Week of September 21

Published 4:00 am Sunday, September 27, 2026

This past week was Farmer Fred week across the district, in honor of our friend, Fred Woehl. Many years ago, Mary Cecil and the first-grade classes at Skyline began going to the Fred and Carolyn Woehl farm when their classes were studying farm life. Fred and Carolyn were always gracious and made it a wonderful experience for everyone. Now, our high school Agri department takes a mobile petting zoo to the schools in our district so that students can experience interactions with farm animals. We call this “Farmer Fred Day”. It is a great tradition.
Howdy from the Harrison Preschool! The preschool students are rodeo ready, and they are learning all about farm life. The high school Agri department visited the preschool and brought animals on the Farmer Fred trailer. Friday was the annual preschool rodeo. Students enjoyed barrel racing, bull riding, steer roping, finding animals hidden in the hay, and eating special snacks. The students are building vocabulary by listening to stories about farm animals. They are retelling stories with the use of puppets.
The kindergarten students enjoyed a Tea Party with their grandparents last week. Librarian Heather Waller, and Counselor Jessyka Dove did an amazing job getting things ready for the event. Kindergarteners are looking forward to their Pumpkin Patch Field Trip on October 9.
Second graders in Mrs. Parker’s class at Skyline are building their phonics skills through UFLI Foundations. Students are distinguishing between voiced and unvoiced sounds as they listen, practice, and apply their new learning. These foundational phonics skills help students become more accurate and confident readers. Mrs. Collier’s second graders have been enjoying seasonal books about Fall and explored story elements using story stones.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission visited Forest Heights students this week. Students learned how to identify venomous snakes native to Arkansas and how to stay safe around them. Students also had the opportunity to meet and touch a friendly, non-venomous king snake. Third and fourth graders have officially kicked off their United States of America unit in Discovery, starting with geography. Students are learning about the 50 states and their capitals while working together to assemble a map of the United States. Learning the locations of states and their capitals helps students build a stronger understanding of our country’s geography, and gives them a framework for connecting places to history, culture, government, landmarks, and current events as they continue their studies.
Across town at the Harrison Middle School, students in Mr. Villines’ Business and Innovation class put their budgeting and planning skills to the test with a fun, hands-on, challenge. They were given a $150 budget to purchase supplies and build the tallest tower possible. They could buy index cards, paper clips, and tape. Students had to think strategically about how to spend their money while working together to design and build their towers. Mrs. Walker’s reading classes ventured outside to welcome and celebrate the first day of autumn. The morning classes were a bit soggy, but as the day went on, they experienced hot sun and pleasant breezes under the shaded pavilion near the prairie. It was a great way to experience the coming change in seasons and enjoy reading out of doors.
Several high school juniors have been chosen for the 2026-2027 Youth Leadership Academy by the Harrison Chamber of Commerce. The program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences that will not only help them become exceptional leaders, but will also shape them into responsible and forward-thinking individuals. Over the course of the program, students will have the opportunity to learn from seasoned leaders, engage in meaningful discussions, and participate in hands-on leadership activities.
Students in Mrs. Tollett’s work program at the Harrison High School have been packing food bags and delivering them to other district campuses every Tuesday and Thursday. These students are learning work skills, gaining experience in completing a task, and serving the district. We are so proud of the work these students are doing, which benefits so many other students across the district.
Coach Doug Cross shared that Hunter Frickle took first place in the Cross-Country race in Bentonville on Saturday. As of this week, Hunter was #1 in Arkansas, and #8 in the United States in 5K. We are so proud of all our Cross-Country runners. They are doing an amazing job representing Harrison School District.