Dexter, Missouri - Dexter Public School educators who are retiring this year will be honored at the district's Annual CTA Retirement Tea scheduled for Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Bearcat Event Center.
They will be honoring seven retiring teachers: Ramona Lemons from the high school, Shari Stickles, Sherry Chance and John Stephens from the middle school, June Lawrence from Central Elementary, and Debra Thrower and Shannon Putnam from Southwest Elementary.
The public is encouraged to attend! Congratulations to all those retiring!
Bloomfield, Missouri - Girl Scout Troop 70668 host a blood drive Saturday, April 23rd from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Bloomfield R-14 Library located at 301 West St. in Bloomfield, Missouri.
The American Red Cross has an emergency need for blood and platelet donors. Severe winter weather since Jan. 1 has forced the cancellation of more than 300 blood drives across 20 states, resulting in more than 9,500 donations uncollected, further depleting an already low winter supply. Blood donation appointments can be quickly and easily scheduled by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
In the Missouri-Illinois Red Cross Blood Services Region, serving parts of Missouri, Illinois and Kansas, 10 blood drives were canceled since Jan. 19, causing nearly 300 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected.
“Blood products are being delivered to hospitals as quickly as donations are coming in,” said Todd Wagner, donor recruitment director for the Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region. “Eligible donors are urged to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now and help ensure blood products are available for patients.”
Because of generous donors, the Red Cross is able to provide blood products to patients like 2-year-old Charlie Stephens. Charlie has received both blood and platelets during treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her mother, Michelle Stephens, donates blood regularly. “I want to help supply blood for someone else, because others have provided for my family,” she said.
The Red Cross must collect approximately 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide. Blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.
Platelets and type AB plasma also needed
Platelet donors and those with type AB blood are also continually needed to help ensure patients receive the lifesaving blood products they need. Platelets – a key clotting component of blood often needed by cancer patients, surgical patients and bone narrow recipients – must be transfused within five days of donation, so donations are constantly needed. Donors with type AB blood are urged to give blood or platelets to restock the plasma supply. Type AB donors have the universal plasma type, which can be given to patients of all blood types.
Individuals who donated blood earlier this summer may be eligible to donate again and help patients like an expectant mother at a Red Cross-supported hospital who is currently receiving nearly 100 units of blood products a week until she delivers. Her need alone could add up to 1,100 units.
How to donate blood
The free Blood Donor App – available in app stores by searching for American Red Cross or by texting BLOODAPP to 90999 – not only makes appointment scheduling easy, but donors can also access their digital donor card and be notified when their donation is distributed to a hospital. Donors can also visitredcrossblood.orgor call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood donors in the Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visitredcrossblood.org/RapidPassand follow the instructions on the site.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visitredcross.orgor visit us on Twitter at@RedCross.
“We’re proud to honor these teachers, these educators who prepare the leaders of our community,” said Steve Halter, President of the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce. “We believe it’s important that education and business work together to train the future workers for our businesses.”
The chamber traditionally honors seven teachers at the banquet: a full-time faculty member and an adjunct instructor from Three Rivers, three Poplar Bluff R-1 district and grade level teachers, and two teachers from local parochial schools.
Music professor William “Buddy” White was named Teacher of the Year for Three Rivers. White has been teaching at Three Rivers for 25 years, alongside his wife Cindy, who is Chair of the Three Rivers Music Department. White specializes in instrumental music education, and leads the Three Rivers College Symphonic and Jazz Bands.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the years to build up the Music Department at Three Rivers, and make it a place where local musicians can come and hone their craft,” said White. “In addition to our Three Rivers students, we’ve also been fortunate enough to host music festivals and events that helped educate and inspire thousands of local high school musicians throughout the last two decades.”
Mathematics adjunct Harvey French received the Adjunct Teacher of the Year award for Three Rivers. French has 47 years of experience teaching mathematics, six of which he has spent at Three Rivers. In addition to his work at Three Rivers, French has taught at high schools across the region, including Doniphan, Corning, and Naylor.
“I enjoy teaching mathematics in general, and teaching at Three Rivers in particular. My coworkers are a pleasure, and the students are remarkably hard-working,” said French. “I believe teaching math is important because you’re teaching more than just equations—you’re teaching how to think analytically. It helps people learn to make good decisions in life, not just in the classroom.”
“We’re extremely proud of the work that Buddy White and Harvey French have done in our classrooms,” said Dr. Wesley Payne, President of Three Rivers College. “They’re just one example of the excellence all of our instructors display, and the kind of high quality education that our students receive.”
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
Shown in the photo are the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year award recipients for 2016 are (from left), Fawn Luecke, Jan Gray, Buddy White, Harvey French, Amy Byrne, Gretchen Pendley, and Michael Berry.
Dexter, Missouri - The kindergarten classroom of Jessica McFarlen earned the Southwest Elementary Positive Behavioral Support Reward Flag.
School Wide Positive Behavioral 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 "superhero" capes to wear and parade around the gym before returning to class.
Front Row: Erynn Hawkins, Lily Bryant, Madilynn Palmer, Kylie Kimbrel, Lottie-Ann Hunott, Maddi Childers, Abby Martin and Leah Smith. Back Row: Travis Maloney, Jensen Blackwell, Erick Million, Triston Fox, Shawn Mooneyhan, Michael Prater, Ryann Spangler. Not Pictured: Gavin Drake and LeeOnnah Kestner
More than 20,000 square feet was added to the original facility as the result of a $1 million federal grant, plus the district-wide levy issue voters approved in 2014. The construction project is the first of several major renovations to be completed this year as part of the R-I buildings plan.
“Everything we do on the board level is done with the goal in mind of providing our children with the best possible education, to make them college and career-ready and to help our kids in the Poplar Bluff area compete anywhere in the world with anybody,” said board president John Scott. He added that so far the rest of the projects are on schedule and within budget.
Superintendent Chris Hon thanked the many individuals involved in making the long-range plan a reality, including the voters for producing a 15-year record turnout. Architect Ben Traxel explained that the safe room, which doubles as a gymnasium, was designed to withstand an F5 tornado with 250 mph winds.
The Junior High Science Department will move into six of the nine new classrooms next school year. The school also received ADA ramps, new bathroom and locker room facilities, and a loop road around the campus. In phase two of the plan, the lower gym will be converted to an industrial arts classroom, and the school will be able to vacate its standalone buildings altogether.
Zoellner Construction, the contractor over the Middle School as well as the four elementary school renovations this summer, completed the expansion of Junior High. The 132,000 square feet being added by K&S Associates to the future high school is slated for completion in September.
