Highlights February 2023

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

Throughout Pattonville School District, kindergarten students celebrated a big milestone on Jan. 31. They marked the 100th day of school with counting activities, creating paper hats, reading special stories and dressing up. Top photo, Madison Latchison, center, and her classmates in Anise Glenn’s kindergarten class at Willow Brook Elementary School, give a thumbs up They are from left, Riley Griffin, Macklin Dunavant, Annie Lockwood, Kyrie Betonio and Arya Shah. At left, Remington Traditional School kindergarten teacher Ashley Fults, second to left, helps Aleks Flowers Courtney count 100 chocolate chips while Haddie Carter, left, and Virginia Wininger complete their own 100 count. Above, Grayson Lloyd, left, and Gio Flores decorate and cut out their 100th day hats in Megan Hayes’ kindergarten class at Bridgeway Elementary School.

From the Superintendent

Mobility impacts student achievement

Our goal in Pattonville is for every incoming kindergarten student to graduate from Pattonville High School at the end of their senior year. While many of our students start their educational journey in kindergarten, we also have students join and leave the Pattonville School District at different points throughout their educational journey. Currently, 44% of the students who started in Pattonville as kindergartners remain in the 12th grade cohort.

Pattonville continues to analyze student performance based on a consistent assessment measure to determine the effect of mobility on student achievement and to identify strategies to address learning loss. Analyzation of this data is ongoing, but research thus far shows the impact of consistent education at Pattonville.

One point of data is the Star Reading Assessment, which is given to students in the fall, winter and spring. Data from this assessment is used to help teachers customize their reading instruction based on students’ learning needs. Based on our internal research using this assessment at one Pattonville elementary school, on average, students that have been in that school since kindergarten outperformed their grade-level peers that did not start in Pattonville. Furthermore, this difference in performance was determined to be statistically significant in second and third grade based on independent samples t-tests.

While many factors can influence student performance, the students who started in kindergarten scored higher on average than those who joined Pattonville after kindergarten. While we recognize that families sometimes need to make transitions at different points in their child’s education, there may be measurable educational performance gains for students that start in kindergarten and remain in Pattonville throughout their elementary school career.

Thanks for all you do to support your child’s education and the Pattonville School District. We appreciate that you have chosen Pattonville to support in the education of your child.

Health

partner IFM opens clinic for residents

As part of Pattonville’s continued Connection to Health and Healing partnership with SSM Health DePaul Hospital, families in the Pattonville School District can schedule an appointment at IFM’s Community Connections Health Clinic. The clinic, located in Bridgeton, opened in January and is available to all district residents. Services include primary care, wellness exams, women’s health, sick visits, sports physicals, immunizations, medication management, Medicaid enrollment and utility assistance.

“We are thrilled that families within our community will now have access to free quality healthcare through the opening of the Community Connections Health Clinic,” said Pattonville lead nurse Michael Wilhite, RN, BSN. “Keeping our students and families healthy is a top priority for our district team. In addition to the healthcare provided by our district nursing team, the preventative care and medical assistance they will receive from Dr. (David) Campbell and his team will help our students remain healthy, remain in school and grow and develop physically and emotionally.”

The clinic employs family medicine and women’s health nurse practitioners with supervision by physicians. The clinic is located at 11280 St. Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (314) 546-4321.

In addition to the newly opened clinic, Pattonville’s partnership with IFM also includes physicians and nurse practitioners who visit each school in the district weekly to offer physicals and evaluation of acute health problems to students with parent permission. Such evaluations may include upper respiratory symptoms, headaches, ear aches, rashes and abdominal pain. Additionally, in cases of chronic illnesses like asthma or diabetes, nurse practitioners can work with the child’s primary physician to extend care. If the child does not have a primary care physician, the nurse practitioner can initiate or modify the treatment plan. Families are informed when their child is seen and no treatments, including vaccines, will be administered without parental consent. Families must fill out and return a consent form to participate. The program is not intended to replace the role of a child’s primary care physician, but to work collaboratively to make care more convenient. In the fall, IFM provided flu shots to students across the district. Parents and guardians were able to sign their child up and complete a release allowing them to receive the flu shot.

Pattonville and IFM’s partnership began in fall of 2021 as part of a $5.3 million grant that was awarded to SSM Health DePaul Hospital, SSM Health Foundation and IFM Community Medicine by the Bridgeton Landfill Community Project Fund, which is administered by the St. Louis Community Foundation. IFM Community Medicine is a not-for-profit healthcare organization that partners with over a dozen school districts in the St. Louis city and county area. The program’s goal is to help reduce absenteeism and support the wellness of students in the district.

To learn more about available services, visit https://bit.ly/School-BasedHealth

New

visitor

sign-in system established at schools

The Pattonville School District is utilizing a building check-in system called Raptor to improve safety for students and staff by screening visitors, contractors and volunteers at all schools and the Pattonville Learning Center. Raptor allows the district to take appropriate steps to keep students, employees and visitors safe by proactively alerting personnel to certain potential threats as well as providing identification to approved visitors with a sticker that includes the visitor’s name, photo and destination and the date. This system provides district staff with a quick and efficient way to identify anyone who might present a danger to students by checking visitors against registered sex offender and custom district lists. Raptor will also provide a consistent, standardized system to track visitors and volunteers, which is useful during drills and emergencies to know who is on campus.

When entering a school, anyone without a Pattonville-issued ID badge must present a valid ID that includes their name and a photo. After being cleared by the front desk, visitors will receive an identifying sticker that must be worn while in the building. When visitors leave, they must sign out at the front desk and return their visitor sticker.

For more information, visit www.psdr3.org/ visitor-check-in

Approved Forms of ID

Dr. Barry Nelson

Superintendent Follow on Twitter: @Barry_NelsonPSD

study and data analysis was completed by Pattonville lead researcher Dr. Matt Goodman.

Our Learners Spotlight on

News focusing on students, staff and schools in Pattonville

ROSE ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Students strive to support friendship goals with classroom survey, toy drive

What started as a group of first graders wanting to make new friends turned into a schoolwide toy drive. The four first grade PEGS students at Rose Acres Elementary School all attended different schools in kindergarten, so they were looking for ways to meet and get to know other first graders. After talking about how playing is an easy way to meet new people, they decided to create a project to help other students get to know each other through a shared interest in toys.

“Making connections and building friendships was something for which the students expressed a strong desire and their class conversations sparked this project,” said PEGS teacher Allison Bennett.

The process started in late October when Bennett started reading books featuring characters making new friends and the class discussed the characteristics and qualities necessary to be a good friend. Naturally, the discussion focused on how to meet new people, and play was an obvious focus.

“They wanted to meet other kids who like to play the same games as they do,” Bennett said. “We talked about how the weather was getting colder and indoor

recess was a great opportunity to play together with someone new who was playing the same activity. We’d also read two articles about the importance of play in building social connections.”

From there, the four first grade and two second grade PEGS students brainstormed a list of toys they enjoy playing with, each narrowing to one favorite. They came up with Cupstruction, Hot Wheels, Keva Planks, K’nex, Legos, Lincoln Logs, Marble Run and Play-Doh. The idea was to provide those toys to other classrooms. Bennett wanted to be sure that they were toys other students would enjoy, too, so they considered ways to find out how to determine this and decided to create a survey.

In order to conduct that survey, the PEGS students wrote a letter to the first and second grade classroom teachers sharing a little bit about the project and asked for time to talk to their class. Each PEGS students partnered with one classroom and presented a slideshow to that class with a description and pictures of each toy to ensure that everyone was introduced to each before they voted. PEGS students then distributed paper surveys for each student to rank their favorite toys. Each student was responsible for organizing the data for their partner classroom. Once all of the surveys were complete, the PEGS students graphed and analyzed the survey results across all six classrooms. They determined the most popular toys by classroom and how many sets of each toy they’d need per classroom based on interest.

“We surveyed students and were like, ‘Do you like these toys?’ ” said PEGS first grader Lola Dafflitto. “And if we know they do, then we’ll be able to play with the toys with them. I’m really excited by the fact that we’re going to make new friends.”

Matthias Schillinger and Maxwell Schneider, the two PEGS second graders, helped price out the cost of buying enough of each toy to ensure that there was enough so that everyone who wanted to play could do so. They came up with a figure of about $1,000.

“The kids were surprised at the number and knew immediately that they were not likely able to get that much money,” Bennett said. Originally, Bennett planned to fund the purchases

through a grant because she wasn’t sure what types of toys the students would come up with and how much they would cost. Before she had the chance to share that, the students proposed their own idea.

“Students started the idea of doing a toy drive,” Bennett said. “Some said they had Hot Wheels at home, and others had Legos, and they were all willing to bring them in to share with new friends.”

The excitement around the idea grew, so students proposed it to Dr. Adam Crnko, Rose Acres principal, who gave the go-ahead for the toy drive. From there, planning began. To promote the toy drive, the students scripted a message for the morning announcements and created flyers to hang around the school.

“We talked about how they have a great idea, but how are they going to convince the rest of the school to do what you want them to do? How are we going to achieve your goals?” Bennett said.

When the drive ended, the PEGS students marveled at the donations. They received at least some of every toy they requested. It wasn’t enough to fill each classroom’s needs, so Bennett plans to introduce the class to the concept of grants. In the meantime, Bennett said the students will take what was donated, divide it between the classes and deliver that first so students can be in the classrooms playing with the items and building those relationships.

“It grew exponentially from the idea but I loved that the kids were so passionate about it, and it grew honestly from the seed of wanting to make more friends and how do we do it? The project grew and followed the students’ interest,” Bennett said. “I am really excited because the kids are seeing that their voices and ideas are valued and that they do have the power to make changes/progress toward their goals.”

Rose Acres Elementary School PEGS teacher Allison Bennett, right, shows a bag of donated toys to first grader Lola Dafflitto, left, and second grader Matthias Schillinger so they can estimate how many students could play with them.

Second grader Maxwell Schneider, left, and first grader Lola Dafflitto, center, help PEGS teacher Allison Bennett bring donated toys up to their classroom on a higher floor at Rose Acres Elementary School.

First grader Dean Dafflitto compares the graphs of favorite toys from two different classrooms. The PEGS students at Rose Acres Elementary School researched what toys fellow first and second graders like to play with and organized a toy drive to get donations to share with other classes.

DRUMMOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Students take tours of other countries

Drummond Elementary School hosted an International Day celebration on Dec. 21 where students explored and shared research they completed on 12 countries around the world. Every classroom in third, fourth and fifth grade was assigned a different country to represent. The students spent time in small groups researching information about their country that included local food, landmarks and geography, famous people, holidays and traditions, sports, music, art and other popular entertainment. The groups then worked on presentations to share with students in younger grades on International Day. The day of the event, students in kindergarten through second grade were able to “travel” to different countries. Kindergarten visited third grade rooms, first grade traveled to fourth grade presenters and second grade made stops at each fifth grade class. As the students in kindergarten, first and second grade rotated between classrooms, they carried passports with them and received a sticker with the name and flag of each country they visited. Drummond’s International Day celebration featured the following countries: Afghanistan, Australia, France, Honduras, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa and Uganda. Mary Sosman, an English language learner teacher at Drummond, organized this schoolwide collaboration. Sosman said, “International Day is a fun day for students to learn about various countries and cultures and it gives the older students an opportunity to be leaders in the school and share their learning.”

PATTONVILLE HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL

History, reading connect in visit to Holocaust museum

International Holocaust Remembrance Day was on Jan. 27 and earlier that week, eighth graders at Pattonville Heights Middle School took a field trip to the newly renovated St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum to hear one family’s Holocaust story.

English teacher Rachel Woodson and science teacher Kate Weber helped organize the Jan. 23 field trip because all eighth graders read the book “Refugee” by Alan Gratz in their English classes. The book revolves around main characters from three different eras: Nazi Germany, 1990s Cuba and modern-day Syria.

The speaker, Vera Emmons, shared the story of her mother, Gerda Nothmann Luner, who was the only immediate member of her family to survive the Holocaust. Along with volunteering as a docent at the museum, Emmons shares her mother’s experiences with a slideshow that includes segments of her mother’s 1995 oral testimony. Her mother passed away in 1999. The students from Heights were part of the largest group to attend a presentation at the museum since its grand reopening in November.

by Alan Gratz. They heard from Vera Emmons, left, whose mother survived the Holocaust. During a Q&A session, Westerly Woods, second from right, asks Emmons a question. From left, science teacher Mike Burgio, SSD teacher assistant Ken O’Keefe, Andrew Bryson, right, and Noah Smith, back, listen.

REMINGTON TRADITIONAL SCHOOL

“They’re kind of sampling different refugee stories from all around the world,” Weber said. “We thought with the Holocaust museum being so close, literally within the district’s boundaries, that it was a perfect chance for them to get a first-hand refugee account of a story from someone in our community.”

Studying global water crisis leads to student action, fundraiser

Fourth graders at Remington Traditional learned about the global water crisis and raised $500 for water.org during a project based learning assignment. Students and guests attended a water fair on Dec. 2 to hear the fourth graders’ presentations and to purchase water bottle stickers that the students created.

“The students wrote essays about the different countries after they did research using nonfiction books and water.org’s website,” teacher Julie Linck said. “Then we came together as a class to talk about how we can help.”

The students voted on making something to sell in order to raise money and collaborated with district technology specialist Stephanie McCreary after she introduced the Canva app to classroom teachers Linck and Alyssa Lipson.

“Each student was able to make their own creation and we sold the water bottle stickers for $1 each during the fair,” Linck said.

Fourth grader Jayden Machuki researched Kenya because he was able to visit the country when he was six years old.

“My parents are from Kenya and I saw Kenya’s water crisis first-hand,” he said. “With my research, I learned that six million people in Kenya don’t have access to clean water and 22 million people lack access to clean sanitation.”

Students Zoomed with a representative from water.org on Dec. 7 and shared their presentations and learned more about the organization.

“I think it was powerful in a sense,” Weber said. “I think she (Emmons) did a good job of relating it to the students and to make them think of what this experience would be like if it were them in this situation. Her mom was in her adolescent stage of life when she was going through a lot of those experiences so I think in that sense, too, it was good for the kids to be able to relate.”

Pattonville Heights Middle School eighth graders visited the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum after reading the book “Refugee”

Samuel Lowe, second from right, a fifth grader in Erin Hanson’s class, shares information about Mexico with second graders in Amanda Starwalt’s class during the school’s International Day celebration. The second graders are, from left, Chadwick Harris, Brooklyn Davis and Jeremiah Hunt.

Far left, fourth graders Leah Tinnon, left, and Ave Jordan, second from right, speak with guest visitors during the water fair. Their visitors were Cindy Lay, second from left, who is the grandmother of fourth grader Carter Lipscomb, and Jordan’s grandpa, Robert Jordan. Left, first grader Rohith Malyala holds up a water bottle sticker he purchased at the water fair.

Bethel Fantahun, a fourth grader at Remington Traditional School, shares what she learned about Uganda while researching the global water crisis. Fourth grade is team taught by Julie Linck and Alyssa Lipson, right.

PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

Theater program has opportunities for all

This year, the Pattonville community was invited to attend the spring musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” put on by students from Pattonville High School. Audience members watched as characters were brought to life on stage, but a multitude of student talents made telling the story possible. Theater teacher Lara Corvera directed the show, but most other aspects of the musical was student lead. In addition to the all-student cast and three stage managers, the technical crews that contribute to a musical production include props, costumes and make-up, set construction/painting, box office/publicity, lighting, stage crew and sound. The pit orchestra also plays a key role in the musicals, contributing to an average total company list of more than 120 students. This variety of crews means that there is a space for any and all students to find their niche and participate in musical productions.

Senior Devin Scharer worked on the box office crew all four years and said the best part of being on that team was “the friends you meet along the way and getting to do what you enjoy.” Scharer likes creating and organizing and was able to do those when designing the show’s program pamphlet and organizing the assigned-seating tickets for the musical.

“What people might not realize is that we (students) create the whole production,” Scharer said. “Everything from the set, controlling the lights, etc.”

Another experienced box office crew member, senior Maichi Nguyen said, “I didn’t see myself in theater before, but now I found my own group and I love it.”

Nguyen expressed that the box office crew has been a space where she can put her own interests and skills to use and has built friendships with like-minded students. She agreed with Scharer’s emphasis on just how much work students invest in these productions, adding that preparation with their crew started in November and the cast started working together even earlier. Many of the students in the box office crew are seniors this year, but sophomores like Addison Gutschenritter and Rylie Faasen plan on continuing the tradition of returning each year and encouraging their friends to join the crew as well.

BRIDGEWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Books’ first chapter engages readers

First Chapter Friday is a weekly sneak peek of a book meant to entice students to want to read the rest of it. Teacher Wendy Wamhoff reads aloud just the first chapter of a book to her fourth grade class at Bridgeway Elementary School every week. If a student is intrigued, they can check it out right away.

“We have tried to vary the titles of the books which allows for a variety of authors and genres to be introduced,” Wamhoff said. “Students are excited when it is time for First Chapter Friday and it has greatly promoted the reading of chapter books among the kiddos.”

Fourth grader Hailey Wilkinson got a copy of “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume after Wamhoff read the first chapter on Jan. 6.

“It was relatable to me because I have a younger brother and a lot of pets,” she said. “I have three cats, a dog, a bunny and some fish.”

The book’s main character, Peter Hatcher, won a turtle at a friend’s birthday party and Wilkinson thought the mom’s reaction was funny when Peter brought it home.

“No, I don’t have a turtle,” she said. “Not yet.”

Sometimes several students are interested in a book that was read aloud. In that case, they will put their name on a sign up for that book.

“They put their name on a list and when someone finishes it, it gets passed on to them to read,” Wamhoff said. “It’s an easy way for them to quickly find a book to read, too. Students can also nominate a book by filling out a First Chapter Friday nomination form.”

After finishing a book, Wamhoff encourages students to rate books out of five stars which might encourage other students to give it a try based on their recommendation.

“They get really excited about it and they’re picking up books that they wouldn’t normally have picked up,” she said. “They’re really spreading the love of reading one chapter at a time.”

WILLOW BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Shelfie Day lets students show favorites

The library at Willow Brook Elementary School was full of students excitedly showing off their favorite book while getting their picture taken for Library Shelfie Day. Started nationally in 2014, each year the fourth Wednesday in January is set as the Shelfie Day celebration. The goal is for readers to share their favorite books and library shelves with the world. Readers are encouraged to take a selfie with their most beloved library shelf showcasing the books that stand out for them. At Willow Brook, the scope is a bit more local — students take a picture with their favorite book, which is posted around the library.

“I love recommending new books and seeing what the kids are reading,” said library technology specialist Kim Dickinson. “They also like seeing what other people are reading and they are more likely to pick up a book when they see someone else picking it up. When someone told me about Shelfie Day, I thought about how the kids love taking selfies and they love reading, so let’s participate in this.”

Classes weren’t required to participate, but nearly every classroom did. Students picked their favorite book, settled in somewhere in the library or their classroom and took a photo with that book.

“Since it’s not a traditional self ie, the students can pose any way they want,” Dickinson said.

“Some of the kin dergartners are putting the book on their head. There were some other people who have the book open and they’re peeking out over it. One student even emptied one shelf on a bookcase and laid on it. As long as we see the book title and their face, that’s all we ask.”

If a featured book is available in the library, Dickinson tried to put the photo next to the book so students can find it easily. Any others were put in a general area of the library.

“It’s sort of a recommendation system,” Dickinson said. “They are basically telling others that they love this book that’s on this shelf. So you can find this book on the shelf.”

Dickinson planned to keep the photos up for about a month to give students enough time to see recommendations throughout the library.

Since photos started going up, Dickinson quickly saw students picking recommended books. She’s also seen students get excited when they see a sibling’s photo or those of older students.

“They’ve been really excited,” Dickinson said. “They’re asking when they can take their picture. They want to participate. It’s not just for the students. Some of the staff are also taking shelfies.”

Library technology specialist Kim Dickinson, left, helps Santiago Ochoa, a fifth grader in Maria Farmer’s class at Willow Brook Elementary School, take a selfie with his favorite book, “Left Out” by Tim Green.

From left, “The Wizard of Oz” house manager senior Benjamin Holland works the box office crew, including senior Christopher Dixon, sophomore Rylie Faasen and senior Maichi Nguyen.

Fourth grade teacher Wendy Wamhoff reads the first chapter of “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” to her class at Bridgeway Elementary School.

ALPHA fifth graders participate in mock trial, middle school students serve on jury HOLMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Every student in Katie Lambdin’s ALPHA class at Holman Middle School was guilty ... of learning something. Fifth graders from every elementary school in the “We the People” choice class concluded the fall semester with a mock trial.

Students in the ALPHA elementary gifted program meet one day per week with their grade-level peers from around the district at the Gifted Center located in Holman Middle School. Each semester, students participate in both required and choice courses.

“We started this course learning about the three branches of government and then moved into how the courts work, what our rights are as citizens and we really focused on the Bill of Rights,” Lambdin said. “We learned different vocabulary and took a field trip to the federal courthouse in St. Louis to see an appellate courtroom and understand how that process works.”

The students were each assigned to either the prosecution or defense team for the mock trail and applied everything they learned for a mock trial.

“I presented them with a packet that included a statement of facts, background information and affidavits written from each character’s point of view,” Lambdin said. “From that, each team wrote their own opening and closing statements and questions for each wit-

ness and decided what information should be presented at the trial to be represent their client.”

The prosecution represented Jack King and Jill Hamilton who went on Old Man Miller’s property to drink from the well. In doing so, Jack fell down and broke a crown on his tooth and Jill broke her leg tumbling down a hill after being scared by Miller’s dog.

Rose Acres Elementary School fifth grader Adley Glaenzer served as the prosecuting attorney and said there was a lot of preparing the students had to do for the trial.

“I was the prosecutor, meaning I was trying to get the defendant to pay money for the damages,” she said. “We learned the differences between a civil and criminal case and we had to learn what it takes to win a case.”

Glaenzer said she would like a career in law and feels like it would be a really cool job to have.

“Being in court just makes me feel important,” she

PARKWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Science lab integrates cultural learning

After learning about states of matter, students in Regina Wright’s fifth grade class at Parkwood Elementary School explored the properties of a mixture and tried to separate the ingredients of fried rice during a science lab.

“In this lesson, we were using the physical properties to separate the different components of the mixture, in this case, fried rice,” Wright said. “The students were given a tool (chopsticks) to use to separate the components. We wanted students to understand that even though we put these ingredients together, they could all be separated and a new substance was not formed.”

The project-based learning activity was a science lesson that incorporated different cultures and was co-taught by English learner (EL) teacher Tonya Ferretti. Wright co-teaches science and writing every day with Ferretti in the fifth grade EL classroom.

“We are made up of 11 different cultures and ethnic backgrounds,” Wright said. “It is imperative that we celebrate our diversity and use our differences to help each other learn more. This was one of the reasons we went with fried rice instead of something like trail mix.”

Ferretti cooked the food using a hot plate and a wok while Wright projected the overhead video to her mobile TV cart using an iPad. Food was served to students and they used chopsticks to separate the components. Students will use their knowledge of physical properties in a later lesson to separate more complex mixtures.

“They learned that not all cooking requires turning things into something new,” Wright said. “When we get into physical and chemical changes, they will understand that mixtures and some solutions are somewhat easily separated whereas chemical changes are not able to be undone.”

said. “And I think it’d be fun arguing with people all day and getting paid for it.”

Twelve middle school students in Dr. Jackie Ramey’s EPIC class were summoned to serve as jury members for the mock trial. They decided unanimously that Old Man Miller was innocent and not responsible for the injuries to Jack and Jill.

PATTONVILLE EARLY CHILDHOOD

Programs open for expecting, new parents

Pattonville’s early childhood program offers free services to families that are expecting a baby or have children who have not entered kindergarten. To meet the varying needs of families the school serves, it provides several different services. One program is the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program, which offers three components: personal visits with a certified parent educator, annual developmental screenings and invitations to group connections.

Families enrolled in the school’s affiliate program will receive all three components of the Parent Education Program. They receive monthly personal visits with a certified parent educator who provides developmentally appropriate activities for parents and children to play, interact and explore together.

A family recently worked with parent educator Kathy Webber in the family room at the Early Childhood Center; however, home visits are the preferred method and where a majority of personal visits occur.

“We were playing a matching game,” Webber said. “Mom and dad traced the items and the child matched the real item to the outline on the paper. It’s an activity working on visual discrimination, preparing children for letter recognition.”

Families enrolled in the connections option receive all of the components of the Parent Education Program but have less access to a certified parent educator. They receive annual screenings, are connected to a certified parent educator who checks in twice a year to address questions, concerns or needs they may have and are invited to group connection events. Activities this year have included Movin’ and Groovin’ at the school’s playground, building gingerbread houses, a Going on a Bear Hunt event at McDonell Park, Pete the Cat activities and story time.

Developmental screenings are offered annually for any child that lives in the Pattonville School District between the ages of 3 months and kindergarten entry. Screenings will provide information about a child’s speech, language, motor and cognition skills and their overall development. A health, vision and hearing screening will also be completed.

Services are available for free to any Pattonville resident. Registration can be done online or families can call (314) 213-8100 for more information.

Parent educator is Kathy Webber, left, works with Naira Chopra, center, during a screening as her parents, Madhur Chopra, left, and Nisha Sarin, watch.

Left, Parkwood Elementary School fifth grader Amir Al Amri separates the ingredients in fried rice as part of a science lab. Right, English learner teacher Tonya Ferretti, left, makes fried rice while teacher Regina Wright, films for students to see on the TV.

Fifth graders in ALPHA participated in a mock trail with Holman Middle School students serving as the jury. From left, members of the defense and prosecution are Eli Bennight from Bridgeway Elementary School, Sam Baker, Adley Glaenzer from Rose Acres Elementary School and Hayley Jones from Remington Traditional School.

BRAGGING WRITES

Honors, Awards and Achievements by Pattonville Students and Staff

BRIDGEWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Excellence in Teaching

Bridgeway Elementary

School administrative

intern Leslie Jones was selected as a recipient of the 2022 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. The annual program recognizes St. Louis area instructors, selected by their districts’ administrators, for their accomplishments and dedication to their students and the teaching profession. Last spring, Pattonville School District named Jones, who was then a first grade teacher at Bridgeway, its Teacher of the Year.

ROSE ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Young Writers

Six students from Rose Acres Elementary School were selected to have their short stories published in the St. Louis Writers Guild’s Young Writers Awards anthology. Fourth grader Levi Dukes received third place for his story. Students named as finalists were fourth graders Pearl Krieger, Andrew Meyer-Tuter and John Quinn and fifth graders Donald McCullough and Samy Nekka. Their teachers are Robin Chang and Nicole Youngquist.

PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

Journalism honors

Students in Pattonville High School’s publications program attended the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in St. Louis where they competed in the JEA National Student Media Contests (NSMC). Out of more than 1,000 competitors, judges handed out just 168 Excellent ratings. Senior Matthew Jacobi earned an Excellent rating in the News Editing/ Headline/Current Events category. Jacobi completed a two-hour test that assessed copy-editing skills and knowledge of current events, politics and newsworthy people. He had to write headlines for two stories and was not allowed use of any spell-checking aid, an Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, dictionary or thesaurus.

Two Pattonville senior journalism students wrote stories that were selected for the special Old Newsboys Day edition newspaper. Old Newsboys Day is an annual fundraiser held on the Thursday before Thanksgiving where volunteers sell the special edition newspaper on street corners. Ava Hooper Bearskin wrote an article titled “Guiding Grieving Families” about infant loss resources and Rebecca Simpkins wrote about LOGOS, a success school, in her article “Finding Hope, Healing and a Promising Future.” The journalism students are advised by English and journalism teacher Travis Armknecht.

Boys soccer conference champions

The Pattonville High School boys soccer team was the conference champion. Students earned individual all-conference recognition as well. Students named all-conference first team were seniors Kyle Kaemmerer, Christopher Magana Toledo and Jadon Trice. Senior Max McFarland was named all-conference second team. Senior Beckett Grabner was named conference goalkeeper of the year. Students named academic allconference were Charlie Burns, Jack Flores, Joshua Gallardo Aguilar, Grabner, Brandon Hurtado, Mark Kendrick, John Kiso, Tyler Manker, Paul Palermo, AJ Swartwout and Isaiah White. Additional members of the conference championship soccer team were Nehemiah Arefaine, Nick Drayton, Emilio Garcia Torres, Benny Kibombi, Alex Knight and Jeffrey McKinney. The soccer team was coached by Marcus Christian with the assistance of Tom Iffrig.

Girls volleyball conference champions

The Pattonville High School volleyball team was conference champion and set a record for most wins in a season at the high school. Additionally, many players received individual honors. Students named academic all-state included freshman Jenna Cochran, sophomore Reagan Nelson, junior Kylie Surratt and senior Sarah Pieper, who was also named all-region Best and Brightest first team. Nelson was also named All-Metro second team. Players named all-district first team were Nelson, senior Paige Rowland and Surratt. Those named all-district second team were Cochran and Pieper. Members of the team also received allconference honors. Nelson and Surratt were selected as conference co-players of the year. Rowland was named all-conference first team. Players named all-conference second team were Cochran, sophomore Faith Cunningham and Pieper. Senior Athena Housley received the all-conference sportsmanship award. Players named academic all-conference were Cochran, Housley, Nelson, Pieper, Rowland and Surrat. Additional members of the conference championship team were Jordyn Courson, Shea Duncan, Larissa Harned, Jasmine Harris, Tamia Lewis, Isabella Stark, Kiley Wallace and Alaja Worsham. The volleyball team was coached by Jenell Franken with the assistance of Allie McNamara.

100 Neediest Cases

Two students from Pattonville High School submitted artwork to the 100 Neediest Cases art contest sponsored by the United Way and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Art by junior Kristen Bowers was selected among the top 40 entries and appeared in the print and online editions of St. Louis Post-Dispatch through the holiday season. Junior Loralai Ruzzo also had artwork selected for the program. Both students had their work on display at the Missouri History Museum from Dec. 12 to Jan. 9. The art students were in Beth Kathriner’s Drawing 2 class.

Boys swimming honors

Members of the boys swimming and diving team qualified for multiple events at the state competition. The 200 yard medley relay team of freshman Ethan Arana, sophomores Ian Artelt and Adam Reddy and junior Jack Pfister placed 23rd. The 200 yard freestyle relay team placed 29th and included Arana, junior Kaden Camenzind, Pfister and Reddy. Finally, the 400 yard freestyle relay team of Camenzind, Pfister, Reddy and junior Brennan Shipman placed 30th. The swim team was coached by Anna Braswell with the assistance of Tom Crockett.

Cross country honors

Members of the cross country team competed at the state competition. Junior Luke Stevenson placed eighth overall at state and was the top runner from the St. Louis area. His time set a new school record in the 3.1 mile race and was the best finish at state from a Pattonville athlete since 1968. He was also named all-metro and all-conference first team. Additionally, sophomore Simon Muthemba and senior Rebecca Simpkins qualified for state and recorded their best times of the season at the state race. These students were coached by Matt McClellan and Margaret Hall with the assistance of Kathleen Gengler and Caleb Stroop.

Field hockey honors

Seven students at Pattonville High School earned all-conference recognition in field hockey. Senior Ka’Nia Barton was named all-conference first team and sophomore Helena Christmann was named all-conference second team. Students named academic all-conference were Amelia Baugher, Christmann, Peyton Gregory, Makenzie Heinz, Ana Mendiola and Lauren Pinedo. The field hockey

team was coached by Jessica Hale with the assistance of MaryClare Stoker.

Simon Muthemba

Bridgeway Elementary School administrative intern Leslie Jones receives a certificate and glass apple as a Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award recipient.

The soccer team won the conference championship. Members of the team include, from left, front row AJ Swartwout, Beckett Grabner, Brandon Hurtado and coach Tom Iffrig and, back row, Joshua Gallardo Aguilar, Benny Kibombi and Max McFarland.

Members of the conference championship volleyball team include, from left, Jenna Cochran, Larissa Harned and Kiley Wallace.

Members of the boys swimming team include, from left, swimmers Ethan Arana, Ian Artelt, Adam Reddy and Jack Pfister.

Ka’Nia Barton, left, and Helena Christmann earned all-conference honors in field hockey.

Rose Acres Elementary School students, from left, Levi Dukes, Samy Nekka and Donald McCullough had short stories they wrote published in the St. Louis Writers Guild’s Young Writers Awards anthology.

BRAGGING WRITES

Honors, Awards and Achievements by Pattonville Students and Staff

Football honors

Students from Pattonville High School

were named all-conference in football. Students named allconference first team were seniors

Tory Allen as defensive back and August Heiligenstein for offensive line and defensive line and juniors Terrell Porter Jr. as linebacker and DeAndre Rush Jr. as wide receiver. Students named all-conference second team were junior Michael Allen as running back; senior Byron McNair as quarterback; sophomore Bryan Orta as linebacker; senior Tony Porter Jr. as linebacker; Rush Jr. as offense kick returner; and freshman Xavier Stepney for defensive line. Students named all-conference honorable mention included Michael Allen as linebacker; senior Jason Boyd as defensive end; sophomore Clinton Griffin III as linebacker; junior Lawrence Jackson as running back; senior Mike Montoya Jr. as wide receiver; senior Vintez Moss as wide receiver and kick returner; Orta as punter and kicker; Rush Jr. as defensive back; senior Dylan Stewart as wide receiver; and senior DaVeon Washington for offensive line. Students named academic all-conference are McNair, Montoya Jr. and Stewart. Orta also received the all-conference sportsmanship award as linebacker. The football team was coached by Steve Smith with the assistance of Kent Booth, Travis Harris, Corey Lewis and Bernard Quinn.

Girls golf honors

Five students from Pattonville High School earned allconference honors in golf. Sophomores Mackenzie Cain and Zelletta Wyatt were named all-conference first team. Junior Tehya Cox Potter was named all-conference second team. Juniors Jennean

Barghouty and Cameryn Neumann were named all-conference honorable mention. The golf team was coached by David Gross with the assistance of Scott Hutson.

Tennis honors

Three tennis players earned all-conference honors. Junior Norina Shao was named allconference first team for singles and doubles. Senior Emma Artelt was named all-conference first team for doubles. Senior Tara Wang received the allconference sportsmanship award. They were coached by Jeff Grass with the assistance of Emily McDaniel.

Softball honors

Students from Pattonville High School received a variety of honors for softball. Students selected to all-region teams are sophomore Sarah Rizzello for first team as a utility player and senior Allison Schrumpf for second team as an infielder. Softball players were also named to all-district teams. Those named all-district first team were senior Karmen Daniels as an outfielder, Rizello and Schrumpf. All-district second team players were seniors Madison Leckrone as an infielder and Sam Newton as a catcher and junior Alli Pearia as an infielder. Players were also named to all-conference teams. Those selected allconference first team were senior Sam Heine as catcher, Rizzello and Schrumpf. Players named all-conference second team were Daniels, Leckrone, Newtown as an infielder and Pearia. Players named academic allconference were Alivia Ball, Sophia Kelly, Leckrone, Cassie Medley O’Brien, Kenzie Newell and Schrumpf. Daniels also received the all-conference sportsmanship award. The softball team was coached by Danelle Emerick with the assistance of Victor Fink.

Young Artists

Thirteen students from Pattonville High School had their artwork selected for display in Lindenwood University’s 2022 Young Artists and Their Teachers Exhibit. Sarah Nelson was awarded second place in the drawing category and is enrolled in AP Art and Design. Other students from that class who had artwork selected were Anthony Cruz, Cordy Matulewic and Tara Wang. Additionally, Allyson Maue was named honorable mention in the drawing category. Emmy Benson, also from Drawing 2, also had artwork selected. Other students selected for the exhibit were Maya Delgado for ceramics; Saoirse Keane and Sarah Pruitt for painting; and Dinara Aladinova, MaKenna Azerolo, Caleb Tillis and Weston Vlahiotis for photography. Their art teachers also had artwork on display. They were Beth Kathriner and Laura Thomson.

Choir honors

Earlier this year, 23 students were selected to the St. Louis Suburban District Honor Choir. Additionally, 12 of those performers placed in the top 20 in their voice part, qualifying for an all-state choir audition. Of the 16 students selected to represent the St. Louis Suburban District, 25% of the all-state performers were from Pattonville High School. The following students were selected to the all-state choir: Patrick Ferguson and Ethan Massey as tenors and Diego Halbeck and Jahlil Johnson as bass. Additionally, students who earned all-state honorable mention were Maggie Haselbauer as alto and Joey Stewart as bass. Other students that qualified for an all-state audition in addition to being selected to the suburban honor choir were Cam Adams, Austin Branson, Luke Gerst, Kenedi Jenkins, Miranda Lopez and Devin Scharer. Others named to the suburban honor choir were Savannah Branson, Addie Candela, Olivia Dalton, Sarah Nelson, Maichi Nguyen, Omolara Ogunmola, Jules Pyle, Kyla Webb Shannon, Jakay Townsel and Victoria Welty. In addition, Branson, Ferguson, Johnson, Massey, Nelson, Ogunmola and Stewart qualified for the state sight-reading bee. They are taught by vocal music teachers Tracy Baker and Melynda Lamb.

Orchestra honors

Orchestra students recently earned all-state and all-suburban honors. Zoe Click was selected to the all-state orchestra as first chair and the allsuburban orchestra for bassoon. Additional orchestra students selected to the all-suburban orchestra were Max Fetter for cello, Sydney Hoynacki

for bass and Norina Shao and Jacob Zarosa for violin. The orchestra is directed by Paul Rueschhoff.

Football players, from left, Lawrence Jackson, Byron McNair, Dylan Stewart and Xavier Stepney earned all-conference honors.

Softball players who earned honors include Alivia Ball, left, and Sophia Kelly.

Students who had artwork selected for the 2022 Young Artists and Their Teachers Exhibit include, from left, front row, Sarah Pruitt, Emmy Benson and Dinara Aladinova and back row, Saoirse Keane, Sarah Nelson and Caleb Tillis.

All-state and all-conference choir performers include, from left, front row, Devin Scharer and Jules Pyle; second row, Victoria Welty, Addie Candela and Jahlil Johnson; third row Ethan Massey, Joey Stewart and Diego Halbeck; and, back row, Patrick Ferguson and Sarah Nelson.

Golfers named to all-conference teams are Mackenzie Cain, left, and Tehya Cox Potter.

Tennis players Norina Shao, left, and Emma Artelt earned allconference honors.

Students who received orchestra honors include, from left, front row, Sydney Hoynacki and Norina Shao and, back row, Max Fetter and Zoe Click.

STAFF SHOUTOUTS BRAGGING WRITES

Honors, Awards and Achievements by Pattonville Students and Staff

Drill team competition results

Band honors

Fourteen Pattonville High School band students were selected as members or alternates in all-suburban ensembles. In addition, each of these students qualified for an all-state concert or jazz band audition. The students selected to the all-state and all-suburban concert bands were: Patrick Ferguson for trumpet, Sydney Suvansri for clarinet and Joey Stewart for clarinet honorable mention. Students selected to the all-state and allsuburban jazz bands were: Nick Drayton for jazz drum set, who placed first in the state; Max McFarland for lead trumpet and trumpet section; and TyRen Thompson as an alternate for jazz bass trombone, who had the second highest score in the state this year. Members of the all-state concert and jazz bands performed with their respective ensembles at the All-State Music Conference hosted at Tan-Tar-A in January. Additional students who qualified for an all-state audition in addition to being selected to the all-suburban concert band were Zoe Click for bassoon and Janani Kamalakkannan and Marques Rutlin for clarinet. Jack Caesar qualified for an all-state jazz band audition for trombone after being selected to the all-suburban jazz band. Students that qualified to audition for the all-state jazz band and were selected to all-suburban jazz band as alternates were Floyd Davis for tenor saxophone, Sydney Hoynacki for bass, Ethan Massey for guitar and Peter McCollough for trumpet. The band is directed by Denny McFarland, Laura Livesay and Anna White.

ALUMNI SUCCESS

Graduates in the news

Max Spitzmiller, Class of 2017 -

Spitzmiller was named to the 2023 Preseason National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-Central Region Team. A senior starting pitcher at Northwest Missouri State University, Spitzmiller is one of three players from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) to be named to the preseason team and is the only pitcher from the conference. In 2022, Spitzmiller was an all-MIAA first team honoree and scholar-athlete. He ranked No. 2 in the nation with seven complete games. He also was No. 2 in the MIAA in strikeouts (93) and led the conference in innings pitched (93.0) and WHIP (1.02). He went 6-7 and walked only 19 batters, while the opposition posted a .220 batting average against him. Spitzmiller is majoring in middle school education.

The varsity drill team competed at the Yvonne Cole Lindbergh Invitational in early December where the team placed first in the Division 1A hip hop and pom categories and received a Showmanship Award for hip hop performance. Later in the month, they competed at the NDA Blue Springs Regional competition where they placed first in the small varsity pom category and second in the hip hop division. Members of the drill team were: Kaycee Carman, Nicole Cobbs, Kaylee Cofer, Elijah Davis, Reilly Edmonds, Hannah Fisbeck, Skyler McCaa, Zaria Purvey and Sabrina Vargas. The varsity drill team was coached by Lindsey Schaefer with the assistance of Anise Glenn. The junior varsity drill team also performed at the Yvonne Cole Lindbergh Invitational and earned third place in the Division 1A hip hop category. Members of the junior varsity team were: Amaya Hinga, Sophia Knize, Mackenzie Miller, Jordyn Powers, Shreeya Verema, Taylor Volmert and Aeriana Woodard. The junior varsity drill team was coached by Kate Deegan with the assistance of Grace Bowman.

National Board Certification

Three teachers earned their certification as a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). Pattonville High School English teacher Sarah Guilfoyle earned certification in English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood. Pattonville Heights Middle School band teachers Abby Hall and Liz Pace achieved certification in Music/Early Adolescence Through Young Adulthood. NBCT is considered the gold standard in teacher certification and is designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.

The cold weather over winter break led to multiple pipes bursting at Pattonville High School on Dec. 24. After being notified by the district’s alert system, 10 staff members and superintendent Dr. Barry Nelson arrived on the scene to clean up several thousand gallons of water. Staff members who came in to help were: facilities director David Winslow; evening facilities supervisor Roy Libhart; high school assistant principal Gene Grimshaw; high school custodial supervisor Eva Whitfield; custodians Ramona Earnest, Van Tan Huynh, Brenda Labbe and Youfu Ruan; and maintenance journeymen Chester Samples and Tom Samples. Many thanks go out to these staff members as well as the Pattonville Fire Protection District which was first on the scene to shut down the water and help the cleanup efforts.

Lay Dukes, Kesley Kobielusz, Abby Twyman and Trevor Vigus, Class of 2019 - Four 2019 Pattonville High School graduates were part of the University of Missouri Marching Mizzou band that led the 96th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They are Lay Dukes (trumpet), Kesley Kobielusz (clarinet), Abby Twyman (clarinet) and Trevor Vigus (trumpet). The band also performed on the TODAY show on Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving and was featured in the opening performance with actress Lea Michele and the Broadway cast of Funny Girl.

On Jan. 15, KSDK News featured community and staff engagement department secretary Adrienne Draper on a segment of “Making a Difference” with Mike Bush. Draper and her sister Aja Owens are children’s book authors who are writing new chapters on the importance of being different together. Collectively, the sisters have published five children’s books that reflect families and children of color. To watch the segment, visit https://bit.ly/DraperKSDK2023.

Members of the band who earned all-state and all-conference honors include, front row, Zoe Click, Marques Rutlin, Sydney Hoynacki and Joey Stewart and, back row, Patrick Ferguson, TyRen Thompson and Ethan Massey.

Pattonville High School custodian Youfu Ruan, left, and assistant principal Gene Grimshaw clean up water in the main entrance of the high school on Dec. 24.

Left, director of facilities David Winslow, left, walks with lead maintenance journeyman Tom Samples on Dec. 24 to assess the impact of the water main breaks at the high school. Right, custodian Brenda Labbe uses a wet vac to dry off floors in the high school main entrance.

Pattonville High School custodial supervisor Eva Whitfield mops the floor on Dec. 24 after pipes burst at the school.

Abby Hall

Sarah Guilfoyle

Adrienne Draper

Liz Pace

The Mizzou marching band led the 96th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Four of the performers are Pattonville graduates. They are, from left, Abby Twyman, Lay Dukes, Trevor Vigus and Kesley Kobielusz.

Kindergarten registration for 2023-2024 school year starts March 1

How to register

To register, visit www.psdr3.org/enrollment to complete the online registration process.

A student services representative will contact you within 48 business hours to assist with next steps. Student services staff will be prioritizing kindergarten registration between Wednesday, March 1, through Friday, March 3. After March 3, kindergarten registration will be reviewed in order of receipt of all district enrollments.

Students currently enrolled in early childhood

Students enrolled in Pattonville’s early childhood program who are entering kindergarten do not need to complete online registration but must submit proof-of-residency documents by email to kindergartenenrollment@psdr3.org or by dropping them off at the Pattonville Learning Center in the enrollment drop box in the front entrance.

Who can start kindergarten?

Children must be 5 years old before Aug. 1, 2023, to be eligible to attend kindergarten during the 2023-2024 school year.

Free kindergarten screenings

Early childhood offers free developmental screenings for all Pattonville children ages 3 months to entry into kindergarten. Screenings help parents learn more about their child’s development. For a free kindergarten screening, go online to ec.psdr3.org and click on “Screening.”

What do I need to register?

To see a list of documents needed for registration, visit www.psdr3.org/enrollment

Save the date ...

Classes for the 2023-2024 school year begin on Aug. 21

What elementary school will my child attend?

If you are unsure which school your child will attend, go online to www.psdr3.org/map, type your address in the box at the bottom left of the page and click “search” to locate your home on the map. Pattonville’s elementary schools are Bridgeway, Drummond, Parkwood, Rose Acres and Willow Brook.

Preschool enrollment for 2023-2024 school year begins March 1, applications open at 8 a.m.

What options are available for preschool?

Full-day program

The full-day preschool program runs from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. The program is tuition based and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Half-day program

The half-day preschool program is open Monday through Thursday. The morning session runs from 8:15 to 11:15 a.m. and the afternoon session goes from 12:15 to 3:15 p.m. Applications will be accepted the entire month of March. A lottery selection will take place on April 3.

How to register

Registration for Pattonville’s preschool program starts at 8 a.m. on March 1. To register, visit ec.psdr3.org and click on “Preschool” and, on the next page, select either the full- or half-day program from the “Preschool” dropdown options. Parents will be notified via email if they receive a spot in either the full-day or half-day programs will receive instructions on how to complete enrollment. Those who do not receive a spot will be notified and added to a waiting list.

Who can enroll?

Children must be 3 years old before Aug. 1, 2023, to participate in the early childhood program during the 2023-2024 school year.

Registration for returning families

Returning families were emailed with instructions on Feb. 1 with instructions on how to register. For more information, contact the Early Childhood Center at (314) 213-8100.

Remington Traditional School for K-8 students in Pattonville

Remington Traditional School is the only school in Pattonville serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade under one roof, providing a continuity of learning and familiarity. Any child living in Pattonville can choose to attend Remington at any time, but space is limited.

With only two classrooms per grade, Remington is perfect for families who would like a smaller school environment and more intimate school experience. Personalized learning specialists teach students in small teams. In most cases, students are served by two teachers throughout the school year, allowing teachers to get to know students more in-depth. Remington offers dozens of clubs and middle school offerings such as band, choir, orchestra and athletics such as basketball, cross country and volleyball, as well as a robust theater program.

Selection to Remington is based on a lottery system. Parents interested in attending Remington should enroll in Pattonville at their home school as instructed above and then submit an application for Remington. Applications are available online at remington.psdr3.org and must be submitted by March 31. The lottery drawing will take place on April 4 at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Remington at (314) 213-8016.

Bridgeway Elementary School teacher Christa Griffith plays a get-to-know-you game with her kindergarten class on the first day of school.

Parkwood Elementary School kindergarten teacher Christina Livingston, center, helps students Demi Williams, left, and Ava Gumble from Abigail Beckermann’s kindergarten class create art using peg boards and meltable plastic beads.

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION | April 4, 2023 Election

Five candidates on ballot to fill three open seats on Pattonville Board of Education (shown in order of filing)

Five candidates filed to be placed on the April 4 election ballot to fill three open seats on the Pattonville Board of Education. Those who filed to serve a three-year term on the board are, in order of filing, Crystal Hibbert, incumbent Dr. Brian J. Gray, incumbent Lisa Kickbusch, Renada Chandler and Amanda Lienau Purnell. Board members whose terms are expiring are Gray, Kickbusch and Ruth Petrov. Find out more about each candidate below.

CRYSTAL HIBBERT DR. BRIAN J. GRAY LISA KICKBUSCH

Crystal Hibbert is an information technology program manager in business intelligence at the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and marketing and a master’s degree in business administration, both from Saint Louis University. Hibbert and her husband, Miguel, are four-year Bridgeton residents. They are the parents of a child at the Pattonville Early Childhood Center.

Volunteerism/Experience

“I have experience in project management, finance and strategic planning. I am results oriented, possess critical thinking and negotiation skills. I mentor young people, by assisting them with resume writing, employment searches and support resources. I am committed to advocating for student services, diversity, equitable policies and inclusion for all.”

Statement of Purpose

“As a Pattonville parent, I am committed to improving safety, diversity and transparency. I will proactively collaborate with students, staff and community to improve policies, processes and monitor fiscal commitments. I am dedicated to the mission of public education and hope to serve as your #1Advocate on the school board.”

RENADA CHANDLER AMANDA LIENAU PURNELL

A 23-year resident of Pattonville, Dr. Brian Gray is a chiropractic physician and a medical fraud investigator. He attended the University of Colorado and has a bachelor’s degree/doctor of chiropractic from Logan University. He and his wife, Sheila, are 23-year residents of Maryland Heights and the parents of two boys who attend Holman Middle School and Pattonville High School.

(Incumbent) (Incumbent)

Volunteerism/Experience

“As a doctor, medical director, MCPA vice president and school board member, I have learned to assess problems from various perspectives. As a business owner: fiscal restraint. As a parent: always put the children’s needs above all. As a resident: always remain a good steward of our tax revenue.”

Statement of Purpose

“As a parent of Pattonville students, I am invested in Pattonville. It’s my duty to be aware of our finances and challenges. As a top-ranked district, we must keep our focus on education. I wish to continue to guide the district as a board member.”

Lisa Kickbusch is a retired Pattonville School District teacher and currently works as an office administrator at Forward Fitness. Kickbusch has a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree in teaching from Webster University. A five-and-a half-year Pattonville resident, Kickbusch and her significant other, Rob Zagame, live in St. Louis County.

Volunteerism/Experience

“Currently I am serving my first year on the Pattonville school board. I am a retired Pattonville teacher, working in the district from 1988 to 2019. During that time, I served on many committees, including elementary curriculum, report card, calendar, CSIP, Pro-Studies and the MNEA and NEA board of directors.”

Statement of Purpose

“I will use my experiences as a board member and educator to help Pattonville embrace its diversity, maintain a strong curriculum, ensure fiscal strength and support the emotional needs of students and staff. I will work to ensure that Pattonville continues to provide excellent educational services to our community.”

Pattonville hosts statewide System Design Zone meeting

Members of the System Design Zone (SDZ) visited Pattonville School District on Jan. 23 to learn about personalized learning activities in the district. Guests visited either Parkwood Elementary School, Remington Traditional School or Holman Middle School in the morning, then attended a meeting in the afternoon that included presentations and a panel discussion. At Holman, Pirate Academy students sat on a panel and described their learning experiences. Representatives from nearly 25 school districts attended the meeting. The goal of SDZ is to design a better way for each student to engage in meaningful learning, demonstrate individual growth and prepare for future success.

Renada Chandler is the founder of Smart Kids, Inc., and serves as board chair and treasurer. She attended the University of Missouri - St. Louis and currently resides in St. Ann. She recently returned to Pattonville, but has previously been a district resident for nine years total. Chandler has four children, including a graduate of Ritenour High School and three current Pattonville students including a third grader at Drummond Elementary School, sixth grader at Holman Middle School and a sophomore at Pattonville High School.

Volunteerism/Experience

“I have past experience being a board of director and executive director. I am currently a board of director on Community Agency Action of St. Louis County and at Smart Kids, Inc. I have been a parent in the Pattonville School District community previously, reoccurring this school year.”

Statement of Purpose

“I wish to serve on the Pattonville Board of Education to help increase the value of education and provide knowledge, insight, wisdom and dedication. I want to be able to assist in making great decisions for all students. I am dedicated to changing lives because I am here to help.”

Amanda Lienau

Purnell is a 13-year resident of Pattonville living in St. Louis County. She is the director of data and analytics innovation with the Veterans Health Administration. Purnell has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in biology from the University of Dayton as well as a master’s degree in psychology and a doctorate in counseling psychology, both from The Ohio State University. Purnell and her husband, Jason, are the parents of a fifth grader at Rose Acres Elementary School and a seventh grader at Pattonville Heights Middle School.

Volunteerism/Experience

“I previously served on the Pattonville school board from April 2018 to April 2021. I learned an enormous amount during my time on the board.”

Statement of Purpose

“I miss being connected to the students, teachers and staff across all the schools. Public education is a deeply important part of a healthy society. I would like to serve the community that has taken such incredible care of my family.”

Pattonville School District administrators, along with representatives from across the state, discuss personalized learning during a System Design Zone meeting in Pattonville.

High school jazz ensemble performs at state conference

The Pattonville High School jazz ensemble performed in front of approximately 1,000 music educators from across the state at the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) In-Service Workshop/Conference on Jan. 26.

The ensemble was selected to perform by a competitive blind audition. Band director Denny McFarland submitted a recording of last year’s jazz ensemble performing, and out-of-state judges chose performers without knowing anything about the group. Groups chosen to perform over the three-day conference represent high schools, colleges and community groups in Missouri.

Only one high school jazz band is chosen to perform at the conference each year. This was the first ensemble from the high school to be selected to perform at the conference. In 2018, the choir at Pattonville Heights Middle School performed at the conference, including singing a song written for the choir by a local composer.

“The staff that has worked with these students is amazing and the students are incredible,” McFarland said. “The support that we receive for our band program from family

Behnken receives Congressional Space Medal of Honor

Retired astronaut Robert (Bob) Behnken, Class of 1988, received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor from vice president Kamala Harris on Jan. 31. Behnken received the award for bravery in NASA’s SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 (Demo-2) to the International Space Station. On May 30, 2020, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft launched to the space station, marking the first mission to launch with astronauts as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. As a space station crew member for 62 days, Behnken performed four spacewalks and contributed more than 100 hours to the orbiting laboratory’s scientific investigations. The Congressional Space Medal of Honor recognizes exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the nation and mankind. Behnken received the honor along with former astronaut Douglas (Doug) Hurley. They are the first honorees since 2006 to receive this recognition.

“For the first time in almost a decade, we witnessed American astronauts launch an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in history, we saw astronauts reach orbit in a capsule built and launched by the private sector. Bob and Doug together have written the first page of a new chapter in the history of American space flight,” Harris said during the presentation that was livestreamed on NASA’s YouTube page. “Bob and Doug represent the best of our nation. There is no doubt hundreds of people will fly to orbit in the capsule that they helped to test and build

and friends, staff, administration, school board and the entire Pattonville community is much appreciated. We are proud to represent our Pattonville family with our performance!”

The jazz ensemble is made up of 23 students from the high school. They performed four songs with solos by Jack Caesar, Floyd Davis, Nick Drayton, Dylan Jamison, Kyle Manker, Ethan Massey, Max McFarland and the rhythm section consisting of Drayton, Hannah Fisbeck, Sydney Hoynacki, Jamison, Massey and Joey Stewart. Additional members of the jazz ensemble were Kyle Brenner, Colin Darrah, Emily Derhake, Patrick Ferguson, Gabby Hurd, Shardae Johnson, Wesley Kiso, Tyler Manker, Peter McCullough, Adam Reddy, Nate Schaefer, Tyren Thompson and Isabelle Usry. Laura Livesay and Anna White co-assistant direct the band.

The jazz ensemble gave a preview performance on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in the high school auditorium. To learn more about these performers and their performance, visit bit.ly/PSDjazzmmea.

… folks who otherwise would have only been able to look up will now be able to go to orbit and help make real the incredible potential of space.”

Behnken was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000 and completed two space shuttle flights, logging 93 days in space.

Behnken flew STS-123 in March 2008 and STS-130 in February 2010, and he performed three spacewalks during each mission. He served as NASA’s chief astronaut from 2012 to 2015 and deputy of NASA’s Flight Operations Directorate from September 2021 to April 2022. He retired from NASA in November 2022. A St. Ann native, Behnken earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree and doctorate in mechanical engineering from California Institute of Technology. Before joining NASA, Behnken was a flight test engineer with the U.S. Air Force on the F–22.

To watch the award presentation, visit https://bit.ly/BehnkenMedalofHonor.

Photo by: NASA/Joel Kowsky Former NASA astronaut Bob Behnken, left, is awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by vice president Kamala Harris on Jan. 31.

The Pattonville High School jazz ensemble performs for family and friends in the school auditorium before their performance at the annual MMEA In-Service Workshop/Conference in January.

Band director Denny McFarland, right, signals for the band to begin the song “Arnge Drank.”

Left, Ethan Massey, left, practices a guitar solo during “Arnge Drank” and Floyd Davis reacts. Right, Shardae Johnson, left, and Dylan Jamison perform during the song “Mira, Mira.”