Dr. Terry Adams Named

2012 Missouri Superintendent of the Year!

Dr. Terry Adams, Superintendent of the Wentzville R-IV School District, has been named the Missouri Superintendent of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA). The announcement of the award was made during the Missouri School Boards’ Association and MASA joint fall conference held at Tan-Tar-A Resort on October 1st. As the recipient of this award, Adams will represent Missouri in the National Superintendent of the Year program conducted by the American Association of School Administrators. “It was certainly a surprise, but I’m honored and humbled to be recognized by my peers,” said Adams. “It’s really a testament to the hard work of our outstanding students and our dedicated staff; I wouldn’t be receiving this award if not for their commitment to our shared vision.”

Adams started with the Wentzville School District as Superintendent of Schools in 2006. Under his leadership, the district has worked diligently to meet the needs of long-time residents as well as the large number of newcomers to the area. Over the past decade, the Wentzville School District has been the fastest growing district in the state of Missouri, and enrollment has more than doubled to over 13,000 students. The district has received high marks for continually engaging its stakeholders in school improvement efforts. As a result of community feedback, the district has built new schools and added on to existing schools, implemented free full-day kindergarten, increased the use of technology throughout the district, improved school security, and increased rigor to provide a top quality educational experience for its students. As a result, the district has received the Distinction in Performance Award from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in each of the past six years, coinciding with Adam’s tenure.

In recommending Adams for this award, Rolla School District Superintendent Aaron Zalis described Adams as a visionary leader. “He has helped many school districts throughout his career improve student performance, build financial stability, improve district facilities and improve personnel performance. He has accomplished this in districts of varying size which speaks to the transformational growth that has occurred with his own leadership,” Zalis said. Dr. Adams has been a Superintendent for 25 years, and has previously served as Superintendent of Schools for the Rolla Public School District, the Central R-III School District and the Arcadia Valley R-II School District.

Wentzville Middle School Students Collect

Over 6,000 Books for Joplin Schools

Students at Wentzville Middle School (WMS) have collected over 6,000 books to benefit students in the Joplin School District. Members of the WMS National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) began collecting for the effort in June and loaded the books on a truck headed for Joplin on Tuesday, October 11th. Jacob Hood, an eighth grader at WMS, collected 3,000 books alone for the drive! He called on neighbors, family and friends to collect the new and used books. “Because of the disaster left by the tornado, we knew that (Joplin students) had lost so much and would need everything from dictionaries to children’s books,” said Jacob. “We really wanted to help.”

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. Wentzville Middle School’s NJHS Advisor Sara St. Clair said when she was cleaning out closets and book shelves at the end of the school year, she realized her own family had many books they were not using and the Joplin tragedy was fresh in her mind. She suggested the book drive to her NJHS officers who then ran with the idea. St. Clair said collecting the books was the easy part. “The most difficult thing for us was to figure out exactly how to transport them down to Joplin.” When word spread that Mrs. St. Clair and her husband were planning to spend their own money to rent a moving truck and transport the books, volunteers stepped in to help. Cyndy Schwab is the grandmother of an NJHS student at the middle school as well as President of the O’Fallon Optimist Club. At her request, the Optimist Club has donated $150 in fuel costs and provided a driver to take the books to Joplin. In addition, the WMS PTA has offered $350 to help offset the cost of renting the truck. St. Clair says countless people have come forward to assist in the effort to provide these books for Joplin schools.  “I’m so proud of our students and hope they find joy in helping others, even if they are hundreds of miles away.”

Boone Trail Elementary Hosts 21st Annual Boone Trail Days

It’s not often that elementary school students get to shell corn, churn butter, spin wool, and visit with a blacksmith all in the same day, but at Boone Trail Elementary it’s an annual tradition as old as the hills. Boone Trail Days is a week long celebration of early American life that starts in the classroom, where teachers incorporate lessons about Native Americans and pioneer life into the curriculum. On Thursday, October 6th, students spent the day outside enjoying hands-on exhibits including sawing wood, washing clothes by hand, making rope and square dancing. Fifth grader Caleb Wickman has enjoyed the tradition for years. “I like all of the activities, it’s really fun the stuff we do. We learn how the pioneers lived back then, and the Indians!” Students got to play with the same types of toys children had on the frontier, and explored the inside of a tee-pee. Authentic period food was served as well, including pioneer stew and apple butter.

“Boone Trail Days has been around for years, it’s something the community really looks forward to, and we have parents and students that still come back to participate even though they don’t go to school here anymore,” said Principal John Schulte. “Friday night was the culmination of the week, the PTA sponsors our chili supper and they have games and hayrides for everyone.” One of the students who came back to give back was 18 year old Addie Rowles, dressed as a cowgirl. “I went here all the way through fifth grade, and it was always the best time of the year and we all looked forward to Boone Trail Days,” said the Timberland senior. “I just got my horse last year, and ever since elementary school I wanted to bring my horse here, so I contacted the PTA, and I’m glad I came because the kids really like to see him and pet him.” This year marks the 21st anniversary of Boone Trail Days, one of the longest running traditions in the Wentzville School District.

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.

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.