We Celebrated
Every week, we celebrated our students who met the expectations in their Related Arts classes by naming STAR winners, who got to pick prizes from the office treasure chest. It was always fun to see their smiling faces come bounding to the office to pick something fun for their reward!
We Practiced
Our students from Preschool through 5th grade work in centers, literacy circles, small group reading interventions, and whole group activities to practice what they learn from their teachers. Every classroom used manipulatives, games, and instructional materials this quarter to reinforce lessons and practice their learning independently.
Improved HVAC
Our SLPS Buildings & Grounds team worked over Winter Break to repair and replace much of our HVAC systems to ensure we have the cleanest air filtering through our systems. This helps eliminate the spread of germs as well as ensure students and staff have high air quality throughout the building.
Staying Active
We kept things moving even in the coldest winter months and made sure our students had their Physical Education minutes, recess minutes, and Academics in Motion minutes! We kept things as healthy as we could during the winter and kept students engaged in learning about physical and mental health.
Reading Groups
We read - a LOT - this quarter! Our students and staff have worked so hard this quarter to challenge themselves to grow as readers, and we have been working in whole groups, small groups, and with individual students to make sure every student sees academic growth in the area of reading!
Our Concrete Settled
Over the winter growing season, we left our garden beds "fallow," or empty, so that the beds could rest and so that our concrete could settle. Now that our concrete is ready to go, our students will begin planting this week and next week!
We Worked with Our Friends
Our students often work together in small groups or pairs so that they can collaborate. Our preschool-2nd grade participated in centers while our 3rd-5th graders participated in guided reading to make sure that all students were able to work together and meet their individual needs.
We Improved Our Space
Our Professional Development room came together because of incredible work of staff and volunteers, and the Patrick Henry staff now has a beautiful and comfortable place to hold meetings and professional development!
We Grew Academically
All of our grade levels saw immense growth in the third quarter in both reading and math, and our students worked hard in their whole group and small group settings. Their hard work paid off as they made gains.
We Learned about Nutrition
Through our partnership with Southwest Food Services and University of Missouri Extension Programs, our students in prek and kindergarten received weekly nutrition lessons. It was fun to see them embrace new foods and new nutritional concepts.
We Celebrated the G.O.A.T.s
Ms. Evans' reading groups competed for GOAT sleeves to show off who was the Greatest Of All Time, and the reading growth was amazing to see! Students rooted for each other and wore their sleeves with pride!
We Collaborated and Supported
Students across all grade levels have spent 3rd quarter supporting one another because we have worked hard to establish relationships and maintain them throughout the school year. This allows our students to get to special moments in class when they genuinely support each other's learning.
New Student Teacher
Ms. Wendy Massey transitioned from a classroom supporter to a Student Teacher in Ms. Ivory's this quarter, and it was wonderful to see her blossom into a new teacher! We are so excited to see where her career as an educator will take her!
Multiplication Mania
3rd graders in Ms. Jami's class went absolutely bananas for their multiplication tables this quarter. It was incredibly fun to hear about their successes as they moved up the numbers to memorize their multiplication facts.
Magnet Middle School Acceptance
Our 5th graders received their acceptance letters to their Magnet Middle Schools, and we were incredibly proud of every single one of them for getting into their first choice school!
Groundhog's Day
We celebrated Groundhog's Day on February 2nd. Punxsutawney Phil woke up and did see his shadow in Pennsylvania, so officially, he predicts we will have a longer winter. Luckily, it has been a very nice, warm winter since he saw that shadow!
Self-Reflection
Students in Ms. Bailey's class were able to create their own journals to give them the opportunity for self-reflection and journaling exercises. Their bedazzled treasures were well-used this quarter as they needed a moment to get their thoughts on paper and reflect.
100th Day of School
We celebrated the 100th Day of School this quarter, and even had teachers dress up as if they were 100 years old! Our students' hard work was celebrated on this day for making it this far in the school year.
Valentine's Day
We felt the love on February 14th as family members, friends, and loved ones shared valentines with our students and staff. It was an incredibly fun day full of festivities!
Let's Go Blues!
The Patrick Henry staff attended a St. Louis Blues game for a team-building activity and it was fun to cheer on our local team with our teachers and staff!
Black History Month
We not only celebrated Black History Month with an incredible performance from the whole school, but we also learned about our four phases of history and the impact of Black history and culture on the rest of the world.
Perfect Attendance
We continued our perfect attendance celebrations for the months of January and February, allowing students with perfect attendance to receive a certificate and pick a prize from our treasure chest. It was awesome to celebrate so many students this quarter!
We Learned New Fruits and Veggies
Our Fresh Fruits and Vegetables program gave our students the opportunity to explore new healthy foods that surprised and challenged us!
Lasting Relationships
Our students and staff dove even deeper into their academic work, which solidified the relationships throughout the building.
Finishing Strong in 4th Quarter
With just one more quarter left in this school year, let's make it count and finish strong! Here are a few suggestions for our students, staff, and families to finish this year well:
- Think about school attendance and make sure your child is here every day, on time. Missing even just a few minutes of the morning routine can change your child's day, so making sure they get here on time keeps them in routine and sets them up for success every day!
- For students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, talk to them about the MAP assessment that will take place in April. Give them encouragement that they have been preparing for this test all year, and that if they do their best, they will show off all that they have learned!
- Talk to your child about how to finish this school year strong academically: every quarter counts and it is important that they know we keep teaching and they keep learning!
- Talk to your child about how to finish strong behaviorally. We have so many fun celebrations at the end of the school year, and we want to celebrate every single child! Remind them that every teacher has expectations that must be met in their classrooms, the hallways, the cafeteria, the playground, and the bus.
- For students in 5th grade, remind them that they must have excellent grades, attendance, and behavior record in order to keep their placement in their Magnet Middle School for next year.
Take a look ahead at our amazing 4th quarter events that will happen over the next few months:
- March 17-24: Spring Break
- March 31: Book Party for Kindergarten and 1st Grade
- March 31: Field Trip for 2nd-5th Grade to the Gateway Arch
- April 29: Saturday event for all families at Patrick Henry with free resources
- May 1-5: Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 9: Kindergarten-1st Grade field trip to Forest Park Nature Playscape
- May 10: 2nd-3rd Grade field trip to Forest Park Nature Playscape
- May 22: Whole School Field Trip to St. Louis Zoo
- May 23: Field Day
- May 24: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony
- May 25: Awards Ceremony for PreK-4th Grade
5th Grade Field Trip
This week, our 5th graders were able to go to the St. Louis County Humane Society to learn about animal care and community partnerships for animals without a permanent home. Students interacted with animals at the shelter and learned from the Humane Society staff how to care for all types of animals in need. Later this month, the rest of the Patrick Henry students will enjoy a school-wide assembly from the Humane Society to continue learning about animal care. Thank you to School Counselor, Ms. Gregory, for setting up this field trip and to our chaperones, Ms. Gregory, Ms. Webb, and Ms. Brown!
March 31st: Field Trip for 2nd - 5th Grade
All 2nd-5th graders will go on a walking field trip to the Gateway Arch. Students will not only get a tour of the new grounds and museum, but they will also travel all the way to the top of the Arch for a view of our beautiful city! Students will end the day with a Riverboat Cruise and they even get a free lunch while they are on the Mighty Mississippi. Parents! Please make sure you turn in your child's field trip permission slip and get your child to school on time so they do not miss out on this opportunity!
