank you to Fred and Michelle Walker for investing in the future of our students and continuing their family's legacy of supporting Cougar Nation!
