Kirby Public Schools

From Mrs.Tolleson: Attention 9-12 grade students that have a textbook for your college class: Please return your textbooks to school by Monday, May 18. Some of those are rented and need returned. You can leave them in the filing cabinet on the porch or return them to the superintendent's office. Write your name inside the cover so I know who returned them. Thanks!

Congratulations to 7th grade student Neftali Arellano. Neftali received a $250 English Learners Achieving Now grant for her very own home library!!!

Congratulations to Carter Turner! Carter received a Diamond Lakes Federal Credit Union Scholarship in the amount of $1000!!

Our last food delivery for the 2019-2020 school year will be tomorrow, May 11. Same times for bus delivery beginning at 9:30 and drive thru (10:00am - 1:00pm). If you need assistance over the course of the break/summer with food, our food bank will assist any student and family of Kirby School District. Please contact Alissa Kelley or Jaime Johnson.

Kirby School District would like to give HUGE Thank You to the Class of 2020, their parents, the Kirby Community, the Pike County Sheriff's Department and our amazing administration for an amazing non-tradional graduation experience that hopefully, these Seniors will never forget!!! CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020!!!!

Tonight at 7:00 pm we will honor the Class of 2020 with a non-traditional graduation Drive Thru/Senior Escort. Due to the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, everyone that decides to attend the drive thru/senior escort will be required to remain in vehicles. The only individuals allowed outside of their vehicles will be the administration and the graduate for reception of the diploma and pictures. There will be Pike County Deputies to ensure that we are following the Arkansas Department of Education and CDC approved graduation plan. The non-traditional graduation will be live streamed on Facebook for those that wish to remain home. We understand that this non-traditional graduation ceremony does not replicate the true meaning behind a traditional ceremony so there will be a traditional graduation ceremony tentatively set for Thursday, July 23, 2020.

Congratulations to the following Seniors for being chosen as recipients of the Kirby PTCO Scholarship! $500 - Mackenzie Cook & Joce Mount $250 - Lucas Cowart, Georgia Davis, Kaylee Dougan, Ryan Franks, Adi Harmon, Kole Markham, Blake Turner & Carter Turner

Congratulations to Carter Turner and Adi Harmon on receiving the Daisy Freewill Baptist Matt Turner Youth Scholarship in the amount of $250.

Congratulations to the 7 Seniors chosen to receive the Matt Turner Memorial Golf Tournament Scholarship in the amount of $500. Luke Cowart, Joce Mount, Trae Samuel, Ryan Franks, Blake Turner, Brandon Estrada and Lyndsie Golden. The Matt Turner Memorial Golf Tournament is an annual event that allows our community to come together and keep the memory of Matt Turner alive! Congratulations!!!

Congratulations to Adi Harmon on receiving a $500 scholarship from Wright's Food Center!

April 30, 2020 Over the past several weeks, we have sent out multiple surveys to our 2020 Seniors to gather their input on having a non-traditional graduation ceremony versus a traditional ceremony. After analyzing the survey results, we have concluded that having both options for our seniors is the best of both worlds. With that being said, Kirby School District will conduct a non-traditional graduation ceremony on May 7, 2020 at 7:00 pm with a drive-thru senior escort. We will also operate a traditional graduation ceremony on July 23, 2020 at 7:00 pm. Location will be posted at a later date. The Governor and Commissioner of Education have mandated that schools cannot have a traditional ceremony until after July 1. At that time, Governor Hutchinson, Commissioner Key, and the Department of Health will reevaluate the social distancing guidelines and make a decision as to when schools can have a traditional graduation ceremony. Therefore, we encourage all the Seniors of Class 2020 to participate in the drive thru senior escort. The future traditional graduation ceremony is uncertain but our non-traditional plan was approved by the ADE and Department of Health. We also understand that there are many life events and activities that will take place this summer and the option for a traditional graduation ceremony may not be the best option for everyone. We encourage all graduating seniors to participate in both. Guidelines and Information for Drive-Thru Senior Escort: Students will each be required to have their own vehicle, and the only passengers allowed in their enclosed vehicle will be their immediate family. Seniors will meet at the baseball/softball complex at 6:40 pm dressed in their cap and gown to line up for the drive thru senior escort. Posters and vehicle decorations are encouraged to commemorate the senior and showcase their Trojan pride. Once on campus everyone must stay in their vehicles and adhere to the social distancing guidelines. There will be a start/stop designated area in the drive thru senior escort near the rear of the gym for vehicles to stop before the next vehicle moves to the designated graduation ceremony area. This area will be patrolled by an administrator to ensure safety and social distancing guidelines are being followed. At the graduation ceremony area, there will be a table with the diplomas, a photographer, superintendent, high school principal, and counselor. The student will get out of their vehicle in the designated area for reception of the diploma and pictures. The graduating senior will be the only one allowed out of the enclosed vehicle to accept their diploma. There will be no more than seven individuals at one time in the designated graduation ceremony area. We will have a designated area on our main campus parking lot that will be reserved for other guests to park. This area will be patrolled by Pike County Sheriff Deputies to make sure all guests adhere to the social distancing guidelines and are staying in their vehicles. The non-traditional graduation ceremony will be live streamed via facebook for our community members who choose not to attend the drive thru graduation ceremony. Those working the graduation ceremony (photographer, superintendent, high school principal, and counselor will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves and N95 masks and will be screened using screening protocols prior to arrival. The PPE will be used when interacting with our students, faculty/staff, and immediate family members at all times. The administrators will wear gloves when handling and delivering diplomas. This will also be coordinated by the Pike County Sheriff’s Office. We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of our graduating seniors’ lives and taken away many enjoyments as well. We want to provide an opportunity for our seniors to celebrate their long awaited accomplishments. Sincerely, Pike Palmer Superintendent, Kirby School District

School Choice applications are due by the end of day Friday, May 1, 2020. They can be dropped off at the superintendents' office between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm tomorrow or postmarked by mail. Send to PO Box 9 Kirby, AR 71950. There are also filing cabinets outside of the main entrance of the school that have school choice paperwork in gray folders for pick up and drop off. If you are considering or contemplating the possibility of your child attending Kirby School District for the 2020-2021 school year, please fill out school choice form. We understand that things come up and the decision to send your child to Kirby may not be an option, but after the May 1 deadline, the decision to transfer will have to be board approved by residing school district. Come be a part of the Trojan Nation and experience all of the excitement with a four day school week!!!

Congratulations to Mackenzie Cook, Lyndsey Golden, Luke Cowart and Carter Turner! These 4 Seniors have been chosen to receive a Sarah Crump Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1000. A special Thank You to the Crump Family for their generosity towards our Seniors each year!

Arvest Bank of Glenwood is excited to announce that Joce Mount is the recipient of a $500 scholarship! Congratulations, Joce!

This is the last week to get your school choice paperwork turned in!!! This Friday, May 1st is the deadline!!! Become part of #TrojanNation today!!!

Each year the Olds Foundation gives scholarships to our seniors attending college who graduate with a 2.5+ GPA. We are so grateful to the Aud Family and their generous donations every year. The following seniors are eligible for a $2,000 scholarship should they go to a 2 year college or $3,000 scholarship should they go to a 4 year college. Congratulations to each of you! Mackenzie Cook Luke Cowart Gigi Davis Kaylee Dougan Brandon Estrada Ryan Franks Alexis Funderburk Lyndsie Golden Adi Harmon Roxann Hoover Justin Lynch Colby Markham Kole Markham Joce Mount Karter Pate Kaitlen Reid Trae Samuel Carter Turner Blake Turner

Diamond Bank of Glenwood is proud to announce Ryan Franks as the recipient of a $1000 scholarship! Congratulations Ryan!!!

Justin Lynch was named the recipient of the South Central Electric Cooperative Patriot Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.00 Congratulations Justin!!

You can order your 2019-2020 Trojan Yearbook by visiting the link below. Please use order #15844! https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/product/yearbooks

A third recipient of the First State Bank of Glenwood scholarship for $250 is Blake Turner. Congratulations!