Pattonville
@Work
An e-newsletter from the
Pattonville School District
Jan. 28, 2013
School board recognized for volunteer service
S
everal students and staff members from Pattonville High School attended the Jan. 22 board
meeting to thank the school board for its support in
providing outstanding facilities for students. They
were on hand to help recognize members of the
Pattonville Board of Education as part of School
Board Recognition Week in Missouri (Jan. 21-25).
Students representing the school’s cross country,
field hockey, football and swimming programs,
along with Principal Dr. Joe Dobrinic and coaches
Anna LeBlanc and Justin Smiley were on hand to
offer their words of appreciation.
“Thank you for all you guys have given us,”
said Corey Lumpkins, a junior on the football team.
“I feel like we can do something better with the
things you’ve given us.”
Fellow football player Harley Hughes agreed:
“I really like the field you guys have given us. It’s
Pattonville High School student Ashleigh Borgmann delivers framed artmuch better than the hard dirt field we had. The
work showing the school’s new facilities to board member Ruth Petrov.
locker room facilities are really nice.”
Below, student Corey Lumpkins thanks board treasurer Ralph Stahlhut.
Members of Pattonville’s first girls field hockey
team also gave thanks.
“We appreciate the new facility and the new program,” said Ashleigh
Borgmann, who added that her participation in field hockey is opening up
doors of opportunity on the college level. Her teammate, Erin O’Keefe said,
“It’s an honor to be part of Pattonville’s first field hockey team. Thank you.”
Members of the swim team also spoke: “Thank you for helping us get
the pool,” said Allison Van Buren. “We finally have a place that feels like
home. I’m excited about being able to come together as a team.”
Although boys swim team member Brandon Van Buren lamented the
fact that the boys missed being able to train and compete in the new pool
last fall, he told the board members, “Thanks for creating such a beautiful
facility. I can already tell more people are coming out (to events). Thanks for everything you’ve given
View the
us. You guys are the reason Pattonville is such a great place to be.”
Other Pattonville High School students who were on hand to thank the board were: Kyle
photos:
Masek and Kaitlin Gant of the swim team and Kirby McClain, a cross country team member.
To view a photo
gallery of the stuAfter speaking, the students delivered framed art of the new pool and stadium/field facilities at
dent recognition
Pattonville High School to board members.
presentation, go
Each year, the state of Missouri sets aside a week in late January as School Board Recognition
to events.psdr3.
Week. The week recognizes the dedicated energies and countless hours devoted by a group of more
org or scan the
than 3,600 men and women who serve on school boards throughout the state. These public servants
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are elected by local constituents and do not receive compensation for their tireless efforts. Honored
during the Pattonville recognition were:
Jeanne Schottmueller, president; Ron Kuschel, vice president; Tami Hohenstein, secretary;
Ralph Stahlhut, treasurer; Cindy Candler, director; Robert Dillon, director, and Ruth Petrov,
director. The board members also received a proclamation from Gov. Jay Nixon and certificates
of appreciation from the Missouri School Boards Association. The Pattonville Board of Education was the 2002 winner of the Missouri School Boards Association’s Outstanding Board of
Education Award and was a finalist for the award in 2008 and 2011.
Superintendent’s Update Michael A. Fulton, Ed.D., Superintendent
Pattonville hosts and wins its first regional chess tournament
The Pattonville Chess Team won the first-place
team trophy at the inaugural Pattonville High School
Chess Tournament on Jan 12 after competing against
19 high school teams from the St. Louis region.
More than 220 students in first through 12th grade
participated in the tournament.
Several Pattonville High School team members
also took honors. In addition to winning first place
overall, Isaiah Gadson earned the third-place trophy
on Board 1; Jimmy Sorsen won the first-place trophy
on Board 3; Thomas Haake secured the secondplace trophy on Board 4; and Jason Jiang claimed
the seventh-place trophy also on Board 4. Brett Cole
was awarded a medal for his three out of four round
wins on Board 4. Other team members contributing
to the success of the day were Ethan O’Dell, Nick
Huber and Christine Gardner. Sorsen and Haake
both finished the day with perfect four wins out of
four games. Dr. Janet Baldwin coaches the team.
Rose Acres students raise $600
for Sandy Hook students
Students at Rose Acres Elementary School used
“Candy for Sandy” to raise $600 to support the families impacted by the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook
Elementary in Connecticut. Fifth-graders Kyle Campbell, Chloe Shamel and Austin Sowell approached
their teacher, Andrea Hughes, and asked if they could
do a fund-raiser to help students who were affected
in Connecticut. Their goal was to raise $200. Hughes
had the students write a proposal to their principal,
Steve Vargo, who quickly gave his approval.
Twice a week, the students arrived early at Rose
Acres to sell candy bags at the school store. The
students, along with their classmates in Hughes’
class, made posters to advertise the project around
their building. Parents pitched in to help stuff candy
bags, and “the school has rallied behind the cause,”
Hughes said. “Chloe, Austin and Kyle have had to
buy more candy, stuff more bags and spent their
mornings working the school store all for the students of Sandy Hook.”
The money collected will be donated to the United Way and given to the families of Sandy Hook.
Shown are members of the award-winning Pattonville High School
chess team after the Pattonville tournament. They are, from
left, Christine Gardner, Jason Jiang, Isaiah Gadson, Brett Cole,
Thomas Haake and James Sorsen.
Rose Acres students Austin Sowell, Chloe Shamel and Kyle
Campbell sell candy at the school store before classes begin.
They were raising funds to benefit families impacted by the tragic
shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.
PHS junior to compete in regional Shakespeare competition
Pattonville High School junior Kaitlin Gant will represent her school at the regional Shakespeare Competition on Jan.
26 at the Gaslight Theatre. There she will compete for an opportunity to move on to the national competition in New
York City. For the regional competition, Gant prepared a sonnet and 20 lines from a monologue. This Shakespeare Competition is sponsored by the St. Louis Branch of the English-Speaking Union. Gant is the first student from Pattonville to
participate in the competition.
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Superintendent’s Update Michael A. Fulton, Ed.D., Superintendent
Varsity drill team named KPLR Team of the Week
Congratulations to the Pattonville High School varsity drill team for being named the KPLR Ch. 11 Team
of the Week. They were featured on Ch. 11 on Jan. 20.
The varsity drill team recently placed first in hip hop
and first in pom at the Yvonne Cole Lindbergh Invitational, a regional competition featuring teams from
Missouri and Illinois competing in pom, hip hop and
dance. They also received the High Point and Showmanship awards at the Lindbergh tournament. The team
is now preparing to head to the national competition in
Orlando, Florida. Members of the varsity team include:
Taylor Bailey, Samantha Byrne, Mariah Freeman,
Anise Glenn, Ciara Glenn, Paige Goss, Katie Greenwell, Alexis Lawoe, Toni Martorelli, Sabrina Mason,
Shown are members of the varsity drill team with their Lindbergh tournament trophies.
Natalie Miles, Clare Pond, Lindsey Purviance, Sierra
Shockley, Danielle Siegel, Michaella Whaley and Haley
Wojchiechowski. Katie Funderburk is coach of the varsity team.
Middle schools set up systems to help their families in need
Pattonville’s two middle schools recently set up systems to help feed students and their families in need. Holman Middle
School recently received a $500 grant from the Masonic Lodge for the school’s new Holman Backpack program. Assistant
principal Greg Schnatmeier and teacher Latoya Hildebrand authored the grant. Holman is using the grant funds to send backpacks full of healthy food options home on the weekends to students whose families are experiencing financial hardship.
“We have found our families to be very appreciative of this, as often times, the healthiest meals the students receive
are through school lunches and the free and reduced lunch options,” Schnatmeier said.
Pattonville Heights Middle School recently established its own food pantry at the school. The school invites families
identified by the counseling department to come to the school twice a month after classes end to select food to take home.
“Guidance did a wonderful job contacting parents and finding those families in need,” said teacher Kerry Brown, who
helped get the food pantry operational. “Letters were sent home to each of these families with a schedule of when our
pantry would be available to donate food. Shelving was built and each family was assigned a number, with donations
coinciding with the number of family members.”
Bridgeway, Willow Brook students receive free bike helmets
Fourth-graders from Bridgeway and Willow Brook elementary schools who took part in a day of safety-related activities earlier this school year recently received free bike helmets as a follow-up to what they learned that day.
Pattonville students took part in safety training through the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day on Oct. 10. Held at Willow Brook, the
program was a full-day event designed for students to learn safety and
health lessons that they can use every day while at home and school,
or even camping or on a farm or ranch. Students visited a variety of
activity stations, where they learned about safety topics ranging from
Internet, roadway, chemical, food and camping. More than 60 volunteers from sponsor Bunge North America, an agribusiness and foodprocessing corporation, were on hand to assist the students.
During the Safety Day, students were fitted for bicycle helmets that
were donated by the program “Helmets First.” In January, volunteers
from Bunge returned to deliver the helmets. Pattonville’s schoolA volunteer assists Willow Brook students with
business partnership office worked with the schools, Bunge and several trying on their new helmets. The students are,
co-sponsors to arrange the Safety Day and the bike helmet deliveries.
from left, Kimberly Gomez, Jaylen Sinclair and
Jacob Sunderman.
Continued on the next page...
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Superintendent’s Update Michael A. Fulton, Ed.D., Superintendent
Alumni
Spotlight
Pattonville
graduates
in the news
Above, U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan give a
thumbs up for the thank-you letters received
from Pattonville students. At right, care packages from Pattonville were shared with more
than 30 soldiers with the help of PHS alumnus
Ryan Stanley, shown here on a visit back to
his alma mater.
Pattonville students see gifts
sent to military put to use
Pattonville students and staff frequently volunteer their time
and efforts to help others, but it isn’t often that students get to
see the fruits of their efforts in the hands of their beneficiaries.
Recently, students and staff at Pattonville High School received
evidence of the impact they had when they sent a little TLC to
active military personnel during the holidays.
The Caring For Others (CFO) Club at Pattonville High School
collected more than $750 in donations to purchase needed supplies
and goodies for active military personnel abroad. The club sent a care
package containing items such as soup, canned pasta, hand and feet
warmers, shower items, game books, Chapstick, candy and cookies
to Pattonville alumnus Ryan Stanley (Class of 2011), who is serving
in Afghanistan. CFO sent enough for Stanley to share with his unit
of more than 30 soldiers. They also
wrote and sent more than 200 letters and thank you cards to Stanley
and his unit members. The club also
sent items to Nick Spangler (Class
of 2008) and Travis Barber (Class
of 2009), who are stationed in the
United States.
CFO sponsor Twila Harris recently received photos from Stanley
and his unit, showing them displaying or using the gifts and letters
Pattonville sent them.
Above, CFO leaders are shown with some of the items they
purchased for soldiers. They are, from left, Brooke Wilson, Nikki
Kerns, Nellie Nganga, Anayeli Zamacona and Teaira Banks.
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Jimmy Simpson, Class of 2010
Simpson recently had two
writing pieces published. A
short story was published in
the literary magazine, “See
Spot Run,” and a poem was
published in “Westward
Quarterly - The Magazine For
Family Reading.” Simpson is
a junior at Southeast Missouri State University
working toward a degree in secondary English.
He plans on living in Japan upon graduation
and teaching English abroad. Before attending
the high school, Simpson also attended Rose
Acres Elementary and Holman Middle School.
Ryan Sprengel, Class of 2008
Sprengel joined the marketing and game-day operations department of the
newly formed St. Louis Surge
Women’s semi-professional
basketball team in St. Louis.
The team’s mission is to
become role models and act
as mentors in the St. Louis community while
fostering a team of sportsmanship, teamwork
and excellence. The Surge was originally
established in 2009 and was later rebranded
into a new organization in 2011, at which
time it became a program for aspiring female
professional athletes. The Surge is a member
of the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League
(WBCBL), which is a farm league made up of
54 teams around the country for women looking to further their career in basketball, whether
it be to play in a league overseas or become a
professional player in the Women’s National
Basketball Association (WNBA). However,
the Surge not only aims to help women reach
the WNBA, but has a main goal of becoming a
member of the WNBAs roster. Before Pattonville High School, Sprengel also attended Rose
Acres Elementary and Holman Middle School.
Four residents file for seats on Pattonville school board
F
our individuals have filed for two seats on the Pattonville Board of Education. Filing for the positions ended at 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 15. Election to the Pattonville school board will take place during the general municipal election on
April 2. There will be two seats open for three-year terms. Candidates who filed for election to the board are, in order
of filing, Andrew Ostrowski of Maryland Heights, Robert Dillon of St. Ann (an incumbent), Ruth Petrov of Maryland
Heights (an incumbent) and Andrea Glenn of Maryland Heights. More information on the candidates, including their
experience and statements of purpose, will be posted on the district website at a later time. Check back for more details.
Pattonville to award honorary diplomas to veterans
F
or the 11th year in a row, Pattonville will reserve time during graduation
ceremonies to award honorary high school diplomas to veterans who left
high school before graduation to serve in the United States military during foreign conflicts. The ceremony will take place during the Pattonville High School
commencement ceremony, slated for 7 p.m., Thursday, May 30 at the Family
Arena in St. Charles.
Since 2002, Pattonville has awarded more than 100 honorary diplomas to
veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War and Operation Desert
Storm. Pattonville participates in “Operation Recognition,” a program sponsored by the Missouri Veterans Commission and Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. House
Bill 441 provides official state high school diplomas to veterans who served in foreign wars. Local boards of education
award the diplomas, which are issued by the state.
The program is open to any resident or former resident of Missouri. Veterans can qualify regardless of whether they
attended public or private schools and regardless of whether the school still exists or not. Family members may apply
on behalf of a deceased veteran. Applications to receive a diploma may be obtained by calling (314) 213-8025 or by
downloading the forms at www.psdr3.org/NewsInfo/pdf/VetDipAp2013.pdf. The deadline to return applications to the Pattonville School District in order to participate in this year’s graduation ceremony is Friday, March 8. Diplomas may also
be sent directly to the veteran if the person chooses not to participate in the graduation ceremonies.
A copy of the veteran’s honorable discharge papers or DD-214 is required to be submitted along with the application.
The Missouri Veterans Commission will verify that an applicant is eligible to receive the diploma.
Nominations sought for Teacher, Support Staff of Year
P
attonville is accepting nominations for its Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of
the Year recognition programs. These programs provide students, staff and parents
the opportunity to honor employees who make a difference and exemplify what it
means to be part of the Pattonville community.
Nomination forms for the Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year awards
are available on the Pattonville website at www.psdr3.org/nominate and in school offices throughout the district. The deadline for submitting nominations for both honors
is Friday, Feb. 8.
Classroom teachers and other certified educators, including counselors, librarians and
instructional specialists, are eligible to be nominated for Teacher of the Year. Employees
eligible to be nominated for Support Staff of the Year are any non-supervisory support
employee, including bus drivers, clerks, custodians, food service personnel, maintenance/grounds workers, mechanics, nurses, paraprofessionals, parent educators, pathologists, physical therapists, secretaries, teacher assistants and technology staff members.
Each staff member is notified of his or her nomination in March, and the finalists
participate in an interview by committees of parents and staff members. The district
winners will be announced during Pattonville’s District Appreciation Night on May 6.
The awards program is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Kelly Kendall-Gordon in the community relations
office at [email protected].
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Nomination
forms are
available
online at
www.psdr3.
org/nominate
The deadline
to submit
nominations is
Friday, Feb. 8.
Past PHS yearbooks for sale
Lost a yearbook you’d like to replace? Pattonville High School has a selection of overstock
yearbooks for sale. A number of yearbooks from 2004 to 2011 are available, as well as one or
two copies from 1993 to 1996, 1998 to 2000 and 2002 and 2003. They are being sold for $10
each. There is also one yearbook from 1984 and one from 1981, each of which are being sold for
$20. The money generated from the sales will go to purchasing new equipment for the yearbook
and newspaper classes at Pattonville High School. To purchase a yearbook, please contact yearbook
sponsor Brian Heyman at (314) 213-8051 ext. 8158 or [email protected].
Business Bits: Actions taken at the Jan. 22 school board meeting
Board Actions
The Board of Education on Jan. 22:
• Reviewed upcoming trips by the robotics team and varsity drill team at Pattonville High school;
• Approved paying $272,912.51 for purchases made on
Pattonville’s purchasing cards, which earned the district a
rebate of nearly 1 percent (or $2,510.80);
• Approved paying $28,072.4 for the balance of dues for
membership to the Cooperating School Districts (CSD)
and the CharacterPlus program;
• Approved paying $987.60 to Kohn, Shands, Elbert,
Gianoulakis and Giljum for legal services;
• Awarded a bid of $148,990 to Stephens Floor Covering
for flooring projects; and
• Awarded the bid for professional public education legal
services to the firm of Tueth, Keeney, Cooper, Mohan
and Jackstadt, P.C., for the period beginning Feb. 1, 2013
through June 30, 2014.
New Hire
•
Robert Gilbert, early childhood special education paraprofessional, Drummond
Pattonville Online www.psdr3.org
Calendars
Click on the calendar tab to view an activities calendar of all
school and district-level events; or an athletic calendar
BoardDocs
Details of items discussed at board meetings can be
found online. Click on any tab in the Web Tools menu to
find Pattonville’s BoardDocs page.
Your Board of Education
Jeanne Schottmueller, President
Ron Kuschel, Vice President
Tami Hohenstein, Secretary
Ralph Stahlhut, Treasurer
Cindy Candler, Director
Bob Dillon, Director
Ruth Petrov, Director
Upcoming Events
Pattonville Education Foundation (PEF) Dinner Dance Auction – Tickets are on sale for the PEF’s An-
nual Gala, set from 5:30 to 11 p.m. March 2 at the Maryland Heights Centre. This year’s theme is “Take Me Out To The
Ballgame.” The event includes a dinner buffet and silent and oral auctions, as well as a visit from Fredbird, the St. Louis
Cardinals’ mascot. Participants can also see an authentic World Series ring. Tickets are $32.50 per person or $240 for a
table of eight if purchased before Feb. 25. After that, tickets cost $35 per person or $260 per table of eight. The PEF is in
its 19th year of awarding grants to Pattonville educators to support innovative educational programs that benefit Pattonville students. For ticket reservations, contact Donette Green at [email protected].
Pattonville Idol – The Pattonville Alumni Association is hosting its annual talent competition, Pattonville Idol, at
7 p.m. on Feb. 1, 8 and 15 at Rook’s Game Day Sports Bar and Grill on Dorsett Road. Each week features a celebrity
judge. The event is free for audience members, but guests can help choose the winner with a $1 vote. Contestants will be
charged $5 to participate. All proceeds benefit the senior scholarship fund and the preschool pumpkin patch. To participate, contestants must be 18 years or older and either a Pattonville High School alumni, a relative of an alumni or an
employee of the district. To sign up, contact Paula Schneider at [email protected] with Idol 2013 in the subject line.
All Night Graduation Trivia Night – Pattonville High School will host an Adult Trivia Night on Feb. 2 at the
Maryland Heights Centre to benefit the Class of 2013 All Night Graduation Party. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Beverages
and light snacks will be provided. Participants may also bring other food and beverages. There will also be a silent auction for baskets, as well as other bonus games. Tables of six participants are $100. Individual tickets are $20. For more
information, contact Jon Fitzgerald at (314) 213-8000, ext. 8011. All proceeds from this event will help to pay for this
year’s All Night Graduation Party, which provides a fun, safe event for seniors to celebrate their graduation.
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Making News
Special recognition of Pattonville students, staff and volunteers
Pattonville Heights Middle School
All-Suburban Concert Band
Keturah Gadson, an eighth-grader at Pattonville Heights, was
selected for the St. Louis All-Suburban Concert Band. Abigail
Williams is her band director at Heights.
Pattonville High School
KMOX/SEMO Student of Achievement
Denish Jaswal, a junior at Pattonville High School, was
selected as one of 30 students from the greater St. Louis metropolitan area to receive the KMOX/Southeast Missouri State
University Student of Achievement Award. Jaswal will be
honored during a Student of Achievement Banquet this spring
and will be interviewed on KMOX News Radio. She will also
be awarded a renewable $3,000 scholarship to the university.
Keturah Gadson
Denish Jaswal
Kim Edwards
All-State Clarinetist
Kim Edwards, a senior at Pattonville High School, was named
an All-State clarinetist for the second consecutive year. She was
named All-State her sophomore year after being awarded Honorable Mention All-State her freshman year. This year, Edwards
placed second out of 204 clarinetists at the state auditions, earning her the role of first chair clarinetist in the All-State Orchestra.
Her band director at Pattonville is Denny McFarland.
Shown are members of the award-winning PHS robotics teams.
All-District Choir
Of the more than 400 students from St. Louis who auditioned, 11 Pattonville High School students were selected for the St.
Louis All-District Honors Choir. The students selected to the 11th- and 12th-Grade Honors Choir include Jordan Paine, who
also qualified to audition for the All-State Choir, Margaret Canizales, William Hogenmiller and Danielle Toney. Students
chosen for the Women’s Honors Choir include Rhiannon Beckley, Gianna Bergh, Cyrah Bryan, Sydney McFowland, Elana
Murawski, Kristianna Pirrie and Sarah Vik. In addition, their teacher is asked each year to select the best freshmen and
sophomores for the Ninth- and 10th-Grade Honors Choir. Those students are: Amy Azwell, Tyler Balk, Edwin Dizon, Megan Peters, Opal Pursley, Zackery Reinbold, Kalen Riley, Kaitlyn Sladek and Nathaniel Vemmer. The students were directed
by choir teacher Melynda Lamb.
Robotics state qualifier, regional awards
A robotics team from Pattonville High School will advance to the state championship at Missouri University of Science and
Technology after earning awards at a regional competition on Dec. 8. Two teams from Pattonville’s Green Army Robotics competed and gained recognition at the FIRST regional robotics tournament at Florissant Valley Community College.
The Covert Division of Green Army Robotics (Team 2866) placed second out of 36 teams, won the Motivate Award and
placed third for the Inspire Award, which qualifies the team to compete at the state-level robotics championship in Rolla.
The team was also nominated for the Design Award. Student members of this team are: Josh Czopek, Nik Frier, Kyle Hall,
Brianna Johnson, Warren Li, Grant Matthews, Jed Menard, Leah Perry, Tom Sarsfield, Zach Weber and Donovan Yard. The
Armored Division of Green Army Robotics (Team 2867) placed 11th out of 36 teams and was nominated for the Innovate
Award. Team members include: Paige Bateman, Daniel Herzberg, Craig Lasserre, Brandon Mazzola, Ethan O’Dell, Aidan
O’Donnell, Jared Pond, Mark Raymond, Doan Trieu, Khoa Trieu and Jessica Vitale. The teams are sponsored by Pattonville teacher Lori Cole, with the help of several mentor experts: Brian Bateman, Paul Bergland (a member of Pattonville’s
technology department), Jonathan Cole, Evan Dickerson-Rusan, Colin Shipley and Nicole Williams. For more information
on the Green Army teams or to see photos from the event, visit the team’s website at greenarmyrobotics.org.
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