Teacher recognition events rescheduled

The COVID-19 pandemic has impeded celebrating area teachers with the annual banquets and parties. However, both school districts and the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce are working to still provide recognition.

The chamber will host a Teacher Appreciation Week May 16-22.

Over the course of the week, the chamber will highlight a different Poplar Bluff Teacher of the Year from different area schools each day on social media and the electronic message board outside of the chamber on West Pine Street.

Chamber President Steve Halter said FCC Behavioral Health is sponsoring a grill giveaway for one of the teachers of the year.

Halter said the chamber is working with area businesses to offer discounts for teachers during the week.

“We weren’t able to have our teacher of the year banquet, but we wanted to do something to honor all teachers,” Halter said.

Poplar Bluff R-I

The Poplar Bluff R-I school district normally has a banquet in April to recognize the teacher of the year from each building. Due to the pandemic, that event had to be postponed.

Fara Jones, assistant superintendent of personnel, said they don’t have a date for that or the retirement reception, but the district hopes to reschedule both.

“We really love the formal ceremonies and hope to be able to have them,” she said. “They’re really important.”

The R-I teachers of the year are:

Technical Career Center — Michael Barrett

Senior High — Billy Pyland

Junior High — Lori Dawson

Middle School — Shalyn Copas

Early Childhood Center — Krista Greenwall

Eugene Field Elementary — Rondi Vaughn

Lake Road Elementary — Jessica Burnette

Kindergarten Center — Tonya Hill

Oak Grove Elementary — Ashley Blume

O’Neal Elementary — Amy Courtney

Middle School Grade-Span Teacher of the Year — Shalyn Copas

Secondary Grade-Span Teacher of the Year — Billy Pyland

Teacher of the Year for the district is Hill, from the kindergarten center. She has been nominated for the Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year.

Neelyville R-IV

Neelyville R-IV Superintendent Debra Parish said the district typically has campus luncheons for teachers at the end of the year with donations from area churches. Due to the early school closure, that couldn’t happen this year.

This year, she said, teachers will receive a personal message from administration and a voucher for administration to cover one of their duties next year, such as a recess or lunch period.