Mark Twain School students are gaining perhaps just as much as they give while helping to address the food insecurity in the community, organizers say.
Since the beginning of the calendar year, teacher Darla Nunn has served as chaperone over the volunteer students at the Bread Shed. The group assists with the nonprofit's A Better Childhood program, which supplies monthly food baskets to R-I families in need; the senior food distribution in cooperation with the SEMO Food Bank; and diaper drives in collaboration with the Diaper Bank of the Ozarks.
“Kids can always find the negative, but what do you bring to the table to make it positive,” asked Nunn, who leads the Jobs for America’s Graduates program at Mark Twain. “I can’t do it all by myself, but as a collective group like the Bread Shed, we can work together to make things better.
The community service functions as a resume enhancer for students, she noted, fitting in with JAG-Missouri’s project-based learning model. In addition, the short field trips serve as a motivator for life skills students who enjoy a change of pace in the school day, and meet the requisite building expectations.
“I know I have food in a home where I can get a drink when I want, and go to sleep in a bed,” high school student Tristan White commented. “There are people out there who are hungry and homeless and don’t have anything, and I can help them.”
Jim Ward, executive director of the Bread Shed, said the work could not be carried out without helpers like the students from Mark Twain. Besides greeting guests, he said that the young people load the boxes, which often include produce, cereal, snacks, eggs, meat, bread, canned goods, bottled water and more.
The arrangement initially began about five years ago with Junior High assistant principal Corey Jameson, then lead teacher at the former Poplar Bluff Graduation Center. “The worth ethic translated to the classroom,” he recalled.
“Each student that participated in the Bread Shed volunteer opportunity became better students in school,” Jameson said. “Helping others gave them a sense of self-worth and accomplishment, some of them hadn’t experienced in a long time or possibly ever.”
In addition to the programs that the students help with during the workweek, the faith-based organization rotates counties providing a mobile food pantry and clothing giveaway on weekends. Lastly, the Bread Shed serves a free hot meal on Sundays through its Breaking Bread program at its North D Street location, where mobile shower units were recently added. For more information on services available, please visit breadshed.org.
Pictured: Students (right to left) Tiffany Womack and Kennedy Robertson help load up a laundry basket carried by Caiden Politte of Mark Twain School on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at the Bread Shed.
Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District
Sparklight recently donated 50 Google Chromebooks to Lake Road Elementary to be used to teach coding during latchkey as the school works toward its goal of incorporating STEM into its curriculum.
“Now more than ever, student access to computers is a necessity,” Sparklight Senior Vice President of Technology Services Ken Johnson stated in a press release. “By donating Chromebooks, we’re giving students in need the opportunity to use technology that will ultimately prepare them for a progressively digital workforce.”
A company representative reached out to Lake Road at the end of last school year, as part of its Chromebooks for Kids initiative. Sparklight has given away over 2,000 devices to Title I elementary schools in the markets where it offers broadband services.
The devices have allowed third grade teacher Michelle McDaniel to start the ‘Kids Who Code’ club during which she uses resources from Code.org and the Girls Who Code nonprofit to teach students how to code. Upward of 40 participants, grades 1-6, gather for about an hour and a half in the gymnasium each morning.
“My hope is that it will foster an interest in computer sciences,” McDaniel explained. “In this way, hopefully, the kids can also become interested in robotics and engineering.”
While the elementary schools are 1:1, the additional laptop cart brings Lake Road closer to realizing its vision of having a space dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math, according to Principal Rondi Vaughn.
“Having these computers in a cart for this purpose will allow us to give students the accessibility to technology while participating in these [activities] and not having to take any technology outside their classrooms,” Vaughn said. “Computers are an integral component of our students’ learning.”
Pictured: Computer technicians Kyle Pearson (forefront) and Joe Salamone inventory Chromebooks on Tuesday, Aug. 24, in the conference room at Lake Road so teacher Michelle McDaniel (standing) can incorporate technology during latchkey.
Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District
A Poplar Bluff Junior High faculty member has been awarded a $500 grant from the Missouri Retired Teachers Foundation to create a puppet theater and purchase a digital camera for her drama elective.
Hilary Taylor was selected among nine grant recipients in Region 12 of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association out of 112 successful proposals throughout the state, plus 10 awarded to school support staff.
“This project will allow students to interpret literature through various dramatic representations,” Taylor wrote in her grant proposal entitled ‘Literature Through Drama.’ “Through these experiences students will increase their editing, peer review and comprehension skills.”
This is the fifth consecutive year that an R-I educator was among those regionally who submitted successful grants, bringing the running total for the school district to $4,500 from the nonprofit. Since 2017, Taylor has been selected as a winner on two previous occasions – to enhance her robotics and honors English classes, respectively.
The MRTF is the fundraising arm of the association, made up of retired educators whose purpose is to promote the professional, social and economic welfare of all retired school employees, according to its website.
Pictured: (Left to right) Dr. Scott Dill, R-I superintendent; Mark Cook, MRTA Region 12 vice president; Hilary Taylor, Junior High teacher; Candace Warren, Junior High principal; Linda Surber, Butler County unit president; and Arleta Godwin, MRTA president.
Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District
Dexter, MO - The 2021 Dexter High School Homecoming Queen Coronation will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021 at Charles Bland Stadium.
The football team, tennis team, football cheer, volleyball team, and cross country team each nominated two candidates.
Football Cheer nominated Aslyn Wirz and Cali Whitaker.
Tennis Team nominated Juliann Rivera and Makenzie Mahy.
Football Team nominated Dulcie Pullen and Jayci Holcomb.
Volleyball Team nominated Lexie Laramore and Tori White.
Cross Country Team nominated Sophia Chasteen and Gabby Brown.
Pictured front row from left to right: Cali Whitaker, Julianna Rivera, Makenzie Mahy, Sophia Chasteen
Back row: Aslyn Wirz, Tori White, Jayci Holcomb, Dulcie Pullen, Lexie Laramore
(not pictured, Gabrielle Brown)
Photo by Danielle Morgan
Dexter T.S. Hill Middle School - This listing of T.S. Hill Middle School activities is a service offered by the ShowMe Times, working in partnership with Scott Kruse, Middle School Principal and the Dexter Public Schools for your convenience.
We hope you will mark your calendar and we encourage everyone to support our local students and their activities. The education and growth of young people in our community is the key to everyone's future!
If you would like to submit information and a picture of a student and his/her accomplishments, send it to dloflin@showmetimes.com or call (573) 380-3318.
Calendar
Tuesday Sept 28 CC-HOME 5:00
Thursday Sept 30 FB vs. Doniphan 5:00
Saturday Oct 2 CC @ ND 10:00/7:30 Bus
Monday Oct 4 GBB vs. NMCC 5:30
Tuesday Oct 5 GBB vs. Doniphan 5:30
Thursday Oct 7 GBB vs. Holcomb 5:30
FB vs. Scott City 5:00
Saturday Oct 9 Stoddard County CC Meet TBA
Monday Oct 11 GBB vs. Woodland 6:00/4:15 Bus
Tuesday Oct 12 Middle School Choir Concert 6:00
Thursday Oct 14 CC-SEMO Conference Meet 5:00
GBB vs. NVille 5:30
Talent Search-6-7-8th Hours
Friday Oct 15 Last Day of 1st Quarter
Saturday Oct 16 CC @ Farmington 12:00/8:45 Bus
Monday Oct 18 GBB vs. Jackson 5:30
Tuesday Oct 19 GBB @ Bluff 5:00/3:45 Bus
Thursday Oct 21 PD Day-NO Students
Friday Oct 22 NO School
Saturday Oct 23 CC @ HOME 11:00
Monday Oct 25 GBB vs. Sikeston 5:30
Tuesday Oct 26 GBB @ Cape 4:30/3:00 Bus
Thursday Oct 28 BB @ Bernie 6:00
