Seniors graduating from St. Joseph School District high schools will now have the opportunity to earn the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy.

According to a press release, the seal will be awarded to graduating high school students in districts with a DESE-approved program, who have demonstrated achievement in English, a Language Other Than English and sociocultural competence. All Missouri students studying any of the world’s languages are potential Seal candidates.

“By joining other districts in this new initiative, our graduates will be on the path toward earning free college credit and obtaining a minor in a foreign language. This opportunity is an excellent complement to existing college and career readiness programming in our district,” said Dr. Chris Hubbuch, Director of Secondary Education.

Seniors graduating from the St. Joseph School District could earn this seal on their diploma this year, as long as they have met the requirements. Earning the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy places a student on a pathway toward earning 12 hours of college credit at select universities who have endorsed the credential. Participating institutions include Missouri State University, Missouri Southern University, and the University of Central Missouri, with more institutions expected in the coming year.

To meet the requirements for the seal, students will have to obtain a 3.0 GPA in English classes and receive a “proficient” on the English II EOC. They will also need to demonstrate intermediate to mid-level proficiency in another language, scoring a 4.0 on ACCESS for ELL students. Additionally, they will need to complete a minimum of two activities for the socio-cultural component in order to receive the standard seal. These activities include service projects, tutoring, reflection and research, multicultural events, and travel.

For more information on the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy, click here.

The 2nd Act Players will be taking the stage again with spring classes starting next week for anyone age 50 and up.

Cheryl Wood is the Coordinator and Director of the 2nd Act Players. Wood said the Robidoux Resident Theatre is in its second year of the classes for anyone interested in theatre onstage or backstage.

“These are people that are either retired or their children are grown, they have some time now to take care of themselves. Instead of focusing on their careers or family, they can now do those things that they have always wanted to do but haven’t had the time to do,” Wood said.

Shirley Evans is returning for a fourth semester with the 2nd Act Players.

“Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a movie star and, of course, I was born on a farm in northwest Iowa so I talked to the chickens and the ducks and my sisters and we put on plays and it was such fun, but… life goes on with your family and your children,” Evans said. “I can’t remember what article it came out, but I was sitting on the sofa and glanced over and here was an invitation to come and learn to be an actress. I thought, ‘Well I’m going to give that a shot, I’ve always wanted to do it,’ and just simply loved it.”

Classes begin March 12th and 13th and end with a performance at 7 p.m. on May 19th at the Robidoux Landing Playhouse. There are three class options ranging from beginner to more experienced actors and technicians. 

Participants can choose a time with classes offered at 10 a.m. or 5:15 p.m. on Monday or 10 a.m. Tuesday. Classes will meet in the conference room at East Hills Library.

For more information, contact the Robidoux Resident Theatre at (816) 232-1778 or click here.

The City of St. Joseph Parks Department along with a St. Joseph volunteer and an organization received awards last week.

The awards are given out at the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association Conference each year.

“They have awards for volunteers, they have awards for staff, they have awards for retirees, there’s a variety of different awards (and) they recognize folks at their annual conference,” said Chuck Kempf, St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Director.

Kempf said this year, an individual citation was given to Joseph Houts.

“We nominated (him) as an individual who has dedicated a lot of his time and energy as a volunteer for the Parks Department, primarily through fundraising and supporting historical efforts that we have had at the Nature Center… and a few other Park projects and city projects through the years,” Kempf said.

An organization citation was awarded to the George Bode Jr. Benevolent Trust.

“The Bode Trust had never been recognized with this award… and we really felt like that was well beyond time so we nominated them this year,” Kempf said. “We just want the people that help us to realize that we appreciate that. We can thank them and send them thank you cards and give them some local recognition. We just felt like it was an opportunity to give them a little higher level of recognition.”

The Parks and Rec Department received the Show Me Healthy Communities Statewide Training and Funding Initiative Award regarding the Bartlett Park Playground and Recreation project.

“It’s nice when somebody recognizes the fact that you’re trying to do good things, that you’re trying to provide new programming that hasn’t existed in the past or maybe it has existed but not to this level,” Kempf said. “The YMCA has a tremendous inclusive playground at their property and they were kind of the leader in St. Joseph in heading in that direction. At Bartlett Park, which is really our heaviest used playground in the city, we felt like that was an appropriate place to have a large ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant and inclusive playground.”

Kempf said, weather permitting, Bartlett Park renovations are still on track to be completed in May.

Affordability is one of the main goals behind Missouri Western State University’s plan to reduce the number of credit hours required to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The reduction from 124 to 120 will be effective in the fall semester of 2018.

Dr. Paul Orscheln is the associate vice president for enrollment management and student retention at Missouri Western. Orscheln said the driving factor behind the change was trying to close the affordability gap for students.

“We know that in today’s higher education landscape, college can be pretty pricey,” Orscheln said. “Our goal is to make an education here as affordable as possible, also, just being able to help students finish in a timely fashion so that they can start using their degrees to earn a living.”

According to the university, credit requirements within majors or minors will not change. The new minimum reduces the number of elective hours that are needed.

The credit requirement change comes as Missouri Western launches a new program called “Finish in 4” to help more students finish their courses of study on time. Finish in 4 will give qualified first-time freshmen who choose a major or pre-major in their first semester a four-year plan to graduation.

“It goes hand-in-hand with the reduction in credit hours,” Orscheln said. “So students will now be able to take 15 credit hours a semester and, with the Finish in 4 program, what we will do for students is help them monitor their progress in their degree programs, making sure they stay on track all four years, not only from a academic standpoint but from a financial standpoint by making sure the aid is there that they need each semester.”

Incoming freshmen will be able to sign up for Finish in 4 during Griffon Orientation events this summer, or any time prior to the start of their first semester.

Orscheln said Missouri Western’s enrollment outlook for next year continues to look promising with applications for fall 2018 up more than 40 percent over last year and more than double from two years ago.

A driver’s education program is returning to St. Joseph this summer.

According to St. Joseph Safety and Health Council Executive Director Sheldon Lyon, the program includes 30 classroom hours, six hours of driving and 12 hours of observation.

While the complete driver’s ed program has not been available in St. Joseph since 2014, Lyon said they have offered the classroom portion of driver’s ed the past two years.

“(It) was very well received and very popular, but families wanted that time behind the wheel and they’re right, their young drivers are inexperienced and they needed windshield time,” Lyon said. “The number one killer of students age 16 to 19 years of age is not disease, it’s not violence, it’s their car. So what a great way to provide them with that training, it helps safeguard them while they spend the most dangerous hours of the day behind the wheel, whether it’s going to and from school, out with their friends, that type of thing.”

The program starts June 4th and there are morning or afternoon classes for drivers ages 15 to 19.

For more information on times and cost, contact the St. Joseph Safety Council at (816) 233-3330 or click here.

Lyon said there are spots reserved for students from low income families and to contact the Safety Council for more information.