EMS students buy toys for underprivileged children

(From Joplin Schools)

On Thursday, Dec. 19, students at East Middle School made a Christmas presentation to area fire departments. Members of the East Middle School Student Council purchased toys for underprivileged children in the Joplin area. They delivered the toys to the fire department members for their annual distribution. EMS Student Council member Ethan Vang formally handed the toys over to Mr. Branham of the Joplin Fire Department during an assembly in front of the student body.

This year's purchases amounted to $1,043 plus some additional toy donations by individuals. The student council raised the money through candy sales and sponsoring a Halloween dance. Over the past 15 years, more than $15,000 has been raised by East students for this project.

New East Middle School featured in USA Today

The new East Middle School, as well as Soaring Heights and Irving elementary schools are spotlighted in USA Today:

"It's one more step toward returning to normalcy," said Jeff Koch, 40.

Two of Koch's four kids will be attending East Middle School when the school officially opens next month.

Koch was touring the new digs Monday night as part of an open house for the near-completed school.


"For almost three years, everything was temporary -- it was always temporary," Koch said.

"Here is a place they can have memories."

From December 2012: JEMS Show Choir performs at benefit talent show

Between now and Christmas, I am going to spotlight Christmas stories and videos from previous years on the East Middle School Roundabout and Room 210 News sites. The first one features the JEMS Show Choir, under the direction of Ms. Julie Yonkers performing at a benefit talent show in the EMS commons area.

First signing for Scars from the Tornado canceled

The long-awaited first signing for Scars from the Tornado: One Year at Joplin East Middle School, is going to have wait a little longer.

I called Jeff Auckerman, book manager at Vintage Stock on the Mall a few minutes ago and canceled the event, which had been scheduled for Saturday afternoon. I will reschedule sometime after Christmas.

The book, which details former East Middle School students' tornado experiences and our first year in a warehouse school, features essays by students and by me and student poems.

Scars was published in March, but due to the problems Joplin R-8 school officials had with the book, which have been written about on this blog numerous times, it and the wonderful writing done by these young people never received the attention it deserved.

For those who do not yet have a copy of the book, it is available locally at Vintage Stock on the Mall, Always Buying Books, and Changing Hands Book Shoppe in Joplin, and at Pat's Books in Carthage. Amazon has them on sale at the moment for $8.60.