Board names Roberts Elementary media center for late teacher and assistant principal Misty Sims
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Summary
The Little Rock school board voted to name the Roberts Elementary media center the Misty Sims Memorial Library, honoring a longtime staff member who served as assistant principal and later as a reading teacher at the school.
The Little Rock School District Board of Directors voted on May 15 to name the Roberts Elementary media center the “Misty Sims Memorial Library” to honor the school’s late reading teacher and former assistant principal.
Principal Steven Helmick, speaking for Roberts Elementary, told the board of Sims’s long service to the school and the district and described her decision to step down from a leadership role to return to classroom reading instruction. Helmick said, “It would be an honor to celebrate her legacy for decades to come in a space that she helped cultivate and build.” He and other school representatives described Sims as a longtime teacher, assistant principal and reading instructor who helped hundreds of students.
Board member Miss Westlake made the motion to approve the naming; members moved, seconded and approved the measure by voice vote. Several directors spoke in support and noted personal connections to Sims and her family during the brief discussion.
Why it matters: The naming recognizes a staff member who served both in school leadership and classroom roles and who colleagues said chose to return to direct instruction out of a passion for student literacy.
Implementation: The district will place a commemorative plaque at the media center and coordinate a dedication with Sims’s family and Roberts staff. The board’s action was recorded in the meeting minutes and will be executed by the district’s facilities and communications teams.
