SPRINGDALE — In the life of every child is the need for the support and encouragement of caring adults.
We have all heard it said that “No one ever stands taller than when they stoop to help or encourage a child.”
I hear and see that sentiment demonstrated constantly by the staff of the Springdale school system. Our children experience enormous challenges every day. Some of those are intellectual and some are emotional, health-related, etc., but always they are very personal.
Caring adults who observe and listen to the needs of our children can make an enormous contribution to each student’s well-being and overall success in school and thus in their lives — sometimes just by encouraging them and letting them know that, as I hear our staff say so often, “You can do this, and I will help you!” As an educational team, we welcome the partnership of every caring adult in Springdale and invite them to join us as we serve the needs of the students of our Springdale school system.
In addition to welcoming our patrons into a partnership with the schools, I would like to focus on a very special group of our team members who provide that type of support for our students every day. It does take all of us, every caring one of us, to serve the approximately 21,000 students of the Springdale School District. The classified support team in the Springdale school system is made up of some of the most phenomenal individuals imaginable. The support personnel drive our school buses, provide warm and nourishing breakfasts and lunches, take care of our students’ health needs, make sure our classrooms are clean and orderly, assist our teachers in direct instruction and one-on-one or small-group educational activities, and manage our school offices — welcoming parents in every imaginable way.
The members of our school support team — more than 850 caring individuals — make a enormous daily contribution to the success of our schools. In every way they help make our schools work, and in my view, they do perhaps what the Springdale school system does best: take care of our children.
Imagine for a moment how important it is when a bus driver, the first team member to meet a child each morning, greets the child with a smile and says, “How are you doing? Have a great day!” That’s the type of caring that makes a difference and helps set the tone for a great day at school. A hug from a school secretary, a word of encouragement from a custodian, the personal reading assistance from an instructional aide, the help of a nurse when a child has a sore throat … the examples of assistance to our children go on and on. The support teams of the Springdale school system breath reality into our district’s daily pursuit of educational excellence.
Thank you, support team members, for all that you do in service to the children.
To parents, patrons, retirees and every other caring adult in our community, I extend a special invitation to each of you and encourage you to join our Springdale School District’s support team in service to the youth of Springdale. A simple telephone call or personal visit to any of our schools expressing your interest is all that is needed to initiate a personal partnership that will make an enormous difference in the lives of our children — and in my view, in yours as well.
Welcome! We look forward to hearing from you.
JIM ROLLINS IS SUPERINTENDENT OF SPRINGDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HE HAS SERVED IN THAT CAPACITY SINCE 1982.