AN AFFTON SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLICATION VOL. 60 / ISSUE 2 / SPRING 2013

Affton Still Bleeds Purple & Gold, But We’re Going Green The Affton School District is committed to making a difference in the world and in our children’s future. This includes many efforts

throughout our schools, as well as changes in the way we communicate with our

families, students, staff and community. Here’s a preview of what’s to come:

REDUCE

Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, we will be making an effort to ensure that

less paper is mailed home to our families or comes home with our students. The packet

of information mailed to parents each summer will be greatly reduced, and the district

and school handbooks and calendars will be housed online rather than being printed.

Similarly, efforts to communicate via

our website, Facebook pages and

Twitter feeds have increased, and

Access Affton, our bimonthly

e-newsletter, shares timely news stories, information and events. (See the back page of

this publication for additional information.)

We will also be better utilizing the parent information tools available through

SchoolReach. Parents will be able to receive messages from their student’s school(s)

and the district via phone call, e-mail and/or text. This summer, bus route information

will be posted on our website and communicated to each family with a phone call in

August. We look forward to better serving our families by communicating in their

preferred method, as well as helping our environment with less wasted paper.

REUSE

Both Affton Early Childhood and Rogers Middle School students are actively engaged in sustainability

projects at their schools. With the help of Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, the early childhood students

have planted seedlings and are eagerly awaiting the vegetables that are growing this summer. For those who

love to garden or are looking for a service project this summer, Rogers Middle School is looking for a few

more volunteers to help maintain their school garden through the summer months. Additional information

can be found at http://www.affton.k12.mo.us/schools/rogers-middle/garden-volunteers/

RECYCLE

All Affton Schools participate in single-stream recycling, and our students are encouraged to recycle

whenever possible. We will continue these efforts and help make the tenets of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle top of

mind for all of our students and staff.

Inside this issue:

New Principals 4

Spotlight on

Affton Staff

5

SSD Rosemary

Zander Award

6

MTCCCA Girls Track

Coach of the Year

7

The Affton 5 8

MCTM Math

Competition

9

Pre-K Graduation 11

Mesnier Primary students (from left) Milo Chandler,

Colton MacCachran, Audrey Zalenka and Isabella

Behrle make sure they recycle at Camp Cougar.

Graduation Issue

Affton Early Childhood students (from left) Matthew

Ogrzewalla, Nora Reid and Henry Craig working in the

school’s garden.

Page 2

Continuous Improvement: It’s a philosophy that the Affton School District has embraced, and

the overarching theme in our endeavors.

Over the past two years, we have been working to develop a systems approach to classroom

improvement. Administrators, teachers, and our Board of Education have been involved in

professional development in the area of continuous improvement, and during this time, quality

principles have become more common throughout the district. Affton is developing a culture

which understands the importance of making research-based and data-driven decisions.

We have invested in teachers’ professional development through the Continuous Classroom

Improvement (CCI) program, which is research-based, ongoing, job embedded, and supported by

coaching. All Affton teaching staff will be engaged in CCI during the 2013-2014 school year, and

will be implementing quality improvement principles to enhance instruction. Student engagement

and students taking responsibility for their own learning are major initiatives within the CCI

framework. We are committed to developing life-long learners in a rapidly changing world.

We also understand that the effective use of technology is an important part of continuous

improvement. Following an external audit of all of our technology systems, we have been better

able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of technology in our district with the data

provided. Recently, the Board of Education approved a $600,000 investment in our technology

infrastructure, and approved the restructuring of our Technology Department, which included the

hiring of a new Director of Technology and Information as well as a Network Engineer. Affton is

poised to make great strides in the technology available to our students, staff, and schools, and

will be able to better support these efforts for many years to come.

During second semester, we engaged the architecture firm of Dickinson Hussman to conduct an

in-depth audit of the district’s buildings and grounds. A team from each of our schools, which

included the building principal, a member of the Board of Education, a member of the custodial

crew, as well as teachers, staff and parents, looked at: Building Safety & Security, Educational

Adequacy, Environment for Education, School Site, Structural & Mechanical Features, and Plant

Maintainability. In May, the building teams came together to review the findings from each

school, as well as from the architects and engineers, and then took time to brainstorm together to

determine potential solutions that would improve the learning environment for all of our students.

The second phase of the process will begin in Fall 2013, when Dickinson Hussman will present a

preliminary cost estimate to address design solutions created in May. This will allow the district to

better prioritize projects by need in a financially responsible manner.

Over the next school year, you will be seeing more opportunities for parent and community input.

We will be reestablishing committees to help keep each component of our work on the track of

continuous improvement: Curriculum, Safety, Technology, Wellness, Buildings & Grounds, and

more. If you are interested in serving or would like additional information on any of these

opportunities, please reach out to Erica Chandler, Director of Community Relations, at (314) 633-

5908 or echandler@afftonschools.net.

As always, thank you for your continued support. I look forward to being able to report back on

our efforts in continuous improvement throughout the 2013-2014 school year, and beyond.

From the Superintendent

“We are committed to

developing life-long

learners in a rapidly

changing world.”

Dr. Steve Brotherton

Graduation is a time of reflection, for looking forward to the future

and reflecting on the past.

I would like to begin by thanking Mike McNeil for his leadership the

past two years as Board of Education President. I find it a privilege

and honor to be elected the new President of the Affton School

Board. It is a pleasure to serve the Affton community and I will do

my best to ensure we continue to meet and exceed our goals as a

district.

There have been many high points in the past four years that I have

served on the board and am proud to be a part of:

District-wide academic achievement

Cathy Cartier named Missouri Teacher of the Year

Named "One of America's Best High Schools in 2013" by Newsweek

Completion of the Affton Early Childhood Center

Board transparency with the adoption of BoardDocs which allows meeting agendas and minutes to be available to all

Selected Dr. Brotherton as Superintendent, along with a new administrative team

Increased communication with the Affton community

Developed Technology Infrastructure Plan

Implementation of a continuous improvement program

We have a lot to be proud of as a District and I look forward to meeting our goals for the future,

some of which are:

Added educational opportunities for our students

Increased academic rigor

Striving for and meeting excellence in all areas

Executing the Technology Infrastructure Plan

Realization of our long term building and grounds improvement plan

In closing, I would also like to congratulate the Class of 2013. I wish each of you much success

and happiness in your future endeavors and that wherever life takes you, may you always

remember your time at Affton.

From the Board President

AHS Named One of America’s Best

Douglas Beck,

Board of Education President

Page 3

AFFTON SCHOOL DISTRICT Dr. Steve Brotherton Superintendent (314) 638-8770 Dr. Travis Bracht Assistant Superintendent (314) 638-8770 BOARD OF EDUCATION Douglas Beck, President (314) 638-1846 Thomas Bellavia, Vice-President (314) 353-2068 Susan Casaleggi, Treasurer (314) 351-3588 Christopher Castellanos, Director (314) 457-0099 Larry Knox, Director (314) 638-3222 Michael McNeil, Director (314) 229-8223 Patricia Zahn, Director (314) 842-1560 Regular board meetings are scheduled at 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month in the multi-purpose room at Affton Early Childhood (9832 Reavis Road, 63123). The Channel is published and printed by the Affton School District Staff and Printing Services. Affton School District is an equal opportunity employer. The district complies with the provisions of Title IX, Title IV and Section 504 and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, national origin or disabling conditions in regard to employment, services or programs. Inquiries about compliance with these provisions should be directed to: COMPLIANCE OFFICER Affton School District 8701 Mackenzie Road Affton, MO 63123

Affton High School was notified in May that it made Newsweek’s 2013 list

of America’s Best High Schools. The list contains 2,000 public high

schools from across the nation with 23 high schools from Missouri making

the list. The list is based on six components: graduation rate (25 percent),

college acceptance rate (25 percent), AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student

(25 percent), average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP/IB/

AICE scores (10 percent), and percent of students enrolled in at least one

AP/IB/AICE course (5 percent). Congratulations, AHS!

New Principals Named at Mesnier & Gotsch

Kristina Pluff Named 2013-2014 District Teacher of the Year

she can "...encourage the most

reluctant learners to dig deep

and produce work worthy of

praise."

Pluff goes on to state, “I am

doing my part every day to

improve and strengthen my

profession by forging positive

relationships with my students,

their parents, and my

colleagues."

Each Affton school also named

a Teacher of the Year for their

building. They include: Pluff for

Mesnier Primary; Adrienne

Wemhoener, professional

school counselor at Gotsch

Intermediate; Stacie Martin,

eighth-grade math teacher at

Rogers Middle; and Brian

Jennings, English language arts

teacher at Affton High School.

Wemhoener, the Gotsch

Intermediate Teacher of the

Year, has worked in the Affton

School District for five years.

She has a Master of Science in

Elementary and Secondary

Counseling with Licensure

and is currently finishing her

license to be a Licensed

Professional Counselor.

Martin, the Rogers Middle

Teacher of the Year, has been

teaching in the Affton School

District for 19 years and

currently teaches Pre-Algebra

and Algebra. She has a Master

of Science in Education plus

thirty additional credit hours

of study.

Kristina Pluff, second-grade

teacher at Mesnier Primary

School, has been named the

Affton School District’s 2013-

2014 Teacher of the Year.

“The Affton School District

staff is top-notch. They are

continually striving to stretch

their boundaries and deepen

their bonds with colleagues,

students, parents and the

community,” said Dr. Steve

Brotherton, superintendent. “I

am proud of each of our

Teachers of the Year, and am

certain that Kristina will

represent Affton well.”

Pluff has been teaching at

Affton for 13 years, holds a

Master of Arts in Education

and is certified in Gifted

Education. On the application

for Teacher of the Year, one

of Pluff's colleagues states that

Page 4

within the district, and are

looking forward to continuing

to move in a positive direction.”

Powers has served as principal

at Mesnier Primary since 2011,

and prior to coming to Affton,

she served as an associate

principal, instructional, and

classroom teacher at University

City. She began her elementary

teaching experience in Wellston

in 2001, and worked for the

Missouri Reading Initiative.

Been has served as assistant

principal at Mesnier Primary

since 2011, and at Northview

Elementary in the Jennings

School District prior. She

began her elementary teaching

experience in the St. Louis

Public School system in 1997,

followed by serving as a

mathematics coach and

instructional specialist at

Northview Elementary for six

years.

Also effective July 1, Brian

Smith, current principal of

Gotsch Intermediate, will

begin serving as assistant

principal for Mesnier Primary,

and Rose Davis will continue

serving as assistant principal of

Gotsch Intermediate.

On Tues., May 7, the Affton

School District Board of

Education approved Dr.

Christine Powers as principal

of Gotsch Intermediate

School and Tina Been as

interim principal of Mesnier

Primary School. Both changes

will be effective July 1 for the

2013-2014 school year.

“Both Christine and Tina have

a strong record of success in

our schools and with our

students,” said Dr. Steve

Brotherton, superintendent.

“We are excited about the

leadership in these schools and Tina Been

Dr. Christine Powers

Jennings, the Affton High School

Teacher of the Year, has been

teaching Fine Arts Speech and

Theatre and English classes in the

Affton School District for 13 years.

He holds a Master of Arts in

English and a Master of Arts in

Education, Secondary English.

The Affton School District

Teacher of the Year for 2012-2013

was Cathy Cartier, an English

language arts teacher at Affton

High School. She is currently

serving as the Missouri State

Teacher of the Year.

Pictured from left:

Wemhoener, Miller,

Brotherton, Pluff and

Jennings

Terri Solomon has been a fixture at Affton School District for 47 years,

beginning as the switchboard operator in 1966. Best known as supervisor of the

print shop, she has also served in the business office where she did co-op

purchasing, and she made calls for substitute teachers for 30 years. Terri has

worked under 11 superintendents, including Affton’s first superintendent,

Charles Mesnier.

She and her husband, Fred, have three children, five grandchildren and five

great-grandchildren.

June 30 will mark the end of Terri’s tenure, when she will retire. In May, a reception was

held in Terri’s honor at the Affton High School Commons, where her coworkers, both

current and former, friends, family, and associates in the community paid tribute to her

remarkable career.

During retirement, Terri says that she plans to do whatever she wants, which will include

getting back to ballroom dancing, shopping, going to the movies and eating out.

Congratulations, Terri, and thank you for your dedicated service to Affton Schools!

Six nominees received the

prestigious SOAR Award.

They include: Jana Caselli,

attendance secretary at Affton

High School; Carol Hall,

speech and language

pathologist at Gotsch

Intermediate; Clare Iffland,

special education teacher at

Rogers Middle; Zandra

Jackson, kindergarten teacher

at Mesnier Primary; Amy

Rose, fifth-grade teacher at

Gotsch Intermediate; and Patti

Vogt, speech and language

pathologist at Gotsch

Intermediate.

Six Recognized for Service at SOAR Awards Eighteen staff and volunteers

were honored at the Affton

School District’s Service and

Outstanding Achievement

Recognition (SOAR) Awards

on April 10.

“I am impressed by the

dedication and contributions

of each of the nominees,” said

Doug Beck, president of the

Affton School District Board

of Education. “They strive to

make a difference, and each of

them make the Affton schools

and community a better

place.”

Page 5

Terri Solomon Print Shop Manager

Pictured from left: Terri Solomon, with former Affton High School

secretaries Amy Steele and Irene Drace.

Spotlight on Affton Staff...

Pictured from left: Shirley Ayer, Terri Solomon and

Sam Sellers, in a photo from a 1974 edition of The

Channel.

Pictured from left: Jackson, Hall, Rose, Iffland and Caselli

Not pictured: Patti Vogt

Following

an

extensive

search for

talent and

experience, the Affton Board

of Education approved the

hiring of Dr. Robert Dillon as

the new Director of

Technology and Information

for Affton School District on

April 2.

Dillon comes to Affton from

the Maplewood Richmond

Heights School District, and

was recently named one of the

National School Boards

Association’s (NSBA)

Technology Leadership

Network “20 to Watch.” This

honor recognizes education

leaders from across the

country for their ability to

inspire colleagues to

incorporate innovative

technology solutions that

contribute to high-quality

learning environments and

more efficient school district

operations. In September,

Dillon was also named an

Emerging Leader by Phi Delta

Kappa International, which

recognizes top educators from

around the world for their

visionary leadership,

professional achievements, and

commitment to the field of

education.

In addition to his administrative

experience, Dillon serves as the

co-founder of EdcampSTL, an

annual “unconference” that

brings together those interested

in learning and sharing more

about best practices in

education. He also sits on the

steering committee for the

Midwest Education Technology

Conference (METC), and has

been a featured speaker at

regional, state, and national

education technology

conferences.

He and his wife, Sandra, a social

worker for BJC HealthCare, are

from the St. Louis area. They

have two daughters, Ellie, 8, and

Emily, 5.

SSD Bestows Highest Honor on Daniel Crum with enthusiasm and an energy

that is an inspiration to

everyone he meets.

“Daniel’s progress in all areas

of his life has been an amazing

journey,” says Mary Beth

Merlo, an SSD teacher who

nominated Daniel for the

award. “Daniel is always

willing to attempt any work,

and he advocates well for his

needs and the needs of his

peers. He dives right into his

work and stays with it until

completion. He doesn’t back

down or use his visual

constraints as an excuse to get

out of any assignment.”

Daniel is a well-rounded

student, and very active in

Special School District (SSD)

named recent Affton High

School graduate, Daniel Crum,

a recipient of the Rosemary

Zander Award.

Founded in 1988, the

Rosemary Zander Award

program recognizes the

accomplishments of students

receiving services from SSD.

While their achievements are

varied, their stories all tell of

students who possess positive

attitudes and an unwavering

will to succeed.

Never allowing his visual

limitations to get in his way,

Daniel Crum, who receives

visual impairment services

through SSD, greets every day

extracurricular activities –

particularly sports! He is an

integral part of the school’s

sports programs both as a

participant and fan. He has

been a part of the golf team

for four years. And he

received the prestigious

“Outstanding Sportsmanship”

award from the National

Sports Commission as he is

the only legally blind golfer in

the state of Missouri.

Additionally, he has been the

manager for all three

basketball teams, equipment

manager for the football team

and attends every game he

can.

Dr. Robert Dillon Named Technology Director Dave Walters Receives

2013 Superintendent’s Award

During the SOAR Awards on April 10, Dave Walters, manager

of Buildings and Grounds for Affton School District, received

the 2013 Superintendent’s Award for his work on the planning,

development and opening of the Affton Early Childhood Center.

“Without Dave’s experience and attention to detail, we would

not have been able to provide such a top-notch facility for the

Affton Early Childhood program on time and under budget,”

said Dr. Steve Brotherton, superintendent. “He is a valuable

member of our team, and I am pleased to publicly recognize his

hard work.”

The Affton Early Childhood Center opened in August 2012 and

is home to over 140 preschool students, ages 3 to 5. Renovations

to the 19,000 square-foot former warehouse facility began in

December 2011.

Page 6

Jessica Reed

Dave Walters with Dr. Steve Brotherton

Tim Hill Named Girls Track Coach of the Year

Each year, the honor, awarded

to one coach from each of

four classes for track in

Missouri, is determined by

votes from fellow MTCCCA

coaches.

“Tim truly cares for his

students and athletes, and

works hard for them. He

deserves this recognition,” said

Affton High School girls track

coach, Tim Hill, has been

named the Missouri Class 3

Coach of the Year for 2012

for Girls Track by the

Missouri Track and Cross-

Country Coaches Association

(MTCCCA).

Dan Oliver, athletic director

for Affton School District. “It

is a real pleasure to work with

him, and even more so to

count him as a friend.”

Hill was also recognized by the

Affton School District Board

of Education at their meeting

on Feb. 19.

UMSL Honors AHS Juniors for Science & Foreign Language

Page 7 Tim Hill

Two Affton High School juniors

received honors from the University

of Missouri–St. Louis.

Paige Smith was honored with the

2013 Distinguished Achievement

Award for Excellence in Science.

“Paige is not only very intelligent

and hard working,” said Laurie Free,

science teacher at Affton High

School, “she distinguishes herself by

being very inquisitive, which is a key

characteristic of a good scientist.”

Smith was among 35 area high

school students to receive the

distinction. Chosen by their

respective high schools, the students

had to demonstrate excellence in

Mary Carpenter Recognized for Service “Over her career, Mary has

shown amazing strength and

endurance in working with and

helping the students of Affton,”

said Dr. Sue Jackson, principal

at Affton High School. “We

couldn’t be more proud of her,

and grateful that she is able to

work with our students every

day.”

Carpenter has served as a

counselor at Affton High School

for 27 years; the last two as

college counselor.

“As a long-standing member

of MOACAC, I am so

honored to have been selected

for this award,” said

Carpenter. “We work hard so

that every student has a post-

secondary plan in place. I

hope my students know that

they are all worthy; the student

in the floor-laying program at

South County Tech is just as

important to me as the student

matriculating to a selective

college.”

The Missouri Association of

College Admission Counseling

(MOACAC) has named Mary

Carpenter, college counselor at

Affton High School, the 2013

recipient of the Peggy Clinton

Memorial Service Award, their

highest honor.

Founded in 1984, the Peggy

Clinton Memorial Service

Award program honors high

school and college counselors

who have shown amazing

qualities in supporting the

students and their schools.

Mary Carpenter

Smith (top left) and

Castellanos

(bottom right)

academic performance and

outstanding capabilities in the

sciences, including the areas of

science, technology, engineering

and math (STEM).

Jessica Castellanos, an Honors

French III student, received the

Distinguished Achievement Award

for Excellence in Languages by the

University of Missouri-St. Louis

College of Arts and Sciences.

“Jessica is a terrific French student.

Her work is superior and very

advanced for her high school

level,” said Paula Gyllenborg,

foreign language teacher at Affton

High School. “I love the way her

mind works. I

can see her

thinking en

français and it

is a wonderful

process to

watch.”

Castellanos

was among 24

area high school juniors to receive

the distinction. Chosen by their

respective high schools, students

must demonstrate outstanding

achievement in academics and

languages, as well as participation

in foreign language-related

activities and studies.

In the last edition of The Channel, Rogers Middle School teachers Jennifer Pointer and Jennifer Roach

were featured for having been awarded a $15,000 grant from Innovative Technology Education Fund

(ITEF) to be used toward teaching with touch pad technology. Since that time, these eighth-grade

teachers have integrated Apple iPads, wireless keyboards, and accessories into their communication

arts, math, science and social studies lessons.

“My students were actually excited about writing their editorials. They used iPads from start to finish.

Researching, typing, peer editing, and presenting went smoothly,” said Pointer. “I find the students

are truly engaged in their assignments, whether it is typing a paper in Communication Arts or

completing a lab in Science.”

Roach assigned her students to create a two minute movie on a chosen battle from the Civil War. Her students used iPads to film, edit,

record voiceovers and include special effects.

“I see students that are normally struggling readers and writers getting more involved in class through

the touch technology that we’ve incorporated,” said Roach.

When asked how they like iPads in the classroom, these eighth-graders said:

“They are faster than the netbooks and easier to type on. They are like a mini SMARTBoard.” - Lucy

Vogt

“Very user-friendly.” - Madi LaManna

“Presentations of papers are now electronic. We are not as nervous getting up in front of our peers and

presenting orally. There is just something about having the iPad in your hand.” - Kaia Johnson

a wheelchair. The doctors at

St. Louis Children’s Hospital

performed MRIs, labs,

ultrasounds, and finally

determined that he was having

an autoimmune response

which caused a lesion on his

spinal cord. On September 26,

Mitchell began a 32 day stay at

St. Louis Children’s Hospital

in the Neurorehabilitation

Unit to receive intensive

treatment, occupational and

physical therapy.

During that time, Mitchell’s

teachers, counselors and peers

rallied around him, sending

cards, visiting with him, and

supporting the Herndon

family. Ray Crites, math

teacher at Rogers Middle

On April 28, Rogers Middle

School students held the

inaugural Affton 5 charity run.

This year, the students chose

to support a fellow RMS

seventh-grader, Mitchell

Herndon, with proceeds

benefiting the Herndon family

and St. Louis Children’s

Hospital Neurorehabilitation

Program.

Last year, Mitchell was your

typical healthy, active 12 year

old boy. In May, his parents

and teachers began noticing

that he was walking funny and

running into things. That

deteriorated into him not

being able to run, walk up or

down stairs, hold a pencil, and,

eventually forced him to need

Rogers Middle School Students Enjoy New Technology

The Affton 5 Charity Run Raises Over $5,000 for Classmate

Page 8

Mitchell Herndon at the start of The

Affton 5 Run

School, even taught lessons

after school via Skype. Finally,

in late November, Mitchell

was able to return to Rogers

Middle School in a wheelchair.

Today, Mitchell no longer

needs a wheelchair or

assistance to walk or move,

although he still receives

physical therapy at St. Louis

Children’s Hospital. He even

completed all five miles of The

Affton 5!

Raising $5,000 for the

Herndon family plus another

$1,000 for the St. Louis

Children’s Hospital

Neurorehabilitation Program,

and counting over 180

participants, The Affton 5 Run

was a great success.

RMS math teacher Ray Crites

teaching a lesson via Skype

Gotsch Students Compete at Math Contest

Rogers & Gotsch Students Train with St. Louis Rams

Students from Gotsch

Intermediate and Rogers

Middle joined members of the

St. Louis Rams and leading

nutrition experts recently at an

NFL-themed training camp.

Held at the Rams’

ContinuityX Training Center

in Earth City, Mo., the

students were rewarded for

their efforts to eat healthy

foods and stay active.

Student teams from 10

elementary and middle schools

in eastern Missouri and central

Illinois earned invitations to

the Fuel Up to Play 60 Reward

Training Camp by actively

engaging in the Fuel Up to

Play 60 program and

encouraging their peers to

make healthier choices and

commit to at least 60 minutes

of physical activity each day.

Page 9

Ten fourth- and fifth-grade

students at Gotsch

Intermediate School

participated in the Missouri

Council of Teachers in

Mathematics (MCTM)

Regional Elementary Math

Competition on April 6.

Held at Mineral Area College

in Park Hills, Mo., the Gotsch

students competed against 50

competitors at each grade

level. Each student was tested

on their problem-solving and

concepts skills.

Receiving special recognition

at the regional competition for

the concepts test were fourth-

graders Gavin Knapp, 9th

place, and Eric McDaniel, 8th

place; and fifth-grader Lynn

Eckhardt, 10th place.

Additionally, fifth-grader Jack

Petterchak, took 8th place in

problem-solving and 2nd place

in concepts, which qualified

him to compete in the

Missouri State MCTM

Competition, held on April 27

at the University of Central

Missouri.

Fifth-Grade Fishing Trip Each year, the fifth-grade students at Gotsch Intermediate cap off their year with a field trip to the Busch Wildlife Conservation Area to

enjoy a day of fishing and friendship. Here are a few pictures from this year.

The other Gotsch Intermediate

students who competed in the

regional competition were fourth-

graders Maureen Dolan, Daniell

Salcedo and Margaret Schaffer; and

fifth-graders Lily Ederer, Charlie

Ertmann, and Carter Piel.

Thirty-four students from

Mesnier Primary participated

in their annual science fair this

spring. Fifteen of the

kindergarten, first and second

graders moved on to compete

at the Academy of Science –

St. Louis Science Fair at

Queeny Park.

First place winners included:

Liseli Akafekwa, 1st grade, Stop

or Else!; Mitchell Been, 1st

grade, Flip a Coin; Claire

Boyer, 2nd grade, Growing Green

Beans; Katelyn Busse, 2nd

grade, Magnificent Breakfast

Cereal; Milo Chandler, 1st

grade, Will a Marshmallow Stay

Puft?; Miles DeWille,

Kindergarten, Mentos Soda

Geyser; Mason Earll,

Kindergarten, Carbonation and

Reaction to Mentos; Hayden

Hass, Kindergarten, What

Plants Need to Drink; Aliyah

Hernandez, 2nd grade, How

annual Scott Joplin Showcase

on March 17 as an outstanding

music teacher at Mesnier

Primary and as an outstanding

musician who gives freely of

her time and talent.

“Laura is caring, talented, and

most of all, dedicated to

sharing the love and

Laura Bangert, music teacher

at Mesnier Primary School,

has been named the 2013

Metro South Fine Arts

Teacher of the Year by the

Metro South Arts Council

(MSAC).

Bangert was honored at the

Metro South Arts Council’s

Mesnier’s Aspiring Artists

Laura Bangert Honored by MSAC

Mesnier Students Compete at Science Fair

Page 10

On May 9, Mesnier Primary hosted its annual Art Fair. Over 1,000 pieces of art created by the kindergarten, first-, and second-grade

students were on display. The mini-artists made drawings, paintings, collages and some three dimensional masterpieces; some inspired

by famous artists such as Monet, Wood, Matisse, and more. Additionally, the second-graders sold sea shells they painted in art class

with Miss Perko as part of a service learning project focusing on community, respect, and responsibility. In total, the class earned $225

that was donated to the Affton Christian Food Pantry, to help people in need. It was a wonderful

evening for students, family, and friends.

Much Do You Know About the

Solar System; Max Jenkins, 1st

grade, Mr. Clean Cents; Julie

Kaye, 2nd grade, Moon Phases;

Antonio Muyco,

Kindergarten, I’m Density and

I Know It; Julia

Niedzwiedzka, 1st grade,

Minerals and Fossils Around St.

Louis; Amelia Weiss, 2nd grade,

Melt It!; and Gabby Yoder-

Altadonna, 1st grade, The Mold

Project.

importance of music with our

students,” said Dr. Christine

Powers, principal at Mesnier

Primary. “She is very

deserving of this award, and

we are proud that her

accomplishments are receiving

recognition.” Laura Bangert with some of

her students

program. The students read

stories, played games, and ate

a “rainbow” of healthy snacks,

including red and yellow

peppers, carrots, and more.

“It’s important for our

children to hear that being

healthy can be fun,” said Karin

Fleming, director of Affton

Early Childhood. “Through

activities that got the kids up

and moving, good stories and

presenting healthy snacks in a

new way, the OASIS team

helped teach our preschoolers

a valuable life lesson.”

Preschool students at Affton

Early Childhood are learning

about the importance of

exercise, moderation and

choosing healthy food

options.

With the help of volunteers

from OASIS, a national

education organization that

brings people together to

promote lifelong learning,

healthy lifestyles and

community engagement for

mature adults, the three to five

year olds participated in the

CATCH Healthy Habits

Pre-K Students Graduate from Affton Early Childhood

OASIS Volunteers Teach Preschoolers Value of Healthy Habits

Page 11

Congratulations to the 66 Pre-K students who graduated on May

22! The Affton Early Childhood staff has enjoyed an amazing year

with them, and is looking forward to watching them throughout

their school years. Here’s to the Class of 2026!

Administration Center

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Affton, MO 63123

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