♟️ WDMESC Spring Elementary Chess Tournament Recap! ♟️
Last Tuesday, we hosted our annual Elementary Spring Chess Tournament at the Veterans Park Community Center in Cabot—and it was a huge success! We're thrilled to have had 14 out of our 17 districts represented!
🎉 Congratulations to all our talented young players and winners across the grades:
🧠 3rd Grade
🥇 Luke Robbins (Cabot)
🥈 Ellie Weeks (Cabot - 2nd Grader!)
🥉 Titus Loggins (Cabot)
🏅 Honorable Mentions (4 wins): Asher Livengood (Cabot), Ethan Yarnell (Carlisle)
🧠 4th Grade
🥇 Chris Wilson (Cabot)
🥈 Miles Betzold (Cabot)
🥉 Grayson Little (McCrory)
🏅 Honorable Mentions (4 wins): Leeam Foster & Boston Minner (White County Central), Ben Hardie (Carlisle), Kannon Ungerank (Cabot)
🧠 5th Grade
🥇 Jack Allen (Beebe)
🥈 Samuel Copeland (Lonoke)
🥉 Tyler Smith (Cabot)
🏅 Honorable Mentions (4 wins): Colton Reeves (White County Central), Axel Adkins & Nate Ouellet (Cabot), Cameron Taylor (Hazen)
🧠 6th Grade
🥇 Chael Pierce (Cabot)
🥈 Ethan Meeks (Bradford)
🥉 Dominick Santana (Cabot)
🏅 Honorable Mentions (4 wins): Ryce Kerr (Beebe), Conner Sitzmann (Cabot)
Thank you to everyone who participated, and a special shoutout to all the schools, parents, and coaches who made this event a success. The future is bright—and strategic! #yourBESTsolution
♟️ WDMESC Junior & Senior High Spring Chess Tournament ♟️
Last Wednesday, WDMESC hosted our Junior and Senior High Spring Chess Tournament at Veterans Park Community Center in Cabot—and these students came ready to compete!
🧠 Junior High (7th–8th Grade)
🥇 Tucker Laubham (Bradford)
🥈 Wesley Tater (Cabot)
🥉 Isaac Gustke (Searcy)
🧠 Senior High (9th–12th Grade)
🥇 Jacob Watkins (White County Central)
🥈 Elijah Barber (White County Central)
🥉 Micah Coburn (Cabot)
👏 Huge congratulations to all our winners and participants! The strategy, focus, and sportsmanship on display were incredible. We're so proud of these young thinkers representing their districts! #yourBESTsolution
Riverview School District Introduces Centegix CrisisAlert System to the Community
Riverview School District has implemented the Centegix CrisisAlert solution to enhance safety and security across its campuses. This powerful tool enables staff to quickly and discreetly request help during any situation—from everyday incidents to critical emergencies—allowing them to stay focused on supporting students.
🌟 Career Exploration Day Success! 🌟
On Monday, WDMESC hosted a Career Exploration Day for our 6th grade GT students, giving them an exciting look into the world of entrepreneurship and career pathways!
Students explored:
✅ Entrepreneurship with Economics Arkansas
✅ Careers in geography, plant science, food, & electricity with UCA, UADA Cooperative Extension Service - Prairie County, & First Electric Cooperative
✅ Real-world financial skills through the Get Real Financial Simulation with White County’s UADA Cooperative Extension Service
✅ Immersive career experiences using virtual reality goggles to step into various professions!
A HUGE thank you to First Electric Cooperative & Connect2First for providing lunch for our students, educators, and presenters!
Wishing the best of luck to all the student entrepreneurs who made the top 25 in the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase, especially those from Hazen and Searcy! They’ll be selling their products today at Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock. If you’re in the area, stop by and show your support for these talented students from across the state!
Congratulations to WDMESC Elementary Quiz Bowl winners!
1st Place - Rose Bud
2nd Place - McCrory
3rd place - Jacksonville North Pulaski
4th place - Beebe
Thank you to all districts that participated, along with all of the amazing volunteers that made the day possible! #yourBESTsolution
The Wilbur D. Mills Education Service Cooperative is currently seeking a motivated educator for the position of Director of Teaching and Learning/Teacher Center Coordinator, for the 2025 - 2026 school year. For more information, and to apply click the following link. https://bit.ly/3CnDbTh
During Arkansas School Board Recognition Month, WDMESC proudly acknowledges and extends our gratitude to our WDMESC Board for their dedicated service and commitment.
#SchoolBoardRecognitionMonth #celebrateARschoolboards
WDMESC and Economics Arkansas hosted an engaging economics scavenger hunt on Thursday! 🎉 Attendees had a fantastic time exploring local economic opportunities, connecting with our amazing community, and discovering how businesses contribute to our region’s growth.
A huge thank you to all the participating businesses, especially to The Grumpy Rabbit for covering some food expenses, and to Matt Boyles with Grand Prairie Financial for providing fantastic prizes!
#yourBESTsolution
The Department of Health is looking for a Health Program Specialist. This position will be housed at one of the following locations:
Northcentral Educational Cooperative – Melbourne, AR
Northeast Educational Cooperative – Walnut Ridge, AR
Crowley’s Ridge Educational Cooperative – Harrisburg, AR
Wilbur D. Mills Educational Cooperative – Beebe, AR
For more information and to apply click the following link: bit.ly/3BY9Z4Z
WDMESC Advanced Learning Specialist Jennifer Park presented a session after school today in Searcy focused on providing strategies to utilize with high-ability students.
Last week, WDMESC partnered with Economics Arkansas to offer a fantastic professional development opportunity at Christmas at the Warehouse in Des Arc! 🎄
Paul Guess, owner and current Chamber of Commerce President, shared his inspiring entrepreneurial journey and how he’s bringing fresh ideas and exciting events to Des Arc. It’s a privilege to see local leaders shaping the future of their community! #yourBESTsolution
A big thank you to Economics Arkansas for partnering with WDMESC to provide an incredible professional development opportunity at The Local Spark in Conway last night! 🌟 Educators had the chance to learn from a former teacher about the power of entrepreneurship while also investing in their own human capital. #yourBESTsolution
Yesterday, high school students from Hazen and Jacksonville North Pulaski had the unique opportunity to visit the co-op and participate in the UAMS Find Your Future live-stream event! Students explored various hospital careers, including physical therapy, sonography, respiratory therapy, medicine, and nursing. They gained hands-on experience learning about intubation, taping an ankle, and even dissecting a sheep eye. This immersive event provided valuable insights into the diverse roles within the medical field and sparked inspiration for future healthcare professionals. #yourBESTsolution
Are you an OT, PT, SLP? Then take a look at this! #yourBESTsolution
That’s a wrap on Cybersecurity Awareness Month! We’ve covered phone safety, wire fraud, family online safety, and disinformation.
As we close out, here’s a quick recap of some key takeaways: https://www.wizer-training.com/hubfs/SAMK-2024/w5-cyber-awareness-wrap-up-ms.pdf
#StayWizer!
Are you an OT, PT, SLP? Then take a look at this! #yourBESTsolution
CyberPatriot Program Contest Extended Until November 15th!
Due to an overwhelming response from Arkansas teachers preparing their students for CyberPatriot certification, the quiz system experienced a high volume of users, temporarily preventing access for some. We’re happy to announce that testing will resume on November 1st, and to accommodate everyone, we’ve extended the contest deadline to November 15th.
This gives you extra time to participate and ensure you are entered into the contest.
Miss the deadline? Don’t worry—students can still pursue CyberPatriot certification after the contest ends, as the program will continue beyond this date. #yourBESTsolution
High school students from 9 of our districts participated in a free ACT Prep session with CW Prep yesterday. Excited to see how their scores improve!
Week 4 of Cyber Security Awareness Month
Taylor Swift for president? Oops, it’s a deepfake…
Fake images and videos can mislead, damage reputations, and sway decisions - like who you vote for. Advanced tech makes spotting fakes tough.
If something triggers strong emotions, that's a sign to PAUSE and investigate.
Check out this quick guide for tips on spotting fakes: https://www.wizer-training.com/hubfs/SAMK-2024/w5-deepfake-guide-ME.pdf
#StayWizer #SecureOurWorld