Patch Whiz Kid: Rachel Antoinette Morgan  School: Freshman at Hazelwood Central Senior High School Accomplishment: Rachel was selected as a pianist to entertain for The Legacy and Evolution of Gospel Music event at Sheldon Concert Hall recently. She performed Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66. Key to Awesomeness: Since she was a young girl, Rachel has practiced her piano talent and has had a number of accomplishments along the way. She won the junior talent competition of the Preteen Missouri Scholarship and Recognition Program, first runner-up in talent for the Preteen …

Taran Manuel Name, Class: Taran Manuel, fifth grade School: Cool Valley Elementary School (in Ferguson-Florissant District) Accomplishment: Taran published his first book, Mark’s Addiction: With no hope, there is no understanding. Key to Awesomeness: While attending the four-week RISEN Foundation’s “RISEN Publishing Camp 4 Kids,” Taran learning about writing styles and how to publish books. He was inspired during the camp in hearing stories about substance abuse and, in turn, decided to write a book. Mark’s Addiction focuses on substance abuse and how it affects a community.  Since being …

○      Name, Class: Austin Gomes, Eighth Grade ○      School: Hazelwood Northwest Middle School ○      Accomplishment: Austin raised close to $600 for the 2011 Tour de Cure. ○      Key to Awesomeness: Although Austin helped raise funds for Tour de Cure, which is an annual cycling event to raise money for curing diabetes, he loves racing and turned that into a positive. Through students and staff, he worked to fundraise for that tour, and he worked to compete in others. This past summer, he raced in Tour de Cure, Tour de Grove, Tour de Donut, the O’Fallon Gold Cup and the Show-Me State Games. …

Whiz Kid’s Name: Therrance Carrothers, 16 Whiz Kid’s School: McCluer High School Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Carrothers, who will be a junior at McCluer this fall, completed the University of Missouri, St. Louis’ four-week Bridge program. The program is targeted at students underserved by universities and colleges and provides college access programming to students and parents. It offers students academic, social, college and career planning and professional development courses, and is led by UMSL professors and administrators. The program concluded with an awards ceremony Thursday at the …

Bryce Berry, TeVon Collins, Kel-Sei Dinkins, Quinten Eiland, Anthony Johnson, Jared Orange and Alexzander Totton Grade: Seventh grade School: Hazelwood North Middle School Accomplishment: These seven students will attend the Joseph Baldwin Academy for Eminent Young Scholars at Truman State University. Key to Awesomeness: Bryce, TeVon, Kel-Sei, Quinten, Anthony, Jared and Alexzander will spend three weeks on the campus of Truman State University to get a head start and a hands-on approach to what a college freshman feels. According to the district press release, “These students rank in the …

Hazelwood Central Band Students Name, Class: Brian Jacob, tuba solo, I rating (superior); Barry Goins, Jasmine Alade-Fe, saxophone trio, II rating; and Donovan Gilliam, saxophone trio, II rating.  School: Hazelwood Central Senior High School Accomplishment: Brian, Barry and Jasmine were three of 13 students who qualified to participate in the 60th Annual Missouri State High School Activities Association State Music Festival.   Key to Awesomeness: Although the music festival name denotes that the children get a chance to perform in a statewide festival, it serves as a way for students to be …

Unfortunately, we don’t have a Whiz Kid for this week. We need your help to turn it around next week and have a nomination on the screen.  Summer is fast approaching, and while school won’t be in session, the kids are still doing great things in their communities. We want parents, officials, neighbors or anyone interested to nominate little ones for how great they are. Whether they made the honor roll or took home their second A+ in a row, we want to hear about it, so let us know what’s happening with your little one, and you could see their face on Florissant Patch. Each week, Florissant …

Jennifer Boston, Kenya Turner, Darby Dachroeden and Jacqueline Schultz Grade: 10 School: McCluer High School, McClur North High School Accomplishment: All four scored spots in the Missouri Scholars Academy for this summer. Key to Awesomeness: The 2011 Missouri Scholars Academy is a competitive program for 330 gifted students who are preparing to enter their junior year, and four sophomores earned spots into the program. The program is held at the University of Missouri for three weeks in the summertime. The program is designed to assist gifted students realize their full potential.

Andrea Smith, Connor McPartland Grade: 12 School: Hazelwood Central High School Accomplishment: Andrea scored a 33 on the October ACT exam, and Connor scored a 31 on the December ACT. Key to Awesomeness: Andrea and Connor kept their cool and calm to attain the scores they desired on the ACT. Each took the test more than once to attain a better score. Connor took advantage of the after-school ACT workshops offered by the Hazelwood School District. Andrea plans to attend the University of Missouri-St. Louis and take advantage of the Bright Flight scholarship program along with other …

Patch Whiz Kid: Destiny West Whiz Kid's Names: Destiny West, Fifth Grade Whiz Kid's School/Church/Community Center: McNair Elementary School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Destiny has become a published poet as she was recently published in the 2011 Young Writers of America student anthology. Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Destiny wrote a poem that would inspire people to look at the bad and change it. “People will feel changed and want to make changes – such as not littering and picking up trash instead and not killing animals,” she said in a press release. She chose the theme, “The World as I …

Kaley Reedy Name, Class: Kaley Reedy, Eighth Grade School: Northwest Middle School Accomplishment: Kaley, along with assistance from classmates and school administrators, has organized a clothing and personal hygiene drive to benefit Hopeville, a homeless community in St. Louis. Key to Awesomeness: After seeing the Hopeville community, following her soccer team’s participating in another drive, Kaley decided she wanted to do more for the community. After speaking with student council, her principal, the school’s PTA and making a number of presentations to classrooms, Kaley was able to start …

Name, Class: McKenzie Grabish, Senior School: Hazelwood Central Senior High School Accomplishment: McKenzie took home the Best of Show prize at the Young Artists’ Showcase at the St. Louis Art Guild. Key to Awesomeness: McKenzie’s winning piece in the showcase was a ceramic piece called, For the Love of the Fallen Soldier, which she plans to sell. Following high school, McKenzie wants to attend Southern Illinois University and major in art. After earning her degree, she wants to become a ceramics teacher.

  Whiz Kid's Names: Brooke Bommarito, Second Grade Whiz Kid's School/Church/Community Center: Barrington Elementary School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: After being inspired by the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Brooke started a campaign to warn others of the danger of texting while driving. Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Brooke took the initiative and made the commitment to help others stop texting and driving. She’s created a pledge form for the Remember Alex Brown campaign, who was the family’s daughter who died in a car crash involving texting and driving. She’s set a goal to have …

Breanna Lockette Whiz Kid's Name(s), Age(s)/Class: Breanna Lockette, Senior Whiz Kid's School: McCluer North High School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Breanna recently received a $1,000 scholarship from the Greater North County Chamber of Commerce. Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Breanna has a thought-out plan from high school to retirement. She plans to major in accounting at St. Louis University, and after becoming a certified public accountant, open an office in the North County area. After she retires, Breanna plans to become a district for the Ferguson-Florissant school district to share her…

Patch Whiz Kid: Ymani Wince ○      Whiz Kid's Name, Class: Ymani Wince, Junior ○      Whiz Kid's School: McCluer North High School ○      Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Wince was selected to be a representative for the state of Missouri as a National Youth Correspondent in the 2011 Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University. ○      Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Wince has demonstrated excellent academic accomplishments as well as a burning desire to pursue the journalism field. Earlier this year, Wince received a $1000 scholarship from the Greater St. Louis Association …

Whiz Kid's Name, Age: Alexander Jackson, 12 Whiz Kid's School: Cross Keys Middle School, Ferguson-Florissant School District Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Alexander not only skipped from fourth grade to sixth grade, but he has continued to earn straight A’s in middle school. Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Alexander continues to work hard at home by completing his homework and doing extra work throughout the summer from workbooks. He maintains not only A’s but A-pluses as well.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a Whiz Kid for this week. We need your help to turn it around next week and have a nomination on the screen. We want parents to nominate your little ones for how great they are. Whether they made the honor roll or took home their second A+ in a row, we want to hear about it, so let us know what’s happening with your little one, and you could see their face on Florissant Patch.  Each week, Florissant Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual  kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about…

Candyce Ussery ○      Whiz Kid's Name(s), Class: Candyce Ussery, Senior ○      Whiz Kid's School: Hazelwood Central Senior High School ○      Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Ussery recently received an athletic scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University. ○      Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: For the past four years, Candyce Ussery has helped the Hawks to successful seasons and close to state title runs as well as held a number of honors, such as being ranked by ESPN.com as No. 54 in top point guards across the country. She also has aspirations outside of basketball, such as becoming a …

Jade Hillery, Dereis Lambert Whiz Kids' Name/Age: Jade Hillery,17; Dereis Lambert, 16 Whiz Kids' School: McCluer High School Whiz Kids' Accomplishment: Hillery and Lambert won accolades for their first-place performance of A Raisin in the Sun. Whiz Kids' Key to Awesomeness: Jade Hillery and Dereis Lambert, as a part of McCluer High School’s Thespian Troupe 787, have excelled in the group by not only having achievements for their performance of A Raisin in the Sun, but for having the honor to represent the state of Missouri at the National Thespian Convention in Lincoln, NE later this year. …

Whiz Kid's Name, Age: Sean Bradford, 13 Whiz Kid's School: Ferguson Middle School, Ferguson-Florissant School District Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Sean saved a fellow student who was choking during lunch. Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Seventh-grader Sean saved his classmate, Keyshon Wright, from choking on a chip by giving abdominal thrusts and back blows. He had also previously saved his little brother from choking on a hot dog. He learned the maneuver, which is formerly called the Heimlich maneuver, from a paramedic. His key? Being selfless to the concern of others in a time of need.