1 CC Winter 2013

n November 1, for the first time in Confluence Preparatory Academy’s short history, the school

recognized 20 students as members of the National Honor Society.The ceremony was held in the cafeteria. The room was filled with proud families, students and teachers. The event opened with remarks from CPA staff, the reading of Rudyard Kipling’s If, a motivational speech and recitation of the NHS pledge. Honorees received a NHS pin and a certificate; their parents received a yellow rose.“These students have shown exemplary leadership within the school,” said Trisha Iaiennaro, Spanish teacher and NHS co-sponsor. Jamie Smith, lead math teacher, also co-sponsors NHS.

“The students will be required to uphold two service projects within the school year. One project involves reading to students at Confluence Academy-Walnut Park. The other project will be a service event of their choosing. They will also lead the teacher recognition activities, as well as a student recognition week,” said Iaiennaro.The 2013 CPA National Honor Society inductees included: Toshanna Armstrong, Kamau Barry, Adrian Bell, Ashley Harris, Oksana Hill-Needem, Tyjuane Horton, Jamari Jackson, Taylor Lambert, Daniel Ledbetter, Jermell Massey, Isis McCully, ShiAnn Minor, Marcus Mischeaux, Erika Morris, Michelle Reynolds, Jasmine Spates, Caneka Stewart, Brianna Thomas, Maurrisa

Thomas and Amber Tyler.CPA requires NHS members to be a junior or a senior with a 3.0 GPA or higher. To maintain membership, students attend two monthly NHS meetings, as well as develop, plan and carry out two community

service activities in which each student must contribute at least 25 community service hours. Students must maintain their GPA throughout the school year.

NHS was established in 1921. The National Junior Honor Society was established in 1929.They are the nation’s premier organizations established to recognize outstanding high school and middle school students. More than one million students participate in NHS and NJHS activities in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several U.S. Territories and Canada.

20 Honor Society students inducted school’s first to gain national recognition

National Honor

Society honorees at Confluence Prep event

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Confluence community having a stellar semesterhard work pays off in student achievementAs we get ready for the holiday season, I want to say thank you for being part of the Confluence Charter School family. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to tell you how much we appreciate your support for our students, our teachers and staff. It is very important to us that we work together for the success and well-being of all our students.

We have had a very exciting start to 2013-2014. To highlight just a few of the good things that have happened since August, we are proud of:

• The increase in parent support at our schools. We are glad to see our parents involved by attending orientations, PTO meetings, school events and parent-teacher conferences.

• The awards ceremonies for students who earned Proficient/Advanced on the 2013 Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and End-of-Course (EOC) exams. Many students earned gift cards, Beats by Dre™ headphones, iPads™ and motorized scooters. We are sure we’ll have lots more prizes to award in 2014!

• The academic growth of our students. Students at Old North, South City, Walnut Park and CPA take STAR assessments and students at GCAA take NWEA assessments. The assessments give us a good idea of how well students are making progress in math and reading. We anticipate steady increases in their assessment scores. Keep up the good work!

• The hard work and dedication of our teachers and staff. Every day, our teachers, tutors and support staff work hard to fulfill the mission and vision of Confluence to provide the highest quality public education for our students to prepare them for success in college, career and life.

Parents, during the winter break, please make sure your child reads every day. Students in grades K-8 should read for 20 minutes a day; students in grades 9-12 should read for 30 minutes a day. Your child should practice math facts each day, too. We want your child to be ready when students return to school on January 7. Reading is a great way to support your child’s education. In this newsletter, there are reading tips for parents and a list of books recommended by our librarians.

Thank you again for being part of the Confluence Charter School family. We wish you Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2014!

Sonya G. HenryChairman

Confluence Academy Board

CHAI

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TTER Mission Statement

Confluence Charter Schools provides the highest quality public education for our students. Every day, students are engaged and encouraged to excel in reading, math, science, technology, visual arts and performing arts.

Vision StatementConfluence Charter Schools will provide a world-class public education to prepare our students for success in college, career and life.

Board newsupcoming board of directors meeting datesMonday, December 16, 8:00 a.m.Confluence Preparatory Academy310 North 15th Street

Friday, January 24, 8:00 a.m.Confluence Academy-Walnut Park5421 Thekla Avenue

Friday, February 21, 8:00 a.m.Grand Center Arts Academy711 North Grand Boulevard

Thursday, March 27, 5:30 p.m.Confluence Academy-South City3112 Meramec Street

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Little Bit gala serenaded by Old North voicesOld North choir sings of joy and inspiration For days, the choir students at Confluence Academy-Old North were excited about performing at a weekend event. With each passing day, their excitement grew, along with a case of nerves.

The big night was October 19 at the Join the Journey Gala, a fundraiser for The Little Bit Foundation. The choir of seventh and eighth graders seemed nervous and jittery. There was time for one more, very quick rehearsal. Moments later, it was time to sing.

As the music cued and the choir director, Lynnette Ward, gave her nod, the Confluence Academy-Old North Concert Choir sang with proud voices and their heads held high.

They performed three songs – “Tomorrow (Better You, Better Me)” by Quincy Jones and Tevin Campbell, “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, and “Awesome” by Charles Jenkins and Fellowship Chicago. Lorenzo Coleman, eighth grade, was the soloist for “Tomorrow.” De’Angelo Williams, eighth grade, was the soloist for “Awesome.”

Cheers, shouts and standing ovations praised the choir as they ended the show with a bow.

“I loved their performance as they displayed true musicianship,” said Ward.

The Little Bit gala was held at Edward Jones in Des Peres. Old North is one of 16 schools in the City of St. Louis partnered with the foundation.

Little Bit’s website explains the mission. “We are committed to helping disadvantaged school children by creating a positive impact for personal growth, increasing self-esteem and encouraging a more focused and active learning environment. We do this by building strong relationships and partnering closely with St. Louis schools.”

Old North has benefited through donations of hats and gloves, an in-school boutique with clothes, socks and underwear, personal hygiene kits and books, and a washer and dryer.

“The Little Bit Foundation’s support to Confluence Academy-Old North has been amazing. This wonderful partnership and the boutique have helped us address the immediate needs of our students,” said Sonya Murray, Old North principal.

“Our entire school community is immensely appreciative of The Little Bit Foundation. Words cannot express our extreme gratitude. Our goal is to continue to build on this very successful partnership and we would also like to see the efforts of this collaboration in our student achievement,” said Murray.

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Digitalwe’re online, and social!What’s happening in our classrooms? What’s going on in our schools? To find out, check out our websites –

www.confluenceacademy.org

www.grandcenterartsacademy.org

Confluence Charter Schools are on Facebook. “Like” us on Facebook to keep up with what’s new and exciting. Look for the official page for your child’s school and become a fan.

4 CC Winter 2013

Core Values at workConfluence gives in the spirit of serviceThroughout the holiday season, our students and staff are living the Confluence Core Value of compassion and helping those in need.

Confluence Preparatory Academy, in partnership with the St. Louis Area Youth Board, collected food for Thanksgiving baskets. CPA students collected donations at school for the families the Youth Board adopted for the holiday.

In December, CPA will host a collection drive for Hope House of St. Louis. Students and staff will collect winter clothes for a family living in transition.

Confluence Academy-Old North held a three-week food drive to collect 1,000 cans. Old North ultimately gathered 4,294 canned goods and packaged foods. The school donated 1,000 items each to Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Food Outreach. The remaining items became part of a student-led food pantry.

Staff at Confluence Academy-Walnut Park sponsored Thanksgiving food baskets for Walnut Park families in need. Donations of $25 helped buy food for holiday baskets. Walnut Park assisted 24 families, and received 10 food baskets from an area church. Staff delivered the baskets to the families’ homes in time for Thanksgiving.

Walnut Park will have a canned food drive through mid-December to support St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry.

Confluence Academy-South City collected canned goods through mid-December for the St. Anthony’s Church food pantry.

Grand Center Arts Academy is collecting soda can tabs for Ronald McDonald House. The Tab Top Collection Program raises money to support families who have hospitalized children. Tabs are recycled for cash, with the proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House.

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Making a differenceSouth City helps family after house fireAfter a house fire changed a family’s life, Confluence Academy-South City stepped in to make a difference.

In early November, a South City family was involved in a house fire. Immediately, Alesha Morrison, the school social worker, organized a food drive and dress down day to help one of their own. Students and staff brought in canned goods and money. They also gave contributions like uniform clothes, a coat, hat and gloves for the student, and furniture for the family.

More than 300 cans were donated, but it was “more than the family could handle during their transitional stage, so the mother took what she could fit in her car and asked that we donate the rest to help other South City families,” said Morrison. They received more than $500 in cash.

No one was hurt in the fire, but the family dog did not survive. The family is still in transition, but was able to move in with relatives. They are doing well and the child is in school.

Morrison said the mother was “very grateful for the donations.”

Mark your calendarsimportant upcoming dates to rememberDecember 20 Professional Development, No School

December 23 – January 3, 2014Winter Break, No School

January 6 – Professional Development, No School

January 7 – School Resumes

January 20 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School

February 14 – Professional Development, No School

February 17 – Presidents Day, No School

March 14 – Parent-Teacher Conferences, No School

March 17-21 – Spring Break, No School

Parents – Please check your child’s monthly school calendar for special events, PTO meetings, family nights and more. Events are also on our website - www.confluenceacademy.org

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Henry Scholarshiprecipients 2013-2014

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Henry Scholarship recipients recognizedMissouri S&T joins Confluence in honorsOn September 30, Confluence Charter Schools and Missouri University of Science and Technology recognized 13 college students at the annual Robert F. Henry Jr. Scholarship Dinner.

The Robert F. Henry Jr. Scholarship is presented in honor of a founding member of Confluence Charter Schools to students pursuing majors related to science, technology, engineering and math at the Rolla campus.

The 2013-2014 recipients are: Cameron Boles, Dajae Williams, Juan David Remolina, Jessica Harvey, Valencia McKinney, Nicholas McFarland, Sasha Worthy, Diego Robayo, Ahlam Issa, Deron Johnson, Marquia Lewis, Diamond Williams and Ishmael Israel.

Representatives from Missouri S&T gave remarks about the significance of the award and the partnership between the university and Confluence. The scholars were presented certificates by Sonya Henry, chair of the Confluence Board of Directors, and Jeanice Baker, Confluence Board member. Mrs. Henry spoke on behalf of her family and shared the history of the scholarship.

Mr. Henry passed away in 2004. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in chemical

engineering. He earned a master’s degree in construction engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 1986. He was a founding member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. on the Rolla campus. As a professional, he was the first African American to hold a leadership position as an engineer for the City of St. Louis, President of the Board of Public Service. He graduated from Charles E. Sumner High School. Mrs. Henry said her husband was encouraged to attend college by his high school science teacher.

The first scholarships were awarded in 2006-2007. Many of this year’s scholars are past recipients.

Students must commit to an internship with Confluence to serve as a tutor. The paid internship requires working at least two weeks during winter, spring or summer breaks.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be a senior at a St. Louis city or county high school or enrolled at Missouri S&T; major in a science, technology, engineering or math related field; secondary education in a STEM field is acceptable; must be a permanent resident of the St. Louis area and a resident of the state of Missouri; have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and meet requirements for admission to Missouri S&T. Applications are made available in November and are due in February.

Confluence Core Values

Wisdom Justice CourageCompassion HopeRespectResponsibility Integrity

Grand Center Arts Academy Core Values

AcademicsArtsSocial JusticeCommunity

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CONF

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A marathon is 26.2 miles. A half-marathon is 13.1 miles. Both distances take months of training – gym workouts, strength training, short runs and long runs – to prepare for the challenge of a race, from the start line to the finish line.

On Sunday, October 27, more than 13,000 runners and walkers participated in the Rock ‘n’ Roll St. Louis race series. The race included a marathon, a half-marathon, a 2-person half-marathon relay and a mini-marathon.

Among those thousands of runners were Confluence Charter Schools’ staff who took on the challenge of running their way through St. Louis in the half-marathon distance: Sarah Lofton and Lacqweda Taylor, academy directors at Confluence Academy-South City; Meghan Neunaber, second grade, and Greg Jones, social studies, from Confluence Academy-Old North; and Dr. Jim Walters, director of professional learning and teacher support, Resource Office.

The races started downtown at Tucker Boulevard at Market Street at 7:00 a.m. The half-marathon course included sites, neighborhoods and landmarks such as City Garden, Busch Stadium, the Arch, Washington Avenue, Grand Center, Saint Louis University, The Grove on Manchester, the Botanical Gardens, Tower Grove, Lafayette Square and back downtown to the finish line at 15th and Chestnut. The marathon course took runners to Central West End, Forest Park and back to the city.

Finishers receive a medal as a reward for their effort and endurance.

Every runner has a story to tell after a big race. But this time, we just asked our Confluence runners to give their thoughts on the race in about 25 words.

“It was a great race. Lots of fun…so fun I contemplated taking the course for the full!” ~Meghan Neunaber

“We trained together, ran together, finished together, and now are sore together!”~Sarah Lofton and Lacqweda Taylor

“I had a great time running, even though it was cold! There were a lot of people cheering us on, which made it all the better.” ~ Greg Jones

“Since my wife won’t buy chocolate milk, I run half-marathons to get it free. Here you see me trying to catch those speedy principals at South City, Lacqweda Taylor and Sarah Lofton, before they drink it all!” ~Dr. Jim Walters

After running for miles and miles, the body needs to recover. Big races have lots of snacks at the finish line like chocolate milk, bananas, orange slices, bagels, pretzels, water and sports drinks.

Congratulations runners! Confluence is proud of you!

7 CC Winter 2013

ith so many great books to choose from, it can be hard to decide what to read during winter break. So, we asked the librarians to tell us what books are popular in the school library. With titles like these, you’re sure to find an interesting and exciting story to read.

Confluence Charter Schools

Walnut Park Campus5421 Thekla AvenueSt. Louis, MO 63120314-383-8900

Old North St. Louis Campus3017 North 13th StreetSt. Louis, MO 63107314-241-1110

South City Campus3112 Meramec StreetSt. Louis, MO 63118314-481-4700

Confluence Preparatory Academy310 North 15th StreetSt. Louis, MO 63103314-588-1088

Grand Center Arts Academy711 North Grand Blvd.St. Louis, MO 63103314-533-1791

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The Snowman, Raymond Briggs The Mitten, Jan BrettSnowflake Bentley, Jacqueline Briggs Martin The Gingerbread Man, Jim AylesworthBartholomew and the Oobleck, Dr. Seuss Captain Underpants, Dav PilkeyGreen Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss Judy Moody, Megan McDonald

Grades K-3

Grades 4-6Sam I Am, Ilene CooperOdd and the Frost Giants, Neil GaimanSay Cheese and Die!, R.L. StineKringle, Tony AbbottThe Skin I’m In, Sharon FlakeNo Way Out, Peggy KernMr. Popper’s Penguins, Richard and Florence Atwater

A Matter of Trust, Anne SchraffThe Perfect Date, R.L. StineHarry Potter, J.K. RowlingHis Dark Materials series, Philip Pullman

Grades 7-8

Grades 9-12Rules of Attraction, Simone Elkeles Before I Fall, Lauren OliverThe Final Four, Paul Volponi No Laughter Here, Rita Williams-GarciaJumped, Rita Williams-Garcia Butter, Erin Jade LangeHot, Sour, Salty, Sweet, Sherri Smith Diva, Jillian LarkinAllegiant (Divergent Series), Veronica Roth Ouran High School Host Club, Bisco HatoriGravitation, Maki Murakami The Raven Boys, Maggie StiefvaterGot Fangs?:(Confessions of a Vampire’s Girlfriend), Katie Maxwell

REMEMBER – Students in grades K-8 should 20 minutes every day. Students in grades 9-12 should read for 30 minutes every day.

What will you read

during Winter Break?

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