April 14, 2023

Supporting Childhood Health and Safety through Professional Learning

Special Series for Child Abuse Prevention Month This month, Grade 8 students in our Mizzou Global Scholars course studied the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1989. This international agreement on childhood addresses the universal and unique rights children should have. Among these are health and safety.  As educators, childhood health and safety is at the heart of everything we do. In that spirit, this month we are releasing a special web series for Child Abuse Prevention Month. In this second post, we share about…

April 14, 2023

Full Shelves and Full Hearts: Supporting Childhood Health and Safety

Special Series for Child Abuse Prevention Month Since 1983, April has been recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month across the United States. This month-long advocacy and educational outreach campaign has a long history. In 1974, the first federal child protection legislation, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA, was passed. CAPTA has been amended many times over the years and in 2003 was renamed the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act. One population that is protected by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act are youth who are navigating the foster care system. There are many adults and…

April 3, 2023

Jacquelyn Kay, Celebrating 20 Years of Service With the University of Missouri

Jacquelyn Kay is known across Mizzou for her adventuring spirit, love of world languages, and commitment to excellence. Recently, Kay’s colleagues at Mizzou Academy celebrated her 20 years of service to Mizzou. A Background in World Languages Some members of the Mizzou community may recognize Kay for her many years as a Spanish instructor with the university. She also has led numerous study abroad programs to Latin America. In 2006, she was recognized for her dedication to teaching with the Mizzou’s Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award.  Kay holds a BA in English and Spanish from Missouri State University…

Jan. 30, 2023

Nick Oswald, Celebrating 15 Years of Service to the University of Missouri

Nick Oswald’s career within the UM System began at Missouri S&T where he worked in MinerTech at the bookstore. In that role, he supported students with their computer questions and challenges. Our Director of Curriculum and IT, Angie Hammons, first met him while working in this role, and she quickly recruited him for her EdTech group at Missouri S&T.  In 2019, Hammons was again able to bring Oswald back to her team, this time at Mizzou Academy.  As an instructional developer for Mizzou Academy, Oswald helps the team of designers with technology and curriculum integration.  Oswald’s educational background…

Jan. 17, 2023

Book Series Release – Teaching Women’s and Gender Studies

“We (Kathryn and Jill) believe that Women’s and Gender Studies calls us to: think critically across disciplines and points of view; offer and celebrate more complete stories of history, culture, and identity; affirm a multiplicity of lived experiences and perspectives; and work to further the cause of justice and equity while also reducing oppression and marginalization.” (Fishman-Weaver K. and Clingan J., 2023, pg. 15)  The book series they had to write. Women’s and Gender Studies (WGST) is not often taught in the middle and high school classroom. Mizzou Academy faculty and coauthors Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver and Jill Clingan hope to…

Jan. 15, 2023

Specialist Spotlight—Lisa Boyer

On January 5, 2023, Mizzou Academy held a Gratitude Luncheon.There, the team shared celebrations from 2022, recognized milestone work anniversaries, and announced the winter Honor Award nominees and recipient. The Honor Award is a peer-nominated recognition for excellence in our school community. It is open to all members of our team and awarded quarterly. This quarter, the team celebrated many outstanding nominees, including Ericca Thornhill, Brian Stuhlman, Tami Regan, Jessie Arnold, Chevi’ White, Julia Dunn, and Virginia Poehlman.  Executive Director Kathryn Fishman-Weaver announced that “many of our nominees and even our winner this quarter couldn’t be with us in person…

Jan. 14, 2023

An Eye for Excellence – Edna Conness, Student feature

At first, Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, executive director of Mizzou Academy, thought her voicemail message was spam. “The message mentioned a big national award and fancy camera kit prize. I thought it was one of those too good to be true messages, but then the caller named Edna Conness, our student, and I knew it was real.”  Edna Conness, a first year high school student with Mizzou Academy, was recently named the winner of the School Photographers of America (SPOA) National Student Photography Contest in the Creative category. SPOA is the national trade association for school photography and yearbooks.  Edna is the…

Dec. 21, 2022

Advocacy and Friendship, A Music Lesson with Lou Jobst

Children and Louis Jobst When Mizzou Academy needed a music teacher for a special children’s event on self-advocacy and friendship, Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver knew just who to call. Lou Jobst, known to many as “Sweet Lou,” has been bringing music to our team for almost seven years, and he’s been bringing music to children and schools for over four decades. At Mizzou Academy, where Jobst teaches language arts, he often writes and records songs for students who need a little extra encouragement or celebration.  “Lou helped us start poem-in-your-pocket day at Mizzou Academy,” says Fishman-Weaver. “And while that is…

Dec. 17, 2022

Better Together: Teaching and Learning Conference in São Paulo, SP

It might have been the way Matheus Nucci Mascarenhas held his grandmother Marilia’s hand as the two navigated to our conference stage. It might have been the way Marilia beamed at her grandson the whole time. Regardless, 120+ conference attendees laughed and cried as these two told their story during the opening session for the Mizzou Academy annual teaching and learning conference in Brazil.  This month, Matheus completed his high courses in the Mizzou Dual Diploma program where he studies at Notre Dame (Campinas, SP).  He and Marilia presented on the continued need to work for women’s rights. This…

Nov. 23, 2022

A Long Commitment to Gifted Education

Did you know that Mizzou Academy was the first online school to get an Advanced Placement course approved by the College Board? More than twenty years ago, Karen Scales, who now serves as Mizzou Academy’s global English Language Arts division chair, approached the College Board about launching Advanced Placement or AP courses at Mizzou Academy. At the time, the College Board was—skeptical. “A core objective of AP learning involves collaborative scholarship,” explains Scales, “the kind of meaningful thought work that happens when learners come together to ask questions, discuss, explore, and debate. The College Board wondered how that could…