For more than 150 years, the Webster Groves School District has been dedicated to providing students with a world-class education that prepares them for success in the 21st century. Our strategic plan is designed to ensure that we are always evolving and improving, and providing students with the education they need to thrive in the future. The strategic planning process is a collaborative effort that involves input from all stakeholders, including students, parents, staff and community members. With the belief that everyone has a valuable perspective to share, the district has taken the time to listen to and incorporate feedback from all stakeholders. Our roadmap outlines our goals and priorities for the future. It helps us focus our efforts and resources on the things that matter most, and to ensure that we are making progress toward our goals. It guides us in making decisions that will have a positive impact on our students and community for years to come. “Whether it’s through increasing collaboration and problem solving amongst staff, partnering with families, working with our community, or learning new continues on page 3 Guiding Students For Future Generations Learn More About Our Schools by scanning the QR code or visit us at webster.k12.mo.us Goal One: Excellent Teaching and Learning Learning Beyond The Classroom ................................... pg 2 WGSD At A Glance ........................................................... pg 3 Student Achievements and Successes ........................ pg 4-5 Statesmen Nation ........................................................... pg 6 Statesmen Alumni and WG Community ......................... pg 7 INSPIRING STUDENTS’ LIVES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH LEARNING OUR SCHOOLS WEBSTER GROVES SCHOOL DISTRICT GLEN D ALE ROCK HILL SHREWSBURY WARSON WOODS WEBSTER G ROVES O U R SCHO OL S SPRING 2023
“This is not a class with projects,” Thrive Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator Kara Siebe said. “The kids that are in our incubator are actually starting real businesses, they’re businesses that they own and operate and will be able to take with them when they graduate.” The Thrive entrepreneurship program, in its fifth year, continues to be an incubator for students to develop their own businesses. But it’s much more than that. “What they’re really learning is how to communicate with each other, how to find a problem, find a solution, and be able to make something to solve that problem,” Siebe said. “Here, we learn about business entities and LLCs, and as soon as we learn about it, we’re on the secretary of state’s website and we’re going through and filing for our LLC.” “I’m actually learning how to be in a business setting and work with other people really well,” senior Gavin Wilson said. Wilson’s business, Solemates, is a shoe cleaning and customization company. Wilson partners with other students in the venture. Students are also paired with a mentor that works with them for the entire year. More than 55 businesses have helped students succeed. “We have community support here in the district,” Siebe said. “I think that’s one of the big keys why we’re successful.” The program is expanding next year, embedding Thrive and experiential learning in third grade, and offering Thrive courses in middle school. Learning Beyond The Classroom Our district has partnered with Camp Wyman for 75 years. This partnership provides opportunities to use positive youth development programs to support student success. Pictured are sixth grade students from Hixson Middle School participating in activities at Camp Wyman. 75 Years of Building Leadership 2 WGSD OUR SCHOOLS DECA Students At State Members of the Webster Groves High School chapter of Missouri DECA joined 2,000 high school business, finance, hospitality and marketing students at the annual association career development conference held March 12-14 at Crown Center in Kansas City, MO. Left to Right (back row) Karson Bluette, Ella Knapp, Sloan Carfield, Mia Willis, Ava Lamitola, Julia Fowler (second row) Maddie Campbell, Olivia Hotze, Makenna Sauter, Katie Downey, Maren DeMargel (thrid row) Graham Stisse and Cole Sturgeon. Thrive students Camilah Jones and Kirah Jones
Goal Two: Pathways to Self-Discovery strategies to use in the classroom - all roads lead to increasing opportunities for all of our kids,” Assistant Superintendent for Learning Jason Adams said. Most importantly, the strategic plan is what learning looks like in the future. It is a forward-thinking document that helps us stay ahead of the curve and anticipate the needs of our students and community. It outlines the skills and knowledge that our students will need to be successful in the 21st century, and helps us develop programs and initiatives that will prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. “When I consider our district’s purpose and this plan, I tend to focus on the word “inspiring,” Adams said. “Inspiration can come in a variety of formats: getting an A in an AP course, persevering through a difficult situation and learning from it, and connecting with a teacher that you will never forget are all examples of what can “inspire” us. My hope with this plan is that we are able to create more “inspiring” moments for our students.” From page 1 Guiding Students For Future Generations WGSD OUR SCHOOLS 3 WGHS ranks in the top 5% out of 574 traditional public high schools in the state by US News and World Report 84% of teachers with a master’s degree (state average 63%) # Ranked #2 by 2 Niche in districts with best teachers in state Named one of the best schools districts in the state by Niche Eight students named National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Scholars S&P Global Rating, one of the highest ratings among school districts in the state AA+ BOND RATING 96.4% four year graduation rate compared to 89.7% in the state Hixson Middle School is named a Missouri Green School WGSD AT A GLANCE Average ACT score compared to state average 20.3% (90% of our graduates take the test vs the state average 63.9%) 23.1 Looking for a rewarding career in education? Join the Webster Groves School District and make a difference in the lives of students every day! Visit webster.k12.mo.us Number one athletic program in the Suburban Conference back-to-back years WGSD earned an APR Score of 92.3% from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which places the district in the top 4 in the area and the top 5% in the state TOP 4 Learn more about the WGSD Strategic Plan by visiting our website Goal Three: Personal Health and Wellness Goal Four: Organizational Sustainability and Growth
Statesmen Successes & Achievements 2 3 4 Webster Groves High School Echo publications staff received two awards last fall. The Echo Newspaper staff received a First Class Rating from the National Scholastic Press Association for its 2021- 2022 print version. Along with the rating, the publication received Marks of Distinction in the areas of Coverage & Content, Text and Visuals. The Echo publications also earned a First Place International Rating from Quill and Scroll for Comprehensive News Multimedia. (photo 1) WGHS senior Olivia Hager won third place for Missouri Interscholastic Journalism Associations November Photo of the Month Contest this past fall. The photograph of junior Mia Willis applying makeup and putting on her wig for the fall musical, “Grease” garnered praise from the judges for “thinking of a different angle by shooting through the subject’s body position in order to frame their reflection” which “adds nice depth to the image without losing any action or emotion.” (photo 2) Clara Bittle, WGHS senior, received a perfect score on her Advanced Placement (AP) 2-D Art and Design portfolio, submitted in May 2022. Clara said that her art teacher, Jocelyn Reiss, was a key source of inspiration for her portfolio. Both Clara and Ms. Reiss are pictured here. (photo 3: photo by Ursula Ruhl, Webster-Kirkwood Times) Three teachers were selected to play with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in a side-by-side concert on stage at Powell Hall in October. Heather Mosley (pictured left), music teacher at Avery Elementary was selected to play bassoon. Tom Schwartz (pictured center), music teacher at Clark Elementary was selected to play trombone. Nicole Kissick (pictured right), music teacher at Edgar Road Elementary, was selected to play flute. (photo 4) WGHS senior Eric Miranda, was named a candidate in the U.S. Presidential Scholar program by the United States Department of Education. The program was established in 1964 by the president
Statesmen Successes & Achievements 1 5 6 7 8 Clara Bittle, WGHS senior, received a perfect score on her Advanced Placement (AP) 2-D Art and Design portfolio, submitted in May 2022. Clara said that her art teacher, Jocelyn Reiss, was a key source of inspiration for her portfolio. Both Clara and Ms. Reiss are pictured here. (photo 3: photo by Ursula Ruhl, Webster-Kirkwood Times) Three teachers were selected to play with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in a side-by-side concert on stage at Powell Hall in October. Heather Mosley (pictured left), music teacher at Avery Elementary was selected to play bassoon. Tom Schwartz (pictured center), music teacher at Clark Elementary was selected to play trombone. Nicole Kissick (pictured right), music teacher at Edgar Road Elementary, was selected to play flute. (photo 4) WGHS senior Eric Miranda, was named a candidate in the U.S. Presidential Scholar program by the United States Department of Education. The program was established in 1964 by the president to recognize some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors for their accomplishments in many areas: academic success, leadership, and service to school and community. Of the nearly 3.6 million high school seniors graduating this year, Miranda is one of approximately 5,000 students to receive this honor. (photo 5) The Internship Academy has been named the 2023 Distinguished Program in Teacher Education by the Association of Teacher Educators. The program is built on a collaboration between our schools and Missouri State University to pair college students with classroom teachers. (photo 6) WGHS senior Michael Tetreault was selected for an exclusive paid internship with the National Geospatial Agency in St. Louis. His tasks at the NGA will be focused around computer science and cyber security skills. The Chelsea Center for Experiential Learning at WGHS learned about this student opportunity after attending a high school internship and career event at the NGA. Michael’s work in computer science classes as well as in Robotics club has prepared him well for this work. (photo 7) Hixson Health and Physical Education Teacher Jordan Lewis (pictured, right) was named the Dr. James Herauf Young Professional award by the Missouri Society of Health and Physical Educators. The award honors a young member who has demonstrated outstanding potential for scholarship, teaching, and/or professional leadership. (photo 8) Our athletic program named number one in the conference, see page six for more details.
Bennet Loving Class 1 Diving State Champion (2020) Class 1 Diving State Champion (2021) Class 1 Diving State Champion (2022) Eliza Maupin Class 6 High Jump State Champion (2021) 3INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPIONS SINCE 2020 11 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS SINCE 2020 14 SUBURBAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS SINCE 2020 Softball (2020) Boys Basketball (2022) Boys Golf (2022) Boys Soccer (2022) STATE CHAMPION TEAMS SINCE 2020 4 of Webster Groves High School students participate in one of our 28 MSHSAAA sponsored activities 50% of athletes earn Scholar Athlete designation, representing a 3.0 GPA or higher 89% The Commissioner’s Cup is awarded annually by the Suburban Conference based on excellence in MSHSAA sponsored championships. The Suburban Conference is made up of 31 public schools in St. Louis County. This is the second year in a row our district has received this award. COMMISSIONER’S CUP BACK-TO-BACK STATESMEN NATION (1)Boys Soccer (2)Boys Basketball (3)Bennet Loving (4)Eliza Maupin (5)Andrew Bacon (6)Naejuan Fisher (7)Kyle Turley (8)Boys Basketball (9)Boys Golf (10)Girls Volleyball (11)Boys Volleyball (12)Girls Softball 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 BEST IN THE AREA
WGSD OUR SCHOOLS 7 Building Our Future The WGHS Little Theatre, soon to be renamed Frick Theatre, broke ground last fall. The new addition will be a state of the art multi-use facility for artistic performances and events. These updates are made possible through a $2 million gift by Robert and Barbara Frick. New Frick Theatre Thanks to community support of Prop S last summer, we are addressing infrastructure, maintenance, accessibility and safety needs in the district. Over the next few years, schools will see improvements to windows, doors, HVAC units, security cameras and more. In addition, Knight Auditorium will undergo accessibility improvements and new lighting and audio systems. Other updates include: • Boilers in Clark Elementary, Edgar Road Elementary and Hudson Elementary schools are scheduled to be replaced this summer. • Interior doors are being surveyed and an installation timeline will be developed afterwards with the project continuing into the 2024-25 school year. • Rooftop units at Walter Ambrose Family Center and Givens are scheduled for installation in 2024. • Planning and design for safety and security upgrades including fire alarm and security systems are underway. • Upgrades to Kopplin Field, including new surfaces is in the design stage. A Big Thank You to Our Community A complete renovation to Moss Field is scheduled to be completed in 2024. This includes ADA compliant entries and restrooms, new parking lot, seating, eight-lane track, field and locker rooms. Stay up to date on all Prop S projects on our website as we continue the work thanks to our community! Moss Field Making Headway The WGHS Statesmen Sports Hall Of Fame Induction was held in October 2022, inducting the 2002 WGHS State Championship Football Team along with Cliff Ice (Head Football Coach 1999 – 2019) and the six following alumni; Billy Beard (2001), David Brader (1996), Adrian Clayborn (2006), Landen Fitzgerald (2004), Derrick Ming (2001) and Quintin Parker (1986). In addition, community members were awarded the Tyke Yates Good Guy Awards (Steve Faulkner and Nathan Young), Charles Roberts Coaches Awards (Mike Abegg and Scott Gillilan), and Froebel Gaines Family Award (Mr. Billy Beard and Family). Welcome to the Statesmen Hall of Fame While Prop S supports many of our efforts to completely renovate Moss Field, in order to build an athletic complex on par with other local districts, we need additional support. For the W is a privately-led campaign to enhance the WGSD Athletic Complex. With your help, we can bring home a W for our students and community, giving the new complex the wow factor needed to build upon our strong traditions and re-instill pride in our facilities. These upgrades may include a video scoreboard, viewing pavilions and more. Multiple opportunities are available to get involved. For more information about supporting education and For the W, visit wgsdfoundation.org. wgsd ATHLETIC COMPLEX CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
ENROLL TODAY! Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID St. Louis, MO #5240 Webster Groves School District 400 East Lockwood Ave. Webster Groves, MO 63119 webster.k12.mo.us WebsterGrovesSD WebsterGrovesSD (314) 961 - 1233 Give your child the chance to learn and grow with our experienced teachers and engaging curriculum in one of the premiere school districts in the state. Register for kindergarten and all other grade levels by visiting webster.k12.mo.us. O INSPIRING STUDENTS’ LIVES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH LEARNING UR SCHOOLS WEBSTER GROVES SCHOOL DISTRICT GLENDALE ROCK HILL SHREWSBURY WARSON WOODS WEBSTER GROVES O U R SCHO OL S