Poplar Bluff, Missouri - “Promise me you’ll always remember – you’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”
The students of Oak Grove Elementary School will know this Christopher Robin quote by heart since it is now placed on a mounted plaque for all of the students to see when they are playing at recess. The new playground at the elementary school will be officially open for use tomorrow on Thursday, March 28th.
This new place of freedom and fun for the younger students has been created in the memory of Ally Daughhetee, who was a second grade student who passed away in 2011. Her untimely passing has affected the community and they have made a special memorial at the new playground so she can be honored by the school, classmates, and other members of the community.
Ally’s father, Ronnie Daughhetee, has lived in Poplar Bluff for the majority of his life and he knew of the needs within the community for a new playground and new playground equipment. This new memorial includes $24,000 worth of new equipment, including a jungle gym. There have also been new pieces added to the old playground back behind the school so that recess can be assorted by grade level. The fundraisers held by the local PTO, proceeds from the Latchkey program, and the donation of Ronnie and his wife Melissa made the dream turn into a reality.
“The Daughhetee family continues to be active in the school and community,” Jenifer Richardson, current Oak Grove Principal, said. “They have blessed Oak Grove with a gift that was truly representative of Ally’s character. We are very appreciative of their generosity.”
The Daughhetees were contacted during the fundraising and have strived to keep Ally’s memory alive and well. They have added several stand-alone components to the recent project and will continue to do so. The playground was built in honor of Ally and her playful nature so that the students and local kids in the community will be active and playful as well while remembering their friend.
“She was a ‘sun up, sun down’ kind of girl,” her father, Ronnie, explained. “She played outside all day and lived every moment to the fullest.”
The students and faculty are ecstatic about the opening of the much needed playground. The plaque, equipment, and memory of Ally will always be honored at Oak Grove in remembrance of her.
Written by
Jessica Snider, SMT Writer
Tuesday, March 19th, members of the Dexter FFA Chapter attended the Area 16 annual banquet. The banquet was held in the Poplar Bluff High School Cafeteria.
FFA members from 17 chapters in Area 16 were in attendance for Tuesday's banquet. Awards were presented to the different members that have earned them throughout the year at the area level.
In addition to awards, the new area officers for the 2013-2014 school year were also installed at the banquet. Shelby Edwards of the Dexter FFA Chapter was installed as the area Sentinel.
Pictured in the photo are the Dexter FFA members that attended the banquet shown with awards. From left to right: Ben Dachs, Chelsey Massey, Derek Felker, Garrett Kyle, Trevor Link, Madison Bishop, and Shelby Edwards.
Richland had annual talent shows many years ago and both the students and the faculty are glad to have it back. Although it serves as a fundraiser for the Band and Music classes, it is also enjoyable for people of all ages. Over the past three years, it has had a remarkable turnout and continues to improve each year.
The show is so enjoyable because of the range of talent that the students show. There are multiple singing and dancing acts, skits, videos, and other great performances that are placed in a great line up so that the audience does not get tiresome.
Many of the great singing acts included a sixth grader, Kate Wyman, who performed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on her ukulele. A group of high school students also formed a band together specifically for the talent show where they performed “Don’t Stop Believing”, with the lead singers being senior Jessica Shidler and freshman Jamie Smith. Smith also performed again later that night with nothing but a tambourine and her guitar, where she sang “The Only Exception”.
Many of the younger students took up the hobby of playing piano and they showed off their great talent last night. Kate Wyman performed “Knight Rupert” and also received a superior rating (1) at a local music festival she competed in. Eighth grader Aleena Robbins showcased the song “Curtains of Fire”. Sophomore Joe Foster competed in the District Musical Festival earlier that day and received a superior rating with Mozart’s piece “Rondo Alla Turca” and will be headed to state within the next few months.
Throughout the school year, the different organizations, clubs, and teams competed in a school-wide Call Me Maybe Video Competition. The volleyball team and the Marching Rebels both showcased their videos to the crowd. There were also many other videos that have been taken throughout the year that were shown in between acts on stage. The Junior Health Class and the Beta Club both participated in a Harlem Shake video, so the audience got to enjoy both of those performances.
There were also multiple dancing productions and the elementary students take great pride in each of their dances. This year, Duley created the Rebel Swag Dance Crew, which is a group of elementary students that practiced a hip-hop dance in their music class each week. The brother sister duo, Alexia Kemp and Hunter Sanders both danced to “Boom Boom Pow” and created a new favorite routine for the crowd.
The high school students also take great pride in their skits. In recent years, they have reenacted multiple Saturday Night Live skits including Target Lady, Church Lady, and Single Ladies. This year, the students of the senior class created a skit called “Bay Tay-Tay” which featured seniors Baylee Taylor, Becka Harden, Richard Forshee, Nick Daniels, and high school science teacher, Daniel Keegan. A group of high school boys also performed a Saturday Night Live skit that they now call a “Friday Night Live Skit: More Cowbell”. The skits are always a great hit with the crowd and are always very funny.
The grand finale always consists of a giant dance team of both high school and elementary students. In previous years, the students have danced to “Thriller” and “Dance Through the Generations”. This year, the song picked for the finale was “Gangnam Style”.
The students loved rehearsing and performing for the Talent Show and all of the audience and visitors also enjoyed the performances. It was another great turn out for Richland this year.
Dexter Senior High School- This listing of activities is a service offered by the ShowMe Times, working in partnership with the Dexter Public Schools for your convenience.
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