DATES TO KNOW (Click calendar image for details)



April 18: Board of Education monthly meeting

April 26: Professional Development day; no school

April 29: Teacher Comp day; no school

In this edition of What's Happening at MRH:

• Voters elect three new members to MRH Board
• Superintendent's community conversation TOMORROW
• In-depth: girls soccer off and running
• MRH is clean... AND green
• Re-enrollment for before/after care now open

Three New Members Coming to MRH School Board

Challengers prevailed in last Tuesday’s election for seats on the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District Board of Education. Trent Colbert, Jenny Schmidt and Brian Matz will be sworn into office at a special Board reorganization meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18. The Board will also nominate and select officers (president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.)

Brian Matz will fill an unexpired term running through April 2025. Mr. Matz has lived in the District for nine years and has been actively engaged in the education of his four children. Jenny Schmidt and Trent Colbert won full 3-year terms on the Board. Ms. Schmidt and her husband, Adam, residents of Maplewood for the last 19 years, have two daughters who have attended MRH since preschool. She has volunteered as a soccer coach for MRH Youth Sports for the last ten years and as a basketball coach for the last three years. From August 2017 through April 2022, she served on the Maplewood City Council. Dr. Colbert is a scientist, an educator, husband to Laura and a father of a MRH High School junior. He is settled in Maplewood, where he currently works at the BioGenerator, the investment arm of BioSTL.

The outgoing Board members are Rachel Goltzman, who was elected to the post in April of 2021, and Julie Francois, who was appointed in November to fill a vacant position. 

Strong Start for Girls' Soccer

It’s the beginning of the 2024 girls’ soccer season which runs through May. We’ve won our first three games of the season! But we’ll be taking a brief break from the typical schedule this week for the Hillsboro Tournament which includes high-caliber teams from bigger schools. There will be three away games with the possibility of a fourth on Friday if our team is within the possibility of winning overall.  

Something new this year: having four women coaching the soccer program (Bethany Nobbe, head varsity coach; Amber Jordan, JV coach; Catherine Krebs, JV assistant coach; and Emma Sabath, volunteer coach).  

Ms. Jordan, who has coached for more than two decades, said, “I’m excited to see the growth over the next four years. Having a lot of sophomores, and a lot of 7th and 8th graders coming up who play club, it will be exciting to see how the team progresses.” Ms. Nobbe, a former player herself, added, “This is my first year as the head coach, but my 5th year coaching at MRH. In terms of coaching strategies, during these early weeks, we concentrate on touches on the ball, conditioning, and passing.”

Asked her opinion on the legacy of MRH women’s soccer, she said, “We’ve had a decent number of championships (last year we were conference champs), but there’s only been a handful of district championships. This year our district has expanded to ten schools.”

“We’re kind of in a rebuilding year due to so many of last year’s seniors graduating; we’re just focused one game at a time,” stated team co-captain Katy Corcoran. She and co-captain Kayla Brooks got their start with the game in pre-school/kindergarten days as MRH youth soccer players. Kayla added, “This season, the team works very well together. Even though we haven’t had many games to prepare for the tournament, I think we’re going to do well.”

Coach Jordan remarked, “I think having the St. Louis City SC team has promoted the sport more. I know our girls had a watch party last week. In terms of sportsmanship, we haven’t had any drama.” When asked about leadership, our career defense player and sweeper, Kayla replied, “I like being able to help the other girls, especially letting the defense know where they should be.” 

We look forward to cheering on the whole team and supporting our Blue Devils through this transitional season.

MRH: Clean AND Green!

MRH has always been at the forefront of sustainability efforts, and now, a new agreement will further solidify that commitment to green practices and safety. This summer, the District will transition to a new floor wax that incorporates an antimicrobial element, enhancing safety for both students and staff.

Director of Operations Dr. Michael Dittrich recently accompanied a team of lead custodians -- Jennis Pyatt, Mark Benton and Ernest Jones -- on an expedition to Buckeye International, a supplier of cleaning products based in Maryland Heights. During the visit, Buckeye delved into innovative products aimed at reducing waste in cleaning practices, minimizing chemical usage and enhancing training procedures. 

“It's inspiring to witness firsthand the strides being made in sustainability within the cleaning industry,” said Dr. Dittrich. “We're incredibly grateful to Buckeye International for generously providing us with this invaluable learning opportunity. Our team even had the privilege of picking up some of our new products straight from the factory!”

Thank you, Buckeye International, for empowering our Operations leaders with knowledge and tools to make a difference. 

Before/After Care Re-Enrollment Now Under Way

The MRH School District recognizes the need to support families with options for childcare beyond the regular school day. Our District understands the challenges that families face in balancing their professional responsibilities with their children's educational and recreational needs. Our programs are designed to support families outside the regular school day when students can participate in a safe, nurturing environment. 



Preschool and Kindergarten utilize the Discover Club program; 1st-6th grades utilize the Y-Club program which is operated by the Mid-County YMCA.

Re-enrollment is now open for all currently enrolled Discover Club and Y-club families

On May 1, open enrollment for all NEW families needing before and after care will begin.

No-Cost Summer School: Tap the Image to Register Now

Happening this summer at Maplewood United Methodist Church:

Golfing for Scholarships! Register a Team Today!

Spring is here, and you might have golf on your mind. Why not play a round and raise money for scholarships for MRH students at the same time? The Kiwanis Club of Maplewood holds an annual tournament - the Jeff Johnson Open - and uses all proceeds to assist MRH seniors with college expenses. Click on the photo to access the registration form for the tournament on June 10.

The Week in Photos From Around MRH

New Videos Weekly By

HS Mobile Journalism Students

Stay current on ongoing construction and facility improvements made possible under proceeds from Proposition E.

Click the hard hat for the latest reports and videos.

Stay connected with our local libraries, which offer ongoing enrichment programs for children and adults.

Just click the images to find schedules of upcoming events.

BLUE DEVIL SPOTLIGHT is looking for amazing stories of kindness, achievement, generosity and courage among students, family members, school employees and community members.

REACH OUT TO THE MRH COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT with your suggestions.

MRH District Central Office (314) 644-4400