Highlights Pattonville A top-tier district in Missouri and the U.S.
MAY 2021
School news for parents, residents and staff of the Pattonville School District
Inside
Pattonville named on national Best High Schools ranking - See page 2 for details
Summer meals offered for students 18 and younger - See page 2 for details
Science under the sun BOARD OF EDUCATION
Dr. Brian Gray, President Mary Kay Campbell, Vice President Mindy Ridings, Secretary Ruth Petrov, Treasurer Andrea Glenn, Director Jeanne Schottmueller, Director Brandon Wilkes, Director
That ALL will learn.
Pattonville School District 11097 St. Charles Rock Road St. Ann, MO 63074-1509
Pattonville is an awardwinning public district in St. Louis County, Missouri. The district is fully accredited by the state and is recognized for academic success on the regional, state and national level. Our Mission
Pattonville Heights Middle School sixth graders in Terri Sallee’s science class take part in a “Bird Beak Buffet” lab outside at their school. The lab was designed to help students learn about natural selection and how variation in traits can help or harm an organisms’ ability to survive. Students studied birds with different beak traits - fork-billed, scoop-billed or blade-billed - that were trying to eat beans of various sizes and colors. The students acted as the birds using different eating utensils as the beaks. “We were using forks, spoons and knives and trying to pick up the red, white and black beans and put them in a cup which was the bird’s stomach,” Tristan Curry said. “Our stomachs couldn’t touch the ground and we weren’t allowed to touch the beans with our hands.” Top photo, from left, Luca Gonzalez Mercado, Dylan Gray, Dalilah Rodawald and Eleanor Vanengelen work together on their lab. Bottom left, Allison Chillers logs her observations during the bird beak lab. Bottom right, Luca Gonzalez Mercado and Isabel Welch try to collect beans with their utensils during the lab.
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Dr. Tim Pecoraro Superintendent
From the Superintendent
Perseverance during a year like no other T
he end of the 2020-2021 school year is upon us. What a year it has been. Our students and teachers proved they could continue the learning process even when faced with obstacles like we’ve never experienced before. When I reflect on the past 14 months and how Pattonville Dr. Tim Pecoraro staff members have persevered, Superintendent I’m reminded of a quote by Dieter Follow on Twitter: F. Uchtdorf, “It’s your reaction to @PattonvilleSupt adversity, not adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop.” That statement sums up this school year. Everyone in our country was faced with adversity due to the global pandemic. As a school district, we were forced to begin the school year in a 100% virtual setting. Instead of complaining about the circumstances, our staff did everything they could to be as prepared as possible for the first day of school. They attended training in the summer to learn the tools needed to successfully teach virtually. A few weeks later, as some of our students returned to in-person learning, some staff members had to shift to be prepared for both in-person and virtual teaching to meet the needs of our students. One word that I think best describes our staff this year is “flexible.” Many years ago when I was going to college to become a teacher, my professors would always describe characteristics of great teachers. Flexibility in delivering instruction was always near the top of the list. I don’t believe they envisioned the kind of flexibility that was needed this year when making those statements 30 years ago. Our teachers and support staff personnel thrived because they were willing to make the necessary adjustments to make certain they were meeting the needs of our students. As the school year progressed, more changes came our way. Some families who selected virtual instruction for the first semester changed their choices for the second semester which altered our staffing model and impacted how some of our staff delivered instruction during the latter part of the school year. Our staff rolled with the punches and did what was needed to help the students they worked with. In addition to supporting our students academically this year, our staff has made a concerted effort to support the emotional needs many of our students and families have faced. From phone calls, Zoom meetings or home visits, our staff has been diligent in making certain no child has been lost during these trying times. I’ve been so impressed with the Healing the Cove series our staff put together to provide support for our families in a variety of areas. This is a prime example of a group of individuals identifying areas of need and creating the necessary solution. Twenty years from now when we look back on this time in our history and take a deep dive into how the pandemic impacted schools and children, I’m confident we’ll be pleased with how Pattonville was able to continue to focus on learning and supporting our students’ emotional health even though there were so many distractions coming our way. During a time in our country when so many are divided, I hope we can agree on one thing, our staff did an outstanding job caring for and supporting students during the most difficult school year we’ve ever had.
Pattonville High School named among Best High Schools in Missouri, nation P
attonville High School is ranked among the top high schools in Missouri and the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best High Schools list. Pattonville ranked as No. 37 out of 603 high schools in Missouri, placing it in the Top 6% of high schools in the state. Nationally, the high school was ranked in the Top 19% of high schools. This is the eighth time Pattonville earned a spot on U.S. News’ Best High Schools list in the past nine years. The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on nearly 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 18,000 schools were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college, including access to Advanced Placement courses and tests, graduation rate and meeting the needs of underserved students. The Best High Schools rankings are produced using data from official third-party sources such as the College Board, U.S. Department of Education and state data on assessments and graduation rates. Find out more at bit.ly/PHSbest2021.
Board swears in newly elected board members
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eturning board member Jeanne Schottmueller and new board member Brandon R. Wilkes were sworn into office during the April 13 meeting of the Pattonville Board of Education. Immediate past board president Andrea Glenn administered the oath of office. Schottmueller and Wilkes were elected to three-year terms during the April 6 general municipal election. The board of education and superintendent Dr. Tim Pecoraro also thanked departing board member Dr. Amanda Lieunau Purnell for her three years of service on the board. Andrea Glenn, immediate past board president, right, swears in The school board voted on officers and annewly elected school board members Brandon Wilkes, left, and Jeanne Schottmueller. Below, superintendent Dr. Tim Pecoraro, left, nual appointments to various organizations. recognizes departing board member Dr. Amanda Lieunau Purnell. The officers are as follows: Dr. Brian Gray, president; Mary Kay Campbell, vice president; Mindy Ridings, secretary; and Ruth Petrov, treasurer. Campbell was also appointed to the Pattonville Education Foundation. Gray was appointed as a delegate to the Missouri School Boards Association, with Schottmueller appointed as alternate. Campbell was appointed as the board member to represent Pattonville on the Governing Council of the Special School District, with Petrov as alternate.
Pattonville offers free summer meals for children
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hildren ages 18 and under can access free summer meals through Pattonville’s participation in the federal Seamless Summer Program. Offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program is designed to ensure students have access to meals during the summer when school is not in session. Meals will be available from noon to 1 p.m. weekdays at Drummond Elementary School, starting June 7. The curbside pickup meal will include a hot lunch for the current day and breakfast for the following day. Students in the elementary summer school program at Drummond will also receive a free lunch. No reservations are necessary for the curbside pickup. For more information, contact the food services department at psdcafe@psdr3.org or (314) 213-8054.
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Administrative team chosen for national Trailblazer Spirit Leader Award T
he administrative team behind Pattonville’s Pirate Academy was chosen to receive the 2021 Trailblazer Spirit Leader Award by the Institute for Personalized Learning. The Pattonville team was selected based on their dedication to personalized learning and for embodying the “Trailblazer Spirit.” The administrative team for the Pirate Academy at Holman Middle School includes Holman principal Dr. Sarah Moran, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning Dr. Tina Plummer, director of innovation and life readiness Odetta Smith and director of secondary education Dr. Cara Hiripitiyage. The team was nominated by Maegan Bowersox, who teaches in the Pirate Academy alongside fellow teacher Emily Difani. The Trailblazer Award is given annually to educators who have shown resilience and courage in forging a path for others in personalized learning. In recognition of the fact that trailblazing is different for administrators versus classroom teachers, awards are given in two categories: leader and practitioner. “The Trailblazer Award not only celebrates educa-
Honored with the Trailblazer Spirit Leader Award were, from left, Dr. Sarah Moran, Odetta Smith, Dr. Cara Hiripitiyage and Dr. Tina Plummer.
tors who are exceptional champions for student-centered learning, it also recognizes the impact that these individuals have on the lives of countless learners in their classrooms and district,” said Dr. Brenda Vogds, director of the Institute for Personalized Learning. “It is
my honor to congratulate this year’s honorees on their contributions to the educational community.” Pattonville’s Pirate Academy enables Holman students to learn core subjects (English language arts, math, science and social studies) in a way that provides students personal choice in how they master and demonstrate they have acquired key concepts and skills. Students learn their core subjects through projects that blend the subject areas together. Students learn needed 21st century skills like initiative, productivity, creativity, collaboration and perseverance through the use of pacing and student voice. Block scheduling allows teachers to flex their teaching time so they can work with learners to get to the heart of what they know, what they need to know and how to get there. The Pirate Academy team is intentional about not giving up until students have mastered every learning target, because they believe that reassessment may be the most impactful part of the process. They are shifting the paradigm from the belief that learning is something students do for their teacher, to something they do for themselves.
Pattonville bus drivers and transportation staff are shown after their annual safety inspection.
Transportation department earns Missouri Highway Patrol fleet excellence award T
he Pattonville School District earned the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s “Total Fleet Excellence Award” following its annual safety inspection. The transportation department team obtained a first-time approval score of 94% during the annual inspection of its buses, and the district’s score was 100% at the conclusion of the inspection. The buses that had a minor issue were repaired quickly, re-inspected and approved. Practices that worked for the transportation department to exceed the 90% inspection score to qualify for the award were: a standardized preventative bus inspection checklist followed by mechanics; mechanics inspecting buses immediately before the bus entered the staging lineup; well-trained driver inspection team; and retaining one mechanic at the inspection line for inspector questioning and miscellaneous requests. All Pattonville school bus route drivers were also certified in the Smith System of safe driving at the beginning of the school year and new drivers complete the online program. The Smith System is recognized as the industry leader in professional CDL driver training, hands-on vehicle safety education programs and defensive driving. More than half of Fortune 500 fleets use the Smith System for driver safety training.
FCC offers discounts on internet for families T
he Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a temporary program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Broadband Benefit provides a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers. Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail-in application. For more information, including eligibility and enrollment information, visit www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit or call (833) 511-0311.
Members of Remington Traditional School’s book battle team confer on a question during the virtual Pattonville Area-Wide Book Battle. Shown are, from left, Ruth Ayele, Audrey Dallape, Bridgett Tyarks, Nadya Herman, Bridget Cox and Brandon Rutlin. Team member Lakshita Raja participated with the teammates.
14th annual Pattonville Area-Wide Book Battle resumes in virtual format A
fter a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the annual Pattonville Area-Wide Book Battle for middle school students returned for its 14th time on May 5, albeit virtually. Teams from Holman Middle School, Pattonville Heights Middle School and Remington Traditional School competed with 21 other middle schools. The event also featured virtual visits by four authors. The Pattonville Area-Wide Book Battle gives middle school students the opportunity to meet and discuss current books of interest. Pattonville’s book battle committee creates a list of books that includes a variety of genres and reading levels. The committee develops questions for each book that are formatted so each answer is the title and author of a book on the list. Fifteen-minute virtual author visits from Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, Celia C. Perez and Alicia D. Williams were held between rounds. Students were encouraged to create teams to read and discuss the books contained on the list. Teams began reading and preparing for the competition in October. This year’s list included 20 books. If necessary, schools may conduct semi-final rounds to select their final team. The top team from each middle school competed virtually against teams from other districts in the Area-Wide Book Battle. The student team members this year from Pattonville were: • Holman: Matthew Cutrell, Eli Dukes, Addison Gutschenritter, Reese Jackson and Prina Limbachia; • Pattonville Heights: Rowan Conner, Christi Dyer, Kaylee Dyer, Lola Hennrich, Sophia Hershberger and Tai Seddens; and • Remington Traditional: Ruth Ayele, Bridget Cox, Audrey Dallape, Nadya Herman, Lakshita Raja, Brandon Rutlin and Bridgett Tyarks.
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Nineteen Pattonville High School student athletes sign to play college sports J
oined by their coaches, family and friends, 19 Pattonville High School student athletes made a commitment to play a sport at the college level during an event hosted in the main gym on April 21. Signing letters of intent to play at the next level were: • Dez Adams, soccer, Iowa Wesleyan University; • Levi Banks, basketball, St. Louis Community College; • Quentin Bartlett, volleyball, Missouri Baptist University; • Alijah Carter, basketball, St. Louis Community College; • Nolan Cobbs Jr., football, Central Methodist University; • Ethan Gray, water polo, McKendree University; • Abigail Hachmeister, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field, University of MinnesotaMorris; • Cora Hautekeete, cross country and track and field, California Lutheran University; • JP Killian, cross country and track and field, Missouri Baptist University; • Neno Lee, basketball, Iowa Wesleyan University; • Kyleigh Maryas, soccer, Culver-Stockton College; • BJ Morgan, football, Iowa Wesleyan University; • Lucy Ndungu, cross country and track and field, Cloud County Community College; • Zach Noles, volleyball, Missouri Baptist University; • Millen Patel, baseball, Culver-Stockton College • Cole Schuler, volleyball, Lindenwood University; • Wes Spitzmiller, football, University of Dubuque; • Jake Vitale, baseball, Parkland College; and • Sophia Zegar, lacrosse, Trine University.
Dez Adams
Levi Banks
Quentin Bartlett
Alijah Carter
Nolan Cobbs
Ethan Gray
Abigail Hachmeister
Cora Hautekeete
JP Killian
Neno Lee
Kyleigh Maryas
BJ Morgan
Lucy Ndungu
Zach Noles
Millen Patel
Cole Schuler
CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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great way to keep up on Pattonville news is by following the district on social media. You can also find great stories on Pattonville’s website at www.psdr3.org.
Wes Spitzmiller
Jake Vitale
Sophia Zegar
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PSDR3 Instagram: @PattonvilleSD Twitter: @PattonvilleSD YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PattonvilleR3
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Our Learners Spotlight on
News focusing on students, staff and schools in Pattonville
WILLOW BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Group of fifth graders, parent leaders provide improvements to outdoor classroom W
hen members of Girl Scout Junior Troop 1280 began working toward their Bronze Awards, they needed to find a way to help their community. The award requires at least 20 hours of volunteer work per member. The Girl Scouts didn’t have to look long. The 14 members, who are all fifth graders at Willow Brook Elementary School, decided to work on projects that would help their own school community. The Girl Scouts decided to refurbish the outdoor learning space that was created in 2019 in a back corner of the school campus. School nurse Roxanne Comens and counselor Yue Buss led the efforts to create the original space, which included picnic tables, work tables, sand pits, planters and more. The COVID-19 pandemic sidelined its use and further development until the Girl Scouts stepped in. “The girls wanted to provide a place for teachers and students to learn in the outdoor learning space/garden,” said Rebecca Leb, Willow Brook parent and Girl Scout leader. “They have worked very hard the past two years as a troop selling Girl Scouts cookies. We were able to budget $3,700 towards the project.” The Scouts met with the building leadership, art teacher Dawn Lynn and Comens to discuss what the school would like and what the troop could accomplish. “They also created a survey for the staff
to see how the teachers would like to use the space and what they would like included,” Leb said. “After their planning and research, the Scouts presented their plan to the school for approval. We also made a proposal to Willow Brook’s PTO for additional funds to be able to carry out the full plans.” One of the first priorities was adding sturdy benches for students to use during classes held in the outdoor space. The girls have been meeting regularly after school with parent leaders to complete other projects related to the outdoor classroom, such as painting tires that frame the space, placing plants in the planter boxes, creating outdoor decor and cleaning up the pathways and walk surfaces. The Scouts’ plan also included a free Little Library at the school. The students have also been collecting books for the new library box. “We thought a free library that could be used by the Willow Brook families, as well as the community, would be beneficial to encourage reading,” Leb said. “There also isn’t one in close proximity to the school. The girls have been working on collecting books from families and friends, so the troop can keep the library well stocked for months to come.” The Pattonville maintenance crew recently installed the library near the school’s sidewalk entrance on Schuetz Road.
Above, Willow Brook Elementary School fifth graders and Girl Scouts Bailey Farrar, left, and Morgan Leb spray paint pieces to create a yard art caterpillar in the school’s outdoor classroom. At left, the Girl Scout troop painted the tires surrounding the learning space and funded the addition of new benches and teaching table.
BRIDGEWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Students, families participate in robust STEM Night held via Zoom B
ridgeway Elementary School’s virtual STEM Night on April 8 offered a way for students and families to engage with several activities related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The school’s STEM Committee has hosted STEM Nights in previous school years and it’s been very popular with the families, so committee members knew they couldn’t pass up the chance to host it virtually. The difference was that everyone had to participate via Zoom. The STEM Committee includes Jim Gleason, Leslie Jones, Emily Lerman, Vicki Martin, Jessie Pavlak and Nisa Peters. The committee normally offers a show or guest presentation, followed by multiple activity stations and the science fair project displays. This year, all of the same choices were offered, just virtually. The 30-minute show was Sounds Like Science by MadScience St. Louis, and the activities included a paper chain challenge, a tower building challenge, a foil boat challenge, paper airplane building and scientific-
Bridgeway Elementary School teacher Dan Derby leads an activity via Zoom during the school’s virtual STEM Night.
directed drawings led by staff. Student-created science fair projects were also available for viewing. In making the event virtual, Martin said committee members made a STEM Night kit available to anyone who wanted one. “Families were able to sign up for bags containing
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the supplies necessary to complete each of the STEM challenges,” she said. Students picked four of the six 15-minute STEM Zoom sessions to participate in throughout the night. Committee members asked for teacher and staff volunteers to lead the challenges and all of the preparations were completed by the six-member team. The event was promoted through the morning announcements, flyers sent home and shared virtually. Teachers were asked to share details of the event with their students and a promotional video was shown in the classrooms. Martin said more than 60 devices logged into the event and many of those devices were being used by more than one child. She estimates about 100 people in total participated in the night’s events. “This night went great!” she said. “The show was engaging and the students who visited the challenges were very engaged and had a great time. It was wonderful to bring this back after having to skip it last year.”
Paraprofessional Jessie O’Brien, second from left, and executive secretary Veronica White, left, assist students in planting flowers in a container near the school entrance. They are, from left, Urijah Webb, Mason Straight and Javon Jones.
Holman Middle School students Tahj Dillon, left, and Jaydon Oldham, center, fill veteran care packages with the help from teacher Jennifer Tomlanovich.
PARKWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HOLMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Students learn science of seeds S
taff at Parkwood Elementary School plant seeds of knowledge that grow forever, but none have taken that lesson more literally than executive secretary Veronica White who recently worked with students in Special School District (SSD) teacher Kelsey Magee’s class. Magee’s students were working on a science unit and learning about the life cycle of plants, and White, who maintains the garden in front of the school, wanted them to be a part of the project. “Ms. White has a very special relationship with a lot of our friends, and she wanted to know if we would like to be a part of helping with the plants outside,” Magee said. Students put soil and seeds in pots they painted themselves. They also went outside and placed violas in the planter pot at the front of the school. White spends most of her time in the front office, but has been able to build relationships with students throughout the school, especially
those in Magee’s class. “Those students are my friends, and they come and see me when they’re having meltdowns, when they just need a break or they’ll just come and say, ‘Hi!’ ” White said. “A student and I got to talking one day about what I like to do so I said, ‘How about one day you help me?’ and so we turned it into a science lesson.” Stepping out from behind her desk and in front of a class was the highlight of her day. “That was my lunch today, because, you know, I still have to do my normal job as the secretary but being able to teach the kids something that they’ll remember me for and we can have a relationship about means a lot to me.” She placed a sign in the flower pot at the front of the school so everyone knows who worked on it. “Parents will know who did that, and it will be a special sign for me too because I’ll pass that every day and know we made a difference,” White said.
Students lead project for veterans home A
t Holman Middle School, service learning is an important part of school life, and for students in April Rainwater’s Teen Connect classes, it’s been an ongoing effort since February. With a goal of teaching students to be contributing members of society, Rainwater gave her students free rein to choose a service learning project to plan and carry out, including students in her virtual class period. Virtual students Tahj Dillon and Jaydon Oldham collaborated online for their project to provide care packages for residents of a local veterans’ nursing home. The students considered other options, like a car wash (too wet) and a bake sale (not feasible due to COVID), but ultimately chose to support veterans. The boys said they thought of them because they had previously written letters to local veterans and because Dillon has a grandfather who is a veteran and a father who currently serves in the military. The students began their project by
making a video to advertise they were collecting items. They researched nursing homes and chose to support the Missouri Veterans Home-St. Louis. “They worked together on it, then they recorded it and pieced it together,” Rainwater said. “They did an amazing job.” The veterans home provided a list of snacks and other items the residents would enjoy, including anything edible, slippers, paints and markers, coloring pages and board or card games. Students, staff and families at Holman donated many of the sought-after items on the list, as well as approximately $260 in cash to support the project. Dillon and Oldham then decided what they were missing and Rainwater used the monetary donations to purchase the items. The students returned to school for the first time in almost a year to help assemble the care packages. They dropped the packages off the same day. “It’s very exciting to see it finally come together,” Rainwater said.
DRUMMOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HERO program promotes readiness to learn F
Drummond Elementary School students run in the halls with supervision from counselor Melissa Reynolds, right, as part of a reward for being at school every day, on time and ready to learn.
ourth grader Marcus Young was running through the hallways at Drummond Elementary recently, but he earned the chance to break the rules by following the rules. Every month, students with 95% or higher attendance are invited to participate in a HERO event. HERO, standing for Here Everyday Ready On-Time, encourages students to be at school by providing an incentive. “They were thrilled over the moon to be doing this annual event,” counselor Melissa Reynolds said. “The students have been asking about it since
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we returned to school.” In-person HERO events took place every two weeks in order to give students multiple opportunities to be celebrated for positive attendance. The first celebration of the month was done by the classroom teacher and the second was organized by building administrators and the counseling team. Other celebrations this year included a Treat Cart in April and a Block Party with sidewalk chalk and music in May. The school also honored Villemade virtual students for attendance and online engagement.
Sixth, seventh and eighth graders at Remington Traditional School participate in a drum circle as part of a unit on drums and percussion.
REMINGTON TRADITIONAL SCHOOL
From left, Felix Suen and Madison Pfeiffer are among students who participate in peer modeling classes at the Pattonville Early Childhood Center.
Drum circles take music to great outdoors
PATTONVILLE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
Peer modeling aids student development T
eachers are important role models, but learning from peers at the Pattonville Early Childhood Center is an integral part of the programming. Most of the preschool classrooms at the center include both typically developing children along with children with special needs, however a unique Peer Model Program is exclusive for classrooms with more specific special education needs, such as autism or social emotional behavioral delays. The model program enables typically developing children to be integrated into early childhood special education classrooms to serve as role models for children with special needs. Peer modeling is a teaching strategy that has an important influence on children during skill acquisition. Early childhood special education teacher Meredith Keough and her team use it in their classroom every day to address the different learning needs of students. “Our classroom is very targeted on teaching those social skills and peer interactions so we really put an emphasis on that,” Keough said. “It is really helpful to allow those peers who have strong social skills to interact and model those behaviors and provide a learning opportunity for our peers with special needs.”
The classroom is a mix of students who are three to five years old. Students participate in large group, small group and independent learning activities throughout the half-day program. “They could be singing and dancing and modeling words and actions or playing with a train with a friend and working on play skills and social interactions,” Keough said. “The peer modeling method shows the students how to follow directions and practice taking turns, and by doing it together, they have somebody to have that interaction with.” All the classrooms work on the same curriculum skills, but Keough said they break it down a little bit more in her class. “I’m really trying to create those opportunities where the student who’s working on those social skills and those peer interactions can have structured repetitive practice with it,” she said. The Peer Model Program is free for Pattonville residents. Children must demonstrate age-appropriate skills in the areas of play, social, behavior, speech, language and motor to be considered. All peer models must be independent with toileting. Children must complete a developmental screening and meet other requirements. Find out more at ec.psdr3.org under the preschool tab.
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he pounding of drums recently thundered through a bright, blue-sky afternoon at Remington Traditional School. Dozens of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students stretched out across an asphalt play area behind the school to perform a drum circle, the final note in a unit on drums and percussion. The students used a variety of percussion instruments as Remington vocal music teacher Demi Avery led them. The students even had an audience, as a class of kindergarten students briefly watched and danced along while at recess. For Avery, the beautiful spring weather provided the perfect opportunity to bring students outdoors to enjoy the sun and play some music, far from Zoom screens. “My third through fifth grade students have been playing recorders outside because you can really make music anywhere,” she said. “It is a great opportunity for them to make music together. When we were playing on Zoom, all you could hear was me and their own recorder sound due to them having to remain muted. It has been such a joy and reminder of why I do what I do to see their faces when they successfully play as a team.” The team dynamic solidified as Avery’s students worked on drum circles. “They are a social and improvi-
sational form of music where everyone communicates with a variety of percussion instruments, mainly tubanos,” she said. “It is used often for music therapy because it is a place where everyone is speaking, everyone is heard and each person’s sound is an essential part of the whole.” The percussion lessons started when students attended school virtually at the beginning of the school year. “When I was teaching virtual, my elementary and middle school kids spent a lot of time bucket drumming with buckets and drum sticks I was lucky enough to be able to provide,” she said. “Each grade level had different instruments provided that allowed for them to have some instrument technique learned during (virtual learning). I wanted to give them a break from their screens and a chance to really get moving.” Avery hoped the drum circles impacted students beyond learning how to play an instrument. “The pandemic has been really trying on these teens, and this is a great way for them to be heard whether they realize it or not,” she said. “Anything that can get eighth graders engaged and smiling, if you can catch it, is a win in my book.”
PATTONVILLE HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Campus field trip enhances science lesson S
Pattonville Heights Middle School science teacher Kelly Strobel, left, leads her students through observations on weathering, erosion and deposition in a field near the school.
tudents in Kelly Strobel’s science class saw the effects of weathering, erosion and deposition (W.E.D.) first-hand when they took a walk around the Pattonville Heights Middle School campus and viewed evidence of how their surroundings have changed over time. After taping a W.E.D. graphic organizer in their science notebooks, Strobel reviewed the scientific definitions of weathering, erosion and deposition and then took students on a field trip outside the classroom. They walked to the open field in
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front of school and observed what was around them. Strobel pointed out mud built up in spots and referred to it as sediment. “Do you notice how there’s not much grass right there?” she asked the gathered students. “Why do you think there’s no grass?” “Because the water has washed it all away,” one student finally said. “Good job! Excellent!” Students took photos and wrote a description of what they observed. Strobel explained it’s not only important to understand what is happening,
but why it is happening. She drew their attention to the brick retaining wall next to the school and asked students why they thought the builders placed the wall there. One student correctly answered that it was to prevent the sediment from running into the parking lot. Students who were looking around at the trees and at the slope of the hill were able to take the lesson they learned in the classroom and apply it to real-life scenarios.
PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Yearbook students pivot for success P
Maryland Heights Police Officer Bob Heitert speaks with Rose Acres Elementary School fifth grader Sofia Kliethermes during a DARE lesson.
ROSE ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
DARE adapts to teach students healthy choices M
aryland Heights police officer Bob Heitert learned a lot about teaching virtually this year. Heitert serves as the DARE officer for many schools in Maryland Heights, including Rose Acres Elementary School, and was able to bring his lessons to students, despite the changes in learning this year. DARE is not simply “just say no” and drug education. While DARE does incorporate drug education, it’s about making good decisions, problem solving and life skills. Students talk about peer pressure, communication skills and being good friends and citizens. For this reason, it was important to continue the program this school year. “DARE is a collaborative effort between schools, parents and law enforcement to protect our most precious assets,” Heitert said. “For me personally, quite simply, it’s the best job in the world. I love each and every one of these kids like they were my own. I take very seriously my responsibility to not only teach and protect these children, but to build positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities that we serve.” Before the pandemic hit last year, fifth graders in DARE had already participated in most of their events, such as the annual skate party and lock-in, and most of the curriculum was completed. This year was the opposite. Students missed many of the traditional events, but were able to participate in a graduation ceremony held at the school - or over Zoom for the virtual classes. Each classroom had their own ceremony instead of a joint event at the Maryland Heights Community Center. One thing didn’t change. It was a celebration of the students’ achievements. “This year was unprecedented, even more than last year,” Heitert said. “The students experiencing DARE for the first time don’t really know any different. The teachers and I, however, really were
challenged to meet the ever-changing circumstances.” Throughout the changes, the students were flexible. Having the students return in-person, though, was exciting for everyone. While Heitert believes he comes across better in person instead of through Zoom, he was happy to adapt to serve students. Heitert even went to the school and taught from a classroom so he could get everyone into a learning mentality. “I am not tech savvy, but the Rose Acres teachers and students proved that you can teach an old dog new tricks,” Heitert said. “In embracing the virtual world, I was able - forced - to shift from a lecture-based lesson plan to incorporating video clips and other visual aids to teach the kiddos. The students were incredible teachers and helped with any tech issues.” Adding some variety in his teaching was one positive that came out of virtual learning. Not every student learns best from lecture-based classes, so being creative and mixing in video, slides and hands-on activities only improved Heitert’s lessons. In April, students turned in their DARE essays and license plate projects. The license plates are a design activity where students create a DARE decoration on a template. The essay is very broad, and students can write about how the DARE program has impacted them, how the program can be improved, a personal experience that DARE helped them with or that they could have handled differently had they known techniques at the time or really any topic related to the program. Both projects are part of a competition, with a student from each class selected as winner for each project, and are required for graduation. “The most impressive thing about this year is how the principals and teachers stepped up to the plate for the kids,” Heitert said. “They went above and beyond, thought outside the box and made learning not only possible, but fun.”
utting a yearbook together during a school year as unique as this one was a challenge, but the students at Pattonville High School stepped up their game to create a memento that truly encapsulates their experiences. And the different phases of learning the students experienced this year made an important impact on the final product. As with so many things this year, the students had to come up with creative ideas and necessary changes for the final book. For example, group club pictures were taken over a Zoom meeting, instead of getting the group together physically. Because virtual students weren’t on campus, the staff relied on student-submitted images and email interviews so they could be included in the yearbook. Additionally, any sports that are traditionally played in the fall but were moved to spring were also moved to the supplement. “We definitely had to adapt, but we embraced that idea,” teacher Dr. Anne Boyd said. “I think the most important adaptation everyone made revolved around being as creative as possible to find solutions to obvious challenges.” Gathering information for the yearbook also looked different in a pandemic year, with staffers finding new ways to complete tasks, such as getting permission to attend events, requesting pictures from other groups when staffers couldn’t go themselves and upping their graphics skills to help give layouts a little something extra. “There really wasn't any complaining from anyone,” Boyd said. “Instead, the group came together to figure out how to accomplish things. Everyone just kept coming up with ideas and pitching in.” The yearbook is divided into sections that represent the different learning phases of the year. The 216-page yearbook covers the first two phases (virtual and hybrid) and the 18-page supplement covers five-day, in-person learning. Despite
being virtual for the first two months of school, and in hybrid for another four, the total page count was only a little shorter than previous years. Because there were a number of new students on staff, starting the school year off in a virtual learning environment was helpful in one way. It gave Boyd and the student editors a chance to teach the new staff about writing and design in more detail than last year. Then, when students returned to school in phase 2 in October, the foundations were already in place and the students could immediately start creating the yearbook. Boyd and three student editors also attended a virtual workshop in October. The workshop was vital to the staff’s success. The four attendees were able to hone the yearbook’s theme (“Are We Done Yet”), design layout templates and create the order of the book. They were also able to access planning sessions with experts who provided feedback throughout the planning process, which put them in a good spot when students returned later that month. “Despite the circumstances this year, and the almost brand new staff, everyone worked so hard to make this yearbook memorable,” said senior Aleigha Hornaday, the yearbook’s editor in chief. “Everyone took initiative and got it done, making my life a whole lot easier for my last year as editor. I’m most proud of the extra work each member put in and I’m confident that the good work will continue.” The students’ dedication was what most impressed Boyd and the editors. Almost all of the students worked over spring break, and they worked tirelessly to meet their deadline and create an inclusive final yearbook. “No book is perfect, and this one will be no exception, but the kids deserve so much credit,” Boyd said.
Pattonville High School yearbook adviser Dr. Anne Boyd, center standing, supervises as students edit yearbook proofs. They are, from left, Katie Ridings, photo editor; Lilly Lofland, copy editor; Aleigha Hornaday, editor in chief; and Evan Binz, design editor.
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BRAGGING WRITES
Honors, Awards and Achievements by Pattonville Students and Staff
PARKWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Midwest cricket player at nationals
Making a difference
Fifth grader Kaleb Greenough, who attends the Villemade Virtual Academy, was featured in one of Mike Bush’s “Making a Difference” segments on KSDK Ch. 5. When Greenough’s grandmother took a terrible fall, he logged into art teacher Janel Kaleb Greenough MacLean’s Zoom class to ask for help. MacLean and principal Melissa Yount-Ott helped connect the family with help from first responders.
ROSE ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
National Poison Prevention contest
Fifth grader Hannah Hope won first place in the Grade 5-8 category and $100 in the National Poison Prevention Week video contest sponsored by the National Poison Prevention Week Council. The video contest was open to all fifth through Hannah Hope 12th graders in the United States and the theme was poison prevention/safety. Fifth graders Devin Garner and Harrison Vandernoot were also finalists in the contest. The students are taught by PEGS (Program for Exceptionally Gifted Students) teachers Robin Chang and Tracey Robinson.
PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Junior Fayazul Haq Aftab was named to the Midwest Zone squad, which competed at the first-ever USA Cricket Men’s Under-19 National Championship in Houston, Texas in April. There were eight squads of 14 players who were chosen by the national and zonal men’s youth selection panels.
State DECA honor
Pattonville senior Zora Umana earned third place in entrepreneurship series at the state DECA competition and qualified for the national competition.
Zora Umana
Pattonville seniors Julia Drake and Christopher Tobar and junior Hannah Radican were each chosen for the all-state choir after an audition process. This is Drake’s second time earning all-state recognition. The students sing under the direction of Tracy Baker and Melynda Lamb.
Fayazul Haq Aftab
International HOSA qualifiers
Two groups of Pattonville students finished in the Top 5 for their events after competing in the virtual HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) state leadership conference. Juniors Loudin Cato, Esther Gbloesse, Chloe Kerwin and Lauren Marsala earned first place and are international qualifiers in creative problem solving. They will compete virtually at the International Leadership Conference in June. Seniors Teidrick Banks, Jadyn Powell, Jas Rai and Griffin Wick placed fifth in HOSA Bowl. Other students who competed at state were sophomore Camille Lofland, medical law and ethics; junior Diana Urbina, pharmacology; seniors Elizabeth Mulat and Britney Wallace, CPR/first aid; and juniors Dominique Bradshaw, Sarah Etwaroo, Ponon Masokano and India Reed, health career display. Their sponsor is biomedical science teacher Teidrick Banks Loudin Cato Jamie Jobe.
Speech/debate Academic All-American
Four seniors earned the National Speech and Debate Association’s (NSDA) Academic All-American Award. They are Anna de Garcia Jailah Broadway, Jailah Broadway Anna de Garcia, Mya Harris and Bell Tucci. The All-American award recognizes academic rigor, competitive speech and debate Mya Harris Bell Tucci success and personal excellence. From more than 141,000 NSDA student members, fewer than 1% earn the Academic All-American Award every year. In addition, Tucci placed third in U.S. extemporaneous speaking at the Missouri State High School Activities Association virtual state speech and debate tournament. Jennifer Raymond is the students’ speech and debate coach.
All-state choir
Esther Gbloesse
Chloe Kerwin
Lauren Marsala
Jadyn Powell
Jas Rai
Griffin Wick
Sophomore Pilgrimage
Sophomore Elise Banks was chosen to participate in the annual Sophomore Pilgrimage sponsored by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Missouri (GFWCMO), an all-day exclusive visit to Jefferson City, where Elise Banks selected students can observe the state Legislature in session, tour the Capitol and other government buildings and meet state legislators. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held virtually. A sophomore from each high school in the state is selected by the faculty to attend.
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Julia Drake
Hannah Radican
Christopher Tobar
All-state band/jazz band
Sophomores Max McFarland and Sydney Suvansri and senior Daniel Enberg earned all-state band honors. McFarland also earned all-suburban jazz band honors and was selected as a trumpet player for all-state jazz band. Suvansri was recognized with honorable mention all-state concert band and Enberg received honorable mention allstate jazz band. Their band directors are Denny McFarland, Anna White and Laura Livesay.
Daniel Enberg
Max McFarland
Sydney Suvansri
State music festival honors
Several students earned medals at the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) state music festival. Sophomore Jack Caesar earned a gold medal for trombone solo and a bronze medal for trombone trio. Junior Holly Jones earned a gold medal for her flute solo and a silver medal for mixed woodwind quartet. Junior Hayden Langston earned gold for his euphonium and trombone solos. Senior Amber Vigus earned a gold for her flute solo and a silver for mixed woodwind quartet. Other gold awardees were sophomores Cordy Matulewic, Joey Stewart and Sydney Suvansri for clarinet trio; and senior Alex Morschl for tuba solo. Sophomore Ivan Bradley earned a silver medal for flute solo and a bronze medal for alto saxophone solo. Junior Alyssa Koller earned silver medals for clarinet solo and mixed woodwind quartet and a bronze medal for saxophone trio. Freshman Kyle Manker earned a silver medal for saxophone quartet and a bronze for alto saxophone solo. Junior Elizabeth Wetzel Pearce earned silver medals for saxophone quartet and mixed woodwind quartet. Also earning silver medals were junior Ashley Bly for French horn solo; seniors Maddie Branson, Molly Hladky and Owen Moeller for percussion trio; freshman Kyle Brenner and sophomore Isabelle Usry for saxophone quartet; senior Andrew Brown, junior Nolan Davidson and sophomore Max McFarland for trumpet trio; freshman Marlie Corson and junior Rozella House for flute solos; sophomore Patrick Ferguson for trumpet solo; junior Rachel Gamino Pinon and seniors Kim Gomez, Abigail Hachmeister and Sophia Jones for
Continued on the next page.
BRAGGING WRITES
Honors, Awards and Achievements by Pattonville Students and Staff Continued from page 9
mixed woodwind quartet; and freshman Tyren Thompson for trombone solo. Bronze medalists at the state competition included senior Bryan Burns and sophomore Charlie Burns for trombone trio; senior Aaron Force for trumpet solo; sophomores Ethan Massey and Aydien Noel for saxophone trio; and sophomore Peyton Steiner for trombone solo. Their band directors are Denny McFarland, Laura Livesay and Anna White.
Rosemary Zander Awards
Pattonville seniors Anthony Ashby and Tamiah Bryant, junior Elizabeth Burton and sophomore Zachary Correa were seTamiah Bryant lected as winners Anthony Ashby of the Special School District’s (SSD) Rosemary Zander Award. The Rosemary Zander Award is SSD’s highest student honor Elizabeth Burton Zachary Correa and recognizes the accomplishments of students receiving services from SSD. Students are honored for success in a variety of categories, including academics, arts, athletics, communications, vocational training, employment, independent living skills, community service and extracurricular activities. The Pattonville students were nominated by their SSD teachers.
Boys basketball honors
Pattonville’s boys basketball team finished its season as the undefeated Suburban Conference (Red Division) and Class 6 District 5 champions. Junior Kellen Thames was selected as the conference and district Player of the Year. He was named to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch allmetro boys basketball first team and the Class 6 all-state team. Seniors Alijah Carter and Neno Lee were named all-conference first team and senior Levi Banks earned all-conference second team honors. All three players were also all-district selections. Juniors Justin Coleman and Michael Irving and senior Jonathan Cosby were awarded all-conference honorable mention and Cosby earned the Sportsmanship Award. Other members of the team were freshman Jordan Miller; sophomores Tory Allen, Jayden Essex, Zion Hampton and Tavant Lopaix; and juniors Umar Barrie and Zion Bradsher. Coach Kelly Thames was selected as the Suburban Conference (Red Division) Coach of the Year and was assisted by Kent Booth, Antonio Bryant, Michael English, Travis harris and Dominic Varner. Levi Banks Alijah Carter
Varsity drill team national place
The Pattonville varsity drill team earned third place in the medium varsity hip hop category at the 2021 National Dance Association (NDA) High School Virtual Nationals competition. Team members include Kaylee Cofer, Callie Farrar, Amaris Kirksey, Alyssa Mobley, India Reed, Katie Ridings, Niya Shockley, A’mari Smith, Shakyah Smith, Isabelle Tucker and Sabrina Vargas. The team is led by head coach Kristin Riggs, assistant coach Grace Burgos and choreographer Katie Funderburk.
Wrestling state qualifer
Justin Coleman
Jonathan Cosby
Michael Irving
On the girls wrestling team, sophomore Sam Heine was a state qualifier, sectional champion and placed third in districts. She was coached by Paige Mueller and assistant coach Michael Oostendorp.
Sam Heine
College board recognition
Players to watch/Scholar Athlete
Seniors Quentin Bartlett and Kaeli Benedict were named as Players to Watch by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in March. RegardQuentin Bartlett Kaeli Benedict ing volleyball player Bartlett, the Post said, “A 5-foot-9 defensive dynamo who was a key part to the Pirates’ run to the Class 4 semifinals in 2019. One of the area’s top liberos, Bartlett can cover a large part of the court and his excellent serve-receive helps the transition into the Pirates’ attack. The team’s defensive captain, he led the Pirates with 167 digs as a sophomore.” In honoring Benedict, the Post said the soccer player, who recently signed with Missouri State University, is a multi-talented midfielder who “has recorded 29 goals and 19 assists in two seasons. Had six games of two goals or more in 2019. Benedict scored in three of her first five games on the varsity level as a freshman.” Benedict was also selected as a 2020-2021 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete representing Pattonville. To be eligible, student athletes must letter in at least one varsity sport and be in the Top 25% of their class.
Members of the varsity drill team earned third place in medium varsity hip hop at the national championship.
Neno Lee
Kellen Thames
Girls basketball honors
Kelly Thames
On the girls basketball team, sophomore Jasmine Gray was named all-conference Player of the Year; sophomore Cami Stacker was named to the all-conference first team; and sophomore Paige Boyce and junior Charlie Heiligenstein were named to the Paige Boyce Jasmine Gray all-conference second team. All four were named to the all-district first team. Don Boyce was the head coach, and Corey Lewis was Charlie Heiligenstein Cami Stacker assistant coach.
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College and career preparation coordinator/counselor Michelle Luraschi was selected as a 2021 College Board Counselor Recognition Program recipient. The program was established to recognize innovative middle and high school counselors who go the extra mile to expand opportunities for students. She was one of five counselors in Missouri to receive the award.
Michelle Luraschi
DISTRICT-WIDE
New Professional of Year
Brian Heyman, district multimedia communications specialist, was named one of Missouri School Public Relations Association’s 2021 New Professionals of the Year. Criteria for the award include the recipient being in their first 18 months in the field of public relations and exhibiting a creative, dedicated and professional approach to school communications.
Soulard juried art exhibit
Brian Heyman
Alexis Pick
Pattonville administrative assistant to the superintendent and community relations Alexis Pick was accepted into a juried exhibit at the Soulard Art Gallery. Her artwork was included in an exhibit titled “Swords, Sorcery and Starships.”
Wayne Kaufman, Class of 1968 - Kaufman was selected to receive the Proud to
Serve Award in March from Fox2Now Ch. 2. The TV news station featured him on a segment on March 30. An Army veteran who served in the Vietnam war, Kaufman is founder and president of The Kaufman Fund, a nonprofit organization committed to serving veterans and children in the St. Louis area. During the month of March, The Kaufman Fund kicked off a new Food for Vets program, which planned to serve more than 400 families in the St. Louis area.
Col. Robert Behnken, Class of 1988 - Behnken is a NASA astronaut who has logged
more than 2,000 hours in space and completed 10 spacewalks during his three missions. He is featured in a People Magazine article for something he is doing on Earth. While his wife and fellow astronaut Megan McArthur is on the International Space Station for six months, Behnken is staying home to take care of their son. Read the article at bit.ly/BehnkenPeopleMagazine.
Brent Roam, Class of 1989 - Roam was featured on KMOV Ch. 4 on April 7 after
the church he pastors purchased the iconic Tivoli Theatre in the Delmar Loop in University City. Roam is pastor of One Family Church, which has been renting the theater for the past 10 years. As the new owner, Roam and his church want to bring the movies back to the theater for families and community members to enjoy.
Martin Nance, Class of 2001 - Nance was named
executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Minnesota Vikings. In his role, Nance will be responsible for collaboratively developing the short and long-term fan engagement strategy through marketing, content creation and organizational brand initiatives. He will manage multiple departments, including marketing, sponsorship activation, events, premium services, creative, sales analytics and Martin Nance engagement and Vikings Entertainment Network. Nance joins the Vikings with more than 10 years of leadership experience in strategic marketing programs, advertising, branding, fan engagement and customer relations for PepsiCo/Gatorade, most recently serving as the senior director of marketing and sports intelligence.
Melissa Kaufman, Class of 2005 - Kaufman was named Teacher of the Year at Hazelwood Central Middle School. She teaches English language arts at the school.
Kyle Hanford, Class of 2017 - Hanford joined the Pattonville
Fire Protection District as one of its newest paramedicfirefighters. After graduating from Pattonville, Hanford attended Respond Right EMS Academy where he completed Melissa Kaufman training as an emergency medical technician and paramedic. After completing paramedic school, he began working at Christian Ambulance while attending St. Louis County Fire Academy. He worked at the Berkeley Fire Department before joining the Pattonville district.
Nadia Maddex, Class of 2018
- Maddex received a scholarship from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and was featured in a story on its website. She is a junior at Lindenwood University majoring in music education and minoring in musical theater.
ALUMNI SUCCESS
Graduates in the news Find out more: alumni.psdr3.org
Cole Tucker, Class of 2019 - Tucker was recently promoted to the rank of private first class in the United States Marine Corps.
Riley Scott, Class of 2020 - Scott, a private first class in the
Marine Corp, graduated as a certified avionics technician from the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) Detachment Eglin at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. He is serving in Iwakuni, Japan working as an avionics technician on F-35 fighter jets. In a Facebook post by the West County, MO Marines, Scott said, “I joined because I wanted to do something meaningful with my life and make a difference in the lives of others. The Marine Corps provided a greater challenge and is more prestigious. I didn’t want to settle for an easier route.”
Cole Tucker
Claire Willhite, Class of 2020 - Willhite worked as
an intern with Netflix for a show currently being produced and filmed, “Jestionne,” which is scheduled for release in spring 2022. She created design pieces for some of the characters and managed the social media pages. Willhite attends LIM College in Manhattan, New York, and works Riley Scott at a marketing firm in the New York Times building doing digital marketing for magazines and company social media pages. After getting her associates degree, she plans to go to France and earn her bachelor’s degree. Claire Willhite
Missouri Seal of Biliteracy recipients, Class of 2020
- Six 2020 Pattonville graduates earned Missouri’s Seal of Biliteracy. Erik Bustillo Sierra earned the Distinguished Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in A. Al Yuwaili Harith Al Yuwaili E. Bustillo Sierra Spanish. Earning Missouri’s Seal of Biliteracy were Abdulmohaimen Al Yuwaili and Harith Al Yuwaili in Arabic, Madina Nigmonjonova in Russian, Eric Estrada Lopez in Spanish, and Kate Teku in French. The Seal of BilitE. Estrada Lopez M. Nigmonjonova Kate Teku eracy program was created by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to encourage and recognize the study of a second language and the cultures and languages within the community. The Distinguished Missouri Seal is awarded to students who show an advanced level of proficiency in English and at least one other language. The standard Missouri seal is awarded to students who show a high level of achievement in English and an intermediate level of proficiency in another language. Students submit an application and complete the following requirements: show language proficiency in English and a second language and complete a project that demonstrates high levels of sociocultural competence relating to English and the second language.
Kyle Hanford
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Teacher, Support Staff, Rookie of the Year announced E
leanor Taylor, an English learner teacher at Pattonville High School, was named Pattonville Teacher of the Year, and Lisa Foust, high school academic monitor, was named district Support Staff of the Year. The announcements were made during Pattonville’s virtual District Appreciation Night on May 3. Also honored were recipients of Pattonville’s inaugural Rookie of the Year awards for certified and support staff. The award honors those in their first or second year of service in the district. Kelsey Hibbits, an early childhood special education teacher at the Pattonville Early Childhood Center, was honored with the certified staff Rookie of the Year award, and Reem Tahsin, a high school English learner Pattonville High School English learner teacher paraprofessional, was chosen for Eleanor Taylor is shown at her home with her husband the support staff award. Hayden Loos after being surprised live during PatOther finalists for Pattonville tonville’s virtual District Appreciation Night. Below, also Teacher of the Year were Marreceiving a surprise visit at her home was Lisa Foust, second from left, who was named Pattonville Support jorie Justice, early childhood Staff of the Year. She is shown with her husband Brian special education teacher at the Foust, second from right, and children Hannah Foust Early Childhood Center, and Kelly and Hayden Foust. Strobel, sixth grade science teacher at Pattonville Heights Middle School. Other finalists for Pattonville Support Staff of the Year were Brandy Fowler, paraprofessional at Parkwood Elementary School, and Abby Reckamp, paraprofessional at Remington Traditional School. District honorees and finalists for Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year were buildinglevel honorees for the respective awards. Other building-level honorees/semifinalists for Virtual District Appreciation Night Teacher of the Year were: Keri Gleason, Engwww.youtube.com/PattonvilleR3 lish learner teacher at Bridgeway Elementary District Appreciation Night booklet School; Brenda Kelch, kindergarten teacher at bit.ly/DANprogram2021 Drummond Elementary School; Chip Ianiri, district technology specialist at Parkwood; Amy Frost, kindergarten teacher at Rose Acres Elementary School; Kristen Gartland, kindergarten teacher at Willow Brook Elementary School; Danica Johnson, sixth grade math/science teacher at Remington; and Scott Wagner, district technology specialist at Holman Middle School. Other building-level honorees/semifinalists for Support Staff of the Year were: Laura Wick, secretary at the Early Childhood Center; Kara Crimson, nurse at Bridgeway; Lynn Becker, secretary at Drummond; Tina Sandheinrich, Special School District (SSD) teacher’s aide at Rose Acres; Jesica Misuraca, paraprofessional at Willow Brook; Lisa Roth, iLearn technology aide at Holman; Joe Groceman, custodian at Pattonville Heights; and Steven Pikes, lead electrician in the maintenance department (district services group).
VIEW MORE ONLINE
Pride of Pattonville honorees are, from left, top row, Chris Cheatham, Jenny Flores, Patty Gould, David Gross and Abby Hall; and bottom row, Wendy Mathis, Erin Mulanax, Jason Payne, Scott Robinson and Brenda Vitale.
Ten honored with Pride of Pattonville T
en individuals have been chosen to receive the prestigious Pride of Pattonville award. The honor recognizes staff, parents and volunteers for outstanding service to the district. The 2020-2021 Pride of Pattonville honorees are: • Chris Cheatham, third grade teacher at Willow Brook Elementary School; • Jenny Flores, parent volunteer at Remington Traditional School; • Patty Gould, director of school-business partnerships at the Pattonville Learning Center; • David Gross, social studies teacher at Pattonville High School; • Abby Hall, band director at Pattonville Heights Middle School; • Wendy Mathis, math teacher at Pattonville Heights and Pattonville National Education Association (PNEA) president; • Erin Mulanax, physics teacher at the high school; • Jason Payne, district technology specialist at Pattonville Heights; • Scott Robinson, A/V and printing coordinator at the high school; and • Brenda Vitale, bus driver in the transportation department. Honorees were recognized during special surprise visits, as well as during Pattonville’s virtual District Appreciation Night on May 3. Video from the event can be found on the district’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
COVID-19 Resources Where to pre-register for a vaccine or set up an appointment St. Louis County Department of Public Health stlcorona.com
ONLY for county residents without internet access DPH county hotline: (314) 615-2660
Missouri Vaccine Navigator
covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator
Other links for signing up for vaccines bit.ly/PSDReturns2020web
Online resources Missouri’s vaccine plan
covidvaccine.mo.gov
Pattonville COVID-19 information
bit.ly/PSDReturns2020web
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
CDC Study Update
Pattonville hosted an online presentation with infectious disease expert Dr. Jason Newland on May 18. During the event, Newland provided an update on COVID-19 and the results of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) pilot program that included the Pattonville school community in studying COVID-19 transmission and mitigation strategies in schools. View the presentation on Pattonville’s YouTube channel at
www.YouTube.com/Pattonville R3.
“Pattonville Highlights” is published throughout the school year for residents of the Pattonville School District by the Pattonville Office of School-Community Relations, 11097 St. Charles Rock Road, St. Ann, MO 63074, (314) 213-8025. Website: www.psdr3.org. Email: mschoonover@psdr3.org.