Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Dexter, Missouri – High school senior Jacob Robinson has been selected an “Honorable Mention” student in the 2014 Missouri Scholars 100, a statewide program that honors 100 of Missouri’s top academic students in the graduating class of 2014. Dan Pollock made the announcement this month. He is the principal of Dexter Senior High School.
Missouri Scholars 100 is a program sponsored by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals. Schools across Missouri were invited to nominate candidates for this statewide recognition. The selection is based primarily on a formula using the student’s grade point average and ACT or SAT score. Each student nominated had to first meet criteria of an “Academic Decathlon”, which included ten “events” designed to assure the academic strength of the student. To meet the decathlon requirements, the student must have a minimum GPA of 3.750, a minimum ACT score of 29 or a minimum SAT score of 1,900, be ranked in the upper 10% of the class, and have taken upper level courses in mathematics, science, English, and foreign language. The student must also have excellent attendance, be an exemplary school citizen, and be involved in the school activity program.
Jim L. King, Executive Director of the principals’ association said, “Students who are selected to this program have taken a rigorous course of study and have maintained the highest academic standards. The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals wants to celebrate the achievement and success of these students and their schools.”
Jacob is a senior at Dexter High School and the co-founder of End Poverty in Stoddard County. He has been accepted to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Dartmouth is a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranks among the world's greatest academic institutions. Jacob plans to pursue a medical degree and work in the field of neurobiology.
Congratulations Jacob on your accomplishments. Your hard work and continued studies will make you a very successful person. The Dexter community is extremely proud of you and we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
Erin Lauters, SMT Writer
The first song, conducted by Mr. Wade was "Y.M.C.A.". As the crowd shuffled in their seats eager to move, but too embarrassed to try YMCA with their hands. The concert had an enjoyable start which was quite prominent.
Following the "Y.M.C.A.", Mr. Wade directed "Locomotion". Mr. Jinkerson, the new Middle School band director for next year, was excited to conduct his first piece of pop music. He started off by saying how excited he was to have received the job for next year and to work with all the children with music in the future. He conducted "Takin' Care of Business" as well as the always popular "Smoke on the Water".
He then let Miss Shupbach take the stand. She is a student teacher from Southeast Missouri State University, who much like Mr. Jinkerson has a job ready for her at the end of this year at Bell City taking the place of Mrs. Wade. She directed "Radioactive", a newer piece in this set.
Mr. Rybolt took the stand. For the first song, he chose "Low Rider". For the final song explained his love of Bon Jovi music when announcing "You Give Love a Bad Name".
Several of the 8th grade students were not on hand for the concert as they were attending the annual Science Fair competition on the Southeast Missouri State University campus in Cape Girardeau.
All in all the concert was a blast and the students really enjoyed performing for their parents and friends. We look forward to listening to their spring concert as well.
Shown in the photo above are the 7th grade concert students. Below are the 8th grade concert students.
Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Dexter, Missouri - The purpose of the Mark Twain Award is to provide children of Missouri with a recommended reading list of literature that will enrich their lives. The winner of the Mark Twain Readers Award is selected annually by students in grades four through six throughout Missouri.
Shown in the photo above are the 4th grade students who read at least 4 of the 12 book nominees. There are 26 students. They also attended the party and voted for their favorite book.
Students will be casting their votes at the Mark Twain, Truman, and Gateway Voting Parties. Each of these Voting Parties is divided into different age groups. The Gateway books are focused on the high school students (9-12th grade), while the Truman books are more associated with the junior high readers (6-8th grade), and the Mark Twain books are more open to the elementary readers.
Central Elementary students just celebrated their Voting Party. To be able to attend the party and cast their vote, the students were required to read at least four of the twelve books on this year’s Mark Twain Award Nominees.
The winning book and author of each of the Award Nominee categories will be announced in April at a Missouri Association of School Librarians conference that will take place in Tan-Tar-A.
Close to Famous, by Joan Bauer. Viking Juvenile.
Missing on Superstition Mountain, by Elise Broach. Henry Holt and Co.
Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, by Laurie Calkhoven. Dutton Juvenile.
Barn Boot Blues, by Catherine Friend. Amazon Children's Publishing.
Hidden, by Helen Frost. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
The Underdogs, by Mike Lupica. Philomel.
13 Gifts, by Wendy Mass. Scholastic Press.
In Front of God and Everybody, by K.D. McCrite. Thomas Nelson.
The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann. Aladdin.
Sparrow Road, by Sheila O'Connor. Putnam Juvenile.
Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick. Scholastic Press.
Pie, by Sarah Weeks. Scholastic Press.
"I had a total of 60 students that were eligible to vote this year, and 19 that read all 12," stated Camie Richard, Central Elementary Librarian. "That is a record number of voting students."
Congratulations to all of the students who read their books. Reading can be fun!!
Thank you Camie Richard for the awesome photos!
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
"This is the most prestigious award given by the association," Miller said of the award to Sims, "and is based on the student's leadership and involvement in school and community activities throughout their four years of high school."
Student Council Advisor, Jennifer Miller, was also honored and received the Southeast District of the Missouri Association of Student Councils Advisor of the Year Award.
The Southeast District encompasses Student Councils from 18 counties from the bootheel to just south of St. Louis County.
Congratulations to both of you for your continued support of Dexter Student Council and for all of your hard work throughout the year.
Erin Lauters, SMT Writer
The Concert Band played all the pieces they will be playing for contest on March 22, 2014. These pieces include "Simple Gifts" directed by Miss Shupbach, and "Seal Lullaby", and "March from Somerset" directed by Mr. Rybolt. After playing these pieces, the middle schoolers exited the stage, and the high school prepared to perform their last concert band piece, "Andrew Lloyd Webber" directed by Mr. Jinkerson. He was as excited as he could be while directing this piece, which was a mashup of several Broadway musicals.
The Jazz Cats took the stage soon after and began their set with "Groovin' Hard". They followed that with "Malagueña","I Remember Clifford", and "St. Louis Blues".
After that they then commemorated the Beatles by playing "Norwegian Wood", which the crowd seemed to love.
Photo is from a recent basketball game with the Jazz 'Cats performing between the JV and Varsity games.
