Crestwood Elementary Celebrates 'Triple Crown' of Achievements

The school was named a National Blue Ribbon School, a National School of Character and a Missouri Gold Star School for the 2011-2012 school year.

In the horse racing world, the last Triple Crown winner was "Affirmed" in 1978. However, the Lindbergh School District has its very own Triple Crown winner in Crestwood Elementary. During the 2011-2012 school year, Crestwood has been named a National Blue Ribbon School, a National School of Character and a Missouri Gold Star School. “Earning Blue Ribbon is the highest honor our educators can achieve—it is like winning the Nobel Prize of education,” said Dr. Jim Simpson, Lindbergh superintendent, in a statement. “We are very proud of the students and staff at Crestwood whose concerted efforts have resulted in some of the best achievement scores in the state.” The school will celebrate at an assembly May 22, and students and staff will wear …

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Crestwood Elementary Students Share Their Native Cultures

During the school’s third annual Cultural Day and Evening Celebration, students learned the different backgrounds, nationalities and cultures of their classmates.

At least 15 countries are represented in the student body of Crestwood Elementary School. Last Thursday, the Crestwood students toured and learned about each one of them during the school’s third annual Cultural Day and Evening Celebration. Students and parents sampled food, played games and participated in crafts from the 15 countries represented in the student body, such as Bosnia, China, Japan, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Iraq, Albania, Russia, Mexico, India, Vietnam and Korea. Students and parents also toured several booths, which represented the native home of a student in Crestwood’s English Language Learners program, and many students dressed up in their native dress for the day. Crestwood Elementary’s principal Scott Taylor said the event…

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Fun Fair Pays Out $200 Prize Friday and iPod 4G

Meet me at the Fun Fair: Crestwood Elementary School photos reveal everyone had fun.

One of the most busily bid items of the Silent Auction at Crestwood Elementary School Fun Fair Friday evening was a Stanley Steemer carpet cleaning. Worth potentially hundreds of dollars, the offer went for about $65 to the Blaskiewicz family. The fair's 50-50 raffle with fathers hawking the tickets paid out $200. A separate raffle of 100 tickets found a winner for a coveted iPod 4G. The annual event was 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, about the time the rain and high winds came through the area. A good-sized crowd and plenty of participants at the Silent Auction, bouncy houses, food and games appeared to indeed have fun.

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Frugal Family

Frugal Family: Free Kids' Movies from Family Video

Print out a coupon for 25 percent off kids and baby clothes at Old Navy.

Patch is still spreading the love with great discounts from area businesses, despite the passage of Valentine's Day. From food to entertainment and from clothes to appliances, we have your interest in frugal living at heart.  Enjoy a Night of Family Fun and Games Crestwood Elementary School is hosting Family Bingo Night in the cafeteria Friday night. The $2 cost of admission includes prizes and refreshments. For an even sweeter deal, bringing a canned good can save families a dollar on admission. Canned goods benefit Gateway Homeless Services. Doors open at 6:45pm, and the event begins at 7pm. Save on Clothes for Young Ones The Kids & Baby sale is on at Old Navy in Sunset Hills. Print this coupon to save 25 percent on one item or 35 …

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One-Fifth of Crestwood Elementary Students Study English As a Spoken Language

ELL teachers talk about students' transitions to classes where only English is spoken.

At Crestwood Elementary School, English Language Learner (ELL) students make up 20 percent of the student population. There are 57 ELL students out of a total of approximately 300 students. An ELL student is one whose language at home is something other than English. These students may be totally non-English speakers or they may be fluent in social English but lack the academic language. Here is how fifth-grader Doniyorbek Khasanov described his experience two years ago coming from Uzbekistan, when he joined the ELL program at Crestwood Elementary: "I was nervous when I walked in to school. I was happy I was put into third grade instead of kindergarten. The kids were nice. It was good. They were treating me nicely. The kids taught me what …

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Crestwood Teacher Finds Organizing Young Students Improves Learning

DonorsChoose.org finds teacher's idea of 'pockets' helps focus classroom learning.

Cindy Kapodistrias has been teaching fifth grade at Crestwood Elementary School for the past twenty years; and to this day, her philosophy has remained the same with regard to her students, "love them, keep them safe, and teach them as much as you can along the way." Kapodistrias is very passionate about her students and always goes the extra mile to ensure that her philosophy is constantly met. She not only stresses the importance of having a great education, but she works to teach life skills that are necessary for her students to succeed in the world. "They love to learn," she beams, as she speaks about her students and their commitment to the learning process. She and the principal agree that there is not a single bad kid in their …

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