T.S. Eliot wrote, "And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." Nowhere is that truer than at Confluence Academies this spring. As the school year draws to a close across four campuses, it is worth celebrating what scholars have accomplished — in classrooms, on stages, on the track and beyond. These are endings worth celebrating because of where they lead.
Reading the future: Early literacy gains signal lasting change
The numbers tell a compelling story. Across grades 2 through 11, Confluence Academies students increased their reading scores by more than a full year on NWEA benchmark assessments. For the youngest learners — kindergarten through second grade — the results are even more striking: the number of students performing in the top quartile more than doubled!
Behind those numbers is a community-wide commitment to early literacy that goes beyond the classroom.
At Old North Academy, The Believe Projects has brought authors directly to students, creating culturally rich reading experiences designed to meet children where they are.
“The Believe Projects inspires kids to become confident and competent readers before the end of third grade,” said Julius B. Anthony, president and founder of The Believe Projects. “Third grade reading determines success in school and in life — and everything we do is built around that truth.”
At South City Academy, families gather before school each month for Leyendo Con Familia — sharing a bite to eat and reading together, weaving literacy into family time.
Parents will remember the excitement of “Reading Rainbow” — and the beloved PBS program is back. South City Academy was thrilled to welcome Mychal Threets, the program’s new host, who energized a room full of young readers and generously donated 200 copies of his new book to the school. New episodes of “Reading Rainbow” can be found here.
College decision day: Goals realized, futures announced
Each spring, one of the most anticipated events across Confluence Preparatory Academy and Grand Center Arts Academy is College Decision Day — a celebration that is part ceremony, part inspiration and entirely earned.
This year, over 100 seniors stepped forward to announce their plans to attend universities, technical schools and the military, with destinations including Harris-Stowe State University, Morehouse College, Hampton University, Emerson, Berklee College of Music, Saint Louis University, SIUE, Philander Smith University, University of Missouri-St. Louis and St. Louis Community College.
“College Decision Day is about the realization that goals have been achieved,” said Dr. Cierra Wourman, Ph.D., college and career counselor. “When students make that announcement in front of their peers, it matters — because their peers are watching, and they are being reminded that this is possible for them, too. This ceremony is a living part of our commitment to removing barriers and creating real pathways to post-secondary access and opportunity.”
More than a race: Track and field, and the power of athletic community
Track and field is offered at every Confluence Academies campus, and its reach extends well beyond the finish line. For student athletes across the network, the sport is a vehicle for growth — physical, personal and communal.
“What we are building through athletics at Confluence goes beyond wins and losses,” said Angela Prebianca, athletic and activities director for Confluence Academies. “We want our students to develop a growth mindset — to measure themselves against their own personal records, set goals and understand how the skills they build on the track translate directly into life. Communication, leadership, problem-solving, conflict resolution, networking — these are the things that follow our athletes into high school, into college and into their careers. And that mindset filters all the way down to our middle school athletes. This isn’t just a high school conversation.”
That philosophy is paying off in tangible ways. Confluence student athletes have earned athletic and academic scholarships across multiple sports, including track and field, football, cross country, cheerleading and esports — a rapidly growing program that is opening new pathways to college scholarships and careers in technology and gaming. The school’s smaller campus size creates more opportunities for students to participate, compete and find success — not just as athletes, but as leaders within their communities.
From Grand Boulevard to the world’s stage: GCAA seniors ready to shine
At Grand Center Arts Academy, arts education is not an elective — it is the foundation. And for seniors Safiya Austin-El and Langston Casey, their time at GCAA has produced a record of achievement that speaks for itself.
The two students placed first and third, respectively, in the Fox Theatre Teen Talent Competition. They performed at the Martin Luther King Day celebration at the St. Louis Art Museum. They led the cast of GCAA’s spring production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” which earned a Ken Page Award nomination for Outstanding Musical, with Casey earning a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor.
And now, as their chapter at GCAA closes, both are headed toward extraordinary futures — and a busy summer on St. Louis stages. Austin-El will pursue Musical Theater at the Norwalk Conservatory and will perform in COCA’s production of “The Little Mermaid.” Casey will study Musical Theater at Carnegie Mellon University. Both will also perform at The Muny this summer.
For Austin-El, what made GCAA exceptional wasn’t just the opportunity — it was the people.
“There are a lot of talented people here, and everyone who comes to GCAA is dedicated to bettering themselves and their craft,” she said. “It’s very collaborative, very supportive — everyone feels welcomed. We have things here that set us apart — lip sync battles, talent shows, walking field trips to the Symphony, High Noon at Kranzberg, The Fox — workshops with the actual actors performing on that stage. That kind of immersive, one-on-one experience: Other schools don’t have that. We do.”
That experience — rooted in the Grand Center Arts District and strengthened by partnerships with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, The Fox Theatre and Kranzberg Arts Foundation — is exactly what Confluence Academies has spent years building across its campuses: a community where students discover who they are and leave on a path toward college, career and a future filled with possibility.
For more information about Confluence Academies or to schedule a tour at any of the campuses, visit confluenceacademy.org. Confluence Academies is currently enrolling students for the 2026-2027 school year.
