CLARK TO TEACHERS: `DO WHAT YOU DO BEST'

Educators in Cape Girardeau public schools should do what they do best: teach children, said Superintendent Neyland Clark. The rest will fall in line, he said.

Clark talked with staff members Tuesday during the annual opening of school gathering held at the Show Me Center. Classes begin Thursday.

The "rest" Clark was referring to includes planning for new school buildings and presenting a bond issue to voters in order to pay for that construction.

"I'm going to ask you not to think about the bond issue," Clark said. "I ask that you open school and do what you do best teach kids. When you do the things you do best the other things will fall in place."

Also at the opening of school ceremony, the first Gary Gilbert Award was presented to Boatmen's Bank. The award, created to honor Gary Gilbert, retired director of the Area Vocational Technical School, recognizes the partnership between business and education.

Clark explained that Boatmen's Bank was selected to receive the first award because "every request we've made of Boatmen's, they've never said no."

The bank sponsored a reception Monday to welcome teachers back to school. The bank also donated $1,000 to the school district to purchase school supplies for needy children.

Clark, Board President Ed Thompson and CTA President Mary Hart all said they have observed a lot of enthusiasm for the start of this school year.

"We're hyped, we're psyched, we're ready to go," Clark said.

"The capacity you have to do exciting, innovative things for the education of children is mindboggling," Clark said. "Collectively, you as a staff are above average, bordering on outstanding.

"On Thursday we have 4,400 smiling, little darlings coming through the door. You know better than anyone what to do."

As part of the morning's activities, architect Julius Juracsik, a partner with The Christner Partnership Inc. of St. Louis, talked with the staff of Washington and May Greene elementary schools. His firm is negotiating with the school district to plan the new buildings.

"Before you see brick and mortar, a whole array of things must happen," said Clark. He said the entire project hinges on voter support of a bond issue, planned for April 1993.

Before the issue is presented to voters, some preliminary decisions must be made. No amount of a bond issue yet has been specified.

"In order to get an ambitious project like this off the ground, it must be a cooperative effort," said Juracsik.

"We don't come in here with a preconceived idea of what your school will look like," he said. "We believe in cooperative planning.

He said district officials have provided him information about Project Partnership, a community-based study of the school district, and information from the school board's annual planning session. He said the district seems to be looking at building one elementary school and one middle school.

The architect said he envisions a series of meetings with staff members to discuss how they teach and what they envision as a perfect school environment.

"First we want to look at what kind of spirit do you want in your school," he said. "We interpret your dreams and wishes into some sort of realistic plan."

If hired, the firm will also evaluate 55 acres at Sprigg and Bertling being considered as the site for the two new buildings. The school district owns the property.

If all goes as planned, Juracsik said, a new school could be occupied by 1995.

"Every teacher, every custodian, every student has to get behind this and claim it as their own," Juracsik said.