MSO scarecrow
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science has a scarecrow trail. The scarecrows found on the trail are for local families and businesses. I made a scarecrow for MSO. Dr. Betsy Sullivan participated in this event. The scarecrow has a sign that identifies it as Delta Kappa Gamma. She developed a QR code for visitors to scan to learn more about MSO (linked it to the "About Us" page).
The scarecrows will be displayed in MMNS's native plant garden’s “Scarecrow Garden” through November 1, 2021 – giving museum visitors a fun, outdoor stroll! Visitors will vote on the “Scarecrow Garden Contest” post on the museum’s Facebook page by liking their favorite scarecrow’s photo. The individual or family scarecrow with the most “likes” wins one MS Museum of Natural Science Foundation Membership! All voters will be entered into a separate drawing for a chance to win one MS Museum of Natural Science Foundation Membership, too. |
Lindsay Griffin
Congratulations to Lindsay Griffin! Her photographs "Simple Things" and "Everything Has a Purpose" have been accepted into the DKG Fine Arts Gallery. According to Lindsay, "Simple Things" was inspired by the poem "Little Things" by Julia Abigail Fletcher Carney. The unveiling of the new DKG Fine Arts Gallery will be mid-November. Lindsay's work will be displayed in the gallery for six months, after which it will be archived for two years.
Katherine Furr
Katherine Furr was recently featured in Southern Senior. The article, "Katherine Furr: Gold, Frankincense and...Furr," written by Carey Meitzler, details her life and the contributions she made to education. She was instrumental in setting several new precedents in the Picayune School District. Two very note-worthy precedents are maternity leave and 12-month payroll for teachers.
Katherine joined DKG in 1952 and is a founding member of Sigma Chapter. She was recognized at the 2019 Zeta State Convention as a STAR member. Click here to read the article about this wonderful trail-blazer in the field of education. |
star chapters
The STAR program is a program to encourage and reward members who fully participate and commit to their chapters and DKG throughout the entire year. STAR stands for Scholarship, Teachers, Attendance, Resources, and Service.
Cornetet Award
Congratulations to Dr. Jo Hawkins-Jones and Dr. Stacy Reeves, members of Alpha Gamma Chapter, for receiving a DKGIEF Cornetet Award. They will present at AERA - American Educational Research Association, April 21 - 26, 2022, in San Diego, CA. The title of their presentation is Unveiled: What Is Keeping Black Male Students from Success?
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), a national research society, strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. The American Educational Research Association (AERA), founded in 1916, is concerned with improving the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education and evaluation and by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), a national research society, strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. The American Educational Research Association (AERA), founded in 1916, is concerned with improving the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education and evaluation and by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results.
chapter projects
Alpha Alpha
Delta Kappa Gamma’s Alpha Alpha Chapter members have been busy spreading Christmas cheer. They collected can goods and dry foods for the Petal Children’s Task Force and shoeboxes for the Indian reservation in New Mexico.
Some of the DKG members are pictured with the shoe boxes and donated food items that will be delivered before Christmas to the non-profit organization located on South George Street in Petal, Mississippi. The Petal Children’s Task Force was started in December of 1989 when two Petal residents, Demaris Lee and Jessie Rowell, bought food and Christmas presents for local children. The Petal Children’s Task Force also provides monthly food boxes, school uniforms, funds for medical, dental, and vision screenings, utility assistance, Thanksgiving food boxes and Christmas presents for children 12 and under. In November the Alpha Alpha Chapter members began collecting the shoeboxes for the Indian reservation in New Mexico. The boxes are filled with toiletry items, socks, gloves and toys for the children. The shoeboxes are labeled according to gender and age of the children. Each of these shoeboxes filled with needful items and packed with love will be a blessing to a child in need. |
SigOne of Alpha Alpha's service projects was collecting shoe box gifts for children in New Mexico. We collected 43 shoe boxes and they will be delivered before Christmas to the children by a local missionary.
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Alpha Upsilon
Sigma
In order to share the vision, Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide, and strengthen our profession, the local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, Sigma Chapter, established Supporting Early-career Educators (SEE) as its annual project. Education is a challenging career, and retaining quality teachers is an issue worldwide. John F. Kennedy said, “In each one of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefits for everyone and a greater strength for our nations.” Sigma Chapter members believe that we truly can make a difference with our support. SEE encourages members to be creative in support of early-career educators with a variety of strategies. Sigma Chapter has adopted four first year teachers in the Picayune and Pearl River County School Districts. Members will support these new teachers throughout the school year with encouragement, goodie bags, and more. In October, SEE teachers were showered with bags of classroom supplies. Sigma Chapter is helping to reduce the teacher shortage by supporting early-career educators in our community.
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2022 MSO STAR Dr. Betsy Sullivan

In one’s lifetime, there are people who come into your life who always make you smile when you see them. Their spirits are uplifting, positive, always encouraging. Our candidate for the 2022 Mississippi Star is one of those people.
Our star being recognized today answers the call for service in both her professional and personal life. Her response for assistance to me as well as past presidents has always been “Whatever you need” or “How can I help?” Once told the need, she immediately gets to work on finding the answer to the question or planning ways to assist.
When the infamous pandemic reared its ugly head and changed the ways business always been conducted, our Star quickly part of the solution to keep going forward. As Chair of the Leadership Development Committee, she and her committee faced the huge task of training incoming chapter officers during a pandemic. She immediately flipped the 202 Chapter Leaders Retreat to a virtual event and even added a first-ever October “follow-up” to make sure officers were given every opportunity to be successful. Despite the bumps and problems of the pandemic, many chapters went on to have a successful biennium, as evidenced by those who earned Honor Chapter status for 2020-2022.
This is only one of the many ways Dr. Betsy Sullivan has served the MSO community over her many years of membership. Betsy continues to answer the call for service within the DKG community, her school, her family, and her community. From setting up drives for newsletters to encouraging committee chairs to step outside the box in communicating with members, Betsy serves the Mississippi State Organization with humility and enthusiasm. Betsy is a true Star of Mississippi!
Our star being recognized today answers the call for service in both her professional and personal life. Her response for assistance to me as well as past presidents has always been “Whatever you need” or “How can I help?” Once told the need, she immediately gets to work on finding the answer to the question or planning ways to assist.
When the infamous pandemic reared its ugly head and changed the ways business always been conducted, our Star quickly part of the solution to keep going forward. As Chair of the Leadership Development Committee, she and her committee faced the huge task of training incoming chapter officers during a pandemic. She immediately flipped the 202 Chapter Leaders Retreat to a virtual event and even added a first-ever October “follow-up” to make sure officers were given every opportunity to be successful. Despite the bumps and problems of the pandemic, many chapters went on to have a successful biennium, as evidenced by those who earned Honor Chapter status for 2020-2022.
This is only one of the many ways Dr. Betsy Sullivan has served the MSO community over her many years of membership. Betsy continues to answer the call for service within the DKG community, her school, her family, and her community. From setting up drives for newsletters to encouraging committee chairs to step outside the box in communicating with members, Betsy serves the Mississippi State Organization with humility and enthusiasm. Betsy is a true Star of Mississippi!
Dr. Jenetta Waddell
Amy rutland
Congratulations, Amy Rutland, Omega Chapter President !
We are pleased to announce that our fellow sister, Amy Rutland, was recently recognized as the District Teacher of the Year for the Brookhaven School District. Amy was Valedictorian of her high school class at Topeka Tilton Attendance Center. She holds an A.A. degree in science from Copiah-Lincoln Community College, both a B.S. and M.S. degree in Science Education with a Biology emphasis from The University of Southern Mississippi. Amy has been teaching Brookhaven High School for 32 years. She has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and a Polymer Science Coatings Lab Researcher. Congratulations Amy!
We are pleased to announce that our fellow sister, Amy Rutland, was recently recognized as the District Teacher of the Year for the Brookhaven School District. Amy was Valedictorian of her high school class at Topeka Tilton Attendance Center. She holds an A.A. degree in science from Copiah-Lincoln Community College, both a B.S. and M.S. degree in Science Education with a Biology emphasis from The University of Southern Mississippi. Amy has been teaching Brookhaven High School for 32 years. She has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and a Polymer Science Coatings Lab Researcher. Congratulations Amy!