It is hard to believe that we have reached the final month of the school year! This month as we celebrate all of our students' accomplishments, it's also time to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you to our staff for all you do!

I want to say thank you to all of our students, parents, families, and community partners for their support and perseverance through this school year. Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 3rd annual Sneaker Ball last Thursday! It was great to see everyone and to see the pride of our students dressed their best!

We are looking forward to welcoming parents and families to Nance to celebrate the end of this school year during the month of May. More details will be announced about each of these events by your child's teacher as they draw closer.

• Red Carpet Awards Ceremony- Thursday, May 16th, 5:00 PM (Grades 1-5 only)
  
  
• Pre-K End of Year Celebration- Tuesday, May 21st, 10:00 AM
  
  
• Kindergarten Promotion- Wednesday, May 22nd, 9:00 AM
  
  
• 6th Grade Promotion- Wednesday, May 22nd, 11:00 AM

• The last day of school is Thursday, May 23rd! Summer Learning begins Monday, June 3rd at Nance!

In addition to these events, we have several activities to keep the excitement up through the last day of school. Watch for notifications from your child's teacher for more information!

I hope everyone has an amazing summer!

In partnership,

Tyler Archer, Ed.D.

Principal

It's time to register for Camp SLPS 2024! Camp SLPS 2024 will be held from Monday, June 3rd- Friday, July 12th. This summer, students who are currently in P4 through 5th grade will attend Camp SLPS at Nance, and students who are currently in the 6th grade will attend Camp SLPS at Compton Drew Middle School.

Register for Camp SLPS 2024 at this link.

On Monday, May 20th we will hold an outdoors celebration with yard games, a bubble machine, music, and an ice cream truck for students who qualify for the STAR Reading and Math incentive!

In order to be eligible to participate in the incentive, students must meet one of the following criteria:

• Be performing at/above grade level based on the final STAR Reading or Math assessment of the year (testing is ongoing)
  
  OR
  
  
• Met their STAR Reading or Math growth goal for the year

Encourage your students to do their best! Students will receive their incentive ticket if they are invited to the activity on Friday, May 17th!

We hope you have enjoyed participating in the “Nance Knights Book Club” this school year! The Nance staff has enjoyed sharing so many wonderful titles with you and your children throughout the year. To conclude the 2023-2024 school year, all students are receiving copies of Hidden Figures, written by Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrated by Laura Freeman.

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award–nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers! Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good. They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

We are excited that we are coming to the end of the 2023-2024 school year! Please make sure you are planning to attend our end of the year celebrations and events. There is something for each grade level to join during the closing days of school. We are looking forward to seeing all of you there!

Shantelle Williams-Green

Family and Community Specialist
Shantelle.Williams@slps.org

As we approach the end of another successful school year, I want to express my gratitude to our students, staff, and families for their hard work and dedication. It's been an incredible journey, and we're proud of all that we've accomplished together.

With summer fast approaching, it's important to keep the momentum going. Look for summer programs to keep students engaged and learning, including coding, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), and high school/college prep courses. We also have summer school sessions for those who need extra support.

One of the simplest things students can do over the summer to stay sharp is to read a little each day or keep a writing journal. These activities are great ways to maintain and even improve skills during the break.

As we wrap up the school year, let's finish strong. Encourage students to arrive at school on time with a positive attitude, ready to learn and participate. Together, we can ensure a smooth transition into the summer and beyond.

Thank you for your continued support, and let's make the most of these final weeks!

Ms. Toccara Montgomery
Assistant Principal

Toccara.Montgomery@slps.org

The end is near! May 23th, 2024 will be the last day of school for students for this school year. We have a lot of exciting activities leading up until then! We will be acknowledging the academic achievements of our students on May 20th during the STAR Reading and Math growth incentive celebration. The last assessment of the school year is the STAR Math and Reading assessment which will be taking place the week of May 6th.

The end of the school year is also the time we celebrate students who are being promoted to the next grade. On May 21st our Pre-Kindergarten Knights will be promoted and on May 22nd, our Kindergarten and 6th grade Knights will be promoted.

As always if you have questions or concerns about academics please feel free to reach out to me.

Tifani Allen
Academic Instructional Coach
Tifani.Allen@slps.org

Hello Nance Families,

Hard to believe we are in our last month of school. It has been a joy being the school nurse for Nance for the 23-24 school year. I have appreciated my interactions with parents and grandparents this year and am thankful for each of you.

There are so many fun things to do in St. Louis in the summer. Hopefully your student it signed up for Camp SLPS. Here is a link for more things to do with your student:

https://saintlouis.kidsoutandabout.com/content/master-guide-summer-fun-st-louis

If you have a preschool student who will be attending kindergarten in SLPS, please remember to make sure your student is compliant with immunizations. Also, if your student has asthma and or a life-threatening allergy, please obtain an updated action plan and an albuterol inhaler and/or an Epi-Pen from your student's physician. This will be needed for the fall.

Again, it has been a great year. I look forward to hearing about what the students have done this summer when they come back in the fall.

As always, please contact me with any questions.

Have fun, be safe, remember to have HEART!

Nurse K

Suzanne.Kaelble@slps.org

Hello Knights,

As we step into the last month of school, students will be adding color to the wall! By creating a mural, students will see how art can change the way we perceive an environment and affect our moods. We will be looking at contemporary artists Jen Stark and Thank You “X” while we continue to practice the seven elements of art. This month the main focus will be on craftsmanship! With our mural inspired by Thank You “X”, fifth and sixth graders will be given the chance to leave their legacy at Nance. I am looking forward to this year’s addition!

Keep up the creative work Knights!

Jenna Worley
Art Teacher

Jenna.Worley@slps.org

The school year is winding down and we are looking to finish the school year strong. For the month of May, students will continue to develop and demonstrate knowledge and skills that promote a health enhancing level of physical activity and fitness. Students will also be expected to exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.

We will use aerobic and guided movement activities for our younger students and the upper grades will participate in games and activities where teamwork and cooperation are important for successful outcomes. All activities are, designed for the students to be physically active in their quest to obtain physical fitness in a fun learning environment. It is important for students to continue to adhere to school expectations.

Utilizing skills for learning and displaying the ability to problem solve will go a long way with helping us finish the year on a positive note. With the spring season in full bloom, it’s recommended that students have an opportunity to be engaged in physical activities. Keep in mind that safety is of the utmost importance. Be active, be safe and enjoy the beauty of spring-time.

Ray Taylor

Physical Education Teacher

Ray.Taylor@slps.org

Greetings from the Music department at Nance!

Celebrate spring with a song, "Spring is Here!" sung to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?" See the lyrics below!

Eudora Patterson-Fields, MA.Ed.

Music Teacher
Eduora.Patterson@slps.org

Let’s celebrate reading! Many students have reached their reading goal and are reading on grade level. However, some students have not reached their goals, but they are close and they are still making progress. Please encourage your child to keep reading and keep striving to read on grade level. Encourage them to continue reading throughout the summer. Persuade your child to read a book for 15 to 20 minutes every day and ask your child questions about that book.

There are also some other things your child can do so they can keep progressing in reading. Read newspapers and magazines. Summer school begins on June 3rd here at Nance. Children will work on reading skills in addition to other educational and fun activities. The St. Louis Public Library have several reading activities that you and your child can do. Please make sure your child continues to read this summer.

Corsandra Foster
Reading Intervention Teacher
Corsandra.Foster@slps.org

Books Galore! I have new and exciting books in the library.

Keep books in sight as much as possible for your children. Create a library at home, then read and reread!

Joyce Wicks

Library Aide

Joyce.Lloyd@slps.org

Congratulations to the winners of this year's "The Game of Math" competition! To celebrate the end of the school year we will have a robotics-themed event, "Dash into Summer" during the week of May 13th! Watch Class Dojo for updates!

Kathryn Noelle
Supplemental Instruction Teacher/STEAM Instructor

Kathryn.Noelle@slps.org

In honor of National Poetry Month during April, here's a poem, "Hey Black Child" by Useni Eugene Perkins to share with your family.

Marilyn Jackson Luster
Professional School Counselor
Marilyn.Jackson@slps.org

Tips to Promote Summer Learning for Kids

• Schedule reading time every day
• Incorporate math into daily activities
• Cook meals together
• Initiate meaningful discussions
• Pursue a new interest
• Offer recommendations for active learning experiences
• Gardening, journaling and community service activities that kids plan themselves are additional ideas that can enhance summer learning

Melvin Cooper
PBIS Coordinator

Melvin.Cooper@slps.org

Parents, please call the office if your child will be late or absent. My personal mission is to help people feel inspired and empowered. My office hours are Monday, Tuesday, and every other Friday 8:00am -3:15pm. You can reach me by calling (314)867-0634 Ext. 29122. I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you so much!

Yolanda Douglas
Social Worker
Yolanda.Douglas@slps.org

Hi Nance Family,

We are nearing the end of the school year, and oh what fun it has been here at Nance Elementary, with the many engaging activities for family and students. We want to continue finishing out strong with the attendance for the remaining school year.

As many of you know that many resources and any basic living items are always available for your needs. Please do not hesitate contacting me for any.

It's like getting a badge for attendance. Do it again and again. Consistency makes the rain drops to create holes in the rock. Whatever is difficult can be done easily with regular attendance, attention and action.

Tiffany Lee-Moore
Student and Family Mentor
(314) 608-8714

tmoore1@urbanleague-stl.org

Thursday, May 16th- Red Carpet Awards Program (for grades 1-5 only), 5:00 PM

Friday, May 17th- Field Day

Monday, May 20th- STAR Reading/Math Celebration
Tuesday, May 21st- Pre-K End of Year Celebration, 10:00 AM

Wednesday, May 22nd- KG Promotion, 9:00 AM

Wednesday, May 22nd- 6th Grade Promotion, 11:00 AM

Thursday, May 23rd- Last Day of School

Monday, June 3rd- First Day of Camp SLPS 2024