Normandy Students to Premiere Opera November 29
An opera written and performed by Normandy Schools Collaborative students will premiere on November 29 in a unique collaboration with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and the E. Desmond Lee Fine Arts Collaborative at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The Big Bad Day is an original one-act piece based on the book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. This is the first student-based arts collaboration of its kind on this scale in the St. Louis metro area.
Based on the national curriculum Music! Words! Opera!, students were led through the creative process of writing and performing their own opera by teaching artist Valerie Smith. In early September, Smith began meeting weekly with NSC Fine Arts Director Suzanne Palmer’s third grade students at Jefferson School.
Once the words were written, Smith, with the students’ input, set the words to music. The music was then shared with local composer/orchestrator Terrence Abernathy who scored the music. This unique project allows students to create an original opera and perform the work in a professional theater along with world-class musicians from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
The Big Bad Day will be performed Tuesday, November 29, in the Anheuser-Busch Theater at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. A 10 a.m. performance will be for student audiences. Students will perform for the community at 7 p.m. Admission is free, and no reservations are required. However, audience members attending the 7 p.m. performance will be invited to make a contribution to the Normandy Schools Collaborative Fine Arts Programs.
Superintendent Search Update
The Joint Executive Governing Board (JEGB) is embarking on a search for the next superintendent of the Normandy Schools Collaborative (NSC) in partnership with the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA). To ensure a strong candidate is identified, a representative from the MSBA conducted focus groups and surveys from September through November to gain input from NSC administrative staff, principals, teachers, parents, and community members.
Input from this outreach identified the following themes for a strong candidate:
A focus on student achievement and overall success for students
An understanding of the community that encompasses the NSC
A strong systems thinker and strategic planner
A thoughtful communicator who listens and respects other voices and encourages two-way communication
Someone with a long-term commitment to the NSC
A unifier who will work to provide stability to NSC and unite the community in their support for the NSC
Someone with proven success in their work history
The application period closes on Monday, November 14. All superintendent candidates will be screened once applications are received, after which the JEGB will interview the selected candidates. In addition, a community forum will be scheduled to gather additional input from all stakeholders. After final interviews, the JEGB will select a new superintendent.
The Board will continue to provide updates to ensure transparency throughout the selection process.
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| Rehearsal for St. Louis All-Suburban Women's Honor Choir | St. Louis All-Suburban Women's Honor Choir Performance | Cozenna Appleby, NHS Sophomore |
Rehearsal for St. Louis All-Suburban Women's Honor Choir
St. Louis All-Suburban Women's Honor Choir Performance
Cozenna Appleby, NHS Sophomore
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| Tennessee State University | University of Missouri-Kansas City | Austin Peay State University |
Tennessee State University
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Austin Peay State University
Job Fair at Normandy High School November 11
Normandy High School and the HSSU Community Impact Network Education Center are partnering for a generational job fair. Parents, family members, as well as anyone in the Normandy community are welcome at the two-day event.
- Thursday, November 10 - Two sessions of professional development, including resume building and FREE professional dress clothing for all participants at the HSSU Impact Education Center, located at 6850 Normandale Drive. Childcare is also available during the professional development workshops through the Nine PBS Academy for those with younger children.
- Friday, November 11- The job fair will take place at Normandy High School from 10 am to 2 pm.
Click the link to register for the Professional Development Workshop: https://forms.office.com/r/uabbuLKBGd
NSC Wants Your Feedback
To promote transparency in our district, the Normandy Schools Collaborative has created a vehicle to hear directly from our students, parents, staff, and community. If you have concerns or comments about the school system, we want to hear from you. We value your feedback, positive or negative. Please send us a comment about a recent experience, offer suggestions on how we can improve, or give a shout-out to an employee who deserves recognition for doing a great job. All communications with the district will remain anonymous.
Here is how to connect with us:
Email feedback@normandysc.org to have your comment forwarded to the appropriate personnel for acknowledgment within 24 hours.
Call 314-473-0706 to speak with someone directly. This number will be staffed from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
Upcoming Listening Session Scheduled
In an effort to hear directly from families, Interim Superintendent Dr. Crystal Reiter is holding listening sessions. These will be very informal, and a light meal will be provided. All sessions will be held at the district's central office at 3855 Lucas and Hunt Road in either the board room or room 207.
- November 16- 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room
- December 8- 8 a.m. in Room 207
We will work to keep these meetings small in an effort to have meaningful conversations and schedule more of these meetings throughout the school year.
Please RSVP to Ms. Lori Thompson if you would like to attend.
Can We Text You? Opt-in For District Text Messages
Emergency school closures? Bus delays? Last-minute schedule changes? It's becoming more common and we can get that information to families & staff quicker via text messaging.
We have to get your permission for you to receive text messages from the district.
Text 'Y' to 68453.
If you have questions, please visit the website or email info@normandysc.org.
*There is no charge to sign up. Your service provider may charge a fee for text messaging depending on your plan.
