Education | West Plains Daily Quill

Willow Springs ready to welcome students back

Willow Springs High School freshmen and sophomores may make changes to their schedules this week. more

8/8/23

Parents and caregivers are reminded the ninth annual Bridges Back To School Bash and Health Fair will take place from 9 to 11 a.m.Saturday as a drive-thru event. more

8/8/23

Kosh welcomes 3 new teachers, 1 returning

Oregon-Howell (Koshkonong) School District welcomes three new high school teachers to its faculty: Michael Knapp, agriculture; David Russback, social studies; and Michaela Mitchell, English. more

8/8/23

Important dates and need-to-know info for WP R-7 students

The West Plains R-7 School District will begin the 2023-2024 school year Aug. 21 with a full day of classes. more

8/8/23

R-7 soon to send out student assessment reports

The West Plains R-7 School District will soon be sending out individual student reports derived from statewide assessment results, district officials announced Wednesday afternoon. more

8/3/23

Twenty area fifth through eighth graders participated in the Summer Scholars Academy July 17-20 at Missouri State University-West Plains. Participants “enrolled” in two of the four classes offered, which included computer programming and creating web pages, mathematical sequencing to code and decode messages, the study of bacteria and human cells, and creating and performing a play. Students who participated represented eight different school districts and came from as far away as Alton, Thayer, Willow Springs and Winona. They included, in no particular order, Micah Kellogg, Emma Page, Annie Roberts, Karlie Richardson, Daxton Sholes, Ayden Bennett, Lacey Collins, Hudson Parker Cox, Sam Elliott, Lena Finke, William Graham, Ainsely McWilliams, Andrew McWilliams, Grayson Woods, Jack Casebeer, Vale Fenske, Charlie Hubbell, Bella Juline and Rylee Rome. With the students are academy organizers and instructors, back row from left, Jacob Poulette, Jerry Trick, Ana Estrella and Gary Phillips. Student Max Russell also attended.

Summer Scholars Academy draws 20 area middle schoolers

7/28/23

Missouri State University-West Plains Calendar of Events

Below are several upcoming events at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP), many of which are open to the community. Feel free to clip this calendar and keep it for your reference to make sure you don’t miss any events that might interest you. Also listed are several important dates on the university’s calendar that area residents might want to keep in mind. more

7/28/23

Local resident and Missouri State University-West Plains alumnus Trevor Cressman has joined the university’s Workforce Development Department as its new assistant director. His first day on the job was July 17.

Cressman joins MSU-WP’s workforce development office as assistant director

Local resident Trevor Cressman has a passion to help people achieve their dreams and goals, and he plans to put that passion into action as the new assistant director of workforce development at Missouri State University-West Plains. more

7/28/23

Crisis in the Classroom: Mass Exodus of Teachers from Missouri Public Schools

Amid a growing wave of departures, public schools across Missouri are grappling with a severe teacher shortage that threatens to upend the state's educational system. The crisis, marked by a dramatic exit of educators and a decline in college students pursuing education majors, is bringing to the fore long-standing debates about teacher salaries, education funding, and policy reforms. more

Chris Herbolsheimer | 7/26/23

Ozarka College transitions to independent registered nursing program

Ozarka College in Melbourne, Ark., has received initial approval from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing to offer a Licensed Practical Nursing to Registered Nursing Associate of Applied Science Degree in Registered Nursing program. more

6/28/23

MSU Board of Governors meeting highlights cover eSports, FFA, research center

In a Missouri State University Board of Governors meeting held Friday, members heard from a wide range of speakers who highlighted both the practical challenges of preserving a stable university system and growing it, including efforts to retain employees and attracting and supporting new students throughout their college careers. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WPDAILYQUILL.NET | 6/27/23

R-7 Board meets tonight to prep for upcoming school year

The West Plains R-7 School Board of Education will meet today, beginning with a closed session at 5 p.m., followed by an open session at 6. more

6/26/23

Members of the Missouri State University Board of Governors held a meeting Friday morning in the Magnolia Room at the West Plains Civic Center and heard presentations regarding enrollment projections and student recruitment, details of degree programs and student activities and involvement, and community outreach efforts at both the Springfield and West Plains campuses. MSU-WP Chancellor Dr. Dennis Lancaster, at the podium, gave an overview of recent developments at the West Plains campus, including the addition of a men's baseball program slated to begin in fall of 2024 (see story on right side of page) and grants used to expand the Terry “Bo” Pace Advanced Welding and Fabrication Technology Program. He also introduced a presentation given by members of the West Plains Campus Grizzly eSports Team. Watch the Quill next week for a detailed story about the meeting.

MSU Board of Governors hold meeting Fri. in West Plains

6/23/23

MSU-WP to offer Summer Scholars Academy

Missouri State University-West Plains will offer its annual Summer Scholars Academy July 17 through 20. more

6/15/23

MSU-WP Calendar of Events

Below are several upcoming events at Missouri State University-West Plains, many of which are open to the community. Feel free to clip this calendar and keep it for your reference to make sure you don’t miss any events that might interest you. Also listed are several important dates on the university’s calendar that area residents might want to keep in mind. more

6/15/23

Administrative Council members announced

6/15/23

Dawn Dionne, right, food services manager at Missouri State University-West Plains, retired from her position May 1 after 28 years and nine months of service. Dionne was hired as a food services attendant on Aug. 15, 1994. She was promoted to food services manager on Jan. 5, 2015. Dionne received a certificate noting her years of service and a piano arch mantle clock from MSU-WP Chancellor Dennis Lancaster.

Dawn Dionne retires

6/15/23

Several employees at Missouri State University-West Plains recently completed the Grizzly Ambassadors Program (G.A.P.). The central idea of G.A.P. is to provide a scheduled, focused, professional development opportunity for faculty and staff to become more informed about the workings of the West Plains campus and the MSU system as a whole. Those who completed the program received plasma cut awards created by MSU-WP’s technology programs at the Pace Industrial Science Center. Front row from left: Chancellor Dennis Lancaster and employees Kelly Becker, Lauren Willis, Elizabeth Mahan and Drew Clark. Back row: Employee Mark White, and MSU Board of Governors member Carol Silvey.

Several complete Grizzly Ambassadors Program

6/15/23

Attendees ‘travel the globe’ at ‘Around the World with Our International Students’ event

More than 100 people attended the second annual “Around the World with Our International Students” event April 11 at Missouri State University-West Plains. more

6/15/23

Richards School Board to meet Thursday

The Richards School Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the school boardroom for its regular monthly session. more

ABBY HESS, ABBYH@WPDAILYQUILL.NET | 5/18/23