August Weddings, Babies & Kudos

Weddings

Congratulations to Anna (Klein) Hilmes, music teacher at Marvin, on her marriage to Greg on June 13.

Congratulations to Kristin Thompson, Ritenour’s Youth In Need counseling supervisor and therapist at Hoech Middle School, on her marriage to Brendan on June 26 in Cottleville.

Babies

Elizabeth Green, a Ritenour Middle School pre-algebra teacher, celebrated the birth of a new grandson Grayson Lewis Green, who arrived on June 27, weighing 7lbs. 11oz. and measuring 20 inches long. His proud parents are Talon and Jayden.

Brittany Moseby, a kindergarten teacher at Buder Elementary, became a mom on June 11 when Taj Moseby was born, weighing 5 lbs, 7 oz. and measuring 17 inches long.

Alejandro Tagle, a Ritenour maintenance professional, welcomed his fourth grandchild, Bella Tagle, on Aug. 8.

Congratulations to Brittney Vaughn, a paraprofessional at the Milam-Haynes Early Childhood Annex, and husband Nick Vaughn, theater manager at Ritenour High School and a cook’s helper at Marvin Elementary. On July 30, they welcomed their fourth child, Finnick, who weighed in at 7lbs, 8 oz. and was 20 inches long. His three older sisters Penny (age 12), Oaklee (age 7) and Fiona (age 5) were very excited to meet their new brother!

Kristin Vivian, a special education teacher at Ritenour Middle School, and her husband, Nic, welcomed their second baby girl on June 8. Elsie Rose made her debut weighing 8 lbs. 10 oz. and was 22 inches long. Her proud older sister is Charlie, age 23 months!

Kudos

Gil Beckemeier, a Ritenour Middle School science teacher, shared great news about his family. His oldest daughter, Gabby, proposed to her partner, Victoria, and wedding bells are in their future for 2027. Gabby has also accepted a new position with Mastercard. Bob, our son, recently accepted an offer from Anheuser-Busch Inc. to start in August. Mimi, Bob's twin, has accepted a promotion at Boeing.

Brent Beckman, Ritenour Middle School director of bands, and his wife, Jayna, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Aug. 4. They’ve been together since he was a junior and she was a freshman in high school, and they married after graduating from LSU. In college, they marched together as part of the Louisiana State University Golden Band from Tigerland. Check out their photos from their days in the LSU Tiger Band in 1996, a wedding photo and a snapshot from their silver anniversary dinner.

Jason Boyd and Dr. Ted Frigillana, both Ritenour Middle School sixth-grade social studies teachers,  were selected earlier this year as 2026 Truman Presidential Teacher Fellows, out of thousands of applications from around the country. They attended a week-long summit in July at the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Mo., regarding the life of Harry Truman, listened to scholars from around the country, and got many great ideas to use in the classroom. 

Samantha Bueltmann, a Ritenour High School biology and zoology teacher, is beginning her 15th year at Ritenour after spending nine days on an educational trip to Costa Rica with fellow RHS teachers Katie Davis (social studies) and Paul Kennedy (art) along with 20 RHS students and recent alumni. During their time in Costa Rica, students experienced the country’s remarkable ecosystems, wildlife and culture firsthand. They encountered everything from monkeys, sloths and iguanas to crocodiles, colorful birds, tree frogs and geckos. Students planted an impressive 950 mangrove trees, swam in the ocean at Manuel Antonio National Park, visited a local elementary school, toured cacao and coffee plantations, and participated in dances with a local dance troupe. They also went ziplining, kayaking around a volcano, hiking to the bottom of a waterfall and visiting a hot springs.

Congratulations to Tara Burleson, a Ritenour substitute teacher, who was among 11 St. Louis-area teachers with WashU’s Institute of School Partnerships who presented capstone projects at the AT&T Digital Navigation Celebration at WashU's Danforth Campus in May. Tara is pictured with ISP Executive Director Vicki May and WashU Chancellor Andrew D. Martin along with her project.

Dr. L'Tanya Freeman, a Marvin Elementary fourth-grade teacher, proudly shares great news about her daughter, Jordan, who completed a sophomore summer undergraduate research program at Saint Louis University. Jordan presented her findings on the effects of nanodiamonds in enzyme replacement therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis. Her research explored how super-small diamonds could be used to correct genetic defects (mucopolysaccharidosis) that cause ailments like scoliosis, knocked knees, short stature and other conditions. Jordan was also accepted to Saint Louis University's School of Medicine for the 2028 school year, after the successful completion of her undergraduate studies at Xavier University in New Orleans.

Jessica Giesel, a Marion Elementary first grade teacher, celebrates the preschool graduation of her oldest son, Sean, and the excitement of starting kindergarten.

Elizabeth Green, Ritenour Middle School pre-algebra teacher, shares more family celebrations! Her son-in-law, Austin Caruthers, earned his wings in the U.S. Navy on July 24 at the Naval Air Station-Pensacola. He was pinned by Elizabeth’s daughter, Tatum, and granddaughter, Sage. Their son, Everett, was there to support his daddy, as well. They are already on their next adventure in LeMoore, CA.

Tavonda Palmer Harvey, director of Husky Academy, shared that her son, Kash Blue Harvey, graduated from Pre-K and is excited to start kindergarten.

Wendy Jackson, Human Resources manager, is excited to share that her daughter and husband were featured in this St. Louis American article.  The Jackson family celebrated 80 years of a family-owned business this summer! 

Fareda Lytle, a Ritenour Middle School English Learner teacher, officially launched the publication of her first children’s book, Rafael D. Leaf: A Journey Through the Seasons, during a wonderful, sold-out community book launch event in May. The book follows a leaf named Rafael as he journeys through the seasons while discovering lessons about change, growth, and the beauty found in each stage of life. It is geared toward elementary-aged readers and families and can serve as a wonderful addition to classroom libraries, home libraries, read-aloud moments, and gift-giving. Those interested in purchasing the book can find it here. 

Tawana Spencer, college and career counselor at RHS, was surprised with Beaumont High School's Legacy in Education Award this summer. She was asked to attend the 25th reunion for Beaumont's class of 2001. The class surprised her with the award for being an outstanding teacher during her tenure at the school.