Subway ad - Eat Fresh
Visit our sponsor!
eMule
The official email newsletter of Poplar Bluff Public Schools
www.poplarbluffschools.net
April 12, 2016
You've got eMule!
Vol. 4 No. 30
Welcome back to The eMule! Apologies for the delay. Here is the latest news from the Poplar Bluff R-I School District.
Eugene Field becomes the talk of the town


Eugene Field left attendees in tears of joy following Leadership Day on Friday, demonstrating why the elementary school is on track to become lighthouse certified, a prestigious designation currently held by only six schools in Missouri.
 
"Let your greatness shine" was the theme of the third annual event during which students put on skits involving public speaking, song, flag etiquette and science experiments all choreographed to showcase how the good habits they practice daily reflect in everything they do, both in and outside of the classroom.
 
"I feel as their coach they have a remarkable staff, everyone is absolutely committed and they genuinely love these kids," Leader in Me Senior Consultant Dr. Paul Pitchford said regarding the certification process. "They're really, really, really close. They just have a couple more things they want to perfect."
 
An independent review team will visit Eugene Field in the fall to evaluate how deeply the school has embedded the program principles into its culture, and whether students are taking ownership of their learning and behavior, according to Pitchford.
 
Eugene Field received a grant from FranklinCovey's I Am A Leader Foundation valued at tens of thousands of dollars during the 2013/14 school year to implement the school-wide program, based on Stephen Covey's best seller, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." The school informally piloted the program prior.
Continue
 
Above: Science leaders Jasmeka Harley (left) and Madison Ballew perform a foaming volcano experiment with PTO President Lori Amoss, who later received the Leader of the Year award, and R-I Chief Technology Officer Aaron Badgley.
 
Below: During a classroom visit, first grader Ja-Briya Webb reviews her data notebook with Dr. Amy Dill, the incoming principal of O'Neal Elementary.

Click here to view all of the photos, and be sure to 'like' your favorite shot!
School board reorganizes following election


Veteran school board member Dr. Cynthia Brown, who has begun her fifth term, and newcomer Roger Hanner were sworn in during a reorganizational meeting held Thursday in the Administrative Building.
 
Outgoing board member Gary Simmons was awarded a plaque and thanked for his 9 years of dedicated service to the district.
 
"Gary has been such a good member of the board over the years and supporter of the district much longer," board president John Scott said. "I'm sure you'll stay involved. There's so much you do for the students that people may not even know."
 
During an election of officers, Scott was nominated to continue as president and Ken Davis will take over for Brown as vice president. Alana Robertson will succeed Simmons in serving as a delegate to the Missouri School Boards' Association. Member Heather Tuggle will remain the board liaison to the Foundation.
 
Above: Secretary Barb Green swears in new board member Roger Hanner. Seated is Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Dr. Amy Jackson.
 
Below: Superintendent Chris Hon honors Gary Simmons for his three terms of unpaid service to the school system.
First of string of building projects complete


Business leaders, city officials, law enforcement, long-range planners and other community stakeholders helped celebrate the ribbon cutting Thursday for the FEMA safe room and classroom addition at Junior High.
 
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. Meanwhile K&S Associates is adding 132,000 square feet to the future high school.
 
Above: Surrounded by students and patrons, board president John Scott cuts the ribbon for the new addition of Junior High. (Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for the oversized scissors).
 
Below: Board member Heather Tuggle brings her 11-week-old son Therron to the ceremony.

Click here to view all the photos, and be sure to 'like' your favorite shot!
Hon honored by administrators association


Chris Hon, a lifelong educator, was among eight Missouri superintendents nominated this year for the prestigious Robert L. Pearce Award, which is presented annually by the Missouri Association of School Administrators.
 
Hon was selected for the honor by his colleagues in the Southeast MASA District. He was recognized as a nominee during the awards banquet at the MASA spring conference on Wednesday, March 30, at Lake Ozark. The Pearce award program is a long-standing tradition of the association honoring excellence in education and community leadership among Missouri superintendents.
 
"Chris Hon is a true public education professional who has positively impacted many students and staff during his career," said Kennett Superintendent Chris Wilson, district president. "It was an honor for the Southeast MASA District to nominate Mr. Hon for the Pearce Award and is a small token of appreciation for all he has done for public education in Southeast Missouri."
 
The annual award was instituted in 1987 by Richard and David Pearce, then principals of the Pearce Corporation, a Missouri architectural firm specializing in educational facility planning. The awards purpose is to recognize the hard work and dedication of superintendents and their contributions to the children of Missouri.
 
Hon was additionally presented honorary life membership in recognition of his service to education and participation in his professional organization. Hon, who is retiring in June, has worked nearly three decades in public education, serving as the superintendent of Poplar Bluff Schools for six years.
 
Above: Chris Hon (right) is presented a plaque by Warsaw Superintendent Scott Downing, MASA president. Fun fact: Downing and Hon were college roommates back in the day at Murray State University.
PB
 Event Calendar

Book Drive
The Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center is holding a drive for gently used age-appropriate books. Drop-off locations include Whitworth's Gift Chest Jewelers, Black River Medical Center and the Kindergarten Center. For more information, call Rebekah Hager at 573-785-4905.

TCC Applicants
The deadline is Monday, May 2, for applying to the cosmetology program and June 1 for technology & industry programs at the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center. For more information, call 573-785-2248.

ECH Screenings
The Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Center is holding screenings for the 2016/17 school year on Wednesday and Thursday, May 11-12, at the 1235 N. Main Street location. To schedule an appointment, contact Sandy Case at 573-785-6803. Please have your child's social security number when calling. Child must be 3 years of age but not older than 5 before July 31, 2016.
More Events
Extra, Extra!
Media logos for 2014-2014 - KWOC, DAR, KFVS 

On Thursday, April 7, KFVS12 reported about the Junior High ribbon cutting.
 
On Friday, April 8, the DAR also reported about the ribbon cutting ceremony.
 
KWOC linked up profiles of our Teachers of the Year.
 
On Sunday, April 10, the DAR reported about the third annual Leadership Day.
Resources:
Ad Brochure:

Download
Archives:
Achieving excellence through learning: Every child, every hour, every day.
Poplar Bluff R-I School District | pbr1news@pb.k12.mo.us | www.poplarbluffschools.net
1110 N. Westwood Blvd. | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.