|
You've got eMule!
Vol. 11 No. 13
Welcome back to The eMule! Here is the latest news from Poplar Bluff Schools to help start your week on the right hoof.
| Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center awarded $400K ARPA grant |  | |
The Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center will receive over half a million dollars in facility improvements through a 75 percent state, 25 percent local matching grant awarded recently by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Enhancements prioritized with the Missouri Area Career Center Opportunity money under the American Rescue Plan Act include security entrances with a video buzz-in system for doors and gates as well as roof replacements for the two largest buildings on campus, if funds allow.
“All the money that has come in through our facility of recent has gone toward big-ticket items to prepare for lean times in a [hypothetical] scenario where the roof was bad four years from now, and the district didn’t have money to repair it,” explained Charles Kinsey, TCC director. “The slate of projects was developed by upper administration, prioritized locally based on work orders, then presented to the board so the buildings can outlast me by a long shot, and serve the Technical Career Center kids for another 30 years.”
The Board of Education approved the grant proposal during its October board meeting with a $133,000 commitment from the district. Kinsey anticipates requesting bids in the near-term and hopefully finalizing costs associated with the projects by the end of the school year so work can take place over the summer, if possible, depending on contractors. The district has two years to obligate the funds and another two years to utilize the grant prior to reimbursement.
The TCC received its award notice on Monday, Nov. 28, along with 50 other CTE institutions, the majority of which secured the maximum amount of $400,000 through ARPA. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson included the expenditure in his fiscal year 2023 budget proposed to the General Assembly, his office announced.
“Career and technical education is critical to our workforce development goals here in the state of Missouri,” Parson said in a press release. “Every day the necessity for a post-secondary degree, trade or industry recognized credential is growing for good-paying jobs across the state, and we want to support Missourians as they seek to learn new skills, especially in our career and technical education programs.”
The MACCO grant has been designated to enhance the state’s CTE capacity by providing more opportunities for students while updating and modernizing career centers’ infrastructure and equipment, according to DESE, including: renovating or building an addition to an existing area career center, or improving infrastructure for safety and equipment needs. The TCC listed an Internet server upgrade and epoxy floors lower down on its priorities should a second round of funding become available.
“Our governor is very workforce-minded, and the way legislature has allocated funding has been very pro career and technical education. These factors together combined with the erratic labor market, exasperating the skills gap—between [baby] boomers retiring and the workforce capability shrinking—are the reasons attracting graduates with beginning skills is on a lot of people’s minds, our local board included, so it’s kind of logical money comes in this direction,” Kinsey continued. "My team of teachers and the superintendent [cabinet] has taken the opportunity to future proof, if you will, and just create the best possible programs, with equipment and facilities, to support our community.”
Above: An aerial view of the TCC on the northwest portion of the Poplar Bluff’s secondary campus is pictured between the baseball diamond and corner of tennis courts along the right side.
| First lady Parson approves over $1K in grant projects at Mark Twain |  | |
Mark Twain School has been awarded $1,100 for its Jobs for America’s Graduates program in a string of new grant initiatives under Missouri first lady Teresa Parson’s Moving Missouri Forward Foundation.
Last month, JAG-Poplar Bluff was awarded $500 through Parson’s inaugural Entrepreneur/Philanthropic Challenge; along with two $300 Community Project Funding grants for middle school students and high schoolers, respectively.
“She is a huge supporter of the program,” said JAG specialist Darla Nunn of Mark Twain. “I am very excited about this opportunity for our students.”
The week following Parson’s visit to Mark Twain in October during a tour of JAG programs, over which she serves as co-chair with Gov. Mike Parson, grant proposals were solicited via the first lady’s office. Nunn said the students came up with the ideas for the submissions.
Earlier this month, students went shopping for fleece materials to make blankets for children in need at the Bread Shed food ministry. Family and consumer sciences teacher Paula Colvin of the High School, who serves as Southeast Missouri chapter coordinator over Project Linus, provided Nunn the no-sew pattern.
Students began distributing the homemade blankets, along with some prefabricated, during free diaper day on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the North D Street location. Bread Shed Director Chris Kellums contributed an additional $200 toward the cause in donated Walmart gift cards because, he stated: “There are families in need. It’s a good thing. I’m thankful for these kids.”
In the spring, Mark Twain students plan to collaborate with the Haven House women’s shelter in establishing a raised community garden for residents at a mutual location to be determined, according to Nunn. A total of $6,000 was awarded to JAG schools throughout the state, according to Teresa Parson’s chief of staff Jill Fansler, who said the goal was to “help students understand the importance of giving back to their communities.”
The final proposal was for students to use a recently acquired Cricut to create merchandise for fundraising such as clothing and stickers using vinyl in the smart cutting machine, Nunn explained. Teresa Parson allocated $12,000 for the initiative in order to “help students understand how to start and operate a sustainable small business,” Fansler continued.
“We’re proud of all you accomplish through JAG,” she wrote in the award letter. “Keep up the good work.”
The Moving Missouri Forward Foundation was formed this year, according to Fansler. In addition to supporting JAG-Missouri, a school-based career exploration program, the nonprofit is designed to help children with special needs as well as finance Teresa Parson’s CommUNITY Service Challenge, according to its website. “All her initiatives deal with helping children,” Fansler explained of the first lady.
For more information, visit www.movingmoforwardfdn.org.
Photos: Shawn Politte of Mark Train School helps distribute blankets to families with young children on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Bread Shed. (Photography credit: Bread Shed volunteer Malissa Timbush).
|  | Fourth grader competes against hundreds to win Math Counts |  | |
Poplar Bluff Middle School student Ivy Hoang was named the 2022 Math Counts champion out of hundreds of fourth graders on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the Municipal Library.
The annual multiplication competition, sponsored by the Butler County Community Resource Council, returned after a short hiatus caused by the health crisis. The brainchild of the CRC Children and Youth Succeeding In School Committee, Math Counts was founded in 2011, according to chairperson Kathern Harris.
“Two of you said you made it here because of hard work and you believed in yourself,” Harris told the four finalists, half of whom joked how luck may have played a part. “That’s what life is about. If you believe you can, you have a better chance.”
Ivy vied neck and neck against top students Brayden Conover, Wyatt Ward and Nelson Xiao. She came in second place on the time clock, but was the only student who answered all the math problems correctly, taking precedence in the judging criteria, according to organizers.
Facilitated by Lake Road fourth grade math teacher Deanna Ross, and math interventionist Karmen Carson of the Middle School, the competition has been progressing across campus over the past month. R-I instructional coach Keri Jameson is credited for helping to transition the contest to a virtual platform, with the exception of the championship round, hosted at the North Main Street library branch.
During the final eliminator, 28 vied, including four from Lake Road Elementary, with seven students scoring perfectly, coming down to milliseconds, reported Jameson. A total of 326 R-I fourth graders submitted answers within the time limit during the opening week in November.
"I thought I could do it," said Ivy, when she introduced herself as a former O'Neal student, along with two of the other schoolmates, while one student shared that he attended elementary at Eugene Field. Asked afterward how she prepared, Ivy replied that she simply “memorized through my brain” the practice multiplication tables introduced in math class. Middle School Principal Dr. Josh Teeter was present to support the students, each of whom displayed “great attitudes,” Harris noted.
Above: With facilitators overseeing, fourth grade students take the Math Counts championship assessment on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library.
Below: Middle School students (left to right) Brayden Conover, Nelson Xiao and Wyatt Ward applaud Ivy Hoang, as she is presented a trophy by Kathern Harris over the CRC Children and Youth Succeeding In School Committee.
|  | |  |
|
Winter Break
Students will be dismissed from Thursday, Dec. 22-Wednesday, Jan. 4, for the Christmas holiday. School will resume on Thursday, Jan. 5.
Beauty & the Beast
The PBHS Drama Club presents Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13-14, as well as Jan. 20-21, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, in the Kay Porter Theater on Victory Lane. Tickets cost $5 at the door.
Collect the Caps
The PBHS Beta Club is collecting teal bottle caps on Dr. Pepper products through Jan. 31, 2023, for a chance to win up to $10K through the annual Collect the Caps contest, co-sponsored by Pepsi MidAmerica. The special caps are being accepted in 50-gallon barrels at the 3209 Oak Grove Road campus from the following 16&20-ounce, and 1&2-liter bottles: Diet/Cherry/Dr. Pepper, Diet/7Up, Squirt, Crisp & Clear water, and Orange/Grape/Strawberry Crush. Last year, the student organization won $6,000 through the contest, and $2,500 in 2019.
|  | |
On Monday, Dec. 5, KFVS12 reported about the Poplar Bluff Board of Education hiring Dr. Aaron Cornman as superintendent beginning in the 2023/24 school year.
KAIT8 also reported about Dr. Cornman succeeding Dr. Scott Dill as Poplar Bluff superintendent.
The DAR additionally reported about Dr. Cornman, set to take the reins in July.
Lastly, KWOC reported about incoming superintendent Dr. Cornman.
On Tuesday, Dec. 6, FOX23 reported about Dr. Cornman’s new position, with its initial announcement airing the previous day.
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, KWOC reported about our McDonald’s Outstanding Educators.
The DAR reported about the Math Counts championship.
On Thursday, Dec. 8, the Standard Democrat introduced Dr. Cornman.
KWOC reported about our Missouri All-State Choir students.
On Saturday, Dec. 10, KFVS12 reported about our Competition Cheerleading Team winning the Missouri High School Cheerleading State Championship for the second consecutive year.
KAIT8 also reported about the back-to-back State Championship victory by our PBHS Cheerleaders.
The DAR honored our Junior High Students of the Month.
| |
