![American Sign Language (ASL) teacher Jessie Menchak helps freshman Jaquenette Wheatley with her project on a famous deaf person in 6th hour ASL II class. The presentation will be given throughout the week in class to show famous figures in the deaf community. “I try to impact students by letting them know they're in a safe space [and] that they can be comfortable here with the knowledge I'm on their team,” Menchak said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DSC_0005-1-900x600.jpg)
On the third floor at the end of the language hallway, American Sign Language (ASL) teacher Jessie Menchak greets her students as they walk into class, giving them a handshake and a welcoming smile before the bell.
Menchak is new to the district after returning to St. Louis from teaching in Iowa.
“I lived in Iowa for four years, but I decided to move back to St. Louis where I’m from. I taught deaf and hard of hearing students while I was in Iowa, and I wanted to continue that here,” Menchak said.
Menchak found the opportunity for her current position on the Parkway website and applied immediately.
“There are so many things I love about this job. My students are fantastic. I love what I do. I have the opportunity to come here and enjoy educating. I think all of the students in my classes are phenomenal. We just work together [and] we get through the tough stuff to get to the fun stuff and it works out,” Menchak said.
Menchak previously taught elementary, then moved to the high school level. She currently teaches ASL I, ASL II and ASL III, but the curriculum is not completely finished for ASL II and III.
“We have a base, but the curriculum we have right now, with the exception of ASL I, is still in progress. Nothing else has been set up in automatic units. I’m taking a curriculum right now and trying to match it to Parkway,” Menchak said.
Menchak encourages all students to get involved with the deaf community.
“I want my students to have a better understanding of the language, a better understanding of the culture and I want them to have tools when they go out into the world to educate other people, even if it’s on a surface level,” Menchak said.
Menchak sponsors the ASL Club, which meets every other Thursday before school. The club combines hearing and deaf cultures as well as exposes ASL learners to what conversations in sign language look like.
“It has granted me way more patience than I ever thought I could have from teaching little mini-kids to high school students. You have to have the stamina, you have to be able to go all day [and] you may run around like a chicken with your head cut off, but still have to come across as ‘I got my cool’ and it’s just renewed my love for people,” Menchak said
![Alongside club sponsors Andrea Horn and Tim Burkard, assistant principal Kate Piffel prompts a discussion at the first Black Student Union (BSU) meeting. She accepted suggestions for BSU from members like BSU Leader and junior Tanatswa Zirengani, who moved from Zimbabwe in 2021. “Moving here and transitioning into a new school [and] lifestyle, [BSU] became [a place] where I could be myself and talk about issues that I felt comfortable talking about back home. BSU [also] gave me the opportunity to venture into the post-high-school experience, telling me [some] things to expect,” Zirengani said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DSC_0120-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Junior TJ Polack plays his saxophone solo at halftime for the 2024 marching band show, ‘Coloring Book.’ This year, Polack was one of two soloists in the marching band. “[Polack] is very hard on himself. [His saxophone solo] sounds amazing [and] everyone [cheers] for him; [still], somehow, he thinks it’s a bad performance and he's down. What he does is not easy. It takes a lot of confidence as a person [and] a lot of musical skill to be expressive, and he's doing an amazing job,” drum major and senior Dominic Perez said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/462488499_2973926416100522_5057718068659607183_n-1200x925.jpg)
![Sophomore Isaiah Meese smiles after his Eagle Scout Ceremony. Meese has participated in the scouting program since first grade, learning new aspects of life and growing a community of a second family. “I almost didn’t do [boy scouting], but I'm glad I eventually did start doing it. I regret that I wasn't [working towards Eagle Scout during COVID]. It might not always seem like the most rewarding thing, but if you put your time into it, there's a good chance you'll get quite a lot out of it: friends, new activities and hobbies, or just more experience,” Meese said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_1004-1200x800.jpg)
![Junior Justin Lutz arranges his collection of basketball sports cards. Lutz started his first hand at entrepreneurship with an online store on eBay, dealing and trading in the sports card market. “I was already collecting sports cards [before], so I knew a lot of these players and I understood the market. I ventured into other sports, but I really stayed with the ones that I knew the most, [like] basketball. It’s really important to focus on what you know because it's so much easier than starting completely from scratch in a market that you don't understand. Find something that you're interested in," Lutz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Untitled-design-2.png)
![Standing in front of the American Sign Language program’s mural, junior Brooke Hoenecke signs with freshman Darren Young. Hoenecke began cadet teaching for ASL this year alongside working towards earning her seal of biliteracy. “I was in ASL class when I received the email [that I qualified for the seal]. I was jumping up and down with my teacher and the rest of the class. One of the reasons why I took cadet teaching this year was so that I could prepare for the Seal of Biliteracy and be immersed in ASL,” Hoenecke said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hoenecke.jpeg)
![With a keen eye for detail, senior Natalie Lashly writes her signature onto the senior hand wall. After some encouragement from her friends, Lashly applied to make the hand wall with her Lorax-inspired design. "I thought the [bright] colors would be fun. Our quote on the wall is 'Let us grow,’ based on the 'Let it grow' song [from the movie]. [I was hoping that the design would] make the cafeteria feel more exciting," Lashly said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0099-1200x801.jpg)
![Walking onto the field, freshman Erastus Adewusi wears a pink jersey in remembrance of cancer awareness month. With the number seven on his jersey, Adewusi reflects on his life in Nigeria before moving to America. “I [used to wake up] at 5:30 a.m. and school would end at 5 p.m. [versus] now,” Adewusi said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0029-1200x800.jpg)
Vickie jones • Jan 18, 2020 at 6:13 am
You should really interview Jessica Runge who CREATED the ASL program at PWMS. Without her program, there would not be an ASL program at West High or the online program that is available to other Parkway high school students.