Hundreds of Missouri students visited Jefferson City recently to commemorate National FFA Week. The special week is February 15-22. FFA members drove tractors to the state capitol in a show of support for Missouri agriculture. The Show-Me State is home to 362 FFA chapters and more than 26,000 members, ranking eighth nationally for membership.
https://www.missourinet.com/2025/02/10/missouri-ffa-is-in-jefferson-city-helping-to-plant-the-seeds-for-the-next-generation-of-farmers/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0mP0GJI0n21IJ3TLa3JzbOAurTgcilpLd14hAW2BzG-nHCvpxg8KxLAU4_aem_uinkG-IaC3GaXjn3mcAC5Q
A contest for Missouri students that’s aimed at reducing litter on the state’s roadways is underway. No MOre Trash! targets young people in kindergarten through high school. Students are asked to use their artistic talents and creativity to decorate a 30-gallon or larger trash can to be located in a prominent area of the school or community, such as a cafeteria, gymnasium, ball field, library, church, park, etc.). The design must include the No MOre Trash! logo.
https://www.kcur.org/education/2025-02-10/missouri-statewide-contest-asks-kids-to-use-creativity-to-fight-roadside-littering?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0H5qCf3nA-byY4loAayH4txjqJx9Wg-0KsNdLk5LZFcykvtCB_YdvitJI_aem_bRwQwPNbTNTuXGeu9-_dFg
Students at Parkview High School in Springfield got to witness a mock crash simulation Friday afternoon. The scene looked gruesome, but it was not real. It’s all done by student actors and first responders to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving.
https://www.ky3.com/2025/01/31/parkview-high-school-students-witness-mock-crash-simulation/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR03TiJAWyZhlaFo5e7VPIdXzXvQeI4JGV6wnKuRKsxUpJ9Hi0Yhi2dp8D0_aem_D8_GU1UkAdxV0kqgopUSpA#sf6bmlr04js22mkl4qeucqvtbwpi85j
Students from Columbia's West Boulevard Elementary School tapped maple trees to make maple syrup. The fifth graders took part in maple sugaring at Boone County Nature School. The students are learning through "place-based education" with curriculum that is relevant in economy, culture, and ecology.
https://krcgtv.com/news/local/fifth-graders-tap-maple-trees-at-boone-county-nature-school?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1k1NDblctx6DRQMzYqj0IZ531Ni2vKzxe6jFHnXVx78fTra5sluURtroA_aem_-nT8aXWIXPrjzhU4JRCKOA
Poplar Bluff High School students received an award from Patrick Mahomes for taking part in the Superbowl’s reading challenge. The students each received gift bags containing a trading card, water bottle, and pencil from the ‘15 and the Mahomies’ foundation as part of the ‘Read For 15′ challenge.
https://www.kfvs12.com/2025/01/23/pbhs-students-become-mahomies-through-nfl-stars-reading-program/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0P-xZ5XUqp5uRweku7R3D1-iJ7FeSVpBAijM1yWx3Rdg7A4XoRaV20Dvk_aem_LBYp-KaQ6j10wqjABeQQpw#qg1y2erqtgeu4e7k3e7pshonq3d2v94w
A group of seniors from Mehlville High School spent a few days sharing what they learned in a career preparation program with their peers. Students from the St. Louis Center for Advanced Professional Studies (STL CAPS) Program taught a Stop the Bleed class on Thursday and Friday, a CPR life-saving course for teens to have that experience if they ever needed to respond to an incident.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/education/students-teach-peers-cpr-skills-stl-caps-training/63-8dedd1c7-38e0-4dbb-a50b-28584715161c?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0Bm0uJC-TFWExPkF6moCo5spM_ebKogebYRT3o_uSNXS2ttAqzoBXTgxM_aem_gxR8Gqs9SyN9eah_RH3B0A
Central High School’s publications received top recognition from the American Scholastic Press Association. The yearbook took Second Place, while the news magazine not only secured First Place with Special Merit but also earned the coveted Most Outstanding High School Magazine award. Congratulations to the entire team!
https://www.sps.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=1305&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=27439&PageID=1
On Wednesday, MSBA took comments from the public, assisting Columbia Public Schools with the district's superintendent search. Three forums were held to hear from families and community members regarding the search. "The school board wanted to make sure there was a lot of opportunity for input from the community," said Linda Quinley, who is the lead MSBA consultant on the search. "It will help them narrow the pool of candidates to find someone who will fit the wants of the community."
https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/parents-teachers-say-they-want-new-cps-superintendent-to-be-relatable-and-trustworthy/article_9f30bc50-cdf5-11ef-b6c5-1326166dfc0e.html
Artificial intelligence holds the promise of helping students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to execute tasks that come easily to others. Schools everywhere have been wrestling with how and where to incorporate AI, but many are fast-tracking applications for students with disabilities.
https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-students-disabilities-ff1f51379b3861978efb0c1334a2a953
A southern Missouri middle school teacher has received a national teacher recognition award. Dallas DeWeese, a social studies teacher in Hollister, becomes his district’s first Milken Educator Award winner. Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Milken Educator Awards are designed to inspire educators, students and entire communities to “Celebrate, Elevate and Activate” the K-12 teaching profession and encourage young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career.
https://www.missourinet.com/2024/12/19/missouri-teacher-wins-oscars-of-teaching-award/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3JzvlSkkuybTxR3Ke62MiyNHjesmTKCTRc83aRVlai27C97_35vaKCUx4_aem_xNUIqK-7YXakOdeRKc2LtQ
The Missouri commissioner of education was at Nixa Public Schools recently to launch the district’s registered youth apprenticeship program. The program allows students to participate in both school-based and work-based learning. It gives students the chance to remain in school while also getting their foot in the door of nearby businesses and to see what a potential career looks like ahead of time.
https://www.ky3.com/2024/12/16/nixa-schools-launch-districts-registered-youth-apprenticeship-program/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR35jHVqI1z_J_DMaG2w6HTnIXdp9Jeo89kog98o2ErdghnczQbzj06lBnM_aem_Nan9MwN6vA4NVJWTwzFSfA#
Every student at Columbia's Hickman High School is getting a free book this holiday season through the "Kewps Read winter break book fair." Organizers said this is the first of its kind event for high schoolers in the area and hope it will inspire a love of reading that will translate into the classroom. More than 2,000 books were ordered, with 150 titles across 10 genres.
https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/hickman-high-school-students-get-free-books-ahead-of-the-holidays/article_3f060dd8-b98e-11ef-a787-a3d9cf16627b.html?utm_source=SocialNewsDesk&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=SND_facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3nUNHreN0TQEjSfLZdkph-kZH0ksfoQbCKhdz7XJOFJeax9a6yUz4Zv38_aem_T3DqE4GFU0nvOGQNsy8ffQ
Central High School’s new volunteer club helped spread holiday cheer in St. Joseph. Students in the club visited Downtown businesses to deliver homemade cards and treats. “Unity for the Community” was created for the 2024-25 school year by two juniors at Central.
https://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/education/high-school-volunteers-bring-joy-downtown/article_c273f590-b718-11ef-b195-abb215138e84.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnewspressnow%2F&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3qJvinFtm457WtbK3VwlZ4ZVb7sVebqp7U--CxTzyZv7KU7RgdIuV448U_aem_YyKDuMkDSkN2MuAR3olU9Q
Students spread the holiday cheer at St. Mary's Health Hospital in Jefferson City. The Capital City High School (CCHS) Art Club participated in its third annual window painting event. Students volunteered their time to decorate the windows of the hospital cafe. Snowflakes, snowmen, Christmas trees, and more adorned the wall of windows.
https://krcgtv.com/news/local/capital-city-high-school-students-spread-holiday-cheer-at-st-marys-hospital?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2x7SdCbORENqxdkbyrnlAm1CJZp0c81piN6ssZDhm6u812-bfUc0cw85Q_aem_syxYVuzIF4Mszp33pvMPBA#
Students in the Hickman Mills School District are learning valuable lessons on media literacy, focused on how to decipher what is true, and what is not. Nowadays, the answer to just about anything is on a cell phone or computer. Finding out whether the information is true can often be easier said than done.
https://www.kctv5.com/2024/12/05/we-cant-just-focus-adults-hickman-mills-students-learn-media-literacy-strategies/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2PR3I5y-hQ4d2r-VhWW8BUnYik550TIk9vtAAri9hzFiiBC0ybGlIL4MM_aem_VzQ_tSRQpEaqPqX29DeWzA
Winter holidays bring with them parades and one elementary school in St. Charles got a hands-on look at how they come together. First and fourth-grade students at Coverdell Elementary in St. Charles put on a parade of their own through the hallways of their school.
https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/11/30/st-charles-elementary-students-get-hands-on-experience-putting-together-parade/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1b059xGxV4mwCsqQ_1vnr6VJAO0N5oyqGJHrTdDN2j7bmJCPBEk0anctM_aem_jIeSSSpBpQzsCa9Yj40wlQ
A number of students in Carthage are making a difference in the lives of a Carthage family. Kids from the tech center are part of a partnership with Joplin Area Habitat for Humanity and are in the process of rehabbing a 120-year-old home that was severely damaged by a fire a little more than two years ago.
https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/carthage-students-join-habitat-for-humanity-to-rebuild-familys-fire-damaged-home/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1rHgseS-prpFoAJs6p4qIX3M6miV88_dQBs8VBtcYyUT7r1PO0hX24JYE_aem_KHVMUGug5UeRUVDguAxPiA
To help students with academic and social success, Ozark West Elementary has welcomed a certified therapy dog to join the school’s roster. Therapy dogs can help reduce anxiety, improve mood, and improve motivation. They can also help students develop social skills, trust, and empathy that they can then transfer to their peers.
https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/therapy-dog-friday-joins-ozark-west-elementary/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0l_MEtmeMcb-m_Olkvef0yLkL55qKq7n3So_SMk4VpY6AYMzYmqysgdxo_aem_-RKlfp3mb4F5MSQXOAsfIw
Districts in St. Charles County are coming together to replicate Fort Zumwalt's Registered Youth Apprenticeship program, which gives students paid, on-the-job training and fills workforce gaps.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/education/st-charles-apprenticeship-program-expands/63-3520825c-fad5-4951-a6b4-1c5048f07bcd?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1EFbAg55ru1XbbQZ0-SxHsyXbqfauz7kY-ifUYhxZB-N25ZsGg7_Kz_tM_aem_NrQW7h99ZUXsEXq7f5YTQQ
A class full of Independence fifth graders who read for tens of thousands of hours were honored by players and the mascot for the Kansas City Mavericks. The Kansas City Mavericks made a special stop at William Yates Elementary where 5th-grade students logged more than 37,500 reading minutes.
https://www.kctv5.com/2024/11/16/5th-graders-honored-by-mavericks-after-tens-thousands-hours-read/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3i_EaLdgh6UVCB_8MOTfQtUFGwTo_0pk0Q4djjWB1L7JcZPnPjovpkU94_aem_0VGns3kgkDsejKGix2ZlBw
