It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were celebrating "Back to School" in August, but here we are in December already! As our semester comes to a close, we enter December with a sense of hope and excitement. We are most excited for our students to show off what they know in their mid-year assessments on STAR Reading and STAR Math. We know they have been working so hard to grow at least six months in both reading and math, and we know that their assessment scores will show their brilliance! We are also excited about several major physical repairs and projects happening around Patrick Henry to improve our building, our grounds, and our garden. Take a look below for some highlights from this week at Patrick Henry!

Our Patrick Henry garden is an award-winning space that is not only for the students and families of our school, but it is also a true community garden that is always open to our neighbors for fresh produce! One problem we have faced for several years is a lack of accessibility to our garden because of uneven terrain between the garden beds. While the majority of our students and volunteers can access the garden, there are still students, family members, community partners, volunteers, and neighbors who cannot get into the garden because the ground is too rocky and uneven. Wheelchairs, walkers, and uneven gaits prevent people with disabilities from safely accessing the garden.

When we presented this problem to our community partners and garden supporters, they jumped into action! We are halfway through a massive improvement project to make our garden accessible to all people, regardless of ability level. This week, our crew came and dug up six inches of grass and dirt, then poured a layer of rock to create the base for the concrete that will be poured next week. While the ground and rock settle, the crew will prepare the machinery and materials to get our concrete poured in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates on our amazing garden area!

Thank you to our community partners who are making this project possible for the Patrick Henry school and neighborhood community:

• Scott Downs, Apprenticeship Program Coordinator, Cement Mason's Union Local 527
• Jeff Caputa, City Councilman, Florissant, MO
• Diana Wilhold, Deputy Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer, Construction Forum
• Leanne White, Director of Healthy Schools Initiatives, St. Louis Public Schools
  
• Denise Strehlow, Manager, BJC School Outreach and Youth Development
• Erica Oliver, Community Health Partner, BJC Healthcare

We are so excited to see our next phase of this garden improvement project take place next week! Our partners will pour concrete, level the material, and stabilize it so that it settles into place smoothly. Keep your fingers crossed for great weather so we can get this project wrapped up before Winter Break!