| The eMule is BACK! Here is the latest news from the Poplar Bluff R-I School District to help start your school year on the right hoof. |
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Welcome, students!
The first day of school brought forth a mixture of emotions at the Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center, perhaps more so for parents than students. To ease the transition, Early Childhood Center staff members were on hand so kindergartners can see some familiar faces, and summer school was also offered to give students a jumpstart.
Above: Kindergartner Sawyer eats breakfast while he receives a pep talk from his mother, Dr. Amber Richardson.
Below: Meredith Clark reads to daughter, Isabella Halliburton, in Hyde Cornelia's kindergarten class.
To view all the photos, check out our First Day of School album and be sure to click 'like' on your favorite shots! Also click here to see all the great back to school photos that our parents shared with us.
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Back-To-School Convocation
The annual Back-To-School Convocation was held for about 700 Poplar Bluff R-I employees on Monday, Aug. 11, at the Black River Coliseum.
The JROTC presented the colors, PBHS senior Ridge Hester sang the National Anthem, fourth grader Jillianne Freeman of Eugene Field Elementary led the Pledge of Allegiance, the Ministerial Alliance delivered the opening prayer, school board president Steve Sells welcomed employees, principals and directors introduced new employees and shared goals, and Superintendent Chris Hon [above] delivered the state-of-the-school address, which focused on the buildings plan and customizing learning to meet the individual needs of students.
To conclude the convocation, administrators performed two very special renditions of popular songs. Click here to watch Hon's close-out performance (shout out to Chris Smith of the Early Childhood Center for the videography), and click here to view Eugene Field counselor Esther Luna's wonderful photography.
Below: Board vice president Gary Simmons visits with coaches and vendors prior to the convocation. (Thanks to all our vendors for the continued support)!
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Mule Skinner Golf Tourney a success
The Poplar Bluff Mules Booster Club generated around $26,000-100 percent of which will support Poplar Bluff R-I's athletic programs-during the sixth annual Mule Skinner Golf Tournament held on Friday, Aug. 8, at Westwood Hills Country Club. There were 32 teams consisting of 144 ex-Mules and school supporters that participated in the fundraiser, and 80 businesses and individuals sponsored holes.
[From left] Athletics Director Kent Keith and Booster Club board members Jason Smothers, Scott Vaughn, Boots Legrand, Larry Capps, Ed Norton and Brian Taylor pose in front of silent auction items.
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Ambassadors host Freshman Orientation
Student ambassadors consisting of nearly 60 upperclassman led Freshman Orientation on Thursday, Aug. 7, at PBHS, holding competitions at E.T. Peters Gym to serve as an icebreaker, and then breaking up the 318 new students into smaller groups to play games and tour campus.
Above: [From left] Senior Ridge Hester, along with classmates Madison Bulger and Dana Ziomek, introduce themselves to freshmen.
Below: [From left] Seniors Hannah Patterson and Taylor Cox give helpful tips to freshmen on how to survive high school, and succeed.
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Digital Transformation expands to PBHS
More than 80 percent of parents and students, grades Junior High and up, picked up laptops, insulated backpacks and took out insurance polices on their Apple devices during deployment earlier this month. A community partner in the digital transformation, the Poplar Bluff Public Library was on hand to issue library cards for free to students.
Special thanks to the Bread Company, Buffalo Wild Wings, Donut House Bakery & Deli, Hayden Drive-In, Las Margaritas, Mike & Zach's BBQ, Papa John's, Rowland Stollen Bakery & Deli, and eMule sponsor Subway, in addition to the PBHS Junior Beta Club, for making generous donations to cover food costs!
Above: Media Center Technician Brandon March issues a MacBook Air to a Junior High student.
Below: Superintendent Chris Hon helps pass out backpacks.
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Welcome, new teachers!
During a new teacher in-service on Monday, Aug. 4, in the Administrative Building, the majority of our 42 new certified staff members [pictured above] received formal introductions as well as training. The in-service continued the following day with 32 new classified staff. Welcome to the Poplar Bluff R-I family!
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Stuff the Bus
An estimated several thousand dollars worth of school supplies for elementary students in need was generated on Saturday, Aug. 2, during Stuff the Bus, an event put on by the United Way of Southeast Missouri and KFVS12 in cooperation with Walmart. Thanks to all those who contributed!
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Capturing Kids' Hearts training continues
Last month at the Gamma HealthCare Conference Center, Leadership Development Strategist Janet Kingsley [left] provided Capturing Kids' Hearts professional development to teachers of Poplar Bluff Junior and Senior High, along with Oak Grove and O'Neal Elementary schools, plus various R-I administrators.
The classroom culture training-developed by The Flippen Group, based in College Station, Texas-was first offered last year to secondary faculty. Now it has been expanded on the elementary level due to the success that can be seen across campus.
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Free Physical Night
Officials of the local medical community volunteered to provide 275 free sports physicals to Poplar Bluff Junior and Senior High student athletes on Thursday, July 24, at the PBHS Annex.
[From left] Ashleigh Crittenden, Karen McDaniel, Sara Cole, Tori Cole, Stephanee Walters, Dr. Matt Riffle, Sonya DiCiro, Dr. Steve Nagy, Chad Casey and Patrick Kreulen, each of Physicians Park Primary Care and Saint Francis Medical Center, with the exception of Casey, who works for Focus on Physical Therapy.
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iThink Summer Academy well attended
A total of 56 Poplar Bluff Junior and Senior High teachers participated in the iThink Summer Academy, a 10-session training series offered this summer in the Administrative Building by R-I instructional technology facilitators Valerie Ivy [below] and Candace Warren [above]. Topics included digital tools, lesson development, and classroom and learning management systems.
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Mooresville Institute offered at PBHS
Poplar Bluff Schools hosted nine teachers from North Carolina's Mooresville Graded School District last month to help assure the digital transformation is a continued success at both Poplar Bluff Junior and Senior High.
The professional development was first offered to Junior High teachers last summer in preparation for the deployment of 800 MacBook Airs to students. Senior High was included this summer during a return visit as teachers prepared for the issuance of 1,400 laptops to high school students.
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Above: Mooresville social studies instructor DJ Mehall teaches Junior High communication arts faculty members how to use Kahoot, a competitive learning program, on Monday, July 7.
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Extreme Student Art Show
Poplar Bluff 5th & 6th Grade Center students in instructor Deana Ward's summer enrichment class hosted a gallery for the public in June at Junior High, featuring a dozen projects inspired by famous artists including the fresco art of Michelangelo, cubism foil portraits of Pablo Picasso and pop art popularized by Andy Warhol.
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BONUS: Weightlessness
First grade teacher Staci Barker of Oak Grove Elementary sits in mid-air as she prepares to be dunked on the last day of summer school June 26. Elementary students were rewarded with a "Fun Day" as an incentive for positive behavior and good attendance.
Click here to view the entire album, and be sure to 'like' your favorite photos!
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Picture Day
Picture Day for Senior High will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
Board Meeting
The regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, in the Administrative Building. The monthly meeting is open to the public.
Football Opener
The opening home game of Mules Varsity Football vs. Fox will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Morrow Stadium. Gates open at 5:30. Admission is $4. Non-school age children get in for free.
MSBA Conference
Superintendent Chris Hon and his team have been selected to tell Poplar Bluff's story about how the community came together to support the buildings plan during the annual Missouri School Board Association conference to be held from Thursday to Sunday, Sept. 25-28, at Tan-Tar-A in Osage Beach.
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On Friday, Aug. 15, KFVS12 featured PBHS StuCo and sponsors on the Breakfast Show and later its evening news program, discussing the digital transformation and buildings plan.
On Thursday, Aug. 14, the DAR reported about the first day of school, along with Capturing Kids' Hearts.
On Friday, Aug. 8, the Columbia Tribune quoted PBJHS Principal Bob Case about the Show Me Value Tour.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch ran an Associated Press article about our coaching staff saving the life of a student athlete. We look forward to welcoming Caleb Morrow back to school!
On Tuesday, July 15, KFVS12 ran a release about our continued partnership with Mooresville.
On Friday, July 13, the DAR reported about the digital transformation expanding to Senior High.
On Wednesday, July 9, KWOC featured Superintendent Chris Hon, discussing laptop deployment, Oak Grove construction, and more!
On Tuesday, July 1, the DAR ran Hon's column, which provided a buildings plan update.
On Sunday, June 29, the DAR reported a feature story about how three generations of the Allen family have served as educators for Poplar Bluff Schools.
On Thursday, June 19, the DAR reported about FFA student Daniel Williams' supervised agriculture experience project.
On Wednesday, June 11, KWOC introduced Chief Technology Officer Aaron Badgley to the community on Brittney on the Bluff.
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