
Last week, Gentry Middle School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Wieneke and Registrar Alisha Key joined eighth-grade students Izabella Hammond and Zoe Alas as they represented Gentry at the annual Ambassador Games, hosted by the Adelaide Schaeffer Foundation.
Founded in 2004 by Adelaide Schaeffer, her husband and close friends, the foundation works year-round to gather sponsorships and donations from generous community partners such as Simmons, Tyson, Walmart and Sam’s Club. Those donations are then shared with teachers, students and school staff throughout the year, with a special focus during the Christmas season.
At the Ambassador Games, Gentry joined schools from across the area for a day filled with festive competitions, including Blizzard Volleyball, Musical Chairs, Tree Decorating Contests and more, all while earning points for the Yellow Team — the Walmart Home Team!
Most importantly, our students and staff represented Gentry with enthusiasm, teamwork and Pioneer spirit. They made plenty of noise, had a lot of fun and brought home memories to last long after the games ended!
We also appreciate Champions for Kids, who visited Gentry Middle School last Friday to share with our sixth-grade students how they can become involved through reading challenges and other opportunities to earn prizes and rewards while building a love of learning.
Thank you to the Adelaide Schaeffer Foundation, Champions for Kids and the many businesses and volunteers who make these opportunities possible for students across Northwest Arkansas.
Go Pioneers! ❤️🤍


Sophomore Josie Womack ran her way to a 13th-place overall finish at yesterday’s Huntsville Invitational , and she did it while setting a new personal record!
It was a very hilly course, but our Pioneers battled from start to finish. Ellie Nix also set a new PR, while Eili Reyes finished in the Top 20. Several other runners recorded season-best times and continue to get closer to new personal records every day.
The hard work is showing, and we’re proud of the progress this team is making!
🌶️ NEXT UP: THE CHILE PEPPER!
The Pioneers will be back in action Saturday at the 38th Annual Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville. Held at the University of Arkansas cross-country course, Chile Pepper has grown into one of the largest cross-country festivals in the nation, typically bringing together approximately 6,500 runners and more than 7,000 spectators from across the region and beyond.
It’s a big stage and a great opportunity for our runners to test themselves against some of the best competition around.
📍 University of Arkansas Cross Country Course — Fayetteville
📅 Saturday, October 3
⏰ Girls — 12:45 p.m.
⏰ Boys — 1:25 p.m.
Keep putting in the work, Pioneers! We’ll see you at the Chile Pepper! 🌶️
Go Pioneers! ❤️🤍



🧠❤️🤍Gentry Quiz Bowl Opens Second Season of Competition
The Gentry Quiz Bowl program officially got its second year back underway this past weekend as both the senior high and junior high teams competed at the Cyclone Invitational in Russellville.
For a program that returned to Gentry High School last year after more than a decade away, this season represents another important step in building something that students can continue to grow into for years to come.
The teams have been working hard in preparation for a full season of competition, sharpening their knowledge, learning to work together under pressure and gaining the experience that comes with competing against strong programs from around the state.
And that preparation matters.
Quiz Bowl is much more than simply knowing the answer to a difficult question. Students compete across a broad range of subjects, including literature, history, science, mathematics, fine arts and current events. Teams must listen carefully, recognize information quickly and communicate effectively, often making decisions in a matter of seconds.
It also teaches something that doesn't always show up on a report card: how to think under pressure and work as a team.
Last season, Gentry's returning program made an immediate impact, advancing to the 4A State Quiz Bowl Tournament after finishing second at the regional tournament. That success provided a foundation for the program, and this year's teams are building on it.
With both senior high and junior high teams now competing, Gentry is developing a program that can introduce students to Quiz Bowl earlier and give them more opportunities to grow their skills over time.
We're proud of the work these students are putting in and excited to watch this program continue to develop throughout the season.
Keep working, keep learning and keep competing, Pioneers!
Go Pioneers!
#GentryAR #GentryPioneers #QuizBowl #ArkansasQuizBowl #CycloneInvitational




❤️🖤 WELCOME HOME, PIONEERS! 🖤❤️
Friday night was a pretty special night at Gentry High School as we welcomed members of the Gentry High School Class of 1976 back home for their 50th class reunion!
Yes… 50 YEARS!
We were so excited to have this group back on campus and had a great time showing them around Gentry High School and the Pioneer Athletic Complex. They even got a behind-the-scenes look at our football team getting ready for game night!
Think about that for a minute — 50 years ago, these Pioneers were walking the halls of Gentry High School. Friday night, they were back in those halls, catching up with old friends, seeing how much things have changed and taking in a little Pioneer football.
That’s what makes nights like this so special. Our schools are about more than buildings and ballgames. They’re about the people who walked these halls, made memories here and helped shape the story of Gentry.
We were honored and excited to host the Class of 1976 and celebrate this incredible milestone with them.
Once a Pioneer, Always a Pioneer. ❤️🖤
Thanks for coming home, Class of 1976! We hope you enjoyed being back as much as we enjoyed having you!
#GentryPioneers #PioneerPride #ClassOf1976 #50Years #WelcomeHome

We’re proud to celebrate three Gentry High School students who were recognized at the Benton County Fair pageants this past weekend!
Congratulations to:
👑 Sophomore Rachel Leonard — Jr. Miss Teen, 2026 Benton County Fair
🥈 Sophomore Caleigh Farrar — First Runner-Up
🥉 Senior Kyah Manen — Second Runner-Up
Pageants can provide young ladies with opportunities to build confidence, practice public speaking and interviewing skills, represent their community, and develop poise and leadership through competition and service.
We’re especially proud to see these three Pioneers representing Gentry with such confidence and grace. Congratulations, Rachel, Caleigh and Kyah! ❤️🖤
#GentryPioneers #PioneerPride #GentryHighSchool #BentonCountyFair




Looking for an event that isn’t listed yet? Feel free to reach out to the teacher, coach, or sponsor associated with the activity. They can help make sure the event information gets where it needs to go so our calendar stays current.


Back in June, we handed out sunflower seeds to some of our youngest Pioneers and challenged them to plant, grow and compete to see who could grow the biggest sunflower.
Last week, we got to see what all that sunshine, water, patience and care produced! 🌻
Gentry students gathered for our Giant Sunflower Competition, celebrating their hard work and the agriculture lessons that started with a tiny seed.
A huge thank-you to Farm Credit for sponsoring prizes for our overall top three students! The top three finishers in each grade level also received gift certificates to use at our FFA Spring Plant Sale.
But this competition is about more than growing a big sunflower.
It's a great example of the collaboration happening between our Gentry Agriculture Education program and our younger Pioneers. Our agriculture students and teachers helped introduce primary, intermediate and middle school students to agriculture in a fun, hands-on way, and then our youngest students got the opportunity to take what they learned home and put it into practice.
That's what we love about Agriculture Education at Gentry: learning doesn't stop at the classroom door.
Our Gentry Agriculture Education program gives students opportunities to explore agriculture through hands-on experiences, classroom learning, FFA activities and real-world skills. And when our high school agriculture students get to share that knowledge with our younger Pioneers, it creates connections that can last well beyond a single project.
From a little seed in June to giant sunflowers in September, this was a pretty great lesson in patience, responsibility, agriculture ... and a little friendly competition. 🌻
We're proud of all of our young growers!
Go Pioneers! ❤️🤍
#GentryPioneers #GentryPublicSchools #AgricultureEducation #FFA #GrowingPioneers #PioneerPride #AgEducation





Our post-Labor Day enrollment numbers are encouraging! While enrollment changes throughout the year and any count is only a snapshot in time, Gentry is currently serving 35-40 more K–12 students than at the same point last school year.
🎓 That is especially encouraging after graduating the largest senior class in district history last spring. We are also pleased that this year’s growth has been steady and manageable. It is enough to continue a positive trend without creating a significant strain on day-to-day operations, while allowing us to plan responsibly for staffing, facilities and programs as we grow.
📊 And this isn’t just about one year. Gentry has experienced continued growth over the past several years, and recent data places Gentry among the faster-growing school districts in Arkansas in both percentage growth and the number of students added. In the most recent statewide one-year comparison, fewer than one in five school systems showed growth, making Gentry’s continued positive trend especially encouraging.
🏗️ We’re also working to stay ahead of that growth. A new Middle School classroom addition and storm shelter is underway, along with the new Pioneer Arena. We’ve added Pre-K, continue adding programs and opportunities for students, purchase new buses regularly, and continue investing in our facilities and schools.
🎒 Families are also seeing more support, including school supplies at no cost, breakfast and lunch at no cost to students, complimentary K–12 student admission to home athletic events, and other programs designed to support our students and families.
📍 Enrollment will continue to move up and down throughout the year, and today’s number won’t necessarily be tomorrow’s. What encourages us is the larger trend: Gentry continues to grow, we’re planning for that growth, and families continue to see Gentry as a strong educational choice among the many great options across Northwest Arkansas.
We’re thankful for our students, staff, families and community who continue to make Gentry a special place to learn and grow. We strive every day to provide the best experience possible, but we also manage what amounts to a small city of students and staff each day, and questions or concerns will naturally come up. When they do, we encourage families to reach out directly to the person closest to the situation who can help. We’re always happy to listen, explain the reasoning behind something, or make adjustments when needed. That’s why we’re here: to serve our students, families and community and help however we can.
Stronger United. Go Pioneers! ❤️🤍

We'll be celebrating Homecoming on Friday, Oct. 9, and we hope our community and our alumni will join us for the football game at 7 p.m. Come back home and we'd love to see your throwback Gentry Pioneer gear!
Our students will be celebrating all week by honoring all former Pioneers with the theme: "Pioneers Through the Years."
Can't wait to see all our Pioneers on October 9!
#GentryPioneers #GentryAlumni #GentryAR


We’re sharing a great opportunity for Gentry families through Mint for More, the nonprofit arm of Mint Dental Care.
On Friday, October 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mint for More will host a Pediatric Free Dental Day at Mint Dental Care in Centerton.
Eligible students may receive services based on clinical need, including:
• Dental exams
• Cleanings
• Fillings
• Extractions
There is no cost to the family.
Appointments are limited and are available by referral only. Gentry families interested in participating should contact their child’s school counselor, school nurse, or social worker, who can submit a referral to Mint for More.
Once a referral is received, Mint for More will contact the parent or guardian directly to schedule the appointment and complete the necessary consent and intake paperwork.
Transportation has also been provided by schools for past events to help families who may have transportation barriers.
If your child could benefit from this opportunity, please reach out to your child’s school as soon as possible. Appointments will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.
We’re grateful to organizations like Mint for More for helping remove barriers and make important health care more accessible to students in our community. ❤️
Questions or referrals: Please contact your child’s Gentry school counselor or nurse.

The Gentry Chamber of Commerce is inviting students, families and the entire community to join us for a fun, free night on wheels:
📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
⏰ 7:30 p.m.
📍 Gentry City Park
📍 Gentry, Arkansas
Bring your bike, trike, scooter or anything else you can safely ride and get ready for an evening filled with:
✨ Lights
🎶 Music
🚲 Riding
❤️ Community
😊 Family fun
And the best part? IT'S FREE!
Events like the Glow Ride are about more than just having a good time. They give our students an opportunity to get outside, be active, spend time with their families and friends, and experience the kind of community connection that makes Gentry such a special place to grow up.
For our students, community is part of the education experience, too. When families, schools, local businesses and community organizations come together, our kids get to see firsthand what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves. We're THANKFUL for our city, Mayor Johnston, and Janie at the Chamber of Commerce for always thinking of our schools and our students!
So charge up those lights, decorate those wheels and come Glow Up Your Ride! 🌟
Let's light up Gentry! 💚💙💗✨
#GentryPioneers #GlowRide #GentryArkansas #Community #FamilyFun #PioneerPride #GentryAR

Today is IT Professionals Day, and it gives us a great opportunity to recognize three people who do a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes at Gentry Public Schools.
Klae Beyers, Director of Technology; Jason Philpott and Brittany Thompson, Computer Technicians; are the people our district relies on to keep technology moving, and there is a lot more to that job than simply fixing a computer when something goes wrong.
During the last school year alone, our Technology Team:
💻 Repaired 1,290 student Chromebooks
🛠️ Completed 1,000 technology work orders submitted by district staff
📱 Managed and supported more than 2,000 technology devices across the district
And those numbers only tell part of the story.
Every day, Klae, Jason and Brittany are troubleshooting classroom technology, maintaining devices, supporting teachers and staff, managing systems, solving unexpected problems and helping make sure our schools have the technology they need to keep students learning.
A lot of their best work happens when nobody notices because everything is working.
And then there's the other side of the job: When something isn't working and a teacher, student or staff member needs help right now. That's when this team goes to work.
So today, we want to say a very simple thank you to:
Klae Beyers
Jason Philpott
Brittany Thompson
Thank you for your patience, problem-solving, hard work and willingness to jump in and help. Your work may happen mostly behind the scenes, but its impact reaches every classroom, every school and so many people across Gentry Public Schools.
We appreciate you — and we're glad you're part of the Pioneer team!
Happy IT Professionals Day! 💻❤️🤍
#GentryPioneers #ITProfessionalsDay #PioneerPride #BehindTheScenes #GentryPublicSchools

There’s not much more colorful than the Gentry High School parking lot when our students get their hands on their parking spots!
For many of our students, painting their spot has become a family affair with parents, siblings, friends and family pitching in to help create something that’s uniquely theirs.
Some spots are bold. Some are funny. Some are full of Pioneer pride. And some clearly took a LOT of paint.
But every one of them tells a little story about the student who parks there.
It’s one of those simple traditions that makes high school feel like high school: A little creativity, a lot of school spirit, and plenty of memories made along the way.
❤️🤍 We love seeing our Pioneers put their own stamp on Gentry High School!
#GentryPioneers #PioneerPride #GentryHighSchool #Tradition #SchoolSpirit #NWArkansas






Looking for an event that isn’t listed yet? Feel free to reach out to the teacher, coach, or sponsor associated with the activity. They can help make sure the event information gets where it needs to go so our calendar stays current.

The most important reason for good attendance is simple: students learn best when they are at school. Being in class each day means more time with teachers, more opportunities to learn, and fewer gaps to make up later.
BUT DID YOU KNOW? Attendance also matters to your child’s school in a couple of other important ways!
🏫 School Letter Grades: Student attendance is one of the factors considered in school accountability and letter grades.
💰 School Funding: Student attendance can also impact district funding through Average Daily Membership (ADM).
Of course, we know absences happen! Illness, appointments, and other circumstances come up. When they do, please help us keep your student’s attendance record accurate.
If your child visits a doctor, please send the school a doctor’s note so we can properly document the absence. Not every absence requires a doctor’s visit, though! Families also have a limited number of parent notes that may be used each semester. If you don’t have a doctor’s note, contact your child’s school and ask about using a parent note if one is available.
📱 GRADES 6–12: Don’t forget about Home Access Center (HAC)! Families can use HAC to check attendance and grades. If you also have a younger student, you may see their profile in HAC, but information will not appear because HAC is only used for grades 6–12.
Need help with HAC? Instructions are available on our website. Just use the search button, ask our AI Chat Bot for help, or use the link in the comments of this post.
At the end of the day, the biggest reason attendance matters is learning. We want our students here because being at school gives them the best opportunity to learn and succeed. Strong attendance also supports our schools, so every day a student can be here matters!
Be here when you can, communicate with us when you can’t, and let us know when we can help! ❤️

