Arkansas Arts Academy -

Arkansas Arts Academy HS is excited to bring Film to the mix this Fall! Pace Hill is a professional filmmaker from Nashville, Arkansas. His favorite movie is Michael Campus’s The Mack (1973) which was introduced to him by his grandfather at an early age. His hobbies include attending live concerts, playing drums, and thrift shopping. Mr. Hill will being teaching Intro to Film and Film History. We look forward to getting his professional expertise on our campus! Welcome Mr. Hill.

AAA K-6 Welcomes Mrs. Jessica Bogle! This will be Mrs. Bogle's 6th year teaching and 7th year in education. She's taught everything from K-3rd grade. Most recently, she taught at Hope Academy. "I’m looking forward to teaching math full time in fourth grade - and being with my oldest class year yet!" Mrs. Bogle loves to renovate houses with her husband and go on hikes with their dog, Rayna. "We love to travel and are always in the process of planning our next trip. You can always catch me reading a book on my sun porch or heading out to the lake." Welcome to the team, Mrs. Bogle!

Mrs. Amanda Shover, counselor at Arkansas Arts Academy Elementary School, is beginning her ninth year in school counseling. She worked as a therapist for 14 years, serving children and families in school-based and outpatient settings in both the non-profit and private sectors. Amanda shared “I was drawn to Arkansas Arts Academy, because through my interventions as a therapist, I saw the amazing healing and expressive power of art.” Mrs. Shover holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Arkansas and started her career writing health and education news. These interviews and articles led to an interest in a helping profession and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “Being a school counselor is a dream come true, because I get to build relationships with children every day. They amaze me with their life stories, humor, ideas, talents, and perseverance. Each day is more like an adventure than a job.” Mrs. Shover and her husband, Drew, live in Bentonville, with their daughter who is a senior at the U of A. Outside of counseling, Mrs. Shover loves reading, walking Northwest Arkansas’ beautiful trails, watching the Razorbacks, and spending time with her three dogs.

AAA is excited to welcome Aaron Solloway to the team! He has taught Language Arts for 15 years. He is originally from NWA, and has decided to settle down here after teaching overseas for most of his career. He has taught Language Arts in four different countries! When he is not teaching English, he enjoys reading, playing the guitar or hiking. He also has a pug named Hana Mae.

AAA High school is excited to welcome back Mrs. Alex Fry! She is excited to return to Arkansas Arts Academy- this time as a teacher! She graduated from AAA in its beginning days in 2010 and went on to get her degree in Musical Theatre Performance. She has recently returned to the NWA area after almost a decade of living in New York City, and a year travelling the country with her husband and 90lbs pup in a van they converted! In addition to teaching, Alex is a singer-songwriter - you can find her music wherever you stream! Welcome Back Mrs. Fry!

AAA K-6 Welcomes Mrs. Katie Bouwhuis! Mrs. Bouwhuis began her journey in education in 1992! She has taught preK- 4, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, but not simultaneously! After starting her family, she worked as a lead in a pre-K 4 classroom. They moved to NWA 15 years ago, and she has been teaching in Bentonville School District for the past 10 years. Most recently, Mrs. Bouwhuis taught 4th grade at Osage Creek Elementary. She is certified to teach all core subjects in grades first through eighth, and she is a graduate of the Arkansas Teacher Leadership Academy. She received her Arts Integration Specialist Certification from the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM in 2021, and this past year she received her ESOL certification from the U of A! "As you can tell, I am constantly learning and growing to improve my art of teaching. I am so excited to give my full efforts to Artful Learning and Arts Integration at Arkansas Arts Academy. There is something magical and powerful about accessing the power of learning in and through the arts!" Mrs. Bouwhuis is married to Norman, and they have 3 beautiful daughters and 2 pretty awesome sons-in-law. "I've recently taken up road and mountain biking with my husband in our empty nester days, please pray for me! I love to decorate, shop, and garden. But, my biggest passion is cooking and baking. I love to bring joy to others through a great party and spectacular food! I can't wait to begin my journey here at Arkansas Arts Academy." Welcome to the team, Mrs. Bouwhuis!

Shari Cathcart-Sievert is excited to join the AAA music team as one of the Beginning Guitar and Beginning Percussion teachers. She has taught music in a variety of roles for the past 23 years. Shari taught junior high choir, general music, percussion, and elementary music in the public school setting in Clarksville and Bentonville. She’s also been music director for numerous musicals for children and adults through Trike and Arts One Presents, as well as ran her own private voice and piano studio. Shari is a National Board Certified teacher who holds a Bachelors in Vocal Music Education from Arkansas Tech University, a Masters in Educational Theory and Practice from Arkansas State University, and a Graduate Certificate in Social Justice from Phillips Theological Seminary. Shari and her wife, Nikki, have four children ranging in ages 4-13 years old. They also have four dogs and two cats. Between all the chaos of kids and pets, if there is any spare time, Shari enjoys singing while playing on her baby grand piano at home and going to musicals with her wife.

AAA K-6 Welcomes Mr. Kevin Guy! Mr. Guy has been in education for about 20 years. He most recently taught at the Center for Black Educator Development. "I look forward to collaborating with faculty, the students, and the community. I am beyond excited about working with a progressive art school." Mr. Guy comes from a family that enjoys sports. "My mom's family hails from Memphis and dad's from Louisiana." Mr. Guy loves animals, gymnastics, track and field, tennis, WWE, and most importantly food. Welcome to the team, Mr. Guy!

We are excited to announce that Yannik Dwyer, an Arkansas Arts Academy Alumni, Matty Davis, a guest teacher at our school last school year, and Karen Castleman, a former faculty member at Arkansas Arts Academy, will be among the inspiring speakers sharing their perspectives and insights at this exciting event. Please join us tonight! https://themomentary.org/calendar/artist-conversation-die-no-die-arkansas/

AAA proudly presents our August breakfast and lunch menu's. Make sure you fill out the required Free and Reduced Meal application and familiarize yourself with Mypaymentsplus. Good food awaits!

Thank you to the @arkansasmarshallese for allowing @artsk12.org to participate in the Stroll the Atolls Festival. AAA is a FREE public K-12 charter school. A school choice open with free transportation to our campuses in Rogers. Register today! https://www.artsk12.org/

Click below to learn more about our three amazing counselors at the high school campus! https://www.smore.com/tr2xu

AAA K-6 Welcomes Mrs. Lisa Dunahee! Mrs. Dunahee is starting her 24th year in education. For the last nine years, she has been teaching preschool in Wisconsin. "I look forward to getting to know the families and staff at AAA," she said. Mrs. Dunahee and her husband Bob have four children (two boys and two girls) and two grandchildren. Most of them live in Wisconsin, but their youngest will be a 7th grader at AAA in the fall. They love camping and are excited to have a longer camping season here in Arkansas and a shorter winter than in Wisconsin. "We love it here and are happy we made the move." We're happy you did too, Mrs. Dunahee! Welcome to the AAA family!

Ms. Erin Hamaker is entering her 3rd year in education and will be teaching and assisting students as part of our special services team. We are so excited to have her join the AAA team! She lives in Farmington, AR with her two black cats (Tom and Jerry) and enjoys collaging and watching reality tv in her free time. Ms. Hamaker did theatre in high school and is passionate about incorporating student creativity through arts integration and exploration in the math classroom. Help us welcome Ms. Hamaker to AAA!

AAA K-6 Welcomes Mr. Taylor Lenon! This will be Mr. Lenon's twelfth year of teaching. He most recently taught at Frederica Academy in St. Simons, Georgia. Mr. Lenon is looking forward to the AAA school lunch. "I heard it was pretty good!" He also said, "I like art and math; it will be fun to tie the two together." Mr. Lenon and his family moved to the area to be closer to family. His daughter will be in third grade at AAA, his wife works at a church in Springdale. His hobbies include camping, photography, and disc golf. Welcome to the family, Mr. Lenon!

AAA K-6 Welcomes Ms. Abbey Tabor! Ms. Tabor most recently taught in Pea Ridge. Before that, she was a substitute in the Kansas City Area for two years. While in KC, Ms. Tabor ran before/after school programs and summer camps for almost 10 years for the KC area as well as for Johnson County Park & Recreation District (JCPRD). Ms. Tabor is looking forward to joining the Arkansas Arts Community and staff and having a great school year. "I am excited to continue learning and progressing in my teaching career." Ms. Tabor loves spending time with family and friends. She also loves to make blankets, read, and watch movies. "I am a big sports fan. I love College Football - K State Wildcats, in particular, as well as MLB - KC Royals." Welcome to the family, Ms. Tabor!

We are excited to share that our students at the elementary are outperforming state and regional averages in many areas of ACT Aspire! We are so proud of our team!

AAA K-6 Welcomes Ms. Gracelyn Velasquez! Ms. Velasquez is a recent graduate from the University of Missouri, and this is her first year as an educator. She most recently student taught second grade in Columbia, Missouri. "I am looking forward to the start of the school year and working with the AAA team to foster learning and creativity. I cannot wait to meet the second graders and the AAA community!" Some of Ms. Velasquez's hobbies include traveling, visiting National Parks, and hiking with her two dogs. Welcome to the family, Ms. Velasquez!

Arkansas Arts Academy High School is excited to be expanding our partnership with NWACC to offer Concurrent Credit Courses taught by approved AAA teachers on the 7-12 campus! We are proud to have Mrs. Gloria Spalter (pictured below) teaching College Composition I and II for our students. Students can earn college credit while attending their normal schedule on the HS campus.

AAA K-6 Welcomes Mrs. Jessica Johnson! This will be Mrs. Johnson's third year in education. She said, "I can't wait to work with this awesome team! Everyone is so warm and welcoming." Mrs. Johnson and her husband, Destin, live in Bentonville with their dog (daughter), Piper. They moved to NWA in 2019 from Little Rock for the mountain biking scene. "He's a lot better on the bike than me, a LOT better, but I love that we have a hobby we can enjoy together!" Welcome to the family, Mrs. Johnson!