TOMAHAWK TRIBUNE

The Meramec Valley R-III School Board is committed to excellence in governance and leadership. The Board of Education meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Find Board News at www.mvr3.k12.mo.us.

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As we move further into the school year, I am continually inspired by the momentum, dedication, and sense of partnership that define our MVR-III school community.

First, a heartfelt thank you to every staff member, family, and community member who joined us for Homecoming and our recent Student Learning Night events. Seeing our schools and classrooms filled with families engaging in the learning process is directly tied to a key pillar of our Strategic Plan: increasing parent and school engagement. Strong connections between home and school lay the foundation for student achievement, and your active participation truly makes a difference in our students' educational journey.

We are also deeply grateful to the community members who have taken the time to attend our Prop K informational events. Keeping our community informed and connected remains a top priority, and we want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to learn more and ask questions. We will continue hosting a variety of ways to connect in October, including:

• Virtual Connection Videos: Short Prop K updates you can watch anytime. (Oct. 27)

• Coffee with Carrie: Casual morning check-ins and direct conversations. (Oct. 27)

• Evening Community Forums: Open question-and-answer opportunities featuring guided tours of Pacific Intermediate. (Oct. 26)

Beyond these events, the true heart of our work is happening inside our schools every day. I am immensely proud of the outstanding learning taking place in our classrooms. Our teachers and support staff work tirelessly to meet each child where they are on their individual pathway to success, ensuring that every student receives the tailored support, challenge, and care they need to thrive.

Thank you for your ongoing support, engagement, and dedication to the students of Meramec Valley R-III. Together, we make a difference in doing what’s best for kids!

At the October Board of Education meeting, the Transportation, Gifted (Odyssey), and Health and Wellness departments reviewed their annual program updates.

The Transportation Department ensured safe, efficient travel across the district, transporting 1,889 students daily and logging over 600,000 miles across 28 yellow buses last year. Operations included 4 special needs routes for 61 students across all 8 district schools, 6 Early Childhood routes for 80 students, and 700 extracurricular trips.

• Achievements:

1. 20 Consecutive Years: Earned the Total Fleet Excellence Award from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, achieving 100% inspection pass rates for the past two years

2. Professional Development: Two DESE-certified driver trainers held to assist new drivers in earning Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and lead ongoing training

3. Parent Communication: Partnered with BusRight to provide families with real-time updates on bus locations, stop times, route changes, and delays

• Program Goals:

1. Maintain full driver staffing

2. Review and update the bus replacement schedule to keep the fleet modern

The Odyssey Program offers accelerated learning and personalized study for qualified students in grades 1-12. Elementary students (grades 1-4) attend pull-out classes at Nike Elementary, 5th graders meet weekly at Pacific Intermediate, and students in grades 6-12 take Odyssey as an elective course with options for customized independent study in high school.

• Key Achievements:

1. Served 141 gifted students in the 2025-26 school year, representing 4.9% of district enrollment, which exceeded the state target of 3.0%

• Program Goals:

1. Maintain stable gifted student participation within DESE’s target

2. Maintain identification criteria that screen approximately 20% with the use of a screener for students in grades 1 and 4

The Health Services and Wellness Program supports student achievement by promoting physical health, wellness, and safety across all MVR-III schools. Guided by the School Health and Wellness Committee, the program delivers student health screenings, employee wellness initiatives, and emergency preparedness resources.

• Program Goals:

1. Develop staff wellness challenges and programs to foster a healthy workplace culture

2. Utilize the new vision and hearing screening equipment to identify and address student health needs early

In alignment with our district’s Academic Excellence goal, we continue to prioritize literacy through Beanstack, a tool launched last school year to run reading challenges, track reading logs, and motivate students. To date, our students have logged an impressive 335,900 total minutes of reading.

Key highlights include:

• High Student Participation:

• Coleman Elementary & Zitzman Elementary: 100% active student participation

• Robertsville Elementary: 99% participation

• Nike Elementary: 96% participation

• Pacific Intermediate: 82% participation

• Top Minutes Logged: Zitzman Elementary alone has logged over 171,000 minutes.

• District Recognition: Coleman, Zitzman, Robertsville, Nike, and Pacific Intermediate have all earned all four Reading Culture Awards.

These milestones reflect the dedicated effort of our librarians, teachers, and students in fostering a strong culture of reading district-wide!

Dr. Schwierjohn recently presented the State of the District to members of the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce, providing an update on district goals, sharing district facility needs addressed in Prop K, and celebrating the exciting work happening across the Meramec Valley R-III School District.

The luncheon was also an opportunity for community partners to hear directly from our students! Pacific High School students shared their learning experiences and highlighted the ways they are growing their skills both inside and outside the classroom.

Our JAG students were also proud to showcase their student-managed Coffee Shop, demonstrating entrepreneurship, leadership, collaboration, communication, and real-world career skills.

We are grateful for the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce and the many community partners who invest in our students and help create meaningful opportunities for them to learn, lead, and succeed.

Together, we make a difference in doing what’s best for kids!

We are thrilled to host a universal Student Learning Night across the district for our PreK-6 families. Supporting our district goals of Academic Excellence and Family & Community Engagement, the event gives parents and guardians the opportunity to:

• Explore the Curriculum: See what your children are learning each day

• Local Assessment: Understand how student growth and success are measured

• Partner at Home: Learn simple, effective ways to support your child’s learning at home

Additionally, this event meets the Title 1 home and school connections goal for our school-wide title programs.

On Tuesday, November 3, our community will vote on Proposition K—a general obligation bond issue for the Meramec Valley R-III School District.

Prop K WILL NOT raise property tax rates if it's approved by voters.

For voting and polling place information, visit the Missouri Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.mo.gov.

More details about Prop K for Kids and the ways it will position our district to better serve future generations of students are available at https://www.mvr3bond.org/

A delegation of educational leaders from Chile recently visited Pacific High, Riverbend Middle, and Zitzman Elementary to observe character education practices and see how those initiatives are integrated into daily classroom culture.

The visiting group included representatives from Fundación Educacional Nocedal, a Chilean educational foundation known for supporting high-quality schooling in vulnerable communities, alongside leaders from Colegio Puente Maipo. Joined by regional character education coordinators and area school administrators, the international guests spent the day touring facilities, observing classroom instruction, and speaking directly with staff and student ambassadors.

The itinerary gave visitors a firsthand look at how character development spans all grade levels:

Throughout the visit, delegates met with school character teams to discuss strategies for fostering a positive school climate, embedding social-emotional learning into academics, and engaging families in character-building efforts.

The visit provided MVR-III educators an opportunity to showcase their hard work while exchanging global perspectives on empowering students through strong ethical foundations and community engagement.

The Meramec Valley R-III Board of Education honored several outstanding Pacific High School students at its September meeting for their participation in summer leadership and academic academies.

Kenzi Pena represented PHS at the Missouri Scholars Academy, a three-week intensive academic program designed for some of the state’s top high school scholars.

Additionally, six PHS students attended Missouri Boys State and Missouri Girls State, annual leadership development programs that immerse students in real-world government scenarios to build critical decision-making and collaboration skills. Representing PHS at Missouri Boys State were Seth DeJesus, Luke Mayfield, and Garrett Zapolski. Representing Missouri Girls State were Josephine Hunter, Zoe Jipson, and Allana Short.

Our students’ participation in Boys and Girls State was made possible through generous sponsorship from the Pacific Eagles and Ladies Auxiliary.

Doris Hoffman Early Learning Center is offering FREE DIAL-4 Developmental Screenings throughout the 2026-27 school year! Families can sign up for a screening on one of the following Mondays:

• October 26

• November 9

• December 7

• January 11 & 25

• February 8 & 22

• March 15

• April 12 & 26

Screenings are held at Doris Hoffman Early Learning Center, 228 South Indian Pride Dr., Pacific, MO 63069. To sign up, contact DHELC at 636-271-1464 or ngipperich@mvr3.k12.mp.us.

Kindergarten screening dates will be announced in 2027.

Help MVR-III make a difference for kids! We’re looking for parents, grandparents, community members, and local organizations to get involved and support our students.

Ways to volunteer include:

• Become a WatchDOG

• Become an Oasis Tutor

No matter when you graduated, YOU are an important part of the MVR-III story. Our alumni are making an impact in communities around the world. Whether you are building a career, serving your community, continuing your education, raising a family, or pursuing a passion, your journey can inspire the next generation of MVR-III students.

Share where life has taken you since graduation, tell us about your accomplishments, reflect on your favorite school memories, and help us celebrate the lasting connections that make MVR-III special.

Help us make a difference in the lives of our over 3,000 Pre-K through 12th grade students. Start the process of finding your home in #MVNation today!

Learn more about these opportunities and apply today at http://bit.ly/JOINMVR3.