So we can compete! #ShieldUp
LAKESIDE SRO: FROM HAWAII TO SPRINGDALE
Gomez Zackious grew up in Hawaii. As you would expect, he loved the ocean. He also loved going to the park after school. Why? Because a police officer was always there to make sure it was safe for kids to play.
“I grew up in Maui but there is another side to paradise,” Zackious says. “Where I lived was pretty rough. We would go to the park after school and always felt safe because Officer Hirioka of the Maui police was there. He would talk to us. He would throw the football and shoot baskets with us. I was told later that the drug dealers and bullies stayed away from the park because Officer Hirioka was there. He will never know the influence he had on me.”
Zackious is now serving as a role model, as Officer Hirioka did for him. He is the student resource officer at Lakeside Junior High. He talks with students, just as Officer Hirioka talked to him.”
“This is my fifth year at Lakeside,” Zackious says. “At first the students were a little standoffish. I didn’t know but maybe they had not had positive experiences with the police. I started going to the football games and other events and just starting talking with them. Now they realize I am there to protect them.
“My goal is to make sure the school and everyone in it is protected. Relationships are a plus but my first priority is making sure the kids and staff are safe.”
Zackious has been keeping people safe for a long time. The son of a mother who was from Hawaii and a father from the Marshall Islands, he was always comfortable around water so after graduating from high school he joined the United States Navy.
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to get away but they first stationed me at Pearl Harber,” Zackious recalls. “I wanted to be a cook. So, I entered the culinary arts program. But at basic training they saw me in the pool and couldn’t believe how fast I swam. I was way ahead of everyone else. I played football and baseball in high school but my swimming came from swimming, surfing and snorkeling in the ocean.
“They talked me out of being a cook and put me in search and rescue. I thought that was pretty cool. We jumped out of helicopters and rescued people and got paid to do it. I did that for eight years.
“I was stationed on an aircraft carrier and might be gone for six months at a time. My wife finally told me it was time for me to get out of the Navy because she rarely saw me. The cost of living in Hawaii was high and my wife had relatives in Springdale so we decided to give it a try. When I saw the cost of gasoline, cereal and milk in Springdale compared to Hawaii, we decided to move here. A gallon of milk in Hawaii is $10.”
Once he and his wife had moved to Springdale, he applied for a position on the Springdale police force. He notes, “It was always in the back of my mind to be a policeman because of the impression Officer Hirioka had made on me. He was always there and he made the bad guys disappear.”
Three months after his initial application, Zackious joined the Springdale police.
“I felt right at home,” he says. “Springdale is very diverse with Hispanics from different countries, the Marshallese and other Pacific Islanders. In Maui there were workers from the Philippines, China, Japan, Portugal, Korea and other countries in the sugar cane fields. Our population didn’t have enough workers so they came from everywhere.
“I love the diversity in our department. We have two other Marshallese officers and several Hispanic officers along with our other officers. I am very grateful to live in Springdale where officers are still loved.”
Zackious’ spent his first eight years patrolling in Springdale. Even then he enjoyed working with students.
“I liked patrol,” Zackious explains. “That’s why I wanted to be an officer. Even then I loved working with kids. I liked going to Marshallese homes because it was such a big thing for them to have an officer who was like them.
“Since I liked working with kids I thought it might be my calling. When there was an SRO opening, I applied. I shadowed an SRO for a week and thought it was cool. I also liked the hours. When I was on patrol I never had Saturdays or Sundays off. So, this has been good for my family. I get to have dinner with them every night.”
And, dinner is frequently cooked by Zackious.
“In our culture, the men do the cooking,” Zackious explains. “I love to cook. I am planning to build an underground oven, like we had on the islands. It’s a work in progress. I will cook island food sometimes but my kids were born in Arkansas and they don’t always like island food. In fact, my kids have Arkansas accents and when we visit Hawaii, their cousins wonder why they talk like they do.”
While Zackious enjoys his time at Lakeside and with his family, he was back on patrol for a few months when COVID forced schools to close in March.
“I enjoyed being with the other officers,” he says. “They are awesome. There are some new officers since I became an SRO and it was good to see the ones I remember working with before. Each of us understands what we all go through. I start every day with a little prayer because I don’t know what the day will bring.”
Zackious is an answered prayer for Lakeside Junior High. Students and staff are glad to have him there. He and the entire group of district SROs are among the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.
Springdale Schools educators go above and beyond to give back to their students and the community. We are so grateful for the time that they invest in the educational enrichment of our students. #ThankATeacher
Springdale Parents and Patrons,
Please see this message from Dr. Jared Cleveland, Superintendent about Remote Teacher and Learning Days on October 16 and 19
https://www.smore.com/2az8q-remote-teaching-learning-practice
Technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational! #ThankATeacher
Truity Credit Union, a community partner, delivered an $11,600 check to Springdale Public Schools today! Pictured: Kirby Jett, Business Development Officer at Truity Credit Union, delivering the check to Dr. Jared Cleveland, Superintendent of Springdale Public Schools. A percentage of the transactions made from Springdale employees using a debit card with a Springdale school logo was set aside to go back directly to the school system. The money is also from a promotion made for teachers who opened a new account with Truity Credit Union. They were given $50 and another $50 was saved for the schools! Thank you Truity Credit Union for your partnership with Springdale Schools!
Amy Sandy's classroom from Sonora Elementary received a grant from United Federal Credit Union for $500 this morning! The money will be used to purchase additional books for the classroom library. Thank you UFCU!
Have you filled yours out yet? It is time to POWER UP!
YOUNG ELEMENTARY NAMED NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL
Bernice Young Elementary School has been named a 2020 Exemplary High Performing National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education.
“I commend you for striving to do what’s right for your students and to personalize instruction to meet your students’ unique needs and strengths,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in a letter to the school. “Thank you for what you do to help your students realize their potential and achieve their dreams.”
In her first year as Young Elementary principal, Christy Norwood said, “It’s an honor to lead a school that already had so many good things happening. It’s amazing to be recognized at a national level.”
Debbie Flora, the principal at Young for many years before retiring in May, shared in the exciting news. She said, “If anyone deserves to be recognized, it’s the incredible team at Young. Through the great relationships built between students and staff, every child has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.
“While this validates the work the Young staff does, it is a reflection of the entire Springdale School District. Young puts into action district values and initiatives. The entire district utilizes research that shows what works best for kids.”
Young is one of five schools in Arkansas to be recognized with 2020 Blue Ribbon status. The most recent school in Springdale to have been named a National Blue Ribbon School was Hunt Elementary in 2018.
Asi Es Springdale: Gradebook and Literacy Tips for Parents: Please share through social media
https://www.smore.com/8fbgu-this-is-springdale
We have the winners for this year's 3rd Annual Springdale Public Schools Education Fund Duck Race! The winners are: Jones Elementary, Central Junior High, Young Elementary, and two ducks from Turnbow Elementary! Thank you to our sponsor, Cargill!
#Shieldup for safety!
JOANN Fabrics and Crafts has developed a partnership with Jones Elementary through the Kids in Need Foundation. The company has donated school supplies and crafts to Jones but went over and above by providing 554 masks for each of Jones' students. The masks were hand stitched by 16 employees who devoted 200 hours to the project. Each student was able to choose his or her own mask. Thank you JOANN Fabrics and Crafts! #THEChoice
Parents please read this important flyer below to learn about free and reduced lunch. Please apply by October 5th.
Padres, por favor lean este anuncio importante sobre almuerzos gratis y reducidos. Favor de aplicar para el 5 de Octubre.
Jax Nalley is one of seven Springdale Public School District National Merit Semifinalists. He is a senior at Har-Ber High School. He says, "I'm look at the University of Arkansas, Duke, Vanderbilt and Dartmouth. I'm super excited about this because it validates years of study. We started in boot camp in junior high and we bought books to help study for the PSAT. It's crazy to think i'm a senior now."
