Tradition, Celebrations and Academic Excellence Begin New School Year

Traditions and Activities
Barstow boasts more than 140 years’ of academic excellence and school traditions. This fall, the Class of 2026 kicked off our year with another Senior Sunrise, as we welcomed a record 800 students to campus on August 14. It was also the first day of school for new President & Head of School Art Hall, and the launch of our new school brand statement, "Where You Belong." 

Faculty and student representatives delivered advice and charges to each upper school class during Convocation on Aug. 28. This ceremony designed to build connections among grade levels and set the tone for a successful school year.

The first semester also included Barstow’s Mini College Fair. Representatives from dozens of top colleges and universities visited campus during the first week of September. More than 20 participated in the mini college fair, including Creighton University, Saint Louis University and University of San Diego. College Counseling’s mini fair helps students prepare for the application and interview process during their junior and senior years.

New this year, seniors painted personalized parking spots to show off their interests, school spirit and Knights pride. And of course, returning fall favorites included Harvest Festival with a crowd of over 1,000 students, parents, faculty and friends on campus, the kick-off of Kindergarten-Senior Buddy activities and the fall athletics pep assembly, featuring the cheer and dance teams, fun games and a fiercely competitive faculty-senior volleyball game.

Vibrant Arts Performances
Campus grew to nearly twice its normal size as early childhood and lower school welcomed visitors for Grandparent and Special Friends Day in October. Each grade performed music selections, then invited guests to join them in their classrooms for activities and photos. It’s one of our favorite days of the year! 

Lower school celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a flamenco to recognize and celebrate Hispanic history and culture. The group “45° Flamenco” presented traditional music and dance from Mexico, Cuba and Spain for lower school students in the auditorium. Performers included a dancer in traditional costume, a singer, guitarist and percussionist. Between numbers, they discussed the cultural, historical and regional significance of each piece of music.

Sixteen students are preparing to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland, this summer with the Barstow Theatre to perform in Festival Fringe! In September, the group participated in a Coterie Theatre workshop as they prepare to write, stage and act in an original play.

Audiences packed the Raymond B. White Auditorium Oct. 16-18 for the upper school musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.” Filled with song, dance and diabolical laughs, "Little Shop" follows humble flower shop assistant Seymour (Deuce Chanos, sophomore) and his discovery of a mysterious—and carnivorous—plant (Sanjeev Adma, senior) that changes his life forever. 

Work to bring the show to life began with rehearsals in August, as students honed their acting, vocal and dance performances. Backstage, student technicians, costumers and prop makers created the lighting, perfected the sound and engineered special effects that completed the production. These complicated elements were crucial to setting the show's campy, comic style. 

The Barstow Singers, the school’s talented ensemble group, which opened the program at our annual Green & White Gala on Oct. 18. Two of the group’s members, senior Sanjeev Adma and junior Cole Mueller, have been selected to perform with the prestigious SATB All-District Honor Choir Oct. 28.

Fall Athletics
The girls tennis team competed in the Class 3 District Tennis Tournament on Friday, Oct. 10, pitting the Knights against the biggest and best teams in Missouri. In keeping the long tradition of Barstow district doubles champions, senior Sonya Shkuta and sophomore Any Stanojevic, the #1 seed, received a bye in the first round, then rolled to the district championship game. Sonya and Anya won the District 7 Doubles Championship and a trip to the Missouri State Tournament Oct. 23-24.

Girls volleyball welcomed hundreds of fans for the team’s annual Pink Out Night to raise funds for breast cancer research on Oct. 16.

Middle school teams celebrated big conference wins to close out their seasons. The volleyball A-team won the Crossroads Championship on Oct. 18, and four cross country runners earned conference medals that same day, including first place finisher Sebastian Johnson and second place finisher Henry Roth.

Upper school cross country runners Elizabeth Patry placed 7th All-Conference and Kristina Pistelakova finished 11th in one of the biggest meets of the season, and boys soccer continues play into November, with the district and sectional championships hosted on the Barstow campus.

Academic Accolades
The school celebrated another year of National Merit Scholarship excellence this quarter. Three seniors are National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, and five more are Commended Scholars. Our signature debate program is off to an amazing start with a novice Policy Debate Championship at the Jacci Langston Wildcat Classic. 

In middle school, grade 6 students completed an interdisciplinary unit based on their reading of the novel, “Trash,” with a capstone project presentation at our STEAM learning center, IDEA Space KC.

And we’re looking forward to being a pilot school in the launch of the National Elementary Art Society, and grades 4 and 5 competing in the Burns & McDonnell Battle of the Brains STEM education and design competition again this year.