Wilbur D. Mills Education Service Cooperative

Just wrapped up an intense two days with our CIRT (Cyber Incident Response Team) meeting! 💻✨ Technology Coordinators from 14 of the 15 Arkansas Education Service Cooperatives participated. Big thanks to our ACTCs (Arkansas Cooperative Technology Coordinators) and SAS OST (Shared Administrative Service- Office of State Technology) for their dedication. We updated our Go-Bags, ran multiple scans, and strategized responses for potential email compromises. 💪🔒

A special shoutout to Bytespeed, iboss, and Cisco for sponsoring our Fall '25 event! Together, we're enhancing our cyber readiness!
#yourBESTsolution

On Wednesday, K–12 WDMESC Counselors came together to focus on Accelerated Learning with the ADE DESE Department of Guidance & Counseling and the Accelerated Learning & Gifted Education team. They also explored how to help students prepare for the “3 E’s” — Enrollment, Employment, and Enlistment — with support from the Arkansas National Guard and Arkansas Air National Guard, who shared resources for career planning and tools to help students discover where their strengths and interests align. We are grateful for our counselors’ dedication to ensuring students are future ready!

✨ Pencil in Some Economics PD was a blast at The Local Spark! ✨ Teachers explored fun ways to weave economics into their lessons through the story of how pencils are made—and even painted their own pencil door hangers! A big thank you to Economics Arkansas for sponsoring this session!

Hey Teachers! Join us to paint your very own pencil door hanger! Turns out a pencil is extraordinary as no single individual could produce one! Learn some economics and produce a fun decoration for classroom. Upon successful completion, Arkansas educators under 2025-2026 will receive: ✏️ 2 hours of professional development credit ✏️ Ready to use resources ✏️ Painted pencil door hanger LOCATION: The Local Spark 302 East Main Street in Cabot, AR August 25, 2025 from 4:30-6:30 Register here: https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=566408

🌟 The ACTC team had an immersive experience at ADE Summit 25! We not only presented but also provided IT Tech Support. Loved seeing a full house in our sessions, Leading with AI: Tools for Administrators and Canva for Administrators!

Over 80+ elementary teachers and admin from Cabot came together across two sessions to gain a better understanding of OpenSciEd science curriculum. In 3 hours, they received a high octane overview of the resources, curriculum immersion, and teacher guide walk through. WDMESC is grateful for the opportunity to support our districts with their science instruction.

Morgan Verkler-Yates, our Recruitment & Retention Coordinator, and Brook Singletary, Assistant Director of Operations & Technology, led an engaging and fun session on AI Basics for Beginners at WDMESC today! #YourBestSolution

Yesterday, WDMESC partnered with Economics Arkansas and the Searcy Regional Chamber to host Connecting Educators to Entrepreneurs—a dynamic day of professional learning that linked classrooms to the real world of business! Educators participated in an economics scavenger hunt, gathered lesson ideas for teaching entrepreneurial life skills, and heard from a fantastic panel of local entrepreneurs, moderated by Tara Cathey of the Searcy Chamber. Panelists included: Ed Covington – Charlie’s Paint & Auto Body, Kelly Stanley – Stanley Pharmacy, JC Hite – Hite Digital Attendees also learned about the Adaptive Mailbox, an innovative product created by Searcy students River Hickey & Ruth Wiewora under the guidance of GT Coordinator Katie Lawson for the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase business plan competition. We love seeing real-world connections brought into the classroom!

Science teachers were treated to an exclusive tour of the Blanchard Spring Caverns. Teachers discovered phenomena both in and out of the cave and then took the experiences to the classroom to make connections to karst topography cave formations, mapping, rocks/minerals and fossils. We are grateful to Blanchard Springs and the Office of the State Geologist for supporting this 2 days of professional development.

Science teachers from around the area had the opportunity to experience "phenomenal" teaching from Paul and Laura Andersen from thewonderofscience.com Teachers experienced phenomena and how to incorporate crosscutting concepts and the science and engineering practices into their teaching.

Science teachers came together to dive in and learn about the Stream Team and understanding the health of our local water sources. Teachers spent the morning in the classroom and then took the knowledge to test water quality and practice techniques for catching and identifying macro invertebrates. Big thank you to John Burden from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for leading this great session.

Today, WDMESC had the pleasure of hosting Economics Arkansas for a dynamic Stock Market Game professional development session! 📈 💡📊 Educators from across the region came together to learn how to bring real-world investing, financial literacy, and economic decision-making into their classrooms. From analyzing stock trends to exploring classroom strategies, participants walked away with practical tools to engage students in meaningful, hands-on learning. Huge thanks to Economics Arkansas for empowering educators with resources that make a lasting impact!#YourBestSolution

For the past two days, WDMESC GT Coordinators have been hard at work alongside Advanced Learning Specialist Jennifer Park, planning for next year's accelerated learning opportunities. They also focused on strengthening a more strategic and sequential identification process for gifted learners. Additionally, the team took a deep dive into GT Value-Added Growth Scores with Dr. Sarah McKenzie, using data to drive decisions and improve outcomes across the region. Collaboration, data, and intentional planning—setting the stage for a strong year ahead for advanced learning! #YourBESTSolution

WDMESC partnered with Economics Arkansas to offer a unique professional development experience at Rockin’ W Ranch in Romance! Educators explored entrepreneurship and homesteading in action—connecting economic principles with real-world application. 🐄🐐🥚 Attendees enjoyed sampling fresh sourdough with homemade jelly, sourdough cookies, and raw milk—then rolled up their sleeves to bottle-feed a calf, milk a goat, and even hold a young tortoise! 🐢💚 #YourBestSolution

Today, WDMESC Advanced Learning Specialist Jennifer Park led an impactful session focused on unpacking standards, raising the rigor, and increasing student engagement in the classroom! Educators walked away with practical strategies to deepen learning and challenge students in meaningful ways. #YourBestSolution

Mr. BJ Greene, Superintendent of Carlisle School District, shared his experience during the session, “Balancing the Books: Practical Approaches for Managing Declining Fund Balances,” at the 2025 AAEA School Law & Finance Conference.

🌟 Join Us for a Powerful Day of Learning and Leadership! 🌟 🕣 8:30–9:30 AM – The Joplin Schools Story CJ Huff shares an unforgettable story of resilience and leadership after disaster struck Joplin, MO. 🕘 9:45–10:45 AM – Cyberbullying & Harassment Judy Brunner breaks down prevention strategies, intervention tips, and legal insights you need to know. 🕙 10:45–11:45 AM – Safety Audits & Risk Assessments Dennis Lewis shares what every school should know about conducting effective safety evaluations. 🍽 11:45–12:45 PM – Lunch & Updates Hear important updates from ADE & ASSC featuring Jerry Keefer, Jason Weatherly, and Cheryl May. 🕐 1:00–3:30 PM – Especially Safe: Inclusive Emergency Planning A vital session on safety planning for students with access and functional needs. 👉 A must-attend day for educators, leaders, and anyone passionate about safe and supportive schools! Click here to register https://bit.ly/4krQlPU or email bhardcastle@wdmesc.org. #YourBestSolution

Wilbur D. Mills proudly hosted the 3rd Annual Regional Battle of the Books and what a thrilling competition it was! Seven teams from three districts—White County Central, Lonoke, and Des Arc—put their book knowledge to the test in some fierce battles. These students came prepared and impressed everyone with their skills! Congratulations to all the teams who competed! Here are the winners by division: Primary Division: 🥇 1st Place – White County Central Golden Bears 🥈 2nd Place – White County Central Story Bears 3rd–5th Grade Division: 🥇 1st Place – White County Central GOATS 🥈 2nd Place – Des Arc Bookaneers 4th–6th Grade Division: 🥇 1st Place – Des Arc Dino Nuggies 🥈 2nd Place – Des Arc Book Nappers Great job to all the students, Library Media Specialists and parents for making this event a success! Pictured are some of the teams that competed in the Battles.

Huge shoutout to 7Brew Beebe for delivering the magical fuel that’s keeping us vertical today! Wilbur D. Mills is fully caffeinated and highly appreciative!

♟️ 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