Springdale Today Podcast

Send us Fan Mail How do you turn elementary school learning into an interactive STEM adventure? You partner with a children's museum, of course! In this episode, guests Lynn Ryan, Bethany Cebuhar and Sarah Wiley spill the details on Walker Elementary's collaboration with the Scott Family Amazeum. We chat about hands-on teacher cohorts, preparing for their big April site visit, and the ne...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready for an electrifying episode featuring the ultimate education dynamic duo! Today, we’re visiting with veteran educator Kimberly Blackston from the Don Tyson School of Innovation and her daughter Teagan, who is bringing fresh energy to her very first year teaching at Jones PREP Academy. Tune in for an inspiring, high-energy conversation as this incredible mother-daughter t...

Send us Fan Mail College? Trade school? Immediate workforce? The path after high school isn't one-size-fits-all anymore. In this episode, we’re joined by Blake Baxendale, Cameron Jones, and Melissa Meyers from the Springdale Schools College Empowerment Team to reveal how they’re helping students ditch the guesswork and build real, actionable roadmaps for life after graduation. Tune in to disc...

Send us Fan Mail Every student's journey is unique, and Arthur's is one you won't forget. Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Myranda Victoria, a speech therapist with Hunt Elementary, and Springdale parent Dr. Casey Bradley. They open up about Arthur’s path through Springdale Schools, highlighting the triumphs, hard work and school-home partnership that unlocked his pote...

Send us Fan Mail Two Springdale students are making national education history! Don Tyson School of Innovation sophomores Ramey Jones and Danielle Robertson join us to share their experience helping draft the STUDENTS FIRST Act, the nation's very first student-led AI policy for K-12 schools. Hear how these local student leaders represented Arkansas alongside more than 130 peers at the Massach...

Send us Fan Mail  We’re kicking off our very first episode of the Why We Teach series on Springdale Today with Bernice Young Elementary special education teacher Lindsay Rankin, a 2027 Arkansas Teacher of the Year semi-finalist! Tune in as Lindsay shares the heart behind her classroom, what drives her daily passion for students, and the moments that remind her why she chose education. 

Send us Fan Mail Stronger Together: How is a $749,406 grant transforming local education? Springdale Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Shannon Tisher, Grants Coordinator Dr. Shawna Lyons, and Walton Family Foundation Senior Program Officer Terra Wallin break down the vision behind the district’s Empowerment Team and explain how this targeted funding will directly elevate student achievement and...

Send us Fan Mail A game-changer for Northwest Arkansas education is officially here! Join us for a conversation with Jones PREP Academy Administer Nichole Davis, School Psychologist Jenna Brown and EverHope School Project Director Jessica Florer. We explore the mission behind the newly opened academy and how its unique support systems are setting NWA families up for long-term success. 

Send us Fan Mail A new school year brings a bold new era of leadership to Springdale! We sit down with Dr. Michael Shepherd (Don Tyson School of Innovation), Aurelian Sennett (Lakeside Junior High), Heather Barron (T.G. Smith Elementary) and Alison Washkowiak (Walter Turnbow Elementary) to unpack their vision, big goals, and what it takes to shape the future of our schools. 

Send us Fan Mail Springdale Today host Mary Jordan sits down with an inspiring group of local seniors as they stand on the cusp of graduation, preparing to take their next big steps into the future.  Joining the conversation are Sepesim Francis-Mongkeya from Springdale High School, Dara Cuenca from the Don Tyson School of Innovation, and Reagan Bell from Har-Ber High School. Together, they share t...

Send us Fan Mail Springdale Today welcomes Springdale High School teacher Rachelle Nichols; Bulldog Media Program students Angel Kumtak and Yulissa Martinez-Fuentes; film director Nathan Fitch; and creative director and designer Jacob Hawkes, whose story inspired the film “Iawke: Hello, Goodbye.” Hawkes, who was adopted from the Marshall Islands as a child, unexpectedly reconnected with his biolog...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore a groundbreaking shift in vocational education through a heavy equipment operations training program that is breaking the traditional mold. While most specialized technical training is typically managed by colleges or private trade schools, this initiative is uniquely owned and operated by Springdale Public Schools, putting the power of career readiness...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode of Springdale Today, we packed up the microphones and cameras and headed to beautiful Downtown Springdale to capture a historic night for our schools! We are bringing you all the highlights from the first-ever Showcase of the Arts and EAST Night Out for Springdale Public Schools. The district activated three vibrant locations across the downtown area, and w...

Send us Fan Mail Springdale Today visits J.O. Kelly Middle School to spotlight a powerful story of empathy and innovation. The episode features an inspiring conversation with sixth-grader Yosseph Lakhal, who is engineering a specialized tool for his classmate, helping him overcome barriers to classroom participation.  Joined by parent Ekaterina Gaisina, EAST facilitator Abby Farrell and art teache...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the critical intersection of school safety and cardiac health. Joining the conversation are Charles Wooley, Project ADAM Coordinator with Arkansas Children’s Hospital; Lynn Ryan, Principal of Walker Elementary; and fifth-grade student Ezra Wilson. Together, they discuss the journey of Walker Elementary becoming a Heart Safe School as we dive into the lo...

Send us Fan Mail How do we ensure that the lessons learned within school walls translate to a lifetime of independence? In this episode, we’re sitting down with two dedicated educators from Springdale Schools: Cindy Wilton of Monitor Elementary School, Jennifer Chacon of Jim D. Rollins Elementary School of Innovation and Baylee Weidrick of Hellstern Middle School. As special education teachers in...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of Springdale Today, we’re breaking the mold and proving that the spirit of innovation is alive and well in the most unexpected places. We’re heading straight to the Don Tyson School of Innovation, but we aren't stopping at the tech labs. Instead, we’re trading the keyboards for Marley floors and "talking shop" inside the dance studio to...

Send us Fan Mail In Springdale Public Schools, the "real world" isn't a destination after graduation—it's the classroom experience happening right now. In today's episode, we visit the Don Tyson School of Innovation to meet a student who is literally building the future of industry. Judah Keomoungkhoun and industrial maintenance teacher Wesley Higginson take us behind the...

Send us Fan Mail From the classroom to the national spotlight! In this episode, we sit down with Patti Priest, Agricultural Sciences Instructor at Har-Ber High School, along with standout students Adalyn Hanning and Ruby Douangmala.  Last fall, Future Farmers of America selected Adalyn and Ruby to be featured in their nationwide Supervised Agricultural Experience teaching videos. We dive deep into...

Send us Fan Mail Dedicated to Teaching: Every teacher in Springdale has a "why." It’s the reason they show up early, stay late and pour their hearts into every student who walks through their door. Dedicated to Teaching is a seat at the table with the people who make the #SpringdaleFamily feel like home. We’re moving past the lesson plans to hear the real stories of Jessie Walls and Alyx...

Send us Fan Mail Springdale Today features Hunt Elementary School Assistant Principal Patti Athey, parent and therapist Dr. Myranda Victoria and third-grader Ian Victoria, who discuss the school’s Unplug and Play initiative. The school program encourages families to spend quality time in family play, rather than their devices.

Send us Fan Mail What does it feel like to wrestle in the heart of your own school? Seniors Miriam Pedro and Lucas Cahill join us alongside Coach Nika West to pull back the curtain on Har-Ber Wrestling. We discuss their individual journeys, the team's training and why the "Rumble in the Rotunda" is the date every Wildcat circles on their calendar.

Send us Fan Mail Springdale Today dives into the story of Hayden and Riley Gibson, twin sisters who compete for Har-Ber High School and have committed to swim in college for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.

Send us Fan Mail Springdale Schools celebrates School Board Recognition Month through conversations with School Board Members Michelle Cook and Randy Hutchinson and School Board Secretary Eddie Ramos. 

Send us Fan Mail Join us on Springdale Today for a look at community wellness and nutrition efforts in Springdale. We talked with Janet Hornberger, Springdale Public Schools Coordinated School Health and Treehouse Pantry Coordinator, Rodrigo Menocal, Cobblestone Farms Garden Manager, and Kerry Carpenter, a Food Corps Service Member. Tune in to learn how these dedicated individuals are working toge...