Siloam Springs School District

What a week in the Panther Nation! Our district was buzzing with activity, celebration, and community spirit.

🎺 We kicked things off with our annual Band Night, where 6th–12th grade band students showcased their talents and filled the stands with music and Panther pride!
🎤 Our High School Chamber Choir then took the stage downtown in the amphitheater for their Fall Concert—an incredible performance surrounded by our supportive community.
🏗️ Yesterday, our Board of Education began their day visiting Intermediate School, checking progress on the new front entrance construction, and receiving heartfelt thank-you notes from students. That evening, they gathered for our monthly meeting, where we celebrated so many Panther wins:

✨ Certified Employee of the Month: James Moses
✨ Classified Employee of the Month: Ann Smythe
🏅 Our district was recognized as a National Unified Champion Banner School District
🏫 Siloam Springs Middle School was named one of only three Arkansas schools to receive the same honor!
⛳️🎾 We celebrated our golf and tennis teams for outstanding seasons
🎓 And gave a huge congratulations to National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist, Evan Armstrong!

It’s been a week full of Panther pride, community connection, and celebration—and we wouldn’t have it any other way. #Limitless

Just a reminder, Parents ❗ There will be NO SCHOOL tomorrow, Friday, October 10th, or on Monday, October 13th. Have a great Fall break, everyone! 🍁

🚍 BUS UPDATE ‼ Route 16 and 17 students will be on one combined route this morning. They may be slightly earlier or later for pick up than usual. Thank you for understanding.

Siloam Springs Bright Futures presents 🧦 Socktober! 🧦 Join us on Friday, October 17th, at the home football game by bringing a donation of new socks to support K–12 Panther students in need. As a thank-you, anyone who brings a fresh pair of socks will get a chance to spin the Simmons Fun Wheel for a prize!

October is National Principals Month — a time to recognize the incredible leaders who keep our schools moving forward every single day. Our principals do far more than manage buildings and schedules — they set the tone for our school communities, support teachers, care for students, and make countless decisions that often go unseen but have a lasting impact. We simply want to say thank you to our principals for their steady leadership, their heart for students, and their commitment to making our schools better every day. #NationalPrincipalsMonth #Limitless

In case you missed September’s “Guest Teacher” (substitute teacher) orientations—don’t worry! Another one is coming up on Wednesday, October 8th.

💡 DID YOU KNOW ⁉ This applies to guest teachers, too! As a guest teacher in our district, you can qualify for the AR Teacher Retirement System. In just 5 years, you’ll be fully vested—meaning you’ll be eligible to receive retirement benefits when the time comes!

Finished out the week strong with our final Homecoming festivities! Memories were made, the Queen ✨Emma Fidler✨ was crowned, and we couldn't escape the meme 6-7. 🤪 (if you know, you know) Happy October, Panther Nation! If you'd like to see the full photo dump from this week, visit our Siloam Springs High School Facebook page for more! #Limitless

📢 The October edition of Supt’s Scoop is now live! Click here to view: https://secure.smore.com/n/vk7qg

Inside this month’s newsletter, you’ll find:
🍂 A message from Superintendent Patrick reflecting on the school year so far
🗓️ Important dates to add to your calendar
👨‍👩‍👧 Reminders about Parent Engagement Nights regarding the district’s goal of transitioning to the Neighborhood Schools model
👏 Recognition of September’s Employees of the Month

Check it out today and stay connected with what’s happening across our district! #Limitless

🌟 Happy National Custodian Day! 🌟 Our custodians truly sweep us off our feet. 🧹 Thanks to their hard work and dedication, our students and staff can learn, grow, and thrive in a clean and safe environment every single day. Let's show them how much we appreciate their hard work by leaving some encouraging comments below ⬇ #Limitless

🎉🐾 It’s Homecoming Week, Panthers! 🐾🎉 We’ve got lots of exciting events lined up, and we’d love for you to join us:

📣 Parade – Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1st at 5:00 p.m. (see map below)
🎶 Pep Rally – Friday, October 3rd at 2:45 pm (see graphic below for details)
🏈 Home Football Game – Friday night at 7:00 p.m. vs. Van Buren

It’s going to be a busy but exciting week full of Panther pride—see you there! #Limitless

🎶 Members of the Siloam Springs Band represented our district today at the Arkansas School Plant Managers Association (ASPMA) conference in Hot Springs! ASPMA is led by our very own Randall Bollinger, who serves as President, along with Zac Krug, who serves on the board of directors. Our Siloam Panthers are repping in more ways than one—through leadership, service, and talent! 🐾 #Limitless

🚍 BUS UPDATE ‼ Route 14 students will be 5-10 minutes late. Thank you for understanding!

🍎 Free & Reduced Meal Applications Reminder 🍎 Families—don’t forget! Last year’s free and reduced meal applications are expiring soon. A new application must be filled out every school year in order to continue receiving benefits. Or maybe you've never filled out an application before, you may qualify!

We’re excited to share that our friends at the No Hungry Meal Program have partnered with us to help encourage families to apply! They generously donated two $100 gift cards 🎉

✅ Apply before October 1st, and your name will automatically be entered into a drawing to win one of the gift cards! Click here to apply: https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ApplicationScreen.aspx?cid=MzliNDEwYjYtYWJiMC00NGVmLWI4MzctODMzOTEwNmVhZjE4

DID YOU HEAR THE GOOD NEWS YET 👂👂👂 The state has officially released letter grades for the 2024–2025 school year, and 4/6 of our schools IMPROVED their letter grade compared to last year. These ratings are based on student achievement and growth, and we could not be more proud of the incredible work happening across our district. 👏

Congratulations to our students, teachers, child nutrition staff, custodians, office workers, bus drivers, nurses, and every person behind the scenes who played a part in these results. We keep saying it—and we mean it: this is only the beginning for the Panther Nation. There are no limits to what we can achieve together—as a district, with our families, and alongside our amazing community. #Limitless

PLEASE NOTE ❗Our transportation office will be closed this afternoon. Bus routes will continue as usual, but we will not have staff available to answer phone calls. We appreciate your understanding.

💻✨ Happy IT Professionals Day! ✨💻 It felt only fitting to throw it back to the good ol’ 90s dial-up days for our graphic—because our tech crew makes sure we never have to hear that sound again. 😉 Thank you to our incredible IT team for everything you do to keep us connected, supported, and thriving in the 21st century. We couldn’t do it without you! 🙌 #Limitless #PantherNation

This past Friday, Southside Elementary proudly celebrated Grandparents’ Day! Our Child Nutrition team served up a delicious meal, and we want to give a HUGE thank you to our special “Adoptive Grandpas”—our local Veterans! 👴 Traditionally, students without a grandparent present would grab their lunch tray and return to their classroom to eat with their teacher and classmates. But this year, we wanted to make it extra special. So, we reached out to our local VA, shared the idea, and these incredible Veterans in red said, “Count us in!” 👍Our Veteran Grandpas visited each classroom, ate alongside students, and shared stories about their time in the service—as well as what it means to be a grandparent. It was a day filled with laughter, meaningful conversations, spaghetti-filled bellies, tight hugs, and core memories ❤️ #Limitless #PantherNation

Photo dump from yesterday’s celebrations! 🎉 Our high school kicked off the year with its first pep rally, our future Mini Panther cheerleaders lit up the crowd with a performance, and our future Mini Panther football players got to run out of the tunnel alongside the high school team. 🙌 After the first quarter, we honored our VIP special guests—our incredible Child Nutrition and Maintenance staff—and then capped the night with a huge win! Final score: Panthers 48 - Blackhawks 14. 🏈 If you haven’t noticed yet… our Fall sports are BRINGING THE HEAT this season. 🔥 Come out and support—whether it’s Golf, Tennis, Cross Country, Volleyball, or Football. Our limitless year has only just begun! 💯 #Limitless #PantherNation

Week 2 of our Siloam Spotlight 🌟 Every week, we’ll feature one of our staff members in this special segment, sharing the unique ways they help us fulfill our mission of serving students. Please join us in celebrating this week's recipients 🥳

If you'd like to read what their peers had to say about them, click here: https://www.siloamschools.com/article/2415868