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Youth and Government Team Takes State Capitol by Storm
MRH Youth and Government members participated in YAG '22 in Jefferson City with its largest delegation to date. Several bills from various sponsors passed individually in the House/Senate... including one bill by first-ever Student Success Center legislator Brett Bowen, which passed the House after an intense debate.
One Bill from MRH was signed into law by the Governor, after passing both houses, and was sponsored by Jordynn Phipps and Amelia Swier.
MRH Awards included "Outstanding Statesperson" Award to Vera Pantazis, a first for a freshman legislator, and "Outstanding Judge" Award to Patrick Meyers, well deserved since he joined the ranks on a 'last minute' notice since they were short judges this year.
Drum roll please:
YAG's next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will be MRH's own Katy Corcoran!
Well done to all! (MANY more photos at this link.)
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Student Develops Board Game, Roll Model
December is Human Rights Month. When considering student projects, we caught up with Behren Truemper to discuss his Senior Project surrounding wheelchair accessibility and the accompanying "Life"-style boardgame, Roll Model, he produced. Hoping to deepen understanding of what a mobility-challenged person has to deal with daily navigating a variety of settings, Behren made a board with a mockup of
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development stages and typical life events. Through dice and a series of original cards, players try to move the pieces while hoping to have positive experiences and maintain low-stress levels.
“A Government Accountability Office report published in July 2020 found that in 63% of public school districts, at least a quarter of facilities isn't physically accessible to those with disabilities,” (Diament).
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Behren sent a survey out at the school to test a theory that people he interacted with more would be more aware or sympathetic to the accessibility issues of the school facility (as opposed to grades where they did not have classes together). Issues include bathroom availability, doorway specs, elevator reliability, classroom furniture placement, weight and ease of door activation. Broader community issues include business accessibility for both entry and store displays. Even one entry step can make an estimated 25% of local businesses inaccessible to people with mobility issues. | |
Economically bias and hurdles abound for the physically disabled on top of a world of physical barriers. Discrimination in the job market is common since the Americans with Disabilities Act may prompt hirers to avoid making reasonable accommodations for applicants with mobility issues by simply choosing not to offer them employment. Even the terms of ADA only needing to make accommodations “as long as it does not cause undue hardship” has a built-in significant vagueness inhibiting any practical policy for improvement. Even programs meant to help individuals can seem deeply flawed in execution. Getting vocational rehab to pay for college is not straightforward or fair. Qualifying involves severe limitations on personal savings and even stipulations on money usage for essentials such as those that might include transportation support like car hand controls. | |
“You cannot have a job after June of your senior year because otherwise, the government would claim that you can survive on that job for the rest of your life even if that job is just working at a fast-food place making minimum wage,” explained Behren. | |
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Moving forward, recognizing disability as a culture can be empowering as it can foster problem-solving and support for a diverse group who are commonly underserved in the broader community. This can help people with mobility be seen, heard, and have an emotional substrate essential for relationships and self-esteem. | | |
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Student's Whistles to the Rescue
On Tuesday Middle School Principal Michael Dittrich and Dr. Curtis Graham joined 7th grade, Technology Literacy
Multi-Media student Zazie Kaplan at the Maplewood Fire Department to present customized 3D printed rescue whistles she designed for our water search and rescue teams. 21 whistles, enough for the entire department, were presented to Chief Peter Marsac and Assistant Chief Matt Wilcox.
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“This was actually the first time I designed and 3D printed something on my own. I used a platform called Tinkercad,” said Zazie about the 7 rounds of trials that would eventually prove successful at honing the PLA filament across two printers.
“This past summer is a great but tragic example of how urban flooding can impact small communities like Maplewood,” remarked Chief Marsac.
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Last July and August flash flooding occurred due to heavy rains that flooded the River Des Peres, Black Creek, Deer Creek, smaller tributaries, and overwhelmed sewer drains. During these events, expected to become more frequent, streets often flood which can leave drivers stranded. In this scenario, boats are necessary to help victims to safety. Previously, Maplewood would need to rely on area departments to respond with a boat. But this summer there weren’t enough. In one example, two geared but boatless technicians entered rising water near Laclede Station Road and Rannells Avenue to rescue a trapped motorist in a floating car wedged against a tree. | | |
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This dangerous situation ended in a successful rescue, but now the department happily has its own boat to help address events in the future. Unlike handheld radios, whistles allow for accessible communication in the water. The department currently has 7 certified Swift Rescue Technicians assigned across 3 crews. The Assistant Chief is one of these technicians and is in charge of Special Operations which includes water rescues.
Scroll down to the Blue Devils Video section of this newsletter for more!
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The Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) and Missouri PTA, with support from The Leadership Academy, want to learn about Missouri parents’ attitudes on teaching through an online survey. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Dari, Swahili, and Vietnamese from the drop-down menu.
MSBA and Missouri PTA hope to use the information gathered from this survey to help elevate the teaching profession with resources districts can use to supplement local recruitment and retention efforts.
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P-EBT Benefits for the 2021-22 School Year and Summer 2022 Now Available
The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program is now available for the 2021-22 school year and summer 2022. The eligibility criteria is different than previously administered P-EBT benefits, so families should read the new program information thoroughly.
Student eligibility for 2021-22 P-EBT benefits is based on students’ free or reduced-price meal eligibility and COVID-related absences, virtual attendance, and school closures. Families must have had an approved National School Lunch Program (NSLP) household application, be eligible through direct certification, or have attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 school during the 2021-22 school year.
P-EBT is a food assistance benefit for students who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals under the NSLP. Throughout the 2021-22 school year, COVID-19 continued to cause schools to operate with reduced attendance. The number of consecutive school days missed due to a COVID-related absence will be linked to a predetermined benefit level.
Full details on how to apply can be found on our website.
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Filing Period Opens December 6 for MRH and SSD Board Candidates
Three 3-year positions are up for grabs on the MRH Board of Education in the general municipal election on April 4, 2023. Candidate filing opens tomorrow, December 6, 2022. Filing closes on December 27, 2022.
Under an agreement approved November 17 by the MRH Board of Education, candidate filing for the district will be conducted by the St. Louis County Board of Elections. Qualified applicants for the board may file a declaration of candidacy during business hours at the St. Louis County Board of Elections located at 725 Northwest Plaza Drive, St. Ann, MO.
Candidates may file between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday from December 6 through December 27, 2022. (On the last day of candidate filing only, candidate filing ends at 5:00 p.m.) First day filers will select a number by random drawing to determine placement on the ballot. After the first day, candidates will be placed on the ballot in the order of their filing.
Board of Election offices will be closed on December 8, 23 and 26, 2022. The office may be closed due to inclement weather. The public must adhere to St. Louis County building entry requirements.
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Special School District also will open candidate filing for a Board of Education seat representing MRH on Dec. 6, 2022. The open seat is for a three-year term beginning in March 2023. SSD Board members are elected by SSD’s Governing Council. The Governing Council is composed of one Board of Education member from each of the 22 partner school districts in St. Louis County.
Interested parties can learn more about the filing process, important deadlines, and responsibilities on SSD’s website.
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Coming Next Year: New MRH Learning Management System
The existing MRH learning management system (LMS), ItsLearning, will end its North American support next summer. As customers of that service, MRH we have until the end of June 2023 to transfer learning materials to a new location. The MRH Teaching and Learning Council formed a subcommittee, participated in demonstrations, completed an evaluation, and presented a proposal to adopt Canvas as the District’s new LMS. for the 2023 - 2024 academic year. The Board of Education approved this selection at its November 17 meeting.
“We’re so excited to begin this partnership with Canvas,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Dr. Chris McGee. “With any change, there will be bumps in the road, but in the end, we will have a new tool that will inevitably impact what school could look like for our students and provide so many new avenues for learning for both students and staff.”
The current goal is to provide staff access to Canvas by February 1. This overlap of systems was requested as a part of initial surveys and will provide an opportunity to migrate resources between platforms.
MRH will NOT be launching or using Canvas as its LMS until the 2023/2024 academic year.
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Exciting news from MRH High School theater director Holly Potthoff:
"Did you hear the news? The thespians’ fall play, Girls Like That, has been selected to perform at the MO Thespian Conference in Kansas City in January! They will be performing in front of 2,200+ audience members. This is equivalent to a sports team winning a state title… in other words, this is a BIG deal! Please help me in spreading the word and showing the thespians how proud of them we are! Go troupe 3189!"
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News From the Mat:
The MRH Wrestling Squad -- consisting of five grapplers -- still managed a 6th place finish at the John Burroughs Tournament. Impressive!
Individual Placers:
Andrew Montalbano (106) - 3rd Place
Daishaun Wilbourn (120) - 1st Place
Ethan Floyd (150) - 1st Place
Nathan Springer (285) - 2nd Place
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MRH Athletic Event Tickets Are Now Online!
MRH Athletics is moving to a fully online, cashless system for purchasing tickets to all games and competitions.
Simply go to the Athletics page of our website and select your event.
Adult = $3.00
Students = $1.00
Season Pass = $30.00
6 and under = free
Season pass tickets will be accessible beginning November 21; all other events are updated daily.
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Winter Sport Events Ticketing!!! | |
The Maplewood Richmond Heights School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, sexual orientation and/or perceived sexual orientation, or genetic information in its programs and activities. View Notice of Non-Discrimination or Board Policy AC.
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