Brentwood Middle School Recognized as a National School of Character

Brentwood Middle is the second school in the district to receive the national recognition. Mark Twain Elementary received the designation as a National School of Character in 2011.

Brentwood Chili Cook-Off: Tie for First Place

The money went to the Brentwood Middle School 'families'.

Twenty-four different chilies, made by Brentwood families, teachers and local businesses competed Friday before the football game. Six dollars bought the opportunity to sample every one, or a bowl of one was $3. See more cook-off photos on Maplewood-Brentwood Patch Facebook. Last year's winner, Sophia Rivera, a Brentwood High School freshman this year, was doling out spoonfuls of her 2011 winning chili. This year Tracey Dorenbusch and Ed Rivera tied for first place. All the money goes to the Brentwood Middle School 'families'. Each one is made up of students of every grade level in the school. That money will be used for events or to donate it to a charity. Following the chili cook-off Brentwood played Principia in football. Correction: …

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Brentwood Middle School Chili Cook-Off and Silent Auction on Friday

Come sample more than 20 types of chili for just $6 or try last year's Champion Chili for $3 a bowl.

Brentwood Middle School Recognized for Excellence

Brentwood Middle School Is named a 2012 National School of Character.

In May, the Character Education Partnership (CEP), in Washington, D. C., named Brentwood Middle School as a 2012 National School of Character. Each year, CEP selects schools and districts that demonstrate, through a rigorous evaluation process, that their focus on character development has had a positive impact on academic achievement, student behavior, and school climate. Selected schools are then expected to serve as models for other schools, helping them to achieve the same results. Brentwood Middle is one of 25 schools and 1 school district being recognized nationwide in 2012. Of the 25 schools, six are in Missouri; only three of the 25 schools are middle schools; and Brentwood Middle School is the only middle school in Missouri to …

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Brentwood Ward 1 Candidate Maureen Saunders: "I Have to Be Part of the Solution"

Brentwood's reputation is just bruised, she said.

Maureen Saunders is 50 years old, and doesn’t look it, thanks to her Irish skin. “I wouldn’t change my heritage, I love being Irish,” she said. She’s one of eight children, and now has four of her own. She’s been married 27 years. “My parents did a great job of raising us, because all eight of us are very compassionate, caring citizens,” she said. “They gave me a good foundation.” Her own children range from an eighth-grader at Brentwood Middle School to her oldest, who’s getting married in June and works in economics in Cincinnati. Get the latest from Maplewood-Brentwood Patch with the daily newsletter, free in your inbox every morning. She graduated from University of Missouri, St. Louis with a degree in accounting. She also took …

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Brentwood Middle Awarded for Character

The middle school was named a School of Character, an award given to only 44 schools in the country.

Brentwood Middle School received a major honor this week. The school is one of 12 in the St. Louis area (and 44 nationally) to be named a state School of Character by the Character Education Partnership, an honor given to schools that pass a rigorous application process based educating students to have strong characters—not just strong academic skills. “We are just darn proud,” said principal Dr. Julie Sperry. “We worked really hard to get here.” (News, blogs and events delivered right to your inbox as you prepare your morning coffee. Sign up for our morning newsletter: www.maplewood-brentwood.patch.com/newsletters) Sperry’s staff spent days completing the laborious application and building a portfolio demonstrating the school’s commitment…

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Rivera Siblings Rack Up Accomplishments On and Off the Field

Sophia Rivera arrived at a district wrestling tournament in time to congratulate her brother David on his entry to the state tournament after winning a national championship herself.

There was a reunion of two busy Brentwood kids on Saturday. Brentwood High School junior David Rivera was at the Class 1, District 1 MSHSAA wrestling finals at Whitfield School, where he took runner-up in the 285-pound weight class. He's now 29-6 and will go on to wrestle at the state meet. His sister Sophia, an eighth-grader at Brentwood Middle School, arrived in time to see him wrestle, coming from an indoor track meet in Illinois where she had just won a national championship for 14-year-olds in shot put. Patch grabbed this photo of the two of them together, and later got the scoop from their mother, Michelle Hassemer, by email. Here’s what she said about her kids, beginning with a direct quote. “Our kids have made my husband and I VERY…

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Mary Konroy

9:33 am on Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Congratulations to both siblings, and their parents!   more ›

Brentwood Middle Recognized for Character Education

Two of the school's character education programs were recognized by the Character Education Partnership.

Many thanks to the Brentwood Middle School for sharing this article with the community. Have news to share? Email editor Ryan Martin at ryan.martin@patch.com or message him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ryanmartin87. Today, school is about more than just reading, writing and arithmetic. We at Brentwood Middle School (BMS) also believe that educating the character of a student is very valuable.  At Brentwood Middle, character education is not just something we “do” in isolated bursts. Character education is woven into every child’s day and throughout all classes.  The Character Education Partnership (CEP) recently recognized BMS for two outstanding activities as promising practices: non-negotiables and P.I.T. Crew.  The CEP believes that …

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Annual Brentwood Chili Cook-off on Friday

The cook-off and silent auction is scheduled for Friday before the football game.

Before you watch the Brentwood Eagles host Grandview in district football on Friday, stop by the Brentwood Middle School for chili and fun. The fourth annual Chili Cook-off is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. and last until 7 p.m. Money raised from the cook-off will benefit middle school students and activities. Here is this year's pricing (crackers and drinks included): Attendees can vote for their favorite chili, and the winner receives The Golden Spoon. A silent auction for 14 different gift baskets is also planned. View some of the baskets in our photo gallery on Patch. Lastly, Patch is proud to partner with Brentwood Middle School for this year's cook-off. Don't forget to stop by our table and introduce yourself.

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Drug Testing, Prevention Discussed by Brentwood School Board

Community members with daily contact with students were invited to talk about their experience.

Preventing drug use by Brentwood students was the primary topic of Tuesday night's Brentwood Board of Education meeting. School administrators and police officers were invited to talk about their personal interactions with students. The discussion follows last month's meeting, when board member Katrina Harper called for the addition of a drug testing program. Harper said drug testing would give students the option to reject peer pressure. The program would cost between $6,000 and $10,000 per year, Superintendent Dr. Charles Penberthy estimated. But drug testing might be too narrow of a solution, said Dr. Julie Sperry, principal of Brentwood Middle School. "How can we be more proactive instead of reactive?" said Sperry in an interview on …

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Ryan Martin

4:27 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011

If you're playing catch-up on previous drug testing discussions, take a look at these two articles: — Share Your Thoughts on Drug Testing in Brentwood Schools (http://patch.com/B-sSx) — Drug Testing in Brentwood Schools? School Board Weighs In (http://patch.com/A-mngS)   more ›