From the Desk of…
Diana Bourisaw, Superintendent
Emerson Awards $15,000 to Busch AAA
Congratulations to a team of Busch AAA Middle School teachers for receiving an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Gold Star Grant worth $10,000! Teachers Svetlana Nikic, Elisabeth McCulloch, Elisabeth Wallington, Ilan Valley and Mathew Hoartel will use the teamwork grant to purchase laptops and computer software for a global classroom initiative program designed to educate students on the history and cultures of other countries. Emerson will also donate $5,000 to the school.
Emerson awarded $45,000 in grants to teachers at five schools in the metropolitan area. These grants support professional and personal development goals of elementary and secondary school teachers.
Celebrate National Substitute Teacher Recognition Week, May 5-9
Maybe your child’s teacher is sick today. Maybe they won’t be in because they’re taking professional development. Maybe they just needed a vacation day to recharge their “battery.” Whatever the reason, you can count on a “super sub” coming to the rescue!
Did you know that as much as one year of a child’s elementary and secondary education is taught by substitute teachers? On average, more than 270,000 classes are taught by substitute teachers each day across the nation!
On May 1, 2008, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution, co-authored by Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, to recognize May 5-9 as the 7th Annual National Substitute Teacher Recognition Week. The resolution creates awareness of the key role of substitute teachers in children’s lives.
Substitute teachers rise to the challenge of providing quality education when permanent teachers are out of the classroom. These “super subs” fill a valuable void in the education of children. Remember to thank them for the amazing job they do – often on very short notice.
National Nurses’ Week, May 5- 9
Sneezing, sniffling, fever, aches, pains, allergies and injuries. Every day, dedicated medical professionals, also known as school nurses, take care of our children while they are in school. In addition to the daily small stuff, like providing a band-aid or Kleenex, they have the responsibility of ensuring that student medical records are up to date, handle the safe distribution of daily prescription medicine, and are the first responders to crisis situations when they happen at school.
During National Nurses’ Week, please take the opportunity to extend your thanks and appreciation to your child’s school nurse. These caring and compassionate individuals play a very important role in the health and well-being of all of our children.
College Summit Summer Workshop Opportunities
Every year in America, it is estimated that 200,000 high school graduates from low-income communities do not enroll in college, even though they could succeed. This is a staggering and unfortunate statistic. However, you can help increase the college enrollment rate of an entire high school by volunteering this summer with College Summit.
College Summit offers two volunteer opportunities to match your comfort level:
• Writing Coaches work with a group of 4-6 students to craft a personal statement that becomes the centerpiece of each participant’s college application. Volunteers from all backgrounds are welcome to serve in this role. No teaching or writing experience is necessary.
• College Counselors meet one-on-one with students during the four day workshop to assist them with compiling a list of potential “good match” schools to pursue during their senior year. Through these sessions, college becomes a reality for students who never considered higher education as an option.
College Summit-St. Louis will be hosting five workshops during the months of July and August at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau and at the University of Missouri- St. Louis. For more information or to sign-up, contact Meghan Morgan at mmorgan@collegesummit.org or visit the website at www.collegesummit.org/volunteer.
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
---Henry David Thoreau
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