The Carthage R-9 School District is proud to announce that pleasant valley Elementary School has earned "Top Ten" honors in the area of Fourth Grade Social Studies based on their student’s high scores on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) Exams.

"Missouri schools aspire to be on this list," said Commissioner of Education D. Kent King. "Being among the state’s ten top-performing schools in a particular subject and grade level is something about which students, teachers and parents can be proud." The report also is important, King said, Because it confirms that students in all types of schools - large and small, rich and poor, urban and rural - can achieve at high levels on the demanding MAP exams.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recently announced that 266 public schools, in 140 school districts, have earned "Top Ten" honors based on their student’s consistently high scores in one or more areas of the MAP exams. The purpose of the report is to recognize students and teachers in high-performing buildings.

I’ve never really been grabbed by a fish hook. I’ve snagged my hat a couple times, but nothin’ serious.

They say the only way to get a hook that is set deep out is to push it around till the point pokes back outa the skin. Then ya cut off the barb and pull it back out.

Havin’ that knowledge was always comforting, knowin’ how to handle the situation, but I’ve never had the opportunity to actually use it.

I’m thinkin’ that just knowin’ what would have to occur if I hooked myself was the main reason I kept hooks at a distance. Sometimes just knowin’ the consequences is a great deterrent.

I’m still waitin’ for the opportunity to rescue someone, other than myself, from the unfortunate grasps of a fishhook.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• Before you begin spring planting, be sure to check your trellises and the brackets used for hanging baskets. As the plants bloom and the soil remains moist, trellises and brackets have more weight to support.

• Bob in Virginia writes, "I love to refinish and paint furniture pieces and woodcrafts. I always check my local recycling center for small amounts of ‘recycled’ paint. Usually, someone has gotten rid of good paint, and the people at the recycling center are happy to have it used."

• Toothpaste works well as a silver polish. Wet your silver; plop a little non-gel toothpaste on it and rub gently to clean. Rinse well and let it shine.

• When buying a new car, keep these things in mind: Focus on the overall price; payments can be a misleading benchmark of how much you are paying for the car. Think of dealer add-ons as overpriced candy at the checkout line; you can get this stuff cheaper later. Selling your old car yourself, while more time-consuming, will net you a much better profit than using it as a trade-in.

• Thinking about starting a family? Start with a trip to your dentist. According to a University of Alabama study, women who have gum disease are eight times more likely to deliver a pre-term baby.

• Trees can save up to 25 percent of a typical household’s energy use for heating and cooling. Plant trees on the south and west sides of the house for cooling summer shade.