The Ladue Way of love, appreciation, and dedication for our students—while uplifting everyone—has been on full display this holiday season. Across the district, students, staff, schools, and clubs came together to support one another and make a meaningful impact in our community.

From Spoede Elementary, which helped provide Thanksgiving dinners for families in need, to Conway Elementary, led by second-grade teacher Dr. Audra Smith, who collected 59 boxes of food and toiletries for the Jefferson Barracks Patriot Pantry in honor of her late husband, the spirit of giving was strong at our elementary schools. That generosity extended to Reed Elementary, where Girl Scout troops hosted a non-perishable food drive, and to Ladue Early Childhood Center (LECC), where students and families also contributed to collecting food—both efforts benefiting the St. Louis Area Food Bank. Together, these initiatives highlight how our youngest learners are already making a big difference.

Each year, our students, staff, and the District’s Student Services Department dedicate the December holiday season to service, and this year was no exception.

One of Ladue’s longest-running traditions, Old Bonhomme Elementary’s Giving Assembly, celebrated its 45th year with remarkable generosity. Students and families nearly doubled the school’s goal of 2,000 items, collecting an incredible 3,420 items of food, clothing, toys, books, hygiene products, and household goods for local community organizations.

Giving efforts were also strong at the secondary level. Ladue Horton Watkins High School’s Brother2Brother food drive collected eight boxes of food and personal care items weighing 414 pounds and valued at $757.62 for Operation Food Search, while Ladue Middle School students gathered more than 5,000 items through their Student Council’s annual food drive.

Student leadership was on full display at the Fifth Grade Center during its Penny Wars fundraiser, led by student ambassadors Korbin Stewart and Ashton Bush. The school’s four teams competed to collect the most pennies, with silver coins and paper money strategically used to impact team scores while still contributing to the overall total. In the end, the Dragons raised $2,241.47, which was matched fivefold by the Speer Foundation, and donated to Breakthrough (T1D), a leading global nonprofit organization focused on research and advocacy for improving the lives of people with type 1 diabetes.

All of these efforts culminated in our annual Holiday Happiness Gift Drive, which has now come to a close. “Our team did an outstanding job coordinating the many behind-the-scenes details, partnering with our parent associations, and supporting families across the district,” said Danielle Green, Ladue Schools Social Worker. “This year, the program reached more students than ever before, serving 96 families. The gift drive was a tremendous success and a cherished tradition made possible by the generosity of our staff, community, and anonymous donors. We are deeply grateful for the continued support that helps make this program so meaningful year after year.”

This season of giving reflects the heart of Ladue Schools—where compassion, service, and community come together to make us truly #LadueProud.