Lindbergh Accomplishments 9-29-14
September 29, 2014
Lindbergh Early Childhood Education teacher Teresa Darr is a winner of the first annual St. Louis Family magazine Excellence in Education Awards. Magazine representatives surprised Darr on Sept. 19 with a special award presentation in her pre-k classroom at Dressel School.
Last winter, St. Louis Family asked St. Louisans to nominate educators who positively impact their students, schools, and communities. The finalists were narrowed down and seven winners were selected among six categories. Darr won in the preschool/kindergarten category.
As one of her students said during the recognition, "She's a great teacher because reads books to us really well and she takes really good care of us."
Three years ago when Long Elementary School music teacher Wes Kassulke learned of the devastating Joplin tornado, he enlisted the help of his mother, Carolyn Kassulke, to sew recorder cases to sell to his students as a fundraiser to support relief efforts. On June 16, 2014, tragedy hit again – this time in the Kassulkes’ hometown of Pilger, Neb.
Rare F-4 tornadoes wiped out 80 percent of the town, including the church, school and childhood home of Mr. Kassulke. Once again, Kassulke enlisted the help of his mother to sew and sell cases for the recorders students use in music class. The cases were sold for 50 cents each, and in all the students raised about $200 for the Pilger School.
Sperreng Student Wins Ultimate St. Louis Tourist Contest
Sperreng Middle School student Daria Nastasia’s essay about her summer staycation in St. Louis is a winner in the Ultimate St. Louis Tourist Contest, sponsored by the St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation. Her essay and photo will be included in the 2015 Official St. Louis Visitors Guide.
Daria, a seventh-grader at Sperreng Middle School, shared her family’s experiences visiting Fairy Village at the Renaissance Faire, watching “Henry IV” and “Henry V” at Shakespeare in the Park, and sailing the Mississippi in the Tom Sawyer riverboat. For her winning submission, she also received a $500 prize.
PAT Receives Grant for Parenting Speaker Series
Lindbergh Schools Parents as Teachers program recently received a grant from St. Anthony’s Medical Center to fund a series of free speaking events for parents. The lecture series includes “Parenting Stress and How to Cope” on Nov. 13, and “Love and Logic Overview” on April 22. Both will be at Lindbergh Early Childhood Education. In addition, PAT will use a portion of the $3,000 grant to fund an Open Action Room for families and the popular Stroller Brigade group. All of these events are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Beth Crancer, PAT coordinator, at 314-729-2400, ext. 4913, or bcrancer@lindberghschools.ws.
Highlights Publishes Crestwood Teacher’s Story
“Thunder and the Storm,” an original short story by Crestwood Elementary School resource teacher Ruth Donnelly, was published in the September 2014 issue of Highlights Magazine. Earlier this month, Donnelly spoke to second-graders about what it is like to be a published author.
Donnelly has been writing for children for about seven years. She wrote a scientific article about invisibility cloaking for the May 2013 issue of Spider Magazine, and has written poems for SuperTeacherWorksheets.com, an online resource for teachers.
“I enjoyed speaking about writing to the second-graders,” she said. “I told them they're lucky, because they're learning so much about the craft of writing in writer's workshop. They're learning things that many writers didn't know until they were grownups. We also talked about how you can find ideas for writing from anywhere and anything!”
“Thunder and the Storm” is a fictional tale that is based on a true story Donnelly’s husband shared from his childhood. It is about a boy who is home alone during a thunderstorm with his dad’s new dog, a big, ferocious German shepherd.
Donnelly is currently working on a novel for 8-12 year olds that will be a spooky mystery or ghost story.