Dexter, Missouri - The Second Grade classroom of Mrs. Keanna earned the Southwest Elementary Positive Behavioral Support Reward Flag for November 2018.

School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) award is presented at the start of each month at Southwest Elementary.  One classroom in each grade is recognized for exhibiting the high character with regard to observing the school's 3R's.

The 3R's stand for being Respectful, Ready to Learn and Responsible.  The class with the highest attendance average, combined with the fewest disciplinary measures and general good character are awarded a 3R red flag to be posted in their classroom for the next month.  The students are also awarded "Cat in the Hat" capes to wear and parade around the gym before returning to class.  This year's theme is Dr. Seuss!

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Thirty bicycles were given away to students at Eugene Field prior to the holiday through a newly forged partnership between Academy Sports + Outdoors and the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

 

Police officials selected the elementary school, and educators worked in a roundabout way to identify students based on need. Principal Jennifer Taylor factored in attendance and behavior in order to make the final selections.

 

The lucky recipients were surprised during a special assembly held Tuesday, Dec. 18, in the gymnasium featuring a musical performance by the GLEEders. Families were invited to help celebrate and transport the bikes home.

 

This is the second year Academy Sports included Poplar Bluff Schools in the holiday bike donation program, which dispersed over 5,500 Ozone 500 bikes and helmets across its service area, according to store manager Gene Hux. The national sporting goods chain chose Lake Road Elementary to incentivize in 2017.

 

Winners included: Janet Battles, Alison Bell, Savannah Bell, Jordan Boening, MacKynzie Cluck, Harmony Cornett, Natalie Daves, Olivia Doernhoefer, James Foreman, Jeanie Harget, Jamaria Johnson, Raven Johnson, Emma Lindsey, Noah Longhibler, Rayne Luellen, Brycen Lutman, Madelynn Martin, Justin May, Bryden McElhaney, Jasmine Odle, Adyn Payne, Kale Pearman, Brianna Reed, Makenzie Schrimsher, Roy Schrimsher, Ali Skinner, Damarion Sutton, Payten Thurner, Manuel Tutor and Kaylin Walker.

 

Pictured: Alison Bell of the first grade is called forward to receive her new bike.

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

Poplar Bluff, MO - U.S. Rep. Jason Smith delivered a Congressional Record to Lake Road on Tuesday, Dec. 18, to commemorate the elementary school’s recent National Blue Ribbon honor.

 

Smith informed the students, grades 1-4, that the 8th Congressional District is the largest in Missouri and there are only three current Blue Ribbon Schools within it. The Blue Ribbon award is the highest honor an educational institution can achieve.

 

“It does not matter where your family was born or in what zip code you were raised,” said the congressman, “if you work really hard and get a good education, you can achieve anything you want to achieve.”

 

The Salem man received a reaction from the student body when he informed them they are his bosses. During the Q&A portion of the assembly, Smith shared how he has met all of the living presidents, working in Washington, D.C.

 

Afterward, Blue Bell Creameries treated the school to ice cream. A tradition of the Memphis based company, Blue Bell treats all of the Blue Ribbon schools within its service area. According to branch manager David Luiken, Lake Road was the first school to receive such a visit in Missouri.

 

Pictured: Lake Road students learn about decisions lawmakers make that impact them including what is on the lunch menu.

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

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - The Mules Booster Club has named Kiley Bess and Tyler Cline of Poplar Bluff High School the November Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.

 

Tyler, a senior basketball player, averages 13 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists per game. He won MVP for the game at the Norm Stewart Classic held Saturday, Dec. 1, in Columbia. His grade point average was 10.7 for the first quarter of the school year, and 9.6 overall.

 

“Tyler has shown to be a young man of character, intelligence and talent,” his coach William Durden said. “Tyler is a relentless competitor and hard worker on the court and in the classroom. He displays the work ethic and leadership that every coach hopes for from his players. He does all of the little things to get the job done.”

 

Kiley, a junior basketball player, averaged 14.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during the recent SEMO Conference Tournament. She has already received six full-ride scholarship offers to National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 educational institutions. She is currently ranked 19th in her class with an 11.179 GPA.

 

“Kiley is growing into a great leader on and off the floor,” her coach John David Pattillo stated.

Pictured: Kiley Bess and Tyler Cline are awarded AOM plaques on Wednesday, Dec. 12, from Booster Club member Brian Taylor.

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

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - The Poplar Bluff School Foundation recently funded two ‘innovative educational projects’ valued at more than $3,500 so students can collect data for NASA and participate in group activities using digital microscopes.

 

The foundation board unanimously approved the projects during a meeting held last month as part of the nonprofit’s mini-grant program, which funds proposals based on merit above and beyond regular classroom budgets.

 

Board treasurer Emily Wolpers commented that Ashley DeBerry of the Middle School, the teacher over the NASA submission, went out of her way to receive a certification in Alabama over the summer; and new board member Bobbie Tinsley noted that 375 high school biology students would benefit from the microscopes.

 

 

“Instead of using microscopes one at a time, it’ll be a shared experience,” PBHS science teacher Gretchen Pendley said upon receiving the device. “Students can have that ‘aha moment’ together.”

 

Pendley’s colleague, Karen Harris, added: “I’ll be able to point and show the students exactly what to find in an individual slide, as they’ll be able to look up at the projector and see what I’m seeing.”

 

The model, made by Wolfe, interfaces with a computer and projects high-resolution images on an interactive whiteboard. The microscopes can additionally create time-lapse video screenshots, the proposal explains.

 

The team of educators, also including Stephanie Hillis, plan to use the digital microscopes in January when they begin teaching photosynthesis in biology class. Students will follow along with the instruction on regular compound microscopes already available in labs.

 

NASA-grade meteorology equipment—including a rain gauge, barometer, hygrometer, infrared thermometer and pH test strips—will be used by Middle School students in DeBerry’s fifth grade math and science classes come spring.

 

The GLOBE program will allow students to collect data for the region and enter it into the database to be made available to globe.gov visitors. “This is data that like,” DeBerry stressed, “NASA uses.

 

“Southeast Missouri will contribute and produce maps so data can be seen worldwide to gauge rain, average highs and lows, cloud coverage, temperature rating,” she continued.

 

DeBerry received her special training at the Marshall Space Center. Her principal, Dr. Brad Owings, noted that his favorite part about the new forged partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is that Poplar Bluff may be able to temporarily house a moon specimen under strict protocol. “We get to see moon rocks,” Owings exclaimed.

 

Teacher Gretchen Pendley points to cells on an aquatic plant leaf during her freshman advisory on Friday, Dec. 14, while student Hannah Tipton looks into the digital microscope and classmate Summer Worley observes the projection.

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