SG R-II Connection

Good afternoon, SG families,

I wanted to first share a gentle reminder regarding the election next Tuesday, April 2. We encourage our families and community to take some time to participate in the democratic process and vote. We have two spots on the Board of Education up for election, and as you all know, our board plays a vital role in the success of our district. We have more information on the four candidates in the Five Things You Need to Know below.

As we spring into the final stretch of the academic year, it's time to reflect on the events that have shaped our journey so far. Our first ever Spring Break brings a much-needed pause in our routines, allowing our faculty and staff and students and their families to rejuvenate and reconnect with loved ones. Whether you travel to distant places or stay close to home, we hope you find moments of joy and relaxation.

Our extended break will conclude with the opportunity to witness a breathtaking solar eclipse—a celestial event that reminds us of the awe-inspiring wonders of our universe. It serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty and grandeur of nature, encouraging us to pause and appreciate the world around us.

As we marvel at the passage of time marked by the changing seasons and astronomical phenomena, we also find ourselves approaching the end of another school year. The last part of our academic journey is upon us, filled with exciting challenges, opportunities for growth, and fond farewells.

We hope that our students and staff return from break ready to embrace the remaining weeks with enthusiasm and determination, making the most of every moment as we work together to achieve our goals and celebrate our accomplishments.

Wishing you all a wonderful Spring Break!

Dr. Paul Taylor

Superintendent

Dr. Taylor provided an update on the ongoing Prop SG projects.

Ste. Genevieve Middle School:

• The addition consists of an elevator spanning three floors in order to make our middle school accessible, and is located in the back corner of the school to avoid detracting from the traditional facade of the front of the building. The three floors are as follows: access to the nurse’s office, elevator and corridor on the basement level; elevator and new counseling suite on the first floor; and elevators and bathrooms on the second floor.
• The elevator is installed and will be complete by Friday. Crews are working on paint touch-ups and finishing the flooring. Construction management anticipates an early April punch date, with occupancy in April. At one point, the SGMS project was anticipated to be finished by the end of May, so we are happy to share that this project is on track to finish earlier than originally expected!

Early Childhood Center:

• The Early Childhood Center is under construction, with a floor plan of 10 classrooms, as well as a kitchen, multipurpose room, and more.
• The classroom section concrete slab was poured last week, with a second pour scheduled for the first thing tomorrow morning. Framers have started on the classroom section, with structural steel anticipated to arrive in the next few weeks. The weather cost crews about 5 days so far on this project.

Ste. Genevieve Elementary:

• The preliminary design of Ste. Genevieve Elementary’s new gym and on-grade, ADA-accessible entrance with offices can be seen here. This project is nearing the end of the “design” phase, with ongoing discussions among the architects, engineers and CMAR regarding materials, specifications, and finishing touches.
• The district is hoping to address parking issues in conjunction with the launch of the Ste. Genevieve Elementary project construction. The District has worked with Bauman Excavating to identify possible parking opportunities to undergo in early summer prior to the SGE project construction beginning.

Wrestling / Athletic Facility:

• An athletic facility continues to be on the project list and at a minimum, a wrestling facility will be completed. Once the timeframe for the upcoming Ste. Genevieve Elementary project is solidified, more information will be shared regarding athletic facility possibilities and its timeline.
• Our hope is that through value engineering and continuing to take advantage of cost-saving measures with the expertise of our CMAR and architects, we may be able to do more and provide a facility that will benefit many more students and programs here at SG R-II. Below, a wrestling facility is identified as our priority, as well as two alternates:
• Priority: Wrestling Facility: a 100 x 120 ft. wrestling space with restrooms, storage and an office space. A preliminary design can be seen here. This project would be 12,000 sq. ft. and is estimated to cost about $2.4 million.
• Alternate 1: Wrestling Facility with Shell: a 100 x 120 ft. wrestling space with restrooms, storage and an office space, with an additional unfinished shell to be finished with turf at a later date. A preliminary design can be seen here, and this project is estimated to cost about $3.9 million.
• Alternate 2: Athletic Facility with Wrestling & Turf: a 100 x 120 ft. wrestling space with restrooms, storage and an office space, with an additional finished space with turf to be utilized by multiple SG R-II programs. A preliminary design can be seen here, and this project is estimated to cost about $5.1 million.

Timeline:

• The current timeline can be viewed here. It is important to note that these timeframes shift continually for the ongoing and future projects.

The annual Board of Education election will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Each election year, the district requests that Board Candidates complete a Q&A to be shared with our SG family and the community. The purpose of this questionnaire is to offer the community an opportunity to learn about the candidates’ stances on issues impacting the school district.

Two positions, each with a three-year term, will be available for the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education in the Tuesday, April 2, 2024 election. The expiring terms for Board members are Mr. David Bova and Mrs. Geralyn Diesel. Four applicants have filed a declaration of candidacy for the Board of Education. In the order of filing, they include: David Bova, Geralyn Diesel, Mike Wolk and Norman Vogt.

See the Candidate Q&As here to learn more about the candidates and their priorities for the district.

We are excited to share that SG R-II has launched a Care to Learn Chapter in our community! Care to Learn Ste. Genevieve is now one of more than 40 school districts across the state of Missouri meeting student needs through this innovative model.

The mission of the Care to Learn Ste. Genevieve Chapter is to provide immediate funding to meet students’ emergent health, hunger, and hygiene needs so they can be successful in school. To date, Care to Learn has met over 2 million health, hunger, and hygiene needs of more than 100,000 Missouri students.

How does it work?

• Care to Learn is built to fill the gaps. Our Care to Learn Chapter will join alongside our existing fundraising and sponsorship programs in the community to ensure that our students have their basic needs met. (Care to Learn does not duplicate services.)
• We keep it local. All funds raised by the Ste. Genevieve Chapter will be used to meet the needs of our district’s students.
• This program supports all students. There are no qualifiers for a student to receive Care to Learn support, making it a wonderful solution when other resources aren’t available.

If a student’s need involves health, hunger, or hygiene, Care to Learn can help. Some of these needs are included below:

• Health: medical and dental health care; vision care and glasses; transportation to/from medical appointments; prescriptions; assistive devices; pest control; and more.
• Hunger: supplemental food for students at home; emergency snacks at school; grocery vouchers, etc.
• Hygiene: personal hygiene items; clothing; shoes; coats and jackets; and haircuts, to name a few.

Please see our webpage and Facebook page to learn more.

Check out the Board Briefs and the Board Minutes from the Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 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.

• Families, if you missed the Kindergarten Registration and screening for your child, please call the elementary office to enroll your child for the 2024-2025 school year:
  
• Ste. Genevieve Elementary: 573-883-4500 ext. 3
• Bloomsdale Elementary: 573-883-4500 ext. 4
• Children age 5 prior to August 1, 2024 are Kindergarten eligible

• 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.

We want to thank our SG R-II Board of Education for their dedication and contributions to our schools! March is Missouri School Board Recognition Month, where we recognize the vital role these public officials play in the education of our students.

#SGFamily #GivingBack #PublicEducationStrong #SchoolBoardRecognition 🐲🌎🎓