VIENNA — Vienna High School Principal Tim Metcalf informed the Maries R-1 School Board of some recent activities during the board’s Nov. 28 meeting.

A giving tree is standing near the high school entrance. At the start, it had ornaments on it that listed an item a local family needs. Students and staff could remove the ornament and purchase the item. All the original ornaments are gone, so Maintenance and Facilities Supervisor Mike Shaughnessy donated hats and gloves to hang on the tree if anyone needs them.

About 40 veterans attended the Veterans Day assembly on Nov. 10. Metcalf recognized the Eagle Pride Band, VHS choir, student council, National Honor Society officers and student speakers for their roles in making the assembly happen.

The Vienna Eagles Cross Country team hosted the Fourth Annual Turkey Trot on Nov. 18. All the proceeds from the race went to the district food drive. The food drive collected about 1,300 items.

Staff and students have begun participating in “Thankful Thursdays” on the third Thursday of each month. For the first month, students and teachers wrote positive affirmation notes to stick on doors around the school. During the second month, students made “thank you” cards for veterans.

Students in the business class wrote letters to businesses that interested them. Three students received responses and autographs from their chosen businesses: Realtree, the Kansas City Chiefs and Johnny Depp.

The food and nutrition class cooked pumpkin pies to take home for Thanksgiving. Metcalf said he did not get to try them, but they looked very good.

The child development class had been studying genetics. During an assignment, they flipped coins to determine what genes appeared as dominant or recessive in theoretical children.

“It created these babies that looked very, very odd,” Metcalf said.

Middle school health students completed projects about peer pressure. Presentations included PowerPoints, poems and songs created by students.

High school health students did a program through the Meramec Regional Planning Commission called Seeking Safety. It included topics such as decision-making, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The student council has been learning how to run a small business by selling hot chocolate and coffee to students and staff once per week.

Metcalf recognized senior Claudia Wieberg for signing with Drury University Cheer.

Sophomores took a trip to Rolla Technical Institute to decide if they wanted to sign up for one of the programs next year.

All the middle school and high school students planning on joining the district’s new archery program have completed their training.

The VHS choir accepted an invitation to join the Third Annual Capitol Christmas Choir. They will perform on Dec. 6 in Jefferson City.

About 85 families were represented at the middle school and high school parent-teacher conferences.

Metcalf also shared an update on the attendance rates for the middle school and high school so far this year. He said the numbers he had shared previously this year had been lower than they were because of a miscalculation of Visitation Inter-Parish School students who come to the district for only one class.

The district’s attendance goal is to have at least 90 percent of students with 90 percent or better attendance. At the middle school this year, 93.8 percent of students have at least 90 percent attendance. At the high school, 94.9 percent of students have at least 90 percent attendance.