Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast - Week 21: The Days Ahead

Episode Date: January 23, 2026

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, when school closures and schedule adjustments are more common due to winter weather, as we are experiencing now. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding as we pivoted to a partial day and prepare for whatever conditions next week may bring. Days like these highlight the importance of a well-designed school calendar, which is the focus of this week’s Wrap-up, along with new opportunities and celebrations of our students’ successes.School Calendar Feedback: What We HeardSeveral days ago, parents, staff, and community members participated in a ThoughtExchange focused on the school calendar. Participation was strong, and the feedback was thoughtful, balanced, and constructive. Overall, the results confirmed that many elements of our current calendar structure are working well for families and students. A clear majority of respondents indicated that the calendar works well with family schedules and supports student learning.Several themes emerged consistently. Monthly, predictable breaks that allow for appointments and reduce unplanned absences were widely valued, as were longer Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, as well as alignment with typical work schedules. At the same time, respondents raised important considerations, including the impact of frequent Monday closures on working families and students with special needs, the length and timing of conference days, and interest from some stakeholders in alternative calendar models.This feedback gives us clarity. It shows us what to preserve, what to examine more closely, and where trade-offs must be weighed carefully.Calendar Questions and ClarificationsAs calendar discussions continue, certain questions naturally surface—particularly around instructional time, days off, professional development, and why some requests cannot be accommodated. To address these questions transparently, we have prepared a School Calendar Questions & Answers document that explains the legal requirements, contractual obligations, and instructional considerations that shape calendar decisions.While the document is too detailed to include in the Wrap-up itself, I strongly encourage staff and families to review it so calendar discussions and voting are grounded in shared information and understanding.Understanding the “why” behind the calendar does not mean everyone will agree on every detail, but it does ensure that feedback and decisions are informed and productive.Next Step: Calendar Options and VotingBased on the feedback received and operational requirements, staff will be asked to review specific calendar options and vote on their preference. This step moves us from broad listening to concrete decision-making. Voting links, instructions, and deadlines will be shared in next week’s Wrap-up. Your voice matters in shaping the recommendation that moves forward.Winter Weather Decisions and CommunicationThis week’s winter weather required us to adjust schedules and make timely operational decisions. Our process always begins with safety as the top priority. Decisions are informed by road conditions across the district, weather forecasts, transportation considerations, building safety, and communication with local authorities.Whenever possible, we aim to communicate early. However, winter weather is unpredictable, and some decisions must be made early in the morning as conditions change. When closures or adjustments are necessary, we use our established communication channels to ensure consistent information reaches staff and families. Thank you for your patience and understanding during these situations.Grant Opportunity: Environmental EducationThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is offering $3.2 million in Environmental Education Grant funding, with awards of $200,000–$250,000 for up to 16 projects nationwide. These grants support hands-on, locally focused environmental education initiatives, including projects that use modern tools such as artificial intelligence, water quality monitoring, and contamination prevention to build informed environmental stewardship. Applications are due March 3, 2026. Staff or school partners interested in learning more are encouraged to review the grant materials and consider alignment with instructional or community-based learning goals.Closing CelebrationsAs we close the week, I want to recognize several student accomplishments that reflect the strength of our career-focused and leadership programs. Students recently advanced from regional FCCLA STAR Events to the state level, demonstrating preparation, professionalism, and real-world skill development. Thank you to the FCCLA teachers and advisors whose guidance made these successes possible.We also celebrate recognition of students involved in FFA and 4-H, who were honored for leadership and excellence in agriculture, culinary arts, and livestock projects. These achievements reflect sustained effort and responsibility beyond the classroom. Thank you to our agriculture teachers, FFA advisors, 4-H leaders, and community partners who invest their time and expertise in our students.These moments remind us that student success is rarely accidental. It is built through mentorship, preparation, and adults who believe in what students can become.It was a good week of progress at Mena Public Schools.At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.Keep the #menareads posts and videos coming, and have a safe, warm winter weekend! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bearcatwrap.substack.com

Good afternoon and welcome to the week 21 wrap up entitled The Days Ahead, a reflection on calendar feedback, winter adjustments, and the shared responsibility of using each remaining school day to move students forward. Happy Friday. We've 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've 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 when school closures and schedule adjustments are more common due to winter weather as we are experiencing now. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding as we pivoted to a partial day and prepare for whatever conditions next week may bring. Like these highlight the importance of a well-designed school calendar, which is the focus of this week's wrap-up, along with new opportunities and celebrations of our students' successes.

School calendar feedback, what we heard. Several days ago, parents, staff, and community members participated in a thought exchange focused on the school calendar. Participation was strong, and the feedback was thoughtful, balanced, and constructive. Overall, the results, they are linked in the text, confirmed that many elements of our current calendar structure are working well for families and students. A clear majority of respondents indicated that the calendar works well with family schedules and supports student learning.

Several themes emerged consistently. Monthly, predictable breaks that allow for appointments and reduced unplanned absences were widely valued as were longer Thanksgiving and Christmas break. as well as alignment with typical work schedules. At the same time, respondents raised important considerations, including the impact of frequent Monday closures on working families and students with special needs, the length and timing of conference days,

and interest from some stakeholders in alternative calendar models. This week gives us clarity. This feedback gives us clarity. It shows us what to preserve, what to examine more closely, and where trade-offs must be weighed carefully. Calendar questions and clarifications. As calendar discussions continue, certain questions naturally surface, particularly around instructional time, days off, professional development,

and why some requests cannot be accommodated. To address these questions transparently, we have prepared a school calendar question and answer document that's linked to the text. It explains the legal requirements, contractual obligations, obligations and instructional considerations that shape calendar decisions. While the document is too detailed to include in this wrap-up itself, I strongly encourage staff and families to review it so calendar discussions and voting are grounded in shared information and understanding.

Understanding the why behind the calendar does not mean everyone will agree on every detail, but it does ensure that feedback and decisions are informed and productive. Next step, calendar voting options and voting. Calendar options and voting. Based on the feedback received and operational requirements, staff will be asked to review specific calendar options and vote on their preference. This step moves us from broad listening to concrete decision making. Voting links, instructions, and deadlines will be shared in next week's wrap up. Your voice matters in shaping the recommendations that moves forward.

Winter weather decisions and communication. This week's winter weather required us to adjust schedules and make timely operational decisions. Our process always begins with safety as the top priority. Decisions are informed by road conditions across the district, weather forecasts, transportation considerations, building safety, and communication with local authorities. Whenever possible, we aim to communicate early. winter weather is unpredictable and some decisions must be made early in the morning as conditions change. When closures or adjustments are necessary we use our

established communication channels to ensure consistent information reaches staff and families. Thank you for your patience and understanding during these situations. Grant Opportunity Environmental Education the US Environmental Protection Agency is offering $3.2 million in environmental education grant funding. There's a link to information in the text, with awards of $200 to $250,000 for up to $16 projects nationwide. These grants support hands-on,

locally focused environmental education initiatives, including projects that use modern tools such as artificial intelligence, water quality monitoring, and contamination prevention to build informed environmental stewardship. Applications are due March 3rd this year. Staff and school partners interested in learning more are encouraged to review the grant material and consider alignment with instructional or community-based learning goals.

I'll mention again that the link to the page and instructions are in the text. Closing celebrations. As we close the week, I want to recognize several student accomplishments that reflect the strength of our career-focused and leadership programs. Students recently advanced from regional FCCLA star events to the state level demonstrating preparation, professionalism, and real world skill development. Thank you to the FCS teachers and advisors whose guidance made these success as possible. We also celebrate recognition of students involved in FFA and 4H who

are honored for leadership and excellence in agriculture, culinary arts, and livestock projects. These achievements reflect the sustained effort and responsibility beyond the classroom. Thank you to our agriculture teachers, FFA advisors, and 4-H leaders, and community partners who invest their time and expertise in our students. These moments remind us that student success is rarely accidental. It is built through mentorship, preparation, and adults who believe in what students can become. It was a good week of progress at being in public schools.

Amena Public Schools our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident. Keep the hashtag Meena Read posts and videos coming and have a safe, warm winter weekend.