Board of Education Approves Proposition S Zero-Tax-Increase Bond Issue for Aug. 2 Ballot

The Board of Education unanimously approved a recommendation to place a $45 million zero-tax-rate increase on the Aug. 2 ballot at its meeting Thursday night. Superintendent John Simpson said that if approved, the money would be used to improve aging buildings and learning environments across the district. The proposal addresses electrical upgrades, mitigation for water infiltration, accessibility and more. The largest project would be rebuilding the Moss Field stadium. Two citizens advisories committees assisted with the recommendation: the Building Advisory Committee and the Finance Advisory Committee.

You can read more about the proposal here https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/Domain/3898, including links to reports from the committees, survey results and a presentation on priorities for bond issue funding.

If you have any questions or comments, please use the Ask  Us a Question option at the top right of the page.

Freestyle Pool Pass Available for District Families

The Freestyle Pool Pass is back for 2022, after a very successful inaugural year last summer.  The Freestyle Pass removes barriers to the community swimming pool by providing free daily swim passes for individuals and families that require financial assistance.  Thanks to the generosity of this community, 604 pool passes were used last summer.

It is our pleasure to report that together we raised enough money last year to run the program again for summer 2022. Webster Groves is a great place to live, work and play--and our community is striving to be consciously inclusive.  We want everyone to feel welcome, included and vital in all spaces.  The Freestyle Pool Pass is a partnership of the Alliance for Interracial Dignity, the Webster Groves School District and Webster Rock Hill Ministries.  We are also grateful to the city of Webster Groves for administrative efforts to accept and track the pool passes.  

To those families who may currently need financial support to access the pool, our goal (pending funding) is to provide: 

·       WGSD PreK – 5th grade students: 4 Freestyle Pool Passes per student upon request

·       WGSD 6th – 12th grade students:   2 Freestyle Pool Passes per student upon request

·        If you have more than one child attending the same WGSD school, then you will receive a family pack of Freestyle Pool Passes.

If you currently need financial assistance and are interested in receiving Freestyle Pool Passes (each is good for one daily admission), then please complete this WGSD Freestyle Pool Pass Request Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4bhUthcOuROBzAkY_-R53T6eqYG5BNVMSm41q5-oJl_70AQ/viewform by May 13, 2022, or contact your child’s counselor. The passes will be given to your child May 19 - 20. During pool season, Freestyle Pool Passes will also be available at Webster Rock Hill Ministries and inside the Rec Center front desk. 

As the Freestyle Pool Pass program continues to find its footing in future years, we hope to expand the program to include snack bar vouchers and possibly swim instruction.  We are not actively fundraising for summer 2022, but if you would like to support the program's future, the fund is being held by Webster Rock Hill Ministries (WRHM).  Checks can be made payable to WRHM and mailed or brought to 111 East Waymire, Webster Groves, 63119.  Checks must include “Freestyle Pass Fund” in the memo line.  You can also donate online at http://bit.ly/wgfreestyle.

Kindergarten Enrollment for August 2022 is Open

Green Street Real Estate Ventures, LLC is collaborating with the Chelsea Detrick Experiential Learning Center at Webster Groves High School to teach an 18-week course on real estate development this semester. In addition to classroom and independent learning, “Keeping It Real: Real Estate 101” provides students direct interaction with real estate industry experts. Once a week, students spend time off campus with career professionals breaking down the various aspects of real estate development beginning with site selection and due diligence, through design, financing and municipal approvals to completed construction. 

“Our objective with ‘Keeping It Real’ is to unwrap the complexities of real estate development and provide exposure for our local high school students to post-high school options that require no college, trade schools, four-year and advanced degrees,” said Joel Oliver, managing director and senior vice president of development for Green Street. “We have enjoyed highlighting the varying career choices within the industry and helping our students make those connections.”

Industry professionals who have shared their expertise include Mara Perry, director of planning and development for the city of Webster Groves; George Stock, president of Stock & Associates Consulting Engineers; Ron Carroll, principal of ATON Environmental; Jenn Brenner, realtor with the Joel Svoboda Team; Kyle Howerton, senior vice president with George Smith Partners; Tom Young, senior designer/architect with HDA; Eli Knight, preconstruction manager with Green Street Building Group; Joel Oliver, managing director and senior vice president of development for Green Street; Liz Austin, chief marketing officer for Green Street and Matt Bauer, development manager with Green Street.

Student Karrie Smith said, “This whole course was a complete game changer for me.  I already had an interest in real estate, but Green Street expanded my knowledge times ten.  Everything was so hands on, and I was able to see different trades and careers I didn’t even know existed, creating the best learning experience for me. I shadowed Eli Knight, Green Street Building Group’s project manager, and she explained to me about the union codes and the life of a project manager.  She even took me to visit job sites, and I got to hear from bricklayers, cement workers, carpenters and laborers, and hear all about their opinions on their careers.  I went from being unsure about how to mesh my interests in building and real estate to knowing carpentry is exactly what I’m going to do and feeling good about it.”

Adventure Club Enrollment for 2022-23

Enrollment for the Adventure Club, designed for families who require before and/or after school care for their children, is open.

Maintaining appropriate staffing in Adventure Club is essential to providing a safe environment for all. Children
are enrolled based upon the date of the application and when the appropriate fees are received. Individual
applications must be completed for each child and include a $50 non-refundable fee for processing (not to
exceed $100 per family). Your child may be placed on the waitlist until necessary staff is secured to maintain
standard ratios and you will receive monthly updates on the status of the program.

Applications are now posted on the Ambrose Adventure Club website https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/Page/18891 and will be accepted at Ambrose, between 7:30 AM-4:30 p.m. Completed applications will be processed in the order they are received. 

Enrollment options for the 2022-2023 school year include:
● Before Care 5 days a.m. only; 6:45 – 7:45 a.m.: $210/month
● After Care 5 days p.m. only; 2:45 – 5:45 p.m.: $270/month
● Before and After Care 5 days a.m. & p.m.: $360/month
● Part-time enrollment is not offered.
Before-care programs at each school are subject to cancellation based on enrollment numbers. You may select
before care as an enrollment option on your application, however, a morning program at your school is not
guaranteed.

Adventure Club will continue to follow CDC guidelines and the St. Louis County Health Department under the
direction of WGSD and its policies.

Please return the application along with the $50 application fee. Payments must be made by check or money order to Adventure Club – Do not add this fee to a current online account and do not turn it in to your elementary school or district Central Office. Mail or drop off at:
Ambrose Family Center – Adventure Club Office
222 W. Cedar Avenue
Webster Groves, MO 63119

WGSD Seeks Members for Building, Finance Advisory Committees

The Webster Groves School District is seeking members for two advisory committees to the Board of Education: the Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) and the Building Advisory Committee (BAC). The board will appoint new members and three-year terms begin July 1.  

The Finance Advisory Committee monitors financial issues and trends facing the district and provides public oversight and advice to the board and administration. General members of the committee should be residents of the district or parents/guardians of a district student. Qualifications to be considered by the board in appointing members include:

•    Professional training and proven expertise in finance or accounting;
•    Dedication to serving the district and community;
•    Commitment to complying with board policies and Advisory Committee Guidelines

Information about the committee is at the link:  https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/Page/23840  . To apply for a position on the FAC, please submit a resume to Pam Frazier at frazier.pam@wgmail.org by May 12.

The Building Advisory Committee monitors and reviews district facility issues and needs and provides advice to the board and  administration regarding facility and building projects. 

General members of the committee shall be residents of the district or parents/guardians of a district student. Qualifications to be considered by the board in appointing committee members include:
•    Professional training and proven expertise in facilities management or construction;
•    Dedication to serving the district and community
•    Commitment to complying with board policies and Advisory Committee Guidelines

More information is at the link  https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/Page/23839  . To apply for a position, please submit a resume to Pam Frazier at frazier.pam@wgmail.org by May 12.

Givens Students Raise Money to Help Ukrainians

First and second grade children at Givens School held a fundraiser recently to support people in Ukraine after learning more about what had been happening in that country. They collected gently used toys to sell, along with a variety of other items such as candles and bookmarks. The students also had a lemonade stand open during the sale. 

All told, they raised $2,867, which will be donated to World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit that provides meals in disaster locations.

Three Honored by Proud Past, Inspired Future Program

Three students at Webster Groves High School have been awarded scholarship funds through the Proud Past-Inspired Future Program, which provides an opportunity for African-American students attending Webster Groves High School to create expressions (poems, music, drawings, etc.) that reflect both an appreciation for their history and aspirations for their future.   Jasmine Salmon was the grand prize winner, with a $1,500 award. Runners up were Da'Meara Bowen and Lexi Sylvan, who each received $500. 

WGHS Student Receives Scholarship to Study in Germany

Congratulations to German 1 student Morgan Lawrence, who has been awarded a full scholarship through the organization Youth for Understanding (YFU) to study abroad next year (her senior year) at a high school in Germany. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange is a highly competitive scholarship program that includes:

Placement with a German host family
Admission to a German high school
Pre-departure training in the United States and orientation programs in Germany
Language lessons upon arrival in Germany
Cultural excursions to the German Bundestag and select German cities
Meetings with U.S. and German government officials

Two Inducted Into 2022 Journalism Honor Roll

The National Scholastic Press Association, the nation’s largest association for scholastic journalists, has inducted High School students Emily Goben and Jackson Parks into its 2022 Journalism Honor Roll. "These outstanding students excel in both the classroom and in their school newsrooms," associate director Gary Lundgren said. "The future of journalism is bright if these students are any indication." In addition to serving for at least two years on a high school student media staff, in broadcast, newspaper, magazine, online or yearbook, the students have earned a 3.5 or higher grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. Senior inductees are eligible to compete for a $1,000 scholarship, and NSPA will announce the scholarship winner in May.