In This Issue...

  

District Again Named AP Achievement District

by College Board

WSD the Only District in Missouri to Achieve Distinction
for Two Consecutive Years

The Wentzville School District has been named an Advanced Placement (AP) Achievement District for 2011-12 by the College Board. Wentzville is one of only 367 school districts nationwide to achieve the distinction this year, one of only 82 to win this award for two consecutive years, and the only district in the state of Missouri to be recognized in each of the past two years. The WSD was named to the 2nd Annual AP Honor Roll for increasing the number of AP courses offered in high school while simultaneously improving student performance on the AP tests.

Since 2009, the WSD has increased the number of students participating in AP from 90 students to 197 students, while improving the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher from 69% in 2009 to 79% in 2011.  The majority of U.S. colleges and universities grant college credit or advanced placement for a score of 3 or above on AP exams. “We have made a concerted effort to increase rigor in our district, and we are proud of the educational opportunities we can now offer our students and what our students have been able to accomplish,” said Wentzville Superintendent Dr. Terry Adams. “We are always seeking ways to improve instruction in the district, and being recognized for two consecutive years is a testament to our continued gains in both curriculum and student achievement.”

Advanced Placement classes enable students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Each AP course culminates in a rigorous exam, providing academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both. AP exams are graded on a scale of one to five, with a score of three or higher being the typical standard for earning college credit.

In 2008, there were five AP courses offered in the District, and in 2009 that number increased to 10 AP courses. For the 2010-2011 school year there were 15 AP courses, and this year that number increased to 17 AP courses offered for eligible high school students.

District Hosts Annual Gateway STUCO Conference


The Timberland and Holt Student Councils (STUCO) hosted the annual Missouri Association of Student Councils (MASC) Gateway Convention on Saturday at Timberland High School. Nearly one thousand energized STUCO members from around the greater St. Louis metro area participated in the conference which is an opportunity for student leaders to come together, exchange ideas, and elect officers. Timberland and Holt had the opportunity to host the conference for the second time in four years after being elected as STUCO District officers last fall. The Timberland STUCO was elected as President of the District and Holt’s STUCO was elected as Vice President of the District, giving them the opportunity to assist with the convention. "Gateway is an opportunity for student leaders around their district to voluntarily spend a day to learn from their peers on how to become an effective leader," said Timberland STUCO Advisor and Gateway Advisor of the Year Jim Andrzejewski.  "I think we were pretty successful, and I am very proud of my 35 hard-working students.  They have been working on this for about a year, since we were elected president.  We also couldn't have done it without support from the district, Mr. Rogers, faculty, and parents." The Gateway District is open to all public and private middle, junior and senior high schools in St. Louis County, St. Louis City, St. Charles, and Jefferson County.

Ross Detwiler to Play in 2011 Taiwan All-Star Series

Washington Nationals pitcher (and Holt grad) Ross Detwiler will represent the Nationals at the 2011 Taiwan All-Star Series. Detwiler finished the 2011 regular season at 4-5 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 66 innings. The Taiwan All-Star Series
will consist of five games played November 1st through the 6th in three cities: New Taipei City (Xinzhuang Stadium) on Nov. 1, Taichung (Intercontinental Stadium) from
Nov. 3-4 and Kaohsiung (Chengcing Lake Stadium) from Nov. 5-6. Each game will feature MLB All-Stars playing Chinese Taipei. San Francisco's Bruce Bochy, the U.S. skipper for a 2006 All-Star series in Japan, will manage the big league contingent. The most recent MLB trip to Taiwan was in March 2010, when the Dodgers traveled there for a
two-game series against the Chinese Professional Baseball League
All-Stars. Congratulations Ross!

Holt Senior Elected as State DECA Officer

Holt High School senior Mary Disney has been elected as the 2011-2012 DECA Vice President of District 6, one of the largest districts in the state of Missouri. She joined the 15 other newly-elected DECA officers from across the state at the Missouri DECA Fall Leadership Conference held Oct. 16-17 in Lake Ozark, MO. The annual state conference was attended by more than 600 high school marketing students and their teachers.

The DECA officers were selected on the basis of their score on a written test, screening and nominating committee interviews, and the number of ballots cast by the voting delegates after delivering their campaign speech during the election session.  “All of these (judged activities) were important, but studying for the test was the most difficult,” said Disney. Serving as an officer provides DECA members the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and professionalism that is essential for a successful career. As Vice President, Disney will be responsible for connecting her District to the State DECA organization and other special projects at the State and District levels.

DECA is an international organization that allows students to participate in marketing-related events such as competitions and conferences. The program is designed to prepare its participants for the world of business and marketing related fields, emphasizing the value of leadership, communication, and professionalism. Missouri DECA ranks sixth in the nation in terms of membership, with more than 9,100 members. There are 12 DECA districts and 177 DECA chapters in Missouri.
 

Wentzville Middle School Student Wins Art Contest

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Wentzville Middle School 6th grader Emily Griesenauer has won 1st Place out of 400 entries in the St. Charles City-County Library "Picture it Bookmark" contest for middle school students. Her winning entry has been made into a handsome bookmark, and now it's available at the WMS library as well as all of the St. Charles City-County Library branches. To see all of the artwork submitted, you can visit the SCC library website. Congratulations Emily!

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Holt Soccer Team Makes Donation to Joplin Program

Holt's Varsity Boys’ Soccer Team has donated $500 to the Joplin School District to aid in the rebuilding of their soccer program and facilities. The Holt players raised the majority of the funds through their annual car wash on October 8th at the Wentzville Taco Bell. The city of Joplin, Missouri was devastated by a tornado that struck the town on May 22nd, killing 162 people and leaving thousands homeless. Joplin High School and eight other school district buildings sustained damage. Re-construction is projected to be completed by August 2014. The Holt Varsity Soccer Team met the Joplin Varsity Soccer Team at the Capital City Soccer Tournament held in Jefferson City, Missouri on September 24th. The Holt Soccer Booster President, Jeff Nickel, presented the Joplin coach, Ed Miller, with an inaugural donation and additional funds were sent following the car wash.
 

District Introduces Digital Citizenship Pledge

The Wentzville School District strives to teach students to make good decisions so they can take full advantage of the powerful technology that fills their lives and our world. In order to make the right choices, they must understand as much as possible about their responsibilities and how the digital world works. Children’s technological abilities can sometimes eclipse their maturity and judgment. Their ultimate success will depend on their ability to use digital media responsibly to create, collaborate, and communicate well with others.

Digital Citizenship is a concept that helps individuals learn how to be safe, secure, and effective participants in a digital world. Responsible digital citizenship helps students successfully navigate a society full of technology. Students use their computers to do their homework, but they also use them to socialize, stream video, and share pictures. Media devices have become extremely powerful and portable. Phones aren't simply for phone calls but for listening to music, sending texts, filming videos, sharing photos, and accessing the Internet.  

The Digital Citizenship training and agreement are designed as part of the WSD campaign to teach students how important it is to protect their safety, their identity and their digital footprint. All students in grades 6-12 in the WSD will view the informational video and be asked to sign the Digital Citizenship Pledge. This video is intended to help students understand their rights and responsibilities, recognize the benefits and risks, and realize the personal and ethical implications of their actions. The video addresses several key digital citizenship areas:

  • Cyber Safety – being safe online
  • Digital Footprint & Digital Legacy – understanding that everything that’s posted online is forever
  • Digital Copyright – awareness of ownership of materials
  • Sexting –texting inappropriately with text and/or pictures

You can access the video for 6th grade on the District website at http://wentzville.k12.mo.us/file.php/57/DigitalCitizenshipVideoGrade6.mp4 and the video for grades 7-12 at http://wentzville.k12.mo.us/file.php/57/DigitalCitizenshipVideoGrades7to12.mp4.

The Digital Citizenship Pledge addresses six key principles:

  1. Respect Yourself
  2. Protect Yourself
  3. Respect Others
  4. Protect Others
  5. Respect Intellectual Property
  6. Protect Intellectual Property

Please support your student in helping to create an online world that's responsible and respectful, while making the best possible use of current and emerging technology.

 

THS Theatre Presents "Get Smart" Next Weekend

Timberland Theatre is proud to present the play Get Smart Adapted by Christopher Sergel from the series originally created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Get Smart tells the story of Maxwell Smart (Marcus Flakes), a secret agent who is on the case trying to keep the world safe from KAOS and Mr. Big (Charlie Heger).
 

Have Your Child Screened for Kindergarten 2012-2013

Children who will be 5 years old before August 1, 2012 are eligible to be screened for kindergarten.

Get a jump-start on the kindergarten registration process by having your child screened on Monday, 11/14/11 at the Quail Ridge Early Childhood Center.  This is a great opportunity to see where your child is developmentally, learn their strengths, and see in what areas they may need some extra work before kindergarten begins.  Your child must be 5 before August 1, 2012 in order to be eligible for kindergarten in the 2012-2013 school year.  Please call the Parents as Teachers office at (636) 327-3863, ext. 22281 to schedule an appointment. Additional screening dates/times are available upon request.

We strongly encourage you to take advantage of the early screening opportunity if you have any concerns about your child’s development. kind

We will also be offering screenings in the preschools again this year so future kindergarten students will have the opportunity and convenience of having their screening done on site.  For a list of the preschools/daycares where we will be conducting the screenings, click HERE or contact the Parents as Teachers office at the phone number above.
 

Mom's Morning Out 2011

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Our Chautauqua program, in cooperation with our
Parents as Teachers program, will once again be offering a Mom's Morning Out on Saturdays beginning
November 5th and leading up to the holidays.

For more details and a registration form, click HERE.
Don't Forget to register your child for Chautauqua (before and after school care) on the next Early Release day - December 7th!
 

Picture of the Week


Lakeview principals celebrated fall parties on Friday October 21st in costume thanks to students in Mrs. Hoffman's first grade class. They were the winners of
a contest sponsored by the PTA to collect the most box tops. Their prize was to dress Principal Doug Holler and Assistant Principal Holly Ellis in the costumes
of their choice. The kids decided Mr Holler should
be a princess and Ms. Ellis a pizza.
Looks like Mr. Holler and Ms. Ellis were great sports! 
 
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The District has its own Facebook page with more than 2,000 fans! Search Wentzville School District - we are the page with the official logo on it. Be sure to click "Like" and become a fan! It's a great way to keep up to date with the latest happenings in the District, complete with pictures. As a fan, you also have the ability to leave constructive comments.

You can also follow the District on Twitter! Search for WSDinfo. Once you become a follower of WSDinfo, you can set up mobile updates to get the latest info via text message. Both social media sites will be used not only to keep patrons up to date on the latest news in the District, but in the event of a school closing or emergency, this will be yet another means of getting the word out quickly and efficiently.