Southside / Bee Branch School District

Southside School District is located at the southern foothills of the Ozark Mountains in northcentral Arkansas. The district educates approximately 500 students in grades K- 12, in addition to a preschool program which provides services to 24 children. The community's rural demographics suggested the need to expand quality child care service to families with young children, prompting the proposal for a 21C grant by the district.

Southside Schools has embraced the 21C philosophy through the following grant objectives:

Expansion of the Busy Bee Learning Center to provide a quality preschool classroom setting for young children in the community. Classroom personnel will improve outcomes for preschoolers through implementation of research-based, best-practice curricula and linkage to the state literacy and math frameworks. School district personnel will also improve preschool to kindergarten transition through shared planning activities.

Implementation of a parental involvement plan for parents of young children in the community. The 21C grant will allow district personnel to plan parent-child learning activities such as Family Literacy and Math Nights as well as expansion of early childhood resources in the district Parent Center.

Sponsorship of parent training activities on topics considered to be relevant by local families. Training activities shall be a collaboration with local community resources, including the County Health Department and the State Extension office.

Explore the need for before-school, after-school and vacation programs for students in the Southside District. During Spring 2005, the district will distribute a questionnaire to parents regarding the need for expansion of programs which enrich or enhance their child's current program.

Expansion of school-based mental health services to children and families in Southside schools, in collaboration with the Van Buren County Mental Health project, a school-based mental health initiative serving the mental health needs of the students in the three school districts in Van Buren County.

The 21C grant will allow for expansion of mental health services for preschoolers to include the adoption of a social skills curriculum which has a strong family component. Students at Southside will also be able to access the support of a school-based mental health clinician twice weekly beginning January 2005.

Contact: Deb Swink, 21C Coordinator/ LEA supervisior
swinkd@clinton1.afsc.k12.ar.us

334 Southside Rd.
Bee Branch, AR 72013
Phone (501) 351-2641
Fax (501) 745-2475

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