Author: Donnie Sewell

Twelve students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts earned the Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy by demonstrating proficiency in English and at least one other language before graduating high school.

The Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy is awarded each spring and fall to students in ninth through 12th grades and is sponsored by the Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers Association and the Arkansas Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. The Arkansas Department of Education officially endorsed the seal in June 2018. The Seal of Biliteracy program is recognized in 49 states and Washington, D.C. There were 340 students from Arkansas 38 high schools who earned the seal this fall. More than 3,600 students have attained certification across 22 languages other than English since 2017, the pilot year in Arkansas, according to a press release.

Corey Alderdice, director of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, will serve as President-Elect of the 2022-23 National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools Board of Directors.

Alderdice was installed as President-Elect during the NCSSS Professional Conference that was held Nov. 2-5 in Atlanta. Officers are elected by the Board of Directors upon a consideration of a slate of nominees presented by the Nominating Committee. He has served as a director on the NCSSS Board of Directors since November 2019.

Nicholas Seward, a computer science instructor at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, has been selected to receive the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award.

The university asks students in each year’s incoming class to nominate an educator whose guidance has helped them along the path toward intellectual growth and made a positive impact in their lives.

Three Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts student musicians were named to the Arkansas South Region Orchestra.

Senior Amanda Navarro of Hot Springs and juniors Alex Hernandez of Conway and Gisselle Ellington of North Little Rock auditioned for the band on Oct. 29 at Mills High School in Little Rock. They participated in the South Region Orchestra Clinic on Nov. 4-5 at Conway High School. Navarro and Hernandez both performed violin in the orchestra while Ellington was a member of the cello section.

For a second year in a row, the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts STEM Pathways initiative has set an enrollment record.

The initiative is serving 3,315 students across the state through its Computer Science Plus, Advanced Biology Plus and Advanced Statistics Plus cohorts. The program set a record last year with 2,117 students enrolled in Computer Science Plus and Advanced Biology Plus cohorts.

Seven Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts seniors have been selected as QuestBridge National College Match Finalists.

QuestBridge is a nonprofit organization that connects exceptional low-income youth with leading institutions of higher education. QuestBridge works with top universities across the country to offer four-year, full scholarships to deserving students who may otherwise be unable to afford to attend those institutions.

When Layla Lammers came to ASMSA in the fall of 2021, one of her first priorities was to find a way to continue her daily running as well as her high school cross country racing career.

Lammers, a senior from Blytheville, has been running since she was a fifth-grader, becoming a “serious runner” in middle school and began competing in cross country during her freshman year. While ASMSA doesn’t host any sports teams of its own, it does have an agreement with Hot Springs World Class High School to allow its students to compete on the Trojans’ teams. ASMSA is near by Hot Springs National Park.

Three teams represented the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in the recent JOLT Cyber Challenge sponsored by The Venture Center with one finishing in fourth place.

The JOLT Cyber Challenge is an annual event that brings together teams from across the state to participate in a two-day long competition to solve computer science-based puzzles, often involving subjects such as decryption, programming and cyber security.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts Debate Team won seven medals at the Bentonville Tiger’s Eye Classic debate tournament held Sept. 30-Oct. 1.

Individual students who earned recognition include:

• Avery Binuya, second place, Novice Congressional Debate;
• Daniel Nkunga, fourth place, Novice Congressional Debate;
• Cyrus Sorsby. fourth place, Prose;
• Kuhno Lee, fifth place, Big Questions Debate;
• Madison Arenaz, sixth place, Varsity Lincoln Debate;
• Linden Mixon, eighth place, Varsity Congressional Debate; and
• Isaura Funes, 12^th place, Varsity Congressional Debate.

The Tiger’s Eye Classic included more than 700 students from 23 schools and two states. ASMSA took a team of eight, four of which competed in their first tournament. Arenaz and Fuenes are team captains while Binuya served as the team’s tournament captain.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts held a dedication ceremony for Helen Selig Hall during its annual Director’s Circle Luncheon on Friday, Oct. 7.

ASMSA recently finished a $5.5 million renovation project of the former St. Joseph Hospital convent and chapel complex, converting the spaces into a residential housing for students, a campus mental health hub with offices for professional counseling staff, a new student union and an auditorium. The renovated facility is officially named in honor of former Hot Springs Mayor Helen Selig, who was among the earliest and most vocal proponents of bringing the school to city.