Monday, February 11, 2013
Dr. Greg Densberger will step down in May from his post at the Creve Coeur private school.
Another school tied to Creve Coeur will see a new principal come fall. Monday morning, De Smet Jesuit announced that Dr. Greg Densberger, who has served in that capacity for 31 years, will leave the post effective May 31. Dr. Densberger told Patch by phone Monday afternoon that he made the decision with his wife in the fall and had been in discussions with De Smet Jesuit President Fr. Wally Sidney, S.J. since then. "I've never really looked at this as a job," Dr. Densberger said. "I just love being here." Still, after being in the job since he was 31 years old, he said it had reached the point where it was "time" for someone else to have the job. The school released a statement from De Smet Jesuit President Fr. Wally Sidney, S.J.: Over the…
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Parkway School Board is considering delaying the review of the district's Early Retirement Incentive Plan while it waits for the Missouri State Legislature to make a decision on pensions.
The Parkway School Board is considering a delay in reviewing the district's early retirement incentive policy. The Parkway School District's current policy allows early retirment for teachers with between 25 and 31 years of credited service in the Missouri Public School Retirment System and at least 10 years with the Parkway School District. The program, in its current from, is set to expire in 2014 and is scheduled for review this year. However, according to district's CFO Mark Stockwell, the board is now considering delaying the review of the district's early retirment policy as it waits to see what the Missouri Legislature decides about a clause in the state's teachers' retirement plan. "There's a section in the (state's) retirement …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Under the best scenario, the Creve Coeur school could open a middle school as early as the fall of 2014.
De Smet Jesuit has catered to high school students since it was founded in 1967. Now school leaders are investigating the possibility of expanding to the middle school level. School President Father Wally Sidney, S.J. said this is the third time De Smet Jesuit has considered the addition. Previous interest was rebuffed by the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The latest examination comes as the Archbishop Robert Carlson has pushed the Alive In Christ initiative, which has sought to improve the academic excellence in catholic schools in the area while also promoting the faith. Fr. Sidney told Patch Monday that there's still an interest in expanding Jesuit education to earlier levels and that research has supported the idea that children do better …
Friday, January 11, 2013
School board is using the expertise of a national search firm to help find the district's next superintendent of schools. We talked to Dr. James C. Christman, the firm's representative.
The Ladue School District has engaged the services of a national search firm to help find its next Superintendent. The firm of McPherson & Jacobson, Omaha, NE is busy gathering data from focus groups of students, parents, administrators, teachers and stakeholders. All of this data will help the Ladue School Board make an informed decision when the end of February rolls around. One of the first duties of the new superintendent will be hiring a new principal at Horton Watkins High School, replacing Bridget Hermann, who announced her resignation effective at the end of the school year. Patch caught up with James C. “Chris” Christman, a department chair from Pittsburgh State University (Kansas), representing the search firm with this project. …
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The school district is looking for a superintendent after the retirement and early leave granted to Dr. Marsha Chappelow.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Requiring ID badges to be worn and added police procedures are now the norm at Pattonville High School.
For Pattonville High School Principal Joe Dobrinic, so far so good when it comes to new security procedures in place as of the second semester. As Patch previously reported, high school students are now required to wear the ID badges they already have, as a way for staff to identify who should be in the building. Last month, the district announced the requirement after a former student was arrested while roaming the halls. The incident happened prior to the December Newtown, CT shooting which drew nationwide attention to the issue of school security. In addition to the badges, there are increased police procedures on campus. A Maryland Heights Police officer outside the building will verbally question a visitor's reason for being on campus…
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Students who use tobacco on school grounds or at school activities are subject to discipline.
Students, teachers and other employees of the Pattonville School District have not been allowed to smoke or use tobacco products in all schools and property since 1989, but on Tuesday, the district re-affirmed that policy to support larger anti-smoking efforts. Under the policy, students that use or have tobacco products on school grounds or at school activities will be disciplined in some degree. It also extends to all facilities the district owns, contracts for or leases to provide educational sourvices, routine health care or early childhood development services to children. "The new policy that is up for adoption is a more over-arching policy that was recommended by the Center for Public Health Systems Science at Washington …
Monday, November 12, 2012
Numerous observations are planned around the area as schools pay tribute to those who have served their country.
Students at Creve Coeur's Bellerive Elementary School got an early start on plans to honor those who have served the U.S. Armed Forces with a ceremony Friday morning. With walls in the hallway covered with posters decorated by students, visitors made their way to the gymnasium, where everyone was treated to patriotic music performed by The Clarion Brass Quintet and Bellerive's student chorus. Color Guard duties were handled by the Women's American Legion Post 404. View Photos From Bellerive's event on our Facebook Page The audience had a chance to recognize veterans who served in conflicts from World War II to Iraq and were in attendance. They happened to be fathers and grandparents of Bellerive students and they rose to tell the crowd …
Thursday, September 13, 2012
An initial draft of a funding plan for Ladue's $107 million "master plan" would raise the debt service tax by 30 cents per $100 in assessed value by 2015.
Members of the Ladue School Board took their first steps toward implementing a massive building campaign within the district during a workshop session this week designed to consider possible ways to pay for the $107 million in improvements. Like Creve Coeur Patch on Facebook District officials cautioned that none of the financial ideas were set in stone and that they had work to do to communicate with parents and taxpayers about the district's need for new buildings, renovations and "seismic upgrades" to protect against earthquakes. This first pass, presented by Jason Buckner, assistant superintendent for business and finance for the district, would involve two increases in the tax rate that supports paying the district's debt. Now, …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The district is using a new model for staff development instead of early release days for students.
Bus schedules and classes at all Parkway schools will be delayed by two hours Wednesday, as the administration tries a new approach to staff development. In previous years, teacher time spent studying best practices, examining data and other collaborative efforts would be done on days when class wasn't in session. New in 2012, Parkway has adopted what it calls "Professional Learning Communities". In an online Q&A about the program, the district argues that the delayed start is better than an early release approach because it: Students will still get out of class at the end of their regularly scheduled days. The other late start days for the rest of the year are:
Scott Simon
11:29 am on Monday, February 11, 2013
Thank you Dr. Densberger for your service to DeSmet. There have been fewer than 5 principles in the 46-year history of DeSmet which attests to it's stability. more ›