Students, staff recognized at the Nov. 11 board meeting

Each month during the school year, the Pattonville Board of Education honors students, staff and volunteers who have gained recognition outside of the district or who’ve made a special contribution to Pattonville. Learn more about students and staff who were recognized this month.

Willow Brook Elementary School

St. Louis Art Museum Teacher Advisory Group

Art teacher Dawn Lynn was selected to serve on the St. Louis Art Museum's Teacher Advisory Group. Twelve educators across the region were named following a highly competitive selection process after submitting application materials and participating in an interview. The advisory cohort supports classroom learning by advising on meaningful museum resources and programs, contributing written and verbal reviews of resource materials, providing feedback on museum programs, resources and initiatives and acting as liaisons between the museum and school communities.

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Academy of Innovation at Remington

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Teacher of the Month

Academy of Innovation at Remington special education teacher Katelyn Dohle was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Teacher of the Month for October. As a recipient of this award, Dohle was awarded a Target gift card and was featured in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and on STLtoday.com on Sunday, Oct. 26. Dohle was presented with the award at Remington on Oct. 13. A teacher is recognized by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch each month based on nominations submitted by the community.

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Pattonville Heights Middle School

COCA Theater Production

Seventh grader Tré Carter performed in the production of “Seussical Jr.” presented by the Center of Creative Arts (COCA), the fourth largest multidisciplinary community arts center in the country. Carter was cast as the character Judge Yertle the Turtle. He has also participated in various theater productions with his church’s youth group, Variety’s Curtain Call group and most recently was part of a youth ensemble in COCA’s performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.”

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Pattonville High School

BESt Healthcare Institute 2025 Summer Program

Senior Tracy Machuki was selected to participate in the BESt Healthcare Institute 2025 Summer Program. The four-week program is focused on STEM-based curriculum. Its goal is to spark students’ interest in STEM-related careers and to create a pipeline of diverse healthcare providers for the St. Louis region. To be eligible for the program, students must be in ninth through eleventh grade, enrolled full time in a regional high school, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and participate in at least one extracurricular activity. To be considered for the program, students must apply, which includes providing a transcript, a written essay, and participate in an interview.

 

St. Louis County Student Leader of the Year

Senior Parker Hasenkamp was named the St. Louis County Student Leader of the Year for Pattonville High School. The Outstanding Student Leadership Program provides training and recognition to students in St. Louis County, assisting them with development of the skills they need to be effective leaders and citizens. One senior from each county high school is nominated annually by his or her principal for participation. Students also attended a leadership conference, where Hasenkamp spent the day with other nominees at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by a recognition ceremony. During the conference, students discussed real-world challenges, including affordable housing, mental health and food insecurity, to help shape the future of St. Louis County.

 

National Merit Scholarship

Two seniors were recognized as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition for high school students to earn recognition and college scholarships. To enter, students must meet participation requirements, which includes scoring in the top 1% of the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Students recognized as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists were Eli Dukes and Nicholas Shao.

 

Missouri Boys and Girls State program

Five seniors were accepted to attend the American Legion Missouri State program. During the program, students across the state gather to develop a knowledge of government at the city, county and state levels and the role and impact of politics; gain an understanding of the privileges and responsibilities as citizens; enhance their leadership skills; and realize their own potential. Accepted to attend Boys State were Daniel Clifford, Drew Killian and Shota Kikuchi. Additionally, Killian was  recognized with two of the highest honors at the program: he was selected to receive a full tuition scholarship to Lindenwood University and the Citizen of the Week award and scholarship. Accepted to attend Girls State were Olivia Brown and Myla Hunter.

 

 

UMSL World Languages Day

Students in college credit modern language went on a field trip to the University of Missouri-St. Louis World Languages Day where they participated in various activities on the campus to learn about languages. In the weeks leading up to the event, students participated in poster and video competitions and earned placement honors for their submissions in these contests. The theme of this year’s contest was Languages: Our Superpower. The following French students earned recognition for their submissions. Dannia Flores and Zachary Lemp placed first in the poster contest. Paiten Buehrle, Josie Dunnegan, Samantha Mokwa and Gabriella Serra earned first place in the video contest. Carina Tshitenge placed second in the poster contest. They were taught by Margaret Hall. The following Spanish students earned recognition for their submissions. Valentina Alatorre Quintero, Clay Eisenbraun, Brendan Harris, Jeremiah Lopez Monteverde and Aaron Massay earned first place and was named fan favorites in the video contest. Parker Bergfeld and Jaydn Harvick placed second in the poster contest. These Spanish students were taught by Valerie Green.

 

Fulbright Teacher Grant

Pattonville High School English Learner (EL) teacher Sarah Holtmeyer-Hollstrom was selected to receive a Fulbright Teacher Exchange award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Hollstrom is one of nearly 400 teachers and administrators selected as a participant of this program. She will complete an online graduate-level course focused on global education this semester, attend a Global Education Symposium in Washington, D.C. in February and take part in a two- to three-week international field experience coordinated by the U.S. State Department.

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Transportation

School Bus Safety Competition

A group of Pattonville School District bus drivers participated in the School Bus Driver Safety Competition hosted by the Missouri Association for Pupil Transportation on June 19 and 20. This event includes a written test, vehicle inspection and a driving skills obstacle course. Greg Zemblidge's score earned him third place. The following bus drivers also competed: Jennifer Barnes, Jim Dickerson, Mark Johnston, Nick Vitale and Nicole Webb.