Article by
Contributing Writer
Aleshia Flowers
The staff at Central Elementary was proud to host their first annual Family Math Night on Thursday, October 25th. Organizers hoped to provide a fun atmosphere where students could work with both teachers and parents on essential math skills by playing fun games that challenged their critical thinking skills as well as their application of basic math curriculum.
Grant money allowed the school the send families home with educational supplies to work with their student beyond the classroom. These supplies included: a math reference book compatible for students in fourth through sixth grades, dice, a deck of playing cards, and tangram pieces (an ancient Chinese puzzle). During the event, attendees were taught how to use each of these resources to better their understanding of mathematics in a variety of ways especially in the areas of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
While the event served as a wonderful opportunity for youngsters to hone their math skills, the affair was also an opportunity for students, parents, and teachers alike to strengthen relationships with one another outside the classroom. Organizers hope that events such as these will help open the doors of communication between home and school. School personnel emphasized the need for individualized learning; by working with your student at home, parents are able to give their child the specialized attention in areas of study in which they may struggle and not receive personalized consideration in a classroom of many students.
Mother-daughter duos Pam and Lexie Laramore as well as Mia and Jodie Williams were active participants in Family Math Night’s festivities (pictured to left). These families as well as many others thoroughly enjoyed spending time together, playing games, and sharpening their math skills all in one leisurely evening. Attendees were randomly selected to receive their choice from an array of door prizes ranging from board games to restaurant gift cards simply for attending the event.
Teachers hope you’ll grab your Central student and any siblings who would enjoy participating and make it to the next Family Night, which is being planned for this upcoming spring!
ShowMe Times would like to encourage all our readers to get involved with our public schools.
The upcoming activities are posted weekly in hopes of encouraging more people to get involved in the academic and athletic growth of our school system.
Article Submitted by SMT Writer Beth Farrah
Richland Junior High and High School had another successful year at their annual Science Fair, put together and hosted by their science teachers, Lisa Gerlach and Stephanie Depew. The science fair gives many students the opportunity to be creative when they choose their own topic, product their own experiment, and design their own board to represent their results. This year, T.S. Hill’s science teachers got to come and help judge the students’ boards and overall experiments.
This year’s Science Fair improved greatly from the previous years, with new experiments and new students participating. All students enrolled in a science class participated in the Science Fair, so there were many different grades and categories that gave students multiple chances to win a ribbon.
Richland Science Fair Winners
Any of these winners have the chance to go to the District Science Fair in Cape Girardeau in early March to participate in a bigger competition. A couple of the students have already decided to compete so they are currently working on bettering their boards and experiments.
Overall, Richland’s Science Fair went over very well and was very successful among the students and teachers that lent a helping hand. We would like to say congratulations to all the winners and to all who competed.
The ShowMe Times encourages all of our readers to become involved in our local school system.
As an important part of our community, the support of the education process of our young people remains the very fabric of our future. Get involved by supporting the events at our schools.
Think back to a time when you were younger. You have not always known what the United States government was all about.
For many of us it was the History and Government classes that we took at Dexter High School that taught us about the voting process. Those classes taught us that we were blessed to live in country that we could be involved in the decision making of the country.
Tuesday at Dexter High School was the annual Mock Election led by Social Sciences teachers, Alana Dowdy and Debbie Essner. Students filed into the auditorium and up onto the stage which was set up to replicate an actual polling station.
The polling station was complete with a table to show proof of identification and copies of the actual ballots that will be used on November 6th at the General Election. The mock polling station was also complete with one of the actual ballot boxes that are used at a local polling station and booths that are used for voters who wish to have their ballots kept private.
"The students will use the actual ballots and vote on every issue that will be on voters ballots in November," commented Mrs. Debbie Essner.
As the students came into the auditorium, government teacher Alana Dowdy, explained to the students what the voting process was like. She told them about things that they would experience if it were a real polling place.
"In the past voters could walk into their local voting places and if you were recognized you could vote because the people working at the polls knew you," explained Alana Dowdy to the students. "Nowadays you can not do this, you will be required to show your identification."Alana also explained that politicians are required to stay back 50 feet from the polling place because in the past people might feel intimidated or pressured into voting one way or another.
This is a very important exercise that will teach these students about the process and the importance of voting, to the future of our country.
