Joplin to use new method to teach kids to read across the district

JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin Public Schools is rolling out a new teaching method districtwide.

Its called the 95 Percent Group and it is helping students in Kindergarten through second grade learn how to read. The program focuses on teaching students syllables and how to sound out words. It was started at Irving Elementary school two years ago and they are seeing results.

Julie Mai, Teacher, said, “The best feedback we get from the students is not what they say, but the confidence they have in themselves when it comes time to put that work into action in the classroom.”

Josh Depoe, Irving Principal, said, “Through The 95% Group we had really good data on kids who typically struggled are doing a lot better and they’re not having those roadblocks learning how to read that they had in the past and they’re having success.”

The school district is purchasing materials so they can implement the program districtwide.

Joplin Board of Education voices disapproval of school funding bills to lawmakers

JOPLIN, Mo. — The Joplin Board of Education is speaking out against various house and senate bills that would redirect public school funding.

During Tuesday’s school board meeting the board voted four to three to send a letter to legislators about education bills. The school board is telling legislators they want to keep local property, sales, and income tax in Joplin.

The Joplin Public Schools Superintendent Doctor Melinda Moss says she wants public funds to be held to high accountability standards if they are being given to private entities.

Joplin School Board makes changes to district's coronavirus plan

JOPLIN, Mo. — The Joplin School Board is changing the district’s current coronavirus plan. Tuesday the board decided to phase Joplin High School students from the hybrid schedule back to a normal in-person schedule.

They say coronavirus numbers have been lower so they feel more comfortable moving students

Dr. Melinda Moss, Superintendent, said, “We feel comfortable that we can start phasing in our students to full time seated learning.”

For the past several months students have been going to school on an hybrid schedule because of the pandemic. Starting march first Joplin High School will start phasing students back to a normal schedule.

They’ll start with the freshman class, then add each class the following Monday and monitor if cases being to rise — if they do they will reevaluate the plan.

“We’re seeing very good trends in both Joplin city limits as well as Jasper County and Newton County numbers they are going down. They are lower than we’ve seen in months.”

Dr. Moss says they’re also seeing a drop in covid-19 cases in the classroom.

“Our high school is down to way less than 1%. The last two days it was point two percent of active cases there.”

Tuesday night the school board approved an addition to the 2021 and 2022 school year. Its called Project Lead The Way which is an automation and robotics course. It will be available for students at East, North, and South Middle Schools.

Sarah Mwangi, Joplin Schools Assistant Superintendent, said, “Adding this at the middle school level is going to allow our students an opportunity to really explore our different options. So the app creator at the eight grade level really gives them a good idea this class will help feed into some opportunities that they will see at Joplin High School.”

She says existing staff will be teaching these new classes to the students. This program will go to the three middle school’s starting next Fall.

Joplin Schools break ground on Kelsey Norman expansion

JOPLIN, Mo. — A Joplin elementary school has been short of space for many years, but that’s about to change.

Ground has formally been broken at Kelsey Norman Elementary School in Joplin on an expansion project.

Among other things, the project will add 8,900 additional square feet to the existing school, will include five new classrooms, a set of restrooms, and a conference room. Director of Facilities Dave Pettit says it will also be the beginning of the end of modular units.

David Pettit, Director of Facilities, Joplin Schools, said, “We have modulars at this site here at Kelsey Norman, and also the modulars we have on the site at Columbia Elementary, in between the addition project here and the new school build at Dover Hill, it will eliminate all the modular trailers in the District.”

Julie Munn, Principal, Kelsey Norman Elementary School, said, “I’m just most excited that all of our students will have a place to call home, right now we’re in the halls and trailers and closets and so they will actually have a place that’s there’s permanently.”

Dr. Melinda Moss, Joplin Schools Superintendent, said, “And we’ve just been trying to cram things in to every pocket of available space and so this, this meets our adequacy requirements.”

The project is scheduled to be complete in October of the next school year. The addition will be extend out of the Northern exterior of the existing storm room/gymnasium.