SG R-II Connection
Parents & Guardians Edition — Oct. 20, 2023
Good afternoon, SG families,
I think we can officially declare Homecoming Week a success! Thank you for helping our students get ready for Spirit days and attend the events throughout the week! From our littlest learners to our seniors, all students are part of a dragon family where we celebrate togetherness and inclusivity year-round. Homecoming is the culmination of this spirit fostered by our students, staff and families every day. Check out photos from last week's events and dress-up days below!
Happy Friday, and we’ll see you next week for Parent Teacher Conferences.
Dr. Paul Taylor
Superintendent
UPCOMING EVENTS
Parent Teacher Conferences
- Next Thursday, Oct. 26, students will have an Early Release Day at 1 p.m. Our Parent Teacher Conferences will then be held from 1:30 - 4 p.m., and then from 5 - 8 p.m.
- Families, be sure to stop by the Hidden in Plain View event in the Old SGMS Gym! More details below.
#RedRibbonWeek
- Red Ribbon Week launches next week, and the theme is Be kind to your mind. Live drug free. We have a week full of activities planned to learn about drug prevention, healthy lifestyles and coping skills!
- On Wednesday of Red Ribbon Week, we encourage our community members to join in and wear red to show that we are one community with one goal of working to support a drug free community.
- SG R-II students, employees, businesses and community members will celebrate the theme through dress-up days that encourage health coping skills. See the dress-up days here!
- Hidden in Plain View is an interactive, educational display used to help families spot warning signs of risky activity. This display will be set up for families on Thursday, Oct. 26, starting at 4 p.m. in the Old SGMS Gym during Parent / Teacher Conferences. Learn how to spot the signs and get tips for talking with kids about the dangers of alcohol and drug use! This event is sponsored by local community group Resources to Recovery. We would like to thank this group for their support!
PROP SG UPDATES
Ste. Genevieve Middle School: At this time, construction on this project is anticipated to take approximately nine months. Construction on the SGMS elevator addition is moving forward, with a large opening cut into the side of the building leading to the nurse’s office. The initial piece of equipment to cut the wall turned out to be ineffective, but with a new four-foot diameter wet saw, crews were able to complete the task. In addition, crews have been erecting more forms in preparation for concrete pours. Recently, our SGMS administration posted the building plans so that students, staff and visitors can envision the end result while watching construction progress.
Early Childhood Center: Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor, as well as representatives from KRJ Architects, Brockmiller Construction and Taylor Engineering visited the Ste. Genevieve Board of Aldermen meeting on Oct. 12 to present an opportunity to partner with the City in regards to water work in the area of the upcoming Early Childhood Center. The District requested that the City move up a portion of its water line upgrade to be done in conjunction with the Early Childhood Center. The City’s plan to upgrade to a 6-inch pipe from a 4-inch pipe in that area was originally scheduled for 2025. With a current 4-in. water main in that area, there is a significant pressure and volume issue, which would make it impossible to install a sprinkler system in the new Center. Dr. Taylor shared that the aldermen seemed open to further discussion and that the District will prepare a proposal and bids for that upgrade and submit it to the aldermen for their next meeting. Site work for the Early Childhood Center is expected to begin this week. The updated site plan can be viewed here. An updated timeline for the construction of the Prop SG projects can be found here.
BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATES
Check out the Board Briefs and the Board Minutes from the Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, Board of Education Regular Meeting. This unofficial document includes more context and details than our official Board News. All Board documents, such as the Board News, the presentation and these Board Briefs, are located on the “Board of Education” page of our district's website.
NEW! SUBSTITUTE TEACHER SEMINAR
Perryville Area Career and Technology Center is offering an in-person 20-hour training seminar needed to earn a Substitute Certification from DESE. This seminar would take the place of the 20-hour online training course. See the details for the training below!
REMINDER: CLOSE THE GAP GRANT — APPLICATIONS DUE OCT. 25
DESE and Odyssey, a platform that helps states connect families to public funding and education services, announced the launch of the Missouri Close the Gap Grant program. This is a one-time grant of up to $1,500 for parents/guardians who reside in Missouri to use for allowable education expenses. Applications are now open and must be submitted by Oct. 25, 2023. Close the Gap Grant applications will be administered on Odyssey's website, where families can access both the application and the Odyssey Marketplace. Read the full Close the Gap news release here.
To be eligible for the grant, students must be a Missouri resident and be enrolled in grades K-12 in a Missouri public school district or charter school. Per state statute, the distribution of funds will be prioritized for families whose income is below 185 percent of the federal poverty level. If sufficient funds are available after those below 185 percent of the federal poverty level receive funds, families at or above that poverty level may receive funds.