About Ms. Jarrett

Although I originally lived at Silver Lake near the Pendleton Bridge & attended the Dumas School District until 3rd grade, I consider the small town of Gillett, Arkansas my home. (GO WOLVES!)  I am the eldest of three children; and I have two adorable mini me's ----seriously, I get told all the time that my niece and nephew look more like me than they look like their own parents.  My mother has taught elementary school for 17+ years and is currently a 5th grade science teacher in DeWitt, whereas my dad has been a conductor for Union Pacific Railroad for nearly 20 years now.

As a teen, I found myself drawn to the library.  It was soothing to me, a comfort.  Anyone could find me in the school library during lunch ---reading, shelving books, talking to the librarian Mrs. Anita Trimble, prepping the room for an upcoming class.  I also spent my summers volunteering nearly every day at the Cleon Collier Memorial Library with Mrs. Peggy Bailey in my hometown.  I learned to create the book cards for new books in the old card catalog, weeded out old books from the shelves, became familiar with the Dewey Decimal System (need a book on hobbies?  Go to the section in the 700s!), gave book talks/suggestions to people (You liked the author Gayle Foreman?  Try this author next.), etc.

After I graduated from Gillett High School with a class of 23 students, I went to the University of Arkansas at Monticello and obtained my Bachelor of Arts in English Education degree.  I immediately went to Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and worked on my English as a Second Language/ESL teaching license while getting a Master of Education in Instructional Technology/M.ed degree in order to become certified as a PreK-12th grade library media specialist.

I taught in a classroom for a few years & enjoyed it immensely, but I always felt I had not found my niche.  Then I got a call in the spring of 2008 about a library position, where I enjoyed working at Crossett Middle School for 5 years... Due to my hands-on experience working in the libraries as a teen, my coworkers were always amazed to hear that Crossett was my first official library job.  One teacher with 30+ years of experience playfully argued with me the entire first semester that Crossett could NOT be my first job as a librarian because I did it so effortlessly!  But it was!!!!!!  I promise!!!

However in the fall of 2013, I found myself at the Monticello High School library and have been here ever since!  I sponsor the MHS Library Club and am a certified Google Educator, Level 2.  Among other duties, I am a co-administrator of the MHS website, the MHS bulletin, and am in charge of of the campus chromebooks.  And if there is a problem with a student's computer, a projector won't connect, or questions about Google Suites, I get called in for that too! I wear many hats around here!  But I am always ready to talk books with students!

I do NOT like frogs, despite the library decor.  In fact you won't find a single frog picture/knick knack anywhere in my home!!!  My favorite color just happens to be green, which is why I chose that classroom theme.  On the other hand, I do consider myself a bookworm & a computer geek in my spare time.  I am an amateur videographer with a steadily growing YouTube channel.  Occasionally I find myself painting "acrylic fluid art," although for some reason, that creative streak surprises a lot of people.  I have been a DHS/DCFS foster parent since 2015...  Overall, I stay busy!  For all my media, check out my SOLO links.

Romance novels are my preference in reading material; Diana Palmer, Catherine Anderson, and Johanna Lindsey are just a few of my favorite authors. Supernatural horror is my go-to genre in movies, with fantasy as a close second.  (Harry Potter?  Yep.  Disney is making a live action LILO & STITCH?  YESSSS!  Scary ghost movies?  Count me in!)  My music taste runs toward classic 70s/80s rock but can vary from country, southern gospel to silly stuff like Gummibar; but the most important music statement I can make is this:  I've been a fan of the class rock singer Meat Loaf since I was four years old.  So to end this mini bio, as he says, "Never ever stop rockin'!"  (Or readin'!)  Thanks for taking the time to read this mini bio.  See ya'll at MHS.