Parents and teachers in this Missouri school have high expectations for their children. What is amazing is that the children seem to have even higher expectations for themselves. Add a delightful mix of caring and compassion, and what results is a school of excellence and empathy. Spend one day at this newly refurbished school in a St. Louis suburb, and you will see just how it shapes students to be both “smart and good.” No mindless drill here, student engagement is a priority. And Kehrs Mill students not only pursue their own learning with gusto but also show a deep commitment to others. Whether it is second graders involved in a brainstorming session on ways to save the rain forest, or first graders and their fourth-grade buddies planning strategies to help animals rescued by the Humane Society, critical thinking and collaborative problem solving join to strengthen the curriculum.
Read more about Kehrs Mill in the 2010 NSOC book: “Pursuing Excellence with Empathy.”
Signature Practices
Lesson Plan: Fifth Grade Service Project
By working with a local food pantry, students examine the essential question, “Are we more alike or more different than those who have less (or more) than us?”
Sample Practice: Service Learning Planning Tool & Checklist
Why are you developing a service-learning project? How will students benefit? What community need(s) will be addressed?
Sample Practice: Service Learning Information
5 Stages of Effective Service Learning
Sample Practice: Counselor's Corner
Poem - A Kinder World
Sample Practice: Service Learning Matrix
Service Learning Matrix
Promising Practice: Kehrs Mill Book Foundation
The Kehrs Mill Book Foundation puts new books into the homes of needy students.
Promising Practice: Spirit of Caring and Giving
During the holidays, the entire school community pulls together to provide gifts for the underprivileged families.
Promising Practice: Bus Drivers' Breakfast
Bus drivers, teachers, and students collaborate to promote positive student behavior.
Promising Practice: "4As" Club
Various activities help improve academic performance and cut down on inappropriate behavior among at-risk inner-city students.
Contact Information
Sarah TurpinAssistant Principal
2650 Kehrs Mill Road Chesterfield, Missouri
Phone: (636) 537-4359
Email: turpinsarah@rockwood.k12.mo.us
Website: www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/kehrsmill