News from the Pattonville School District Board of Education

Sept. 23, 2009

Participants, sponsors of College Academy honored

Participants, sponsors and orga-nizers of the Pattonville College Academy are shown. They are, from left, front row, Kevin Gomez, Steven Buus, Sandra Hernandez, Brittany Freeman, Rita Villeda, Marissa Bozik, Melissa Moore and Chelsea Holmstrom; second row, Brandon West and GaMei-sha Warren; last row, Pattonville College Counselor Julie Kamp-schroeder, Pattonville Superinten-dent Mike Fulton, Pat Baucom of Montgomery Bank, Joshua Lewis of Frontenac Bank, Pattonville High School Principal Sara Keene, Pattonville Director of School-Business Partnerships Patty Gould, and David Forth of James Hutchison Forth & Snyder, P.C.

Twelve seniors from Pattonville High School spent a week before school getting ready for college. The stu-dents took part in the second annual Pattonville College Academy, a week-long program which gives first-

generation, college-bound students support and knowledge about the college planning and search process. On Sept. 17, the students were honored for their work during a College Academy reception.

Sponsors, who provided $100 stipends for each of the students, were also honored. Sponsors of the pro-gram included Commercial Bank, DePaul Health Center, Dobbs Tire and Auto, Fred Weber Inc., Frontenac Bank, James Hutchison Forth & Snyder, P.C., Montgomery Bank, and Ranken Jordan Pediatric Hospital. Se-nior Kevin Gomez had his name drawn for a $500 scholarship sponsored by the Pattonville School-Business Partnership Office.

In addition to Gomez, the following students completed the program: Marrisa Bozik, Steven Buus, Sarah Cook, Brittany Freeman, Sadie Hatcher, Sandra Hernandez, Chelsea Holmstrom, Melissa Moore, Rita Villeda, GaMeisha Warren and Brandon West.

The academy covered goal setting, college resume writing, how to compare colleges, how to start the college search, college admissions, scholarships, financial aid, letters of recommendation, essay writing tips, ACT test taking tips and campus visits. Students interacted with college recruiters and also visited three col-lege campuses in the St. Louis area during the program.

To further the impact of the program on Pattonville High School students, participants in the program had to recruit five peers to fill out a college quiz and create a college resume. The participants graded the quiz and explained the correct answers to their peers as a way of spreading the knowledge of what they learned during the academy. For more information on the Pattonville College Academy or Pattonville’s college and career counseling program for its students, call Julie Kampschroeder, college/career counselor, at (314) 213-8051.

2

School-business program supports learningPattonville partners with its business community each year to motivate students academically and prepare them for the world of work through career education and other business-related opportunities. The Pattonville school-business partnership department coordinates these efforts, as well as the district’s community education program, which provides classes, workshops and tours for learners of all ages. The Board of Education on Sept. 22 reviewed an evaluation of the program presented by Patty Gould, Pat-tonville’s director of school-business partnerships.

The evaluation showed the community education pro-gram offered 364 classes with 2,632 participants over the last two years. An evaluation/assessment is conducted at the conclusion of each class, and future course offerings are based on this feedback. New courses continue to be offered.

The partnership program provides motivation for students to do well academically and in attendance by using incentives, such as restaurant coupons provided by local businesses. The report indicated exemplary attendance incentive and academic rewards programs continue to grow both in need and donations. Over the past two school years, donations exceeded $300,000 from business partners.

In addition, the school-business partnership office has provided varied career opportunities and leadership development programs for middle and high school students. Business professionals have gone into the schools and provided students with insight into careers, and job shadowing activities are available for high school students as part of career exploration. The program also assisted in developing the Pattonville College Academy (see front page for story) for first-generation, college-bound students. Over the past two years, the program received $2,000 in donations as sponsorship for the 24 students who participated in the programs. The department also provided the high school with community resources and assisted in the planning of Career Week in 2008 and 2009. More than 20 businesses participated in this week-long event.

Recommendations for improvements over the next two school years include: • Use needs assessment results to develop and implement programs that

support schools in improving student achievement; • Combine the school-business partnership program evaluation with the

career education program evaluation beginning with the 2010-2011 school year;

• Provide programs to schools promoting student responsibility and con-tinuing character development;

• Support and expand district-wide career education programs with op-portunities such as internships, job shadowing and job fairs;

• Use needs assessment results to improve our comprehensive commu-nity education program and ensure the program serves the needs and interests of the Pattonville community; and

• Provide and expand senior adult community education programs to district residents.

School-Business Partnership Program• Supports career educa-

tion through assisting with Career Weeks, job shadowing, internships and guest speakers from the business community

• Supports academic achievement by providing incentives for achieve-ment and attendance

• Provides classes, workshops and tours for learners of all ages through the community educationoffice

More Information• Call (314) 213-8095 or

visit the department Web site at www.psdr3.org/services/schoolbusiness/

• The most recent commu-nity education brochure, which includes a list of classes, is online at the above Web address

3

Middle School Activities PilotPattonville began a pilot this fall to explore additional ways to get middle school students involved in after-school activities. The goal is to get students involved at the middle-school level, with the hopes the trend will continue in high school, said Holman Middle School Assistant Principal Greg Schnatmeier, who coor-dinates the pilot. This year, two sports are open to all eighth-graders at Holman, Pattonville Heights Middle School and Remington Traditional School. Currently about 45 students from all three schools are partici-pating in the first six-week season of cross country. Students practice (train) twice a week in preparation for a Pattonville-sponsored middle school cross country meet on Oct. 10 at Pattonville High School. The Pattonville High School cross country coaches and students will run the meet, which will be set up just like a high school meet, using a two-mile course. This winter, all eighth-graders can participate in a six-week session of volleyball, which will conclude in a three-school tournament. In the spring, another six weeks of cross country is scheduled, with the students running in the Pattonville Wellness Run on May 8th.

Rachel’s ChallengePattonville Heights Middle School participated in a powerful school-based program called Rachel’s Chal-lenge on Sept. 24. The program is based on the life and writings of Rachel Scott, the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. It consists of a student assembly, a peer/leadership training session and an evening community event. On Sept. 24, students attended the Rachel’s Challenge assembly, during which they learned about Rachel’s acts of kindness and the contents of her diaries. The parent and community event was held the same day. The assemblies challenge students and adults to create a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. The idea is derived from an essay Rachel wrote, in which she said, “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.” The program is funded by the Pattonville Education Foundation through its annual grant program and a special Fred Weber Inc. Grant. The Pattonville Heights PTO also provided funding. Dawn Osman, a reading specialist at Heights, wrote the grant for the program.

Michael A. Fulton, Ed.D, Superintendent

Superintendent’s Update

Fifth-Grade CampAn annual rite of passage began this week as Pattonville’s first group headed to fifth grade camp. Each year, Pattonville fifth-graders participate in the Pattonville Outdoor Educa-tion Program, known as fifth-grade camp. They leave on a Tuesday, head for Kiwanis Camp Wyman in Eureka and spend the next several days learning in an outdoor setting. Rose Acres Elementary and Willow Brook Elementary students headed to camp this week, accompanied by Pattonville staff members and volunteer camp coun-selors from Pattonville High School. During the day, students participate in one of seven activities: archery, aquatic biology, camp crafts (campfire building and cooking), arts and crafts, nature hikes, team chal-lenge course and orienteering. In the evening, stu-dents use telescopes to view the night sky, call in owls and view presentations on raptors and reptiles. Remington and Parkwood head to camp the follow-ing week, followed by Drummond and then Briar Crest and Bridgeway.

The Pattonville Fire Pro-tection Dis-trict trained Pattonville teachers in CPR in preparation forfifth-gradecamp. Here,

teacher Mi-chele Hopkins practices on a mannequin.

Bills and BidsThe Pattonville Board of Education approved the following on Sept. 22:• Paying $499,614.41 in purchases made on Pattonville’s purchasing cards;• Paying $11,994.16 to Kohn, Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis, and Giljum for

legal services; • Awarding a bid of $7,395 to CDWG for the purchase of 102 ActivWands;• Awarding a bid of $10,000 to Bi-State Utilities to build retaining walls at

Parkwood Elementary and Holman Middle School;• Awarding a bid of $21,557.80 to Mitchell Tire for new tires, tubes and

service, and $2,600 to MFR Tire for recaps; and• Awarding a bid of $8,926 to Glen Alspaugh Company for new counters and

toilet partitions at Pattonville High School.

Board ActionsThe Pattonville Board of Education on Sept. 22:• Reviewed and/or approved scheduled out-of-town trips by Pattonville High

School student groups;• Approved a proclamation declaring the week of October 19-23, 2009 as

Red Ribbon Week in the Pattonville School District; and• Adopted a resolution allowing Pattonville School District to become a

participating district in the CSD Retirement Plan Trust.

New Hires• JenniferBarge,kindergarten teacher, Briar Crest• PeggyTinsley,bus driver, transportation

Business Bits

4

Your Board of EducationRuth Petrov, President

Cindy Candler, Vice PresidentBob Dillon, Secretary

Ralph Stahlhut, TreasurerRon Kuschel, DirectorPatty Polster, Director

Jeanne Schottmueller, Director

CalendarsPattonville maintains up-to-date calendars online. Click on the calendar tab in the left naviga-tion column to view :• An activities calendar of

all school and district-level events; and

• An athletic calendar of Pattonville High School sporting events.

BoardDocsDetails of items discussed at board meetings can be found online. Click on any tab in the Web Tools menu on the right tofindalinktoPattonville’sBoardDocs page.

Pattonville Onlinewww.psdr3.org

Making NewsSpecial recognition of Pattonville students, staff and volunteers

Holman Middle SchoolLife-saver

Ryan Shea, a teacher in the summer academic review program at Holman, per-formed the Heimlich Maneuver on a sixth-grader who was choking on a hot dog at lunch and freed his airway. The student recovered without any issues thanks to Shea’s quick thinking. Shea is a seventh-grade communication arts teacher at Pattonville Heights Middle School.

National ConferencePam Cornwell, a math teacher, attended the National Education Association’s

Republican Leaders’ Conference in Washington, D.C. in July. Only 140 teachers from throughout the nation were trained in Washington to work with Republican members so that both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill can get input from teachers on public education issues. Missouri NEA sent three teachers, and Cornwell was among those chosen to go. After working with the National Chair for the Republican Party, the Missouri participants called on Senator Kit Bond and all six Republican congressmen in Missouri. Topics discussed with the legislators included the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Social Security issues and financial support for after-school programs.

Pattonville High SchoolTwo National Merit Semifinalists

Two Pattonville seniors have been named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Megan LaFollette and Joseph Wingerter qualified for this honor after their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which serves as the initial screening of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. LaFollette and Wingerter are two of 16,000 seniors nationwide who now have the opportunity to advance to the finalist level. Merit scholarship winners are chosen from the finalist group.

Missouri Fine Arts AcademyThree students, Melissa Bradford,

Melanie Pailer, and Erica Ream, attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy at Mis-souri State University in Springfield. The program was a three-week residential pro-gram for artistically gifted students. Two hundred of Missouri’s most talented students were selected to attend.

5

Ryan Shea

Pam Cornwell

Shown at right, Melissa Bradford and Erica Ream were among a select few chosen to attend the Missouri Fine Arts Academy.

Continued on next page...

Pattonville High SchoolCheerleading state qualifiers

The Pattonville Varsity Cheerleaders qualified in August to go to the Missouri State Cheerleading Championship, hosted by the Missouri Cheerleading Coaches Association this November in Columbia. The cheerleaders became eligible by becoming a finalist or winner at the regional cheerleading competition held at Hazelwood Central High School in St. Louis. Their cheers, stunts and/or dance routines were deemed by the judges to rate with the best in the state. The following students were among those who qualified: Jon-netta Alexander, Mallory Arens, Ashley Bryant, Elizabeth Foster, Jenni Frier, Stephanie Haag, Kaylen Iberg, Taylor Jokerst, Jazmine Lewis, Kristen Moore, Heather Sprengel, Emily Tucker, Meagan Walsh, Kristin Wayman and Kylie Zoller. They are coached by Nicole Rimell, head coach, and Sara Haag, assistant coach.

Pattonville Learning Center30 Leaders in their 30s

Barry Nelson, assistant superintendent for human resources, was named among those being honored in the 2009 30 leaders in their 30s awards program by North County Inc. The award recognizes North County leaders in their 30s who are making a significant posi-tive impact on the North County community through their profession and/or community involvement. Nelson will be honored at a future North County Inc. reception.

6

Pattonville High School Varsity Cheerleaders are shown with their coach, Nicole Rimell (shown front row, left). The team includes, from left, front row, Jonnetta Alexander, Heather Sprengel, Taylor Jokerst, Stephanie Haag, Kristen Moore, Elizabeth Foster and Kristin Wayman; second row, Emily Tucker, Meagan Walsh and Kylie Zoller; last row, Mallory Arens, Kaylen Iberg and Jazmine Lewis.

Barry Nelson