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Students will receive a locker number and combination at the start of the year. Below is a quick tutorial on how to open a combination lock.

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How to Open a Combination Lock or Locker

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Our day officially begins at 7:40 and ends at 2:45. However, we do begin our day a few minutes early with a morning meeting that begins at 7:25. Many different activities happen during morning meetings: announcements, teacher talks, Wise Owl Worker (WOW) awards, minute-to-win-it games and more! You won't want to miss it.

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Owl Creek Middle School operates an 8-period day. Each period including lunch/recess is approximately 42 minutes long. Students get double-time for language arts and math (84 minutes of each daily). In addition, students attend Advisory during zero hour. Attached is a sample 5th grade schedule.

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So, what is advisory? Advisory occurs the first 20 minutes of the day from 7:40-8:00. During this time,  an adult advisor meets with a small group of students to personalize our educational setting. Advisors support academic and social-emotional growth of students and become an advocate for your child. During Advisory, students learn how to use the Home Access Center (HAC) to monitor their work, participate in Choose Love (social and emotional learning curriculum), and engage in community-building activities.

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Yes, middle school students still get time for recess. At Owl Creek School, lunch and recess time is combined with recess occurring after students have finished eating their lunches.

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All 5th grade students take the same core and encore classes with the exception of students with IEPs or LPACs who may need additional academic support. Beginning in grade 6, students may qualify to take Accelerated Math 6. Core and elective class choice begins in 7th graders at the Junior High Schools.

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Students attend the four core classes daily: Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Students also attend two periods of elective classes every day. Over the course of the year, students will explore: PE, Input Technology, Robotics, Music, Theatre and Art. Elective classes rotate throughout the year.

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Student should expect to have 6 different classes plus Advisory every day. Some teachers may teach more than one subject - so you can expect to see 4-7 different teachers each day.

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A Pod is how middle schools create smaller communities of learners. A pod (or team) is a group of students and teachers that learn and play together. We have two 5th grade pods at Owl Creek: the Pygmy Owls and the Screech Owls. Each pod can have up to 112 students and has its own set of core curriculum teachers.

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All of our 5th graders eat lunch together in family style. Students get to choose who they sit with at lunch - so they can sit with friends from either pod. The cafeteria offers 3-4 meal choices each day along with a few separate items such as juices, chips and desserts that can be purchased in addition to the cost of the meal. Students can also bring their own lunch.

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Owl Creek School has several club activities that meet after school including: Green Team, Girls on the Run,  Odyssey of the Mind, and Quiz Bowl. We also have a a club program that occurs during the school day. Once a month, we run a special schedule which allows students to attend their club choice for an hour. Club offerings change from year to year based on student and teacher interest. Examples of past clubs include: guitar, card tricks, cheer squad, weird science, cooking, basketball, archery, creative writing, origami, running, frisbee golf, Harry Potter, and many more!

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Owl Creek School has a robust Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program we call SOAR. S = support and encourage others. O = outstanding leaders. A = always be safe. R = be respectful and responsible.  Students are taught SOAR expectations at the beginning of each semester and these expectations guide everything we do at Owl Creek. Embedded into SOAR are several activities that encourage pro-social behaviors including: weekly Wise Owl Worker (WOW) awards, bi-weekly Fun Friday activities, SOAR bucks that can be earned and spent on school supplies or activities, monthly High Flier activities and High Flier Extravaganza parties at the end of each semester.

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Our Owl Creek Community is one of the most diverse schools in Arkansas, placing in the top 3%. You will love being a part of our World Cultures Week in the spring!

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Our school is unique in that it is the only school in our district that houses both elementary and middle school students. Although there are some school-wide activities, most activities are separated by grade level. Our building is divided into elementary and middle school sections with very little overlap between the two groups. Middle school students will have the same age-appropriate opportunities as students attending other middle school buildings in our district.

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Students have many opportunities to become school leaders. Some students may like to campaign to be on student council. Others may be nominated to serve as a Student Ambassador and assist with new student orientation. Students have the opportunity to apply to be a Peer Helper and mentor an elementary student. Other leadership opportunities include: green team, fire marshals, morning announcement team, cafeteria helpers, classroom jobs, and more.

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The Jesse lewis Choose Love enrichment program is taught during our Advisory time. This is a social and emotional learning curriculum that focuses on four primary themes: courage, gratitude, forgiveness and compassion in action. For more information, please see the link below.

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Where Would You Like To Choose Love Today? - Choose Love Movement

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Teaching people everywhere to choose love. The Choose Love Movement is teaching children and adults around the world how to change an angry thought to a loving one, and live a life filled with "Courage + Gratitude + Forgiveness + Compassion-in-Action." 1 MILLION PEOPLE 1 Countries 1 Schools 1 MILLION PEOPLE 1 Countries 1 Schools ...

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Every Friday, we run an activity schedule and create an extra 30-min period at the end of the day. Every two weeks, students can earn Fun Friday time which is an activity planned by their teachers. Alternate Fridays may find us in an assembly, engaging in an Advisory "friendly" competition, or with our Advisory class and participating in an activity such as goal-setting, team-building, or discussion circles.

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Starting in 5th grade, you can see your grades in the Home Access Center (HAC) otherwise known as Gradeviewer. Your advisory teacher will help you learn how to log-in and check your work once a week. While elementary schools are using Standards Based Report Cards, middle schools in FPS are still using a standard letter grade system as follows:

A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = below 60%

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You should expect to have math homework most nights. You should also expect to read daily. Students who use their time wisely are able to complete most of their schoolwork during their class time. Unfinished work often becomes homework.

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Our community has begun the journey of implementing restorative practices. We choose to focus on building community and restoring relationships when harm has been done. This is accomplished by engaging students and staff in restorative circle discussions to process the situation and resolve a problem in an agreeable way. Please see the link below for more information about restorative practices.

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Students bring home a folder every Monday with information for parents and guardians. This includes school flyers, newsletters, permission forms, and self-progress report.