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STRETCH Gifted Program

Welcome to Mehlville Gifted Education

The Mehlville School District Gifted Education program provides unique, challenging learning experiences for intellectually advanced students in grades K-8. Our program modifies the regular curriculum to ensure students are appropriately challenged while nurturing their academic, intellectual and social-emotional development alongside their intellectual peers.

Our gifted program, STRETCH (Supplementary Teaching Resources for Educationally Talented Children), is a state-assisted program that complies with all Missouri state guidelines.

  • Grades 1-5: Identified students attend classes once a week at the STRETCH Center, located at Beasley Elementary School
  • Grades 6-8: Identified students participate in gifted programming as part of their daily middle school schedule.

Gifted Identification Process

Admission to the STRETCH program follows specific pathways depending on your student's grade level or transfer status.

Universal Screening (Grades 1 and 3)

All Mehlville first and third-grade students participate in a nationally normed gifted pathway assessment series for universal consideration. This series measures verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative reasoning skills. Families will be notified if their student qualifies to move forward in the evaluation process.

Teacher Recommendation (Grades K, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7)

  • Process: Recommendations are requested at the end of the first semester. The gifted assessment series is then administered early in the second semester.
  • Parochial Students: This same process applies to parochial school students who reside within the Mehlville School District boundaries.
  • Notification: Families will be notified if their student qualifies to move forward.

Further Assessment (Individual IQ Testing)

If a student meets the initial eligibility criteria and requires further assessment, they will be invited to complete individual IQ testing administered by a district school psychologist.

Transfer Students 

Students transferring into the Mehlville School District may submit intelligence test results from their former district.

  • Criteria: Test scores must be at or above the 95th percentile, and the assessment must be comparable to those used by Mehlville.
  • Deadlines: Test results must be received by our office at least one week before the start of the semester. Information received after this deadline will be reviewed for the following semester.

2026-2027 STRETCH Supplies

For students new to STRETCH for 2026-2027 School Year:

12-pocket spiral pocket folder (with a back pouch). Note: Buy early, as these often sell out by August. Feel free to substitute with a cheaper, similar alternative.

Optional:
The STRETCH teachers welcome donations from their Amazon wish list.

STRETCH Schedules and Calendars

The STRETCH Center is located at Beasley Elementary at 3131 Koch Rd, St. Louis, MO 63125.

Weekly Schedule

Students attend the STRETCH Center one day per week based on their home school:

Monday - Hagemann, Trautwein: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Tuesday - Oakville, Blades: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Wednesday - Beasley, Forder, Wohlwend: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Thursday - Rogers and Point: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Friday - MOSAIC, Bierbaum: 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Important Calendar Notes:

  • Schedule is Tentative: As of June 1, 2026, this weekly rotation is tentative until early August and may change once student testing is finalized.
  • Flexible Event Dates (*): The calendar notes standard days off and three specific event dates marked with an asterisk (*). Only these asterisked events are subject to change. If adjustments are made, families will be notified well in advance.

First Semester Calendar

August 27 (Thursday) - STRETCH Open House*
August 31  (Monday) - STRETCH Classes Begin
September 7 (Monday) - No School

October 12  (Monday) No School
October 26 (Monday) - STRETCH Conferences
October 30 (Friday) - No classes at Center - Early Release Day due to conferences 

November 2  (Monday) - No School - District Closed
November 3 (Tuesday) - No School
November 17 (Tuesday) - STRETCH Family Game Night*
November 25-27 - Thanksgiving - No School

December 22 (Tuesday) - No Classes
December 23 - January 4 - No School – Winter Break

Second Semester Calendar

January 5 (Tuesday) - STRETCH Classes Resume (2nd semester begins!)
January 18 (Monday) - No School

February 15 (Monday) - No School
February 26 - 3rd grade Creative Convention - more details to come

March 9 (Tuesday)  No School
March 15 - 19 - No school – Spring Break
March 29 (Monday) - No School

April 6 (Tuesday) - No School
April 12 - April 16 - Field Trip Week (Day of the week will be determined by grade level instead of by school for this week!)

May 6 (Thursday) - STRETCH Spring Showcase*
May 17 (Monday) - No School
May 19 (Wednesday) - Last Day of STRETCH (tentative)

Contact Information

Dr. Whitney Maus
Executive Director of Teacher, Learning and Professional Development
314-467-5156
mausw@msdr9.org

Shawna Olejniczak
School Psychologist
314-467-7955
olejniczaks@msdr9.org

Amanda Hebden
Administrative Assistant - Gifted Education
314-467-5155
hebdena@msdr9.org

If you  have questions about your child's STRETCH class, please contact the teacher.