DRE Weekly News October 20, 2025

At Discovery Ridge Elementary, we take pride in our students' excellent attendance! Sharing our weekly attendance is important to us, and it will be a regular feature in our Weekly News. We invite you to join us in celebrating the hard work of our students and their families, ensuring that DRE Stars have the opportunity to attend school every day, all day!

Perfect Attendance (Zero Absences): 306 Students

DRE 90/90 Proportional Attendance 94.71%

90/90 Data (Percentage of Students w/90%+ Attendance)

Kdg 90%

1st Grade 96.67%

2nd Grade 98.59%

3rd Grade 98.26%

4th Grade 95.4%

5th Grade 89.11%

DRE School Improvement Goal 25-26 Goal: DRE will improve the proportional attendance rate from 93.4% to 94.3% by the end of the 2025-2026 school year. The growth will be 1% per school year, as measured by the Annual Performance Report.

Oct. 23

Fall Picture Retakes & Newly Enrolled Students

Oct. 24

Fall Costume Parade, 1:45-2:15 p.m.

Class Parties 2:20-3:20 p.m.

DRE PTO Trunk or Treat, 6pm

Oct. 27

Red Ribbon Week: Pajama Day

Oct. 28

Red Ribbon Week: Create a Class Puzzle

PTO Dine Out at LSL Chick-fil-A, 4-8 p.m.

Oct. 29

Red Ribbon Week: Dress for Success

Student Led Conferences PreK - Fifth Grade

Oct. 30

No School: Student Led Conferences PreK - Fifth Grade

Oct. 31-Nov. 4

No School

Nov. 5

Classes Resume

Nov. 7

PTO Skate Night, Great Skate 4:30pm-6:30pm

Nov. 11

Veterans Day Celebration

Monday

Day 4

Tuesday

Day 5

Wednesday

Day 1

Thursday

Day 2

Friday

Day 3

Preschool-10:35 a.m.

Kindergarten-11:10 a.m.

First Grade-11:25 a.m.

Second Grade-10:50 a.m.

Third Grade-12:30 p.m.

Fourth Grade-12:10 p.m.

Fifth Grade-11:50 a.m.

Has your child's teacher made a significant impact on their education and life? Do you want to recognize a staff member who goes above and beyond? Let them know with a Wentzville Wow Factor Award; you can submit one at anytime throughout the school year to show them know they are making a difference!

i-Ready is an integral part of our curriculum for reading and mathematics. It enables your student's teacher(s) to identify their specific needs, personalize their learning, and track their progress throughout the school year. By meeting your student exactly where they are, i-Ready empowers your teacher(s) to enhance your student's learning gains. How to access my students' results.

Submit your snow day video for a chance to be featured as this year's official snow day announcement! Open to all students, staff, teams, clubs, classrooms, and groups within the district. Videos will be reviewed, and finalists will be announced on our social media pages. Snow Day Announcement Video Contest Form; submissions are due by Oct. 24, 2025.

Bats & Spiders are lurking near and Costume Season is almost here! DRE is a SPOOKTACULAR place to find a costume for your little ghoul or goblin this year!

If your child is in need of a costume we would love for them to come pick one out! All you need to do is email lesliemay@wsdr4.org or your classroom teacher. Students can pick out their costume to wear for our Fall Party day at school and can keep for any other Trick or Treating adventures you have planned outside of school.

All students will be allowed to wear costumes on Friday, Oct. 24 for the Fall Party. More info to come about this day!

If you have any gently used costumes you would like to donate to our Costume Closet you can send them to school with your child to Mrs. May’s attention or feel free to drop in the office.

Thanks, and Happy Haunting!

Life is a puzzle - Solve it Drug Free!

Let's Celebrate Red Ribbon Week with puzzles and fun!

Monday, Oct. 27- WAKE UP DRUG FREE! Wear your pajamas!

Tuesday, Oct. 28- PUZZLE DAY! Create a grade level jigsaw puzzle!

Wednesday, Oct. 29- WE'RE TOO SMART TO START! Come dressed in your best, ready for success!

It's Socktober!- Bring New Socks to donate to our DRE sock drive to help families in our community!

Give back to your wonderful community by donating new pairs of socks during the month of October.

Drop off location: DRE. A donation basket will be located in the main hallway near the cafeteria. All donations benefit: The Christmas Shoppe Program at Morningstar Church.

For more information please contact:

Jane Douglas Ext. 48244

Leslie May Ext. 48112

Stacy Browning Ext. 48240.

This Veterans Day, we're learning all about the brave veterans—the amazing people who served in the United States military to keep us safe and free! Each year we honor the veterans in our community with a photo presentation during our assembly. Please use this link or scan the QR code to add your veteran's photo. This year we would love to have photos of your student(s) with the veteran you are honoring.

Please note: this form is only for photo submissions. An RSVP to attend our event will be coming soon.

When we are proactive, we are responsible for our own life and the choices we make. We understand that we have the freedom to choose based on principles rather than on moods or conditions.

1. Pause and respond: In any situation you face, you can choose to be proactive.

2. Proactive language gives us control. Reactive language gives the control to others.

3. Circle of Influence: When you’re facing a problem or an opportunity, ask yourself: What’s in my Circle of Concern? What’s in my Circle of Influence? What actions will I take that will make a difference?

4. We can model positive behaviors to others.

Within the Wentzville School District, the well-being and success of your children are of utmost importance to us. To ensure their overall health and academic performance, we are pleased to inform you of our upcoming hearing and vision screening program.

Between Oct. 1 and Nov. 22, we will be conducting hearing and vision screenings in grades pre-K through third grade. These screenings are a crucial part of our commitment to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.

Details of the screenings are as follows:

- Hearing Screenings: These screenings will check for any hearing issues that may affect your child's ability to fully engage in their education.

- Vision Screenings: These screenings will assess your child's vision, helping to identify any potential visual impairments that might hinder their academic progress.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the hearing and vision screenings, please do not hesitate to contact your child's school nurse. They will be more than happy to provide you with additional information and address any inquiries you may have.

We appreciate your partnership in maintaining the health and well-being of our students. Together, we can ensure that every child in our district has the opportunity to thrive.

On Nov. 6, Discovery Ridge and the Department of Health and Senior Services are offering a FREE oral health program to help prevent cavities. For more information, please contact Nurse Rosemarie rosemariehamilton@wsdr4.org or call (636) 561-2354 ext. 48233.

Parental-Consent-Form-English.pdf

Parental-Consent-Form-Spanish.pdf

PTO Dine Out at Chick-fil-A Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 4-8 p.m. at the Hawk Ridge Location. You can dine in or use the Chick-fil-A app to place a drive thru or pick up order - There will be an option to click Spirit Night on the app. That option will be available during the dine out event.

Please consider partnering with our school by joining PTO! Our Parent Teacher Organization supports our school community in many ways, made possible by YOU! Each family membership is $10 annually.

Dear Discovery Ridge Elementary Families:

Throughout the duration of the academic year, the Wentzville School District partners with community agencies that specialize in providing students, families, and educators with preventative education. Agency presenters are credentialed, coordinated through the District, and under the supervision of building administrators. Presentation topics are targeted toward specific grade levels. All students will participate in each program unless you choose to opt your child out of the lesson(s). If you are interested in opting your student(s) out of the presentation(s), please click the appropriate link(s) below.

Kindergarten Opt-Out Form

First Grade Opt-Out Form

Second Grade Opt-Out Form

Third Grade Opt-Out Form

Fourth Grade Opt-Out Form

Fifth Grade Opt-Out Form

If you have additional questions, please reach out directly to your student’s guidance counselor.

Thank you,

Mrs. Kelly Stratman, Principal

Mr. Ben Tracy, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Stacy Browning, 1-3 Counselor

Mrs. Jane Douglas, K, 4-5 Counselor

Mrs. Sarah Holcomb, Education Support Counselor

Each new school year brings opportunities for academic growth and growth in all areas of development. Although children must be knowledgeable when they graduate, they must also be healthy, engaged, responsible, and caring people.

We’re grateful you’re here at our school and we’re excited to partner with you and your child. As a Leader in Me School, we believe that every member of your family has greatness and we can’t wait to learn and grow from you! Leader in Me (LiM) is an evidence-based, comprehensive school-improvement model—developed in partnership with educators and FranklinCovey—that empowers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in a global community.

Our school has chosen to operate through a uniquely different lens. Leader in Me is about empowering your child to reach their full potential while ultimately finding their voice. As a school, the staff in this building have made five core commitments to your child. We call these our Core Paradigms. In these paradigms you will find the belief and way we view all students. At this school we see that:

• Everyone is a leader.
• Everyone has genius.
• Change starts with me.
• We empower students to lead their own learning.
• Educators and families partner to develop the whole person.

Not only do these paradigms apply to your student, they apply to all of us!

Leader in Me provides our school with the vision and language to lead the school in a way that addresses all areas of development. As each child discovers and develops their unique gifts and talents, they are given opportunities to lead.

As leaders, they become active, engaged partners in their own education, and their self-confidence, responsibility, and initiative grows. The children quickly understand the benefits of different gifts and talents; they learn to listen to new ideas, work together to achieve results, and motivate one another to be the best.

We hope your school enjoys sharing these new opportunities. Together, we will see each child grow throughout the year.

Mrs. Kelly J. Stratman, Principal

Mr. Ben Tracy, Assistant Principal