Poplarville High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) Team placed 3^rdin the Opening and Closing event while attending their state conference on the campus of MSU in Starkville, MS.  The team worked hard to stay focused, they had to outperform their competitors at the district and regional competitions before traveling to state competition in Starkville on June 3-5, 2013.  Pictured are President Courtney Ladner, Vice President Tyler Verdun, Secretary Tyler Herndon, Sentinel Andretta Reid, Reporter Christopher Alexander, and Treasurer Braxton Lee.   The team had to role play an official FFA meeting ceremony, follow “Roberts Rules of Order”, and answer questions about their elected job and responsibilities that each officer position holds. 

Students enjoyed touring MSU campus, eating that delicious homemade state ice cream, and talking to recruiters from different departments from around campus. The team did a great job representing our school and their chapter, which is under the advisement of their teacher Keith Broom. 

Our 2013 PUE Summer School Program has a few available openings. This year’s program will have an academic focus. The program dates are June 3 – June 21 starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Transportation will NOT be provided so each family is responsible for prompt drop off and pick up. Students cannot be dropped off before 7:45 a.m.  Breakfast will be served between 7:45 a.m. and 8:15 a.m.  Students will also be served lunch. 

Student dismissal will begin at 1:15 and students must be picked up before 1:30 p.m. 

If you are interested in your child attending, please contact PUE at 601-795-8303.              

Students in the Fourth Grade Discover Classes recently presented their projects from a unit on Simple Machines.  Taught in conjunction with the K’NEX Education curriculum, this unit allowed students to build K’NEX models of simple machines that highlighted mechanical principles and related them to the real world.  The students shared their finished products along with snapshots from a PUE Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt.  The display featured pictures of common simple machines that the students located throughout the school campus.

The highlight of the day was the display of a 4 ft. tall motorized machine called “The Big Ball Factory.”  During the unit, all 41 students worked together to build this complex design made up of various simple machines.  They also sponsored a contest in which the entire Fourth Grade attempted to guess the exact number of K’NEX pieces used to build the “Big Ball Factory.”  The two overall winners took home a giant Hershey bar!

Susan Alexander was honored to accept the Mississippi ProStart Teacher of the Year award for 2013 at the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation Awards dinner in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday, May 17, 2013.  Thirty-eight culinary teachers from all over the United States were treated to a trip of a lifetime when they were invited to Chicago to accept their awards and attend the largest annual event held there.  A reception was held in honor of the teachers on Thursday night for everyone to meet and get to know each other.  Teachers enjoyed a full day starting with a spread for breakfast, workshops with industry leaders, a tour of Le Cordon Blue Culinary College where we had fun working together with chefs and other teachers to prepare our own lunch. The day ended with the awards dinner that spotlighted each teacher and their accomplishments toward teaching and encouraging students in this industry. Teachers were then free to enjoy the largest trade show held annually.

The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel show features different venders and buyers from all over the world.  They all meet up for four days to introduce new products, sample foods, and get information to buy the newest products on the market.  The show spotlights latest trends and issues facing the industry. World culinary showcase featured this year some of today’s stars including Ricardo Zarate, Ann Burrell, Mike Isabella, Maneet Chauhan, Aaron Sanchez, Rick Bayless, and also Mississippian Cat Cora, the first and only female Iron Chef.

On Friday, May 17th, third grade students participated in the First Annual PUE Third Grade Multiplication Championship.  Students have been learning their multiplication facts throughout the year.  Students were able to compete to show what they learned.  Mrs. Johnson’s class won the championship!  The overall student winner was Braxton Conerly .  Third grade teachers are excited about making this an annual event. 

Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Smith's Intro. to Biology classes went on a field trip to the Audubon Zoo on Friday.  The students have been learning about the different biomes around the world and the animals/plants that live in each one.  During the tour of the zoo the students went on a "scavenger hunt".  In their pamplet was information about certain animals that they had to find and answer questions to.  The students really enjoyed learning and seeing the different animals around the world!

On May 10– 13, Ms. Donna Baxter’s TSA4 students had the amazing opportunity to spend the weekend at Dauphin Island in Alabama. During this trip, the students learned about conservation and the effects of pollution on ocean life by touring the local Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium.  They were introduced to new technologies used in the education and promotion of a cleaner, greener planet for the future.  Students practiced these new conservation tactics by riding bikes along the island and picking up trash along the beach. Students were exposed to new people and situations that promoted lifelong skills in teamwork and problem solving all while creating memories that will last a lifetime.  

Mrs. Bernice Davis’ fourth grade class is working on Sumdog, a website which encourages students to practice their math facts using free online games. 

They are participating in an online math contest for schools across the country - over 10,000 schools have taken part so far. This contest began on Friday, May 10th. The class has done very well. They have placed 42nd out of 2400 schools participating so far. Four of the students are in the top 1% of over 48,000 students across the country.

Students in the Third Grade Explorer Class recently transformed the PUE Gymnasium into a crime scene and forensic laboratory.  Having taken on the job of detectives in a mystery unit, the students presented their findings to parents and other family members.  Under the direction of classroom teacher, Renay Rigney, they explained their roles of collecting evidence and conducting experiments in 10 crime lab stations.  These gifted students did an excellent job of using their investigative skills to determine which suspect they thought was responsible for the crime

The boys basketball team is having a car wash Saturday May 18 at the Burger King in Poplarville from 9am til 3pm. Please come get your vehicle washed and support our basketball team.