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Welcome back to The eMule! Here is the latest news from the Poplar Bluff R-I School District to help start your week on the right hoof. Thanks to our veterans for your service to the country. Look for our coverage from today's observance in next week's edition.
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PBJHS celebrates Scooby-Doo Day
Voice actor and radio personality Scott Innes, a Poplar Bluff native, visited Junior High on Monday, Nov. 4, to inspire a team of students named in his honor.
"You can be anything you want to be in life, you just gotta put your foot in there," Innes told over 100 students during a special assembly in the gymnasium. "It comes down to how bad you want something."
A graduate of the PBHS Class of 1986 (or perhaps it was 1987 when he earned his diploma, he noted), Innes got his start broadcasting on
KLID Radio in Poplar Bluff. At age 13, he said he held the distinction of being the youngest disc jockey in America for the time, as he hosted an evening program.
At Poplar Bluff Schools, Innes was known as a class clown, he said, and enjoyed "recreating cartoon scenes" by "learning impressions" in order to make people laugh. During an on the air interview, he made a connection with Don Messick, the original voice of Scooby-Doo, and went on to successfully audition for the role after the voice actor's passing in 1997.
With his unique talent, Innes says he did voices for about 1,000 talking toys, video games and television commercials over the years playing characters that included Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Scrappy-Doo and others. Most recently he voiced a 2019 Super Bowl commercial advertising Walmart's grocery pickup service with an appearance of the "mystery machine."
His favorite role, he said, was in the 1998 film, "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island," because it was the first movie that Warner Bros. produced in which the supernatural creatures were made to be "real," as opposed to people in costumes.
Innes also has song writing credits to his name, including Kenny Rogers' "Handprints on the Wall," and Shenandoah's recent Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute, "Freebird in the Wind," featuring Charlie Daniels. Today, Innes resides with his wife Cindy in Baton Rouge, where he hosts a classic hits radio show on 103.3 FM.
He had already planned to visit his hometown to host a fundraiser for the Christian-based recovery program, Recycling Grace Women's Center, when he linked up with Junior High Math Department head Christ Wheat, who informed him about House Innes. Each of the teams in Junior High's house system, based on the Ron Clark Academy model, are named after famous living Poplar Bluffians. In September, former NFL player
Eddie Moss also visited his alma mater.
"Dreams are nothing more than reality waiting to happen," Innes said in a video message posted on the PBJHS
Facebook. During the assembly, he took the opportunity to deliver a series of positive messages, including encouraging students to "keep away from substances," not to bully one another, and to always help those in need.
Designed to create a sense of camaraderie, each of the pods at Junior High have additionally adopted a service project this school year. Team Innes has chosen to make their donation to Recycling Grace as well as St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, according to Wheat.
Above: Poplar Bluff native Scott Innes, a voice actor, sings the "Scooby-Doo" theme song.
Below: Following the assembly for Team Innes, namesake Scott Innes poses for photos with Junior High students and signs autographs.
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Dr. Vandeven outlines Show-Me Success Plan
Education Commissioner Dr. Margie Vandeven served as the special guest speaker during the monthly Southeast Missouri Superintendents Association meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Holiday Inn.
Her second visit to Poplar Bluff within the past few months, Vandeven provided an overview of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Show-Me Success Plan and solicited feedback from about 75 education leaders in attendance about Annual Performance Report data changes.
"Our mission comes down to four words: improving lives through education," Vandeven stated. "We're providing access to opportunities. We know it's not the academic gap, it's the achievement gap."
Vandeven reported that DESE has developed an updated five-year plan through the Hunt Institute in North Carolina, an independent nonprofit that helped identify six key strategies to support public education. In order to prepare students for success, education officials must work together to provide access to high quality early learning, early literacy, workforce development, to improve teacher salaries, create a safe classroom environment and meet the mental health needs of children.
"We know teachers are the No. 1 factor of child success," said Vandeven, asking: "What is it that makes teaching an incredible calling? What are some supports we can provide?"
Missouri State Board of Education member Mary Schrag of the 8th Congressional District, also a repeat visitor in recent months, noted she understands that the majority of school budgets go toward personnel, and that assistance from the state level would be required in order to combat a teacher shortage.
In regards to APR data recently released, Vandeven explained that a refined focus on college and career readiness, graduation rate and attendance was intended to serve as a tool for educators, and that an accreditation piece would need to be added in the future for purposes of public accountability.
"We're getting away from compliance for the sake of compliance," Vandeven said. "There is good stuff happening in a lot of our districts."
One such success story, Region E supervisor Ken Jackson mentioned during his district report, is that Missouri is outperforming the national average in terms of schools that offer gifted programs, and Southeast Missouri-including the Poplar Bluff School District-is outpacing the state average by 13.3 percent.
The event was organized by R-I Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Fara Jones, who serves the Southeast region of the Missouri Association of School Administrators as secretary and treasurer. The superintendent group is appreciative that Vandeven has made it an annual tradition to participate in person, according to Jones.
Above: Dr. Margie Vandeven serves as the special guest speaker during the SEMO Superintendents Association meeting held last week in Poplar Bluff.
Below: Mary Schrag discusses the Missouri State Board of Educations' commitment to providing supports to school systems across the Show-Me State.
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October Athletes of the Month named
The Mules Booster Club has named Khelie Spence and Jaden Deaton of Poplar Bluff High School the October Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Jaden, a junior cross country runner, placed third at the 2019 All-Conference, was champion at the 2019 All-District, placed fifth at the 2019 All-Sectional, and was a state qualifier in both 2018 and 2019. He won the Jackson, Fox and Arcadia Valley invitationals, and was named the 2019 Semoball Cross Country Pre-season Athlete of the Year. This past weekend, he ran a 15:57 at the MSHSAA Class 4 State Cross Country Championship, finishing 22nd. Also ranked 22nd in his class, Jaden maintains an 11.071 grade point average.
"Jaden is an extremely dedicated athlete both on and off the course," said Beth Lewis, his coach. "He has the highest level of integrity, always doing what is expected of him without being told. Jaden's passion for the sport is truly a blessing."
Khelie, a senior volleyball player, totaled 512 kills for her career with 201 kills this season, and 129 blocks for her career with 52 blocks this season. She has a 4.0 cumulative GPA in the classroom.
"Khelie has such a strong personality on and off the court," said Aimie Simmers, her coach. "Whether it's making the team laugh prior to the game or killing the ball on the 10-foot line during the games, she makes her presence known. You don't see talent like Khelie's very often and even more rare is [having] as coachable of a player with that much talent."
Above: Presenting Khelie Spence and Jaden Deaton the AOM plaques on Thursday, Nov. 7, is Booster Club Vice President Brian Taylor.
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Kindergarten families celebrate Fall Festival
The Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center hosted its annual Fall Festival on Tuesday, Oct. 29, featuring games, prizes, face painting, food, a hayride and a silent auction to raise funds for student activities.
The fundraiser first began when the Kindergarten Center was located at the new Mark Twain building prior to 2011, according to organizing teacher Susie Rahlmann. Along with proceeds from selling Stonie's Sausages, the festival serves to supply students free school pictures, yearbooks, T-shirts and field trips so parents are alleviated, Kindergarten Principal Jessica Thurston noted.
"It's hard enough sending their babies to us, so we want to provide as many experiences as possible for the kids," Thurston stated. "It's all about making memories at the Kindergarten Center."
Above: Kindergartners make their grand entrance in costumes at the Fall Festival.
Below: Students and their families enjoy a hayride around the Kindergarten campus.
Click
here to view the rest of the photos in our running album, and be sure to 'like' your favorites!
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Alumni Game
The inaugural Poplar Bluff Alumni Basketball Game will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, in ET Peters Gymnasium. Admission to watch the game is $2.
Thanksgiving Feast
The annual Community Thanksgiving, hosted by StuCo and sponsored by Chartwells, will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, at PBHS. Please come out and enjoy a free feast and entertainment!
Board Meeting
The Board of Education will conduct its regularly scheduled monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in the Administrative Building.
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On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the DAR
reported about the TCC's annual pumpkin carving fundraising competition.
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the DAR
reported about the Kindergarten Center's Fall Festival.
On Thursday, Oct. 31, the DAR
reported about PBHS alumna Hannah Cash and her sister Madison of PBJHS qualifying for the 2020 AIM Missouri All-State Team in trapshooting.
On Friday, Nov. 1, the DAR
reported about our Gateway 2 Jobs graduates.
On Saturday, Nov. 2, the DAR
reported about our new Middle School SRO, Brandon Hopper; provided an Early Childhood Center construction update; and published photos from Mules Cheerleading Camp.
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the DAR
recognized our Middle School Honor Roll.
On Friday, Nov. 8, the DAR
reported about PBHS hosting Student Council Districts; and introduced Middle School teacher Natalie Cook on its education page.
On Saturday, Nov. 9, the DAR
published a photo spread from Junior High's Veterans Day program; and honored our Eugene Field Students of the Month.
On Sunday, Nov. 10, the DAR
recognized our September PBHS Students of the Month, as well as our October PBHS Students of the Month.
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