SDUC Newsletter 12/20/24
As we embrace the holiday season, I want to take a moment to wish you all a joyful and restful winter break. It’s been a productive semester and we are all looking forward to the exciting opportunities the new year will bring.
At the top of the list, our hardworking seniors have accumulated over $2 million in scholarship offers, our dedicated staff who continue to be recognized for their good works and for providing unique experiences for students and a community that trusts and believes in our ability to make great things happen for students.
You will find these stories and more in the newsletter that follows. But, first, we have a special video for you. Our orchestra and choir have teamed up to share a few housekeeping tips and a bit of excitement as we kick off the season!
The District earned a 75.2% score on the 2024 Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 6) Annual Performance Report. This report, based on multi-year data, is a key measure of district performance and we remain stable in performance despite changes in tests and curriculum. We are analyzing the data and setting measures in place to build momentum in core subject areas.
In addition to MSIP 6, we use benchmarks and teacher assessments to track student progress and adjust strategies as needed, supporting our Learning Reimagined pillars of personalized learning, humanized interactions and relationship-building, and problematizing by encouraging creative solutions to real world issues inside and outside of the classroom.
To learn more, join us for the annual State of the District community meeting on January 13, 2025. Refreshments will be provided by One U. City, please register in advance by clicking HERE.
BWMS' Sustainability Students | Farming While Black
Brittany Woods Middle School students joined with the St. Louis International Film Institute and Washington University in St. Louisto host a community showing of the film “Farming While Black,” an adaptation of the book by Leah Perriman, tracing the joys and hardships experienced by today’s generation of Black farmers. The event featured a panel discussion of area experts in the field and was paid for by the sales of student-made, Brittany Brand products!
Districtwide Book Fair at Barnes & Noble
Thank you families and community for coming out to the Curriculum & Instruction team's Book Fair at Barnes & Noble! Many of our students and families came out to shop for books, indulge in a sweet treat, and enjoy performances by our orchestra students under the direction of Za Goodbreak, Elian Haig, and Grace Fitter. Additionally, students who attended the book fair received a FREE book of their choice, and a portion of the proceeds were donated to our orchestra program!
Operation Reading Success at BCJ
Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School’s Operation Reading Success Night was - you guessed it - a SUCCESS! It was amazing to see families and young learners come together for meaningful literacy activities in a space that celebrates who they are. This event was a great example of the supportive, inspiring experiences we offer here in University City. Thank you to Ms. Wesche, Bridge 2 Hope, and the Barbara C. Jordan community for making it all happen!
UCHS Students Eligible for the Missouri A+ Program
The A+ Scholarship Program provides scholarship funds to eligible graduates of A+ designated high schools who attend a participating public community college, vocational/technical school, or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools.
Students may sign up at any time between grades nine and eleven, but seniors must enroll in the A+ program no later than January of their senior year due to the need to complete fifty required hours of tutoring/mentoring.
For more information, please visit ucityschools.org/aplusprogram.
Join us in giving a warm welcome to one of our newest members of the U. City pride, David Gorosh. David is our Prop U project manager, overseeing all aspects of our Prop U priority projects. He is an experienced construction and project manager, who also formerly served as the transition strategy and construction project manager for Major HQ Site Renovation at The Launchcode Foundation.
Welcome, David Gorosh!
Sweet Potato Harvest
Do you see how BIG these sweet potatoes are? Our students, with help from District garden facilitators and teachers, harvested these sweet potatoes themselves. UCHS totaled 148 pounds this year, with one weighing in at 9 pounds 2 ounces. That’s PRETTY BIG!
Be on the lookout for more updates on how we use our produce! Did someone mention a sweet potato pie tasting?
ROAR Academy Students Join World Wide Technology's 2025 STEM Student Forum
Congrats to the UCHS students at ROAR Academy who have been accepted into the World Wide Technology (WWT) 2025 STEM Student Forum!
WWT’s 2025 STEM Student Forum challenges high school teams to create solutions for their school's or community’s unique needs. Each team will work directly with a WWT mentor to develop a solution or other proposed problem over six weeks. At the end of the program, five teams are selected to present their final solutions to a panel of WWT leaders for a chance to win $10,000!
The kickoff is on January 24, 2025, where students will learn what problem they’re trying to solve. For more information, visit www.ucityschools.org/wwtstem25.
