The Patrick Henry Post

91 students came back to school this week as we began our hybrid second quarter of in-person and virtual learning. Our preschoolers, kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders were welcomed back into Patrick Henry and it was so exciting to see students back in our classrooms! We also welcomed our upper elementary students into new classes, and many of them began a virtual second quarter with a new teacher. We are so proud of how well our students, families, and staff transitioned into this new form of teaching, and we cannot wait to see our upper elementary in-person students next week! For now, take a look at some of the exciting things we got to experience for our "first" week of school!

This week, several classes were able to experience the magic of our school garden! Ms. Teska and Ms. Fales' classes are featured in this week's Patrick Henry Post after their hard work really paid off! They helped clear out the garden beds and they found incredible treasures waiting for them! Not only were weeds cleared away, but the students also picked our remaining veggies for the season. I have personally sampled every type of vegetable we grow at Patrick Henry, and it is impossible for me to pick a favorite. Well done, Patrick Henry Gardeners!

The St. Louis Police Department rolled through Patrick Henry this week to help us celebrate our first week of in-person learning with our youngest students. Operation Polar Cops brought in sweet ice cream treats for Patrick Henry students, and we were even able to connect with some of our virtual students who were learning from home and walked over for an afternoon treat. Our partnership with the Police Department is an important one to not only recognize but also to continue to foster so that we ensure our neighborhood is as safe as possible for our students, our families, our neighbors, and our staff. We love our neighborhood and appreciate everyone who keeps it safe!

Our first week of school started off with a great new look: staff in our new tshirts! We ran a tshirt contest for who could produce the best photo, and our first, second, and third place winners are shown below. Mrs. Ayeni posed with a new friend of Patrick Henry, a therapy dog who will be visiting our students soon! Ms. Griffin proudly showed off the safest way to wear a mask, modeling for our students what a true superhero does! And Ms. Ivory had to show off her incredible shoe collection to demonstrate safe social distancing. Ladies, keep an eye on your inbox for your gift cards!