East Middle School Picnic set for Thursday, August 11

(From East Middle School)

Spread the word! East Middle School will host the inaugural East Middle Family Reunion on August 11, from 6 to 9 pm. All East Middle School students and their families are invited to attend. The event will take place at the temporary East Middle School facility at 7501 E. 26th Street, Joplin, Mo.

The East Family Reunion will be an exciting kick-off to the 2011-2012 school year. With a theme like "Family Reunion" you can count on a great dinner, live music, (including Mr. Turner's group, Natural Disaster) fun and games for the whole family! You won't want to miss it!

Activities will include volleyball, dunk tank, pie eating contest, bounce house, sno-cones, popcorn, face painting and much more! Several informational booths will be available to parents and students to help with answers to questions about athletics, PTO, and more. Tours of the facility will be available if the keys to the building have been released to the Joplin R-8 School District.

Most family reunions are pot luck; however, we're fortunate enough to have our whole meal catered. So, for a little fun, we're having the world's first ever Food-Less Pot Luck. Please bring a recipe card with the ingredients and directions for the dishes you would have brought to a real pot luck! Include your East Middle School student's name and grade. You may very well see your recipes published later in the year.
Parking will be available at the school parking lots and in the streets around the school. Hampshire has been gracious enough to let us use some of their precious green space for the event.

For more information on the East Family Reunion, please e-mail EMS_PTO@hotmail.com or look up East Middle School PTO on Facebook.

Superintendent: Missing our August 17 deadline is not an option

(From the Joplin School District)

Sixty-two percent of Joplin Schools' students have been displaced due to the May 22 EF-5 tornado. Through partnerships with area architecture firms and construction companies, Joplin Schools will be ready for school on August 17.

"Missing our August 17 deadline is not an option," comments Dr. C.J. Huff, Superintendent of Joplin Schools. "Because of the dedication of the architects and construction companies working with us, we will be ready to welcome our students back to class 58 days from now."

The architecture and construction firms working with Joplin Schools on temporary facility projects are listed below:

•Cecil Floyd Elementary School - PLJBD Architects and R.E. Smith Construction Company are working to repair the damaged Cecil Floyd Elementary School to be ready for students by the beginning of school.

•East Middle School - The temporary facility for East Middle School is an empty 50,000 square foot warehouse located at Crossroads Industrial Park, 7501 East 26th Street. PLJBD Architects and Crossland Construction Company are working on renovating this facility to house approximately 550 students.

•Franklin Technology Center - SDA Architects and R.E. Smith Construction Company are transforming an empty warehouse at 402 South Grand into the new temporary Franklin Technology Center.

•Joplin High School - The Shopko facility is gearing up to temporarily house 11th and 12th grade students until the new Joplin High School is complete. Corner Greer & Associates in conjunction with DLR Group is responsible for the 21st century design of this 80,000 square foot facility. Crossland Construction Company is working to completely transform this space for students.

•Roi S. Wood Campus - The former Joplin Schools Roi S. Wood Administration Building, located at 1717 E 15th Street, will be transformed into classrooms for Beacon School and the Joplin High School FLEX Program thanks to PLJBD Architects and R.E. Smith Construction Company.

An examination of tornado damage at East Middle School

These photos were taken two days after the May 22 tornado which prematurely ended classes in the Joplin R-8 School District for the 2010-2011 school year:

Goodbye to Mr. Cook: former assistant principal takes over at Jefferson Elementary

Mr. Jarrett Cook, who has been assistant principal at first South Middle School and then East for the past three years, has left us to become principal at Jefferson Elementary.

A tribute to Mr. Cook had been planned for the final day assembly, which, of course, was canceled following the tornado.

This post features some of the photos that would have been included in that tribute. Good luck, Mr. Cook!

Two hundred attend East Middle School PTO get-together at MSSU

The East Middle School family held its first meeting since an EF-5 tornado cut a swath through the heart of the area May 22.

Principal Mr. Bud Sexson showed plans for the temporary East Middle School, which will open its doors when school begins Wednesday, Aug. 17.

Though the warehouse facility was originally designed as a spec building by the Joplin Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Sexson stressed, "This will not be a warehouse, this will be a school."

Mr. Sexson gave a brief overview of the facility, showing a diagram of where classes will be held. Among the information presented at the get-together:

-The classes will be about 700 square feet, a couple of hundred feet less than at East, but considerably more than in the old South Middle School.

-The building will not have computer labs, but more mobile I-carts with classroom sets of computers will be available.

-The gym/physical education facility will be in a building outside of the school, but will a canopy available to keep students from being exposed to the elements.

-Basketball and volleyball practices will be held at East, but basketball games will be scheduled at the other middle schools. Mr. Sexson said he did not know yet whether volleyball matches will be held at East. Football games and practices will be held at other Joplin middle schools.

-The district will provide busing for students attending after-school activities. The students will be dropped off at their elementary feeder schools. Adjustments will likely be made for those who have had to move because of the tornado.

-Certified FEMA safe rooms will be available in case of tornadic activity. When East is rebuilt or repaired, Mr. Sexson said, the facility will have a safe area.

-More after-school activities will be added this year, depending on the students' interest.

-The lockers used at East Middle School will be removed and transplanted to the new facility.

Among other items brought up at the meeting:

-A picnic will be held Aug. 11 at Landreth Park for the East Middle School family.

-Mr. Sexson introduced new Assistant Principal Mr. Jason Weaver. Mr. Weaver has taught seventh grade history at South and East for the past decade.

School surveillance camera shows tornado hitting East Middle School