Mrs. Taylor is our new principal here at South City this school year. She’s not really new to Confluence Academy though. She was the principal at the Compton building a few years ago and was the principal at Aspire Academy right before she came back to South City to be our head principal. If you want to get to know more about Mrs. Taylor, just keep reading.

Q: Why did you become principal of South City?

A: “To build a positive community for students and teachers.”

Q: Where are you originally from?

A: St. Louis

Q: What's your morning routine?

A: After waking up, she does her hygiene then drinks coffee.

Q:How old are you?

A: 46

Q: Who's your favorite staff?

A: Everyone

Q: What Confluences were you principal at?

A: Aspire and South City

Q: List three words that describe you?

A: Loving, understanding and positive

Q: What activities do you enjoy outside of school?

A: Shopping, cleaning and spending time with friends

Q: What's your biggest fear?

A: Drowning and heights

Q: What's your favorite holiday

A:Thanksgiving.

Q:Do you collect anything?

A: Elephants.

Q: Who inspired you?

A: Her teachers Ms. Jackson, Mr. Dolle and Ms. Rous.

Q:What's your proudest moment?

A: “To be the first person in my family to get a college degree, and when I graduated from college.”

Q: What's your favorite music artist?

A: Beyoncé, Tupac, Chris Brown

Q: How many kids do you have?

A: 2 sons

Q: What's your favorite subject?

A: Reading

By: Jalasia Stidmon, 5th Grade

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South City academy is my home🏡

When you walk into Mrs. Holmes’ classroom you see wonderful student work, bright colors, and lots of preschool stations. You hear Mrs. Holmes’ calm voice talking to the students. Mrs. Holmes is a wonderful preschool teacher here at Confluence Academy South City at the Compton building. She is full of happiness and joy and is an awesome teacher. She is very patient and is great with the little ones.

Before she became a preschool teacher, she was a kindergarten teacher for 10 years. She even has two children of her own that love to go on adventures with her. She is not only good at teaching, she is good at many other things like painting, crafts, and puzzles. She also likes anything to do with nature including hiking, biking, fishing or just exploring to see what animals she can find. She was born in St. Louis and grew up here her whole life. That's why she teaches here and not somewhere else in the world.

When she was in elementary school, she attended McKelvey School and when she moved forward and went to middle school she attended Parkway East Middle School. For high school she attended Parkway North and for Junior College she attended Meramec Community College where she received an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education. For Undergraduate she attended Harris Stowe State University where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. And last but not least, for Graduate school she attended University of Missouri St. Louis where she earned a Master's Degree in General Education. Hard years of school always pay off.

Mrs. Holmes’ background is interesting. She has one older brother and they grew up together. They had no computers or phones so they spent most of their time outdoors. Sometimes, their dad would take them to a small town called St. James where he grew up, and they would go fishing and would go swimming. They would visit their grandma all the time. In high school, Mrs. Holmes was an All-American softball player. Her position was catcher and she really enjoyed playing it.

Growing up Mrs. Holmes always wanted to be a teacher. She even has a drawing she drew when she was younger of her being a teacher. Since she is a preschool teacher she wants kids’ first school experience to be great, awesome and a fun safe place for them to learn. She chose to be a preschool teacher because she thinks it’s cool how she has the ability to help make school fun for her little students but at the same time help them learn.

One of Mrs. Holmes' biggest fears is losing a loved one. I think deep down everyone has that fear. Maybe you just don't know if you fear this but for now appreciate what you have. Someday you may not have it anymore.

Mrs. Holmes is a lot of things but if I had to choose three words describe her I would start with loving, because she cares so much about the safety of her little ones. Next, she is creative, because she can make anything out of paper. Go to her classroom sometime so you can see the many paper projects from the little ones. Lastly, she is patient, because she is a preschool teacher and she has to be really patient with the little ones and help them through every little thing.

I think Mrs. Holmes is the best preschool teacher ever! She is awesome with kids. She is there for them when they are happy or unhappy. She helps them learn in a loving, calm and patient manner.

By: Tania Gonzalez, 7th Grade

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proud to be a teacher🍎

Good morning! In this article I will be interviewing one of our security guards, Officer McGuire. I asked her a few questions. Some of these questions you guys might also have been wondering. As soon as I walked into her office space, I knew this would be exciting. I had so much fun with Officer McGuire. She did me a huge favor by opening up and letting me interview her. She has done so much for this school. We are so lucky to have her as our security guard.

Q: What would you like to be called?

A: Officer McGuire

Q: What are three words that you would say describe you?

A: “I would say I am funny, thoughtful, and caring.”

Q: What is an activity that you like to do outside of school?

A: “I like to read.”

Q: What would you say was your favorite subject in high school?

A: “ I did an introduction to criminal justice. We also did an interesting mock trial.”

Q: What was your proudest moment?

A: “When I taught my son to ride a bike.”

Q: What is your biggest fear?

A: “Not giving my kids the best opportunities in life”

Q: How many kids do you have?

A: “I have 2 kids.”

Q: What would you be if you weren't a security guard?

A: “I would be a helicopter driver for rich people”

Q: What’s your favorite holiday?

A: “Thanksgiving”

Q: Do you collect anything?

A: “ I collect books and vital players”

Q: Who is your role model?

A: My self“

Q: Who do you live with?

A: “My wife and 2 kids’’

Q: What's something that is unusual in your morning routine?

A; “I usually don't eat breakfast”

Q: Do you want to change?

A: “A new manual for drills and a better instruction for staff”

Q: What high school did you go to?

A: “I went to Parkway West”

Q: What are you majoring in?

A: “Studying criminology and psychology”

Q: Why do you do what you do?

A: “I love criminal justice and want to improve it by protecting people”

Q: How long have you worked at this location?

A: “About a year”

Q: What college did you go to?

A: “University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL).”

By: Morgan Harris, 6th Grade

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Always do your best!👍

Ms. Clark is a 4th grade teacher at South City Academy. This is her first year teaching. The following are the notes from our interview.

Why did you want to be a teacher?

I wanted to become a teacher because I want all students to have a good educational experience.

Who inspired you to be a teacher?

My second grade teacher inspired me to be an educator because she taught me you can have fun and learn at the same time.

Do you have pet’s and if so, what are their names?

I have 4 pets. I have a dog named Bailey, he is 4. I have another dog named Augie, she is 2. I also have 2 cats, one is 2 and one is 3.

Where were you born?

Branson, Missouri

Where did you go to school?

I went to highschool at Branson High School and I went to college at Missouri State University.

Why did you want to work at Confluence?

I wanted to work at Confluence as an opportunity to support students and their families.

What are your hobbies?

In my free time I enjoy painting, playing with my dogs, and talking to my family.

Do you have a favorite band or type of music?

I really enjoy listening to instrumental music with pianos and the cello or 50’s/60’s music.

What advice would you give to students?

A: Sometimes it won't feel that others want you to do your best, but it’s important to always do your best, do what makes you proud of yourself, and always be kind to others.

By: Dakota Dueker, 4th Grade

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