Chris Frills is the proud Founding School Leader of KIPP Wonder Academy.

My entire life, I’ve dreamed of being a School Principal!

Growing up on the west side of Chicago, many life paths and opportunities were presented to me, but it was clear my gift was TEACHING and LEADING. 

From a young age, my mother instilled in my brother Nicolas and me the values of self-love, teamwork, curiosity, respect, and strength. Nicolas and I are just ten months apart, extremely close, and were often mistaken for twins growing up! Our mother reminded us every day that we could achieve anything to which we put our minds. This further affirmed my dreams to be a lead educator.

I had a great educational experience. As early as kindergarten, I was labeled as “gifted” and spent my entire academic career in advanced classes. I loved school and would eventually graduate top of my high school class and receive a full ride to a private school, Carleton College. 

For my brother, Nicolas, his educational experience was the exact opposite despite attending the same schools as me. He was an extraordinarily bright and well-mannered child, but Nicolas was deemed a “problem child,” and that label stuck in school. This impacted his entire educational career, and Nicolas did not enjoy school as I did.

I firmly believe my brother’s trajectory would have been different had he been in a supportive school environment with teachers that cared for him and knew his story. 

As I got older—my vision became clearer—one day, I would create a school where students are affirmed, and the same values my mother taught us would be seen in every classroom, student, and lesson, free of “labels” and full of affirmations.  

With that belief in mind, I founded KIPP Wonder Academy in 2019—a school that exemplifies Self-love, Teamwork, Asking Questions, Respect, and Strength—Our S.T.A.R Values! 

KIPP Wonder Academy is a public charter elementary school located in South St. Louis, Marine Villa neighborhood, currently serving students from Pre-Kindergarten to 2nd grade. By 2024, we will teach approximately 600 students in PK-4th grade.  

This year, we launched the first KIPP Pre-Kindergarten in Missouri! KIPP Wonder Academy partnered with SouthSide Early Childhood Center – an early childhood leader in St. Louis for more than 100 years – to create a pre-kindergarten that gives students a jumpstart. Next year, we will have four classrooms, serving 80 four-year-olds.

Because we are an elementary school, KIPP Wonder Academy is often a child’s first school experience. Our first goal is to ensure students learn self-love. This means they feel affirmed and accepted, just for being themselves, even starting in pre-kindergarten. From here, students discover that they can love school and learning.  

As a KIPP leader, my role as a Principal is to support teachers to become their very best and use my experiences to mentor and guide our youngest students. 

I’ve observed children who come directly into kindergarten without going to pre-kindergarten. There is a noticeable learning gap between the two types of students. Children who experience pre-kindergarten have already learned basic school etiquette such as raising their hand and soft skills such as building friendships with other students and communicating their feelings. 

Students who attend pre-kindergarten learn their letters, numbers, shapes, and colors even before kindergarten starts! Decades of research – including a recent report out of The University of Wash-St. Louis – back this up. 

Launching the KIPP Wonder Academy Pre-K program gives students from all walks of life an early start to loving themselves and learning. I can see the impact it’s having already – this year’s pre-kindergarten students are well on their way to becoming kindergarten-ready and loving school. 

Every child deserves to have the opportunity to learn self-love and create the future they want for themselves and their communities. Attending a high-quality pre-kindergarten program, such as the one offered at KIPP Wonder Academy, is an essential first step on that journey. 

Chris Frills is the proud Founding School Leader of KIPP Wonder Academy. Chris deeply believes that the children of St. Louis deserve the best education and have the potential to be the leaders of our city and our world. For more information about KIPP Wonder Pre-K-2nd grade, contact Chris at cfrills@kippstl.org or (507) 412-0460.