Subrina Berger of Poplar Bluff has received the Ozark Federal Credit Union Scholarship to attend Three Rivers College this Fall.  Thomas is married to Christopher Berger and is the daughter of G. Dewayne Robison of  Poplar Bluff and Glenda Forbes of Collinsville, IL.  She is a 1986 graduate of Poplar Bluff Senior High School and  plans to study Elementary Education while at Three Rivers.

 

Ozark Federal Credit Union awards up to two $500 scholarships each year.  To be eligible for the OFCU scholarship, the student must be a current OFCU member, in good standing, and planning to attend Three Rivers College.  The scholarship is open to both traditional 1st-year students and non-traditional students.  OFCU scholarships are determined based on merit.  Funds are awarded yearly and disbursed between two semesters for the amount of $250 per semester.  The scholarship is for one year only and the student must maintain a 2.0 GPA and remain a full-time student for the entirety of the year in which the scholarship is awarded.   

 

Three Rivers College, recognizing outstanding academic achievement as well as financial need, has a number of established institutional and endowed scholarships to assist students in realizing their educational goals. To apply for scholarships and other financial aid at Three Rivers College, visit trcc.edu/financialaid. For information on contributing to scholarships at Three Rivers, contact the College Development Office at 573-840-9077.

 

Three Rivers College offers a wide variety of college transfer and career/technical programs on its main campus in Poplar Bluff; at locations in Sikeston, Kennett, Dexter, and Cape Girardeau; and online. For additional information, visit the college website at www.trcc.edu or call toll-free 877-879-8722.

 

Pictured: Subrina Berger (center) receives a scholarship check from Davine Conover (left) of Ozark Federal Credit Union and Regina Morris (right) of Three Rivers College.    

Poplar Bluff teachers displayed “ingenuity” in their recent grant proposals to the Missouri Retired Teachers Foundation, according to officials, bringing home four of seven $500 grants dispersed throughout an 11-county region.

 

Winners included: Shayln Copas of the Middle school with a project entitled ‘Eat to succeed! Using life skills and cooking lessons to explore the world;’ Hilary Taylor of Junior High with the project ‘Reaching gifted minds through robotics;’ Karen Harris of PBHS with ‘Cell structures and processes;’ and Jennie Randolph of the High School – ‘Understanding Shakespeare.’

 

The MRTF presented 98 grants totaling $49,000 to teachers representing 14 regions of the state this month. Association members scored the proposals.

Pictured: (Left to right) Anne Moyer, MRTA Region 12 vice president; special education teacher Shalyn Copas; James Barnhill, Butler County unit president; science teacher Karen Harris; John Moyer, MRTF board member; communication arts teacher Jennie Randolph; R-I Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill; communication arts teacher Hilary Taylor; and Linda Surber, Butler County unit vice president.

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

Poplar Bluff, MO - The Poplar Bluff R-I Instructional Technology Department fabricated an interactive 3-D topographical map as a summer project to help further engage students this year as they learn earth science concepts.

 

The augmented reality software was made available for free by UC Davis developers, who secured a grant through the National Science Foundation to educate about freshwater lake ecosystems. The IT department first became aware of the AR Sandbox during a MOREnet conference.

 

Poplar Bluff Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill commended the staff for going above and beyond to enhance the learning experience for students even though their primary responsibility is to “keep the hardware going” in classrooms.

 

“To me, this is what true instructional technology is all about,” said R-I Chief Technology Officer Aaron Badgley, who constructed the box while Computer Technician Holden Jennings helped program the Xbox sensor. The mobile contraption holds 250 pounds of highly reflective sand that does not produce fine particle dust.

 

Middle School teacher Tana Bringer plans to kick off her STEM curriculum this month with the AR Sandbox, and then the hands-on exhibit will be available for teachers throughout the district to incorporate into lessons.

 

Pictured: Summer school students have the honor of testing out the AR Sandbox for the first time.

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

Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center students proved this summer that they are competitive in their respective trades not only in Missouri, but on a national scale.

 

Eight top students recently vied in the National SkillsUSA Championship in Louisville, Ky., placing as high as in the top five of the country. In addition, outgoing senior Luke Cook earned a $1,000 scholarship from the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, based on an essay.

 

Hailey Garrett placed fifth in cosmetology, Nickalas Richards placed seventh in barbering, Jeramiah Gracia placed 14th in T-shirt design; Cook, Lane and Levi White, and Nick Loyd placed 20th in team works; and Lara Pierce placed 26th in esthetics, with Joselin Clark serving as her model. Building trades instructor Jody Cochran, SkillsUSA advisor, chaperoned the students during the conference.

 

Pictured: (From left) Nick Loyd, Joselin Clark, Lara Pierce, Luke Cook, Lane and Levi White, Nickalas Richards, Jeramiah Gracia and Jody Cochran are pictured during the National Leadership and Skills Conference. Not present for the photo is Hailey Garrett.

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

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