Co-president updates (Stephanie Margolis and Hillary Dutcher)

• Our biggest focus this year has been creating community and getting people interacting. We’ve had a ton of successful events this year to that end, including Book Fair at Novel Neighbor, a family photo fundraiser, teacher meals, dine-out nights, and Trunk or Treat.
• One of our biggest successes has been Trivia Night. We raised $22k and another $8k through sponsorships. Our goal was $15k. Most of the money raised was from parent parties.
• We have been speaking with Dr. Padberg and our parent-teacher liaison, Mackenzie Mintzer, to determine how best to direct these funds.

Dr. Padberg Updates

• Construction for the new gym is anticipated to be complete by August, in time for the next school year.
• Speaking with Mike Noonan, construction coordinator for the district, and Conway’s PE coaches to determine where to place the new playground. Our hope is to maximize the green space that we have and not take up any more of the field than we have to. The goal is to have the playground completed by August.
• During the month of December, the Conway choir will sing winter songs outside during drop-off once a week. They will alternate between carpool and bus drop-off.
• There will be a new winter singalong assembly this year on December 21^st. Because the gym has limited space, it will be during the day and include students and staff only.
• In the clean-up efforts after flooding in the library, we discovered asbestos underneath the carpeting. Abatement experts have sealed off the area and will be working to safely remove the asbestos, most likely over winter break. We are hoping that students will be able to once again visit the library in January.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jim Wipke, Ladue District Superintendent

• Covid and learning losses: We have determined from the data that Ladue was not impacted as significantly as other districts. We encourage parents to continue putting an emphasis on literacy and reading with their children as much as possible because this helps in all areas of academic success.
• Prop L projects: The goal is to wrap up all the projects district-wide by January/February 2024. All schools will now have a FEMA-rated safe room, meaning they can withstand a significant amount of wind owing to thicker concrete walls and double the rebar. Even the windows are FEMA-approved. These spaces also have restrooms as part of that rating.
• Conversations have begun regarding the use of the current gym space. This secondary project could be spread over multiple years, depending on the plan and necessary budgeting. Other projects for Conway include updated windows and HVAC systems. There are no plans for other renovations at the school at this time.
• One option being discussed is adding space for early childhood classrooms, which are going into other elementary schools.
• At the middle school, there will be a two-level library and flex space surrounded by classrooms, many of which will have glass partitions that open into the flex space. There is also an area of the roof being turned into an outdoor classroom. The next phase of the project will include finishing the cafeteria, which will expand the space and include a multi-purpose room. This will allow the school to go from five lunch shifts to three. The final phase will be the additional gym, which will allow the 1,000 students to have access to gymnasium space when weather is inclement. The new gym will be FEMA-rated.
• Expansion of Ladue Early Childhood program: The hope is to add space for these classrooms in the elementary schools to encourage more families to take advantage of pre-kindergarten enrichment. Spoede and Old Bonhomme will have these classrooms, and it’s possible to add to Conway with the space we’ll gain when the gym moves.
• Safety and Security: A reminder that we have a designated Safety and Security Coordinator in the district, Matt Hill. His sole job is looking at safety and security at all the schools, assessing our current safety measures, and giving thought to how we can be more proactive.
• Start times: With research showing that later start times is better for kids, the school board is working on a plan to propose to the Board of Education. It would not impact the elementary school. There are many moving pieces that need to be taken into consideration, such as traffic patterns with other schools in the area, as well as the number of additional buses and drivers it would require. No firm plan has been arrived at yet.

Guest Speaker: Danielle Green, Ladue District Social Worker

• This is Danielle’s fifth year doing the Holiday Happiness program with the district, specifically supporting not just individual students but the entire family. Formerly, each individual school would run this program for only their student body, but this is the first year that all Ladue schools can work together to meet these families’ needs. We believe this is a more equitable way to meet the needs of the 137 families in the district who have signed up for this support. Every student and sibling is registered to receive a shirt, pants, shoes, and a winter coat plus three wishes. No limits were given on wishes made by the students and siblings—they are dreams! Parents are registered for grocery gift cards.