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Welcome to The eMule! Here is the latest news of the Poplar Bluff School District to help start your week on the right hoof.
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Several TCC students to compete nationally
The most in recent memory, 11 Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center students placed in the Missouri SkillsUSA contest held Thursday through Saturday, April 5-7, at the State Technical College of Missouri in Linn.
Out of 30 participants who advanced from the district to state level - Luke Cook, Hailey Garrett, Jeramiah Gracia, Nick Loyd, Lara Pierce, Nickalas Richards, Lane White and Levi White have qualified to vie in the national competition June 25-29 in Louisville, Ky.
In addition, the aforementioned students each received $1,000-2,000 scholarships to Linn College, along with Brooke Francisco, Michaelyn Hatton and Tara Hutchinson, who also earned top placement.
"This is an exceptional, well-balanced group of kids that are here to learn," said carpentry instructor Jody Cochran, SkillsUSA senior advisor. "To make it to state or nationals speaks for our school system and lets people know what kind of education they can get out here."
State events that TCC students led in include barbering, carpentry technical information, cosmetology, cosmetology tech info, culinary arts, esthetics, nurse assisting, T-shirt design and team works. More than 3,000 students, educators and industry officials were in attendance.
The students going on to participate this summer plan to fundraise to offset uniform, registration and travel costs. Cochran referred to the opportunity as "life changing," explaining that industry officials may be in attendance to recruit students into the workforce.
"When you're getting national recognition-the top of the top-there are trade people set up wanting to hire these students," Cochran said. "There are folks retiring and lots of spots opening, and opportunities to make good money and have a good job for a long time."
More than 1,000 trade associations and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA through financial aid, in-kind contributions and involvement of their people in activities, according to a press release from the national organization.
Above: TCC students who medaled at the Missouri SkillsUSA competition were (front row from left) Jeramiah Gracia, Brooke Francisco and Hailey Garrett; (second row) Lara Pierce and Nickalas Richards; (third row, left to right) Tara Hutchinson, Michaelyn Hatton and Levi White; and (back row) Nick Loyd, Lane White and Luke Cook.
Below: Lane and Levi White, Luke Cook, and Nick Loyd demonstrate framing, electrical, plumbing and masonry skills during the team works event.
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Math-A-Thon efforts reach $1M milestone
Poplar Bluff R-I has raised over $1 million for St. Jude since the 1988/89 academic year when the school system first became involved in the Math-A-Thon fundraiser.
While several individual schools in the United States have surpassed Poplar Bluff's $45,000 contribution this year, R-I is the only participant that has contributed on a district-wide basis for 30 years consistently, according to a representative from the children's research hospital.
"We thank the Poplar Bluff School District for allowing the students to participate in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon each year, continuing to help advance the mission of the hospital of finding cures and saving children," stated Ann Culpepper of St. Jude's Enterprise Contact Center.
The district's participation started at O'Neal Elementary with retired principal Lorenzo Sandlin, who unfortunately knew firsthand of the comfort the medical facility can provide when a child tragically is inflicted with the diabolical disease. From the 1994/95 school year to 1998/99, Eugene Field got involved, then Lake Road, Junior High, Oak Grove and lastly the Middle School.
While Math-A-Thon is a K-8 fundraiser, the entire district contributes in some capacity, including fun books, skate nights, dress-down days and much more. Sandlin's coordinating successor, Oak Grove Principal Jenifer Richardson, noted that the community plays a huge part too, donating portions of proceeds if not 100 percent during business nights.
"I knew it meant a lot to Lorenzo to see the program continue to succeed," explained Richardson with regard to picking up where Sandlin left off in 2013. "Our district has a special tie to [St. Jude] because we have had children receive health care there. You never know when one of our own children will need that assistance."
About 8,500 children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases are treated at the Memphis hospital each year and their families never receive a bill for care, travel, housing or food, according to a fact-sheet Culpepper supplied. The overall childhood cancer survival rate has increased from 20 to 80 percent because of treatments invented at St. Jude since the hospital opened its doors in 1962.
Sandlin and his wife Debbie were honored for adopting the cause in order to teach students about charity during the special recognition portion of the school board meeting on Thursday, April 19, in the Administrative Building. "We'll go for that next million right away," Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill assured the couple.
Above: Visiting St. Jude on Friday, April 6, were chaperones/parents (from left) Jenifer Richardson, Melanie Schalk, Cheryl Berry, Staci Barker, Shiela Boyles, Hilary Taylor, Stephanie Halter, Angie Bowman and Lorenzo Sandlin; and top fundraising students (in alphabetical order) Truston Alexander, Madeline Allbritton, Owen Baucom, Makayla Cantu, Alexis Cochran, Audrey Davis, Daine Dugas, Natalya Johnson, Anna Lack, Tristan Lady, Sawyer Richardson, Natalea Rommel, Aiden Sandlin, Clayton Schalk, Laine Schalk, Audrey Smith, Bailey Smith, Sara Tolliver, Caleb Vinson and Bristol Weadon. Not present for the photo was student Charlie Raglin.
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Hundreds compete in Special Olympics
Dozens of Poplar Bluff students participated with over 200 athletes traveling from 20 schools and agencies during the Southeast Area Special Olympics spring games on Friday, April 20, at Fred M. Morrow Stadium.
First and second place winners of the running, jumping, throwing and wheelchair-events qualify to compete at the state level this summer, according to Penny Williams, Special Olympics Missouri development director. R-I student athletes represented O'Neal, Middle School, Junior High and Senior High, where school-wide sendoffs were held prior to the games.
Volunteering to help organize the event included PBHS and Middle School Student Council, and the Junior High Beta Club. PBJHS has proudly hosted the spring games for around two decades.
Above: Mikekel Payne of Kennett waves the Special Olympics flag while Trooper Ryan Windham of the Missouri State Highway Patrol carries the torch during the opening ceremonies.
Below: Spectators cheer while student athletes cross the finish line during a race.
Click
here to view all the photos and be sure to hit SHARE!
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Lake Road, Junior High nationally recognized
Lake Road and Junior High have been selected among only four schools in Missouri and 123 in the United States as national showcase award winners under the Capturing Kids' Hearts program, the company has announced.
"You and your team have created an outstanding environment for students and staff to learn and grow together," Kelsie Acres of the Flippen Group stated. "During our team's visit to your school, the positive energy and welcoming tone was evident from the moment they arrived."
The Texas-based Flippen Group, which administers the professional development, recently scheduled site visits to the nominated schools, interviewing the campus community and gathering quantitative and qualitative data on improvements.
Capturing Kids' Hearts teaches processes in order to increase students' connectedness with both peers and adults on campus, according to a press release from the company. Junior High first piloted the iniative during the 2013/14 school year. Now a district-wide practice, Lake Road began implementation in 2016.
A
repeat national showcase award winner, Junior High shifted its focus this year to building relationship capacity with students, instating kindness week by initiating an Instagram challenge, and creating a shoutout or affirmation wall. The school continues to offer Teen Leadership I and II as an elective.
"I felt like our teachers have a firm foundation so we thought we'd work with the student body, building on the additional training we have received from the Flippen Group" as a result of the honor, PBJHS Principal Candace Warren commented.
Having achieved gold-level recognition under the school-wide positive behavior support program, Lake Road teaches and reinforces expectations in order to improve student behavior. Office discipline referrals are currently on track to be lower than last year, which was already a hallmark year since starting PBIS. While Lake Road has always had classroom expectations, Principal Erica Weadon said asking students to create their own social contract-one of the tools taught through Capturing Kids' Hearts-leads to more buy-in.
"I believe it's helped with our classroom climate, bringing us closer as a community. After you do it so long, it becomes your culture," Weadon explained. "Now we hold each other accountable for all those [directives] and at some point, you no longer have to hold people accountable-it's just what they do."
Photos: Sean Dunphy, Flippen Group leadership development strategist, observes classrooms and interviews students during a site visit last month to Lake Road.
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March Athletes of the Month
The Mules Booster Club has named Shelbey Johnson and Turner Fritts of Poplar Bluff High School the March Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Turner, a senior baseball player, has a .611 batting average, .741 on base percentage, 12 hits, two doubles, one triple, five homeruns, 17 RBIs, 15 runs scored and five walks. He earned straight A's during the first semester. He recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play ball for Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.
"Turner is an outstanding young man that leads on and off the field of play," his coach Steven Edwards said. "Turner is a true example of a leader we want to represent Poplar Bluff High School."
Shelbey, a senior soccer player, has six goals and one assist in six games. She holds all scoring records for PBHS. In the classroom, she maintains a 10.458 grade point average. She signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Westminster College in Fulton.
"Not only a great athlete/competitor on the soccer field but she is a great student in the classroom," her coach Rusty Crafton said. "Shelbey strives to be the very best she can be on and off the field."
Above: Shelbey Johnson and Turner Fritts receive AOM awards from Booster Club member Brian Taylor on Tuesday, April 10.
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Bonus: Ask and you shall receive
Asked how she obtained the "Star Trek Beyond" life-size movie poster, PBHS science teacher Kathy Miller said she simply asked AMC. Miller keeps a sci-fi/superhero theme in her classroom, "because it's all physics," she noted.
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Golf Tourney
The 19th annual Golf Tournament for the Poplar Bluff School Foundation will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, April 27, at Ozark Ridge Golf Course, with lunch being served at noon. To enter a team in the four-person scramble or to became a hole sponsor, call Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill's office at 573-785-7751. All proceeds go toward student scholarships and innovative teacher projects!
Plant Sale
The FFA will hold its annual plant sale from 2-4 p.m. Monday, April 30, to Thursday, May 3, in the PBHS greenhouse. Walk-ins are welcomed! The plants will also be for sale during the season opening of the Downtown Poplar Bluff Farmer's Market from 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 5, at 301 S. 5th St. All proceeds go to support the FFA chapter!
Pinewood Derby
The Sioux District will host a Pinewood Derby at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at Poplar Bluff High School. Click
here to register or sponsor!
ECH Screening
Early Childhood Center screenings for the 2018/19 school year will take place on Thursday, May 24. Child must be between 3 and 4 years old by July 31, 2018. To schedule an appointment, contact secretary Sandy Case at 573-785-6803. Please have child's social security number available when calling.
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On Tuesday, April 10,
the DAR reported about our Middle School Teacher of the Year Aleanna Moore.
On Wednesday, April 11, the DAR reported about our school board reorganization.
On Thursday, April 12, the DAR published a photo spread promoting the PBHS Drama Club's performance of "Fools."
On Sunday, April 15, the DAR featured R-I staff in its Let's Talk segment.
On Tuesday, April 17, the ShowMe Times reported about our 5th annual
Leadership Day; and our
NTHS spring induction.
The DAR reported about PBHS senior Katie Sliger signing a National Letter of Intent to run track and cross country for William Jewell College in Liberty.
On Thursday, April 19, River Radio featured Superintendent Scott Dill on Clear 94, KWOC and The Bone.
Life Radio also featured Dr. Dill in its monthly installment about the school district.
The DAR reported about PBJHS' participation in Earth Day activities at Wappapello Lake.
On Sunday, April 22, the DAR reported about the Special Olympics; and PBJHS & Middle School Grade-Span TOY Courtney Rutledge
In the Spring edition of MSTA School & Community magazine, Eugene Field teachers were featured for their
student-led parent conferences.
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