A student-led American sign language club generated enough interest at Poplar Bluff High School to establish a new foreign language class this school year, and now a movement is happening in the community.

Word is getting back to educators that students are applying what they have learned through customer service at their places of employment. Moreover, some students have further plans to pursue a related field of study in college.

“It’s not just something they learned in school,” said the trilingual Audrey Harris, who teaches ASL along with Spanish at PBHS. “It’s real-world application.”

Audrey Harris' daughter, Valleri Harris of the PBHS Class of 2020, founded the precursory ASL club during her senior year, with sponsorship from communication arts teacher Jennie Randolph. An Alaska native, Audrey Harris volunteered with the weekly club, and soon was inspired to renew her certification in Missouri and return to teaching, beginning with Spanish in 2020/21, while school officials explored introducing an ASL class.

“I’m proud I have made a difference, but mostly just that a community is being established so people (hard of hearing) are able to talk and interact,” commented Valleri Harris, who is currently a sophomore at Drury University in Springfield, studying to be an interpreter. “I didn’t expect it at all to become anything.”

Growing up, Valleri Harris watched her mother, who happens to be partially deaf, struggle in communication situations, she recalled. While Audrey Harris wears hearing aids and has learned to read lips well, it requires a lot of mental energy. “It’s like putting together a puzzle,” her daughter explained.

A preliminary interest survey among students yielded positive results, and this school year PBHS was able to add four sections of ASL under the instruction of Audrey Harris, serving around 80 students. Due to its popularity, an ASL 2 may be added next year, according to PBHS Principal Mike Owen.

“I’m very excited – that the teacher’s doing a good job, that the kids like it, and we’re able to expand,” said Owen, adding that he is pleased PBHS is able to offer another option after French was discontinued following a retirement. “Whenever the kids want it, and it’s a learning opportunity, that’s a win-win.”

At first, administrators considered making the class unavailable to seniors during its inaugural year so that upperclassmen could receive both of their requisite years in the same foreign language. But if that were the route taken, students such as Trista Judd would not be planning to have a concentration in ASL at William Woods University in Fulton upon graduating in May. Earlier this year Trista emailed her teacher, sharing a story about a deaf woman she was able to sign with at work.

“I’m glad a stranger like me, even though we don’t know each other, can make her smile the way she does when she sees me here,” Trista wrote to Audrey Harris. “I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am that you’re taking the initiative to teach me and so many others a language that opens up the opportunity to communicate better with others.”

Sophomore Kaylee Neel also says she has been compelled to pursue certification in speech therapy, upon earning a master’s degree in education. Others may not use it directly, but still feel the skillset will complement their desired profession, like junior Sidonia White who plans to go into communications, or classmate Alex Borders, who will major in psychology. Others simply cited having loved ones who are hard of hearing as their reasoning for learning to sign.

“I never expected it would have a community impact, but that would be the best hope,” Audrey Harris said. “To actually have it happening [affirms]… OK, we can go somewhere with this.”

Above: Students in Audrey Harris’ American sign language class at PBHS reinforce their skills during a vocabulary exercise with their teacher earlier this month.

The Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center held an open house for stakeholders in celebration of its 55th anniversary as a school facility during Career and Technical Education month.

Since the TCC’s grand opening in 1967, over 4,500 regional high school students have completed programs tuition-free there in addition to the 500+ adult students recorded over the past 30 years, Director Charles Kinsey told an intimate audience of community leaders and educators, both current and retired, on Friday, Feb. 11.

“The nation’s skills gap is getting close to a critical state, if not already in disarray [on top of] the global pandemic, and has been fueling a renewed interest in CTE by elected officials and prospective students alike,” Kinsey wrote in a column series being published throughout the month.

As a result, the TCC is experiencing record enrollment, as its sending schools have expanded to 10, including newly-forged partnerships with Dexter Schools and Westwood Baptist. The TCC boasts a graduation rate of 98.3 percent, and a placement rate—alumni entering the workforce, joining the military or continuing their education—of 89.97 percent, according to Kinsey.

“Desirable students have work ethic, show up and are teachable, plus have a base set of skills that make them functional on the job on day one – with minimal training,” Kinsey stated in another installment.

The guests of honor toured the facilities, and learned about the $1.4 million in improvements over the last few years that Kinsey estimated. In attendance, former director Roger Slayton noted that he was responsible for the grant through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that established the east building in 2001 housing the then-new cosmetology program as well as the welding and auto collision repair programs. 

Today the TCC also offers auto service technology, building trades, computer graphics & print technology, computer maintenance technology, culinary arts, health occupations, HVACR and computer science. Kinsey, who has dedicated 25 years to CTE both as a participant and an educator, noted that five of his current instructors are alumni of the TCC, and the remaining six were involved in programs at other schools or else worked in the field.

To become an advisory committee member over one of the programs, or for additional information about the TCC’s offerings, call 573-785-2248. 

Above: PLTW computer science instructor Michael Barrett demonstrates a triple-pronged claw created in his class.

Below: TCC Director Charles Kinsey (left) shows visitors a car wrap job students learn to perform in the computer graphics & print technology class, led by Alex Nicolini.

Several Poplar Bluff High School Studio Jazz Band students received outstanding musicianship awards during the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival last month at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.

Students honored included Brileigh Cates – alto sax; Logan Hale – trumpet; Ja’Lonnie Johnson-Spann – drumset; and Brileigh Cates, Connar Jones, Diamond Weaver and Jonathan Moreno – saxophone section.

Band Director Stephen Winters, who learned of the awards last week, commented that the festival clinicians judging are always top-notch. “… They are all a part of the New York jazz scene and are at the highest level of jazz teaching and performance. Some of them perform with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis.”

Other participating schools this year included Eureka, Lindbergh, Fort Zumwalt West in Missouri, and Mascoutah and Williamsville High School out of Illinois. “This is a festival that… usually attracts some very good bands,” Winters continued.

PBHS has participated in the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival multiple times at the University of Missouri prior to a temporary hiatus because of the pandemic, and was also a part of the original festival at Webster Groves High School. The festival typically requires bands to play arrangements by Duke Ellington, but this year arrangements by Count Basie were also permitted. 

Above: Studio Jazz Band members (left to right) Connar Jones, Logan Hale, Diamond Weaver, Ja’Lonnie Johnson-Spann and Brileigh Cates recently received outstanding musicianship awards. Not pictured is Jonathan Moreno.

On Tuesday, Feb. 1, KFVS12 reported about our renovations underway at Kay Porter Theater.

KWOC also reported about the work being done at Kay Porter Theater. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 2, the DAR additionally reported about the internal/external renovations.

On Thursday, Feb. 3, the DAR promoted “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” presented by the PBHS Drama Club; reported about our students’ $4,000+ donation to FosterAdopt Connect; and announced our Middle School Honor Roll.

On Friday, Feb. 4, KWOC reported about our National Adoption Awareness Month donation.

On Saturday, Feb. 5, the DAR published TCC Director Charles Kinsey’s first column in his CTE month series. 

On Monday, Feb. 7, KWOC promoted our CTE month open house at the TCC.

On Friday, Feb. 11, KRCU reported about our Kay Porter technology upgrade.

The DAR reported about our 55th Anniversary celebration at the TCC. 

On Saturday, Feb. 12, the DAR published our TCC director’s second CTE month installment.