Old High Middle School is in the building which was once Gaylord High School, and is located at 406 NW 2nd Street, Bentonville, Arkansas. Construction costs when it was built in 1928 were $25,000. It was designed by John Parks Almand, in a combination of Spanish Colonial, Mission and Mediterranean styles.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 as Bentonville High School.
History
The main structure was built in 1928. After years of serving as an elementary and high school campus, in 1990 Old High Middle School was established. 1990-1991 also brought about renovations to the beloved auditorium. The Bentonville/Bella Vista Rotary Club worked with the community to renovate the original structure with one third of the monies raised coming from a concert by New Kids on the Block. In May 2015, Old High Middle School's auditorium was chosen as one of the venues for the Bentonville Film Festival. After many preparations to the school, including refinishing the stage, touch-up painting, and updating the dressing rooms backstage, it was concluded that the popularity of the film festival demanded a larger venue. In May 2016, Old High did play host to the successful Bentonville Film Festival including actress Geena Davis.
Academics
Old High Middle School teaches more than 600 students in grades five through six. The staff is committed to excellence and making data-driven decisions, which support a student’s academic, social, emotional, and artistic qualities. The school's top three priorities are relationships, literacy, and calculated risk taking. Old High is organized by Teams into which students are placed. Jeffrey Wasem is the Principal. Jason Brunner is the Assistant Principal. Mr. Brunner was selected as the Arkansas Assistant Principal of the Year for 2013-2014 by the Arkansas Association of Middle Level Education.
Clubs
Art Club
The recycled arts club is available to fifth graders and sponsored by Mr. Dezaldivar.
Chess Club
Old High Middle School's Chess Club is open to all students who love to play chess or want to learn. Chess Club does not hold competitions (at the present time). Students are welcome to join Chess Club at any time during the year. Chess Club meets Thursday mornings in the library. This club is sponsored by Carie O'Banion.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
Teacher/Volunteer-Mentored Book Clubs
Girls On The Run
Girls On The Run meets every Monday and Wednesday after school. The coaches are Natalie Young, Kate Chambers, Mary Cabrera, and Laura Merriman.
Knightly Gardeners
The Knightly Gardeners meet once a month during lunch to learn about plants and processes used in gardening. The Bentonville Garden Club sends a different expert each month to work with the student gardeners. Julie Knight is the chairman for the Youth in Education Committee who support the club with projects and experts. Students also work after school on occasion to help keep the Butterfly Garden and other areas around the school beautiful. This club provides for a great community partnership between Old High Middle School and the Bentonville Garden Club. Knightly Gardeners is sponsored by Penny Holland.
MATHCOUNTS Club
MATHCOUNTS Club is open to all 6th grade students who are interested in challenging their math minds! Student Mathletes will train and compete in competitions at the regional and state levels. Five of the eight competition team members from the 2014-2015 school year advanced to compete at the state level.
Odyssey of the Mind
Old High Middle School's Odyssey of the Mind team is coached by Tina Hoisington. The 2014-2015 team went on to compete at the state level and was awarded the coveted Ranatra Fusca for exemplary creativity in problem solving.
Student Council
Student Council members are "elected" within their homeroom classes. Student Council is sponsored by Ron Seim and Laura Linares.
Technology Club
Technology Club is open to all 6th grade students who are interested in technology or want to learn about technology! Technology Club has Skyped with employees from Google and has been visited by a Senior Computer Engineer from Walmart. Students also get the opportunity to practice coding.
The Giving Tree Club
The Giving Tree Club's concept is based on Shel Silverstein’s book, “The Giving Tree,†about a tree that finds joy in giving without expecting anything in return. Students of the Giving Tree come up with numerous great ideas for projects to help others. From cleaning up litter to helping others in need, this club is all about service. The Giving Tree invites guest speakers from various organizations to come in throughout the year to talk to Old High Middle School students about ways they can help the school, the community, and the world.
YESKIES
The motto for this club is "Knowledge is Power!" This club is sponsored by Ron Seim.
See also
- Bentonville High School, the current high school.
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Benton County, Arkansas
References
External links
- Old High Middle School