Friday, May 18, 2012
The students were honored by the Do the Right Thing Program on Wednesday.
Two Oakville fifth-graders were honored Wednesday for helping a fellow student in gym class. Grace Fedorchak and Rachel Pleimann of Blades Elementary School took time to help a kindergartener in their character education group that was struggling to pay attention. Blades physical education teacher Kevin Green said the two initiated kindness and helped the student become less disruptive in class. For their actions, Green nominated them for the Do the Right Thing Program, a nonprofit organization that recognizes positive social behaviors in students around St. Louis. Rachel and Grace attended a ceremony Wednesday at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill, and were recognized by KMOV news anchor Robin Smith and …
Superintendent Eric Knost presented a preliminary budget at Thursday's board meeting. Also, the board passed a solar project for five district schools.
The preliminary budget for the district’s first auditorium is under budget by less than $2,000. The auditorium is estimated at $5,998,005—$1,995 short of the $6 million cap the board placed on the project. Superintendent Eric Knost presented an overview of the budget at the Mehlville school board meeting Thursday. “I’m very excited, I think we’re that much closer, I think that this is just further proving we can accomplish this, we can stay within that $6 million that I’m adamant about,” Knost said. The budget projections are for the new location of the auditorium on the south side of the Mehlville High School campus. Knost previously proposed an auditorium attached to the Witzel Learning Center, and then planned for a location on the …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Band and choir students scored high at the Missouri State Solo and Ensemble Music Festival.
District musicians went up against the best in the state and made a loud impression, scoring high and earning praises from judges. Band and choir students from Mehlville and Oakville high schools traveled to the Missouri State Solo and Ensemble Music Festival held at the University of Missouri-Columbia April 26-28. The festival, sponsored by the Missouri State High School Activities Association, rated students 1 through 5, with 1-Superior as the top score. Congratulations to the following district musicians: 1-Superior Ratings Choir MHS Girls Double Quartet: Arianna Balque, Haley Cook, Kayli Falkler, Miranda Hall, Karyle Jones, Nikki Kamp, Samantha Schnell and Abby Wicks OHS Girls Ensemble: Mikayla Brady, Megan Dillow, Ashley Kluge, …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Mehlville superintendent is scheduled to present a new solar energy project for three district schools Thursday.
The Mehlville School District could add solar energy to new technology for the 2012-2013 school year. Superintendent Eric Knost is scheduled to recommend a solar energy project at Thursday’s school board meeting. The board meets at 7 p.m. in the Mehlville High School Library. The project would involve installing 25-kilowatt solar panel systems on three of the district’s schools—Hagemann Elementary, Bernard Middle and Oakville High School. “It’s been a goal of mine to find, as a return on investment opportunity, ways to go to cleaner energy, specifically solar energy… meaning something that saves us money,” Knost said. The project includes leasing equipment with no out-of-pocket expenses to the district, the superintendent said. The cost of…
The prestigious award was only given to 24 schools in the nation.
Trautwein Elementary is one of 24 schools that have been nationally recognized for integrating character into their everyday learning. On Thursday, the school found out they were a National School of Character through the Character Education Partnership. “I got a phone call from the local coordinator and when I announced it through the whole school, you could hear it up and down the hallways,” said Principal Donna Wagener. The school went through an extensive application process that included behavior and academic data, and testimonials from students, parents and teachers. “The whole thing, from the time you first apply in December to when we found out in May, it’s a pretty long process,” Wagener said. The school was one of 28 finalists …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
"I feel like students lose in this contract,” board member Ron Fedorchak said.
Early release days, raises for teachers and a committee to look at merit-based pay came out of negotiations between the Board of Education and Mehlville National Education Association (NEA). The annual negotiation period develops a memorandum of understanding between teachers and the district regarding pay and improvements to the district. The decision was met with some board opposition, but passed with a 5-2 vote on Thursday. Ron Fedorchak and Board President Venki Palamand voted against the motion. Ron Fedorchak said the agreement was “historic,” because of the progress toward a merit-based compensation plan and commended administration and staff for reaching a common ground. Fedorchak ran for the board in April on the promise of …
Approximately 550 students in the two high schools will have laptops in the fall.
More than 600 laptops and a new technician will be added to the district’s high schools in August. The school board unanimously voted to expand the district’s laptop pilot program at Thursday’s meeting. The pilot began this spring when one communication/arts class from each high school used laptops to learn from open sources on the internet. The district studied the students’ achievement and found success. Phase II of the pilot expands the laptops to math, science and social studies classes. Knost estimated the cost at $428,510, about $171,000 less than the allocated $600,000 he originally asked for Phase II of the program. “We really see this becoming one of our central themes and our big focuses over the next number of years,” Knost said…
Saturday, May 12, 2012
A late-evening email on Saturday informed Mehlville families that Dr. Jim Walters won't be returning as principal of Point Elementary School. Eric Knost, superintendent of the Mehlville School District, alerted parents to the news at 8 p.m.
A late-evening email on Saturday informed Mehlville families that Dr. Jim Walters won't be returning as principal of Point Elementary School. The nature of Walters' departure is unclear.
A late-evening email on Saturday informed Mehlville families that Dr. Jim Walters won't be returning as principal of Point Elementary School. Eric Knost, superintendent of the Mehlville School District, alerted parents to the news at 8 p.m. Whether Walters resigned or was terminated by the district is unknown. (Wake up to the most important Mehlville-Oakville news each morning by signing up for our daily newsletter.) Walters is scheduled for a trial on July 26 after being issued a lewd and indecent conduct citation on March 16 in Forest Park. A park ranger "observed subject Walters grab his genitals while talking to a person in his vehicle," the citation notes. A copy of the citation is attached to this article. Walters' lawyer, Neil …
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6790 Telegraph Rd, Saint Louis, MO
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Friday, May 11, 2012
Also, the board approved Phase II of the district’s pilot laptop program and Superintendent Eric Knost gave an update about the auditorium project and a solar energy program for the district.
School for the 2012-2013 school year will begin August 16 and end May 20. The Mehlville school board voted 5-2 to approve the calendar at Thursday’s meeting. Next fall’s calendar will include eight two-hour early dismissal days for teacher development. The calendar meets the state’s minimum of 174 school days; 87 in each semester. Board members Ron Fedorchak and Venki Palamand voted against the school calendar. Fedorchak proposed a calendar with 180 school days, the national average. He said the extension would require an additional budget of $408,960 and move the school start and end days to August 13 and May 23. Fedorchak’s motion died because it didn't have a second and the original calendar was approved. Also at Thursday’s meeting, the…
Sarah Flagg
7:36 pm on Saturday, May 12, 2012
Absolutely Ed! That will all be in our story on Tuesday! more ›