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You've got eMule!
Vol. 12 No. 17
Welcome back to The eMule! Here is the latest news from Poplar Bluff Schools to help start your week on the right hoof.
Click here to view photos from our annual Black History Month Assembly held Friday, March 1, at Junior High, featuring student-led song, dance and spoken word, along with returning keynote speaker, alumnus Cortez Higgs, founder of The Catalyst Effect. Videos of the performances have been posted on the PBJHS Facebook. Please enjoy!
| Student discovery brings back Kindness Coronation at Lake Road |  | |
Lake Road Elementary was able to pay for its yearbooks with kindness this school year.
The student yearbook club revived a former school tradition, looking through old yearbooks, and held a Kindness King and Queen drive, ultimately raising over $1,850 so the entire student body could receive a yearbook free of charge.
Crowned on Friday, Feb. 23, during a school-wide coronation held in the gymnasium, the 2024 Kindness King and Queen was Maddux Salyer and Macy Mustain of the 4-6 grade span, and the Kindness Prince and Princess was Kamdyn Bailey and Norah Vernon, representing grades 1-3.
“We really wanted to celebrate all of them because we feel like being chosen as the kindest person in your class was a huge honor,” said Terri Foulks, school librarian and yearbook club co-sponsor along with speech pathologist Heather Mustain. “…It was just such a remarkable and unexpected time together.”
Each class voted for a male and female student who they felt was the kindest, and then a collection ensued over the course of two weeks in February. The court was comprised of the grade-span winners who raised the most money out of the classroom nominees. Blue Relics and Revivals donated bouquets for girls and boutonnieres for the boys; restorative practice facilitator Sarah Knight decorated the stage; and the intervention team, of which Foulks also serves, helped facilitate the student-led ceremony.
In brainstorming for the 2023/24 yearbook design, the yearbook club perused previous annuals in the school archive when it was revealed that the Kindness King and Queen event was a thing of the past, although—according to Foulks—no current staff member remembered it. The students were inspired to bring back the custom and received the green light from sponsors, who only anticipated raising a couple hundred dollars toward the total.
“We never dreamed that we would be able to cover the entire cost of yearbooks for the year and then some,” Foulks continued. Another remarkable discovery, she added, was the father of one of the members of the court, David Bailey, happened to be named the 2001/02 Kindness Prince back when he was in first grade – like his son Kamdyn.
Kindness nominees also included Reese Aldridge, Jasmine Brooks, Beau Flores, Josiah Johnson and Evyn Webb of grade one; Jaxon Hulsey, Kinsley Johnson, Marcus Johnson, Aaron Salyer and Thea Wyatt of grade two; Levi Agee, Judy Henry, Honesty Jackson, Trentize Lane, Eli Newman and Remi Riefle of grade three; Adalynn Baker, Jacob Frey, Erin Parks and Carson Strenfel of grade four; Max Durden, Avery Newman and Kayden Robbins of grade five; and Allison Barker, Kolten Nicholson and Sophia Spell of grade six.
“Their commitment to spreading positivity and compassion undoubtedly makes a significant impact within the school community,” special education teacher Adriann D’Amico wrote on the Lake Road Facebook page. “Let’s celebrate their efforts in fostering a culture of kindness and empathy for all!”
Above: Lake Road’s 2024 Kindness court featured (left to right) Kamdyn Bailey, Maddux Salyer, Macy Mustain and Norah Vernon during the coronation held Friday, Feb. 23, in the gymnasium.
For more scenes from the event, please visit the Lake Road Facebook page.
| Vintage PBHS postcard forwarded to superintendent by California elder |  | |
A 95-year-old man from California mailed the district a postcard of a historic Poplar Bluff school building as part of his longstanding pastime to preserve history.
“I said to myself, ‘By golly, I think I’ll send it back where it can be appreciated,’” wrote retired insurance agent Lowell Joerg from his assisted living center in Stockton. “Heritage is important.”
The circa-1920 postcard, according to Joerg, was purchased from a West Coast antique store, and depicts an image of the former High School building on Vine Street, where Southern Bank’s parking lot is presently located.
“Your letter could not have come at a better time as it reinforced a communication that I had sent to our staff about accentuating the positive things in life and staying focused on the task at hand… educating students,” R-I Superintendent Dr. Aaron Cornman replied to Joerg upon receiving the letter on Wednesday, Feb. 28. “Your hobby of ‘re-distribution of happiness’ truly is awe-inspiring.”
As requested by the sender, Cornman mailed back a refund for the postcard as well as a little extra for postage, an assortment of Mules apparel and tourism materials from the region. Additionally, to help Joerg keep his mission going, Cornman included with the care package a selection of vintage postcards from the early 1900s, some sent to Poplar Bluff residents, as well as a mid-century print engraved on a copperplate from Thrift City Flea Market.
“My dear wife, now passed, used to laugh at me and say, 'If you hear from those folks you’ll have to take me to lunch,’” Joerg noted in his initial correspondence. Cornman responded to his pen pal, who celebrates his 96th birthday in June: “Finally, if your dear wife were still alive today, you would owe her lunch.”
Cornman intends to create a display in the Administrative Building for the image of the former High School, along with the thoughtful letter. The Vine Street building was constructed east of the original Central High School in 1914, and served as the district’s secondary campus until 1958, when the High School moved to where Junior High is currently located on Westwood Boulevard, according to district records. The Central High building next door housed younger students until it reached the end of its lifespan, and was razed in 1962.
The building on the postcard continued to serve nine graders through 1965, according to alums who remember having the building to themselves, when the school facility was sold to Three Rivers College. The Vine Street structure became the hub of the community college’s downtown operation through the 1970s, until the Westover Administrative-Classroom Building opened on property donated northwest of town, where the main campus is located today.
Above: Superintendent Dr. Aaron Cornman compares the Vine Street High School building to the modern-day Oak Grove Road campus displayed in the Administrative Building, beside an image of the previous PBHS campus that currently houses the Middle School on Victory Lane.
Below: An old postcard located in an antique shop over 2,000 miles away depicts the former Vine Street High School building, east of the original Central High School in the darker red brick structure.
|  | Oak Grove students vie against each other in elementary Spelling Bee |  | |
An Oak Grove student ended up facing off against a schoolmate in the final round of the 12th annual Spelling Bee for third graders, sponsored by the Butler County Community Resource Council.
Clara Wilkerson spelled the word b-i-o-l-o-g-y correctly, the 117th word in the competition aired on KYEC 88.3/98.3 FM on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Fox Radio Network.
Clara’s final opponent was Evan Yarbro, who tied her in the previous elimination round of the competition held at the individual elementary schools across the district. Also vying in the championship live on the radio were Mason Brumitt of O'Neal, Ernie Kon of Lake Road and James Councilor of Eugene Field.
“There’s only one champ today, but you’re all champions,” stated Kathern Harris, chairperson of the CRC Children and Youth Succeeding in School Committee, prior to the contest. “You’re the top third grade students in Poplar Bluff!”
After completing the initial word list, students made it through the tie-breaker list, which featured advanced sixth grade words, according to organizer Alexus Joplin of the CRC. Then pronouncer Shannon Midyett, Poplar Bluff Municipal Library director, cycled back through the wordlist from the final day of the three-week qualifier over the course of approximately one hour.
Clara’s mother, Oak Grove teacher Carey Wilkerson, noted that her daughter studied the words all weeklong during each round of the competition. “I even skipped tumbling,” Clara said, noting that her friends will be “surrounding me” when she returns to school, where a surprise party awaited both finalists.
Before the CRC took a temporary hiatus from hosting the Spelling Bee following the public health crisis, Oak Grove also sent two students to the spell-off, winning the trophy in 2020. Oak Grove additionally had dual finalists in 2019, one of which tied with Lake Road in the championship. Oak Grove also tied with O'Neal in 2019, before which O’Neal went on a multi-year winning streak.
Earlier last month, the Poplar Bluff Middle School held its annual spelling bee, with fifth grader Lacey Coffer placing first, sixth grader Roman Jordan second and Roman Hunt of the fourth grade – third place. The top two students will go on to vie in the 15th annual Three Rivers College Southeast Missouri Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 23, at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center, the winner of which will advance to the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
Above: CRC spelling bee champion Clara Wilkerson embraces her mother, Carey, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Fox Radio Network as owner Steve Fuchs passes by.
Below: Kathern Harris of the CRC Children and Youth Succeeding in School Committee goes over the spelling bee rules with elementary finalists (clockwise) Clara Wilkerson, Mason Brumitt, Evan Yarbro, Ernie Kon and James Councilor.
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BOE Appreciation
March is school board recognition month through the Missouri School Boards’ Association. Special thanks to Dr. Cynthia Brown, Ken Davis, Dave Elledge, Tim Gaebler, Roger Hanner, Dr. Larry Kimbrow and Dr. Mike Price for your dedicated, voluntary service to our school system!
FAFSA Frenzy
Additional dates for our annual FAFSA Frenzy, designated for college-bound students seeking free assistance in applying for federal aid, have been scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, and 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the PBHS commons area.
Mules Café
This week marks the final service of the Mules Café in its present restaurant location, as the culinary arts class prepares to move to its new facility on the TCC campus, at a date to be determined. The Mules Café will be serving from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, March 7-8, in the Administrative Building: 1110 N. Westwood Blvd. Click here to view the menu!
Spring Break
School will be dismissed from Monday through Friday, March 11-15, for spring break.
Open Enrollment
Open enrollment for the Kindergarten Center at 1200 Camp Road will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, March 19-21, with an additional time slot available from 4:30-7 p.m. on the final day. Parents/guardians are asked to bring the following items: birth certificate, social security card, shot record and proof of residency. For questions, call 573-785-4905.
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On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the DAR reported about PBHS junior Zoë Freeman’s third MSHSAA state wrestling championship.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, KWOC reported about the TCC receiving a $27K grant for a ScorBot robotic arm for its computer integrated manufacturing classroom.
The DAR reported about Cori Duncan of PBHS signing a National Letter of Intent to play soccer for Mineral Area College.
On Thursday, Feb. 29, the DAR reported about the CRC Spelling Bee; and our SkillsUSA district winners.
On Saturday, March 2, the DAR reported about Dylan Bratcher of PBHS signing a National Letter of Intent to play baseball for Fontbonne University; and honored our Eugene Field leaders of the trimester.
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