The Missouri State Teachers Association recently awarded five $100 classroom project grants to Poplar Bluff faculty members out of 64 applications and 30 awarded in total within the Southeast region, according to officials.
The successful recipients, who are active members of MSTA, included Poplar Bluff High School business instructor Crystal Huddleston, sixth grade teacher Charlene Mills of the Middle School, and second grade educators Dede Ross of Lake Road, Cheri Sparkman of Eugene Field and Carey Wilkerson of Oak Grove.
With the funding, Wilkerson plans to order decodable phonics books for students learning to read; Sparkman will buy Stikbots, Play-Doh, LEGO Minifigures, construction paper and other green screen supplies to create stop motion videos; Ross will acquire large, digital protractor tools so students can apply measurements and design blueprints; Mills will purchase two LED microscopes to enhance lessons on the different types of cells; and Huddleston will invest in a classroom set of Monopoly boards for her accounting class to create ledgers recording transactions that result in an exchange of cash.
The MSTA is a grassroots, independent, professional organization committed to educating the state’s children by protecting, supporting and informing over 47,000 Missouri educators and other professionals, according to the website. Middle School instructor Karmen Carson has served as president of the Poplar Bluff chapter since 2009.
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Cutline: Pictured with Shaelynn Nordwald, MSTA member service coordinator for the Southeast Region, on Monday, Oct. 3, are teachers (clockwise from upper left) Dede Ross, Cheri Sparkman, Carey Wilkerson, Crystal Huddleston and Charlene Mills.