Education

Thang wins Purdy Spelling Bee

On Jan. 28, Purdy Elementary held its annual Spelling Bee. The winner was Solomon Thang, a fifth-grader from Abigail Buntin’s class. The runner-up was Kiya Lee’Jace Atkins. The other participants were: Bildad Chan, Thayer Friely, Mark Jenkins, Win Htet, Kaden Rosewicz, Violet Adams, and Thierry Thigpen. The Spell Master was Susan Funkhouser.

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Beta Club participates in convention

Cassville Middle School Beta Club members recently participated in the Junior Missouri Beta State Convention in Branson. Each club member had the opportunity to select which competitive event they would like to be a part of and the following students placed in their competitions: Aiden Harris, third place, math; Cara Leach, second place, poetry; Molly Cox, Kynzleigh Scott, Reagan Truman, Addy Ramaeker, Scotti Blankenship, Cara Leach and Chazylyn Artherton, fifth place, songfest.

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Shelter Insurance seeking scholarship applicants

$1,500 scholarships going to Cassville, Wheaton students Cassville and Wheaton seniors have the opportunity to apply for the Shelter Insurance Foundation Scholarship through March 31, with one graduate from each school to receive $1,500. 'Recognizing academic achievement in its communities is one of the main goals of the Shelter Insurance Foundation,' a Shelter press release said.

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Williams completes specialist certification

Stacey Williams, Cassville school district bookkeeper and board secretary, has completed the School Business Specialist (SBS) certification program through the Missouri Association of School Business Officials (MoASBO). This certification is designed to equip school business support staff with the skills and knowledge necessary for their roles. The MoASBO SBS program provides specialized training focused on Missouri law and regulations, a foundational understanding of all school business operations and supports the advancement of professionalism among Missouri school business staff. The coursework covers essential topics, fosters discussions and provides resources to support future professional development. “I am incredibly proud of Stacey for her recent achievement in earning the School Business Specialist Certification,” said Merlyn Johnson, Cassville superintendent. “Stacey’s dedication and hard work are clear in everything she does, and this certification further reflects her commitment to excellence at Cassville R-IV School District. We are fortunate to have such a devoted and skilled bookkeeper on our central office team.”. Contributed photo

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Miss, Mr. Merry Christmas candidates announced

Cassville’s Miss and Mr. Merry Christmas candidates for 2024 have been announced. Front row, from left: freshman Samantha Baugus, daughter of Sam Baugus and Jessica Minor, of Cassville; junior Joei Blankenship, daughter of Clit and Bobbi Blankenship, of Jenkins; senior Lauren Sparkman, daughter of Gamon Sparkman and the Late Shelley Sparkman, of Cassville. Back row: freshman Will Finch, son of Mark and Paula Finch, of Cassville; sophomore Caleb Pyle, son of Joei Pyle and Christy Butler Pyle, of Cassville; junior Cash Gray Smith, son of Weslie and Jamie Johns, of Cassville; and senior Jonathan Cole Cash, son of Daniel Cash and Jona and Robert Anderson, of Cassville. Not pictured: sophomore Savannah-Lynn Connor. Candidates will be raising money to donate to the Barry County Neighborhood Center’s Share Your Christmas Program. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com

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Purdy students feed families in need

Students in Amy Harkey’s Prostart I & II Courses at Purdy High School prepared and distributed 250 healthy, complete meals of chicken and vegetable fried rice for families in their community last week. The meals, prepared through the Kids Feeding Kids program, were donated to families served by Purdy Prostart I students.

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