This week was our first week back to school after the winter break, and it was such a fun week! We greeted our old friends and made new friends with our students who joined us for the first time. We reconnected as a school, and each teacher made their students feel special by reconnecting as a class. Though we had many ups, downs, and uncertainties with Covid, we were still able to return to learning. I want to say thank you to every family, every student, and every staff member who continues to make this space as safe as possible during such a challenging time in our history.

Our best defenses against Covid are to get vaccinated, wear our masks properly, and practice social distancing. 100% of the Patrick Henry staff is fully vaccinated, but only 1% of our student population is vaccinated as of January 7th, 2022. St. Louis Public Schools encourages all eligible students to get vaccinated so that they can stay in school and be protected from Covid. See below for Covid-related resources.

Please continue to report any Covid cases in your family by notifying the school at 314.231.7284. Let's make this a safe, healthy, and academically-focused semester!

We are excited to welcome Ms. Jasmine Henderson as our new School Secretary! Ms. Henderson comes to Patrick Henry with a wealth of experience and knowledge of office management that she learned in her time with the U.S. Military and working on a college campus as an office manager.

Ms. Henderson is passionate about working with students and staff members, so make sure you stop by the main office to give her a warm welcome!

We are thrilled to have Ms. Aspen Wolfe join our team as our new Kindergarten Teacher! Ms. Wolfe comes to Patrick Henry with teaching experience in the western United States, teaching as far away as Alaska! This photo was taken after Ms. Wolfe snagged a beautiful fish in the Alaskan wilderness. Ms. Wolfe will be working closely with Ms. Willard to provide a continuation of excellent instruction for some of our youngest students. Make sure you send her a greeting when you see her at arrival and dismissal!

We are lucky to welcome Ms. Jemecia Bailey to the Patrick Henry staff as our new Building Substitute Teacher! Ms. Bailey has experience teaching at a local Montessori school and she brings her knowledge not only of teaching but also parenting. Ms. Bailey's son is also joining our Patrick Henry family as a fourth grader in Ms. Ivory's class. Give both of them a warm welcome when you see them moving throughout the building!

This week, we saw a major dip in the temperatures. You know St. Louis weather - blink and it will change on you! Despite the cold, Ms. Jackson's second and third graders went outside to begin their research project on tree bark. It was an awesome start to their learning adventures, and the students were passionate about experiencing this research with a hands-on start!

I was lucky enough to spend an hour with Ms. Smith's preschoolers this week as they worked their way through some amazing centers. Students got to go to the land of make believe, paint pet rocks, experience real life with a dish washing station at the water table, and create play-doh food for their pet puppies. They also had math and ELA centers in the mix, where students worked on pattern and shape recognition. I had so much fun, I really did not want to leave!

Our fresh fruit and vegetable program brings a myriad of healthy foods into our classrooms for an afternoon snack. This week, we had our first experience with lemons. And OH MY did they make an impression on Ms. Willard's kindergarteners! But just as in life (when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade), Ms. Willard's students figured out a way to make it work and they created "fancy water" by squeezing fresh lemon juice into their water bottles. It is always fun to see children experience new foods!

This year, we have spent a great deal of time building relationships between adults and students, and between students as peers. When we returned from winter break, we knew we had to reconnect with each other to make sure we still had strong, foundational relationships. One way that Ms. Ivory builds relationships with her students is by getting to know students on a more personal level. Their story books include special details about their likes and dislikes, and give them an opportunity to express who they really are.

The comfortable and fun atmosphere of Ms. Teska's Guided Reading makes you want to sit down with a good book and stay all day long. I was lucky enough to walk in just as students had gotten settled into their station for the day, and every single student was focused on their work. It was an incredible thing to see! They were comfortable and happy while they completed their assignments, read their book, or completed their reading assessment. It was awesome to see our students jump immediately into the magical world of reading!