A rose to Caledonia High School Principal Gregory Elliott and the teachers, staff, students and parents for being recognized as a 2023 Blue Ribbon School, one of just 353 schools designated for the honor by the U.S. Department of Education. Schools are chosen in recognition of overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups on assessments. Caledonia High moved from a “B” in 2021 to an “A” in 2022, according to Mississippi Department of Education Accountability Ratings. The Mississippi Department of Education ranked CHS 15th among four-year high schools in the state in 2022. Interestingly, Caledonia Elementary School was chosen as a Blue Ribbon School in 2014, which means some of the high school students at Caledonia were a part of that achievement, too. We congratulate CHS for the excellence the Blue Ribbon designation represents.
A rose to Main Street Starkville Paige Watson for a fresh approach to a fund-raiser, one that generated $5,730 for the organization, $3,000 of which was donated to the Oktibbeha County Humane Society. The fund-raiser was a pet municipal election. People voted for their choice for Pet Mayor, Fur Chief, Chief of Pawlice and Board of Pawldermn. The top vote-getter was proclaimed Pet Mayor with the second and third place finishes becoming Fur Chief and Chief of Pawlice. Pets that generate more than $250 in donations filled out the Board of Pawldermen. Buster Camp, a 12-year-old French Bulldog, claimed the Pet Mayor office, appearing on 22% of the total 1,146 votes/donations. Buster’s owner Robert Camp, is the son of the late Dan Camp, Starkville’s mayor from 2005 to 2009. The pet elections are believed to be the first in the state, but given how much enthusiasm and donations it created, don’t be surprised if other Main Street Associations hold their own elections, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.
A rose to the Starkville Community Foundation which has awarded eight $1,000 grants to teachers/staff to help them fund innovative programs that need funding to pursue. SCF invited teachers in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and Starkville Academy to submit their ideas. Each application was read blind, without teacher or school names, and a rubric applied to ensure all applications were scored equitably. Grant-winners are: Itaska Rosamond, media specialist, Henderson-Ward Stewart; Wendy Walters, kindergarten teacher, Starkville Academy; Owen Brown, history teacher, Starkville High; Brittany Duckworth, discovery teacher, Starkville Academy; Amy Pate, curriculum technology specialist, Starkville High, Chase Nicholson, history teacher/coach, Starkville Academy; April Kyles, librarian, Starkville High; and Zachery Bettinger, theater teacher, Starkville High. Congratulations to the winners and to the SCF for supporting their innovative programs.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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