Parson Hills Elementary

Hello! My name is Amy Ritchey and I am the Resource Teacher at Parson Hills. I have been fortunate to live and teach in some lovely and diverse places, including California, Houston, and Bangkok, Thailand. I moved to Northwest Arkansas four years ago, teaching at Shaw Elementary for two years before coming to Parson Hills. I graduated from Texas A&M Kingsville with a degree in Elementary Education. I completed Master work in Special Education at California State University, and received a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University. I am doggie mom to Dutchess and step-mom to Jackson, who is a senior at Fayetteville High School. I come from a very large Texas family – I am the youngest of six siblings and I have 17 nieces and nephews, 6 great-nephews and 4 great-nieces. I love being a Panther!

Hello! I’m Shelbi Raines and I am the Gifted and Talented Facilitator at Parson Hills! I graduated from the University of Arkansas with my first Masters, and from Arkansas State University with my second Masters in Gifted and Talented Education. This summer I married Mr. Raines in New Zealand! I love to laugh, watch netflix, travel, ride horses, take pictures, play paintball, craft, crochet, macrame, and read! My goal is to provide a challenge for all of my students, and help them reach their potential socially, emotionally, and academically! I am excited to be part of the Parson HIlls family!

A Big shout out to our SFLP class for providing a scrumptious breakfast for our Veteran Visitors today! They decorated beautifully and celebrated with our Veterans!

arson Hills EAST students along with other Springdale EAST programs visited the University of Arkansas for a student training focused on video editing. These types of experiences provide students a chance to grow socially as well as educationally while working to achieve their goals. What a great time with a great group of students!

STEAM NIGHT

STEAM NIGHT

Hi!! I am Megan Arroyos and teach 3rd grade! I have been at Parson Hills for 12 years starting out in Pre-k, then 2nd, 1st, Kindergarten and now 3rd! I was born in Kansas, lived there my entire life and attended Pittsburg State University before moving to Arkansas. I am married to my husband Joaquin of 14 years and we have 3 awesome kids Jordyn, Julian and Jaydin. My very favorite thing about Parson Hills is that everyone here is like one big family!! With me being far from home and not have any other relatives here I am very appreciative of getting to know so many families and building relationships with everyone!

EAST Students had a great experience today as we visited Ozark Natural Science Center in Huntsville. Our students worked alongside students from Tyson Elementary on our initial visit with a goal of completing a virtual tour to showcase the beautiful ONSC campus. The kids were incredible and had an opportunity to share knowledge with the other elementary students. So proud of the kids and the way they fight to master complex skills.

Hi, my name is Denise Stevenson. I grew up on a farm in south western Pennsylvania with all brothers and lots of cousins. I graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virgina with a degree in Early Childhood Education. I began my teaching career in a private school in PA, teaching first, second and third grades. I came to Arkansas with a cousin, intending to stay for a little while and then return to PA or VA, but that was not to be. I ended up meeting my husband, a Springdale High School graduate, at church the very first Sunday after arriving in AR and that changed my plans for returning home. I began teaching first grade at Parson Hills 31 years ago and I have loved almost every moment of it. I have learned and continue to learn from my first graders every day. (Six and seven year olds are pretty special in my opinion.) I have been blessed to teach with many wonderful teachers in my years at Parson Hills and am thankful everyday to part of this school. My husband and I have two grown children, both graduates of Springdale Schools. I love spending time with family, so visiting PA is a trip I look forward to each summer. I enjoy reading the Bible, cooking and refinishing furniture in my down time and someday look forward to getting another puppy.

The “-alicious” girls sure love our Panthers! Book Character Day is a blast for all! #TheChoice #Pantherlicious

Mini-WildDog XC Races #3 Has Been MOVED to MONDAY, 11/4. It will be held at Sonora Middle School.

Hola! My name is Lori Ybarra. My family and I moved from San Antonio, Texas in 1996 and think of NorthWest Arkansas as home now. My husband and I have been married for 29 years and have 3 grown children and 4 cats. This is my 23rd year at Parson Hills Elementary as an Instructional Assistant. What I love about my job is being able to work multiple grade levels and serve so many students at different academic levels. I am blessed to be able to work with 2nd generation students. Meaning I am working with children of former students. To be able to have those relationships with families is something I value greatly.

Hello! My name is Riley Lindley and I have been part of the Parson Hills Family for 4 years and I teach 2nd grade. I graduated from the University of Arkansas with my Masters and ESL Endorsement. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 4.5 years and we will be adding a new little member to our family come this March! We also have an adorable mini australian shepherd whom we love very much! I love hiking, singing, crafting, doing interior design, and traveling the world! Ever since I stepped foot into Parson Hills I knew this was the school for me. I am so blessed to be able to work at a school with so many wonderful students and teachers that have truly shaped me, just as much as I have hopefully shaped them. I will continue to encourage my students daily that they are unique, loved, important, and smart!

My name is Janice Whitmire and I am the current SFLP (Family Literacy) teacher. I first came to Parson Hills in 1993. For the first two years I was involved with PTA and worked as a substitute teacher and secretary. In the fall of 1995 I was hired to teach a 4/5 split class. For the next twenty one years I taught a variety of grades, including 2, 3, 4, and 5. In June 2018 I retired as a classroom teacher. I soon discovered retirement was not for me. For the 2018-19 school year I worked as a substitute teacher and this year I’m the SFLP teacher. This is a part time position and fits my need to be semi-retired. I truly love Parson Hills and I’m happy to be here. I have been married to my husband David for 46 years. He is also semi-retired. We have one daughter, Mollie Macias and two grandchildren, Katy Macias and Jorge Macias, Jr. I enjoy bike riding on the trails and working on various projects around the house. I love to travel and have found parasailing to be really fun.

Hello! My name is Ally Passmore. I am a Springdale Arkansas native and have gone to Springdale Public schools all my life. I graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2015. I got married this past summer and just recently bought my first house in NWA. I have been teaching first and second grade at Parson Hills for the last five years. As soon as I stepped foot into Parson Hills, I knew I was in the right place. I love being part of such a warm, loving, and hard working environment at Parson Hills. Teaching is truly my calling in life. I believe that all students deserve a school that feels safe and welcoming each and every day. I strive to make all my students feel comfortable and free to be their true selves. I encourage my students to be bold, brave, creative, and compassionate. Above all, my goal at the end of each day is for my students to know that they are strong, smart, important and loved.

Hi! My name is Shelby McGraw. I am engaged to be married to my childhood friend and boyfriend of 5 years. I am from a small town down south called Stuttgart, Arkansas. I am a huge family person so I go visit them every chance I get. I am an aunt to two nieces and a nephew who I love with my whole heart. I graduated from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville in 2015 with my Masters in Arts of Teaching and Special Education endorsement. I am currently taking classes through the U of A to receive my ESL endorsement. This is my fifth year teaching at Parson Hills and I am currently a 1st grade teacher. Teaching has always been a passion of mine with the goal of being able to positively help young children. I strive to be a positive light for my students each day, making sure they know they’re strong, important, and loved! 👩🏼‍🏫❤️

All hands on deck for phonological awareness testing! Love that Ms. Tharel just jumped into it full force! We are all about Readers at Parson Hills! #TheChoice #PanthersRock

My name is Katlyn Murray. I have been teaching at Parson Hills for 5 years. I graduated from Harding University in 2014. I grew up in Springdale and have always attended Springdale Public Schools. My husband, our boys and I love baseball and being outside. I have always wanted to be a teacher! I love it! Kindergarten is so much fun!

Teacher and students having fun with phonics in Mrs Arroyo's Third grade classroom.

Save the Date for Literacy Night!