Highlights April 2022

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

Inside Students, staff honored

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Monster Gifts

Kindergartners at Bridgeway Elementary School saw their drawings come to life when they received stuffed animal likenesses of their imaginary monsters. Pattonville Heights Middle School family and consumer sciences (FACS) teacher Elizabeth Stockmann collaborated with Nisa Peters’s class for the project. “The kindergartners all drew a monster using colors and patterns and my FACS 3 students had to interpret an imaginative idea and create a real-life version of it,” Stockmann said. The middle schoolers visited Bridgeway to present the stuffed animals to the original artists. Top photo, kindergartner Annabelle Avett compares her monster

named Corazone to the stuffed creature created by eighth grader Tim Nelson. Bottom photo left, eighth grader Nicole Wingerter and kindergartner Kai’Lynn Macker compare a stuffed creature to the original drawing while kindergartners Declan Starks, seated left, and Alya Selli, seated right, hold their new stuffed animals. Bottom center photo, eighth grader Landon Davis Nickson, left, holds up art by kindergartner Caleb Fisher so they can compare it to the stuffed creature he sewed. Bottom right photo, kindergartner Brennan Duvall shows his delight at receiving a stuffed animal copy of his drawing from eighth grader Pearl Truong.

From the Superintendent

Learning attuned to needs of students

For over a decade, Pattonville has been on a journey toward creating a competency-based learning (CBL) system in our schools. Although we haven’t yet arrived at the perfect model, we have made tremendous progress that has improved the overall quality of education for our students and we’ve served as a model for the rest of the state.

CBL isn’t necessarily new, but for the first time, it’s starting to gain traction across the country. Most of us went to school when everything was based around time. How old you were determined what grade you were in. How many hours you spent in the classroom played a significant role in determining if you passed the course, etc. CBL is designed around the idea that students move through a system (grade, course, etc.) when they master the essential skills necessary. Some students might move faster than others. Some may need more time. That’s the beauty of the CBL model, it’s built around what students need, not what the system or school needs.

Over the years, we’ve used components of CBL to create our standards-based report card at the elementary level. Drummond Elementary School was the first school in the district to work more deeply with CBL schoolwide. The success experienced there helped expand our work districtwide as we recently created learning progressions and proficiency scales for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. In addition, Holman Middle School designed a school-within-a-school model called the Pirate Academy that is built around the principle of competency-based learning. Pattonville Heights Middle School will implement a similar program next school year.

During the past several years, we’ve shared our work with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). We were thrilled last May when DESE presented a recommendation to the state board of education that CBL should be a priority for Missouri schools moving forward. Consistent with our experience, DESE stated that “competency-based learning begins with the premise that seat time and age-based cohorts are poorly suited to meeting students’ individuals needs, and that students should instead progress through content based on when they can demonstrate mastery of specific knowledge and skills instead of progressing based on time spent on a particular content.”

The work Pattonville has done is playing a critical role throughout the state. We continue to implement new ideas and strategies around the CBL philosophy in our schools in an effort to better support the learning needs of our students. The progress we’ve made has been incredible, but where we’re heading is even more exciting.

Administrative changes announced for new year

The Pattonville Board of Education recently approved the selection of six educators to serve as administrators in Pattonville schools, effective July 1.

Mary Jo Gruber was named Pattonville’s new chief financial officer (CFO). She has served as the CFO for the School District of Clayton since 2011 after working as Clayton’s director of accounting for 11 years. She also served as the business manager for the former Wellston School District and as an auditor and audit manager in the private sector. Gruber earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from McKendree University and a master’s degree in business administration from Fontbonne University. Her professional certifications include certified public accountant (CPA); administrator of school finance and operations; and chartered global management accountant.

Dr. Greg Cicotte was named Pattonville’s new director of early childhood. Cicotte currently serves as principal of Shenandoah Valley Elementary School in the Parkway School District. He previously worked as principal of Pheasant Point Elementary School and assistant principal of Ostmann Elementary and Twin Chimneys Elementary schools in the Fort Zumwalt School District. Other roles include administrative intern at Mason Ridge Elementary School in Parkway and a second grade teacher at Joseph L. Mudd Elementary School in Fort Zumwalt. A 1991 Pattonville graduate, Cicotte earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, emphasis in early childhood, from Missouri State University and master’s and doctorate degrees in educational administration from Lindenwood University.

Dr. Adam Crnko was selected as the principal of Rose Acres Elementary School. He has worked as the assistant principal of F.P. Tillman Elementary School in the Kirkwood School District since 2016. Other prior administrative experience includes serving as an administrative intern for Kirkwood’s Elementary Extended School Year Program and program director for Tillman’s Extended School Day Program. He has also worked as an eighth grade English language arts teacher at Nipher Middle School and an elementary teacher at Tillman. Crnko holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Missouri State University and master’s and doctorate degrees in educational leadership and administration from Maryville University.

Kim Dannegger was chosen to serve as principal of Willow Brook Elementary School. She has served as an administrative intern for two years at Bridgeway Elementary School. An educator in Pattonville since 2001, Dannegger’s previous positions in the district include instructional specialist at Bridgeway and

Parkwood elementary schools, elementary summer school principal and library-media specialist and thirdgrade teacher at Parkwood. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in special reading, a library media specialist degree and an educational specialist degree in school administration from Lindenwood University.

Jared Beucke was selected to serve as an assistant principal at Pattonville High School. He has worked as an assistant principal or associate principal at Hazelwood West High School since 2014 and previously served as an assistant principal in Hazelwood School District middle schools and as a social studies teacher at Hazelwood Central High School. Beucke earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree in educational administration from Lindenwood University, where he is currently pursuing his doctorate in education.

Matthew Buschman was chosen to serve as an assistant principal at Pattonville Heights Middle School. He currently serves as a seventh grade math teacher and extracurricular activities coordinator at Crestview Middle School in the Rockwood School District. He has also worked as a math teacher at Meramec Valley Middle School and an American history teacher at Pacific High School. Buschman earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Missouri, a master’s degree in educational administration from Southeast Missouri State University and a specialist’s degree in educational administration from Lindenwood University, where he is also currently pursuing his doctorate in educational administration.

About the bond issue on the April 5 ballot

The Pattonville Board of Education asked residents to go to the polls on April 5 to vote on Proposition S, a $111 million zero-tax-rate-increase bond issue to fund updates, repairs and improvements to Pattonville schools. Results from the election were unavailable at the time this newsletter was sent to printing, but will be posted on the district’s website and included in the May 2022 issue of the Pattonville Highlights. As a reminder, if approved, the bond issue would provide:

• Additional classrooms to address enrollment growth and maintain class sizes at acceptable levels;

• Safety and maintenance improvements; and

• Building updates to meet the teaching and learning needs of our students, including STEM rooms and collaborative learning spaces. Passage of the bond issue would not increase the district’s debt service tax rate, which is used solely to fund construction and major repair and improvement projects in the district.

Dr. Tim Pecoraro Superintendent

Follow on Twitter: @PattonvilleSupt

Mary Jo Gruber Greg Cicotte Adam Crnko

Kim Dannegger Jared Beucke Matthew Buschman

Our Learners

PARKWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Olympic-style bobsled event tests students’ STEM creativity skills

In concert with this year’s Winter Olympics, every fourth grader at Parkwood Elementary School was challenged to build the fastest bobsled using only the materials provided to them during the school’s Fourth Grade Strong activity for February. Poojita Chalamalasetti and Amelia MacLean represented Belize and won the gold medal during the grade-level competition.

“We only had seven minutes to plan our design and then worked for 10 minutes putting it together,” Chalamalasetti said. “We came up with an idea to put straws on the bottom of a toilet paper roll and taped it all together and then we put a little character on top to be the driver and named him Bob.” Mr. Robert Sled (or Bob for short) won the knockout tournament challenge.

The STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activity was part of an Olympics unit the fourth grade teachers conducted with their students.

“We’ve been reading articles about the Olympics and they researched the different sports being played,” teacher Audrey Masek said. “They learned about different countries and had to work together to build their bobsled in one day and then we raced them in the afternoon.”

Chalamalasetti and MacLean nervously watched their bobsled race down the track during each round while hugging each other tightly.

“We believed in Belize,” MacLean said. “It was so exciting to watch Bob win the whole thing.”

Fourth grade teachers are Kristen Buescher, Masek, Lindsey Schaeffer and Greg Stoltz.

HOLMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Geode, crystal exploration provides students with hands-on lessons in Earth science

One-by-one, students grabbed a rock out of teacher Jennifer Calva’s box, put on their safety goggles and, using a hammer, smashed their rock apart. What they found inside were beautiful crystals. The rock was a geode, and the activity was the culmination of a unit on the geosphere system.

Sixth graders in Calva’s science class at Holman Middle School were taking part in an Earth systems unit that covers the guiding question “What are Earth’s materials made of and how are they formed?” During the unit, they learned about minerals and how they are forged in crystal formations.

“We researched the phenomenon of the Naica Cave,” Calva said, referring to a cave of crystals in Naica, Mexico, that was only discovered two decades ago. “Students developed claims as to how they believe this cave formed and supported their claims with evidence and reasoning from their research.”

At the same time, the students conducted an at-home borax crystal lab, where they made their own crystals. Calva gave each student a bag containing borax, a pipe cleaner, string and a Popsicle stick and modeled the project in the classroom before students took the project home. After completing the project at home, the students submitted pictures of their crystals to Calva. Some students bought their own borax so they could make more. The students learned that whether they are huge crystals the size of a whale like in the Naica Cave, a borax crystal made at home or crystals found in a geode, crystals all form from dissolved mineral compounds that crystallized as they cooled or as water evaporated. The activity led to students discovering what makes a geode and that geodes are rock structures with interiors lined with quartz crystals and agate.

After making this discovery, the students reconvened in class to examine how the Naica Cave, borax crystals and geodes all fit together. They discussed how their formations were alike and different. Calva showed students some larger, more intricate geodes she brought from home and surprised them by buying a geode for each student to crack open and keep. This led to the students donning their safety goggles and safely cracking open their own special geode.

“All of my students participated in the geode cracking as I’ve done with many groups in the past,” Calva said. “It’s a really engaging hands-on experience and my hopes are that it gives students a fun perspective of rocks and minerals for years to come.”

Parkwood Elementary School fourth grade teacher Lindsey Schaeffer, center left, releases a bobsled during a class competition. Shown next to her are teammates Poojita Chalamalasetti, center, and Amelia MacLean, center right.

Holman Middle School science teacher Jennifer Calva, left, distributes geodes to her students. Shown are, from left, Keon Williams and Kali Russell.

Holman Middle School sixth grader Kimberly Orellana Ruano examines a geode she just cracked open.

PATTONVILLE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

Theme days enhance interest in reading

All of the students in teacher Sharon Wood’s class at the Pattonville Early Childhood Center were wearing pajamas and listening to paraprofessional Caty Lobser read, but it wasn’t a bedtime story.

It was Read Across America Week and the preschoolers were participating in one of the theme days.

Throughout the week, early childhood students participated in theme days that included wearing their favorite hat, wearing crazy socks, dressing in attire for a career they desire and wearing their favorite superhero shirt.

Read Across America, the nation’s largest celebration of reading, according to the National Education Association (NEA), was launched in 1998 and focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships and reading resources.

“It helps grow their love of reading and learning,” Wood said. “Students have been paying extra attention, and they’re interested and enthusiastic. They love to listen to someone read to them. They also love to wear their pajamas to school.”

Preschooler Owen Ahadji was wearing Mario Kart pajamas and said reading is super. “Books can be funny,” he said. “I’m getting better at reading but the pictures are good, too.”

DRUMMOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Scavenger hunt highlights important text

Ascavenger hunt can be an educational and fun experience. By implementing a hands-on approach to learning, Ginger Roberts asked her fourth graders to demonstrate their knowledge of functional text by taking photos of examples of it around Drummond Elementary School.

“And there are tons of functional text examples around our school,” Roberts said. “That’s why we’re walking the hallways and using our iPads to take pictures of examples we find.”

There were three parts to the photo scavenger hunt: the concept, the hunt and the share.

“Functional text is any text that we read on a daily basis and includes information that helps us make decisions and complete tasks,” Roberts said. “Some examples that students easily recognize are recipes, directions, menus, fliers and signs.”

After learning about functional text, students walked around the school as a class and used their iPads to take pic-

tures of examples they found.

“They’re going to share with the class what they saw and hopefully they have unique ideas of what they have created and can give the reason why it’s a functional text.”

Fourth grader Zuri Jacobs took photos of a poster with rules for the hallway and of class rosters hanging up outside classroom doors.

“Everything I took photos of gave me information I needed to know,” she said. “Stuff like how to behave in the hallways and the people in a classroom. Functional text helps you understand things.”

Classmates Parker Wilson and Raylan Lane were partners and worked together to create a Google slideshow to present their discoveries.

“We found that functional text makes a lot of sense and people use it every day in real life,” Wilson said. “It was cool to see what we learned in here is everywhere out there.”

PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

Writers Week turns spotlight on writing

Writers Week is an annual celebration of writing in all forms and varieties. It is a week in which published authors, students, administrators, teachers and staff members share and discuss their writing and writing processes. Since Pattonville High School began Writers Week in 2018, English language arts teacher Jodi Moeller has been coordinating the event.

“My hope is always that students see other avenues in writing and they get to explore that writing is more than just school-related assignments,” Moeller said. “Writing can be entertaining, it can be healing, it can be informative and it can just be something that allows them to express themselves.”

Senior Sophia Faasen, junior Jayne Herter and sophomore Ciara Spearmon were the student presenters on Wednesday morning. Faasen shared some pieces based on personal experiences.

“After something happens to me or some major life event kind of goes down, I try to get through those things by writing about it,” she said. “I try to process my feelings like dealing with the loss of

a close friend, a shooting that happened at my job and everything going on in Ukraine. Just writing things down really helps me process what goes on.”

After the student presenters, English language arts teacher Jessica Wynn facilitated a session titled “Writing to Art” and displayed work from a number of art students to inspire student writing. Students and staff were allowed to share their writing on stage at the end of the session.

Senior Michael Steinbecker III shared his response to a piece depicting a bedroom with caution tape over the window.

“I connected with that one because I’m very jittery and clumsy and I don’t like being confined to just one space,” he said. “It represented quarantining to me and I had issues with learning online.”

Moeller said giving students a platform to present and the opportunity to hear from other writers does make a difference.

“We want to expose them to as much writing as possible,” she said. “The more they hear, the more confident they get in their own abilities.”

Drummond Elementary School teacher Ginger Roberts, left, watches as students hunt for functional text. They are, from left, Levi Jackson, Parker Wilson and Katherine Mendoza Cortez.

Early childhood paraprofessional Caty Lobser, right, reads with students during a pajama theme day. Shown are, from left, Lena Baloney, Madison McMahan, William Ewing, Bowen Marino and Benjamin Swyers.

Pattonville High School senior Kameron McCain reads a piece he wrote about artwork titled “From Where We Grow” by junior Daniel Rugerio Romero (shown in the background).

REMINGTON TRADITIONAL SCHOOL

Students pass Olympic reading torch

T

hird graders at Remington

Traditional School participated in an Olympic Reading Marathon one day in February. Every student read for 10 minutes in the library and then returned to class to pass a torch on to another student in Isabelle Garcia-Blackwell and Christine Hillier’s classes. The event ran several days, allowing every grade level at Remington the chance to participate.

“Between 8 to 11:40 a.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m., there is always someone reading in the library,” library technology specialist Jill Ramig said. Two rocking chairs were placed in front of a backdrop depicting Olympic rings, and books were available for students to read. “In order to get through everybody, we might have two students reading at the same time,” Ramig said. “I change out the books so they are grade appropriate, but a lot of students have been bringing down their own books.”

At the end of the day, every reader earned a gold medal.

“It’s the Olympics, right?” Ramig said. “So of course we reward them for doing a great job.”

BRIDGEWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ROSE ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Students celebrate special “Twosday”

At 2:22 p.m. on Tuesday, 2/22/22, students at Rose Acres Elementary School showed off their best dance moves to a mix of two songs, one of many twos incorprated into the school day on “Twosday.”

“We showed photos of teachers when they were 2 and 22 on the TVs around the building. Students loved seeing their teachers at different ages and guessing who was who,” said instructional technology specialist Sarah Funderburk. “We also handed out stickers, read special announcements at 22 minutes past each hour of the day and shared with families instructions to create a time capsule. ”

Funderburk and fellow staff members put together a file of activities for

educators to use on 2/22. The closing event was a schoolwide dance party with fourth graders leading the Cupid Shuffle and Electric Slide, but the curriculum for the day was also centered around the number two.

In Katelyn Thompson’s second grade class, she planned the best “Twosday” ever for her students.

“We were so excited to celebrate Feb. 22, 2022. We had all kinds of great activities planned for our students - math, reading, all kinds of fun stuff,” Thompson said. “I also had them do a writing assignment sharing what life would be like in 22 years.”

First graders in Pattonville will graduate in 2033 when March 3 is on, you guessed it, a Threesday (Thursday).

PBLs enable students to apply knowledge, skills

F

irst grader Maggie Wells held a shoebox she’d decorated to reflect a scene from “Elephants Cannot Dance,” an Elephant and Piggie book by Mo Willems.

“Piggie is helping Gerald the elephant learn how to dance,” Wells explained. “But he says he can’t learn how to dance because he’s an elephant.”

Wells, a student in Leslie Jones’s class at Bridgeway Elementary School, created a diorama out of a shoebox as a way to recommend a book she loves to other young readers. It was part of the “Love of Reading” projectbased learning (PBL) activity that first grade classes at Bridgeway recently concluded. As part of the project, students expressed their appreciation for a book they read by using a medium of their own choosing in order to get others excited about it.

Using a PBL planning sheet, students chose from a menu of options to promote the book they read. Among the options were a poster, diorama, video, Top 10 list, sock puppet show on the iPad, commercial recorded on their Chatterbox app or a blog post with photos posted to their SeeSaw account. They also used the planning

sheet to get organized, listing all the materials they would need to complete their project, thus reinforcing vocabulary and spelling they had learned related to supplies and materials. When their projects were completed, they presented them to their class.

With PBL activities, students learn by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to engaging, real-world questions, problems or challenges. Often, the activities overlap different learning subjects, such as reading and social studies. The reading PBL activity is just one of several projects first graders are completing this year to gain in-depth knowledge on different subjects. Later this semester, students will conduct a marketplace PBL where they will make products to market and sell, and classes will conduct a science fair project together centered around getting their heart rates moving, said first grade teacher Sylvie Delannay.

“PBLs are a powerful way for students to apply the knowledge and skills they’ve learned independently and to produce individual or group work,” Delannay said. “They also help students build problem-solving, communication and critical thinking skills to investigate, research and create solutions to real-world problems.”

Remington Traditional School third graders Hiro Lewis Lapin, left, and Kaleb Miller read as part of an Olympic-themed reading marathon. Below third grader Zoe May carries the Olympic torch to the library to begin her part of the reading marathon.

Bridgeway Elementary School first grade teacher Leslie Jones, kneeling, assists Madison Hopson with her book project. Also shown is first grader Daylyn Cave, standing left.

Rose Acres Elementary School teacher Katelyn Thompson, standing, assists students with a writing assignment on what life might be like be in 22 years. Shown are, seated, from left, Makayla Durham, Sean Griffin, Liam Wilson and Peyton Kazmierski. Behind the table are, from left, Zach Sumner, Jaicob Lane, Dorian Price (standing), Gabe Adkins and Maliah Johnson.

Elementary students find mix of coding and teamwork in after-school Robotics Club

Students huddled together and watched as their club sponsor, library and technology aide David Duncan, unscrewed what looked like a video game controller. They waited anxiously to see if his fix would work and, when it did, they cheered. The students are part of Willow Brook Elementary School’s Robotics Club, and they needed the robot’s controller repaired so they could practice for an upcoming competition.

The Robotics Club includes three teams of four students each. The teams used a template of a basic robot design and snaptogether materials to start their build. After constructing their bot, the designers code the robot to respond to driver controls. They can create a string of code to make the robot perform a series of functions with one push of the button. Students spend team time planning, building, testing, fixing, re-testing and changing until they achieve their desired result.

From there, teams learned how to control their robots and practiced game play. This year’s challenge, called Pitching In, requires students to design a robot that can drive around a 6-by-8 foot board that contains 22 hacky sack-sized balls. Teams have 60 seconds to move the balls into and out of scoring zones. Two teams compete in tandem to score as many points as possible. The competition format is all about teamwork.

This year, the robotics teams from elementary schools across Pattonville competed in a district-level competition on March 12. Seven teams from four elementary schools participated. At the end of the qualifying rounds, Willow Brook’s teams placed first, second and fifth. At the conclusion, two teams shared second place and one team shared third place. But for the students at Willow Brook, Robotics Club isn’t just about competition. The program teaches a variety of skills, including teamwork, leadership and communication.

“They learn to lean on teammates for their strengths and when to step up for their own abilities,” Duncan said. They learn how to create and read schematic and technical designs. They learn how to voice their concerns or fears and how to support or learn from teammates. Robotics is an extremely rewarding club. It is relevant to real-world applications that most kids will interact with for the rest of their lives. Everything the kids do in the club will carry over into their everyday life. From problem solving to teamwork, learning to advocate for your ideas, learning to compromise for the good of everyone and learning that risks and failures are really success if you learn from them.”

PATTONVILLE HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL

Extracurricular team steps out to share sisterhood and step with entire school

All eyes were on the stage at Pattonville Heights Middle School on the last day of Black History Month. In the midst of each lunch period, a group of 12 students on the school’s step team marched on stage and performed a short dance using only their voices, hands and feet for accompaniment. It was the first time the team was able to perform for an audience in three years.

“We normally perform at the AAA (African American Achievers) Black History program, but unfortunately they canceled it this year,” said Christian Metheney, Heights math teacher and step team coach. Metheney, who is a 2012 Pattonville alumna, and volunteer coach Sydney BoClair, Pattonville Class of 2019, developed the routines and taught them to the students. The team originated three years ago and debuted at the AAA event before COVID-19 hampered their second-year plans.

Step routines are performed without music. The dancers use the rhythmic movement of hands and feet to create sounds and beats, while vocalizing any accompanying lyrics or chants. The music arises as the dancers clap or slap their hands against parts of their body and by the stomping of their feet.

Stepping originated out of Black fraternities and sororities and became popular among middle and high school students as well. Performing during Black History Month gave students an opportunity to share an important aspect of Black culture while demonstrating spirit and pride. But for team members, the group goes beyond just performance.

“The biggest advantage of having step at Heights is the sisterhood it creates,” Metheney said. “Our team is very unique and many girls from different grades can look up to each other.”

Members of the Pattonville Heights Middle School step team perform during lunch sessions.

Above, Willow Brook Elementary School Robotics Club sponsor David Duncan, left, helps team members problem solve. Shown are, from left, Peyton Seay, Caleb Guss, Lorenzo Bana and Nicholas Damazyn. At left, team members celebrate successfully launching balls from their robot to score points. Shown are, from left, Mustafa Kareem, Matthew Hunter, McKenna Hunter and Jibril Abdulla.

BRAGGING WRITES

Honors, Awards and Achievements by Pattonville Students and Staff

ROSE ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Maryland Heights Volunteer of Year

Tracey Robinson, a teacher in the Program for Exceptionally Gifted Students (PEGS) at Rose Acres Elementary School, was selected as the Maryland Heights Community Volunteer of the Year. The award recognizes individuals that go the extra mile serving others. She was chosen for organizing a Trash Bash group on Nextdoor, coordinating with volunteers to clean up areas around the community. Robinson was also recognized for creating service-driven projects for students and community service opportunities which allows residents to use their time and talents to give back to Maryland Heights.

REMINGTON TRADITIONAL SCHOOL

St. Louis County Youth Council

Remington eighth grader Sophie Chapman was selected to serve on the St. Louis County Youth Council, an advisory board made up of 15 members, aged 14 to 22. The youth council is charged with advising county agencies and the county executive’s office on issues affecting youth, from increasing voter turnout to renovating county parks. The group meets eight times a year and submits an annual report to the County Council, as well as a special report on the panel’s first six months of activity.

PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

Rosemary Zander Award

Senior Paul Davey was selected as a recipient of the Rosemary Zander Award sponsored by the Special School District (SSD). The award recognizes the success of students who receive services from SSD for their accomplishments in different areas, including academics, arts, athletics, employment and community service.

St. Louis CITY Soccer Club player

Pattonville junior Miguel Perez was selected as a player on St. Louis CITY Soccer Club’s roster for STL CITY 2, the club’s development team that will participate in the MLS NEXT Pro League. The midfielder is playing in the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season that kicked off in March. Serving as a building block for the first team in Major League Soccer, STL CITY 2 allows players to get familiar with CITY’s style of play as they continue to develop their abilities and professional experience. Perez was previously named to the academy soccer program, a professional development program. STL CITY 2 is the next step after participating in the NEXT Academy.

National cheerleading honors

After competing at the 2022 NCA High School Nationals in Dallas, Texas, the varsity cheerleading team placed fourth in the Intermediate Coed Varsity Game Performance division and won the Best Use of Jumps award. Members of the varsity cheerleading team are Alliah Allen, Bianca Appleton, Ian Bailey, Taniyah Brown, Caraline Guetschow, Isabelle Hatfield, Tate Holt, Clare Ridings, Selena Riede, Riesen Riley, Lauren Turner and Amaya Washington. The team is coached by Kalli Hunt, Kevin Gostling and Amy Tran.

High school teapot exhibit

The following students submitted ceramic teapots that were selected for exhibit in the High School Teapot Exhibit: Macy Hanford, Leliyan Hughes, Jamie Newell, Valent Orta and Katie Pina. Their work was displayed in the Spiritas Gallery at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. The exhibit was presented in conjunction with Reflection Tea: 18th Biennial Teapot Exhibition at Craft Alliance Center of Art and Design. Scott Fader teaches ceramics at the high school.

Art and Poetry Project

Junior Anthony Cruz and senior Analiese Smith had artwork chosen for the 2022 Art and Poetry Project by the Gateway Writing Project (GWP). Postcards of their artwork were printed and sent to area schools to inspire students to write poetry. The postcards with poems from those schools were then mailed back to GWP to publish with the artwork in a book in celebration of National Poetry Month in April.

Youth Poet Laureate

Senior Lauren Barton was named a Co-Youth Poet Laureate of St. Louis. She will be asked to recite her work at various events this year and given opportunities to publish select works. Barton was inducted during a ceremony hosted by Urbstetiks virtually and in-person on March 6 at UrbArts Gallery in Old North St. Louis.

State swimming honors

Freshman Emma Eiswirth placed 15th in the 100-yard breaststroke at the state championships. During preliminaries, she finished with a time of 1:10:38, breaking the school record set in the 19992000 season. The previous record holder is Anna Braswell, who coaches the swimmers along with Ashley Haar.

College athletic signings

Seven student-athletes officially made a commitment to play a sport at the next level on Feb. 15. The students, the sports they will play and their future schools are: Helen Bae, lacrosse, Maryville University; Julia Blankenship, soccer, McKendree University; Kate Germano, soccer, Eastern Illinois University; Chloe Kerwin, lacrosse, Maryville University; Lindsey Meyer, soccer, Trine University; Isaac Reddy, swimming, Ohio Northern University; and Charlotte Taylor, lacrosse, The College of Saint Rose.

Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award

Eleanor Taylor, high school English learner teacher, was selected to receive a Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. The program recognizes St. Louis area educators for their accomplishments and dedication to their students and the teaching profession. Last spring, Taylor was named Pattonville’s Teacher of the Year. She also earned a Regional Teacher of the Year recognition and was named one of seven finalists for the 2022 Missouri Teacher of the Year.

Sophie Chapman

Paul Davey

Miguel Perez

Anthony Cruz Analiese Smith

The Pattonville High School varsity cheerleaders placed fourth at nationals and won the Best Use of Jumps award.

Pattonville High School students Leliyan Hughes, left, and Valent Orta had their teapots chosen for exhibition.

Emma Eiswirth

Helen Bae

Julia Blankenship Kate Germano Chloe Kerwin

Lindsey Meyer Isaac Reddy Charlotte Taylor

Lauren Barton

Pattonville teacher earns state award and more

Pattonville teachers earn National Board Certification

Three Pattonville teachers earned certification as a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). Drummond Elementary School second grade teacher Ashley Burd and first grade teacher Amber Wilson each earned certification in Generalist/Early Childhood. Remington Traditional School English learner specialist Michele Hill achieved certification in English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood Path 2. NBCT is considered the gold standard in teacher certification and is designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. Certification is awarded by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and NBCTs can keep their certification active by completing a Maintenance of Certification every five years.

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Tom Iffrig, Class of 1992A driver education teacher at Pattonville High School, Iffrig was recognized with the 2022 Missouri Teacher Excellence Award by the Missouri Driver Safety Education Association (MODSEA) during its annual state conference. He will attend the national American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association conference in Vancouver, Washington, in July, as Missouri’s nominee for the national Teacher Excellence Award. The recognition honors outstanding driver and traffic safety educators. Iffrig started teaching in Pattonville in 1997 as a middle school health and PE teacher. In 2007, he moved to Pattonville High School as a driver education teacher and has previously served as a coach for boys and girls soccer at the high school.

Cheri Evans, Class of 1995 - Evans was featured in an article in the Go! section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch promoting an upcoming concert. Evans is a songwriter and a popular R&B and jazz singer with St. Louis acts such as Love Jones the Band, Arvell and Co., Galaxy, and her own band, CEEJazzSoul. Read the story at: bit.ly/CheriEvans2022

Martin Nance, Class of 2001 - Nance was recognized by the NFL Alumni on its Facebook page during Black History Month. A former NFL wide receiver, Nance spent time with the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers across four seasons (2006 to 2009) and was a Super Bowl XLIII champion with the Steelers in his final season. Nance is currently the executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Minnesota Vikings.

Kelly Gordon, Class of 2006Gordon recently earned her APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) from the Public Relations Society of America. Accreditation is a voluntary certification program, and public relations professionals must pass an in-person panel with other APR professionals, as well as a written exam, both designed to test a practitioner’s competence in and knowledge of public relations. Gordon currently serves as a community relations specialist and secretary to the board of education for the Pattonville School District. She will become Pattonville’s chief communications officer on July 1.

ALUMNI SUCCESS Graduates in the news

Mikala McGhee, Class of 2012 - McGhee will compete in the 2022 Miss Missouri USA Pageant, set for April 30 and May 1 at The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts in Branson. McGhee is currently an anchor and reporter for Fox 2 Now and KPLR.

Aric Hamilton, Class of 2019 - Hamilton was elected to serve as the next Saint Louis University (SLU) Student Government Association (SGA) president. Hamilton will be the 50th person to hold the position and is the first Black student to be elected in the history of the university. As a junior, he currently serves as the vice president of diversity and inclusion on the SGA executive board and is majoring in education with a minor in political science. “As President, I will serve as the official University representative for 8,100-plus students, steward a $1.3-plus million operating budget, support 180 student organizations, and work collaboratively with university stakeholders to elevate the SLU experience by creating an institutional culture where all are seen, heard, valued, and most importantly, loved,” Hamilton said.

Emma Hoormann, Class of 2021 - Hoormann, a behavioral health tech at St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health at SSM Health DePaul Hospital, was recognized in an article on the SSM Health website for her acts of kindness with patients. She began a routine where she writes personal notes of encouragement to each patient and attaches the notes to their morning supplies of towels and clothes. She writes 10 to 15 notes per shift, all while continuing her other job responsibilities, but noted it was worth the extra effort. “A lot of them hang the notes on the walls in their rooms, which is so rewarding to me,” Hoormann said in the article. “Our patients are going through a lot, and sometimes they’ll make sure to stop me and ask me for another note.” Hoormann took part in Pattonville’s CNA (certified nursing assistant) program prior to graduation. Read her story at: bit.ly/HoormannStory2022.

Tom Iffrig

Cheri Evans (Angela Girardier Photography)

Kelly Gordon

Aric Hamilton

Emma Hoormann

Drummond Elementary School teachers Ashley Burd, left, and Amber Wilson are among the Pattonville teachers who recently earned National Board Certification.

Michele Hill