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Reading Fair Winners 2015
Superintendent Milton Kuykendall Gives a "Thumbs Up" to Winners
Area schools recently sent their first place reading fair winners to vie for opportunities to represent the district in Oxford on February 14. The Mississippi Department of Education Reading Fair enables students to synthesize skills in research, compilation and creativity to create book projects that are shared with the community. Regional winners will eventually advance to state competition in Jackson.
Pictured district winners of Categories A-I include from L. to R., First row:
Anna Rhodes Bridgforth, Northpoint Christian Academy; Kyleigh Steele, Northpoint Christian Academy; Millie Martin, Lewisburg Primary; Ava Tucker, Greenbrook Elementary; Emily Ashmore, Southaven Elementary
L. to R., Second Row: Sarah Taggart, Oak Grove Central; Supt. Kuykendall, Reed Simmons, Center Hill Middle; Dalton Sartain, Lake Cormorant Middle
Categories K-N, L. to R., First Row: Anthony Spinelli, Southaven Intermediate; Dalton Stanford, Lewisburg Primary; C. J. Yager, Lewisburg Primary
L. to R. Second row: Mary Katherine Bonilla, Lake Cormorant High School; Supt. Kuykendall, Alex Mobley, Lake Cormorant Middle
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CHHS State Champions!
Front row: (seniors) McKenzie Willis, Katie Neergaard, Shelby Stuber.
Second row (juniors): Hannah Savage, Keely Grady, Kayley Loggins Third row (sophomores): Alyssa Hadley, Daniella Davis, Kaitlyn Harrison, Hanna Jenkins, Becka Matthews, Isabella Czolba, Sloan McClatchy, Brittney Carter, Fourth row (freshmen): Brooke LeGrow, Yana Jones, Georgia Ray, Jordan Sandridge, Madelyn Miller, Savannah Steen.
The Center Hill High School Dance Team brought home their 6th state championship, with a First place trophy for hip hop and Second place trophy for pom. The girls competed against 11 other schools from across the state in the large varsity division. This event is sanctioned by the Mississippi High School Activities Association. Congratulations to the girls and Coach Kerry Matthews and Coach Hannah Mills.
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Horn Lake High School Choir
Performs at National Cathedral in Washington, DC
Members of the Horn Lake High School choirs recently performed at the National Cathedral in Washington DC. The group was selected to perform after undergoing a rigorous screening process that included recordings from the last three school years. This is the second time that a choir from HL has performed at the Cathedral (2011). HLHS is also the only high school choral department in the state to receive this honor in many years. The 12 member ensemble had to prepare 25 minutes of sacred a cappella music to be performed as a prelude to the Sunday Evensong service.
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DeSoto Central High Cheers Its Way to the Top
Back row (left to right): Kennedi Pigues, Keegan Jones, Lexie Harrington, Abbie Parker, Karson Thomas, Sarah Beth Dickey, Amber Kaminski, Allie Davis, Katlyn Tidwell
Middle row (left to right): Emily Pearson, Lauren Lashlee, Daysha Spann, Brittany Wright, Kaley Eldred, Kathryn Osborn, Shea Waddell, Olivia Milliorn, SeLane Ruggiero
Bottom row (left to right): Raven Ruggiero, Leigh Kathryn McDonald, Hannah Honeycutt, Kristin Moore, Amanda Johnson, Denisse Diaz
"When you play one of us, you play all of us."
That is a slogan that has given DeSoto Central High School something to cheer about as their cheerleaders have just been named the top cheering squad for large high schools in Mississippi.
DeSoto Central High School Varsity Cheer won 6A Mississippi High School Activities Association Cheerleading State Championship on Dec. 13, 2014 at Jackson Coliseum, Jackson, MS. Their cheer sponsor is Jennifer Ellenburg.
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Two DeSoto County Middle School Students
Win County Spelling Bee
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Sophia Davis, a 6th grade student at DeSoto Central Middle School, left, received a second place trophy from Associate Supt. Van Alexander, and Emily Suh, right, was the winner of the DeSoto County Spelling Bee that was open to all schools in DeSoto County.
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Megalopolis* It was the word in the 11th round that decided first and second place in the 2015 DeSoto County Spelling Bee, a county-wide event that included Northpoint Christian, Sacred Heart and DeSoto County Schools. First place went to Emily Suh, a seventh grade student at Southaven Middle School, and second place was awarded to Sophia Davis, a sixth grade student at DeSoto Central Middle School. Both Suh and Davis will continue spelling, this time at the Mid-South Spelling Bee in Memphis on March 7th, and both received trophies almost as large as they were. Van Alexander, associate superintendent at DeSoto County Schools, welcomed participants and guests and awarded the trophies at the end of the two-hour event. "All students studied very hard and each one of them is already a winner," Alexander said.  | |
Jay Baird served as the "pronouncer" for the Spelling Bee and Andrienne Sim-Goss was the recorder. There were 44 students participating in the event and the room was filled with parents and friends of the students.
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A total of 44 students began the competition before a packed room of family and friends at DeSoto County Schools' Central Office boardroom in Hernando. All students participating won school competitions to be a part of Saturday's spelling bee. Each school, representing grades 4-8, was represented by two students per grade. They received a syllabus of the words that would be used and given by the pronouncer, DeSoto County Alternative Center Principal Jay Baird, himself a top speller when he attended Horn Lake Junior High School in 1978. Judges for the spelling bee were Olive Branch Intermediate School Principal Claudette Smith, Overpark Elementary School Principal Lisa Love, and Lake Cormorant Elementary School Principal Dr. Margaret Boyd. Adrienne Sims-Gross, assistant principal at Career Center West, served as the recorder. Jo Cox, director of Continuing Education at DCS, was the Spelling Bee Coordinator.  | |
Tension ran high as students like Lillian Amy Gregory spelled words for a panel of judges in the DeSoto County Spelling Bee.
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All students approached the microphone and stated their name, grade and school, and all received a certificate for winning the right to participate in the county-wide Spelling Bee. The first round took out about half of the participants. Round 3 had 14 students remaining. Students continued to correctly spell words such as "inferno," "topography," "wiseacre," "paprika," and "sayonara." It was a close match in the final rounds between the two middle school students. Suh correctly spelled "sayonara" and "cruller" to win the Spelling Bee. Both winners said they maintain a straight "A" average in all subjects and studied over Christmas holidays and after school in the weeks precluding competition. "My first grade teacher told me about a website called 'Spelling City'," said Davis. "I look at it often to learn words and I use dictionary.com to learn pronunciations." The Champion said she and her mother practice spelling words. "In the past few weeks we have spent more than an hour a day practicing, and if I get them wrong we review those words," Suh said, noting that her mother speaks three languages. Since both winners will attend the next level of competition which could take them to a national stage, they said they were excited about the possibilities ahead. "I would be excited if I get to skip school," Suh added. At the conclusion of the event, Davis had already looked up "megalopolis-a chain of roughly adjacent metropolitan areas." Chances are, she won't miss that word a second time. |
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Superintendent's Youth Leadership Council
Gives Back to Community
Members of SYLC raised money to purchase more than 300 stuffed animals to deliver to children at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
Eva Jeter knows first hand what it is like to be a patient at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, having spent a week there. She also knows how comforting it was when strangers brought her a blanket and doll, easing her anxiety and fears.
There are 32 members of the DeSoto County Schools Superintendent Youth Leadership Council.
Eva, now a junior at Southaven High School, is a member of the DeSoto County Schools' Superintendent's Youth Leadership Council (SYLC), a group of 32 student representatives from the district's eight high schools. This leadership program fosters growth in communication skills, develops leadership abilities, teaches financial literacy, entrepreneurship and opens their eyes to the political world.
It is also a program that encourages students to help others.
Students select a community service project. This Christmas season the students have raised money to purchase high-end stuffed animals for patients at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
"Others helped me when I was a patient," Eva said.
Zac McDonald began loading the stuffed animals to deliver to sick chldren. Zac was a leader in the project.
Jordan Shuman, a junior at Olive Branch High School, said this was an enjoyable project to be doing during the Christmas season. "It is the season of giving. We hope to help sick children feel better. It is a blessing for us as well."
"The students in the Superintendent's Youth Leadership Council are outstanding leaders in their schools and communities," said Jim Ferguson, a sponsor for the program and the chief academic officer for secondary education at DCS. "Many unique challenges arise when this caliber of student and strong personalities are challenged to work together. I let them choose their service projects and execute them. I facilitate the program, but it is student-led."
SYLC has been in existence for eight years, and 100% of the students involved in the council have attended college. It started with a grant from the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi and now is supported through the Homer Skelton Foundation, Maddox Foundation and Delta Regional Foundation.
This is a two-year program. One year the students study entrepreneurship. The council reads a book and each month a group presents a chapter to the council for discussion. The students hear from many business operations. In the spring, the Council travels to New York City.
On alternating years, the students study government and politics. The students study local, state and national politics through reading, meeting local politicians, taking a trip to Jackson to attend a legislative session and going to Washington, DC. The students work to help pay for their travel.
Working on the community service project are, from left to right, Parker Taylor, Zac McDonald, Sponsor Jim Ferguson, Kathryn Osborn, Zach Herring and Bailey Walhood.
Zach McDonald, a senior at Lake Cormorant High School, has been the student in charge of the stuffed animal drive, making arrangements with the hospital and planning the deliveries.
"We wanted to give back to kids that will not be home for Christmas," he said.
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Lisa Cullum, from Olive Branch Walmart, brought the Overpark Elementary staff a cake and gave away twenty $50 gift cards to teachers to try to help offset personal money teachers spend on their students/classrooms.
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The DeSoto Digest is a publication of the
Communications Department
DeSoto County Schools
5 East South Street, Hernando
Mississippi 38632
Katherine Nelson, Director
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The DeSoto Digest is produced by the Communications Department and delivered to all employees and subscribers on the first of each month.
Katherine Nelson Director of Communications |
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DCS Students with
30+ ACT Score
Supt. Milton Kuykendall recognized students scoring 30+ on the ACT at the DeSoto County School Board Meeting. They are, (left to right), Alex Hanna, Bradley Brooks, Morgan Hollowell, Jake Mealer, Alex Leise and Chris Bower.
83 DeSoto County School seniors were recognized by the school board for their outstanding scores on the ACT. Supt. Milton Kuykendall presented certificates to Leslie Charleston, Catrina Curtis, Caleb Reece, Amy Stanford and Brittany Crawford.
Four years ago, DCS increased efforts to raise ACT scores, adding more rigorous courses and increasing professional development. Results are paying off for students. Receiving an award from Supt. Milton Kuykendall are, from left to right, Caroline Cantrell, Rob Brown, Ali Chatham, Brady Darnell, Conner Long and Libby Reaves.
A perfect ACT score is "36." Scores 28 and above usually earn a full college scholarship. Among the group of scholars receiving recognition from Supt. Milton Kuykendall for their 30+ ACT score are: Jason Carter, Benjamin Galbraith, Anna Goldman, Shange Outlaw, and Tana Williams.
ACT Prep classes are offered as an elective for all students and have helped students raise their scores. Teachers received training for these classes from a grant from the Homer Skelton Foundation. Some of the 30+ students with Supt. Kuykendall are Edwin Felieu, Nathaniel Green, David Johnson, Spencer Johnson, Sarah Ward and Hannah Barulli.
PSAT classes have also helped students raise their scores on college entrance exams. All eight high schools received grants from the Homer Skelton Foundation to equip these classes with technology. Supt. Milton Kuykendall recognized students who had outstanding scores, including William Burrus, Davis Lee, Allison Othmani, Dillon Smith and Lindsey Wolfe.
The DeSoto County School Board recognized students' success on their ACT scores. Supt. Milton Kuykendall is presenting award certificates to Benjamin Schreck, Zac Herring and James Shol.
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DCSAA Sports News
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Merry Melodies
OGCES Students Make a Christmas Tour of Hernando
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Supt. Milton Kuykendall welcomed the Oak Grove Central Elementary Choir to the Board of Education.
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It is beginning to sound a lot like Christmas at the Board of Education where carolers from Oak Grove Central Elementary School sang four part harmony arrangements of holiday music for staff members.
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Hand motions, foot stomping, and big smiles added fun to the mini-Christmas concert.
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Dr. Larry Wimberly is the choir director at OGCES and his traveling troupe is called the "Singing Tiger Cubs." To be a member of this choir, students have to audition and stay after school for rehearsals.
During the Christmas season, the choir goes throughout Hernando and brings back the Christmas tradition of caroling at the Courthouse and businesses.
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The Singing Tiger Cubs travel throughout Hernando singing brief concerts at the Courthouse, the Administration Building and at several local businesses.
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Donning red Santa hats and orange Oak Grove Central shirts, the group of fourth and fifth grade students brought smiles to the DeSoto County Schools office workers when they sang songs about snow, the Christmas season, and a special song honoring Supt. Milton Kuykendall.
They crooned, "We love you, Mr. Kuykendall."
After the applause died down, Supt. Kuykendall responded, "I love you, too!"
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Garrett Coleman is a member of the Singing Tiger Cubs.
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The DeSoto County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
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