Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Poplar Bluff Junior High School students had a chance to view the world from another lens last week.

“Finding Kansas” author Aaron Likens spoke about what it is like to live with Asperger’s syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder he was diagnosed with at the age of 20, prior to which he did not realize he was different.

“If you met one person with autism, you met one person with autism,” said the 33-year-old on Wednesday, Jan. 25, in the gymnasium. “One person’s Kansas can be another person’s opposite of Kansas.”

Kansas to Likens is a state of mind; a place of familiarly where he feels “safe, confident and normal,” his book states. For him that locale happens to be the racetrack, having grown up a mile from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition to presenting over 800 times about autism awareness through Easter Seals Midwest in St. Louis, Likens is a successful flagman at racing events across the country.

The author of the blog “Life on the Other Side of the Wall” available at www.aaronlikens.com, Likens discovered writing as a way to express himself, he said, admitting that the craft was merely a “painful” task for him in grade school. “I’d like to say it was a noble effort – wanting to make the world a better place,” Likens said.

To the seventh and eighth graders, Likens variously described himself in a light-hearted way as unfiltered, hypersensitive and routine oriented. Individuals affected by the condition may not be good judges of body language and take things very literal, he added.

“Those with Asperger’s see and process the world around us differently,” Likens said, quite simply. Although these may seem like common traits in people, Likens explained that there are different degrees. While he is clearly well-educated about the interworking of his mind, he said he does not recognize his pattern of behavior until after the fact.

In 1980, one in 1,500 people were documented to have autism, in 1997 that number grew to one in 500, now one in 68 Americans are diagnosed with the disorder, said Likens, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new incident rate will be released in the near future.

According to the most recent studies which, Likens noted, are incomplete, Asperger’s appears to be “a wiring issue” through which information is processed in a part of the brain that should not be receiving the signal.

R-I Special Services Director Mindy Garrett, who booked the event, said she selected the Junior High age level because students are particularly receptive to building “empathy and compassion” at that age. Likens agreed that his favorite type of audience consists of pre-teens and teenagers because of their thoughtful questions.

“It’s such an honor to be able to present at schools,” Likens posted on his public Facebook page afterward. “This student after my (presentation) came up to me and said that it was so thrilling to see someone with his diagnosis speak and to finally know he isn’t alone.”

About three-fourths of the students Aaron Likens spoke to about living with Asperger’s syndrome indicated they know someone with autism spectrum disorder.

Article and photo submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Eugene Field has achieved lighthouse status under The Leader in Me program, joining only a dozen other schools in Missouri and less than 250 world-wide that have met the prestigious benchmark.

Students have participated in goal setting, data tracking, leadership roles, self-led conferences with parents and community events since the elementary school received a grant valued at about $75,000 from Franklin Covey’s I Am A Leader Foundation in 2013.

“It reinforces the hard work of our staff and students over the last four years and shows that, regardless of socioeconomic status or a child’s age, personal leadership can be taught and modeled,” said Eugene Field Principal Jennifer Taylor, after sharing the news to the campus community on Thursday, Dec. 15. “It is completely attainable for students to achieve personal and academic goals and give back to their community, putting leadership in action to better themselves, even if they have obstacles or limited background experiences.”

At the start of the month a review team from Franklin Covey visited Poplar Bluff to evaluate the environment, culture and language at Eugene Field. The model teaches students to become self-reliant, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, prioritize, manage their emotions, be considerate, express their viewpoint persuasively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences and live a balanced life, according to company officials.

“Schools who achieve the lighthouse milestone are great examples of a strong leadership model, process and of what it means to be a Leader in Me School,” stated company Education Practice Leader Sean Covey in a press release. “This school has experienced transformational results by implementing the principles and practices related to The Leader in Me.”

The program, which is not taught as a curriculum but rather incorporated in all classroom activities, is based on Dr. Stephen Covey’s bestseller, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” The seven habits are: to be proactive, to begin with the end in mind, to put first things first, to think win-win, to seek first to understand then to be understood, to synergize, and to sharpen the saw.

Prior to writing the successful grant, Taylor and her team participated in a book study of “The Leader in Me,” which details how the habits can be used by school-aged children to develop the skills and self-confidence needed to succeed in class and life. Now recognized as an exemplary Leader in Me school throughout the region, having fully implemented all of the criteria in the program, Eugene Field will continue to receive annual on and off site coaching, and sustain its certification with reviews every other year.

“This is a tremendous accolade for the students, faculty and staff at Eugene Field,” R-I Superintendent Scott Dill commented. “They have worked unceasingly to improve themselves and to improve their school. All of their hard work and their persistence has merited this award.”

Shown in the photo: Eugene Field Elementary staff and students celebrate after learning last week they have become a lighthouse school under The Leader in Me.

Photos and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - The Poplar Bluff High School Beta Club recently made its annual donation to the Whole Kids Outreach and the Ripley-Butler County Foster Care Christmas Party.

The WKO operates the Share-A-Toy Christmas Store in Ellington, providing presents for about 1,000 area children each year. The Foster Care Christmas Party ensures teenagers ages 14-18 experience a gift exchange.

Shown in the photo from left to right: Vice president Adeesh Mishra, secretary Rachel Henson, members Jordan Cox and Makayla Whitehead, and president Humza Siddiqui of the PBHS Beta Club donate stocking stuffers and wrapping paper to a WKO representative on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Poplar Bluff Schools in partnership with Lindenwood University—is encouraging more local educators to earn the highest graduate degree attainable by bringing the first doctoral program to the community.

In addition to Poplar Bluff R-I educators, the initial cohort of students admitted includes teachers and administrators from Three Rivers College, Leopold and Cooter. While the two-year program is designed to serve a one-time need, the hope is for the collaboration to have long-term implications, according to officials.

“Any time people study their craft, they get better,” stated Poplar Bluff Middle School Principal Dr. Brad Owings, “and we want more for our district and for our kids so Poplar Bluff will become an even better place to live.”

Based in the Metro East, Lindenwood has begun its second cohort in West Plains, where Owings previously served, and the program has been the catalyst for numerous doctorates in that region in recent years. When Owings approached R-I Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Dr. Amy Jackson earlier this year with the notion of gauging interest here, she was immediately receptive.

“This was something I felt would be a wonderful opportunity for our staff as well as other schools throughout the entire area,” Jackson said. “The goal is to be able to continue this opportunity for years so teachers and our administration can grow and learn.”

Enrolled in the program from the R-I district are O’Neal IEP facilitator Susan Schalk, Middle School teacher Shelly Ridens and interventionist Brandy Tripp, and High School math teacher Brandi Compass and assistant principal Sheldon Tyler. The tracks include educational administration and instructional leadership, along with a higher education option.

The first set of courses, administrative decision making and 21st century issues in education, will be taught by Jackson and Owings respectively beginning in January at the R-I Administrative Building on North Westwood Boulevard.

“The beauty of the program is the people teaching are practitioners themselves,” noted Dr. Terry Reid, Lindenwood director of graduate education. “There’s no program convenient at all to Poplar Bluff. It’s a great location because it’s a regional hub for much of Southeast Missouri.”

For more information about the doctoral program, email Reid at treid@lindenwood.edu.

Shown in the photo: O’Neal Elementary Principal Dr. Amy Dill (right) last month joined R-I administrative colleagues Dr. Amy Jackson and Dr. Brad Owings in earning her doctorate in educational leadership.

Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Poplar Bluff High School students in need of an article of clothing, a personal hygiene product or a classroom supply now have a discrete place to go directly on campus to seek relief.

The Giving Closet has been established this academic year in the library. The operation is managed by Librarian Marci Priest, who maintains inventory through donations and receives help stocking shelves from student volunteers.

School board member Alana Robertson, who also serves on the Bright Futures advisory, read about the Little Bit Foundation, a cost-free boutique for poverty-stricken schools in St. Louis. She was able to further gather information from a relative at an educational institution in Florida with a comparable operation.

“It’s the whole premise of Bright Futures and I thought, ‘How wonderful if we can do something similar,’ because we all have kids that need our help,” Robertson said. The mission of Bright Futures is to help meet the basic needs of students through community partnerships with the business sector, human service agencies, faith-based organizations and parent groups.

The high school site council for the nonprofit took its first tour of the Giving Closet on Wednesday, Nov. 25. While discussions began last school year, plans for full implementation were put on hold until a designated space was made available at the new Oak Grove facility.

“In the past (lacking an element of anonymity) might have prevented us from meeting the needs of a child who may not want to come to school because they would freeze to death with no coat, or they don’t want their stomach growling until lunch because they didn’t eat supper, or they don’t have clean clothes,” R-I Attendance Officer Misty Dodson explained. “For a child to be able to just walk in and say, ‘I need this,’ cuts down on the potential negative feeling they may have in regard to their circumstances.”

Items presently in demand, according to overseers, include gently worn winter gear appropriate for high school students, undergarments and feminine products. For more information, contact the high school directly at 573-785-6471, or message the Bright Futures Poplar Bluff page on Facebook.

Shown in the photos: PBHS Librarian Marci Priest displays a tote of granola bars donated by Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.

Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District.