Whiz Kids

Middle Schooler Coordinates Snack Attack For Needy Kids

Aerin Leigh Lammers of Creve Coeur says she comes from "a big help-change-the-world type of a family."

Last February, Parkway Northeast Middle School student Aerin Leigh Lammers, did something she's done since she was 3 or 4 years old. Inspired by a television program about a young person who asked for donations to a zoo instead of birthday presents, Lammers has followed the same course of action since her toddler days. Now 11, Lammers asks for help for local food pantries instead of Hanukkah and birthday presents. A new trend Last year, Lammers said she noticed something that disturbed her as she made the February delivery: how empty pantries can get after food drives focused around Christmas and Hanukkah have run their course. She turned her observation into action with what became her school's first Snack Attack. Lammers' goal was to …

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Tracy Speller

9:52 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

You are such an amazing person, Aerin Leigh! I am proud to know you!!!!!   more ›

Whiz Kids

Whiz Kid: 15-Year-Old Provides A Congregation's Wake-Up Call

Parkway North sophomore Ben Packman has been playing the Shofar since he was 10.

For a teenager, being responsible for your own alarm clock can be a tough enough challenge. But how would you handle the task if you were responsible for an entire congregation? If you have questions, you should ask Parkway North High School sophomore Ben Packman. Now at the ripe old age of 15, Packman has been blowing the shofar at Temple Israel for five years. "The shofar is an instrument that comes from the Torah," Temple Israel Rabbi Amy Feder said. "During Rosh Hashana, it serves as a wake-up call to change your life for the better. It's literally supposed to be an alarm." Ben's father, Michael Packman, had the idea that Ben could do this from an early age. "When he was little, he and his older brother challenged each other to see who…

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Whiz Kids

Eighth-Grader Turns An Observation Into A Chance To Help

Sydney Lefton saw a need and decided to do something about it.

MICDS eighth-grader Sydney Lefton turned a school field trip to North Side Community School into a charitable project. “When I first saw the school my impression was I was lucky because they didn’t have any books. It’s really small there; they don’t have a lot of supplies in their classrooms,” Sydney said. So she decided to start a book drive to help the students. This collection drive for books for kindergarteners through second-graders became Sydney’s project for her bat mitzvah. “I made flyers and told my friends about it. And I invited everyone who I invited to my bat mitzvah; I sent a list of books.” She then picked a day and asked everyone to drop off the books at her home. Apparently Sydney’s efforts worked because she collected …

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Whiz Kids

What Makes A Creve Coeur Whiz Kid? We're Glad You Asked

As we go back to school this week, here's a roundup of students who earned the nod over the summer.

Since this is Creve Coeur Patch's first week of back to school coverage, we thought it might be a good time to explain how you can spotlight a great student making a difference in your classroom, in your school or in our community. Each Wednesday, we nominate the week's Whiz Kid. And those are just some of the young people we profiled over the summer. This is open to students of all ages K-12. Study up on some of the examples we've given you, and send your nominees our way (email Gregg.Palermo@patch.com). They could be next week's Whiz Kid!

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The Week Ahead In Creve Coeur: The Dog Days Of Summer

A look at what lies ahead for the Creve Coeur Patch, including new features.

It is still hot.  You know it. I know it. Our pets know it, and the National Weather Services knows it too. The Excessive Heat Warning which was supposed to expire over the weekend has now been extended until 7 p.m. Thursday. But the work goes on, and there's still news and information to share. As has traditionally been the case, Creve Coeur City Council will not meet for the second scheduled meeting in July. The Ladue School Board will be in session Monday night, however, so check back Tuesday for details. Monday, we'll have the latest installment of the Creve Coeur Police blotter among other items. Find out what happened to a bucket full of hundreds of dollars in change. Wednesday, we'll debut a new feature that will help you find the …

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Whiz Kids

Whiz Kid: Boy Scout Supplies Boost For Creve Coeur Non-Profit

Andrew Clark's Eagle Scout project brought in more than $6,000 worth of supplies for HavenHouse.

Whiz Kid: Andrew Clark Age:17 School: St. Louis University High School On Monday, Clark, who will be a senior at SLUH in the fall, completed the community service project portion of his work to become an Eagle Scout, and he helped a Creve Coeur charity in the process. Earlier this month, Clark sent letters to more than 1,500 people in the area asking if they would donate new cleaning supplies to HavenHouse, which provides a home away from home for families from out of town who are seeking medical care at local hospitals. Families also receive a variety of support services on site. Clark is part of Troop 805, which meets at Green Trails Elementary School in Chesterfield. His plea for handsoaps and paper towels was heard and on Monday he …

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Whiz Kids

Whiz Kid: Kelly Marra Learns TLC At Creve Coeur Hospital

MICDS senior Kelly Marra likes working with children and is thinking of a nursing career. The TLC program at St. John's Mercy is gives her a good look into the medical field.

Each week, Creve Coeur Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week to highlight. This Week's Whiz Kid: Kelly Marra Age: 17 School: MICDS Key To Awesomeness: Kelly Marra has discovered she loves volunteering around St. Louis because it widens her horizons. She thinks she might like to go into nursing, and is currently in a program at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur. There, with other teens, she volunteers and learns about medical occupations. Marra, an MICDS senior, has volunteered with operation Food Search and Beyond Housing. She said she really …

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Big Week Ahead For You At Creve Coeur Patch

Election coverage just part of what's in store, along with spring sports and a surprise.

This week marks another milestone for Creve Coeur Patch. Thursday marks our four-month anniversary serving this community. We continue to be appreciative of our reception in the city since we began providing daily coverage of the people, places and things which make Creve Coeur the interesting community it is. If this is one of your first times visiting us, then welcome! We've compiled a handy how-t0 guide when it comes to taking advantage of all the features Patch has to offer. Now, here's a look at what you can expect from us coverage-wise this week: Monday we have a recap of a record-breaking fundraiser from over the weekend at Chaminade. We'll also be at Monday's Creve Coeur Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. Tuesday is election …

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High School Students Accepted Early to Dream Colleges

Two local seniors received acceptances last month.

At this time of year, all college applications have been turned in, and high school students around the country are nervously playing the waiting game. Some students choose not to wait until April 1st to learn their fate, though, by opting to apply early decision or early action to their dream school. Creve Coeur Patch spoke with two local students who took this route and are now celebrating acceptances to elite liberal arts colleges. Kirsten Gindler, a Pattonville High School senior, was accepted early action to the University of Chicago. The school’s strong core program and its high ranking in public policy studies, Gindler’s intended major, made the university her top choice. Becky Canfield, a senior at Westminster Christian Academy, …

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