STARKVILLE OKTIBBEHA SCHOOL DISTRICT NAMES DAREIN SPANN HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL 

The Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District has named Darein Spann principal of Starkville High School for the 2022-23 school year.

His hiring was approved by the Board of Trustees during a special called meeting on Thursday. 

Spann is currently principal of the Technology, Engineering and Construction Academic House at Starkville High School. 

“Dr. Spann is a dynamic instructional leader with 18 years of experience in education,” said SOCSD Supt. Tony McGee. “He has been integral to the full implementation of the Academic Houses at Starkville High School that connect our classrooms to our community and our students to future careers, and Dr. Spann fully understands the importance to building strong relationships that foster and support our students and teachers."

Spann holds a doctorate and specialist degrees in educational leadership from Mississippi College.  He earned his master's degree from Mississippi College, and he earned in bachelor's degree from Belhaven University.  

“I am excited to lead a team of excellent teachers and educators at Starkville High School who celebrate learning," said Dr. Spann. "Our overall goal is to ensure students are academically prepared to face a challenging world when they graduate from SHS. We will do that by supporting the whole child - emotionally, physically, and mentally - each day he or she comes to school, and we look forward to an outstanding year where each child's passion, purpose, and potential thrive as we celebrate learning."

Read the full story here: https://www.starkvillesd.com/news/1745453/starkville-oktibbeha-school-district-names-darein-spann-high-school-principal

STARKVILLE OKTIBBEHA SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRES CERTIFIED ACADEMIC LANGUAGE THERAPIST 

The Starkville Oktibbeha School District has hired veteran educator Kimberly Pugh as a Certified Academic Language Therapist to support students with specific language disabilities, such as dyslexia and related disorders.  

Pugh's hiring was approved during a special called school board meeting on Thursday.  The board created the new position in June.  

"Mrs. Pugh brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position, and most importantly, to our students and families navigating a dyslexia diagnosis," said Supt. Tony McGee. 

"I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to share my knowledge of an evidenced-based, multi-sensory language intervention to reach students who are struggling with reading," said Pugh, who is returning to the school district after serving as a reading therapist at Sudduth Elementary School from 2008 -2012.  "I look forward to supporting students and their families on this journey to become succesful readers."

Pugh has provided private dyslexia therapy to students since 2008 using the Mississippi College Dyslexia Therapy Program based on the Orton-Gillingham method.  She has been a special education teacher in the Choctaw County School District since 2012. Pugh began her teaching career as a fifth grade teacher in Chalmette, Louisiana in 1991. 

Pugh holds a Master of Education in Dyslexia Therapy from Mississippi College. She recently earned her specialist degree in psychometry from Jackson State University.  Pugh has also completed dyslexia testing training from the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.  She is a member of the Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Association and the Academic Language Therapy Association.  

Read the full story here: https://www.starkvillesd.com/news/1745455/starkville-oktibbeha-school-district-hires-certified-academic-language-therapist

BUILDING FOR EXCELLENCE: RENOVATING AND REDESIGNING ARMSTRONG JR HIGH SCHOOL 

The Starkville Oktibbeha School District has begun a capital improvements campaign, Building for Excellence, that centers on establishing dynamic physical learning environments where students want to pursue their passion, define their purpose and achieve their potential.

At Armstrong Jr High School, Building for Excellence means renovating our original building into a space that is comfortable and inviting with new lighting, new ceilings, new paint, new doors and a new HVAC system.  It also means transforming existing classrooms into modernized science labs to support collaboration and encourage exploration, and it means installing a new gym floor that is a replica of the floor at Starkville High School.  Most importantly, it means creating spaces where students want to spend their time learning, including a new production studio along with makerspace and robotic labs in a redesigned 21^st century library. 

Proposed Building A improvements include: 

• New HVAC system with air filtration 
• New LED lights throughout the building 
• New acoustical ceilings 
• New exterior doors 
• New restrooms with sensor valve fixtures 
• New gym floor 
• New science labs 
• New library design with production studio and makerspace and robotic labs

This renovated, redesigned space for excellent learning experiences is scheduled to open Fall 2023. 

EXCELLENCE IN ROBOTICS: SHS SEAPEARCH ROBOTICS TEAM EARNS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

The SHS RoboJackets represented Mississippi in the Seaperch Challenge international robotics competition! The team earned 2nd place in Technical Design Report and 4th place overall in the high school competition. Congratulations, engineers! #shsTEC #ExpectExcellence

A NEW YEAR OF EXCELLENCE 

We're excited to welcome our #JacketFamily to the 2022-2023 school year! As you begin planning for a new year of excellent learning experiences in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District, we want to share some helpful links, important dates, and other information with you for back to school.

Get all the details, including open house dates, for an excellent start to the 2022-2023 school year our Back to School Dashboard: starkvillesd.com/backtoschool
#ExpectExcellence #StarkvilleSpark

School Supply Lists
School supply lists for the 2022-2023 school year are now available online.
Click the link below to view your child's school supply list:
www.starkvillesd.com/parents/school-supply-lists

School day Beginning and Ending Times 
School day beginning and ending times for the 2022-2023 school year are also now posted online: Click the link below to view your child's school day starting and ending times:
www.starkvillesd.com/parents/school-day-opening-closing-times

Dress Code 
School dress code policy has been updated for the 2022-2023 school year. Click the link below to view the dress code:
www.starkvillesd.com/student-life/sosd-dress-code

Academic Calendar
Already planning for Fall or Spring Break? Click the link below to view our 2022-2023 Academic Calendar:
www.starkvillesd.com/academic-calendar/index

Online Registration 
Online registration for new and returning students in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District for the 2022-2023 school year is open. If you have not already completed your child's online registration form for the 2022-2023 school year, click on the link below to get started:
www.starkvillesd.com/registration

If you need in-person help completing your child's online registration form, you may visit any school office Monday through Friday -- between 7:30 am  and 3:30 pm.

BEGIN WITH EXCELLENCE: KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION IS OPEN  

Is your child entering kindergarten at Sudduth Elementary this year? REGISTER NOW and help us get them off to an excellent start! Click to register online at starkvillesd.com/registration or stop by Sudduth, Monday through Friday -- 7:30am - 3:30pm if you need help registering.

Plus, save the dates for teacher assignment pick-up at Sudduth Elementary School for students entering PreK, kindergarten or 1st grade. 

July 14 from 1 until 5 pm 
July 15 from 7:30 until 11:30 am 

Online student registration form must be complete and all required documents must be returned to receive  teacher assignment for the 2022-2023 school year.  

 

BACK TO SCHOOL DATES FOR SCHEDULES AND TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS 

Schools Announce Dates to Pick-Up Schedules, Teacher Assignments, & Devices 

Sudduth Elementary School 
Teacher Assignment Pick-Up
Thursday, July 14; 1 until 5 pm 
Friday, July 15; 7:30 until 11:30 am 

Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School 
Teacher Assignment Pick-Up
Monday, July 18; 10 am until 1 pm

• 2nd Grade Pick Up @ Libray Annex
• 3rd Grade Pick Up @ Main Office Entrance
• 4th Grade @ Henderson Gym Lobby Area

Overstreet Elementary School 
Teacher Assignment Pick-Up
Friday, July 15; 1 until 3 pm 

West Elementary School 
Teacher Assignment Pick-Up & Open House
Monday, July 25; 1 until 3 pm 
 

Partnership Middle School 
TBA

Armstrong Jr High School 
8th Grade Only; Schedules & Device Distribution 
Thursday, July 14 
9 am until 1 pm by Appointment Only; Check your parents email for a Signup Genius link to schedule your time
AJHS Cafeteria

Armstrong Jr High School
9th Grade Only; Schedules & Device Distribution 
Friday, July 15
9 am until 1 pm by Appointment Only; Check your parents email for a Signup Genius link to schedule your time
AJHS Cafeteria

Starkville High School 
Monday, July 18; Class schedules will be live in PowerSchool. Log in to view!
9 am until 2 pm; Device Distribution 

Online student registration form must be complete and all required documents must be returned to receive  student schedule, teacher assignment and/or school-issued device for the 2022-2023 school year.  

To complete your child's online registration form, go to www.starkvillesd.com/registration.  Need in person help?  Visit any school office between 7:30 am and 3:30 pm Monday - Friday. 
 

BACK TO SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE IS JULY 25 

Make plans to join us for open house and get ready for an excellent start! 

The Starkville Oktibbeha School District will host open house events on Monday, July 25, for the start of the 2022-2023 school year. 

Sudduth Elementary School 
By Appointment: Teachers will contact parents to schedule a time after class rosters are distributed in early July.  

Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School 
3rd Grade, 10 am until 12 pm 
4th Grade, 12 until 2 pm 
2nd Grade, 1 until 3:30 pm (New, Updated Time )
All Grades, 2 until 3:30 pm 

Overstreet Elementary School 
1 until 4 pm 

West Elementary School 
1 until 3 pm 

Partnership Middle School 
6th Grade, 8 until 11 am 
7th Grade, 12 until 3 pm 

Armstrong Jr High School 
1 until 6 pm 

Starkville High School 
10th Grade, 9 until 11 am 
11th & 12th Grades, 12 until 2 pm

First Day for Students 
Tuesday, July 26

DISCOVERY CENTER HOSTS BACK TO SCHOOL BASH JULY 16 

YELLOW JACKET ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES SEASON TICKET SALES FOR FOOTBALL, FALL SPORTS 

Get your tickets to a new season of excellence for Yellow Jacket athletics!  

Yellow Jacket athletics uses GoFan, a digital ticket platform, for ticket purchases to Yellow Jacket athletic events. All tickets for fall sports, including season tickets for football and all sport passes, are available on gofan.com.  All tickets must be purchased through digital, cashless transactions.  

Download the GoFan ticket app here to purchase your ticket to Jacket excellence!

Fall Ticket Sales 

Football Tickets

• Varsity Football Reserved Seating 
  • Reserved Chairback, $75 
  • Reserved Bench, $65 
  • Renew your season tickets beginning July 1 on GoFan.com
  • Purchase for first-time season ticket holders beginning August 1 on GoFan.com
  • Valid for all home games excluding playoffs 
• Varsity Football Season Pass, $50
  • Available for purchase beginning August 1 on GoFan.com
  • Valid for all home games excluding playoffs
  • General Admission
• Single game ticket sales available for purchase beginning August 1 on GoFan.com
  • Varsity, $9 (General Admission) 
  • Non-Varsity, $6 (General Admission)
• Varsity Football Season Parking Pass, $50

All Sport Pass for Adults, $100

• Available for purchase beginning August 1 on GoFan.com
• Valid for all home games excluding playoffs
• General Admission

All Sport Pass for Students, Price reduced to $30 

• Available for purchase beginning August 1 on GoFan.com
• Must present student ID at gate to athletic event 
• Valid for all home games excluding playoffs 
• General Admission 

Volleyball Tickets, $6 

• Individual ticket sales open August 1 on GoFan.com  
• General Admission

YELLOW JACKET TSHIRT SHOPS OPEN 

CONNECT WITH EXCELLENCE  

Never miss out on excellence happening in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District!  Make sure you are connected to your Jacket family as we begin a new year of excellence for 2022-2023 school year! 

Be sure to like & follow all of our social media channels and subscribe to our enewsletter, The Spark, as your prepare to begin a new year of excellent learning experiences with your #JacketFamily so you'll never miss out on important news, events, announcements and celebrations! 

Here's How to Connect with us! 

The Spark, Enewsletter
Get the latest edition of The Spark, our enewsletter, that delivers excellence directly to your inbox.  
Click here to subscribe!

Social Media 
Starkville Oktibbeha School District 
You can also connect with the district official social media channels!  
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @StarkvilleSD and like us at www.facebook.com/StarkvilleSD. 

Jackets Athletics 
Did you know Jacket Athletics is on Twitter? Never miss a Jacket game day!  Follow Jacket Athletics on Twitter @StkJackets!

Athletic Director Greg Owen also shares important information with our parents of students athletes via Remind. Text @JktAthl to 81010 to subscribe & keep reading below for more ways to connect with our schools! 

Starkville High School 
Twitter & Instagram @Starkville_High
Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/StarkvilleHighSchool

Armstrong Jr High School 
Twitter & Instagram @AJHSJackets
Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/AJHSJackets

Partnership Middle School 

Twitter & Instagram @PartnerMiddle 
Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/PartnerMiddle

School Messenger 

The District also uses our mass messaging system School Messenger to share important information withparents via text, email and voice messaging.  School Messenger utilizes parent information in Power School to send messages.  If you aren't receiving messages, email nthomas@starkvillesd.com.