Highlights October/November 2022

Highlights Pattonville A top-tier district in Missouri and the U.S.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022

School news for parents, residents and staff of the Pattonville School District

Inside

District strategic plan update begins - See page 2 for details

Board approves tax rates for 2022-2023 - See page 7 for details

Pattonville celebrates homecoming BOARD OF EDUCATION

Dr. Brian Gray, President Mary Kay Campbell, Vice President Jeanne Schottmueller, Secretary Brandon Wilkes, Treasurer Lisa Kickbusch, Director Ruth Petrov, Director Dan Wentz, Director

The Pattonville community celebrated homecoming on Oct. 7 and 8. The weekend kicked off with the Pattonville High School Pirates varsity football game against Seckman being decided in overtime and the crowning of seniors Max McFarland and Isabelle Usry as homecoming king and queen. On Saturday, the community enjoyed a parade with floats from every school decorated around the theme “Karaoke Night,” as well as floats from community groups and high school organizations. A student dance took place that evening. Above, senior Sara Lumsden performs during halftime on Friday. Below, senior receiver Dylan Stewart scores on an 8-yard pass from senior quarterback Byron McNair.

Right, Parkwood Elementary School staff sing on the school’s singing in the shower float.

Dr. Barry Nelson Superintendent

View more photos

View more photos on the back page of this newsletter and enjoy a photo gallery from the weekend by clicking on the 2022-2023 school year page at bit.ly/PattonvillePhotos.

Pattonville School District 11097 St. Charles Rock Road St. Ann, MO 63074-1509

Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1 St. Ann, MO

Pattonville is an award-winning public district in St. Louis County, Missouri. The district is fully accredited by the state and is recognized for academic success on the regional, state and national level.

From the Superintendent Pattonville begins updating its five-year strategic plan Pattonville continues O to improve safety I hope the new school year is going well for everyone. We are excited to have everyone back in school, and we are off to a great start in Pattonville.

Dr. Barry Nelson Improving student Superintendent safety is an area Follow on Twitter: @Barry_NelsonPSD of focus for the 2022-2023 school year. The district continuously identifies, revises and implements strategies to improve student safety measures.

We encourage all district stakeholders to help us with keeping our students safe. One way our community can help is by reporting information regarding known or suspected safety concerns. Face-to-face conversations with district staff or phone calls to school and district administration are encouraged. Another tool, called Quick Tip, provides an additional avenue for anyone in the community to share a safety concern. These tips can be electronically submitted anytime from a phone, laptop or tablet. Submitted tips are immediately emailed to school and district administrators. Tips can be submitted at http://quicktip.psdr3.org.

In our schools, posters have been hung that provide easy access for students to make a report or learn how to utilize Quick Tip. Please consider watching our Quick Tip training video to learn more about the tool and how to submit a concern. To watch the video, visit bit.ly/QuickTipHowTo. Please also feel free to reach out to administrators anytime you have information that you believe would help improve school safety. Thank you for all you do to partner with the Pattonville School District. We appreciate your ongoing help and support.

n Sept. 20, Pattonville School District began work with parents, students, community members, staff and area leaders to update its strategic plan during its first CSIP (Comprehensive School Improvement Plan) meeting of the year. The updated plan will focus on ensuring all students are successful both in school and beyond and planning for and addressing any critical issues that may arise. Pattonville updates its strategic plan every five years.

“District and local school improvement is viewed as a community effort in Pattonville,” said superintendent Dr. Barry Nelson. “The process of bringing community stakeholders together to provide meaningful input regarding school improvement goals and targets has been in place for many years and Members of the Pattonville School District community met on Sept. 20 to begin work on updating the district’s Comresults in a high quality plan. This year’s kindergarten students will graduate prehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). Additional in 2035 and the steps we take today as a school community to plan the future meetings will take place throughout the school year. will direct the focus and actions of the school district for the next five years.

Our mission for the Class of 2035 and all other Pattonville students continues to be: ‘That All Will Learn ... to become responsible citizens in a nurturing environment where diversity means strength, knowledge means freedom and commitment means success.’ ” The district established three goals for the CSIP committee to review at the meeting. The goals are related to the Missouri School Improvement Program, or MSIP 6, the state accreditation program. Pattonville’s CSIP goals are: • Student learning - Ensure students demonstrate understanding and application of state academic standards. Establish learning systems so all students are proficient in core subjects and are ready to exceed beyond graduation. Design a student responsibility framework for preschool through 12th grade that leads to all students being responsible citizens. Make career and technical education an integral part of the education program. Organize and promote opportunities for students at all levels, establish programming that prepares students for high school academic and athletic options and enhance support for such programming.

• Align school goals - Develop and implement building-level school improvement plans (SIP) that are consistent with the district CSIP. School plans should improve structure, instruction and climate that supports improved student achievement and responsibility.

• Critical issues - Create a plan that addresses short- and long-term areas of focus that can impact the district. These areas include enrollment, facilities, funding, safety and staffing.

The district will host three district CSIP meetings this school year. Each school in Pattonville has a committee made up of staff, students and parents that will determine steps their school can make to improve programs, services and/or student achievement and develop a school SIP that aligns with the district CSIP. The meeting on Sept. 20 focused on reviewing and providing feedback on and discussing action steps for the district CSIP. Attendees also reviewed information about Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, including where funds have been used and community survey results related to future spending of the funds, and participated in an activity to discuss how to strategically use the remaining funds. Subsequent meetings will focus on district and individual school plans.

Additional district-level meetings for the CSIP update will take place on Nov. 15, 2022, and Feb. 21, 2023. The goal is to present an updated plan to the Pattonville Board of Education this spring. Work groups and school improvement teams will also meet separately to continue their work in between the district-level meetings. For more information or to get involved, contact your local school or the teaching and learning department at (314) 213-8005.

Pattonville ranked among top districts in state, U.S. by Niche O

ut of about 460 public school districts in Missouri, Pattonville is ranked No. 10 among the top districts on Niche.com’s 2023 Best School Districts in America list.

Nationally, Niche ranks Pattonville in the Top 4% of districts (No. 401 out of 10,751).

In Missouri, Pattonville is ranked No. 1 for Most Diverse School Districts; No. 4 for Best Places to Teach; and No. 13 for Districts with the Best Teachers. Pattonville earned an overall grade of A from Niche, with grades ranging from A- to A+ in the following categories: academics, college prep, clubs and activities, diversity, resources and facilities and teachers. Niche is an online service that ranks private and public schools and districts based on dozens of statistics and opinions from students, parents and staff. Find out more at bit.ly/psdNiche.

Filing for Pattonville school board seats opens Dec. 6

CONNECT WITH US F ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Keep up with Pattonville news by following the district on social media.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PSDR3 Instagram: @PattonvilleSD Twitter: @PattonvilleSD YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PattonvilleR3

iling for positions on the Pattonville School District Board of Education begins at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, and ends at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Persons interested in running for a position on the school board may file at the Pattonville Learning Center, 11097 St. Charles Rock Road, St. Ann, Missouri. Candidates will be placed on the ballot in order of filing. There are three positions available on the April 4, 2023, election ballot, each with a three-year term. Board members whose terms are expiring are Brian Gray as well as Lisa Kickbusch and Ruth Petrov who were appointed in 2022 to fill open positions. Their appointment lasts until the April election, but because both are filling terms that were set to expire in 2023, all open positions will be for a three-year term.

Candidates may file during the district’s regular business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

On Dec. 27, filing will be open from noon until filing closes at 5 p.m. Hours are subject to change. Except for the first and last day of filing, filing will not occur on days that the school district’s central offices are closed due to inclement weather or other unforeseeable reasons. The district may not open on the first and/or last day of filing if weather conditions make it unsafe for school staff to travel. Filing will also not occur on the following dates when the district’s superintendent’s office will be closed: Dec. 23 through Dec. 26.

For more information or to confirm if offices are open for filing, contact the administrative assistant to the superintendent at (314) 213-8001 or apick@psdr3.org.

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Our Learners Spotlight on

News focusing on students, staff and schools in Pattonville

Students at Pattonville High School attended a construction event at the Bridgeton Target. Left, freshman Alanna Warren tries her hand at drilling drywall. Middle top, students participate in a tour of the remodeled Bridgeton Target, where they learned about what changes were made to the store and why. They are, from left, junior Micah Williams, freshman Sury Santos, junior John Pfister and senior Nick Drayton. Middle above, senior Donovan Vogler learns the techniques of bending pipe. Right, freshman Ever Gray watches a professional saw drywall away from an overhang.

PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

Event provides construction exposure, experience to high school students P

attonville High School students interested in engineering, architecture, design, construction and business got a behind the scenes look at the Bridgeton Target remodel on Sept. 15.

ConstructReach, a construction industry workforce development initiative and consultancy, hosted an I Built This! event on Sept. 15 in Bridgeton outside the Target store that was in week 13 of a 20-week renovation project.

About 40 Pattonville High School students joined students from neighboring school districts to learn about the construction industry and engage in hands-on activities, including those related to carpentry, fixturing, design and technology, mechanical and plumbing.

Senior Nick Drayton said he learned about a lot of new opportunities.

“It was a super dope event,” he said. “I really liked

the carpentry station and getting the chance to use the tools and put up drywall. All of the hands-on stuff was pretty neat.”

Students connected with general contractors and other professionals to learn more about careers in the construction industry while gaining unparalleled insights. They also took a tour of the store while it was under construction and learned about the redevelopment process.

Senior Allie Basta said she wants to have a career in construction management.

“What I liked most about today was I got more insight on what I would be going into and what that looks like,” she said. “Having an idea of all the different trades that are needed for a project like this gives me a better idea if I want to specialize in any of them or if I want to be more general.”

She said she shops at the Bridgeton Target and liked learning about the changes happening to the store.

“I like how it’s simplistic with a very modernized design,” Basta said. “I thought they made the store larger by raising the ceiling, but they said they just changed the lighting and it really blew my mind how lighting can change an entire outlook and perspective.”

ConstructReach’s I Built This! initiative introduces the construction industry to a diverse new generation and, in turn, assists an industry facing an impending labor shortage crisis. Through these events and a variety of services offered, ConstructReach aims to transform the construction industry within the next decade.

The students were chaperoned by college and career preparation coordinator/counselor Michelle Luraschi, school counselor practicum student Laura Hubbard and industrial technology teacher Darrell Langston.

REMINGTON TRADITIONAL SCHOOL

Students use STEM, communication to create ziplines S

Luke Ruffus, left, holds up string for Jacob Caldwell, right, as he adds more length to the team’s zipline for a sixth grade class project at Remington Traditional School. Nathan Remaklus, center, watches in preparation of testing the line.

tudents in Alisabeth Hilker and Lauren Niewald’s sixth grade classes at Remington Traditional School were challenged to build a zipline that provided tourists with the longest tour over the mountains with only the materials provided. Each group was given rubber bands, paperclips, straws, string, bucket, scissors and tape.

Using STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills, students incorporated the same process that engineers use on a job site: define the problem, brainstorm solutions, design a solution, build it, test it, evaluate it and then revise.

“They started building their ziplines yesterday and

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spent time working on what they thought would be the best design,” Niewald said. “They were able to develop ideas and then we put it to the test today.”

This activity also served as a team building exercise at the start of the school year. Of the 42 sixth graders at Remington doing the activity, nine were new to the school.

“They had to communicate and this was a fun way to help them learn how to do that while getting to know each other,” Niewald said.

The winning team was able to build a zipline that provided the tourists with a 30-minute tour.

WILLOW BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Movement provides opportunities for focus H

aving to sit still and be quiet through an entire school day can seem like an impossible task. Schools have physical education and recess built into the schedule, but for some students, it’s simply not enough. Sensory hallways allow the transitions between lunch, specials and classrooms to be interactive and fun. After receiving a grant from the Pattonville Education Foundation (PEF), a 96-foot long pirate-themed path was installed at Willow Brook Elementary School over the summer.

“I saw students needing to reset their focus and attention and I came across the sensory path,” second grade teacher Jennifer Rogers said. “I reached out to (instructional specialist) Christine Young and (art teacher) Dawn Lynn and all three of us as a team applied for the grant and put it down together.”

Designed to give students a “brain break,” the path activities provide sensory input to help stay on task. Sensory hallways are designed as a preventative measure by improving focus and preventing disruptive behaviors from occurring within the classroom environment.

“It’s hopscotch on steroids,” Lynn said.

Third grader Sophia Crawford said her favorite activity is the alphadots.

“I know the pattern because it’s in ABC order,” she said. “I just jump one foot, two feet, one foot, two feet until I get to the end.”

After following the sensory path, students can return to the classroom focused and ready to learn.

“I really like how long ours is,” Rogers said. “It’s not just a quick little thing, and staff and students are able to use it whenever they need. It really gives students time to use it and breathe. They reset their focus and return to class ready to learn.”

Lynn was able to tailor the design of the decals to the hallway outside the second and third grade classrooms and added some extra details using a Cricut machine.

“We added gold coins and sparkly diamonds to it and even some crabs and sharks to it,” she said.

Introducing sensory paths or hallways can help positively transform the school experience for kids. Providing the opportunities for movement and incorporating sensory input can help a child become calm and more focused, which will impact participation.

Lynn, being an art teacher and never short on creativity, is already looking at other spots in the school where another sensory path could be added.

Willow Brook Elementary School third grader Sophia “We have the space and I have Crawford works her way through the school’s piratesome ideas,” she said. themed sensory path.

Holman Middle School students participate in a Friends of Rachel workshop following a presentation about Rachel’s Challenge, a program that promotes kindness and compassion. Participants are, from left, seventh graders Janet Rivas Delgado, Meena Aftab and Dhara Joshi and eighth grader Karina Vazquez Jimenez.

HOLMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Rachel’s message of kindness continues H

olman Middle School students gathered in the gym on Sept. 14 to watch the Rachel’s Challenge presentation, a program created by the family of the first victim of the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999. The program — inspired by words from Rachel Scott’s diary and the positive, compassionate and kind attitude she exhibited to her fellow classmates — asks students to take the challenge focusing on five key aspects: look for the best in others, dream big, choose positive influences, speak with kindness and start your own chain reaction.

“The presentation was a one-time event, but it’s really about acts of kindness that we hope can happen every day in our school,” assistant principal Greg Schnatmeier said.

Part of what makes Rachel’s Challenge unique across the nation is the way students have taken the initiative to sustain the message even after the speaker leaves.

Students, including those at Holman, form Friends of Rachel (FOR) clubs to keep the message alive. Following the presentation at Holman, a FOR workshop was offered to about 100 students that afternoon. The students received additional training on antibullying and anti-harassment techniques. And the group didn’t just meet that once.

Special education teachers Lillian Corzine and April Rainwater sponsor the afterschool club on Tuesdays.

“We changed the name from Friendship Club to Friends of Rachel this year to try and continue what they learned at the assembly,” Rainwater said. “We’re working as a group to come up with ideas of what kindness means to us and plan on doing activities together where it spreads kindness to students and staff while building teamwork as a club and making new friends.”

PATTONVILLE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

PTO event allows for play with other families C

hildren with red, blue and purple lips cheered as their parents pushed them on the swing set, laughed as they rode the merry-go-round and giggled as they slid down the slide. Their lips were colorful because they had just eaten popsicles on a hot September evening, and their excitement came from being with their friends on the playground at Pattonville’s Early Childhood Center.

Early childhood families were attending the PTO’s back-to-school event called Popsicles on the Playground.

All families in any of the programs at early childhood — from early childhood students to families in the

Parent Education Program (PAT) — were welcomed to attend. Families were invited to share a cold popsicle treat and play together on the school playgrounds. It’s also an opportunity for parents to meet their children’s friends and classmates and their families.

“For them, it’s exciting being at school during non-school hours for special events,” said early childhood teacher Sharon Wood, who also serves as the school’s PTO president. Students were excited to see their friends outside of the normal school time and parents were eager to meet their child’s friends from class.”

The event was also an opportunity to celebrate the beginning of the year and continue to get to know new students and reconnect with students from last year in a fun environment. Staff volunteered to attend the event to help pass out popsicles and assist with families by answering questions and introducing classmates’ parents to each other.

“Fostering a great home/ school relationship is always a priority,” Wood said.

“And starting the year with back-to-school events like Popsicles on the Playground helps families feel involved in their child’s school and education.”

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Above, students enjoy the PTO’s Popsicles on the Playground event at the Pattonville Early Childhood Center. They are, from left, early childhood student Kendrick Nwachukwu, Parkwood Elementary School first grader Hudson Hernando and Willow Brook Elementary School third grader Akachukwu Eze. At right, early childhood paraprofessional Andrea Baldwin, right, gives a popsicle to early childhood students Kylie Bishop, left, and Joanna Bishop.

DRUMMOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Spirit days include learning about district D

rummond Elementary School built excitement for the school’s beginningof-the-year PTO-sponsored open house by organizing a series of spirit days at the school that week. Students were off Monday, wore their favorite pajamas on “Tired Tuesday,” put together their silliest outfits for “Wacky Wednesday,” proudly wore green in honor of “Pattonville Thursday” and sported their favorite teams on “Sporty Friday.”

Students in Sami Shyken’s third grade classroom put their Pattonville pride to the test on Thursday by competing in a game of Pattonville trivia.

Shyken put together a series of questions about the school district such as “How many elementary schools are there in Pattonville?” (five) and “Who is the superintendent?” (Dr. Barry Nelson).

The students could hardly contain their excitement as answers were revealed to see if they were right about the

Pattonville facts. Some of the questions covered topics that the third graders were unfamiliar with. Shyken used this as an opportunity to open a conversation with the kids about the community around them. They reviewed the names and mascots of other elementary schools in the district and talked about how they will all attend the same high school together when they’re older. The students had many questions about their surrounding neighbors and who played which roles in Pattonville.

Sofia Flores, Alexander Lemp, Ariana Martinez Guerrero, Jayla Powell and Kyrell Rigsby made up the team that won the trivia game with a tie-breaking question about how square miles are in Pattonville (27 square miles). At the end of the trivia, the students picked from a treat basket and all returned to their tables to share something new they learned during Pattonville trivia.

Students in Sami Shyken’s third grade class at Drummond Elementary School played a trivia game all about Pattonville during Spirit Week. Students had to guess how many elementary schools there are in Pattonville. From left, they are Victorine Nganga, Kaylie Lambert, Zane Ayala, Chloe Woods (whose team guessed the correct answer) and Thaily Herrejon Pina.

Want to test your Pattonville knowledge?

Pattonville School District’s history website includes a video where visitors can test their knowledge on district history. To test your knowledge or simply browse Pattonville’s origins and history, visit Pattonville’s history website. Find out more at bit.ly/PattonvilleHistory.

PARKWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Students create souvenirs for event O

Sixth graders Elena Zoll, left, and Aurora Christmas, right, test out books in the science fiction section of the menu during a book tasting event at Pattonville Heights Middle School. The event was hosted by librarian Julie Harder, back.

PATTONVILLE HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL

Teachers host book tasting for students P

attonville Heights Middle School students in sixth grade English classes were invited to a book tasting this fall to introduce them to different book genres. The English teachers — Chelsea Bowles and Emily Weber, along with librarian Julie Harder — provided a fun and engaging way for students to explore new books. The students rotated tables to investigate a variety of genres before getting the opportunity to check out a book.

“They were able to choose where they started by filling out a reservation form the week before for the genre they most wanted to look at,” Bowles said. However, their second table was more of a surprise. “We didn’t let them choose the second table because we wanted them to at least look at books that they may not look at normally.”

Students were provided a book tasting menu to jot down their reactions and reflections after sampling each book. As they were actively previewing a book, the teachers served students a treat of pretzels or Goldfish.

“They got a chance to rate the book after looking at the cover, reading a few pages and explaining why it did or did not interest them,” Bowles said. “I think several students were able to find something they liked.”

Every student was able to check out a book before leaving the library, and in some classes, several books from the tables were selected. This was an accomplishment for Bowles and Weber.

“We’re trying to really limit reading on their iPads,” she said. “We encourage them to get library books so they have something when it’s time to read in class, and we do that every day for 10 minutes.”

n Sept. 28, Parkwood Elementary soccer medals and those in the art room School hosted Multicultural Night. painted rock fish decorated with glitStudents and their families attended ter and googly eyes. In the music room, the event where each child received a students made origami tulips and, in the Parkwood tote bag and collected souvelibrary, students made flamenco fans. nirs that represented places around the At the end of a rock painting session world. The evening included a variety of with second and fifth graders, MacLean crafts, music, sports and other activities asked the buddies in her art room to turn and even featured a food truck serving to one another and share something nice fried rice, teriyaki chicken, fried tofu and they noticed about their buddy that day. more.

Many students raised their hand to share The event was put together by with the entire room something that they Parkwood art teacher Janel MacLean. liked about their new friend.

In preparation for the evening, she and “She’s a good artist and she’s really the Parkwood staff organized a Buddy sweet,” fifth grader Stella Reifschneider Day on Sept. 16. This day allowed posishared about her second grade buddy, tive mentor relationships to take place Josephine Howard. between older and younger students When fifth grade teacher Jaimyn throughout the building while they Hacker came to pick up her class, several learned about the upcoming Multicultural students pulled her over to the drying Night. Three rounds of buddy activities display to show her the rock fish they took place that day. Second graders and made and the materials they used with fifth graders were paired in the morning, pride in their work. first and fourth grade duos were joined after lunch and kindergarten and third grade buddies came together at the end of the day. Each group took time to get to know their buddies and learn about the significance of Multicultural Night.

Then the students crafted souvenirs to be handed out at Multicultural Night. Each group was separated between four Parkwood Elementary School students create paper flamenco fans to give out at the schools Multicultural Night. The artists rooms. Students in the are, from left, second grader Peyton Rumph, fifth grader Adoria gym designed their own

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Stewart and second grader Jersie Gray.

Bridgeway earns Green award for garden B

Second graders Charley Pont, left, and Harper Ott read in the garden at Bridgeway Elementary School.

BRIDGEWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Reading in nature provides new views S

econd graders at Bridgeway Elementary School spent their independent reading time outdoors to enjoy the weather and school’s nature garden. Teacher Tara Perks led her students to the garden where they parted in pairs to find a comfortable reading spot. Some students read independently while sharing a seat and others took turns reading their books out loud.

Emmeline Riedy and Cortez Jones Jr. laughed together while pondering what it would be like to have an insect running for president as they read “Fly Guy Presents: The White House” by Tedd Arnold. After independent reading time, Perks called the students together for a group reading of “The Water Princess” by Susan Verde which recalls the real events of a young girl’s journey to bring clean water to her family’s village in Africa. The students gathered around on outdoor chairs and colorfully painted tire seats to listen to the story unfold. The class spent time sharing their thoughts on the book’s events before collecting their own books from the picnic table and heading back inside from the garden.

Second grade classrooms took turns throughout the week spending their reading time outside to sit in nature and the colorful elements of Bridgeway’s quiet garden oasis.

ALUMNI SUCCESS

Graduates in the news Patrick Barrett, Class of 1984 - Barrett has been

the painter foreman for the St. Louis Cardinals since November 2018.

In this role, he paints everything at Busch Stadium from the front offices to the dugout to the bullpen and the concourse areas to the parking lot lines.

Above, Patrick Barrett, Class of This season, he had 1984, touches up the paint on the the opportunity to Cardinals dugout on Oct. 6 ahead paint Yadier Molina’s of the 2022 Wild Card series. catcher’s mask. MoBelow, shown is the mask Barrett lina debuted the mask painted that Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina wore in August. painted by Barrett on Aug. 26. Barrett can now say that he’s painted Molina’s gear from head to toe because, a couple of years ago, he also painted two pairs of cleats. To see more about Barrett’s work with the Cardinals, visit bit.ly/BarrettCO1984.

ridgeway Elementary School was recognized as a 2022 Missouri Green School (MGS) for its commitment to improving health and wellness of students and staff, lowering environmental impacts and providing placebased education. Bridgeway is one of 17 honorees and one of 10 that achieved Sprout level recognition by involving administration, tracking improvement and setting goals toward further advancement of green and healthy practices. Each October, (MGS) recognizes schools for initiating and maintaining green practices.

Jeanne Fernandez, reading specialist at Bridgeway, submitted the school’s garden for the award. Recently, the space has been improved with painted benches, installation of a little library, gardens that have been planted by students and events that have encouraged recycling and reusing.

The garden has been a community project, with students, staff and families helping make improvements. Since the process began in 2019, Bridgeway has added a sensory garden and, this summer, a food garden.

“Bridgeway will be working on sustainability projects this year to teach students, staff and the community to live more sustainably at school and at home,” Fernandez said. “The projects will be led by our K-Kids Green Team, a year-long after-school club for fourth and fifth graders that focuses on the importance of caring for other people, animals and the environment.

This is an incredible opportunity for those students to develop knowledge, critical thinking skills, leadership skills and motivations for action as they learn and teach our school and community just how connected we all are Stacey Maidlow’s class reads outside in the garden at to one another and Bridgeway Elementary School. The garden received a the earth.”

Missouri Green Schools award.

ROSE ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

New mascot, flag unite students as Little Pirates H

anging prominently in principal Adam Crnko’s office at Rose Acres Elementary School is a large flag with the school’s new logo.

“Flags unite groups of people,” Crnko said. “This flag will be the identifying touchstone for every Rose Acres Little Pirates. When you see our flag, they will know they are home.”

Rose Acres unofficially adopted the Little Pirates a few years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its release. In adapting the new mascot, the school also needed a new logo.

“The students are excited about the change and have really rallied around the idea,” Crnko said. “Rose Acres and Pattonville have a legacy of rich tradition and this change is the next chapter in our story.”

Three draft Little Pirate images were created as potential logos. As soon as the school year began, the transition to the Little Pirates did as well. During the first week of school, staff announced that students would have the chance to vote on which image would be the new school logo. Voting took place the second week of school, with students and parents having the opportunity to pick their Pirate. That week, Crnko visited every classroom to talk about what it means to be a Rose Acres Little Pirate. He shared that Little Pirates focus on courage, strength, happiness, unity, peace and balance, all of which are value words at Rose Acres. At the end of the second week, the winning logo was revealed during morning announcements.

“The entire process builds school spirit,” Crnko said. “And school spirit builds a sense of belonging in staff and students alike. Effective and positive organi-

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Fifth graders at Rose Acres Elementary School film a brief welcome to the school video for incoming students where they spoke about the school and its new mascot, the Little Pirates. Pictured are, from left, Garrison Parker, Kayla Newsome and Megan Wansing.

zations always promote a sense of belonging.”

Now that the design has been established, the festivities welcoming the new logo have begun. In addition to the pirate flag, each student will receive a “Ship” shirt, which not only relates to the Pirate theme but also the school’s Leader in Me Program, which is designed to help schools instill leadership habits in students and prepare them for the future.

Next year, Crnko plans on hanging the school’s new flag outside of the school to welcome students and visitors alike. Students will raise and lower the flag each day.

“Because you can’t be a pirate ship without a flag,” he said.

BRAGGING WRITES

Honors, Awards and Achievements by Pattonville Students and Staff

HOLMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

Montie Richter, art teacher at Holman Middle School, was selected as a recipient of the Prang Art Teacher of the Year award.

The national program annually recognizes 10 art teachers across the country who have made sigMontie Richter nificant contributions in the lives of their students by advancing art education and inspiring self-expression through art. More than 2,000 people across the country — including parents, students, fellow educators and community members — nominated art teachers deserving of this honor. Honorees were chosen by a selection committee. Richter will receive a customized plaque and $5,000 worth of Prang art supplies.

Junior Cyan Kelley won the national title of Teen Miss Princess of America. The national pageant was held in Branson. Required categories of competition included interview, personal introduction, formal wear Cyan Kelley and on-stage question. Participants also had the opportunity to enter optional categories, in which Kelley took away awards in photogenic, spokesmodel, casual wear and fun fashion modeling. Kelley will spend the year traveling to other states, making appearances to represent the Princess of America organization and promoting her platform, SUNN (Serving Up Nutrition and Necessities), where she brings awareness to and addresses issues prevalent to the unhoused and those struggling with food insecurity.

Art teacher of the year

PATTONVILLE HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL Published author

Eighth grader Eva Benson recently published her first manga novel, “Forgotten.” She is both the author and illustrator of this published work. Benson will soon be selling copies of her published book.

Eva Benson

Teen Miss America

DISTRICT

Educator award

Teisha Ashford, principal at Pattonville High School, and Dr. Tori Cain, as-

Teisha Ashford

Dr. Tori Cain

sistant superintendent of student services, were selected by the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., to receive the Apple for the Teacher award for meeting qualifications as an outstanding educator. Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., is a business and professional women’s organization founded in 1929 which promotes increased interest in business education among high school and college women through programs and scholarships. Ashford and Cain will be recognized at the Apple for the Teacher Awards Luncheon on Nov. 19.

City of Maryland Heights named among top places for families

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he city of Maryland Heights placed 19th on the “25 best places to live for families” list by Fortune. Maryland Heights was the only Missouri location to make the list. Criteria used included: education, aging resources, general wellness, financial health and livability. Fortune evaluated nearly 2,000 US cities and towns across all 50 states with 25,000 to 750,000 residents. To find out more, visit fortune.com/well/ranking/best-places-families/2022.

Pattonville serves three municipalities and the county, all of which offer amenities and services for families. Approximately 29% of Pattonville students reside in Maryland Heights.

Pattonville school board approves tax rates for 2022-2023 school year

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he Pattonville Board of Education on Sept. 27 voted to approve the district tax rate for the 2022-2023 school year. School boards in St. Louis County set tax rates each year for four classes of property within school district boundaries: residential, commercial, personal and agricultural. The rates for all four property classes, as approved by the board, are: residential: $4.2858; agricultural: $5.3756; commercial: $5.5186; and personal property: $5.3845.

As assessed value of each class of property changes, the district is limited in the amount of revenue it can receive by the lesser of three factors per Missouri law. Those factors and their rates in Pattonville for 2022 are: increase in assessed valuation, at 1.062% for Pattonville; the increase in Consumer Price Index (CPI), at 7% for Pattonville; or no more than 5% if the other rates are higher. As the lowest rate, assessed valuation was used to set district tax rates. The assessed value of residential property in Pattonville decreased by .03%, while the value of commercial and personal property increased to 2.37% and 16.95%, respectively.

The overall assessed valuation increase for all property in the district, excluding new construction, was 1.062%, resulting in approximately $795,000 additional operating revenue for the 2022-2023 school year.

The increase in the commercial rate will help Pattonville recoup protested assessment values from previous years. The assessed value of commercial property decreased by approximately $30 million between September 2021 and December 2021 due to a significant number of protested tax parcels settled in favor of the commercial taxpayer. This increased rate will provide the district with approximately $963,000 additional funds.

Additionally, the increase in personal property rates

stem from increased assessed value on Jan. 1, 2022, due to demand for used vehicles leading to proposed higher personal property tax rates.

Also important to note is the fact that Pattonville’s residential rate will be lower than the rates for agricultural, commercial and personal property, as promised to voters when they approved the Proposition P tax rate increase in 2013. At the time of the election, the district promised to limit the residential tax rate increase for as many years as possible. Proposition P allowed the district to levy up to 99 cents, but the district has kept its commitment during the past nine years to maintain a lower residential tax rate.

Pattonville continues to take a voluntary rollback to its debt service tax rate in order to lessen the tax burden on homeowners. The district’s debt service tax rate, which is part of the district’s overall tax levy, remains unchanged at 49 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, as promised to voters when they approved zero tax-rate-change bond issues in 2022, 2017, 2010 and 2006. Under the state’s formula for calculating tax rates and the district’s taxing capacity, the district could have levied 4 cents more in its debt service tax rate.

The total tax rate, including debt service, approved for residential properties is $4.2858 per $100 of assessed valuation. The overall impact of voluntary rollbacks on a $200,000 home in the district equates to a 4.9% reduction in homeowner tax bills (see chart at right).

Approximately 86% of Pattonville’s revenue comes from local sources, which include taxes paid on property in the district. These taxes are based on the assessed value of the property, as determined by the St. Louis County assessor’s office. Pattonville will continue to monitor district revenues and expenditures to ensure the district remains fiscally responsible.

•7 •

KEEPING OUR PROMISES

Pattonville committed to keeping its debt service levy at 49 cents when voters approved zero tax-rate-change bond issues in 2022, 2017, 2010 and 2006, and the district has kept this promise despite being legally able to adjust the rate due to changes in property values. The chart below shows this year’s voluntary debt service rollback, along with other voluntary tax rate reductions the board of education approved this year in order to reduce the tax burden on homeowners.

Voluntary tax rate reductions for homeowners

Rate

Impact on $200,000 home

Maximum residential rate the district could levy

$4.5075

$1,713

Voluntary rollback promised for as many years as possible when Prop P was passed in 2013

– $0.1773

– $67

Keeping promises to maintain debt service levy at 49 cents when law allows it to be 93 cents

– $0.0444

– $17

Total reductions for homeowner / district revenue

– $0.2217

– $84

Actual residential rate the district levied and actual homeowner taxes with reduced levy

$4.2858

$1,629

4.9% voluntary reduction in residential taxes 2022 Tax Rates

Pattonville’s tax rate for homeowners remains below county average In 2021, the average residential rate for school districts in St. Louis County was $4.5408 and Pattonville’s residential rate was .255 cents below this average.

Class of Property

20212022

20222023

Difference

Residential

$4.2858 $4.2858

Agricultural

$5.1771 $5.3756 + $0.1985

Commercial

$5.1990 $5.5186 + $0.3196

$0.000

Personal Prop. $5.3965 $5.3845 - $0.0120

PATTONVILLE 2022

HOMECOMING Hundreds of Pattonville Pirates fans celebrated homecoming on Oct. 7 and 8. The weekend included a football game, K-8 fun run, parade and student dance.

Drill team junior Nicole Cobbs performs during halftime.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS:

bit.ly/PattonvillePhotos

VIEW HOMECOMING VIDEOS:

www.youtube.com/user/PattonvilleR3

The Pattonville cheerleaders hype up the crowd before the football game on Friday.

Above, elementary and middle school students take off from the starting line in the fun run before the homecoming parade. Below, students in the student section at the homecoming game cheer for the football team while waving the Pirate flag.

Above, Bridgeway Elementary School featured the disco era for its float. Below, Jordan Forir, left, gives a thumbs up while Tehya Cox Potter, center, and Camren Horton rock out on the junior’s rock and roll-themed float.

Above left, senior Isabelle Usry, left, is named homecoming queen as Ivan Bradley, center, and Sydney Suvansri look on.

Above right, senior Max McFarland dons his crown as homecoming king. Below, the Remington Traditional School float earned the Traveling Trophy for best elementary or middle school float.

Above, freshman Raegan May, left, tips her cap on the class’s country-themed float with classmates, from left Spencer Mitchell, Gwendolyn Fallert and Josephine Dunnegan. Below, the Pride of Pattonville marching band performs its award-winning show during halftime at homecoming.

Parade honors

The sophomore class float featured a pop music theme, complete with karaoke singers.

Award winners during the parade were: Remington Traditional School earned the Traveling Trophy for best elementary or middle school float; the high school seniors won Outstanding Class Float; the freshman class received Outstanding Theme Costume; the high school International Club won outstanding student club/organization/sport float; and the Maryland Heights Fire Department earned the Green and White Award for best community float.

“Pattonville Highlights” is published throughout the school year for residents of the Pattonville School District by the Pattonville school-community relations department 11097 St. Charles Rock Road, St. Ann, MO 63074, (314) 213-8025. Website: www.psdr3.org. Email: kgordon@psdr3.org.