Bernie, Missouri - The third and fourth grade teachers at Bernie are wanting to purchase the AlphaBetter desks for their classrooms. These desks are standing desks with a fidget bar that can be moved back and forth with your foot allowing for movement that does not interrupt the learning environment. The students may also sit on a stool and still use the fidget bar.
They are about $400 for the stool and desk. They have received some grant money, donations, and the school with be purchasing some for the upcoming school year. Their goal is to have 25 desks for each third and fourth grade classroom for the upcoming school year. They are about 35 desks away from our goal. If anyone or any business is interested in helping us purchase these desks please contact Casey Arnold at 421-5752 or Bernie Elementary.
Letter from the teachers below:
"Educating children in today’s society comes with many challenges. Teaching in a low income, rural school district with 65% percent of the population on free and reduced lunches makes educating children even more challenging.
Our unique student population with 65% of the population on free and reduced lunch and 16% of students in third and fourth grade diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder creates a learning environment with many obstacles to overcome. Our goal as educators is to find ways to help our students overcome such challenges in order to be productive in the learning environment and reach their full potential.
Trending in both the workplace and the educational setting in recent years are standing desks. All over the nation, sitting desks are being replaced with standing desks. Research has shown these standing desks increase performance in the classroom, reduce problematic behavior, increase focus and attention, and create fully engaged learners. These desks allow students to utilize the fidget bar and have the ability to move their bodies rather than sitting still without disrupting the learning environment or other students’ concentration. These desks also bring the added bonus of burning calories throughout the day to help fight against childhood obesity and improve posture.
We have researched these desks and found the AlphaBetter brand desks seem to be a great fit in meeting the needs of our students. However, these desks are very expensive and with budget cuts and lack of funding, we are unable to purchase them for our third and fourth grade classrooms. The standing desk and stool combination are around $400 each. We need approximately 100 for our third and fourth grade classrooms.
Our goal would be to start the 2016-2017 school year with these standing desks in place for our third and fourth grade students to give them the best opportunity to learn. These particular desks are standing desks with a fidget bar that can be moved back and forth with your foot allowing for movement that does not interrupt the learning environment.
These desks also come with a stool so that a student has the opportunity to sit as well and still utilize the fidget bar. We feel these desks will not only enhance learning but serve as a solution for many problems both teachers and students face daily. It is extremely difficult for students to sit still for the duration of the school day. They often turn to talking to classmates, asking to go to the bathroom, getting up to sharpen pencils, tapping pencils on their desk, playing with objects, or a many other problematic behaviors that lead to a disruption in not only the student’s learning but to the students around them. Being able to stand, sit or use a fidget bar while learning will help the student stay engaged in the learning process. It allows them to exert their excess energy as well as stimulate their minds and bodies when losing focus without any disruption to the learning environment.
We are reaching out to you and asking for your assistance in purchasing these AlphaBetter desks for our third and fourth grade students. We believe they will be a valuable asset to our students and help them become fully engaged learners, reaching their full potential. We appreciate any and all assistance you can provide to us and will be extremely grateful for this opportunity to enhance learning for our students."
Sincerely,
Casey Arnold, Third grade teacher
Nicole Garner, Third grade teacher
Haley Baker, Fourth grade teacher
Edna Smith, Fourth grade teacher
Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Three Rivers College has announced the promotion of Justin Hoggard to Dean of Instruction, where he will be responsible for all of the college’s for-credit academic and career education classes. Hoggard, who was previously Chair of the Social Science Department and Title III Director, will assume his new position on July 1.
“I am excited about this opportunity. It will be different from the teaching responsibilities I have had at Three Rivers,” said Hoggard. “In the end, it is still about providing a quality educational experience for our students and adding to the 50 years of service the College has provided to this region.”
Hoggard was hired at Three Rivers in 2000 as a faculty member in the Social Science Department. He became Chair of the Social Science Department in 2012, and Director of the college’s Title III programs in 2014. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science and a Master’s Degree in History from Arkansas State University, and is in the final stages of the Education Leadership doctoral program at William Woods University.
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 is Justin Hoggard, a Paragould, Arkansas, resident, has been chosen as Dean of Instruction for Three Rivers College. He will be responsible for all of the college’s for-credit academic and career education classes.
Dexter, Missouri - Tyler Stevenson, 2016 Dexter High School graduate, received a scholarship from the Chalk Bluff Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.
Tyler has been active in Children of the American Revolution, currently holding the position of president of the Bootheel Society C.A.R. and has held several state offices as well.
Pictured presenting Tyler with his check are Ann Polsgrove, Chapter Regent and Joyce Malin, Chapter Vice Regent.
Tyler is the son of Kay Polsgrove Stevenson of Dexter and Keith Stevenson of Theodosia, MO.
Tyler will attend Harding University in Searcy, AR in the fall.
Searcy, Arkansas - More than 750 students received diplomas at Harding University's commencement exercises on May 7, 2016. Owen Flowers of Dexter, Missouri received a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training.
Owen was a 2012 graduate of Dexter Senior High School and is the son of Tim and Kim Flowers.
Harding is the largest private university in Arkansas and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report for 22 consecutive years as a top 25 school in the South.
Flowers recently announced his engagement to Amanda Ryan and passed his Board of Certification as a Certified Athletic Trainer. He would love to work with high school, collegiate, or professional athletes. At the present time he is working in Alaska over the summer with his brother Ethan.
Shown in the photo are from left to right: Ethan Flowers (Owen's brother), Kim Flowers (mom), Owen, Amanda Ryan (finance') and Tim Flowers (dad).
Searcy, Arkansas - Kendra Stevenson, a 2014 Dexter High School graduate and a student at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas chose to spend a semester abroad in the country of Greece. She left on May 10th for a three-month summer semester.
The program named "HUG" stands for Harding University in Greece and as a part of the HUG curriculum she is spending the semester immersed in Greek culture. Her major is public relations and she will have the opportunity to experience a Mediterranean cruise and visit historical sites in the Peloponnese Norther Greece, Turkey and Israel. The group lives in Port Rafti, Attica, cultivating new relationships with fellow students.
Students in the program have a full course load available to them taught by visiting Harding University professors. The classes encourage exploration and interaction among the people of Greece.
Harding is the largest private university in Arkansas and has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report for 22 consecutive years as a top 25 school in the southern United States.
Kendra is the daughter of Kay Stevenson and Keith Stevenson. While at Dexter High School she was active in tennis and softball all four years of high school.
She was also the President of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and President of Rotary-Interact Club. She was a member of the Dexter Honor Society and has been in the Top 10% her 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade years.
