Geography Bee

Congratulations to the school winner of the National Geography Bee, 6th grader, Catrina. She will take a test to determine if she will advance to the state level.

Also, congratulations to the runner up, 8th grader, Ethan . 

Truman Library

Truman's library is ready for a cold winter's night to sit by the fire and read a good book.  Can you hear the fire crackling in the fireplace?

Welcome Mr. Hackett

Welcome Mr. Sam Hackett to Truman as our Academic Monitor.  Mr. Hackett graduated from Lindbergh in 2005.  He received a BA in Management in 2010 from Webster University and received his teaching certificate in 2013 from Lindenwood University.  Currently he is attending UMSL for School Counseling.  

Mr. Hackett recently returned to St. Louis from a stint in San Diego where he was working with an Americorps program that provided in-school mentoring for at-risk youth in gang driven communities. He is happy to be back and proud to be working at Truman middle as the Academic Monitor. He feels he is in a unique position where he can directly impact students on a personal level and inspire them to reach their potential academically, as well as personally.  

Thank you TPG!

Thank you TPG for all you do for our school.  Thank you for the delicious breakfast we provided this morning.

Orchestra Presenter Mr. Gary Sturm

Mr. Gary Sturm, of the Smithsonian Institute, visited the Truman Orchestra students today to talk about one of the greatest violin-makers, Antonio Stradivari.  Within his presentation, students were awed by Stradivari's precision producing hundreds of high-quality instruments with tools that appeared almost crude to the modern-eye.  Our Truman string students are now equipped with the knowledge to recognize many of the fine details of an authentic Stradivari instrument.

Mr. Sturm will be inducted into the Lindbergh Hall of Fame, Alumni Award, tonight.  Congratulations, Mr. Sturm!

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Mr. Sturm's Bio 

            Gary Sturm worked for over thirty years to increase the scope

of the Smithsonian Institution’s collections of musical instruments, with a special interest in the violin family. A mathematics major from Beloit College, he pursued European Studies at the University of Copenhagen before joining the Smithsonian in 1975.  In 1981 he acquired the Smithsonian's first Stradivari instrument, the 1701 "Servais" cello, leading to subsequent recordings and documentation of this extraordinary, and hitherto publicly concealed instrument.  As a result of his work, the collections today boast five Strads and five complete quartets, including a quartet made by Nicolo Amati (whose family developed the first violin), and the exquisitely decorated Herbert R. Axelrod Stradivari Quartet.

            Gary has been responsible for the preservation and study of over 5000 musical instruments that range from Tennessee fiddles to elegant French harpsichords, has served as Executive Director of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society (establishing its endowment foundation), and ended his Smithsonian tenure as the Chair of the Division of Cultural History. He has participated in more than a dozen Smithsonian exhibitions, recordings, publications, and films on subjects ranging from automatic musical instruments to electric guitars, and presented programs of classical performances that toured across the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan.  Facilitating nontraditional museum programs, the outreach of Gary’s creative work stretches from local school children to global audiences, scholars, musicians, and instrument makers.

            While retired in 2009, Gary continues to work as emeritus curator at the Smithsonian. He has been active in the creation and 2010 opening of the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, is the founding President of the Capitol Skating Fund, which fosters young figure skaters, and is the Board Chairman of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Virginia. Gary resides in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Carlene, and two Great Danes. 

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society

Orchestra Presenter Mr. Gary Sturm

Mr. Gary Sturm, of the Smithsonian Institute, visited the Truman Orchestra students today to talk about one of the greatest violin-makers, Antonio Stradivari.  Within his presentation, students were awed by Stradivari's precision producing hundreds of high-quality instruments with tools that appeared almost crude to the modern-eye.  Our Truman string students are now equipped with the knowledge to recognize many of the fine details of an authentic Stradivari instrument.

Mr. Sturm will be inducted into the Lindbergh Hall of Fame, Alumni Award, tonight.  Congratulations, Mr. Sturm!

Click here to view these pictures larger

Mr. Sturm's Bio 

            Gary Sturm worked for over thirty years to increase the scope

of the Smithsonian Institution’s collections of musical instruments, with a special interest in the violin family. A mathematics major from Beloit College, he pursued European Studies at the University of Copenhagen before joining the Smithsonian in 1975.  In 1981 he acquired the Smithsonian's first Stradivari instrument, the 1701 "Servais" cello, leading to subsequent recordings and documentation of this extraordinary, and hitherto publicly concealed instrument.  As a result of his work, the collections today boast five Strads and five complete quartets, including a quartet made by Nicolo Amati (whose family developed the first violin), and the exquisitely decorated Herbert R. Axelrod Stradivari Quartet.

            Gary has been responsible for the preservation and study of over 5000 musical instruments that range from Tennessee fiddles to elegant French harpsichords, has served as Executive Director of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society (establishing its endowment foundation), and ended his Smithsonian tenure as the Chair of the Division of Cultural History. He has participated in more than a dozen Smithsonian exhibitions, recordings, publications, and films on subjects ranging from automatic musical instruments to electric guitars, and presented programs of classical performances that toured across the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan.  Facilitating nontraditional museum programs, the outreach of Gary’s creative work stretches from local school children to global audiences, scholars, musicians, and instrument makers.

            While retired in 2009, Gary continues to work as emeritus curator at the Smithsonian. He has been active in the creation and 2010 opening of the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, is the founding President of the Capitol Skating Fund, which fosters young figure skaters, and is the Board Chairman of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Virginia. Gary resides in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Carlene, and two Great Danes. 

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society

7th Grade Science~Density

7th grade students explored density in science class this week by soaking bears in water overnight.  Students measured the bear's mass and volume before soaking and after to see how the density. Challenge students took the lab to a deeper level and chose their own variables - some changed the temperature, the type of liquid and the amount of liquid. 

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