Classroom Notes

Do you know something that’s happening in your schools? Have an upcoming event that people should know about? E-mail the Journal at kponche@yourjournal.com. Classroom notes are published each Wednesday in the paper, and online.

Classroom notes for April 14

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Submitted photo – St. Charles High School senior John J. Haake was named Mid Rivers Tech Prep student of the year.

Francis Howell School District

– Francis Howell Central High School students Joe Macke and George Yu were nominated to the Missouri Top 100 Scholars Program. Macke received an honorary certificate; Yu was named a Missouri Top 100 Scholar. They will be honored during a banquet April 25 in Columbia.

The Missouri Scholars 100 Program selects the top 100 scholars in the state based on a formula using the student’s grade point average and ACT or SAT score. Each student nominated had to first meet criteria of an Academic Decathlon, which included 10 events designed to assure the academic strength of the student. The student also must have excellent attendance, be an exemplary school citizen, and be involved in the school activity program.

– The Missouri Child ID Program will visit Hollenbeck Middle School April 24 and is looking for volunteers. Contact Jacque Skoba at jacqueskoba@yahoo.com to volunteer two hours’ time for the event.

– The Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis awarded Saeger Middle School’s All of Us Club with the Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis’ 2010 Recreation Program of the Year Award. The club is sponsored by physical education teacher Cheryl Franz. Shelley Zak. A Saeger para and several parents also work closely with the club. The council advocates recreation choices for individuals with disabilities. Nominations were accepted from individuals and organizations from the St. Louis area. Saeger Middle School’s All of Us Club was honored at The Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis’ Annual Meeting and Recognition Ceremony March 11 at the Des Peres Lodge in Des Peres.

St. Charles School District

– St. Charles Board of Education approved the appointment of Ted Happel as assistant principal of St. Charles High School, effective July 1. Happel is a teacher and Communication Arts Department leader at St. Charles West High School. Happel has been involved with the district’s professional development committee as well as building instructional initiatives. Happel also has participated in the district’s Aspiring Administrators Program.

– John Haake, a senior at St. Charles High School, was named Mid Rivers Tech Prep Consortium award and scholarship winner for this year. To be eligible for the award, seniors must show personal commitment to career-technical education, success in core academic courses, personal character and commitment to enroll in a post-secondary career-technical program. Haake is in his second year in the welding program at Lewis and Clark Career Center in St. Charles. He has been involved in FBLA, Student Council, track, football, A Plus program and Skills USA. He plans to attend Linn State Technical College and study machine tool technology. His goal is to become a millwright. He received a $500 tech prep educational scholarship.

Fort Zumwalt School District

– Students at Dardenne Elementary School were challenged in March to collect Box Tops for Education to support PTC projects at the school. When the students met their goal of 2,500 box tops, the principal and faculty members agreed to “go green” and color their hair for a day.

– Fort Zumwalt East senior Shelby Hewerdine and Fort Zumwalt South senior Emily Brands were nominated to the Missouri Top Scholars Program. Hewerdine received an honorable mention; Brands was named one of the Top 100. This statewide program honors 100 of Missouri’s top academic students in the graduating class of 2010. The selection is based primarily on a formula using the student’s grade point average and ACT or SAT score. The student also must be ranked in the upper 10 percent of the class, have excellent attendance, be an exemplary school citizen and be involved in the school activity program.

– Jennifer Huddleston’s second-grade class at Emge Elementary School did a project on famous African-Americans. One of the students chose St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith and decided to telephone him for an interview. Smith offered to visit her classroom and did so on March 12. The students were told each would receive an autograph from the baseball legend.

– The Fort Zumwalt East High School Student Council recently received the Missouri Association of Student Councils Honor Council Award. Honor council presentations were made at the annual MASC Convention at Jefferson City High School.

Criteria is established to honor those councils that have a comprehensive program in promoting student activities and student leadership. Activities include school service, spirit, community service, student and teacher recognition and leadership training activities. The award also recognized Donna Munro and Katie Goodson, teachers and Student Council sponsors at East High, for sponsoring the student government organization, making a positive contribution to their school and providing an atmosphere where students and Student Council can play a vital role.

– Fort Zumwalt Twin Chimneys Elementary fifth-grader A’Lexus Walker was named a top 100 finalist in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s annual Picture the Music competition. More than 16,500 students from 85 schools submitted work to the competition. Walker won the blue ribbon for all fifth-graders. Her winning entry can be viewed at the Magic House April 8-19. Fort Zumwalt had 30 students in the top 100. Walker and the other winners will be honored during the school board’s April 19 meeting.