Alma Schrader Elementary

• Marathon Kids continue to run each Wednesday afternoon. Approximately 50 third and fourth grade students plus family members continue to be faithful in their attendance as they work their way toward running their 26 miles.
• Thanks to the support of our Alma Schrader patrons, we were able to purchase an additional SmartBoard for the building this school year bringing our total number of SmartBoards to nine. Ms. Carla Bittle’s classroom was the latest recipient of the SmartBoard which was put to immediate use in both math and communication arts instruction. It is our goal to have one SmartBoard in each classroom. We have nine more to go!

Barbara Blanchard Elementary

• Third grade students at Blanchard Elementary are beginning to “Buckle Down” in preparation for the MAP test this spring.  Mrs. Sanders, Mrs. Gibbar, and Ms. Clubb are busy providing instruction and opportunities to prepare their students for this event.  Blanchard third grade teachers begin MAP preparations the first day of school and higher level thinking skills were introduced in lower grades.  In January, third grade Blanchard teachers began to integrate the Buckle Down MAP readiness series into regular district lessons and resources for both math and communication arts.  These programs boost test readiness and provide additional application and problem solving opportunities for their students.  This year, communication arts teacher,   Mr. Tim Schmitt, has brought an enthusiasm for success to the students.  He visits each classroom weekly with lessons on MAP keywords, such as: compare, contrast, define, persuade, explain, and diagram.  At the end of each of his lessons, the students are learning a motivational cheer which they will present to the entire school to kick off the assessment week.
• Kindergarten is getting ready for their annual music program on Thursday, January 29.  The program is called Body Boogie and emphasizes the importance of good health habits.
• Blanchard School is exploring different avenues for incorporating technology into the classroom.  We are busy studying computer programs that focus on mastery of the Missouri Grade Level Expectations (GLE). We want all of our students to be reading on or above grade level. Our emphasis is to continually investigate what more we can do to ensure that the students are prepared to move from grade to grade and from elementary to middle school. 

Charles Clippard Elementary

• Clippard held their first Good Character assembly of 2009 on Thursday, January 8. Congratulations to our fourth grade honor roll students who were recognized. We also had several students who showed good character during the month of December. It was wonderful to see some of our students receive the award for the first time.
• Second graders made homemade instruments as part of a science unit on sound. The students held a “concert” after lunch with special guests being Mrs. Kyle, music teacher, and Dr. Herbst.
• Clippard Safety Patrol does an excellent job of keeping students safe before and after school. The fourth graders take this responsibility very seriously and are outside in all kinds of weather to help students get in and out of vehicles.  
   

Franklin Elementary

• Franklin Elementary hosted a free, public presentation on the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 15, 2009. Dr. Debra M. Miles, assistant general counsel for Missouri Department of Mental Health, was the featured speaker.  A second event featuring Dr. Miles is being planned for February.
• In February Franklin will host a multi-cultural night with the kindergarten students performing. The students will be singing songs from different cultures.
• Franklin’s Chili Supper will be held on February 10^th with a new menu. We are adding a potato bar. The supper will be open from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm. Entertainment will be provided at 6:00 pm.
• On February 2, our “Pasta for Pennies” campaign will begin. The campaign benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
• Franklin is gearing up for MAP with scheduled activities. We are planning family nights and looking at introducing a MAP Academy.

Jefferson Elementary

• The Reading Team has had a wonderful year working with our Jefferson students.  The team has put a great emphasis on phonics for our students, integrating it into our reading program.  The team has also developed poems, games, and word sorts to use with our students and to share with the classroom teachers so they can incorporate them into the Balanced Literacy program.  Our goal is to create a kit for each teacher to use in his/her classroom within the Balanced Literacy framework.  The Reading Team is also excited about the wonderful progress in reading our students have made using the Edmark reading program.  Our students are excited about reading and look forward to working in the program daily.  Our goal is for all of our students to be reading at their fullest potential by the end of this school year. 
• Jefferson has so many wonderful things in place. We are dedicated to helping our students become successful life long learners. We are so fortunate to have SmartBoards in all of our classrooms.  We recently had the opportunity to add a SmartBoard to first grade, music, art and our pre-K program.  All of our teachers are excited to have the opportunity to incorporate this technology into the curriculum.  SmartBoards allow teachers to bring in a wonderful world of visuals and interactive lessons into the classroom.  
• In order to better prepare our Jefferson Tigers for the upcoming MAP test, we will be conducting a simulation test during the first week of February. Although only our third and fourth graders will be taking the MAP test in March, all grades will be participating in the simulation. This simulation is designed to prepare the students for not only the length and duration of the MAP test, but also for the different question types. This is just one of the many strategies we are implementing here at Jefferson in order to help our students succeed and be the best they can be.
• Jefferson’s first and second grade tutoring groups have seen a big change since returning. There is now a reader’s theater group, a book club, a phonics group, and a reading skills group. The students switch groups every two weeks so they experience all the different activities. Everyone is enjoying the new groups.
• Our third and fourth grade students are also enjoying the new and improved tutoring program. All of the tutoring groups performed plays for each other before Christmas break.
• Jamie Jones, parent liaison for Jefferson, has been named chairman of Jefferson’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation.  The program has been gradually implemented into the student’s daily routine. Students have their Morning Wake-Up Stretches every morning in the gymnasium with Mr. Cook.  Jefferson’s PE coach has extra physical activities for the students as well as competitive and non-competitive sports.  The teachers have also incorporated some physical activity into their daily curriculum.

Central Middle School

• The sixth grade students performed community service projects for the holiday season.  Each team participated in at least one project.  The projects went to the Veteran's Home, Christmas for the Elderly, Safe House for Women, and Southeast Hospital.  It is always rewarding to be able to give back to the community that gives us so much.

Central Junior High School

• During the month of December CJHS faculty and staff collected money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the Humane Society.  $810.00 was collected for St. Jude and $90.00, along with several items, were collected for the Humane Society.
• Students in Mrs. Randolph’s composition classes entered the Patriot’s Pen essay competition sponsored by VFW Post 3838.  The theme for this year’s essay was “Why America’s Veterans Should Be Honored”.  CJHS students captured first, second and third places in this local contest. First place went to Daniel Yang, second place to Laura Waggener, and third place to Billie Leighton.
• The Junior High Jazz Band will perform on the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University on Friday, February 12 for the 11th annual Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Festival.  The students will perform a mix of traditional and new jazz for the festival including, "Take the 'A' Train" and "C-Jam Blues".  The students will receive a clinic from two professional jazz musicians Wayne Goins on Guitar and Jim Manley on Trumpet.  Our portion of the festival is free and open to the public.
• CJHS Cheerleaders have been busy working hard to get ready for their trip to the national cheerleading competition in Nashville, Tennessee.  They will be leaving on January 30^th and returning on February 1^st.  The cheerleading squad consists of the following cheerleaders: Faith Tegel (captain), Morghan Edwards (co-captain), Taylor Rinda (co-captain), Alexys Meyer, Riley Ferguson, Haley Cato, Katie Williams, Candace Monia, Emily Majoros, Hannah Bagot, Kendra Kelch, Brooke Zoellner, Ashley Westbrook, Hollie Tidwell, Brittany Bennett, and Andrea Anderson.  The cheerleaders are coached by Mrs. Laura Matlock.  The cheerleaders have been preparing for this competition for about ten months and have already won numerous awards and honors.  The cheerleaders are very excited to represent their school and community at this national competition.  Last year, the cheerleaders placed 7^th at nationals with a score less then one point out of first place.  The CJHS Cheerleaders would also like to recognize and thank their community sponsors:  SEMO Specialties & Sports, Heartland Gymnastics, Bel Air Grill, Drain Doctor LLC, Buffalo Wild Wings, Drs. Randy & Twila Brown, Montgomery Bank, DWC and Son Corp., Crawdaddy Creations, Jen McBride Photography, Realty Executives, and Crosstrails Medical & Dental Center.
• On January 26^th the Truman Club will be discussing the book Hurt Go Happy, a story about a deaf girl who begins to learn American Sign Language with the help of a scientist and his chimpanzees. We have invited the CMS sixth grade Truman Club to attend. Ms. Renee from the Public Library will be teaching the students some American Sign Language.
• On January 14, the Social Studies Department hosted the National Geographic Geography Bee. The following students qualified from their social studies class to participate: Mrs. Mocherman’s class-John Maltbie, Josh Sanders, Ashley Thornton, Lucas Counts, Jeremy Edwards, and Cali Knepp; Mrs. Huskey’s class-Kendra Kelch, Allie Graham, Nick Locke, Rebecca Kirby, Samantha McLemore, and Harley Anderson; Ms. Buehrle’s class-Chleo LeGrand, Kaylen Martin, Austin Wilson, Josh Greaser, Vikas Rudrappa, and Andy Gibbons; Mrs. Griffin’s class-Taylor Bain, Erin Bittle, Brandy Guinter, Emily Majoros, Layne Wilson, and Andrew Miller; Mr. Hitt’s class-Makayla Anderson, Brittany Hubbard, Sable Van Meter, Brooke Zoellner, Mackenzie Patterson and Blake Mitchell. 
• The 4^th annual Faculty/Parent and Student basketball game will be held on Friday January 23, at 6:00p.m. in the CJHS Tiger Field House.  The cost is $2.00 to attend.  We will also have a silent auction and auction three sets of tickets to the St. Louis Blues Hockey game and two tickets to the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St.Louis.  This will be a silent auction so you must be present to win. Come out and have a great night for some family fun.
• The Central Junior High Dance Team is hosting a dance clinic for two Girl Scout troops from Alma Schrader and Franklin on February 2. The CJHS Dance team has been working hard to put together a fun dance-filled afternoon for these two troops and are excited to share their talents.

Central High School

• Congratulations to our Cape Central Academic Department Students of the Month for January:Art—Shelby Jackson, Business—Lindsey Webb, Communication Arts—Nikki Graham, Family and Consumer Sciences—Lindsey Webb, Industrial Technology—Alex Cunningham, Mathematics—Chris Marsyla, Music—Alex Dunn, Preparing for Academic Success—Meghan Mitchell, Physical Education and Health—Ryan Siebert, Science—Lavonzo Martin, Social Studies—Lexi Smith, and World Languages—Kristyn Sanders.

Central High School

• Congratulations to our Cape Central Student Senate and to advisors Nita DuBose and Linda Schaffner on hosting our 2008 Winter Ball.  Based on door receipts, we had between 575 and 600 beautifully attired students in attendance.  Also, congratulations to Winter Ball Queen and King, Cape Central seniors Stephanie Bird and Cantrell Andrews. 
• Congratulations to our Cape Central choirs and to Choral Director Dina Casey on this year’s wonderful Madrigal Feaste.  As we anticipated given the exceptional voices we have in our choirs this year, the music was sophisticated and beautifully seasonal. 
• Congratulations to Cape Central Librarian Julia Jorgensen on the wonderful recognition of our campus Library in the American Library Association publication Teen Spaces, 2^nd Edition:  The Step-by-Sep Library Makeover.  To have our library celebrated both in writing and in picture in a national publication is a wonderful tribute that very few high schools would ever experience.           
• Monday, January 12, was Missouri Inauguration Day in Jefferson City, and it was a very good day for Cape Central in many ways.  First, Cape Central alum, The Honorable Peter Kinder, was sworn in to his second term as Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor. In addition, our Cape Central Marching Tiger Band represented our school superbly as the guest band from Lieutenant Governor Kinder’s alma mater.   Finally, current Cape Central junior Quitman McBride and current sophomore Brodrick Twiggs were both featured vocalists with Cape Girardeau’s Jerry Ford (also a Cape Central alum) Orchestra at one of the inaugural receptions. 
• Congratulations to Cape Central social studies teacher Joe Bradshaw who on January 11, 2009, was recognized as Teacher of the Year by our local Cape Girardeau Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
• The following Cape Central Orchestra members earned a spot in the Southeast Missouri District Honor Orchestra:  First Violin – Josh Wen-Assistant Concertmast, Alicia Dunn, Zhongchi Zhang, Michael Miller, Janna Trautwein; Second Violin – Tanner Hankins – Principal, Emily Long-Assistant Principal, Rachel Irvin, Lizzy Nussbaum, Zach Robbins, Lauren Bishop; Viola – Alex Dunn, Katlynn Dodd, Sing Sing Starrett; Cello – Cat Goeke-Principal, Owen Hill-Assistant Principal, Ben Hendricks, Di Di Starrett, Katie Beaton, Harlie Waldon, Prithvi Rudrappa, Hannah Seesing; Bass – Geoffrey Pettit-Assistant Principal, Zach Reeves, Ray Woldvedt; Harp – Lilli Robinson

Career Technology Center

• The Cape Girardeau CTC held a Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday, January 9^th.  A total of 108 people were present to donate with 29 first-time donors and a total of 74 good units of blood obtained.  The CTC’s goal was 70 units.  So with the total from last August of 103 good units and our present total we now have our school placed in the drawing with other schools in the state of Missouri who have achieved their goals with their two blood drives this year. The CTC is now in the running for a $500 student scholarship.  If CTC is selected, we will form a committee to decide the criteria needed for the scholarship.  Thanks to all who participated!