From the Desk of…
Diana Bourisaw, Superintendent
“A Million Minutes by March” Off to a Great Start!
Our students read a total of 199,008 minutes during the week of January 7-11. Thank you to the families, principals, teachers and media specialists for encouraging our children to read. “A Million Minutes by March” is off and running!
SLPS Principal Honored as Principal of the Year
Terry Houston was recently named Outstanding Principal of the Year by Teach For America-St. Louis. The Roosevelt High School principal was praised for his spirit and perseverance in helping create a school environment where students are excited and motivated to learn. He was also recognized for his dedication to close the achievement gap, going above and beyond to support and encourage teachers, and for working effectively with Teach For America staff members.
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates and professionals who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools. This is the second year that Teach For America-St. Louis has honored a district principal. Last year, Alva Blue, principal at Long Middle School, received the honor.
Governor Visits Shepard on Statewide Tour
Governor Matt Blunt visited Shepard Elementary School on Friday, January 18. While at the school, he spoke with students in two eMINTS classrooms, and then shared his new plans to increase funding for education over the next four years. The 1.2 billion dollar increase includes significant support of after-school programs and technology in schools like Shepard.
Build-A-Bear Workshop Is Hunting for Huggable Heroes
Do you know a young person who is making a difference in your community? If so, they could receive $10,000 in prizes for their efforts.
Five years ago, the Build-A-Bear Workshop created the Huggable Heroes program to identify, recognize and reward young leaders who are doing amazing things to inspire others and help make the world a better place. These youth (18 years old and younger) have spent thousands of hours volunteering and raising millions of dollars through good deeds and positive messages. Some of their accomplishments include: raising close to a million dollars for cancer research, helping to build a village in Kenya, and creating a fine arts program for the elderly in nursing homes.
This year, the Build-A-Bear Workshop will recognize twelve young people as Huggable Heroes (seven from the United States, two from the United Kingdom and Ireland, two from Canada and one from France). Each of the twelve will receive a monetary prize worth $10,000 – $7,500 in the form of an educational scholarship and a $2,500 donation to the charity of their choice. Plus, they will win a trip to meet other Huggable Heroes and participate in a professional photo shoot for inclusion in the 2009 Huggable Heroes calendar.
For a nomination form, visit a Build-A-Bear Workshop store or go to www.buildabear.com.
Soldan Hosts Global Gateway Presentation
Soldan International Studies High School hosted an open forum with international journalist Ruthie Ackerman and award-winning photographer Andre Lambertson on Thursday, January 17. Ackerman and Lambertson spoke to area students about their work covering the aftermath of the Liberian civil wars and the rehabilitation of former child soldiers. Soldan’s Model United Nations Club partnered with the Pulitzer Center’s Global Gateway program to sponsor the event.
As a Global Gateway project, Ackerman and Lambertson traveled to Liberia over the course of several weeks to examine the process of reintegrating – and ultimately rehabilitating – the former child soldiers. Students from Soldan and several county schools communicated with them via a blog set up on the Global Gateway website. Thursday’s forum allowed the students to meet the journalists for the first time and ask them questions face-to-face.
Spend Your Evenings Teaching
Roosevelt High School and Gateway Institute of Technology need certified teachers for the following classes in their night school programs:
• Roosevelt: Government, American Literature 300, Algebra Applications, Geometry, Biology and Chemistry
For more information, contact Joseph Kenney at 314-776-6040, joseph.kenney@slps.org or Principal Terry Houston at terry.houston@slps.org.
• Gateway IT: Communication Arts, American Literature, English Literature, Mathematics, Trigonometry, Advanced Algebra, Geometry, Science and Environmental Sciences
For more information, contact Principal James Dishman at 393-3439, james dishman@slps.org.
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”
-Arthur Ashe
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