July 5, 2017
Bringing school home
Around Town
O’Fallon Jammin’ concerts begin at Civic Park. P.2
Recycle that bicycle in Lake St. Louis. P.4 MoDOT to hold public meetings on safety. P.5
School
Liberty senior receives appointment to Air Force Academy. P.8 Photo by Ray Rockwell Student Logan Pinkston and his mother Ashley Pinkston receive a visit from HOME WORKS! teacher Julie Binning. The Wentzville School District will introduce HOME WORKS!, the St. Louis-based Teacher Home Visit Program, beginning with two schools this fall.
Learn & Play
The Wentzville School District will introduce HOME WORKS!, the St. Louis-based Teacher Home Visit Program By Brett Auten The Wentzville School District is being proactive when it comes to early intervention. This fall the district will introduce HOME WORKS!, the St. Louis-based Teacher Home Visit Program, beginning with two schools this fall. Teachers and/or counselors from Heritage Primary and Pearce Hall (which houses the district’s alternative program), will visit the homes of students who have been identified as performing below grade level, have attendance or behavioral issues, are new to the community, or are in kindergarten or first grade and did not attend pre-kindergarten. According to Heritage Primary principal Geri Buss, the goal of HOME WORKS! is to make home visits to establish trust and build relationships with parents to encourage them as partners in their children’s education in order to improve academic achievement, attendance and classroom
behavior. “Anytime we can build a relationship outside the classroom it is only going to help the academic process,” Buss said. “And it will help the parents know what we are really about.” Buss is thrilled to be one of the first to test drive the program. “I did ask to start the program here at Heritage Primary,” Buss said. “I’m real
“Anytime we can extend the classroom and partner with parents, we have a valuable opportunity to support student growth.” -Dr. Curtis Cain
excited to try it out. It is a great opportunity to learn more about our students and families and one more way to help build an understanding between the school, the stu-
dent, and the family.” The program calls for two home visits each year, as well as two family gatherings at school. At the first home visit, teachers learn about the family and the home. Parents learn that teachers have the student’s best interests at heart and what they can do at home to boost their child’s learning. The second home visit is about the academic performance of the student and enables teachers to identify ways families can enhance learning at home to increase academic achievement at school. Buss said eventually all of the teachers at Heritage Primary will be trained in the program. “The student will have either their teacher, myself, an assistant, or a counselor from our school coming to the visits,” Buss said. HOME WORKS! was founded in St. Louis in 2007 to assist parents of struggling students and encourage them to be actively engaged in their children’s education. It See HOMEWORKS! page 3
Serving St. Louis, St. Charles, and Lincoln Counties | FREE Online at mycnews.com | Vol. 19 No. 27 | 636-379-1775
Smart summer snacks. P.11
Movie Movies we forgot they made: Tom Cruise in ‘Taps.’ P.16
Weather FRIDAY Chance of Storms 94/71 SATURDAY Sunny 93/70 SUNDAY Sunny 91/70 FirstWarn Weather
prepared by meteorologist Nick Palisch. For the latest updates visit www.facebook.com/nickswx.