Ozarks Unlimited Resources

From all of us at OUR Educational Cooperative — Happy Thanksgiving!🦃

As you celebrate today, try a few simple ways to slow down, connect, and make memories together:

🧡 Share what you’re grateful for
📖 Tell family stories
🎲 Play a board game or card game together
🍴 Cook or bake as a family
📷 Look through family photos or albums
🎨 Make handmade cards or crafts
🧩 Work on a puzzle together
💬 Write or share gratitude notes
🌾 Volunteer or perform an act of service
🕯️ Unplug from screens for an hour
🖼️ Create a family gratitude tree (write what you’re thankful for on leaves and hang them)
✍️ Write letters to friends or relatives you’re thankful for
🎬 Watch a favorite family movie together
🌟 Make a “thankful jar” to collect notes of gratitude throughout the day
🎶 Have a family sing-along or dance party
🍪 Have a dessert decorating contest or themed treat activity
🗺️ Go on a neighborhood or park “nature hunt” to explore the outdoors
💬 Compliment round – each person says something kind about another family member
🎨 Quiet creative time – sketch, color, or craft something reflective
📚 Read or listen to a book together – pick a family favorite or a Thanksgiving-themed story
🎧 Listen to a podcast – family-friendly options about gratitude, storytelling, or fun learning
🌙 Evening reflection circle – everyone shares their favorite moment of the day
🛌 Bedtime gratitude journaling – each person writes 1–3 things they appreciated
🧘 Family yoga or stretching – short session to relax together
🖼️ Memory slideshow – look at photos from past holidays and reminisce
⚽ Outdoor games – catch, kickball, mini-golf, cornhole
🎭 Storytelling or creating a family puppet show or comic
🍞 Bake extra food to share with neighbors or donate
📦 Prepare care packages for a local foodbank
📹 Video call or send messages to distant family/friends

5 days ago, OUR Co-op

"Abe Clary is a prime example of CTE in action.....he completely transformed the Agriculture program, re-built the FFA chapter from the ground up, re-established the show team, and built strong relationships between the school, the kids, and the community. He’s always seeking opportunities for students to give back to their community and to serve those who live in it as much as possible...Not just skills learned in the classroom, but traits and characteristics to help shape [students] into kind, hardworking, and resilient individuals..."

"Mr. Clary is the epitome of a role model for our students... truly loves what he does and his students. In return, they feel it and love his classes... He expects hard work from his students and they try tirelessly to work up to his expectations because he models the work and has the knowledge and understanding for students to see and mimic. He would never just sit back and direct....He never plays favorites... He really is more like the father role-model that most of them are craving. He is a true treasure for the Lead Hill students and his family as well!"

"What makes this worth celebrating is not only the immediate impact students achieving success and a colleague gaining confidence, but also the lasting influence Abe has had over his years of dedicated service. His efforts have strengthened our culture of teamwork, inspired professional growth among staff, and improved the overall student experience. Thank you, Abe, for your outstanding leadership, mentorship, and commitment. Your impact will be felt for years to come"

👏 Let’s celebrate Abe’s unwavering dedication to transforming student lives, revitalizing the agriculture program, and uplifting the entire Lead Hill community in the process!

13 days ago, OUR Co-op

🎉 Congratulations, Flippin Elementary School!

Flippin Elementary has been awarded $9,952.96 through the Commitment to Excellence in STEM Grant from the Arkansas STEM Coalition!

We want to proudly recognize OUR Co-op Science Specialist, Gwen Rains, who played a major role in writing this grant in collaboration with Flippin Elementary.

At the OUR Co-op, we proudly support our schools and believe in going above and beyond to bring meaningful opportunities to students. This partnership is a great example of what we can accomplish together!

#OURCoop #yourBESTsolution #OURScience #STEMGrants #ArkansasSTEM #EducationCollaboration

14 days ago, OUR Co-op

“Rainey consistently goes above and beyond to create meaningful, hands-on experiences that inspire students across our region. For the past several years, she has led the Mt. Judea Touch-A-Truck and Build-A-Skill Event, which this year welcomed 460 students from multiple campuses across the co-op. Her leadership and dedication provide valuable opportunities for students co-op-wide. Rainey continually participates in Workforce Initiative Network (WIN) events and seeks creative ways to connect students with industry. Rainey truly embodies what it means to be a passionate, student-centered CTE educator"

15 days ago, OUR Co-op

“Tayler is a dedicated, smart educator and a joy to be around. She projects a warm, welcoming, structured environment where fellow educators flourish.”

“She went out of her way to coach me through new teacher struggles—taking time out of her busy day to Zoom with me one-on-one and offering practical classroom solutions.”

17 days ago, OUR Co-op

💛 This past Saturday’s Educator Self-Care Retreat brought together teachers from across the region for a day of encouragement and connection.

ROLC’s Pastor Kristy Thomas shared meaningful insight on managing burnout in helping professions 🧠, and Alyssa Dean from Chenal Family Therapy guided open conversations where educators could share challenges, gain perspective, and leave feeling encouraged and energized s 💬. OUR’s Emilee Tucker provided a home-cooked lunch 🍲 plus sessions on cooking and AI-powered meal planning 🤖, OUR's Anne Cowie led a light outdoor yoga session 🧘‍♀️. Deanna Franks with CarClay Creations/Cotter High School guided a painting session🎨.

Participants left feeling supported, motivated, and ready to return to their schools with renewed energy and perspective. 🌿✨

#OURCoop #TeacherRetention #SchoolCulture #YourBESTSolution

18 days ago, OUR Co-op

District and school leaders came together for Leading with Clarity: Understanding Arkansas’ New School Letter Grade Calculation. 📊 Participants explored the redesigned A–F accountability system and engaged in meaningful discussions on using data to drive instruction, support growth, and strengthen school improvement efforts.

#OURCoOp #YourBESTSolution #DESE #SchoolImprovement #DataDriven

19 days ago, OUR Co-op

We’re Hiring: Early Childhood Special Education Teacher! 🌟
Do you love helping young children grow, learn, and thrive? We’re looking for a Certified Early Childhood Special Education Teacher to join our amazing team!
What You’ll Do:
✅ Create and implement IEPs for children ages 3–5
✅ Support learning in communication, social-emotional, cognitive, and self-help skills
✅ Track progress and celebrate every success
You Should Have:
🎓 ECSE Certification
💡 Experience working with young children with developmental delays or disabilities
🤝 Strong communication & teamwork skills
💛 Passion for making a difference in children’s lives
Why Join Us?
✨ Supportive, fun, and collaborative team
✨ Opportunities for professional growth
✨ Competitive salary & benefits
📩 Apply today! Send your resume & cover letter to lannab@oursc.k12.ar.us or complete application online and send via email.

20 days ago, OUR Co-op

DCTE shared updates on 2026–27 pathway revisions to review revised standards, explore aligned curriculum and certifications, and understand how these elements support student recognition through Merit and Distinction.. ABC Arkansas also highlighted Pre- and Youth Apprenticeship opportunities that lead to diplomas with Distinction!

20 days ago, OUR Co-op

CO-OP ACTCs unveiled their new ACT 504 cybersecurity rubric at ACOT this past week, in addition to providing valuable sessions to keep our districts up to date on ACT 504 and critical cybersecurity issues.

22 days ago, OUR Co-op

Today, OUR Co-op hosted a session for district and building administrators focusing on Third Grade Promotion. The training was led by Dr. Amanda Green, Dyslexia Specialist.

2 months ago, OUR Co-op

On Monday, the OUR Education Service Co-op hosted a training session for school board members. Presented by staff from the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, the session addressed topics including legislative changes from the 2025 General Session, school finance and budgeting, and interpreting audit reports.

2 months ago, OUR Co-op

At the recent OUR Education Service Co-op monthly board meeting, Dr. Megan Duncan, Executive Director of AAEA, shared updates on the association’s work. Tim Cain, Director of the Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, also provided updates from his division. In addition, Math Specialist Stephanie Huddleston presented information on mathematics curriculum resources and the instructional support available to schools.

2 months ago, OUR Co-op

Last week, Dr. Candra Brasel, Mentoring Program Specialist, facilitated the first Principals’ Meeting of the year for OUR Education Service Co-op leaders. The agenda included building support systems, interpreting test data, ethics, professional growth plans (PGPs), the Start-Stop-Continue Reflection Tool, and strategies for relationship building. In addition, Dr. Gwen Rains, Science Specialist, and Stephanie Huddleston, Math Specialist, shared information on the Classroom Walkthrough Tools for Math and Science. Principals also engaged in grade-level collaboration to address current issues and priorities.

2 months ago, OUR Co-op

We had the privilege of hosting our largest New CTE Teacher PD in years! ! 🎉

It was inspiring to see so many new educators eager to learn, grow, and pour into their students. These new CTE teachers spent the day gaining classroom strategies, curriculum tools, and CTSO advising tips to help them start strong.

We are grateful for their energy and commitment—and excited to see the impact they’ll make this year. 👏💡🔧💻✂️

#OURCoop #OURcte #yourBESTsolution #CTE #ARcte #TeacherSuccess #NewTeachers

2 months ago, OUR Co-op

📚 OUR Co-op is offering a fall book study on The Teacher’s Guide to Self-Care!

This study is designed to give educators a safe, supportive space to explore realistic strategies that strengthen both personal well-being and professional growth.

👉 Register here: http://bit.ly/4gSYsUK
📧 Questions? Contact Emilee Tucker at etucker@oursc.k12.ar.us or 870-302-3093

2 months ago, OUR Co-op

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

3 months ago, OUR Co-op

DESE has been working with Pearson to transition our state from the Foundations of Reading 190 to the Foundations of Reading 890 so we can take advantage of opportunities like Free-After-Three. The change from Foundations of Reading 190 to Foundations of Reading 890 is a change in test code only. No changes have been made to the test framework or content.
Effective immediately, all candidates can register for and take Foundations of Reading 890, as this test version allows Arkansas candidates the benefits of the Free-After-Three retake policy. 
The Free-After-Three Retake Policy provides candidates who have taken Foundations of Reading 890 three times and have not yet passed to reregister for 890 at no cost.
Please note the following regarding the Series Free-After-Three retake policy:
Any test registration or administration of the 890 prior to December 5, 2023, will not count toward a free retake.
You do not need to use a voucher or any special code; the system will automatically allow eligible candidates to register for their retake for free.
You may register for free up to 12 months after the release of your most recent score report for the test.
If you are absent from your test appointment, the absence will not count toward one of the three attempts.
Candidates who are currently registered for Foundations of Reading 190 should schedule and complete their exam prior to August 31, 2025.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Candra Brasel, cbrasel@oursc.k12.ar.us.

Candidates can register for the 890 by clicking the test name under the heading “Series Test Name and Code” here: https://www.nestest.com/state/ar.

For additional information, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Candra Brasel, cbrasel@oursc.k12.ar.us.

4 months ago, OUR Co-op

On Tuesday, O.U.R. Co-op welcomed around 650 educators from seven member districts for a full day of professional development. Led by Nicole Sweeney, the session focused on recognizing when our mindset is Above the Line or Below the Line, responding to Below the Line moments with grace and dignity, and strategies for returning to an Above the Line perspective. This impactful event was made possible through a collaboration with Arkansas AWARE, and we’re especially grateful to the Harrison School District for generously hosting us at their Performing Arts Center.

4 months ago, OUR Co-op

A team from OUR Co-op recently attended the AAEA Summer Conference. Pictured are some of the attendees as the conference was concluding.

4 months ago, OUR Co-op