Lion's Link #lionpride
October 31, 2025
Thank your bus driver!
In a small school, we all have to pitch in once in a while when someone is gone, and I've found every time I do, it gives me a renewed appreciation for that person and the job that they do. I regularly sub bus routes, but on cold mornings like today, I am reminded that we have four people who do this every single day, no matter the weather, and I don't tell them enough how much I appreciate them. James is always good to start my bus when he knows I'm subbing for a driver, but no one starts their buses and has them warm for them. They get on a cold bus on a cold morning and start those heaters to make sure that our students are comfortable on their ride to school.
If you have a student who rides a bus, thank your driver when you see them! Bo, James, Julie, and Tiphani do a great job for us, and I sincerely appreciate them, as well as our other substitutes who help, Mr. Saylor and Mr. Richard. If you would like to join our crew, this is an important part of what we do around here, and we're always looking for reliable substitute drivers--apply today!
Please take our survey to tell us how we're doing!
Every year, we survey students, staff, and stakeholders to measure how we are doing and to target areas of improvement for future planning. Here is a link to last year's survey results. We would like your input as a parent, caregiver, or community member on this year's survey so we can set our improvement goals accordingly. Please click on this link and take a few minutes to complete this year's survey. Your input is important to us as we strive to continuously improve our educational opportunities for our students. Thank you in advance for your help!
Changes in Household Incomes
If your family has a change in financial circumstances at any time during the school year that might impact your ability to qualify for free or reduced meals for your student, please contact the office for an application to apply. Even if you already completed an application this year and did not qualify, a change in employment status may mean that you would. Applications can be completed at any point during the school year, so please do not hesitate to request one if your household has a change that impacts your income. We want all of our students to have access to hot, nutritious meals throughout the year.
We are nearly at our fundraising goal!
We are working on a project to add a touchscreen video display to our gym lobby. Our composite pictures on display there are slowly deteriorating due to age and light exposure, and we want to make sure they are available for future generations of Tuscumbia students. We also want a central place where all of our MSHSAA-related awards for conference, district, and state competitions in athletics and extra-curriculars are recognized, as well as our FFA/Ag Science Research awards. This display will house all of those, and we can add to it as our future generations of students excel in these areas.
The initial cost of this project is $6,180. Thanks to generous donations of $3,000 by our Booster Club and $2,000 from Tuscumbia Alumni and Pig N Pickle, we have $5,000 toward our goal.
Here are some examples from other schools of similar displays:
https://mywebschooltools.com/Composites/viewComposites.php
https://mywebschooltools.com/Podium/Schuyler/viewComposites.php
https://mywebschooltools.com/Podium/Odessa/viewComposites.php
https://mywebschooltools.com/Podium/Aurora/viewComposites.php
If your organization or you as an individual would like to donate to help us meet the remainder of our fundraising goal, please contact Dr. Tina Spencer, Superintendent, for further information. We appreciate the support!
The Principal's Corner
🎀 Red Ribbon Week ReCap! 🎀
This week was full of excitement as students participated in fun “Say No to Drugs” activities and dress-up days to show their school spirit! A huge thank you to our Middle School Student Council for organizing such a great week of positivity, teamwork, and healthy choices. You did an amazing job spreading school pride and the important message to live drug-free!
Parent Communication Message about Picture Day on November 4th:
Senior Composite Pictures–All seniors will need to have their picture taken, with the tux top or drape that Wagner provides. The picture will be from above the waste up.
Orders for Senior Portraits are post-shoot, so after the seniors get their pictures taken, Wagner will upload them, then send a text and email to the parent/guardians of the seniors with a code (it’s called a P Number) that they can plug in to the Wagner website and see/order their pictures.
High School Basketball Pictures-Boys and Girls Team will take individual and group pictures in their uniform. Uniforms will be given to the student-athletes on picture day. Please bring basketball shoes. Order information will be sent to the parents' email at a later date.
Wagner Portrait Group will be at school to photograph any students who were absent on the original Picture Day. Retake photos will also be available upon request. If your student is having a retake, please return the entire portrait package (including the insert sheet) to the photographer on retake day. Feel free to attach a note describing what you’d like done differently.
FOR ABSENTEE STUDENTS WHO NEED TO ORDER:
Pre-Order Online: www.WagnerPortraitGroup.com
Pre-Order Password: 8E2T8Q9R
Direct Order Link:
https://wagner.portraitpics.co/api/v2/keys/lookup/wagner?key=8E2T8Q9R
Important Dates for Upcoming School Events–Please mark your calendars, more info will be coming home closer to the date!
November 2- Athletic Banquet 🏀
November 4- School Picture Retake Day, Senior Composites, and High School Basketball Pictures📸
November 7-School Carnival 👑
November 11-Veterans Day
March 20-Grandparents Day👵🧓
April 20-May 1-MAP Testing for 3rd-8th grade students📚
May 4-8-EOC Testing for high school📚
Mrs. Alicia Burrows
K-12 Principal
Upcoming Events
- Sunday, 11/2: Fall Athletic Banquet, Gym, 2:00 p.m.
- Monday, 11/3: PTO Meeting, HS Library, 6:00 p.m.; HS Basketball Practice starts--Girls 3:30-5:30, Boys 5:30-7:30
- Wednesday, 11/5: Athletic Booster Club Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
- Friday, 11/7: CARNIVAL! Gym, 6:00 p.m.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Miller County R-III School District, in partnership with our students, parents, staff, and community, is to promote PRIDE and provide a quality education that inspires our students to be lifelong learners.
Job Postings
- Evening Custodian, full time, $15/hour plus insurance and retirement benefits, flexible hours after school dismisses, must pass a background check.
- Substitute Teachers, as needed, $105/day, must have substitute certificate and pass a background check.
- Substitute Bus Drivers, badly needed! $31.60 per route (a.m. or p.m.) and $15/hour for trip drivers, including wait time. If you do not have a CDL, we have an on-site trainer who will train you if you commit to substituting for our district.
Interested parties should contact Dr. Spencer at tspencer@tuscumbialions.k12.mo.us, or come by central office during working hours for an application.
It's always a great day to be a Lion! Come join our Pride!
The Miller County R-III School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability.