Patrick Henry Post

As we close out our final week before Thanksgiving break, I want to take my final week of November reflection to express my gratitude for our staff and community partners who make this school year possible. We have so many people who are on our team (both paid and unpaid) who make our school the best it can be. From our teachers to our custodians, our staff is world class and they work tirelessly to provide a quality education for our amazing Patrick Henry students. We also have a massive team of volunteers who are working behind the scenes to make school possible, both virtually and in-person. I want to say thank you to each and every one of you who provide your time, your resources, your connections, and your positivity to make Patrick Henry great. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and enjoy the well-deserved break!

To our students and our families, I also want to say thank you! You have worked with us in both the virtual and in-person settings, and you have made it work, even with roadblocks that could have prevented you from sending your child to school. We thank you for every morning that you arranged transportation and childcare, every day that you made sure your child came to school on time and prepared, and every afternoon that you picked your child up and still had the energy and enthusiasm to hear about their day and encourage them. Thank you for your strength during these difficult times. Have a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with rest and relaxation!

Take a look below for some of our in-person learners who are highlighting how they're learning in our hybrid model. 60% of our students are here at Patrick Henry, but they are still engaging in virtual learning. We are excited about this hybrid model not only so that our students can stay safe and socially distanced, but also because it is keeping their technology skills sharp! Our students are going back to virtual for one week after Thanksgiving, and our in-person learners will be fully prepared for that because they are consistently engaging in and practicing their technology skills. Thank you to our teachers who are making this model work, and thank you to our students who are making incredible shifts every day from in-person to virtual work.

Ms. Jackson's third grade class was featured in the St. Louis American's Newspaper in Education STEM page in October. Seen above, Ms. Jackson worked with dominoes to study force. Awesome job, Ms. Jackson and Leanna! The St. Louis American produces several teacher resources that we utilize in our classrooms to get kids excited about the news and well-read in current events. They also have teaching resources on important topics, and this particular activity was taken from the suggested STEM activities.

Ms. Hammock was also featured in The St. Louis American for her work as a teacher-parent, showing off what it's really like to be a virtual educator with her own children at home. Using her resources and getting creative to keep her kids committed to learning, Ms. Hammock found the STEM activities highly engaging. It's always been an interesting challenge to be a teacher and a parent (especially when your own children attend your school!), but COVID has made these challenges even more intense. We are proud of all of our teacher-parents for stretching themselves to ensure their children and their students get the very best!

In order to limit community spread of COVID-19, St. Louis Public Schools and Patrick Henry will go back to 100% virtual learning for the week of November 30th. After families gather to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday break, we want to ensure that all of our students and families have time to shelter in place as much as they can before returning to school. Giving families the time at home as virtual learners will ensure that our in-person students are returning to school safely. We will see all of our students on Microsoft Teams starting the week of November 30th! On December 7th, we will welcome back our in-person learners. Have a wonderful and safe holiday, and we look forward to our virtual week on November 30th!

Even from the virtual world, we are excited to celebrate our final three weeks of school together in a silly, fun, holiday spirit. All students and staff are invited to join us for Spirit Month, which will begin on Monday, November 30th, and last until the end of the quarter. See below for all of our days of fun, and feel free to join in!

• Nov 30: Pajama Day (wear your favorite winter pajamas!)
• Dec 1: Candy Cane Lane (dress up in your favorite red and white combo to look like a candy cane!)
• Dec 2: How the Grinch Stole Winter Break (dress like a Grinch or wear all green!)
• Dec 3: Baby It's Cold Outside (wear your favorite winter sweater, scarf, or socks!)
• Dec 4: Jeans + Holiday Sweater
• Dec 7: You Know Dasher and Dancer...(dress like a reindeer!)
• Dec 8: I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas (wear your favorite winter hat!)
• Dec 9: Twin Day (dress like your friend - bonus points if it's winter-themed!)
• Dec 10: Favorite Winter Plaid (wear your checkered shirts with pride!)
• Dec 11: Jeans + Holiday Sweater
• Dec 14: Movie Monday (dress in the theme of your favorite holiday movie!)
• Dec 15: Santa's Helpers (dress up like any of the friends who live at the North Pole!)
• Dec 16: Ugly Sweater Contest (wear your worst, most ridiculous holiday sweater!)
• Dec 17: Jeans + Holiday Sweater

There will be no school for students on Friday, December 18th. Staff will report to work to finalize grades and prepare for third quarter. We wish everyone a safe and FUN holiday break!