Reaching for Excellence

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Nov 1, 2003 - forward to help all students succeed! Sarah Long ... Color code the part of speech or ..... answer to this problem is to increase the capacity of the network. ... Both teachers and office users can have access to homework.
November 2003

POPLAR BLUFF R-I SCHOOLS

Volume 7, Issue 3

P.B. School Administration ———————————–

Randy Winston Superintendent

Ernie Lawson Deputy Superintendent (Business)

Chris Hon Assistant Superintendent (Personnel)

Sarah J. Long Assistant Superintendent (Curriculum/ Instruction)

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School Board Members —————————————

John Wolpers President Tim Heuiser Vice-President

Did you know that: ✎ P.B. R-I has added a module to the SIS Program that allows parents to access their child’s grades and attendance from the web. ✎ P.B. R-I has a third grade class at Oak Grove using personal computers (Palm Pilots) to enhance learning. ✎ P.B. R-I has the state FBLA President, senior Spencer Piland. ✎ P.B. R-I has added the SWIN (Students With Intensive Needs) class to the Early Childhood Center. ✎ P.B. R-I fourth grade teacher at O’Neal, Pam Lowe, has her MAP It Out! workshop on the DESE Educational Technology page.

✎ P.B. R-I administrators are participating in monthly SLAM (Student Learning & Achievement Meetings) where they study research and apply best practices. ✎ P.B. R-I has 475 students enrolled in the after school program offered by the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grant and the Boys and Girls Club. ✎ P.B. R-I aided 231 students through the SAT (Student Assistance Team) program in the 20022003 school year. We are all THANKFUL to work in a school district that keeps moving forward to help all students succeed! Sarah Long, Assistant Superintendent, (Curriculum/Instruction)

Donna Gieselmann

Bobbie Tinsley Dan Ward Ron Webb Greg West 1110 North Westwood Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 573-785-7751 FAX 573-785-0336 http://pb.k12.mo.us/index.htm

The Central Office Staff is working with the Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education to find creative ways to maintain our current educational programs during this time of financial crisis. Hopefully, some good news will flow down from the state level, but we are preparing for the future by having alternative plans in place. We will keep you informed as new ideas come forth. 1

The Poplar Bluff Public School Foundation will again offer a $1000 scholarship to a student majoring in education and planning to become a teacher. The application deadline is April 1, 2004 and applications are available at Poplar Bluff Senior High School (Lucy Wheeler), Three Rivers Community College (Mary Lou Brown), and Central Office (Ann Smith). Call Randy Winston or Ann Smith at 785-7751 if you have any questions.

“REACHING FOR EXCELLENCE”

The department of instruction and curriculum at central office is working to provide resources for teachers to continue to be life-long learners. Sarah Long’s office has several professional books available for loan to teachers. Periodically the newsletter will feature one of these books. If you are interested, please call Barb Green at 785-7751 and she will check the book out to you or to a group within a building to utilize.

The Multiple Intelligences of Reading and Writing By Thomas Armstrong As we all know, every teacher teaches reading and writing, no matter what level or subject matter is involved. This book takes that into consideration and offers suggested teaching techniques and materials to help text come alive for students. The emphasis is on creating ways to reach different learning styles while reinforcing reading and writing strategies: Here are a few suggestions from the chapter titled, “Seeing the Visual Basis of Literacy,” picture sentences: ✎ Color code the part of speech or other grammatical elements in a sentence (example, all nouns colored blue…..) ✎Watch a closed-captioned video where students see the action, hear the words and, at the same time, read the text dialogue ✎Draw single-scene cartoon with captions, or a cartoon strip as a way to apply the skill taught ✎Create sentence-long captions for photos, drawings, or pictures from magazines The book also includes a primer on multiple intelligences and chapters devoted to “Rhythms of Language,” “Logic of Words,” “Emotional Power of Text,”

The school social workers have several things planned for the month of November. The Green Bear Club is scheduled for: November 5th at Lake Road November 6-7 at Oak Grove November 18-21 at O’Neal. This is a program designed to teach children how to stay safe and that no one has the right to hug, kiss or touch them where they do not want to be hugged, kissed or touched. They also have developed other programs for older students entitled, “Surviving the Dating Game” in which they discuss with teens safe dating practices and the prevention of sexual assault. This program is presented at local schools free of charge. At the Senior High, there will be a discussion group for female students held by Misty Dodson, school social work intern. This group will discuss topics such as developing positive self-esteem, responsibility, and how to handle alternative aggressions. The dates for this group are November 3, 10, 17, 24 and December 1 and 8. Also starting in November are Parenting Education Classes taught by Shari Stratton, LPC, held at Eugene Field in room 204. These classes are open to any parent. The classes will offer information such as appropriate discipline, rewards and consequences, avoiding power 2

struggles, consistency in working with your child, and working with defiant children. The classes will be offered on November 3, 10, 17, 24, December 1, and 8. Each class will be held from 2 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Parenting classes for Mark Twain Kindergarten Center taught by Courtny Barnett, EdS, PLPC, will be ending on November 4th. There are three parenting education classes scheduled for Kinyon Early Childhood on November 6, 13 and 20 from 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. These classes are also taught by Courtny Barnett, EdS, PLPC. Guiding Good Choices held at the 5th & 6th Grade Center has two classes left in November. They will be held November 6th and 13th from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. These classes are taught by Donna Moore and Doyle Burke and cover topics such as family meetings, refusal skills, and anger management. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Donna Moore or Erika Whiteley at 785-7751.

“REACHING FOR EXCELLENCE”

PURCHASE ORDER CUT-OFF DATES November 20, 2003 December 19, 2003 January 20, 2004 February 20, 2004 March 18, 2004 April 20, 2004 May 20, 2004 June 18, 2004 June 25, 2004

CLOTHES ARE NEEDED AT EARLY CHILDHOOD, boys and girls jeans or sweats size 3-6 and girls underwear and socks sizes 3-6. Also if you should have any jackets or coats, please call Carlene at 785-6803.

Purchase orders that are to be paid are due into the Accounts Payable office by 12:00 Noon of each due date.

November 5, 2003 December 5, 2003 January 5, 2004 February 5, 2004 March 3, 2004 April 5, 2004 May 5, 2004 June 3, 2004

October came in with some cool days and even cooler nights. Great football weather! We had 21 days in the month, dismissing Friday, October 24, and Monday, October 27, for teacher in-service. There was a 2-hour early dismissal on Friday, October 17, for teacher planning, and that date also ended the 1st quarter with 41 days. Our fourth month of school, November, is a short month of only 18 days. We will have a 2-hour early dismissal on Wednesday, November 26, classes will be dismissed all day on Thursday, November 27, for Thanksgiving Day, and Friday, November 28. Enjoy your holiday!

PAYROLL CHANGES

Any employee whose address or marital status changes during the school year, needs to contact the payroll office to complete payroll forms. Certified payroll—Sharon Brandt Classified payroll—Shirley Persons

Integrating Technology Into Any Curriculum Mondays: January 26—May 3, 2004 5:30-8:30 p.m. Instructor: Jim Thomas This course will present models of instructional design to provide a practical framework in the application and integration of computer technology in the K-12 curriculum. Participants will develop computer-generated materials for use in the classroom.

Advanced Classroom Management Thursdays: Feb. 19, 26, Mar. 4, 11, 18 4:00-8:00 p.m. Saturdays: Feb. 21, 28, March 13 9:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m. Instructor: Chris Hon

All administrator meetings begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Board of Education Room unless otherwise designated.

All Board Meetings are held in the Board Room at the School Administration Building at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

November 12, 2003 December 10, 2003 January 14, 2004 February 11, 2004 March 10, 2004 April 14, 2004 May 12, 2004

November 20, 2003 December 18, 2003 January 15, 2004 February 12, 2004 March 25, 2004 April 15, 2004 May 18, 2004 June 17, 2004 3

This course expands classroom management theories and compares and contrasts perspectives such as Democratic Teaching, Congruent Communications, Inner Discipline, Cooperative Discipline, Tools for Teaching, and Discipline with Dignity.

School Law for Teachers Wednesdays: Jan. 28, Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25 Saturdays: Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14 4:00-8:00 p.m. Instructor: Jean Winston The study of Missouri and Federal statutes, legal opinions and court decisions as applied to education is the focus of this course. Topics such as teacher contracts, student searches, church-state relations, and student attendance will be discussed.

Research and Statistics Tuesdays: January 13—March 9, 2004 6:00-9:45 p.m.

“REACHING FOR EXCELLENCE”

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS November 25th — 4:00-6:00 — MAP Training (3) — Eugene Field, O’Neal and Oak Grove December 2nd — 4:00-6:00 — MAP Training (3) — Lake Road and Elementary Make-up January 29th — 4:00-5:00 — MAP Training (4) — Eugene Field, O’Neal and Oak Grove February 3rd — 4:00-5:00 — MAP Training (4) — Lake Road and Make-up for Elementary February 24th — 4:00-6:00 — MAP Training (5) — Eugene Field, O’Neal and Oak Grove March 11th — 4:00-6:00 — MAP Training (5) — Lake Road and Make-up for Elementary March 25th — 4:00-6:00 — MAP Test-Taking Strategies — All Elementary Buildings 5TH & 6TH CENTER, JUNIOR HIGH AND SENIOR HIGH TEACHERS November 19th — 3:00-5:00 — MAP Training (3) — Senior High, Junior High and 5th & 6th December 2nd — 4:00-6:00 — MAP Make-up Training (3) — 5th & 6th at Lake Road December 3rd — 3:00-5:00 — MAP Make-up Training (3) — Senior High and Junior High January 28th — 3:00-4:00 — MAP Training (4) — Senior High, Junior High and 5th & 6th February 3rd — 4:00-5:00 — MAP Make-up Training (4) — 5th & 6th at Lake Road February 5th — 3:00-4:00 — MAP Make-up Training (4) — Senior High and Junior High February 25th — 3:00-5:00 — MAP Training (5) — Senior High, Junior High and 5th & 6th March 3rd — 3:00-5:00 — MAP Make-up Training (5) — Senior High and Junior High March 11th — 4:00-6:00 — MAP Make-up Training (5) — 5th & 6th at Lake Road March 25th — 3:00-5:00 — MAP Test-Taking Strategies — Senior High, Junior High and 5th & 6th TECHNICAL CAREER CENTER November 20th — 3:00-4:00 — MAP Training (3) — Technical Career January 29th — 3:00-4:00 — MAP Training (4) — Technical Career February 26th — 3:00-4:00 — MAP Training (5) — Technical Career March 25th — 3:00-5:00 — MAP Test-Taking Strategies — Senior High and Technical Career at Senior High

December 2 — Elissa Hogg’s & Pam Lowe’s Teams December 3 — Jennifer Taylor’s & Gail Robertson’s Teams February 10 — Elissa Hogg’s & Pam Lowe’s Teams February 11 — Jennifer Taylor’s & Gail Robertson’s Teams

These inservices are for Junior High and the 5/6 Center teachers. February 4, 2004 March 3, 2004

2:45-3:45 2:45-3:45

Meetings will be held in the Missouri and Conference Rooms at Central Office. (Ms. Lowe’s class usually meets in the computer lab.)

Jr High & 5/6 Center Jr High & 5/6 Center

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“REACHING FOR EXCELLENCE”

One of John Lennon’s most inspiring songs was “Imagine.” Imagine getting ready to teach and your students are not there. Imagine going to a sporting activity or field trip and there was no bus. Imagine supervising a class at 60 miles an hour through a rear view window. These scenarios would all be true without our dedicated and hard working transportation staff. This has been an especially trying year for our bus drivers, mechanics, secretary and director. With the addition of busing for both the full day summer school and after school tutoring through the Safe School Healthy Student Grant, our transportation department has put in tremendous time and effort. They are like many of us in education we only get to hear the negative com-

Public School Retirement System and Non-Teacher Retirement System have been popular topics. Steve Yoakum, the director of the PSRS, has predicted that contribution rates are going up for members and schools. If anyone is contemplating buying some time back, this would seem to be the time. If contribution rates increase, this will increase the price of buying years back. The phone number to PSRS is 573-634-5290 and the website is http:// www.psrsmo.org/. Members can contact the retirement office for further information. Mr. Lawson has scheduled informational meetings for PSRS and NTRS members on February 11, 2004 in the Missouri Room. PSRS members will meet from 4:30 to 6:30 and NTRS will meet from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. If you are planning on retiring, please let my office know as soon as you are confident in your decision. If my office can be of any assistance in this issue or certification, please

ments from the public. However, bus drivers do not forget for every negative comment you hear from parents there are hundreds of the silent majority that appreciate the job you do. In the words of Bette Midler “People are not the best because they are caring and work hard. They work hard and care because they are the best.” On behalf of the parents, students, teachers, sponsors, coaches, and administrators of Poplar Bluff R-I Schools, we want to thank the transportation staff. THREE CHEERS FOR OUR UNSUNG HEROES OF THE MONTH THE TRANSPORTATION STAFF

Teachers if you know anyone who has 60 hours of college credit and would make a good substitute, encourage him or her to apply for a substitute certificate through Barb Green, 785-7751. Many teachers have children who want to sub while they are home during the holidays. With the addition of a five-dollar fee to the state department, it has slowed the process down and if someone wants to sub they need to apply earlier than in the past. Poplar Bluff R-I Schools is paying the five-dollar fee to have their subs certified but it has increased the turn around time for certificates as much as four weeks. Chris Hon

November 4 Nov. 10-16 November 11 Nov. 16-22 Nov. 17-23 November 19 November 20 Nov. 23-29 November 27 November 30 December 1

Connie Fisher Jayce Mahaela Jay September 29, 2003 Flo Barriner Riley Charles Hedrick October 23, 2003 5

Election Day Youth Appreciation Week Veterans Day American Education Week National Children’s Book Week Educ. Support Professionals Day National Parental Involvement Day National Family Week Thanksgiving Day Mark Twain’s Birthday World AIDS Day

“REACHING FOR EXCELLENCE”

Homework Web Pages Teachers that use SIS at the Fifth & Sixth Grade Building, Junior High, and Senior High now have the capability of creating homework pages for publication on the web. You must first contact the Media Center to obtain access permission. This function enables the classroom teacher to create a file of homework assignments for a class. These assignments can be viewed, printed, and published to the Web. Both teachers and office users can have access to homework assignments, but only the teacher can maintain those files. When logged into SIS follow these directions: • From the Teacher Function Menu, select [Home Work (for Web)]. The teacher will see a list of their classes. To display or create assignments, double-click on the desired section. • The page is opened displaying class and section identification and any existing assignments. • The assignments are entered in a free format text area. Only teachers can create or modify assignments, other users may only view and print. Assignments can be copied, from one section and pasted, , into another. • There is a spell checker available. Errors will be underscored as they occur, click on Spell Check to suggest and make corrections. • [Done] will save the assignments and exit the function. • [Cancel] will cancel any changes or entries made during this execution. • [Publish] will publish the homework assignments as displayed. They must be published before they are accessible on the web.

New District Wide Web Filtering We recently upgraded our capability to filter web content. This upgrade gives us the capability to better control the content and traffic on our network. The age and configuration of the District’s Wide Area Network makes it difficult to handle many of the current features available on the Internet. For example, our network simply cannot handle video streaming technology. Video streaming requires a lot of bandwidth. For example, if someone at an elementary campus decides to access a movie clip then the speed for the entire campus slows dramatically. The obvious answer to this problem is to increase the capacity of the network. We are working toward that goal, but it will be some time before this upgrade will be complete. We will keep you posted about the progress. The upgraded filtering program also denies access to IM programs and web based mail and pop-up advertising. If you have questions, call the Media Center, 785-1021. After this content filtering upgrade, we have also discovered some glitches. There are some educational sites that are now blocked that used to be available. Most blocked sites seem to include wave files that require the use of a Media Player. If you encounter this problem, please contact us. We will need to know the web address/ (url) to be able to “unblock” the site Jim Thomas, Media Director

Internet Teaching Tools for Teachers

Teacher Driven Technology Workshop

Audience: Teachers & Aides November 3, 2003 4:00—6:00 p.m. O’Neal Elementary Presented by: Pam Lowe & Treena Murray To register call 785-3037 (O’Neal)

Audience: Teachers & Aides November 11, 2003 4:00—6:00 p.m. Administration Building—Media Lab Presented by: Pam Lowe & Treena Murray To register call 785-7751, Barb Green (Limited to 20 participants) ****************************************************

Media Center Mission: To provide technology and support that will make your job more enjoyable, your work more efficient and your students more successful.

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Internet Tools and Sites to Aid Teachers In MAP Preparation (Graphic Organizers)

Reading Comprehension Workshop Audience: Teachers & Aides January 12, 2004 4:00—6:00 p.m. Administration Building—Conference Room Presented by: Monique Gribbins To register call 785-7751, Barb Green ****************************************************

Audience: Teachers & Aides November 10, 2003 4:00—6:00 p.m. O’Neal Elementary Presented by: Pam Lowe & Treena Murray To register call 785-3037 (O’Neal)

First Aid Workshop Coming in January!!!

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