On Wednesday, April 21st, we celebrated Mrs. Pat O'Shea for National Administrative Professionals' Day. Mrs. O'Shea runs not only the main office, but she also works behind the scenes in so many different ways that it is hard to put into words how much we appreciate her. Most schools have several administrative assistants who each have different responsibilities. We have ONE Mrs. O'Shea who runs every aspect of the building. We are thankful for her every day of the year, but especially this week it was fun to celebrate her. Thank you for all that you do, Mrs. O'Shea!

On Thursday, April 22nd, we celebrated Earth Day! Since 1970, we have recognized April 22nd as Earth Day in order to shed light on environmental issues, concerns, and victories. This year is a unique year with the pandemic because we have actually seen some incredibly positive things for our environment! The lack of traffic and the slowing pace of our world this year allowed the earth the time to literally chill out. Check out the video below about the beginning of Earth Day in 1970, and as you walk by, ask Ms. Butler's students how they created their Earth Day artwork AND planted new bulbs in the garden!

This week, Patrick Henry hosted police officers from several different units who work in our local community. We had a special representation of age, gender, race, and experience on the force. The officers went in pairs to every classroom to meet the students of Patrick Henry, and to share a little about themselves. Students were able to ask questions of all their visitors. Some of the questions were deep and complicated, such as, "How did you feel about the Chauvin trial verdict?" and others were more whimsical ("what's your favorite animal at the zoo?"). Our students were able to connect with the real life officers that serve our neighborhood, and our local officers were able to see the real life children who live and attend school in this area. The police plan to return in May to dive deeper into several specific topics, so students will begin preparing for their visit over the coming weeks. Thank you to HomeWorks!, the Patrick Henry staff, and our St. Louis Police Department for creating this opportunity to connect and learn about one another.

Ms. Ivory's class started this week off with two days of intensive testing. Students in 3rd grade completed tests in reading and math, and students in 4th grade completed tests in reading, writing, and math. Not only was it an unusual week with their testing schedule, but it was even more unusual because normally Ms. Ivory's students are all virtual! It was absolutely wonderful to see them back at Patrick Henry in person! Well done to each and every one of the students who came to school, focused on their assessment, and showed off their best efforts. We know you will perform well!

Tishaura Jones is our new St. Louis Mayor! This was an historic election of the first African American female mayor of St. Louis. Mayor Jones has been trailblazing long before 2021, however. During her time in the Missouri legislature, she was the first African American woman in Missouri to hold the position of Assistant Minority Floor Leader, and in 2012, she became the first African American woman to serve as Treasurer of St. Louis. We are excited to welcome her to her new role, and we wish her good luck in her transition to Mayor!

Patrick Henry sits in the middle of Ward 5, and we recently elected a new Alderman, Mr. James Page! Alderman Page has worked in the Post Office, the Downtown Neighborhood Association, and President Obama's campaign. We are so excited to have him represent us in all local matters. Welcome to your new role, Alderman Page!

Adam Layne was appointed on April 15th and will take over for Mayor Jones as the City of St. Louis Treasurer. Treasurer Lane is familiar with the office since he has been working as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the City of St. Louis Treasurer's Office. Treasurer Layne is also familiar with St. Louis Public Schools as he served on the Board of Education in 2019, and served as a high school math teacher in St. Louis Public Schools. Congratulations on your new appointment, Treasurer Layne!