Today we were honored to hear from Laurie Payne of West Monroe, Louisiana. Laurie shared her family’s heartfelt story of struggle, resilience, and hope as they overcame addiction together. She encouraged students to remember that, just like a pitcher adjusts their grip on the baseball, sometimes in life we have to make adjustments too. Her message was a powerful reminder about the importance of making good choices early and never giving up—no matter how tough the game of life gets. ❤️⚾️

🐑 Clinton Student Shines in Fall Livestock Shows 🐐

Now that show season has wrapped up, we’re excited to celebrate the hard work and success of our Clinton FFA students over the past few months! 💛🐝

The Clinton School District is proud to recognize Avery Malabanan for her outstanding success during this fall’s livestock show season. Avery has represented Clinton FFA with excellence in both lamb and goat showing, earning top placements and demonstrating the dedication and work ethic that define our agricultural education students.

Showing livestock requires months of hard work — from early morning feedings to late nights in the barn — and Avery’s achievements reflect her commitment to excellence and her passion for agriculture. Her success is a testament to the skills, responsibility, and leadership that students gain through participation in the Clinton FFA program.

Agriculture is a vital part of both our community and our schools. Through programs like FFA, students gain hands-on experience that teaches them not only about livestock and farming, but also about teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance. These lessons extend far beyond the show ring and prepare our students for lifelong success.

The Clinton School District congratulates Avery Malabanan on a fantastic show season and thanks our FFA advisors, families, and community supporters who make these opportunities possible for our students. 💛🐝

Avery Malaban's Fall Achievements
Van Buren County Fair
Grand Champion Market Lamb
Grand Champion Commercial Ewe
Reserve Champion Market Goat
Reserve Champion Wether Dam Goat
Champion Junior Lamb and Goat Showman

North Central Arkansas District Fair
Grand Champion Market Lamb
Champion Junior Lamb Showman
Grand Champion Commercial Doe
Champion Junior Goat Showman

Arkansas State Fair
Reserve Champion Wether Dam Lamb
3rd Overall Arkansas Bred Lamb
6th , 7th, 8th Overall Market Lamb
Arkansas State Fair Champion Junior Lamb Showman
Arkansas Bred Show Champion Junior Showman
Arkansas State Fair 3rd Overall Junior Goat Showman
Arkansas State Fair Reserve Division Wether Dam Goat
Natural state Grand Slick Doe
Natural State Reserve Overall Doe

Stay tuned as we highlight the incredible accomplishments of our FFA members and the impact of agriculture in our school community! 🌻

#ClintonFFA #YellowjacketPride #AgricultureEducation #StudentSuccess #FFA

🏃‍♀️ District Cross Country Meet Shirts Available! 🏃‍♂️

We have a limited number of extra District Cross Country Meet shirts available for $25 each!

They have a great design, and are super soft!! 💛🐝

To purchase, contact Coach Post or Mrs. Hutchins.

#YellowjacketPride #CrossCountry #ClintonAthletics #GoJackets

This one’s for you, Yellowjackets fans. Sideline’s got top-brand fanwear and accessories you can mix and match to max your look. Customize everything the way you want. See site for savings.

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/arkansas/clinton/clinton-high-school

Our FBLA Blood Drive is TOMORROW: Wednesday, October 22 @ the CHS campus- 8:30am-2:30PM. Wear your jammies for drug-free week, give blood, get a free ticket to the zoo & a cool stranger viens t-shirt, plus an entry to win free snacks if you wear your PJ's and donate! Most importantly you will help to SAVE 3 LIVES! **All blood matters.** 🩸🅰️🅱️🅾️🆎🧛

Sign up here: https://www.yourbloodinstitute.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/668608
or in Mrs. Johnson's room CHS-1017. DON'T BE SCARED !!!!!!! 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Seeing RED never looked so good! ❤️ Our students showed their commitment to being drug-free during Red Ribbon Week!

At the September Board Meeting, we were proud to recognize three outstanding members of the Clinton School District — a student, a classified staff member, and a certified staff member — for their exceptional contributions to our school community.

Congratulations to William Barnett, Kelli Wilson, and Jamie Williams, our Student of the Month and Staff Members of the Month! 👏

We are proud to celebrate their hard work and dedication and look forward to continuing this tradition at each monthly board meeting. 💛🐝

🏀 Join us tomorrow night for the Yellowjacket Tip-Off as the CBC Mustangs take on the North Ark Pioneers!
We’ll also be introducing our Yellowjacket Basketball and Cheer Teams for the 2025–2026 season! 💛
Plus, don’t miss our Silent Bake Sale Auction featuring some of the best cooks in Van Buren County. 🍰
Come for the basketball — stay for the baked goods! 🐝 #GoJackets #YellowjacketPride

Red Ribbon Week is here! Let’s celebrate making healthy choices and living drug-free! Join us in showing your commitment to a safe and healthy school community. #RedRibbonWeek #DrugFree #HealthyChoices

It’s going to be a great week at Clinton Schools! Stay in the loop by checking out this week’s announcements at the link below.

https://sites.google.com/clintonsd.org/clintonjhbuzz/home

Lunch and Breakfast Menus for the Clinton School District.

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Meet Day!
Our Yellowjacket Cross Country teams are Running at the Ranch today for the District Meet hosted at the Bar Of Ranch! Let’s go Jackets — all your hard work leads to this! 💪🐝 #GoJackets #RunningAtTheRanch #DistrictMeet

Schedule
National Anthem/Chuckwagon Pre Race Ceremony 2:35
Junior Girls: 3:00
Junior Boys: 3:30
Senior Girls: 4:00
Senior Boys: 4:30
Awards: 5:10

Admission is $5 cash only.

GAME DAY! 🏈
Your Junior High Yellowjackets are ready to battle the Waldron Bulldogs!
Let’s bring the energy and show that Jacket Pride! 💛🐝
#GoJackets #BeatWaldron

Red Ribbon Week Guest Speakers - Dawn Simmons & Laurie Payne
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
As part of our upcoming Red Ribbon Week activities, we are honored to offer two powerful guest-speaker
presentations at our school. These presentations are designed to help our students reflect on making healthy
choices, understanding risks, and building resilience. However, we understand that these topics may be
emotionally intense or sensitive for some students, so we are providing an opt-out option for either or both
sessions.
Presentation Schedule:
● On October 27th, we will host Dawn Simmons, a mother who tragically lost three of her children - Lindy
(20), Christopher (17), and Kamryn (15) - in a head-on collision caused by a drunk driver on December 17,
2021. Dawn and her family now share their story publicly to raise awareness of the dangers of impaired
driving, and to encourage students to think ahead about responsible choices. Her message has touched
millions around the world through her powerful social media presence and her non-profit organization.
● On October 30th, we will host Laurie Payne. Laurie is a wife, mother, real-estate agent, two-time author,
and motivational speaker who has turned her pain into purpose. Known online as Miss Ford Tough, her
story took off online via TikTok and Facebook and has inspired people around the world. She will present a
raw, real, and powerful snippet of her journey.
Both speakers bring unique perspectives and powerful messages geared toward encouraging students to make
safe, healthy, and positive choices during this Red Ribbon Week and beyond.
We fully support giving students the choice to not participate in one or both of these presentations if you feel it is
appropriate for your child. If you would like your child to opt out of one or both presentations, please contact the
junior high school office at (501) 745-6068 before Monday, October 27th.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the school office.
Sincerely,

Brandy Alexander
Clinton Junior High School Counselor

Honor a hero this Veterans Day!
Donate at least $1 to have your veteran’s name placed on a flag in front of the Clinton Elementary School.
Let’s fill the front lawn with flags in honor of those who served! 💛🐝

👏 Congratulations to Clinton Jr. High School!
We’re proud to share that our school has been recognized by the Office for Education Policy (OEP) at the University of Arkansas as a school that is Beating the Odds!
This honor celebrates schools where students show exceptional growth on the ATLAS assessment despite economic challenges outside of school.
Way to go, CJHS students and staff — your hard work is making a difference every day! 💛🐝

Red Ribbon Week is next week.