Ross Dare has been selected among 330 sophomores statewide to participate in the Missouri Scholars Academy this summer, the first Poplar Bluff High School student in several years to achieve this prestigious honor, according to the Counseling Department.

 

Selection to the three-week residential program held at the University of Missouri campus in Columbia is based on PSAT scores, grade point average, an IQ test, student essays and letters of recommendation.

 

“Missouri Scholars Academy will give Ross new opportunities to challenge himself intellectually and new venues for his curiosity to flourish,” wrote Joshua Allen, Ross’ choir teacher. “He is, simply stated, the type of student for whom MSA was created.”

 

During the academy which begins Sunday, June 10, Ross will select a major, a minor, as well as a social class tailored toward the academically gifted. The curriculum is designed for scholars to deepen their understanding about their unique abilities, while engaging in critical-thinking and problem-solving activities.

 

Science Department chairwoman Gail Karlish said Ross is only the second sophomore in her 38-year tenure that she has given special permission to enroll in physics, a junior level course. Ross earned an A during the first semester. Karlish has also served as the Academic Team coach for over 25 years, working closely with many of the school’s brightest students, she said. Ross is the team captain.

 

“This year, cross country was another activity that Ross added to his already impressive plate,” Karlish wrote in her letter. “He did this because, in his words: ‘I’m not a very sports guy. I wasn’t very good this year, but I plan to run again next year because it was fun, and I want to get better.’”

 

That enthusiastic attitude combined with his top ranking in his class is why guidance counselor Susan Brown felt compelled to nominate Ross for MSA, she said.

Pictured: Ross Dare, pictured with counselor Susan Brown, has been accepted to the Missouri Scholars Academy from June 10-30 at Mizzou.

Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

PBHS hosts its first student PD day

 

Zumba, beekeeping, college life, dog training, improv and Magic the Gathering were just a sampling of the various subjects and activities secondary education students were exposed to last week.

 

Poplar Bluff High School held its first student personal development day in collaboration with the Technical Career Center on Friday, May 11, at the Tom Hoover Way campus.

 

“The idea was to give kids an opportunity to learn what you wouldn’t get in a typical school day,” explained Instructional Coach Stephanie Kuper, the event organizer. “We had information about different careers, everyday things that people need to know about, and some fun sessions.”

 

Community partners, faculty and even high schoolers led the breakout sessions, which students got to select via a survey. Last year Junior High successfully introduced student PD day to the district, and Kuper credited the leadership there for providing a model she can go off of. The concept originally came from the Orchard Farm School District.

 

“When kids are engaged in what they’re learning about, classroom management tends to take care of itself,” Kuper said. “You gotta keep giving them reason to come, because you can’t teach unless they’re here.”

 

Pictured: Barbie Hon of the Technical Career Center displays the teeth of her horse Cricket during an equine care session.

Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

 Computer graphics students at the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center won second and third place respectively in the 2018 brand design contest at the state fall leadership contest of SkillsUSA Missouri held recently in Jefferson City.

 

Jeramiah Gracia won second place and Rayni Seesengood placed third out of more than 70 entries. Themed ‘job-ready day one,’ the contest included a T-shirt, banner and trading pin component, and a cohesive design among the mediums.

 

“It’s indicative of the level of skills students are capable of in this program – graphic design,” commented Charles Kinsey, TCC director. “[SkillsUSA] is an important organization because it allows the students to express themselves and compete, while the industry tunes in.”

 

The students, both seniors, qualify to compete in the district contest in February and the statewide competition in April.

 

The computer graphics program, under the instruction of Regina Gossett, has produced employees in multiple area print shops over the years including 4M Sign Service & Design, Southeast Signs & Graphics, and Stinson Press.

 

“Our goal is to prepare students to go into the workforce,” said Gossett, “so we align [the program] with what they are doing in their shops.”

 

Pictured: Jeramiah Gracia and Rayni Seesengood take two of three top spots in an area branding competition.

Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Adeesh Mishra of the Poplar Bluff High School Class of 2018 received both the Dr. Michael L. Laseter Memorial and the Mary Lynn Wolpers scholarships, valued at $2,500.

 

The Wolpers scholarship is designated for a PBHS senior and the Laseter scholarship is restricted to a PBHS senior majoring in the medical field.

 

Mishra said he plans to attend the University of Missouri at Kansas City where he will double major in biology and business, and then continue to medical school. His ultimate goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon and perhaps one day start his own practice.

 

“My aspiration is to integrate the urban provisions of health care in rural settings and spread the message of ‘treating patients, not ailments,’” Mishra wrote in his essay.

 

Donna Laseter presents Adeesh Mishra with the Dr. Michael L. Laseter Memorial scholarship in May.

 

Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Most graduates since post-WWII baby boom

 

A total of 358 students graduated from Poplar Bluff High School on Thursday, May 24, at the Black River Coliseum – the most graduates since 1980, topping last year’s distinction.

 

According to district records, the past two consecutive years have produced the largest numbers of alumni in the history of the school system, with the exception of a stretch of years starting in the mid-1960s when the baby boomer generation began to complete high school.

 

“I am exceedingly fond of graduation ceremonies – they indicate that the school district has completed its primary mission,” R-I Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill told the Class of 2018. “Tonight’s ceremony is not just an end cap to your career as a high school student. Rather, it is the cumulative celebration of 13 long years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication.”

 

This year’s salutatorian was Alyssa Cook and Kaitlyn Lloyd was named valedictorian. In a speech to her classmates, Lloyd purposely rattled off a string of clichés such as “we did it,” “believe in yourself” and “change the world” since, she said, she is forever compelled to do the opposite of what she is advised.

 

“I’ve prospered in a world of ‘no’s.’ Today, I prove all the ‘no’s’ wrong, even the ones that developed from within,” the top student said, later adding: “When people tell you ‘no’, you smile and prove them wrong.”

 

The Class of 2018 earned nearly $3.4 million in scholarships, A+ funding and other grants to attend college, the PBHS counseling department reported. The most recent graduation rate for PBHS is 91.8 percent, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

 

Pictured: Students look around as they enter the arena at the opening of the commencement ceremony.

Photo and articles submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District