Springfield Public Schools News Release

News From Springfield Public Schools

Communications Department

1359 E. St. Louis Street

Springfield, MO  65802

417-523-INFO 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 4, 2017

  • Reliable Chevrolet and Youngblood Kia are giving away free cars
  • Texas Tenors to host benefit concert for Springfield Youth Symphony
  • Springfield students to shave heads in support of cancer patients
  • Hillcrest media program wins eighth top national award
  • 2016-2017 end of school events
Reliable Chevrolet and Youngblood Kia are giving away free cars
Reliable Chevrolet and Youngblood Kia are serious about supporting Springfield Public Schools students who make good decisions. 
 
Reliable will give a 2017 Chevy Trax to one 2017 graduate who attends Project Graduation, a drug- and alcohol-free celebration.
 
Five graduates from each high school will be randomly selected from Project Graduation attendees and will be entered into a drawing for the 2017 Chevy Trax.  The drawing will be held on Monday, May 15, at 4 p.m. at Reliable Chevrolet, 3655 S. Campbell Ave.
 
Thanks to Youngblood Kia, another lucky student will be driving away in a 2017 Kia Soul.
 
Every student in grades 9-12 who have 95 percent attendance or better will be entered into a random drawing at their respective high school. Students with 95-99 percent will be entered into the drawing once and students with 100 percent attendance are eligible to enter twice. Each high school will select five semi-finalists. Those 25 individuals will then be entered into a final drawing with one student being chosen as the new owner of the 2017 Kia Soul on Wednesday, May 17, 4 p.m., at Youngblood Nissan Chrysler Kia, 3410 S. Campbell (corner of Walnut Lawn and Campbell).
 
Selected students must be present to win.
 
Texas Tenors to host benefit concert for Springfield Youth Symphony
The Texas Tenors, a world-renowned music group, will perform at a special concert to benefit the Springfield Youth Symphony at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Gillioz Theatre. The local organization is also partially funded by Springfield Public Schools.
 
"This concert's proceeds will go to support exceptional student musicians from across the region who audition to be a part of the symphony," said Breana Kavanaugh, SPS fine arts/world language coordinator. "But it's also going to be an exciting event for the students. It's a great opportunity for them to get an authentic audience and to experience more of what they're already doing by performing at the next level. It'll be a great memory for students."
 
Tickets may be purchased by calling 863-9491 or may be  purchased online. 
 
 
Springfield students to shave heads in support of cancer patients
Teachers and students from the  Health Sciences Academy at Mercy will once again be shaving their heads to raise money for a good cause.
 
The "Shave This Head" event on May 6 will include a morning of fun-filled activities, including a walk, children's games, face painting, prize raffles and a silent auction for a three-night stay at the Welk Resort and Waterpark in Branson. It all benefits Mercy's Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center and was planned and organized by Health Sciences Academy students.

The public is invited to the family-friendly event:
  • Saturday, May 6, 2017
  • Parking lot just north of Mercy Kids, 1235 E. Cherokee St.
  • 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • $10 donation to participate in 1-mile walk around hospital campus
  • Head shavings and live music begin at 10 a.m. Chick-fil-A available for purchase.
     
The  Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center at Mercy, which serves pediatric hematology and oncology patients, sees about 2,500 visits a year.

"Our students are so proud to support this clinic, especially since it pays for all medical expenses for families," said Matt Bills, Health Sciences Academy teacher. "In addition to that, our eighth-graders are learning a valuable lesson about organizing an orderly event. We encourage anyone to come out, make a donation, and help this good cause."
 
The May 6 event is sponsored by 88.3 FM, The Wind. Check out the Facebook event here. 
 
 
Hillcrest media program wins eighth top national award
Hillcrest High School's broadcast journalism program, HTV Magazine, has earned its eighth Robert F. Kennedy High School Journalism Award. The student-produced piece is a story of a refugee from the Congo who relocated to Springfield after a 12-year wait.  Watch their award-winning story. 
 
"The story also highlights local residents and organizations who are assisting refugees and their families as they adapt to life in Springfield," said adviser Dave Davis.

The RFK award is given to student-produced journalism that highlights a social issue or the plight of the disadvantaged.
 
Students responsible for the report are:  Josh Horned (senior), Rachel Pfeifer (senior) and Chloe Durham (junior). They will be honored alongside the 12 professional winners in book and journalism categories in a ceremony on May 23 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

2016-2017 end of school events scheduled 
Graduation ceremonies for all five Springfield Public Schools high schools will be held Thursday, May 11, and Friday, May 12, at JQH Arena.
  • Glendale-May 11 at 5 p.m.
  • Hillcrest-May 11 at 7 p.m.
  • Parkview-May 11 at 9 p.m.
  • Central-May 12 at 5:30 p.m.
  • Kickapoo-May 12 at 8:30 p.m.
The last day of school will be Monday, May 22. Students will be dismissed two hours early that day.  
 
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