KIPPformation Summer2019

YEARS FOR YOUR

formation

SUMMER 2019

Work hard. Be nice.

KIPP Updates Self respect | Teamwork | Ask questions | Respect | Strength
• Proving the Possible
• Thank You Donors KIPP WONDER ACADEMY OPENING THIS AUGUST!

Spotlight After much deliberation by the Board of Directors and a nearly year-long search
• Cheers to Ten Years! for a building, KIPP Wonder Academy is set to open this August, with seats for
• Community Awards 120 Kindergarten scholars. The move is part of a promise kept—to open six
high-performing college preparatory schools to serve the students of St. Louis.
Elementary Schools
• Black History Month “When we opened our first KIPP School in St. Louis 10 years ago, we offered
• Donuts with Dad families in St. Louis an opportunity unlike any other in the city—a high quality
education that helps students on their climb to and through college. As we’ve
Middle Schools continued to open new schools, our enrollment numbers prove that families
• KIPP Inspire Basketball throughout the City of St. Louis care deeply about the quality of their children’s
• End of Year Trips education,” said KIPP St. Louis Executive Director Kelly Garrett. “We’re proud to
have the support of parents and the community to enable us to open our sixth
High School KIPP St. Louis school.”
• Community Service
• Making Music KIPP Wonder will be settling into its new home at 3740 Marine Avenue,
in the Marine Villa neighborhood, between the Soulard and Dutchtown
Alumni neighborhoods, during the 2019-20 academic year. The school will add a grade
• First College Grad each year through 4th grade. As with all KIPP St. Louis schools, KIPP Wonder
• Decision Day 2019 Academy offers a free education to students living in the City of St. Louis. With
• Career Conversations your support, we’re providing a KIPP education to even more students who live
in educationally underserved areas in the city.
KIPP Hooray!
• Class of 2019 Grads

Learn more

www.kippstl.org

updates

2018-19 WE ARE PROVING THE POSSIBLE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kyle Chapman,Chair Thanks to your help, our goal of six schools in St. Louis is about to become
BW Forsyth Partners a reality. When KIPP Inspire Academy opened in St. Louis in 2009, no
Kerry Casey one could have imagined how far we would come in 10 short years. Your
Exegy support has helped us continue to prove the possible, and to offer a
Don Danforth quality college-prep education to more students each year.
City Academy
June McAllister Fowler, Secretary You’ve supported the continued growth of KIPP St. Louis through our
BJC Healthcare successful Growth & Impact Campaign that made the opening of KIPP
Bill Jolly Victory, KIPP Wisdom and KIPP Triumph Academies a reality. The Proving
Bayer the Possible: Phase 2 Campaign has already made the relocation of KIPP
David Lemkemeier Triumph and the opening of KIPP St. Louis High School possible.
Lewis Rice LLC
Eric Scroggins In the coming year, the Phase 2 Campaign will continue so we can
The Opportunity Trust purchase and renovate our sixth school, KIPP Wonder Academy, and
Pat Sly,Treasurer expand KIPP Wisdom Academy in its new location. When the campaign is
Retired Executive, Emerson completed and all six KIPP St. Louis schools have grown to their full grade
Rick Stevens capacity, we will educate 3,300 students – fully 15% of the students in the
Christian Hospital City of St. Louis.
Rob Wasserman
U.S. Bancorp Community We hope to complete the Phase 2 Campaign in the coming year, and
Development Coopration devote our efforts to continuing to expand our capacity to attract world-
Kristy Wei class educators and improve our educational materials.
Express Scripts
We would like to thank the following supporters for their commitment to
2018-19 FUND FOR KIPP the Phase 2 Campaign:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Anonymous William T. Kemper Foundation—
Gabe Gore,Past Board Chair Marjorie Abernathy Commerce Bank, Trustee
Dowd Bennet LLP Bayer Nicole & David Lemkemeier
John Kemper, Past Board Chair BJC Healthcare Casey & Bob O’Brien
Commerce Bank Kerry & Michael Casey The Opportunity Trust
Carolyn Kindle Betz Centene Regional Business Council
Enterprise Holdings Foundation Carrie & Kyle Chapman Sherry & Scott Sleyster
Keith Williamson Charter School Planning Grant Peggy & Pat Sly
Centene Corporation The Crawford Taylor Foundation Malette & Rick Stevens
Susannah & Don Danforth Renee & Rob Wasserman
Emerson Charitable Trust Kristy & Tim Wei
Elizabeth & Kelly Garrett Lisa & Greg Wendt
Nicole & Gabe Gore Keith Williamson
Ann & Doug Grissom Jean & Lew Wolff
Ashley & John Kemper

To learn more, contact Ericka Zoll [email protected] | 314.629.6199

spotlight

“KIPP, KIPP HOORAY” CHEERS FOR 10 YEARS! SAVE THE DAY & JOIN US:
OCTOBER 19, 2019
Has it been 10 years already? It still seems like it was yesterday when
we opened KIPP Inspire with 72 fifth grade students, but so much PROVING the POSSIBLE
has happened. Those fifth graders are about to be juniors in college
and KIPP St. Louis has opened five more schools. When the 2019-20 YEARS
academic year begins in August, we will educate 2,500 KIPPsters in
Kindergarten through 11th grade.

So, it’s time for a celebration. We hope you will join us on
Saturday, October 19th at 10 AM to celebrate KIPP St. Louis at 10
years. The event will recognize our past and current Board of Directors
and Staff, as well as all previous Champions For Education honorees.
We’ll reflect on our first decade’s accomplishments and look to what
the future has in store. But mostly, we’ll thank you—our donors and
supporters—for believing in KIPP and helping prove what is possible.

Look for your invitation to our 10 Year Celebration in the mail
later this summer. To become an event sponsor, contact Ericka
Zoll-Phelan at [email protected] or 314.629.6199.

YEARS KIPP STL LOUIS CO-LEADERS GARNER Tanesia Simmons at the People’s Choice Awards
RECOGNITION IN THE COMMUNITY
Mary DiValerio and Nicole Niewald at the Teach
A big KIPP St. Louis congratulations to KIPP St. Louis High School for America St. Louis Awards event
co-leaders Tanesia Simmons and Nicole Niewald! Each was recently
recognized by different St. Louis organizations for the impact they’re
making in our community.

Tanesia Simmons was recognized by iHeart Media St. Louis as
The People’s Choice—Community Trailblazer for 2019. The award
is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions
that address critical social, economic or environmental needs in the
St. Louis community. Her award was presented at iHeart’s second
annual Black History Month Celebration Luncheon.

Nicole Niewald is this year’s winner of the Maxine Clark Principal
of the Year Award, presented annually by Teach For America
St. Louis. The award is given to an exceptional school leader who has
the opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of students
and teachers in their building. Nicole was nominated by fellow KIPP
educator Mary DiValerio, a 2017 Teach For America St. Louis corps
member, who presented Nicole with the award.

elementary

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

Our students’ success is due, in large part, to strong partnerships with
our families. This was particularly evident during Black History Month
in February. With the help of family members, KIPP Victory’s hallways
were transformed into mural installations commemorating people and
events that have shaped the Civil Rights Movement.

KIPP St. Louis students were encouraged to express At KIPP Wisdom Academy, scholars lived Black History Month every
the meaning that Black History Month has for them. day with lesser-known historical figures introduced and discussed at
daily Family Meeting (home-room). Scholars also got to be part of a
“Living Wax Museum” in which they dressed as an historical figure and
created a poster and presentation about that person. Students got to
audition and then perform in a Black History Month Talent Show, and
Black Pride Dress Down was a day when scholars either dressed as
their own personal favorite influential black person, or showed pride in
their African heritage through traditional clothing.

Throughout KIPP St. Louis schools, Black History Month was a chance
for everyone to express themselves and show their pride!

KIPP ST. LOUIS IS TEAM AND FAMILY

KIPP families are at the heart of our KIPP St. Louis community.
Throughout the school year, every KIPP St. Louis school holds multiple
events to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of our KIPPsters’
family members. Donuts with Dad, Mom Prom, Grandparents’
Breakfasts and Daddy-Daughter dances are a few of the ways KIPP says
“thank you” to our Team and Family!

Donuts with Dad was a big hit at KIPP Wisdom.

middle

KIPP INSPIRE ACADEMY PHOENIX BASKETBALL KIPP Inspire Academy Phoenix Basketball stars

In March, the KIPP Inspire Phoenix Boys Basketball team won their 3rd
championship in five years, and their second since joining the CNR
Basketball League. Membership in this league gives the Phoenix the
opportunity to compete against middle schools in the metro St. Louis
area including Clayton, Fort Zumwalt, Ladue, Francis Howell, Parkway,
Oakville, Sullivan, Chaminade and KIPP Triumph Academy.

The team consists of 6th, 7th and 8th graders and plays in a competitive
8th grade division. After being defeated in the first two games of the
season, the Phoenix won six straight games before taking a loss to
new middle school rival KIPP Triumph Academy. The Phoenix ended
the season with a record of twelve wins and three losses. Their coach,
Earl Dockett said, “I have coached the Phoenix for nine years and I’ve
concentrated on developing a program that sends student athletes to
KIPP St. Louis High School with the intention of having athletics be a
factor in their ability to earn college scholarships.”

END OF THE YEAR CLASS TRIPS

Each year, middle school students who have maintained their grades and class attendance throughout the year, are
rewarded with a class trip. KIPP Inspire and KIPP Triumph students went to Chicago, Kansas City, Atlanta, Memphis and
Camp Manitowa in Illinois.

high school

All KHS scholars learn to play an instrument KIPP ST. LOUIS HIGH SCHOOL IS MAKING MUSIC

Students volunteering with Mrs. Alejandro Thanks to generous donations from community members and a grant
from the ELMA Music Foundation through the KIPP Foundation, all
Market Day booth, “DRIPP”, selling scholars at KIPP St. Louis High School have the opportunity to play
their handmade draw string book bags an instrument. The students perform two school concerts a year, and
recently were part of the Annie Malone May Day Parade. You’ll also
be able to see them marching in the Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day
parades in the coming year.

TEACHER TRANSFORMS STUDENTS
THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE

One powerful way to help students build character is to make them
aware of social issues and help them contribute to solutions. Miriam
Alejandro, AP Social Studies teacher at KIPP St. Louis High School,
is a WE Schools Educator. She spends many hours, in addition to her
teaching schedule, leading student volunteers. They participate in
community service projects through the WE Schools program, which
helps young people understand how they can make a difference in their
local community and the world at large.

WE curriculum empowers teachers and students to learn about pressing
issues like hunger, poverty and access to education, and explore how
they can make positive impacts. On any given Saturday, Ms. Alejandro
and KHS scholars can be found volunteering in the community. This past
school year they completed more than 1,900 community service hours!

In April, more than 2,500 volunteers from 70 area school groups
attended the WE Day celebration at the Stifel Center. Among the
honorees was Ms. Alejandro, who was Missouri's first recipient of a
$500 WE Teachers award from WE and Walgreens. Congratulations to
Ms. Alejandro and the scholars who are building a better tomorrow!

SCHOLARS CREATE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES
FOR “KHS MARKET DAY”

KIPP St. Louis High Schools Young Entrepreneurs Group has had quite
a year. The group of highly-motivated students worked throughout
the school year developing their ideas, strategizing business plans,
perfecting products and marketing them. The year’s work culminated
in “Market Day” at which more than a dozen student-created
businesses invited families and the KIPP community to come and shop.

alumni

OUR FIRST COLLEGE GRADUATE

We are so incredibly excited and proud to celebrate our first student
who has earned her Associate’s Degrees.

Dasjanee graduated from Missouri State-West Plains, where she
earned an Associate’s Degree, and she will enroll at Missouri State
University—Springfield in the fall to pursue her 4-year degree.

DECISION DAY 2019 Dasjanee with her Associate’s Degree at
Missouri State University-West Plains graduation
KIPP Through College proudly celebrated final college decisions
throughout the month of May. Our scholars are attending many Jessica is heading to the University of Tulsa this fall
different colleges, including:

Alabama A&M University Northwest Missouri State University
Baker University Rhodes College
Belmont University Saint Louis Community College
Carthage College Saint Louis University
Drake University Southeast Missouri State University
Fontbonne University Southern Illinois University—
Franklin and Marshall College Edwardsville
Grambling University The Ohio State University
Greenville College University of Central Missouri
Harris-Stowe State University University of Illinois at Chicago
Jackson State University University of Missouri—Columbia
Maryville University of St. Louis University of Missouri—Kansas City
Missouri State University— University of Missouri—St. Louis
Springfield University of Tulsa
Missouri Western State University Webster University
Murray State University Westminster College

KIPP THROUGH COLLEGE CAREER CONVERSATIONS KIPP alumni, home from college for the summer,
dropped by KIPP St. Louis High School
For our final Career Conversations, we invited five college students
(most of whom were KIPP alumni) to talk with KHS students about
their respective college experiences. Our college students were
transparent about the best parts and most challenging aspects of
college, and had great advice for students considering that path.

The following universities were represented: Tennessee State
University, Washington University in St. Louis, Harris-Stowe State
University and Duke University.

hooray!

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2019

Congratulations to KIPP St. Louis’ 2019 graduating class! More than three-fourths of this class, who matriculated
from 8th grade at KIPP Inspire in 2015, will head to college this fall, with more than $1.5M in renewable financial aid!

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