Recognizing student efforts for Haiti

Today, I had the opportunity to recognize the generosity and compassion of students, families and school staff members from our district and across the state for their efforts behalf of the devastated nation of Haiti.

I joined Governor Nixon, representatives from Convoy of Hope and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at Bowerman Elementary to kickoff the statewide collection of Kits 4 Kids, a Haiti relief project coordinated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Springfield-based Convoy of Hope.

Springfield Public Schools students have raised more than $15,000 in donations and collected almost 1,200 Kits 4 Kids. And that is not a final count! Many schools are continuing their efforts. One principal shared heart-warming stories of students who are donating money they earned by doing chores. One even contributed money received for making good grades.

Glendale High School alone has assembled more than 500 Kits 4 Kids. Two of our schools, Rountree Elementary School and Cherokee Middle School, have raised more than $3,000 each.

I’d like to thank representatives of Convoy of Hope and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for organizing the Kits 4 Kids effort. I also want to thank Gov. Jay Nixon for shining a light on this important effort and for recognizing the significant impact that schoolchildren can make in the lives of others.

Springfield selected for Kennedy Center "Any Given Child" program

Tonight, I’ll be sharing some exciting news with the Board of Education at their February study session: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has selected Springfield to participate in their Any Given Child program. This program assesses our district’s existing resources along with those of Springfield’s public and private arts organizations to develop a comprehensive arts education plan for the children of Springfield.

Any Given Child seeks to bring access, balance, and equity to each child’s arts education, using an affordable model that combines the resources of the school district, local arts groups, and the Kennedy Center. With the assistance of expert consultation services provided by Kennedy Center staff and other professionals, community leaders develop a long-range plan for arts education that is tailor-made for the Springfield school district and community.

The arts offer kids the opportunity to enrich their lives and enhance their educational experience. Studies have shown that involvement in the arts can help children increase their overall academic achievement. The expertise available through Any Given Child will be invaluable to our district and our entire community as we work toward the goal of enhancing arts education offerings throughout our community.

Springfield is fortunate to have such an active and vibrant arts community, especially since our arts organizations have made educational outreach one of their chief priorities. Those organizations and the district collaborated closely to make the Any Given Child program a possibility in our community. I want to thank the Arts Programming Sustainability Initiative, Springfield Regional Arts Council, City of Springfield and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce for their role in making this happen.

US News honors Central and Parkview among the best in the USA

Congratulations to the students, faculties, staff and parents at both Central and Parkview high schools. Both schools were recognized by U.S. News and World Report as two of the nation's best high schools.

Central received a Silver Medal. It was the third year in a row that Central has been recognized by the magazine as one of the nation's top high schools. They received a Bronze Medal in the two previous years. Only six high schools in the state to earn a Silver Medal designation, and Central was the only Silver Medal school outside of the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas to earn a Silver.

Parkview was honored for the second year in a row with a Bronze Medal. Only thirty-six other Missouri high schools earned that honor.

Here's a complete list of all Missouri high schools honored in the report.

Congratulations again to both schools.

Bowerman teacher making a difference

Last week I mentioned Bowerman teacher Laura Evans who received the Neighborhood Organization Volunteer Award from Caring Communities for her work in the Bowerman community.

The video below features Laura and others from the Bowerman community describing their efforts to strengthen the neighborhood and get families active in the school community. Unfortunately, these aren't the stories that make the headlines everyday, but these are the kind of efforts that have a far-reaching impact on our schools and kids.

Two district teachers honored

Two of our district teachers were recognized this month for their outstanding work.

Laura Evans, a special education teacher at Bowerman Elementary School. Ms. Evans received the Neighborhood Organization Volunteer Award from Caring Communities for her dedication to Bowerman students. She was selected by the Woodland Heights Neighborhood Association to receive the award.

Lisa Lilley, Central High School Spanish teacher, was named 2010 Teacher of the Year by the American Council for Teaching of Foreign Languages. Ms. Lilley was named Distinguished Educator of  2008 by the Foreign Language Association of Missouri and Teacher of the Year for the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages last March.
The school day rarely ends at 3:00 p.m. for our teachers, who work on behalf of their students in and outside of the classroom. I'm certain the students and their families are as appreciative of Ms. Evans and Ms. Lilley as we are, and it is encouraging to see them honored for their work.

Remembering those in need this holiday season

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. This is the time of year when we give back and offer our thanks. I hope that you will get involved with us in the effort to make this holiday season brighter and winter warmer. Please take a moment to view the video below to learn more about resources available for children in need and how to get involved in giving back this season.



Contact information for several organizations providing for families in need:

• Contact information for all schools.
• Crosslines - 865-5810
• The Salvation Army - 862-5509
• Victory Mission - 864-2225
• The Kitchen - 837-1540
  

Everyone has a role in pedestrian safety

I want to again thank Bill Armstrong, his daughter Kimberly, and Bill Harper for speaking out about the need for improved pedestrian safety on our city streets. Kimberly, you’ll recall, was walking to school when she was struck Sept 22 as she was crossing Kearney Street. We are pleased that Kimberly is making a successful recovery and that both parties involved in this unfortunate accident are working together to prevent future incidents such as this.

The School Crossing Protection Committee (SCPC) works with parents and the community to address concerns about crossing guards, crosswalks, lights, sidewalks, etc. This committee consists of PTA representatives, the Director of School-Public Safety for Springfield Public Schools, the District Traffic Engineer of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department, Springfield City Traffic Engineer, Springfield Police Department, Greene County Sheriff's Department, and the Greene County Highway Department. They are tasked with reviewing school crossing protection requests, recommending action to address school traffic safety problems, establishing priorities on projects, and developing policies and procedures to ensure a uniform school crossing protection program throughout the city and county.

Springfield is a large community with busy streets and lots of traffic which can compromise the safety of our children on their way to and from school. While the city and county are responsible for the streets themselves, we work closely with them through the SCPC to address these concerns.

I encourage everyone to take responsibility for pedestrian safety. When you see areas of concern, as a parent, driver or pedestrian, please bring it to the attention of the SCPC. Parents can work through their PTA to get these issues before the committee. Others can contact the Springfield City Traffic Engineer or Springfield Public Schools Police Services at 523-2911.

Drivers, please remember to slow down and exercise cautious while you are on the streets when students are going to and from school. We must all work together to prevent accidents like this in the future.