TOMAHAWK TRIBUNE

The Meramec Valley R-III School District has been actively engaged in a Long-Range Planning process for the past year. The Board of Education priorities throughout this process have been to enhance the educational experience for all students, be good stewards of tax dollars by operating with efficient learning spaces, while planning for a future of providing innovative learning opportunities. In the face of district challenges such as declining enrollment, aging facilities, and financial constraints, the Board of Education approved to consolidate an elementary school. With this consolidation, Truman Elementary students will become part of either Coleman Elementary or Zitzman Elementary school for the 2024-2025 school year. District leaders are actively working through next steps to deliver a seamless transition for Truman Elementary students and staff, and will provide future communication regarding additional details.

The consolidation recognizes the need for efficiency and sustainability in the Meramec Valley R-III School District. The restructuring of elementary schools not only addresses immediate operational budgetary concerns, but also positions the district to positively navigate future facility upgrades and improve student programming. Specifically, the Truman Elementary site will be the focus of the Long-Range Planning process and a possible middle school for all district students.

The Meramec Valley R-III School District appreciates the feedback and collaboration with staff, parents, and the community to balance making these difficult decisions while always doing what’s best for our kids. District leadership and the Board of Education will continue their proactive approach to Long-Range Planning, seeking to secure a sustainable future for the students, staff, and community.

In the upcoming April 2nd election for the MVR-III Board of Education, there are five candidates vying for two open seats. The incumbents, Mary Clasby-Agee and Laura Riegler, have filed for re-election, aiming to continue their service on the board.

Joining them in the race are three additional candidates: Clint “Allen” Tindall, Dustin Walsh, and Brian Steele. In order of filing times, the candidate will appear on the ballot in the following order: Laura Riegler, Mary Clasby-Agee, Clint “Tindall”, Dustin Walsh, and Brian Steele. As the election date nears, the district will provide families with a short biography on each candidate.

Congratulations to our JROTC marksmanship team for winning the Missouri State X-Count Tournament and the Missouri State Marine Corps JROTC Marksmanship title. Well done to Cadets Malissa Dailey, Annabelle Schneider, Ella Stock, and Carter Casey.

Additionally, Cadet Commanding Officer Annabelle Schneider has been appointed to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. This is an extraordinary honor and one that Annabelle has worked extremely hard to earn.

Connor Higginbotham and Megan Lagenbacher, Pacific High School students, have been chosen for their outstanding character, work ethic, and commitment to athletic and academic excellence. Vero Fitness strives to encourage healthy lifestyles and positive citizenship in the community.

Pacific High School Coach, Steve Smith, assistant coaches, and players were recognized for their winning season, along with several individual player awards:

Sach Wolf: All Select & & All Region

Lucas Tennyson: All Select & All District

Gage Clark: All Select & All District

Connor Higginbotham: All Select & All District

Logan Hannah: All District

Raidon Fowler and Adyson Trower completed their Student School Board of Education term at the close of the January 31st meeting. During their term, Fowler and Trower met monthly with Dr. Schwierjohn, Superintendent of Schools, and attended Board of Education meetings to report on student interests, activities, procedures, and policies. A major focus of the Student School Board Representative positions has been to gain student perspective on various topics. Future representatives will be sworn into office at the February 21st Board of Education meeting.

Through feedback from the District Calendar Committee, the Board of Education was able to approve Academic Calendars for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 years. The driving factors in recommending a multi-year Academic Calendar is to allow parents and staff to make future plans. District leaders collaborated with the staff and reference Four Rivers Career Center and St. Louis Community College's calendars to create the Academic Calendar. MVR-III also worked to balance calendar days for each trimester. Find the approved calendars here:

• Academic Calendar for 2024-2025

• Academic Calendar for 2025-2026

The MVR-III School District is bursting with pride as our talented student, Faith Nicol, showcased her incredible skills at the 2023 Acro Pan Am Championship in Ibague, Colombia. Faith and her partner, Peter Vonder Haar, stood out as one of only two mixed-pairs in the 11-16 bracket chosen to represent the entire nation.

Faith (alongside Peter) clinched the Gold medal in the Mixed Pair bracket for their outstanding balance and dynamic routines. 🥇🤸‍♀️ Adding to the glory, Faith also received a second Gold medal as an integral part of the USA team. Join us in celebrating Faith's remarkable achievements on the international stage! 🏆🎉

Teachers and staff from across the district are planning a dinner and learning event to engage families. The event will cover a variety of topics to support student success in the classroom and at home. A sign-up will be sent to families at the end of February to assist with catering and child care services. Event sponsors include MVR-III Bridge Foundation, Pacific Agape Help House, Parents as Teachers, United Way, and Bell Funeral Home. Contact Ryan Gregory at 636-271-1464 or Josh Grodie at 636-271-1459 to host a station or to sponsor the event.

Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a nationally honored program offered to all families in the Meramec Valley R-III School District. It is a free, voluntary parent and child early education service. Parents with children from prenatal to age five are eligible. The program includes developmental screenings, home visits, group meetings, playgroups, and a referral network. The early years of life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success in school, and in life and parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.

Working under the guidance of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Early Childhood Development Act (ECDA), Parents as Teachers National Office, and the Meramec Valley R-III School District, PAT services all district residents from birth to age 5. Sign your child(ren) up for PAT here or call 636-271-1464 for assistance.

☎️📲MVR-III is committed to ongoing communication within our schools and with the community. The district has multiple channels for distributing information to stakeholders. A multifaceted approach to overall communications helps ensure greater impact of messaging. The district uses

a variety of media, including but not limited to district and school websites, social media, e-mail, e-newsletters, news releases, print media (Thursday Folders K-4), Class DoJo (PreK-5), and the MVR-III App.

Infinite Campus

The district uses Infinite Campus as the student information system (SIS). Infinite Campus is a district-wide SIS designed to manage attendance, grades, schedules, assessments, and other information about the students in MVR-III. Parents and students have access to the Campus Portal, a confidential and secure website that allows users to log in and view information about progress in school. Apps are available for both iOS and Android devices. The goal of the Campus Portal is to create a better partnership between parents and teachers. Parents, please contact your building office if you have not set up your parent portal.

MVR-III Mobile App

Download the FREE MVR-III School District mobile app to streamline school communication on the go. Apple App Store and Google Play links can be found at the bottom of every website page.

Be sure to:

• ALLOW Notifications

• Select SETTINGS to choose the school(s) you want to follow

February Events/Activities

Career & Technical Education Month

5th-9th- National School Counseling Week

5th-9th- Super Bowl Spirit Week

12th- Kindergarten Registration Open

14th-20th- Great Kindness Week

19th- No School-President's Day/School Board Workshop

21st- School Board Meeting

23rd- Second trimester Ends/Early Release

26th- No School/Professional Development Day

27th-March 1st- Elementary Parent Teacher Conferences