Kirkwood School District

The Kirkwood School District is now hiring, visit kirkwoodschools.org/jobs to apply.

Check out this story in the Post-Dispatch about our IDEA Lab, which will be a part of all Kirkwood elementary schools for the 2024-25 school year. The goal of this hands-on approach is to build confidence in science and engineering ability in all students, including girls and students of color. We're so grateful for all the work the team at Keysor put into the pilot and are excited more Kirkwood kids will have this learning experience. https://trst.in/h9efxW

Check out this story in the Post-Dispatch about our IDEA Lab, which will be a part of all Kirkwood elementary schools for the 2024-25 school year. The goal of this hands-on approach is to build confidence in science and engineering ability in all students, including girls and students of color. We're so grateful for all the work the team at Keysor put into the pilot and are excited more Kirkwood kids will have this learning experience. https://trst.in/h9efxW

Today is Juneteenth, which honors the end of slavery in the US. On June 19, 1865, U.S. federal troops went to Galveston, Texas to let enslaved people know that they were freed after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by former President Abraham Lincoln two years prior. Although emancipation didn’t happen overnight for everyone — in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season — celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment. It officially became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. The Kirkwood School District’s calendar as approved by the Board of Education designates Juneteenth (June 19) as an official holiday for our District. Visit https://trst.in/ZbaKkp for opportunities to celebrate Juneteenth in our area.

June is Pride Month, which provides an opportunity to honor the dignity of those within the LGBTQ+ community, including those in our school district community who identify as LGBTQ+. This month serves as a reminder of the importance of providing welcoming space and support for students, families and staff who are a part of our LGBTQ+ community. Join us in celebrating and supporting ways to foster a sense of belonging for all in our schools. Some local programming can be found through the St. Louis County Library here.

Thank you for your partnership during the 2023-24 school year! Wishing our students a safe and happy summer.

Last night, the KSD Board of Education approved the recommendation for the hire of Julie Harris as the new principal for Westchester Elementary School effective July 1, 2024. https://lnkd.in/e89Wv_5d

Our final Key Contributor award goes to Richard Lamberty, a Maintenance and Facility Support team technician. He is a diligent, detailed, and very hard technician. Rich's focus on detail and his ability to look ahead and anticipate future potential issues is instrumental to preventing future problems from arising. Rich consistently goes the extra mile by tapping into his vast trade knowledge. Rich is conscientious and courteous to staff and students when he interacts with them. Rich is informative to the building administrative staff when dealing with issues that arise in their building. Rich is well regarded in the district as someone to count on at a moment's notice.

Today, KSD is recognizing and honoring our speech language pathologists who work with students to improve their outcomes every school year. Speech pathologists work with students on language development, vocal ability, fluency or stuttering, articulation, pragmatics, swallowing and augmentative communication. This day serves as an opportunity to recognize and appreciate the invaluable contributions of speech pathologists in helping students overcome communication barriers and reach their full potential.

Today, we celebrate Tracy Sinner, our key contributor for Substitute Supports. Tracy is a permanent substitute teacher at Keysor Elementary. She comes in with a positive attitude each day and is eager to help in any way she is needed for that day. Students and colleagues all love her and appreciate all that she does for Keysor. Tracy is very intuitive, and she often knows what is needed before she is even asked. Students love her, and she brings joy to any space she is in, with her dance parties, great laugh, and listening ears. She has a heart for children, a heart for service, and a heart of pure GOLD. According to the Keysor kids, she is better than Messi AND Taylor Swift! :) We are so fortunate to have Tracy at Keysor.