Dexter, Missouri - As the school year rapidly moves along, the children at Southwest and Central Elementary Schools in Dexter hosted some very special guests last night.  It was Grandparent's Night.

Teachers frantically prepare their rooms for these very important guests so that everything is perfect.  The open house is a great opportunity for the students to "show-off" their teachers and introduce them to their families. 

If you passed by the schools, you would have noticed a large crowd attending.  Southwest Elementary opened their doors from 5:30 to 6:00 and Central Elementary held their event from 6:00 to 6:30.

"Southwest had a great turn out for Grandparents," noted Shannon Putnam.  "My students were so excited to have their grandparents there!"

Shannon continued, "Never have their desks been cleaner.  I know I had many comment on the size of our classrooms, how colorful and inviting the rooms were."

The pride of the students is felt from both sides of the coin as they are equally as proud to show off their grandparents as they are to show their family's their "desk".  The event is very short but does create a very positive experience for all that attend.

This is one of the few times that the grandparents are honored with a social visit to the schools.  From the size of the crowd, you can see that few wanted to miss that opportunity.

"It is always a thrill for both the kids and their grandparents to attend this event," commented Heather Waddle.  "We all get excited about Grandparent's Night."

Throughout October, the schools will have another special occasion as the student's parents are invited to join their child for lunch in the cafeteria.  Parents are all hoping that their date falls on the menu days of cinnamon rolls or no-bake cookies. 

For those that have, shall we say, "grown larger in stature", the challenge could be just sitting at the lunch tables provided for the students. 

The size of the tables will not match the size of the smiles and happiness that is felt when "mom and dad" come to school to eat.  Watch the announcements for your students and make that day special.

Special Thanks to Amy Pixley and Shannon Putnam for providing the ShowMe Times with great pictures of their students special evening.

Bearcat Nation is calling for a "White Out" for tomorrow's completion of the Bearcats vs the Sikeston Bulldogs football game.  The Bearcats are still in the game and need a show of our support.  The storms are passing by and the idea is a great one.  It's only made better if you can spread the word and let everyone know to wear ALL WHITE TO THE GAME!  Not an easy taslk - but do what you can to show your support for our Bearcats!!

The above picture is a fun time at the close of the 2010 season as the Bearcats took on the Fredericktown Blackcats for the District Championship.  Vote via Facebook which Bearcat Fan has the Best White Out look.

On Friday, August 31^st, fifty members from the Dexter FFA Chapter attended the annual Delta Center Field Day held in Portageville, MO.

 The Dexter members joined over 500 FFA members from all over Southeast Missouri to be a part of this annual event. The students heard six different presentations having to do with different agriculture careers and preparation for those careers.

 The first presentation was from Keith Northbanks, who is a representative of the Helena Corporation. He showed a video about Helena and informed the students about the many jobs available. Helena employs over 4,100 individuals and requires a college degree for all their new hires.

 The second presenter was Pat Holloway from the Missouri Conservation Department. She showed a video and shared a lot of facts concerning the conservation program in Southeast Missouri. She also informed the students about the alligator gar that the conservation department is trying to get reestablished in the wetlands of Southeast Missouri.

 The third presentation was from Dr. Ray Nabors, who is a biologist and entomologist who worked at the Delta Center for twenty-five years. Dr. Nabors explained the differences in pesticides and the continuing need for the research and development of new pesticides.

 Phil Gurley was the fourth presenter of the day. Phil is a precision agriculture specialist with the Crop Production Services. He talked about precision sampling and the grips, zones and zone sampling aspects of these procedures. The newer technology that is now available today makes precision agriculture possible.

 David Reinbott, an extension agent for thirty years, spoke about the importance of education in today’s agricultural world. David encouraged all the students to, “Never stop learning.” He said learning is what will make is possible for them to keep up in today’s world.

 The final speaker at the 2012 Delta Center Field Day was Melissa Daniel. Melissa is a representative from the Mizzou College of Agriculture. She gave all the students information on what is needed to prepare for college and how to make a good choice on which college to attend.

 The students were provided lunch by the Delta Center.

 FFA members from Dexter in attendance were: Aaron Sandlin, Dalton Rickel, Emily Peters, Haylee Arthur, Sarah Jones, Kaitlyn Eaton, Chelsey Massey, Kylie Scott, Erika McCoy, Savannah Hicks, Selana Flannigan, Shelby Edwards, Nathan Sadler, Derek Felker, Hunter Frampton, Autumn Lesley, Dustin Bates, JT Putnam, Brandan Mitchell, Michael Hurst, Chelsea Cox, Hannah Craft, Devin Aslin, Lindsey Parsons, Cody Pullum, Garrett Kyle, Trevor Link, Seth Mouser, Karlee Wright, Kyle Cook, Dakota Holt, Kristen Copeland, Zach Alsup, Hannah Ward, Tyler Heil, Storm Massey, Karlie Barnett, Alexis Tankersley, Nate Weathers, Jordan Lacy, Taylor Sage, Angela Reed, Colton Averett, Chance Jarrell, Jackson Hubbard, Brianna Madigan, Megan Murphy, Ben Dachs, and Christin Sitze.