What's Happening Weekly @ MRH

At its first meeting of the new year, the MRH Board of Education discussed possible ballot measures to place before voters in the April 8, 2025 municipal election. The measures, a bond issue and/or a debt service transfer, would provide:

• Approximately $2.2 million to support increases to salaries and benefits
• $15 million to replace track and field, address facility needs, and to address deferred maintenance

Superintendent Dr. Bonita Jamison explained the measures and presented proposed ballot language for the bond and levy, to be known respectively and tentatively as Propositions B and E, as follows:

PROPOSITION B: Shall the Board of Education of the School District of Maplewood Richmond Heights, St. Louis County, Missouri borrow money in the amount of $15,000,000 for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, renovating, improving, furnishing and equipping school sites, buildings and related facilities, including facilities upkeep, safety improvements and track and field renovations, and issue general obligation bonds for the payment thereof? If this proposition is approved, the current debt service levy of the school district is expected to decrease from $1.35 to $0.85 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.

PROPOSITION E: Shall the Board of Education of the School District of Maplewood Richmond Heights, St. Louis County, Missouri, be authorized to increase the operating tax levy of the District by $0.50 per $100 of assessed valuation for paying general operating expenses, including salaries and benefits to develop and retain teachers? If this proposition is approved, the total levy of the school district is expected to remain unchanged due to an expected decrease in the debt service levy of the school district that will offset the $0.50 increase to the operating levy of the school district, resulting in the adjusted operating levy of the school district per $100 of assessed valuation to be estimated at $4.0173 for residential real property, $4.4767 for commercial real property, and $5.9658 for personal property.

Ballot language must be submitted to the St. Louis County Board of Elections by January 28, 2025. The Board will act on the two proposals at a special virtual meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21.

In other matters, the Board approved tuition rate adjustments for Preschool and for Discover Club, MRH’s before/after care program. A tuition increase for both would increase revenue to help meet program expenses:

• Discover Club: 20% increase for the 2025-2026 school year; registration fee increases from $35 to $50
• PreSchool: 20% increase for the 2025-2026 school year

MRH teachers enjoyed a full day of professional development on Friday geared toward a clearer understanding of Personalized Competency-Based Learning (PCBL). The day kicked off with a presentation by trainers from the Institute for Personalized Learning (i4PL).

The PCBL mindset is based on these elements:

• Students and staff are empowered daily to make important decisions about their learning experiences, how they will create and apply knowledge, and how they will demonstrate their learning.
• Students and staff receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.
• Students and staff learn actively using different pathways and varied pacing.
• Strategies to ensure equity for all students and staff are embedded in the culture, structure, and pedagogy of schools and education systems.
• Students and staff engage in Real World Learning experiences that support high school, college, career and workplace readiness.

Staffers also enjoyed the "de-stressing" services of Wellness Chiropractic and financial planning classes by CommunityAmerica Credit Union.

MRH Elementary School Gifted Teacher Dan Lyons prepped his students very well for interviews which now appear in the Innovative Technology Education Fund (ITEF) January newsletter.

Mr. Lyons played a lead role in the school receiving ITEF's 2024 Innovator Grant for the school’s Museum metaphor. He worked alongside students and other educators to write the grant.

You can see photos of the December Museum exhibits at THIS LINK.

Norovirus, a highly contagious virus causing gastroenteritis, spreads rapidly in school settings through contaminated food, surfaces, and person-to-person contact. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps, often leading to significant absenteeism among students and staff.

Prevention Tips:

• Promote Hand Hygiene: Educate students about proper handwashing with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the restroom. *Alcohol-based sanitizers are less effective against norovirus.
• Disinfect Surfaces: Ensure high-touch areas like desks, doorknobs, and restrooms are regularly cleaned with effective disinfectants that kill norovirus.
• Isolate Sick Individuals: Encourage sick students and staff to stay home for at least 48 hours after symptoms stop (CDC Recommendations)
• Monitor Symptoms: Track and report unusual clusters of gastrointestinal illnesses to local health departments.
• Education Campaigns: Conduct awareness activities to teach the school community about norovirus prevention and symptoms.

Here is a link to the CDC Website which states that staff/students with the norovirus should stay home for at least 48 hours after symptoms have stopped: CDC Guidance: Norovirus

This week, the Blue Devil aims his spotlight on Rich McCollum, High School English teacher by day and award-winning speech & debate coach at night (and many weekends). On Friday and Saturday, we played host to the MRH Invitational Speech & Debate Tournament, which attracted students from at least 16 schools throughout east-central Missouri. Dozens of community members stepped up to act as judges for student presentations. At the center of it all is Coach McCollum, who relies heavily on his students to perform major organizational tasks for these events. Coach McCollum is a recent Missouri Speech/Debate Coach of the Year and also coaches the MRH Mock Trial Team. Thank you for assembling another memorable tourney, Coach!

Send YOUR nominations for the Blue Devil Spotlight to the editor of "What's Happening Weekly @ MRH."

info@mrhschools.net

We hope to see you at the highly anticipated Pancake and Movie Night on January 24 featuring the movie, Inside Out 2! Pancake dinner will be served from 5-6 p.m., with the movie starting at 6:15 p.m. Ticket prices include pancake dinner; adults are $8, kids are $5, and three and under are free. Please note, kids must be accompanied by adults - this is not a drop-off event! Kids can come dressed as their favorite Inside Out character for a fun costume contest! Volunteers are needed, so sign up here!

Link to join will be announced soon.

On May 10, 2025, MRH will once again participate in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Walk in Creve Coeur Park. Founded in 1979, NAMI is a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of people affected by mental illness. They provide support, education, and awareness through events such as the annual NAMIWalks St. Louis. Last year, NAMIWalks St. Louis was a record-breaking event, with over 1,300 participants including MRH employees and families representing Team Blue Devils. EVERYONE is welcome to join us again this year! Tap here or on any of the images below to get started with registration.

Remember, 1 in 5 adults live with a mental health condition, making your efforts even more impactful. We hope to see you on May 10!

EducationPlus is hosting a three-part book study on The Anxious Generation starting January 30. This book study is open to parents, educators, leaders, staff, board members and all members of our school community.

We will uncover both the strengths and gaps in the book, fostering a deeper understanding of how anxiety affects us all. This book study will break the book into manageable sections and provide page numbers along with reflection questions to enhance each session’s discussions. At the final session in March, we will focus on “What Do We Do Now?” with a panel of experts who will help guide us, one step at a time.

Additional information can be found in the linked flyer below and you can register via this link.

District Central Office and school building phone numbers

The MRH Communications Tree: Find the right person to contact with your questions/concerns.

MRH Calendars for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026

Absence Reporting/Why Regular Attendance Matters

MRH Youth Sports baseball and softball registration for the 2025 season opens Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7:00 a.m., and runs through Friday, Feb. 14, at MRHYS.org. These sports are open to kindergarten through 8th grade.

As always, it is first-come, first-served on registration. The earlier you sign up in the registration period, the better your chances for being put on a team.

We are also in need of coaches! Please sign up when registering your child.

Reach out to mrhyouthsports@gmail.com with any questions. We look forward to seeing your players on the field!

There is still plenty of time to get YOUR tickets to this wonderful annual event which supports the MRH residence for unhoused senior boys. CLICK HERE for registration details

January 21: Special virtual Board of Education meeting

January 28: Community Conversations with MRH Admins (virtual)

February 6: Board of Education Community Roundtables

February 10-14: Parent/teacher conferences

February 14: No school for students

February 17: District closed (Presidents Day)

February 20: Board of Education monthly meeting

The Maplewood Richmond Heights School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, sexual orientation and/or perceived sexual orientation, or genetic information in its programs and activities. View Notice of Non-Discrimination or Board Policy AC.