June 2026 Newsletter

SUMMER 2026

EDUCATION MATTERS On the Cover: Valley Park High School Class of 2026

EDUCATION MATTERS VALLEY PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT

VALLEY PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS One Community. One Campus. Limitless Learning.

BOARD OF EDUCATION Kim Bellchamber, President Phyllis Geary, Vice President Rebecca Menley, Secretary Lisa Finder, Treasurer Elicia Bailey, Director Yasmin Chittakhone, Director Pete Coates, Director

Congratulations to our Valley Park Seniors!

Fifty-five graduates and more than 5.4 million in scholarship dollars awarded!

Brayden Kiefer Valedictorian

Dylan Eisenhauer Salutatorian

Gavin Mann Hawk Award

Dr. Tim Dilg Superintendent of Schools Jaime Gast, Editor Director of Communications

St. Louis Post Dispatch Scholar Athlete GAVIN MANN

CUMULATIVE GPA (unweighted): 3.952 Sports: Soccer, Basketball and Baseball.

College: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Read all about the success of the Class of 2026 and see the entire photo album at www.vpschools.org/classof2026

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE VPHS STUDENTS

VALLEY PARK 8TH GRADE PROMOTION!

Seal of Biliteracy Honors

The Missouri Seal of Biliteracy and Distinguished Missouri Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to graduating high school students in districts with a DESE-approved program, who have demonstrated achievement in English, a Language Other Than English and sociocultural competence. All Missouri students studying any of the world’s languages are potential Seal candidates. Congratulations to our awardees!

A+ Scholarship Honors

At Valley Park, 8th grade promotion is more than a step forward. It’s a celebration of growth, resilience and the journey ahead. While not a formal graduation, this milestone honors the transformation from sixth-grade beginners to confident, high school-ready learners.

Principal Angie Syron said, “It’s a time to reflect on how far students have come and look ahead with excitement.”

In a district where many students grow up together, promotion also celebrates community, connection and support for each learner’s next chapter. Read the full story: www.vpschools.org/promotion26

Student Spotlight

At monthly Board of Education meetings, Valley Park leaders recognized students for outstanding academics, character, service, citizenship and leadership. Congratulations to our second semester awardees!

January - Middle School

February - Elementary School

Abrar Kader

Lillian Alivia Holmes McGowen

March - High School This year, the Class of 2026 had 56% earn A plus honors. The A+ Scholarship Program is a merit-based scholarship that provides scholarship funds to eligible graduates of A+ designated high schools who attend participating public community colleges or vocational/technical schools, or certain private twoyear vocational/technical schools. Congratulations to our A+ program honorees!

Dylan Weston Eisenhauer Milne

Audrey Gray

April - Middle School

Owen Royal

Carley Simon

May - Elementary School

Tallulah Brown

Xander Pickett

Peyton Rauls

Bentley Snow

Quentin Ford

Spring Sports Celebrations CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2026 MSHSAA CLASS 2 SECTIONAL TRACK COMPETITORS

Naomi Baumann

5th place in the 300M Hurdles - 49.52

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GIRLS' SOCCER TEAM MEMBERS FOR WINNING ALL CONFERENCE AWARDS

Dominic Antonacci

6th place in the 100M Dash - 11.45

Kennedy Steinkamp

Kayleigh Ricks

1st Team

1st Team

Ryleigh Colvin

2nd Team

BOYS BASEBALL - 5TH STRAIGHT CONFERENCE & DISTRICT CHAMPS!

SCAA All Conference

Matthew Bell

Dylan Eisenhauer

Andrew Frierdich

Luke Geary

Evan Holmes

Myles St. Clair

Blake Whitney

1st Team

2nd Team

2nd Team

1st Team

2nd Team

2nd Team

2nd Team

September

Charley Perkins

Owen Caskey

February

October

Kate Wilson

Jayden Woensdregt

March

2025-2026 Athletes of the Month November

Brayden Kiefer

Dylan Eisenhauer

December

Paityn Smith

Owen Royal

April

May

January

Tim Coleman

Peyton Whitney

Jake Sieges

Stay up to date on all of the Valley Park Hawks Happenings!

LIKE AND FOLLOW US: @VPHAWKAD

Rose Hagan

Aubrey Dibble

Unified Athletes

Kim Crawford

Kennedy Steinkamp

Zynell Childs

Matthew Bell

@VPHAWKSAD

JERMISHA LEWIS ‘26 EARNS GOLD AT STATE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Congratulations to Valley Park High School student Jermisha Lewis, on earning a Gold Medal for her Vocal Solo performance at the 2026 MSHSAA State Solo and Ensemble Festival held at the University of Missouri.

VALLEY PARK VOICES RISE ABOVE THE COMPETITION AT MUSIC FESTIVAL

Receiving a Gold rating at the state level reflects exceptional musical skill, preparation and dedication.

Jermisha’s accomplishment highlights the hard work students put into developing their talents both in and outside of the classroom.

Valley Park student performers earned top honors at the Six Flags Music Festival, showcasing their talent, dedication and hard work on stage.

We are proud of Jermisha for representing Valley Park with excellence and showcasing her passion for music.

Congratulations on this outstanding achievement!

Valley Park Vox earned 1st Place in their division, while the Middle School Chorus received 1st Place in their division and was also named Best Overall Middle School Chorus.

This top recognition means our students outperformed larger schools from multiple states, an incredible accomplishment that reflects their preparation, perseverance and pride in representing Valley Park.

A special thank you to Ms. Allison Hungate Wood, our secondary choir director, for her passion, leadership and dedication to growing the program while helping students build confidence, skill and a love for music.

The impact she has made on these performers and the continued success of the program is truly something to celebrate. Congratulations!

MORE THAN A COMPETITION: LIMITLESS LEARNING THROUGH SPECIAL OLYMPICS

The Valley Park band recently traveled to Branson, where they performed for a panel of judges and earned 2nd Place in their division while finishing 3rd overall out of seven high school bands competing.

This achievement is especially impressive because nearly one-third of the band is made up of 8th grade students, performing alongside schools made up entirely of grades 9 through 12. Their success reflects the hard work, dedication and musicianship students bring to the program each day.

Congratulations to our student musicians and directors for representing Valley Park with pride and delivering an outstanding performance!

At Valley Park, success is measured in more than grades.

It’s found in moments of courage, perseverance, friendship and growth.

The Special Olympics help students build confidence, demonstrate resilience, support one another and celebrate personal achievements, big and small. Surrounded by families, staff and student buddies, participants experience the power of encouragement, inclusion and belonging.

When our students feel supported and valued, incredible things happen.

See all the photos and read the full story at: www.vpschools.org/specialolympics26

ANOTHER GREAT SEASON: VOICES PODCAST SEASON 3 WRAPS UP

WELCOME TO VALLEY PARK!

New Faculty & Staff!

Tammy Blust Elementary SSD Teacher

Jason Bruns Valley Park Middle School Science Christine Eckerty Valley Park High School Mathematics Voices is Valley Park School District’s podcast featuring conversations with students, staff, alumni and community members who help shape our One Community. Each episode highlights stories, experiences and learning happening across our campus and beyond.

Check out all the episodes here: www.vpschools.org/voices

It’s Time to Register Your Hawk!

ANNUAL UPDATE NOW OPEN!

Valley Park families are asked to complete the 2026– 2027 Annual Update in Infinite Campus by August 1.

This quick process ensures we have current emergency contacts, transportation info and required tech agreements. Even if you’ve recently registered, please complete the update to keep our records accurate.

Visit www.vpschools.org/olr for details.

Annika Lawless Valley Park Elementary School 5 t h Grade Sirisha Mandava Valley Park High School Mathematics Adam Mutrux T echnology Support and Network Specialist Kelly Schaefer Valley Park Elementary School 4 t h Grade Tom Probst Instructional Coach

Join Our Team!

www.vpschools.org/careers

ONE COMMUNITY, ENDLESS DISCOVERY: STEAM NIGHT AT VALLEY PARK ELEMENTARY

The first day of school is August 24, 2026.

Our Back to School Newsletter will begin arriving in mailboxes in early August with important dates, information and updates to help your family prepare for a great year ahead.

Visit www.vpschools.org/backtoschool for everything you need to know!

Curiosity was on full display at Valley Park Elementary’s annual STEAM Night as students and families explored science, technology, engineering, art and math through interactive, hands-on activities. From coding challenges and chromatography to messy oobleck experiments, the evening encouraged creativity, problem-solving and learning together. Supported by staff and high school volunteers, the event highlighted the excitement of discovery and the strong connections that make our One Campus community special. Read the full story at: www.vpschools.org/steamnight26

MRS. ANGIE SYRON MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR!

VALLEY PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT

Teacher of the Year!

Sarah Newton Congratulations to Mrs. Angie Syron on being named the Saint Louis Association of Secondary School Principals Middle School Principal of the Year for the 2025–2026 school year.

This recognition reflects her outstanding leadership, dedication to students and commitment to creating a positive learning environment where students and staff can thrive. Mrs. Syron’s impact is felt across our One Campus each day, and we are proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor.

Thank you for representing Valley Park with excellence, Mrs. Syron! Watch a video about her at: www.vpschools.org/syron

Support Staff of the Year!

Cathy Kimball

SERVICE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS! Thank you for your continuous contributions and for being such valued members of our Valley Park School District team. Here’s to many more successful years together!

5 years

Tanja Boyet

Michelle Britton

Megan Brown

Sarah Currie

Danielle Fox

Denise Grisham

Candice Herb

10 years

15 years

Alexis Katie Gerrie Earnhart Henderson Robards

Emily Krumm

Kayla LaBeaume

20 years

Amanda Grittini

Tammy Jones

Robin Huebner

Kristen Light

Allison Hungate Wood

Jane Marchi

25 years

Julie Kulik

Phyllis Salvaggio

Dawn Fenwick

Cathy Kimball

Sarah Newton

Jill Payton

Courtney Shamel

30 years

Cara Lenk

Caree Schroll

Happy Retirement to These VPSD Employees!

Kelli Ellis

Mike Fox

Lisa Jones

Jill Payton Phyllis Salvaggio Caree Schroll

Jaclyn Vogel

Kasey Sindel

VALLEY PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE MAIN STREET VALLEY PARK, MO 63088

Valley Park School District Early Childhood Center & Kindergarten registration IS OPEN! Early Childhood: Half Day & Full Day Ages 3-5 Visit: www.vpschools.org/ecc

STAY UP TO DATE ON DISTRICT NEWS

Valley Park School District www.vpschools.org Facebook.com/Valley.Park.School.District Twitter @ ValleyParkSD Instagram @valleyparkschools Valley Park High School Facebook.com/valleyparkhs Valley Park Middle School Facebook.com/Valley-Park-Middle-School

Kindergarten: Free full day.

Students must be 5 by July 31.

Visit: www.vpschools.org/kindergarten

Valley Park Elementary School Facebook.com/valleyparkelem Valley Park Early Childhood Center www.vpschools.org/ecc

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Call (636) 923-3690 to join our Golden Club.

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