Kindergarten Center receives regional recognition
Source: Poplar Bluff Schools
(From left) Literacy Consultant Carol Reimann; teachers Cynthia DeWitt, Shelly Johnson, Amanda Summers and Debbie Harper; and Principal Carol Brotman, stand in front of a data tree, which celebrates kindergartners who have already learned their alphabet sounds.
The Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center received regional recognition for its successful implementation of a statewide initiative through which at risk students are taught to track their own progress in the classroom.
Literacy Consultant Carol Reimann of the Southeast Regional Professional Development Center in Cape Girardeau, whose tenure in education spans 48 years, selected the Kindergarten Center as one of two schools in the region for its effective teaching practices in the Missouri Collaborative Work program on Friday, Nov. 20.
“Time is such a precious commodity in the education business,” said reading interventionist Debbie Harper, who is a member of a four-person team of kindergarten teachers leading the effort. “We have so much to accomplish, this initiative helps us streamline the process.”
The Kindergarten Center is in its third year of the grant, which is set to continue to be funded through the 2016-17 school year. This year the district received $65,000 from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, according to R-I Assistant Superintendent of Business Rod Priest. The total also covers the associated professional development at the other schools within the district.
Much like prior state initiatives such as Reading First, Kindergarten Center Principal Carol Brotman says the school will continue to use the teaching strategies, which are based on the book “Visible Learning” by John Hattie.
“Good initiatives continue even after the money’s gone, and that’s effective practice,” Brotman stated.