SG R-II Connection
Parents & Guardians Edition — Dec. 23, 2023
Good morning, SG families,
I hope that this enewsletter finds you well and ready to enjoy the holidays.
My week began bright and early Monday morning, trying not to burn pancakes. I found myself under the direction of our resident jack-of-all-trades and rock star Sandy Skaggs, while Dr. McClard and Dr. Drury helped to serve a pancake breakfast to some of our staff members. As we became organized and found our groove, I was able to observe our cafeteria ladies preparing lunch. I watched 150 pounds of raw beef get fully cooked and seasoned in preparation for taco day. I watched a ridiculous number of little plastic cups get filled with cheese and grapes. I watched equipment retrieval, cleaning, planning, arranging, organizing— everything that goes into feeding the SG campus for one day. I became more and more aware of their teamwork and connection to one another as they shared stories from their weekend, updates on family members, and more.
I'm not sure anyone outside of the kitchen realizes what goes into feeding 2,000+ people every day between our two campuses. I thought I did, but as it turns out, I certainly didn’t. It truly does take a village to raise a child, and it is vitally important that each of us understand the parts people play in that upbringing. I was able to glimpse an important part Monday morning. I am now even more thankful to our family members who devote themselves to getting everyone fed each and every day. These experiences provide us with perspective, and keep us focused on educating and supporting students.
Over the past few days, I had the pleasure of personally visiting our staff members across the district to present the annual gifts on behalf of the Board of Education. It is a heartwarming experience to witness firsthand the dedication and passion exhibited by our teachers and staff. The positive relationships between our staff and students is evident in every corner of our district. This endeavor also provided me with the opportunity to explore and appreciate the unique contributions of each department. From classrooms to offices, and everywhere in between, I am continually impressed by the collaborative spirit that defines our district.
I hope that all of you enjoy the holidays with family and friends, and we’ll see you again in January!
Dr. Paul Taylor
Superintendent
COMMUNITY RESOURCES — DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE IN NEED?
Throughout the year, our SG family checks in on one another and strives to help our students, family and staff in need. This time of year can be especially hard for some of our families and community members. Outside of our fundraising and donation programming, we wanted to also share a few community resources for families, which include information on items such as assistance with housing, childcare, clothing, food, transportation, utilities, mental health, employment, education and more: Ste. Genevieve County Helpful Handbook of Resources. Our schools have personal and hygiene products, as well as clothing and other essential items for students in need. Please reach out to your school’s counselor or our social worker, Stephanie Gegg at sgegg@sgdragons.org or 573-883-4500 ext 2980.
PROP SG UPDATES
Ste. Genevieve Middle School:
- The construction of the elevator addition is coming along— the walls are up and covered, and crews have been working on HVAC installation.
Early Childhood Center:
- The footings and the foundations for the outer walls are being constructed.
- The district held the third and final bid opening for the Early Childhood Center on Thursday, Dec. 21. This bid package is for the construction of the building. With this third bid opening, the total Early Childhood Center project is projected to cost just over $8 million, nearly $250,000 less than originally projected by the district’s Construction Manager At-Risk, (CMAR).
- The updated site plan can be viewed here.
BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATES
- Filing for Board of Education Election: Please see the following announcement regarding filing to run for the SG R-II Board of Education in April 2024. There will be two positions available, each with a three-year term. Filing will end on Dec. 26 at 5 p.m. Filing will not occur on Dec. 25 and on days where school is closed for inclement weather. See more here.
- Board Briefs: Check out the Board Briefs and the Board Minutes from the Tuesday, Dec. 19, 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.
APR
On Dec. 18, DESE released the statewide Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for the 2022-23 school year. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lance McClard reviewed the district’s standardized test scores at last Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. Dr. McClard pointed out that we will delve into the APR in-depth at the January Board of Education meeting. He pointed out that in every area, we outpaced the state, and in many subjects, we widened the gap between our scores and the state’s. Read about the presentation here. “The important takeaway is that we are showing improvement in student scores and that what our teachers are doing is effective for students,” he said. “They should be commended, because our scores are a result of the dedication, expertise and hard work of our faculty and staff.”
REMINDERS
- Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 school year will be held at Ste. Genevieve Elementary on March 2, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at Bloomsdale Elementary on March 23, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Parents may contact the elementary offices beginning Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2024, to schedule appointments.
- Ste. Genevieve Elementary Parents As Teachers also offer FREE Community Developmental Screenings year-round for all children within district boundaries ages 3 months to 5 years. Screening is the process of measuring a child's general health, vision, hearing and development. The areas of development focused on during this screening are motor, language, concepts, social/emotional, and adaptive. To schedule a screening, call PAT at 573-883-4500 ext. 2424.
FAFSA Event:
- The SGHS FAFSA event has been rescheduled for Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. See the flyer here.
- New this year: The first two inclement weather days will be traditional snow days, and then the following five inclement weather days will be AMI (Alternative Methods of Instruction) days before returning to traditional snow days for the remainder of any inclement weather days. See our flyer for snow days here!