Archived News - Poplar Bluff School District

Teacher Gretchen Pendley tests out a digital microscope during freshman advisory.

Foundation funds $3.5K in teacher grants

12/19/2018

The Poplar Bluff School Foundation recently funded two ‘innovative educational projects’ valued at more than $3,500 so students can collect data for NASA and participate in group activities using digital microscopes.

Extreme math class captures student interest

12/11/2018

Six graders were issued surgical masks and latex gloves upon entering math class on Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Poplar Bluff Middle School.

Misty Dodson and staff display the regional award.

District regionally honored for student advocacy

11/07/2018

The Poplar Bluff School District was named the 2018 Community Collaborative Program of the Year for its partnership with Family Counseling Center Behavioral Health to help meet the needs of students that extend beyond academics.

Governor signs legislation at Poplar Bluff High School

11/01/2018

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed the STEM Education and Computer Science Bill into law during a school-wide assembly held for the occasion on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at Poplar Bluff High School.

Chartwells personnel are recognized during school board meeting.

Chartwells receives national recognition

10/23/2018

Poplar Bluff’s school dining service has received national recognition within its company for forging numerous partnerships and giving back to the community.

Breakfast of Champions

10/23/2018

Student advocates stressed the importance of investing in the next generation of leaders during the fifth annual Bright Futures breakfast symposium held Friday, Oct. 19, at the Holiday Inn.

Read More about Breakfast of Champions

Groundbreaking held for new Early Childhood Center

10/19/2018

Several dozen school supporters participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the state-of-the-art Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Center on Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Kindergarten Center campus.

PBJHS math teacher starts Fishing Club

10/16/2018

A first year Poplar Bluff Junior High faculty member has gone above and beyond his job duties of teaching math by encouraging students to take up the pastime of angling.

Department heads over R-I maintenance get certified

10/10/2018

Administrators over the Poplar Bluff R-I maintenance department showed their dedication to employing best practices by earning their core certifications from the Missouri School Plant Managers Association.

Lake Road named National Blue Ribbon School

10/01/2018

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that Lake Road Elementary has been named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor an educational institution can achieve.

Ground set to be broken on new Early Childhood Center

09/25/2018

The Poplar Bluff Board of Education approved a $5.8 million bid, lower than anticipated, for Brockmiller Construction to build a new Early Childhood Center on the Kindergarten site, after carefully planning since December 2016.

Church donates, installs sound panels at Eugene Field

09/18/2018

Memorial Baptist Church identified a need and found a way to make a difference at Eugene Field through Bright Futures Poplar Bluff.

PBHS hosts 14th annual Honor Tour send-off

09/11/2018

A special tribute for veterans visiting the United States capital began before they even left town, as Poplar Bluff High School students hosted a school-wide assembly to set the tone for the 14th annual Honor Tour.

Culinary arts curriculum upgraded with industry input

08/28/2018

A Poplar Bluff restaurateur has worked with the culinary arts program of the Technical Career Center to upgrade its curriculum in an effort to better serve the industry.

Bids solicited for new Early Childhood Center

08/14/2018

The Poplar Bluff School District’s first preschool age-specific Early Childhood Center is set to go out to bid, allowing time for final consideration by the Board of Education in October.

Poplar Bluff introduces digital badging program

08/14/2018

The R-I district instructional coaches are making a concerted effort to provide framework to the collaborative culture that has been encouraged at Poplar Bluff Schools to ensure best practices are being shared by faculty at all levels.

Population shift leads to Lake Road expansion

08/14/2018

Poplar Bluff R-I education officials have taken measures for Lake Road Elementary to expand its configuration to include fourth grade as an offering made available to parents this year, with the possibility of serving up to grade six by 2020/21.

Seasoned educator joins PBJHS administrative team

08/14/2018

An area education leader who worked his way up from teaching history to building level administration will take over as assistant principal at Junior High.

TCC lands professional development grant

08/14/2018

The Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center has been awarded a competitive grant in excess of $85,000 over the course the next five years for professional development and instructional coaching to help enhance the school’s academic focus.

PB teacher hired as Kindergarten Center principal

08/14/2018

Eugene Field Elementary has developed a track record of having teachers advance to become principals in the Poplar Bluff school system along with other area schools, public and parochial alike.

Topographical maps brought to life

08/14/2018

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.

Most graduates since post-WWII baby boom

05/30/2018

A total of 358 students graduated from Poplar Bluff High School on Thursday, May 24, at the Black River Coliseum – the most graduates since 1980, topping last year’s distinction.

Lake Road named Missouri Gold Star School

05/15/2018

Lake Road Elementary has been named a Missouri Gold Star School among only eight statewide for performing at a high academic level while serving a significant proportion of disadvantaged students, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced.

Sophomore accepted into MO Scholars Academy

05/08/2018

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.

Lake Road, Junior High nationally recognized

04/26/2018

Lake Road and Junior High have been selected among only four schools in Missouri and 123 in the United States as national showcase award winners under the Capturing Kids’ Hearts, program officials have announced.

Several TCC students to compete nationally

04/24/2018

The most in recent memory, 11 Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center students placed in the Missouri SkillsUSA contest held Thursday through Saturday, April 5-7, at the State Technical College of Missouri in Linn.

Poplar Bluff’s Math-A-Thon efforts reach $1M milestone

04/24/2018

Poplar Bluff R-I has raised over $1 million for St. Jude since the 1988/89 academic year when the school system first became involved in the Math-A-Thon fundraiser.

PB Connect: Teachers share best practices

03/27/2018

Time is built into the academic calendar for teachers to align curriculum horizontally and vertically between classrooms, and PB Connect is a day dedicated to sharing best practices among school buildings.

‘I Believe in the Power of Yet’

03/27/2018

MAP scores and attendance at Eugene Field have increased while discipline referrals have gone down over the past several years, but perhaps more importantly, students are graduating the elementary school with tools to succeed in life.

PBHS StuCo advisor named top in Missouri

03/20/2018

A Senior High teacher of 13 years has received statewide recognition for her impact advising not only the Poplar Bluff student life organization, but student councils throughout Missouri over the past several years.

Outstanding Instructional Leadership

03/13/2018

A Poplar Bluff administrator has received statewide recognition for the positive influence she has had on her colleagues throughout her 23-year career in public education.

Thousands of jars of peanut butter collected

03/13/2018

Grocery stores were selling out of peanut butter because individuals were buying jars by the caseload in support of the Mule Packs program, #PB4PB participants recently reported.

Professional play series put on for students

03/07/2018

The children’s play series presented by the Patrons of the Arts wrapped up on Friday, Feb. 23, exposing some students to theater for the first time.

Oak Grove nationally recognized for student success

02/27/2018

Oak Grove earned national recognition for achieving the largest gains in the state for closing the achievement gap among student groups, according to Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education officials.

Making IT Happen

02/27/2018

Two district employees who work together to enhance student engagement received regional recognition in the field of educational technology integration at Poplar Bluff Schools.

Read More about Teacher Words Matter

District awarded $250k to add full-day preschool program

08/05/2015

A $250,000 grant has been awarded to Poplar Bluff Schools to add a preschool program that will further help serve the needs of the community in getting district children school-ready.

Construction crews prepare for school year

08/03/2015

School administrators are frequently required to wear multiple hats in the education business – this summer in Poplar Bluff it has mainly been the hard hat.

Community leaders break ground on future High School

06/05/2015

More than 75 supporters celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for Poplar Bluff Schools’ new high school, the impetus of the district buildings plan, on Thursday, June 4, at the present site of the 5th & 6th Grade Center.

Community leaders celebrate Middle School groundbreaking

06/03/2015

More than 60 community members attended the groundbreaking for the Poplar Bluff Middle School on Tuesday, June 2, at the current Senior High campus.

Soeter completes 100-book challenge

05/12/2015

Poplar Bluff High School senior Ben Soeter is the first student in three years to read 100 novels and earn a $1,000 scholarship via the Designing Women Foundation’s Charlie Classics reading program.

Junior High groundbreaking kicks off buildings plan

03/24/2015

About 50 supporters came out on Friday, March 20, to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Poplar Bluff Junior High School addition, which will include a FEMA safe room and nine new classrooms, among other renovations.

Bright Futures program spotlight: Sole Providers

11/04/2014

For the past eight years, sneakers to be distributed to students in need across campus have magically appeared in the mailroom of the Administrative Building, it would seem.

It takes a Poplar Bluff (not just any village)

04/15/2014

We are heartened by the confidence the public has instilled in our buildings plan. As a community, we feel this is our greatest achievement since the four laning of U.S. 67 (admittedly we may be a little biased re: the importance of education). We fully intend to deliver safer schools and a better learning environment for our students.

School board brings historic facilities plan to the voters

01/20/2014

“Our kids. Our community. Our future,” read the signs held up by several supportive citizens in attendance before a long-sought resolution was passed to place the R-I school district’s facilities master plan on the ballot.

Cheerleaders gain national prestige in unprecedented time

01/19/2014

Poplar Bluff High School reinstated its Competition Cheer Squad just this past spring and by summertime, the cheerleaders were named state champions for the first time in school history.

Adult Education Center moves to former hospital site

12/16/2013

The Poplar Bluff R-I School District’s Adult Education & Literacy program has a new home, thanks to a pact recently forged with the hospital.

Assembly connects students with those who served

11/15/2013

The annual Veterans Day Assembly at the 5th & 6th Grade Center is in good hands, it was apparent on Monday, Nov. 11.

School gears up to ‘pink-out’ Poplar Bluff

09/23/2013

What began as a school-wide fundraiser was declared an official Poplar Bluff holiday last year, when $14,000 was generated for the United Cancer Assistance Network.

Elementary schools add walking tracks with $30k grant

09/16/2013

Healthier MO Communities completed its most significant investment to date last week in the Poplar Bluff R-I School District—the installation of walking tracks at each of the four elementary schools.

Library partners with school in digital transformation

08/19/2013

More than 500 Poplar Bluff Junior High students took advantage of the public library’s sign-up offering last week during laptop deployment.

Teachers work to refine classroom culture over summer

06/27/2013

Simultaneous professional development workshops for Poplar Bluff R-I staff are taking place this week, both of which center on emboldening students to reach their maximum potential.

School opens up long-range planning to community

06/10/2013

In a recent survey the community expressed support for combatting Poplar Bluff Schools’ increasing enrollment, and now community members have stepped up to help develop a sustainable solution.

Hon champions digital transformation

04/17/2013

A forward-thinking decision was made during the March school board meeting that will revolutionize the way students learn at Poplar Bluff Schools.

PBJHS safe room grant jump-starts R-I facilities plan

02/25/2013

The Poplar Bluff R-I School District has been awarded a $132,000 federal grant, 75 percent toward the cost of designing a tornado safe room at the Junior High.

School Foundation grants $7K for innovative projects

02/07/2013

The Poplar Bluff Public School Foundation awarded about $7,000 to finance two educational endeavors, each of which is designed to give students—from elementary age to adults—the 21st century skillset needed to be successful.

Exercising the brain: Educators work to improve grades through physical activity

01/29/2013

Researchers studying the relationship between good health and academic success continue to fund projects Poplar Bluff R-I educators are coming up with to increase the physical activity of students.

Student earns college degree before high school diploma

01/21/2013

A Poplar Bluff student has managed to complete her associate degree requirements before receiving her High School diploma, as a result of a partnership forged last school year with Three Rivers College.

Art project helps student ‘stay connected’ with her military father

01/14/2013

When Poplar Bluff Junior High art teacher Mary Ivie introduces her packing tape sculpture segment each school year, students come up with all types of ideas for objects to replicate, from their own arm holding a football to an entire motorcycle.

State report provides overview of progress being made

01/07/2013

The District Report Card for Poplar Bluff Schools has been made available by the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education for the public to compare our most recent performance data and demographics with state averages.

Poplar Bluff students win a string of state accolades

12/20/2012

Poplar Bluff Schools has an especially talented student body this academic year, if the past month is any indicator, having had several teenagers from junior and senior high achieve statewide honors in the arts, music, sports and theater.

State grant program prepares faculty for digital transformation

12/10/2012

An innovative state grant program that was successfully piloted here over a decade ago helped lay the fundamental groundwork for the proposed one-to-one digital transformation at Poplar Bluff Schools, according to administrators.

Fourth graders play key role in teaching younger students math

11/30/2012

Earlier this school year, Eugene Field Elementary School fourth grader Maraleigh Buss entered Kelli Spitze’s first grade classroom and asked the teacher whether her students did their math homework.

TCC students save district money, gain employability

11/26/2012

For years students at the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center have gained experience applicable in the job market working on projects right here in the school district.

School partnership with BGC extends to Lake Road Elementary

11/07/2012

New data is showing that the average daily attendance at the Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff has increased by nearly 200 students over last year, thanks to the long-standing partnership with Poplar Bluff Schools.

Laptop pilot program engages students like never before

11/02/2012

When school board member Alana Robertson began as a teacher at Poplar Bluff Schools over three decades ago, there was not a single computer in the building let alone her classroom, the retired educator recalled.

Students exercise their voting power, officials pay close attention

11/01/2012

With Election Day around the corner, area officeholders have their eyes on Poplar Bluff Senior High to get a sense of how Butler County is going to vote come Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Therapy dogs play key role in well-being of students

10/22/2012

Earlier this semester, a student at the Poplar Bluff 5th & 6th Grade Center went into the guidance counseling office crying so intensely she could not get out the words to convey what was wrong.