Dee Loflin, SMT Writer
Malden, Missouri - Three Rivers College is proud to announce the creation of the DeWayne Shelton Memorial Scholarship, which is dedicated towards helping students of Malden High School attend Three Rivers.
The scholarships have been created through a donation from Mr. Wes Shelton, in memory of his brother, Rev. DeWayne Shelton. The two Memorial Scholarships, which are $2,000 each, will be made available to students of Malden High School’s class of 2013 who exhibit excellence, spirituality, kindness, and drive. The scholarships are currently one-time-only, but may be continued if applicant participation exceeds expectations.
The scholarship winners will be selected by Mr. Shelton and Mrs. Dianne Shelton after review of student applications. Applicants will also be required to submit a short essay on how they embody the kindness, spirituality, drive, and excellence of Rev. Shelton. The winners must attend Three Rivers College full-time, and the award will be used to pay for tuition, books, and other school expenses.
DeWayne Shelton dedicated much of his life to education, attending Southern Baptist College and Ouachita Baptist University before becoming a teacher of English at Malden High School. He later also became a professor at Williams College. Rev. Shelton also was an ordained minister, and pastor of Standfield Baptist Church.
“DeWayne exhibited a life of faith, giving, and caring,” said Wes Shelton. “His students at Malden High School were better prepared to face the challenges of life after being exposed to his teaching and his presence. Though his life was very brief, his legacy will live on, in part through this scholarship.”
Students interested in applying for the scholarship should contact Three Rivers’ Financial Aid Office at 573-840-9606, or the counselor’s office in Malden High School at 573-276-5794.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
Beth Farrah, SMT Writer
Dexter, Missouri - Gary Wyman is a name that most people in the Stoddard County area are familiar with. He was born and raised in the local area and after graduating from Richland R-1 High School and attending college, he returned to teach Agriculture to both the Junior and High School students at Richland.
Wyman recently started a new chapter of his life when he was selected as the new Agriculture Education Teacher for the Dexter R-11 School District. He begins his new career on July 1, 2013 and is both anxious and excited, like any new teacher would be.
After attending high school at Richland and returning to teach there for another eighteen years, the change came to a shock for students, faculty, and Richland graduates of all ages.
He commented, “To those I am leaving behind, I thank you as it has been a privilege and an honor to teach each and every one of my students.”
Wyman will be greatly missed but his former students are very appreciative for having him as long as they did. Wyman's future students at Dexter will have a wonderful time in his Agriculture classes and will learn to love the subject just like his other students did.
Wyman has been very successful during his time at Richland High School where he started and pursued the FFA Club (Future Farmers of America) for the Richland chapter. He also taught a variety of Agriculture classes such as Soils, Crop Science, Welding, Animal Science, and Agriculture Machinery.
He graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia where he received his Masters in Professional and Vocational/Technical Education. He also earned his Bachelors of Science in Agronomy from the UMC – Columbia.
After graduating from college he returned to Essex, Missouri where he has raised a family and enjoyed teaching at Richland. After eighteen long years, he has seen many students come and go and each one of them hold a piece of their former teacher in their hearts as he prepares for his change in career.
Wyman has been an inspiration to students and faculty members over the years and will bring that same knowledge and creativity to the Dexter School District in the upcoming school year. With his hands-on teaching style, students take in more information than they will ever realize. Wyman is a wonderful teacher and is a great asset to Dexter's school system.
Beth Clippard Williams proclaimed, “You are an educational ROCK STAR! Sad for the Rebels, but happy for the Bearcats.” A very nice compliment that all students who have been taught by Mr. Wyman would openly agree with.
Wyman is a Richland High School legend and always will be, but his former students and co-workers are glad and excited for him as he receives this wonderful opportunity to begin teaching at Dexter in the upcoming school year.
"I appreciate the opportunity that Dexter Schools has given me. I am very familiar with their program, the school, many of the faculty, and several students as I have lived in Stoddard County my entire life. I am looking forward to beginning this new chapter in my career," stated Mr. Wyman.
Dee Loflin, SMT Writer
Poplar Bluff, Missouri – The Poplar Bluff R-I school district recently received a $20,000 anonymous donation in technology, which seems to have become an annual tradition for the school district.
Earlier this school year, R-I Media Director Jim Thomas was contacted by a donor for the second year in a row, and afforded the opportunity to pick out brand-new equipment from a Hewlett-Packard catalogue.
“I cannot express enough thanks to this gentleman, and if I ever get the chance to meet him in person, I look forward to shaking his hand on behalf of our school system,” Thomas said. Respecting the donor’s wishes, the media director only revealed that the donor is an alumnus.
With the donation, Thomas was able to purchase 20 desktops, six laptops and 20 graphic calculators. About a dozen of the HPs are going to Eugene Field Elementary School to equip a third eMINTS laboratory, which stands for enhancing Missouri’s instructional networked teaching strategies—a technology-rich collaborative environment through which students direct their own exploration.
The computer lab will help level the playing field for students, Eugene Field Principal Jennifer Taylor noted, since the school district’s instructional focus is shifting with the one-to-one initiative—a push to get a laptop in the hands of every junior and senior high student, along with Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education curriculum and assessment changes.
“Additional technology at Eugene Field is needed so our students have the tools necessary to ensure a successful transition to the intermediate and secondary grades,” Taylor stated. “We are sincerely appreciative of the anonymous donor whose generosity will support our students’ instructional needs for years to come.”
Last school year’s $20,000 from the anonymous donation went toward equipping the high school’s computer-aided design and drafting lab, among other smaller things such as replacing the outdated computers in the Media Center.
What a wonderful donation to the Poplar Bluff schools!
Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Writer
At the end of the 1st quarter, the Wildcats were leading by one, 12 to 11. The defensive tactics for both teams were keeping the players from scoring and really challenged the offense. Only Brett Ruch #21 and Thomas Sanders #24 were able to score for the Wildcats in the first few minutes of the game. The second quarter was really no better, each team kept up with their defensive playing as both teams scored 14 points apiece. At half the Wildcats were still leading 26 to 25.
After half-time, the Bulldogs seemed to have some renewed strength as the 3rd quarter seemed to go their way in scoring. Players, Adams, Goin, and Lawrence made some key shots that sent them up and over the Wildcats. By the end of the quarter they were leading 43 to 40.
The Wildcats tried to hang on, but the Bulldogs seemed to come alive in the 4th quarter and keep their defensive strategy strong. Only Bret Ruch was able to score for Bloomfield. At the end, the Bulldogs were able to defeat the Wildcats 58 to 49. This brings the Bloomfield Wildcats to 12-12 on the season.
Bloomfield's Caleb Baker #2 had 11 points for the afternoon including one 3-pointer along with top scorer Brett Ruch #21 with 16 points. Brett also had one 3-pointer.
The Wildcats will be in action again, Tuesday night, February 12th as they travel to Portageville. Game time is 6:00 p.m.
Essex, Missouri – The Richland Elementary and High School students and faculty have been celebrating the official opening of the Scholastic Book Fair. The Book Fair is an annual event that brings students of all ages to the library, anxious to see what new books have just been put on the shelves for them to read. This year’s theme is The Story Laboratory and the Book Fair has introduced new authors, series, and novels to the Richland students.
Due to the spooky Story Laboratory theme, the library has been transformed into a mad scientist’s lab with a giant Periodic Table of Authors and a beaker full of worms that requires all guests to figure out how many of them are inside.
The fun started off earlier in the week with a door decorating contest and trivia games. Every morning, a famous quote or line is read out of a popular book that each student has the opportunity to guess. If the student guesses correctly and their name is drawn, they are rewarded with a special snack during lunch hour. The answers to the questions are scattered all over the school, leading the kids on scavenger hunts in between classes.
The elementary students watched a clip or video that the Scholastics Company produced to highlight the special books that will be at the Book Fair this year. Many of those books are fresh out of the printer and are currently on the Mark Twin, Truman, or Gateway reading lists, which are all books that the state of Missouri has chosen for certain grade levels.
After watching the short video, the students walked around the library and made a wish list so that they would have no trouble finding a book that they had been interested in. The library was bustling tonight with guests and parents while the high school basketball game was going on in the gym. Tonight was Family Night at the Book Fair and most of the students brought their lists and made their wishes a reality by purchasing their new favorite books.
Although the Book Fair highlights things for the younger students, the high school students also made their very own wish lists. There is a large Young Adult section in the library where the students got to help choose books for their high school library along with their personal book shelf at home. The high school and junior high students are enjoying the weeks full of games and activities that go along with the Book Fair as well.
The Book Fair is divided into two different halves: one side for the younger children and the other side for the older ones. The shelves are full of picture books for toddlers or preschoolers and even have small books for students that are just learning to read. They have a wide variety of story books, diaries, and books full of fun facts. The other side of the Book Fair contains things that even the parents will enjoy, such as: cook books, holiday gifts, and novels.
Family Night is officially over, but the Story Laboratory is still open in the Richland High School Library Monday through Thursday after school until four o’clock. The Laboratory will be packing up and shipping out after Valentine’s Day due to the students being out of school with a four day weekend.
The proceeds from the Book Fair go to Scholastics but they also benefit the Richland School District. By supporting the Book Fair, you are also supporting the staff, school, and students. So, come on out and find your favorite book at the Story Laboratory in the high school library!
