The Patrick Henry Post

February 3rd, 2023

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Welcome to Black History Month!

The reason we chose a globe for this week's Patrick Henry Post background is to symbolize the impact of Black history all around the world, including across American history and modern culture. February 1st kicked off our first day of a month of learning, honoring, and celebrating Black history. Our staff celebrated by wearing our shirts with pride and by beginning our Black History Month Program preparations across all grade levels. Take a look below for a little background on Black History Month around the world and right here at Patrick Henry.


Why do we celebrate Black History Month at Patrick Henry?

A few statistics for you this year -

98% of the student population at Patrick Henry is Black, and 52% of the staff population at Patrick Henry is Black.

95% of the population in our neighborhood (63106) is Black, and 46% of the population of the City of St. Louis is Black.

Black history is incredibly important to our school because we are raising the next generation of Black Americans in St. Louis! We are also raising the next generation of children of all races and backgrounds, and every single child in our school has already been, and will continue to be, impacted by Black history, Black culture, and Black leadership across the city, state, country, and world. It is incredibly important to us to affirm the identities of our students and celebrate and honor the ancestry that makes our school community possible.


How do we celebrate Black History Month at Patrick Henry?

Throughout the month of February, all students will research and prepare for their part in the Black History Month program, which will take place in person on Friday, February 24th from 1:00-2:30pm in the Patrick Henry gym. All families are invited to attend, and we hope to see you there to cheer on your child as they perform skits, dances, speeches, poetry readings, and more to honor and celebrate Black History Month.


How can parents and families celebrate Black History Month at home?

Take a look at a few resources for you and your family to explore at home:

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Celebrating 4th and 5th Grade

The rest of this week's Patrick Henry Post has been taken over by our 4th and 5th graders. Our oldest students have been here the longest, have learned the most, and have grown the most (both academically and physically - they're all taller than Dr. Rogers already!). Take a look below for some highlights that are happening in their classrooms this semester.

From the Desk of Ms. Hammock

From the Desk of Ms. Hammock

This month, 4th grade is working with fractions. We are in our second chapter of working with fractions and understanding fractional parts of a whole. We are adding fractions and working with mixed numbers. Students are learning about fractions in real world situations. We are fast approaching multiplication of fractions. Look for our scholarly updates coming soon!
From the Desk of Ms. Hammock
From the Desk of Ms. Brown

From the Desk of Ms. Brown

Fifth grade has reached the midpoint of their educational journey in elementary school. The midpoint is one the benchmarks we are learning about as we explore fractions. We are adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions. I am excited because they actually think it's fun. We are also learning more about historical fiction by analyzing characters in our reading workshop. Black History month will give us various opportunities to explore historical text that focus on people with extraordinary character traits.
From the Desk of Ms. Brown
An Update about 5th Grade Magnet Middle School Applications

An Update about 5th Grade Magnet Middle School Applications

Our fifth grade students have been working incredibly hard this year to make sure their grades, attendance, and behavior records reflect how amazing they are so that they can get into their preferred magnet middle school. A magnet school is a school that requires an application process. We have many amazing magnet schools in St. Louis Public Schools, and we have already received notice of several of our students' acceptance letters!


If you have not received your child's acceptance letter yet, please reach out to the Office of Magnet Schools with St. Louis Public Schools at 314.633.5200 or slpsmagnetschools@slps.org. You can also reach out to Dr. Rogers for help with the application process at 314.231.7284 or deborah.rogers@slps.org.


There is another round of acceptance letters that will be sent out on February 10th, 2023, so keep an eye out for an email from SLPS with great news for your fifth grader!

An Update about 5th Grade Magnet Middle School Applications

Congrats to Patrick Henry 5th Graders Accepted to the Middle School of Their Choice!

Click below to learn more about SLPS magnet schools:

Saint Louis Public Schools Magnet Commercial

J.A. in a Day

Thank you, Junior Achievement and Stifel Bank!

Thank you, Junior Achievement and Stifel Bank!

Last week, we had an incredibly fun day with Stifel Bank volunteers coordinated by Junior Achievement in all of our Kindergarten - 5th grade classrooms. Our students experienced "J.A. in a Day," where they learned about real world skills like financial management, job searching, potential career paths, and what adult life might be like. Thank you to our community partners for helping our students dream big about their futures and see the practical steps that adulthood requires to be fully prepared. Take a look below for some highlights of our experiences.
Thank you, Junior Achievement and Stifel Bank!

February 2nd: Happy Groundhog Day!

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Congratulations, STAR Winners!

Upcoming Events at Patrick Henry

February 14th, Valentine's Day

February 14th, Valentine's Day

On Tuesday, February 14th, some classrooms will celebrate Valentine's Day with treats, cards, and tokens of appreciation. Please be on the lookout for communication from your child's teacher on what to bring to school that day. No child is required to bring anything in order to participate.
February 14th, Valentine's Day
February 17th and 20th, No School

February 17th and 20th, No School

On Friday, February 17th, all SLPS schools will be closed. Staff will be in Professional Development throughout the day so there is no school for students.


On Monday, February 20th, all SLPS schools and offices will be closed in honor of Presidents' Day.

February 17th and 20th, No School
February 24th, Black History Month Program

February 24th, Black History Month Program

All families are invited to an IN-PERSON event on Friday, February 24th to celebrate Black History Month. This event will take place in the afternoon from 1:00-2:30pm in the Patrick Henry gym. Students will perform dances, songs, and skits during the performance, and we encourage all family members to attend!
February 24th, Black History Month Program
March 13th - 16th, Parent Teacher Conferences

March 13th - 16th, Parent Teacher Conferences

Please contact your child's teacher to schedule your conference for the following days/times:

  • Monday, March 13th, 3:15-5:15pm
  • Tuesday, March 14th, 3:15-5:15pm
  • Wednesday, March 15th, 3:15-5:15pm
  • Thursday, March 16th, 3:15-3:45pm

March 13th - 16th, Parent Teacher Conferences