Great Rivers Education Service Cooperative

10/12/2026

We are still in the midst of Dyslexia Awareness Month, so we are continuing our weekly feature of the draft version of the 2026 Arkansas Dyslexia Resource Guide — a statewide resource for schools and families.

Every student with dyslexia is different. One may struggle most with sounding out words; another with spelling or reading smoothly. That's because dyslexia isn't caused by just one thing.

Arkansas schools now look at how a student reads over time and how they respond to strong, explicit instruction — not at IQ scores. Dyslexia isn't about how smart a child is.

https://tinyurl.com/ARDRG26

10/09/2026

As the music fills Helena-West Helena for Blues Fest, we’re celebrating the talented students from our region named winners of the Delta Cultural Center's Arkansas Blues Heritage Youth Art Competition!

This year’s theme, Voices of the Delta: Artwork Inspired by the Culture of the Blues in the Arkansas Delta, invited K–12 students across the state to explore the rich history, music, and spirit that make the Delta so special. Our students answered with creativity, heart, and pride in where they come from.

Congratulations to:
⭐ Ma Christina Ar**la, Barton High School
⭐ Bella Newsome, Barton High School
⭐ Brooklyn Williams, Barton High School
⭐ Alex Hawkins, Barton High School
⭐ Markayla Davis, Barton High School
⭐ Jordan Smith, J.F. Wahl Elementary, Helena-West Helena
⭐ Taylor Etherly, J.F. Wahl Elementary, Helena-West Helena

Thank you to the art teachers and families who encourage these young artists to share their voices. The Delta’s story is in good hands! 🎶

10/05/2026

We enjoyed our initial Unified Accountability and Coordinated Support Visit with Clarendon School District alongside our DESE partners, Matt Sewell, Assistant Commissioner of Federal Programs, and Uyolanda Wilson, DESE Regional Support Specialist.

The day began with a planning meeting with Mr. Lee Vent, Superintendent, followed by classroom visits at Clarendon High School and Clarendon Elementary School. It was great to see students engaged in learning and teachers working hard!

Thank you, Clarendon, for welcoming us into your classrooms. We're proud to continue to partner with you as you continue to grow and support every student!

10/05/2026

Myth: Dyslexia means seeing letters backward.

Fact: Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference. It affects how the brain connects sounds to letters, which makes reading, spelling, and sounding out words harder.

Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence, and it shows up in every kind of family and community. With the right instruction, students with dyslexia can become strong readers.

Learn more in the Arkansas Dyslexia Resource Guide: https://tinyurl.com/ARDRG26

10/02/2026

We're so proud of the schools in the Great Rivers region recognized with Beating the Odds awards presented by the Office for Education Policy!

These awards honor high-growth schools across Arkansas, based on student performance on the 2025–26 ATLAS exams in Math, English Language Arts, and Science. Award winners are schools where at least 66% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which makes this growth even more remarkable.

This recognition reflects the hard work of dedicated teachers, leaders, staff, families, and, most of all, students who show up and grow every day.

09/29/2026

Our little learners had a blast with a small group fall shape sort! Students matched and sorted fall-themed objects by shape, building their skills in identifying and categorizing circles, squares, triangles, and more.

Hands-on, playful learning like this builds a strong foundation for early math and problem-solving.

We love seeing students grow one shape at a time!

09/29/2026

Dyslexia Awareness Month starts Thursday! Each week, we'll share a quick look at one part of the draft version of the 2026 Arkansas Dyslexia Resource Guide — a statewide resource for schools and families.

We'll cover what dyslexia is, how Arkansas schools screen for it, what support looks like, and how parents can be part of the process. Follow along, and share with a teacher or parent who'd find it helpful!

https://tinyurl.com/ARDRG26

Arkansas Dyslexia Resource Guide Revised 2026 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Purpose.............................................................................................................................................................. 4 How to use this Guide 4 Building a System...

09/28/2026

Great Rivers ESC was glad to host Ginger West today for School-Based Identification of Dyslexia trainings for grades K–2 and 3–12. 📚

Participants explored how to recognize characteristics of dyslexia, use screening and assessment data to guide decisions, and connect students with the right supports at every grade level. Whether a student is just learning to read or working through upper grades, timely identification opens the door to effective intervention and success.

A big thank you to Ginger West for sharing her expertise, and to all the Dyslexia Contacts who attended and are committed to helping every student thrive!

09/28/2026

Great Rivers 6th Grade GT students gathered at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas for Circus Magnum Rivus!

Twenty teams put their creativity, engineering skills, and problem-solving abilities to the test as they designed and built chariots to be pulled by Sphero robots. Each chariot had to safely carry its ping-pong ball “team member” while meeting one important design constraint—the chariot could not be permanently attached to the Sphero!

Students had to design, build, test, troubleshoot, and redesign before putting their creations to the ultimate test in the chariot races. 🏎️💨

It was a fantastic day of STEAM, teamwork, creative thinking, and friendly competition—and proof that learning can be both challenging and a whole lot of fun!