FREE School Meals for Take out on November 23rd.
#THEChoice
ROBERT AINI – SRO, PARSON HILLS, BAYYARI, TURNBOW, HARP, TYSON, LEE, JONES ELEMENTARY
Do you need your helicopter fixed? Robert Aini is your man. Long before he became a member of the Springdale Police Department and a student resource officer, Aini was repairing helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I was living in California and didn’t like it,” says Aini. “It was too crowded. Traffic was horrible. So, I joined the military and served for 10 years. I was a helicopter crew chief. I didn’t fly the helicopters. I was the mechanic. So, I was in the air nearly every day when I served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We had a wide variety of missions, including taxiing solders. We would receive care packages from the United States and give hem to kids. When a kid in Iraq or Afghanistan was given a soccer ball, his eyes would get wide. Among the things they valued most were pencils. They loved pencils because it gave them the ability to draw and write.”
Passing out care packages and interacting with kids gave Aini a preview of what he would someday be doing.
“Kids are innocent,” Aini says. “Seeing them in Iraq and Afghanistan made me know I wanted to help kids. They are survivors. They don’t have anything and appreciate everything they receive. I didn’t grow up like that. My mom bought everything for me.”
Everything?
“Remember those Michael Jackson red jackets he wore when he sang ‘Thriller?’” asks Aini. “My mom bought one for me. I was so popular. It was really too hot to wear a jacket where we lived but I wore it anyway.”
Wearing a Michael Jackson jacket didn’t mean Aini grew up in wealth but he didn’t experience extreme poverty, either. He is a native of Chuuk, one of the Federated States of Micronesia. While different languages are spoken in the various Federated States of Micronesia, Aini learned English early in his academic career.
“I had a sixth grade teacher who was an international volunteer from New England,” Aini recalls. “She told us that English is the international language. I’ve always believed that. I am still learning English, though, even though I’ve spoken it for over 30 years. I like to learn the fancy words.”
His English was fine enough to allow him to go to Hawaii for college. He didn’t get far, though, and ended up working two jobs to afford living in Hawaii. He did that for seven years before moving to California.
“That’s when I decided to join the military,” Aini says. “Going to Iraq and Afghanistan was eye opening. They are two totally different cultures. People survive with nothing. Sometimes I wondered where they got food and water. I couldn’t survive there. I’ve seen the world and I don’t take anything for granted.”
He doesn’t take his job for granted. Serving as SRO for Parson Hills, Bayyari, Turnbow, Harp, Tyson, Lee and Jones Elementary, Aini did not move to Sprindale expecting to become a police officer.
“After I got out of the military I spent a year in Washington, then moved to San Diego,” Aini explains. “I had friends in Springdale and I visited there in 2005. Compared to California, there was no traffic. Springdale only had one Walmart then and I thought it was a very attractive, smaller town.
“When I came back in 2013, Springdale had grown. It still wasn’t like California, though. When I came back Gomez (Zackious, SRO at Lakeside Junior High) saw me and said I would be a good police officer. I was tired of wearing a uniform and wasn’t ready to wear another one.”
Zackious was persistent and persuaded Aini to take the test.
“I took the test and here I am,” says Aini. “This is a very rewarding job. It is totally different from the army. I love it. I started on patrol and liked helping kids so I became an SRO.
“When it comes to helping kids, though, I am only a backup. Give all the credit to the teachers, principals and staff members. They work very, very hard to educate and take care of the kids.”
In his sixth year on the police force and third as an SRO, Aini admits this year has been different because of the national pandemic.
“I hate wearing masks,” he says. “You can’t tell if people are smiling or not. In my first two years as SRO, I loved seeing the kids smile when I would see them. Now we have strict guidelines to make sure we keep everyone safe. It’s crazy, weird. The only time I don’t wear a mask is when I am at home.”
At home he has a daughter who is at Central Junior High. His son graduated from Har-Ber High School this past spring and just joined the Navy. Aini says, “He will grow into a young man in the Navy. He will be a different man in three months.”
When he is not enjoying family time with his wife and daughter, Aini likes playing softball and bicycling.
“Softball is very popular among the Marshallese,” Aini says. “I play with many of them when it is warm. I like to play fast pitch but it makes you mad when you get hit by a pitch. I also like biking. I really enjoyed my time on bike patrol.”
Aini is glad Zackious talked him into taking the test to become a police officer and values his career. He and all the district SROs are among the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.
Monitor Elementary benefits from a partnership with Crystal Bridges. Every Monday Crystal Bridges delivers 50 bags with five lunches, five breakfasts and five sets of snacks for students who are virtual or quarantined. Great partnerships are another reason Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.
Springdale Schools is thankful for our students and families! #WeAreThankful
Please see the following flyer for important information regarding testing options in Springdale.
Please see the following flyers for important information regarding testing locations. For Spanish translation please visit our Escuelas de Springdale page.
A video documentary crew was at Springdale High School today to interview video production instructor Rachelle Nichols. Nichols' students watched and were able to ask questions. Real life learning experiences help make Springdale Public Schools #THEChoice.
Springdale School District is thankful for our school staff and educators! Shannon Tisher, Assistant Superintendent, shared why Thanksgiving is significant to her. #WeAreThankful
Randy Hutchinson, School Board member, shares with us what he is thankful for during this season. #WeAreThankful
So many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season! Marcia Smith, Associate Superintendent, shares what she is thankful for! #WeAreThankful
OVERTON HESSLER – SRO, SONORA MIDDLE SCHOOL, SONORA AND MONITOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Ever been to Overton, Texas? Probably not. It’s a pretty small dot on the map. Until a few years ago Overton Hessler hadn’t been there either but he made a side trip to see the town his parents named him after.
“It’s a little town, nothing special,” says Hessler, who serves as student resource officer at Sonora Middle School and Sonora and Monitor Elementary Schools. “My parents were traveling and drove through there while my mom was pregnant with me. They had already had two boys and wanted a girl. They had girls’ names lined up when they had me. So, they named me Overton.
“I hated it as a child. I wanted a common name. I have two sisters so they were able to use the girls’ names but I was stuck with Overton. As an adult I don’t mind. It’s a unique name but as a kid I didn’t think so.”
Hessler is unique in the path he has taken to become a police officer. He had been doing part time work for a while and was searching for a career when he heard a radio advertisement that said the Springdale police department was hiring.
“I was living in the Fort Smith area when I heard the ad,” Hessler recalls. “I found out they were hiring five or six officers so I thought my chances were pretty good. The first time I ever set foot in Springdale was when I applied for the job.
“I had applied at the Fort Smith police department and the Ozark and Fort Smith fire departments. Maybe it was because I wasn’t from the area but I wasn’t really welcomed at any of those places. Springdale was a different feel. The training officer was friendly and everyone was so welcoming. That meant something to me. I finally got the call and asked, ‘When do I come and where do I go?’”
Hessler was hired in 2007 and served on patrol, spent year as a detective, and trained officers until three years ago when he became an SRO.
“I had heard about the SRO program but I was happy on patrol,” Hessler says. “I loved the street. There was always something new and different. At the same time, I began sensing the need for a change. So, I became an SRO.
“Everyone at the schools has been great. They are all pleasant. This is still police work but it’s very different. There is a lot more positivity. Enforcement isn’t usually positive when you are on patrol. I am in the middle of my career and this has been a great change for me. It has been rejuvenating.”
While Hessler hopes to remain an SRO for a few years, he knows there are plenty of other opportunities in the Springdale police department.
“Being a police officer isn’t always easy but doing something new every now and then helps,” Hessler says. “It makes you better and more well-rounded. After serving on patrol I spent a year as a detective. I didn’t like it but it but I learned a lot. It made me better. I liked training officers and there are still some on the force that I trained. Training definitely makes you better. You have to understand your job to be able to explain it to others. It’s amazing how quickly time has gone by.”
Time didn’t move so quickly when Hessler was growing up. He lived in Hanover, Kansas, a community of 800 people.
“It was very different,” Hessler explains. “There were few job opportunities. If you didn’t own a farm you could work in a bank or as a mechanic but that was about it. It was a nice place to grow up because we were outdoors a lot. I learned to fish and hunt and still love to do both as an adult.”
Growing up in a small community led to Hessler enrolling in a small, private college. His mother graduated from Bethany College and he had visited the campus, so he went there, too. He had no idea what he wanted to do when he began his freshman year.
“I took a semester of art, then switched to psychology,” Hessler says. “I earned my degree and worked with a health company working with kids. I did that for two years and enjoyed it but it wasn’t a career.
“I changed gears and wanted to become a firefighter. I served as a volunteer in McPherson, Kansas. I did the training and everything you have to do to be a firefighter. I was dating a girl, Jessica, who I later married. She went to Bethany College on a basketball scholarship but wanted to be closer to her family in Arkansas. So, she came back and I followed her.
“Her dad is an ex-marine and I knew he would want to make sure his daughter was taken care of. So, I knew I needed to find a career before we got married. I joined the police force in 2007 and we were married in 2008.”
Hessler and his wife both work with students. Jessica is a teacher at Elkins High School. They also have three children of their own.
“Ours are five, seven and 10,” Hessler says. “They are all at Sonora Elementary. I think it’s fun for them when they see me at work. I can pop in an see them in class. After school they take a bus to Sonora Middle School and they go home with me.
“Since we have three kids, I’ve seen just about everything kids can try to pull on you. Being a parent makes you a better SRO. While all the students are someone else’s kids, when they are at school I think of all of them as mine. I want to make sure I am keeping them safe.”
Keeping students and staff safe is a duty all the Springdale SROs handle superbly. They are a major reason why Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.
Attention parents, please see the following links below to purchase tickets for the games listed: All tickets must be purchased online. No tickets will be sold at the gates to either game.
Link to purchase tickets to the Har-Ber Football vs Northside game tomorrow night at Wildcat Stadium - https://gofan.co/app/events/149445
Link to purchase tickets to the Springdale High Football at Conway game tomorrow night - https://gofan.co/app/events/149447?schoolId=AAA
Springdale Har-Ber senior Walker Immel has signed a letter of intent to play baseball while attending the University of Central Arkansas. He is a pitcher who also plays centerfield. #THEChoice
Springdale Har-Ber senior Avery Lanning has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball while attending Missouri Southern State University. #THEChoice
Noel Morris and Delia Farmer visited Turnbow Elementary to share the vision and mission of the Rotary Club with our 3rd graders. The Rotarians gave each student 3 books of their own to add to their home library! They left our kids with the following statement: All leaders are readers!
Thank you Freeyumm for your donation!
Thank you Walmart for your donation!
Thank for your donation Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council!
Springdale School Board | November Meeting
watch live:https://youtu.be/2NcUSu2yDRw
The School Board met with principal Allen Williams and vice principal Mendi Hayter from J.O. Kelly Middle School this morning to take a tour of the classrooms.
