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Henry Happenings
September 25, 2023
Principal Message
I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. Postponing movie night on Friday was recommended by our movie rental company due to the forecast. Sadly, it did not even rain! Isn't that the way it always goes when you are being cautious? We will look to reschedule this event for the spring. Stay tuned for the new date!
If you walk or drop your child off at Henry, you may have seen our new SRO observing and being present at our arrival. He is just getting to know our school and processes! Please see his introduction further into the newsletter.
Here's to a great week!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jodi Oliver
Upcoming Dates
September 28 - Project Parkway @ 5:30 PM at Parkway Central High School
September 29 - 2nd Grade In-Class Music Performance @ 2:55 PM Ms. Shillcutt's Class
October 2 - 2nd Grade In-Class Music Performance @ 2:55 PM Ms. Brewer's Class
October 2 - Mental Health Night Virtual Webinar @ 6:30 PM
October 3 - Tab Top Collection Day
October 3 - Reader in Me Turn-In Deadline @ 9:30 AM
October 3 - 2nd Grade In-Class Music Performance @ 2:55 PM Ms. Fischer's Class
October 4 - Walk and Bike to School Day
October 4 - 2nd Grade In-Class Music Performance @ 2:55 PM Mr. Donohoo's Class
October 6 - Reader in Me Prize Distribution 9:05 AM
October 10 - PTO Restaurant Night at Culver's (Manchester) 5 PM
October 11 - 3rd Grade Field Trip to Zoo
October 12 - Early Release, 2:05 PM Dismissal at Henry
October 13 - No School (Fall Break)
October 16 - No School (Fall Break)
Welcome to our new SRO, Officer Mike Hitchcock
Mike Hitchcock of the Ballwin Police Department, has been assigned as the new Ballwin Police Elementary School Resource Officer effective 09-18-2023 at Henry. Officer Hitchcock has 37 plus years of experience as a police officer and spent 4 years as the school resource officer at Morgan Selvidge Middle School in the Rockwood School District. He said he looks forward to interacting with students and adds that he has quite a bit of personal experience as the father of 5 and grandfather to 13. Please say hello when you see him and feel free to bring to his attention any questions or concerns.
Screen4Success Upcoming Virtual Mental Health Night 10/2
Upcoming is first virtual mental health night on October 2nd, 6:30 - 7:30. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a program called Screen4Success for parents to discuss drug and alcohol use with their kids. SAMHSA and a representative from The Alliance for Healthy Communities will present on the topic. See the flyer below for more information.
A Note from Mrs. Goyal, Librarian
Henry Elementary is welcoming author/illustrator Sarah Sax on Tuesday, October 17th. Sarah will be visiting grades 3-5 and will talk about her new graphic novel Picture Day, as well as her acclaimed book series Escape this Book. Sarah Sax is an illustrator and comic artist based in Portland, Maine. She studied illustration, animation, and storytelling at Hampshire College and has a background in arts education. Sarah cares deeply about how, why, and what people create, and she works to foster the creative spark in makers of all ages. You can visit Sarah online at SarahSax.me, and learn more about her books here.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Goyal at agoyal@parkwayschools.net. If you do NOT want your child to attend the author visit during school please email Mrs. Goyal to opt out.
Henry will be participating in a new virtual author visit service called BookBreak this year. With BookBreak our students will hear from bestselling authors and illustrators every month. Students may attend a live streaming or watch a recording at a later time.
Here is a list of the upcoming authors and illustrators:
September: Peter Reynolds (K-3), Kelly Yang (4-5)
October: Dan Santat (K-2), Kate DiCamillo (3-5)
November: Lauren Castillo (K-2), Jeff Gottesfeld (3-5)
December: Jon Klassen (K-1), Raul the Third (2-3), Tracey Baptiste (4-5)
January: Jeff Kinney (4th-5th)
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mrs. Goyal.
Digital Flyer Delivery
As a reminder, Parkway School District uses Peachjar to send school information and approved flyers from community organizations digitally. In addition to important school events and information, these flyers contain programs and events offered throughout your community that help your child succeed. After-school sports, local family events, free community programs, and college prep are just a handful of the resources found in our district’s Peachjar emails.
To ensure the smooth delivery of this communication, we suggest you add “school@peachjar.com” to your email contacts. When you receive your first Peachjar email, be sure to click “Always display images.”
A Note from Nurse Munch
1) The Visiting Nurses Association will be at Henry Elementary on October 18th to administer flu immunizations. If you would like for your child to receive the flu immunization, you will need to complete the attached Vaccine Consent Form and send in a copy of your insurance card. All forms need to be submitted by October 12th. The list of accepted insurances is also attached. If your child does not have health insurance, or if you have any questions, please email Mrs. Munch lmunch@parkwayschools.net. We will not be able to do parent immunizations this year.
2) Vision Screenings will be going on over the next several weeks for grades K, 3 and 5, new students and students receiving special education services. If the vision screening indicates further evaluation by an eye doctor is needed, parents will be notified via a parent letter and/or phone call.
3) If your child has health insurance through MO HealthNet, the annual renewal process restarted in June 2023. The Family Support Division (FSD) will notify families when their annual renewal is due. However, if you have had a change of address, it is very important that you notify the FSD of this change. You can update your address or other important health information online at mydss.mo.gov/renew or by calling 1-800-466-2313.
Early Pick-Ups and Dismissal Changes
- If your child needs to leave early, please arrive before 3:40 pm to pick them up. We ask you to help us with this as we have to ensure the safety of all students during dismissal time.
- If at any time during the school year your child will be going home a different way than normal (e.g., parent picking up instead of the bus, walking instead of car pick-up, going home with a friend, etc.), please send a note or email to your child’s teacher and the main office (cschenck@parkwayschools.net).
- If there is a last-minute change of your child's dismissal plan, call the main office (314-415-6350) by 2:30 p.m. Notifying the school of a dismissal change after 2:30 creates confusion among the many staff members who assist with dismissing your child safely. You may also email your child’s teacher, but the only way to guarantee receipt of the message is to call the main office, as your child’s teacher is focused on student instruction.
Birthday Invitation Practices
We have had some questions about our practices regarding birthday invitations recently. Please see this information which can also be found in our school handbook.
It is our practice to follow our core values and be inclusive as we help families celebrate student birthdays and other special events. Therefore, if parents request the school's help with distributing party invitations, the invitations must be distributed to all students in the classroom or all students of the same gender identification. For events that do not include the entire class or gender, invitation distribution is the responsibility of the parent using the PTO's Buzz Book or other forms of communication outside of school.
NWEA Assessment Information
Dear Parkway Families,
This school year, Parkway is using new tools to measure your child’s academic growth and progress. We are excited because this will offer more immediate information to you and your child’s teacher about their learning, and it will help us to identify and respond to each child’s unique needs in a more timely manner.
Throughout the school year, students in kindergarten through third grade will be screened in the area of reading using a state-approved assessment tool, NWEA Reading Fluency. NWEA Reading Fluency assesses students’ foundational reading skills, including phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition, as well as literal comprehension, oral reading fluency, and other dyslexia-related skills.This screening assessment will help identify students who may have significant needs related to learning to read, and will help us to ensure that the appropriate support can be put in place for each student.
Additionally, elementary students will take a Growth assessment on their Chromebook in reading and math. The assessment is designed by NWEA which is used in schools across the country. Teachers can use the results immediately to better understand your child’s achievement and growth on state and Parkway learning standards. These results will provide a more complete picture of what your child knows, is ready to learn, and whether they are on, above or below their grade level at that time.
For information about specific assessments and dates for each grade, please refer to the chart below. Following each assessment window, you will be notified via email of your child’s results and if your child will need additional support to reach their goals.
We are truly excited to focus on your child’s individual growth and achievement and to offer immediate results on how they are doing this year.
For more information about NWEA tests, visit NWEA.org/familytoolkit.
PTO Updates
September PTO Newsletter
Reminder From PTO: Room Parents still needed for Fall and Spring Classroom Parties
We have a few spots that still need to be filled for room parents! Can we get volunteers to sign up to be a room parent for Bogert (1st), Kirchhoff (1st), Shoop (1st), Fischer (2nd), and Simon (4th)?
If you can help, please sign up here.
We also need party volunteers to help on the day of the fall party in Simon (4th) and Lois (5th)!
If you can help, please sign up here.
Thanks for your help filling the remaining spots and thanks to all who have signed up to help with our Fall and Spring parties! These classroom parties would not be possible without your help!
Questions? Email Kim Torrence at kimachappell@yahoo.com.
Reader in Me, Henry’s Reading Recognition Program
Welcome to the 27th year of Henry’s Reading Recognition Program, The Reader in Me!
Please join us in this effort to help foster a lifelong love of reading in all Henry students. This
year’s program begins with the first log due date of Thursday, October 03, 2023 and
runs through the last prize distribution date of Friday, May 10, 2024. Our goal is to have
all of our students read outside of school every day and develop a lifelong love of reading.
The Reader in Me is a reading recognition program where students earn books and
prizes through reading. Only reading done away from school is recognized. Learn more here.
As your child reads or is read to, record the book title and the minutes read on the attached
paper reading log. Copies can also be found below.
Reading logs are due no later than 9am on the log due date to be eligible for prize
distribution the following Friday. Please make sure your student’s name is on the
log. Logs without names cannot be counted. Completed logs can be turned in to the
designated baskets in the grade level project areas at school. The complete schedule
was sent home Friday with your student. Please contact katekaragiannis@sbcglobal.net
with any questions.
Adopt A Staff Program at Henry, Learn More Below
Henry Dad Club Email Sign Up
Henry Dad Club is an extension of the Henry PTO. Follow this link to learn more and sign up to get emails about volunteer opportunities and social events!
Hassle Free Fundraiser!
Parent Volunteer Opportunities
We would love for everyone to look at the volunteer opportunities at Henry!
There are opportunities to support just 1 event or ongoing projects!
Can you help from home or during the school day?
Are you interested in supporting the school on the weekend or during the school day?
The activities include - 5th grade activities, Book Fair, Community Service, Dad's club, Field Day, Fine Dining Day, Hospitality, Multicultural Night, Reader In Me, Restaurant Nights, School Beautification, STEAM Night, Teacher Appreciation, Trunk or Treat, Trivia Night, Acquiring Auction Items, Yearbook, Library support, Nurse support, and AS NEEDED ITEMS!
Please look at this link to sign up = https://forms.gle/kYiXZ9gbB29GLk659
We also have separate links if you are interested in supporting class parties.
Co-room parent party sign-up (These people plan both parties in grade level groups):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094BA4AB29A6FC1-coroom1
FALL Party volunteer sign-up (These people show up the day of the party and help):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094BA4AB29A6FC1-fall3
SPRING Party volunteer sign-up (These people show up the day of the party and help):
Visitor and Volunteer Information
A Parkway volunteer is an individual who has an opportunity to be alone with a student.
A Parkway visitor is an individual in a school for a limited period of time who does not have the opportunity to be alone with a student.
Parkway Volunteers must go through the background check process outlined below.
Parkway Visitors do not need to go through the background check process.
Per Missouri Statute 168.133, those who wish to volunteer must complete a fingerprint
background check through the Missouri State Highway Patrol and FBI. The cost for the
background check is $41.75 and is the responsibility of the volunteer. Please reach out if you
need assistance. The background check will remain current as long as a volunteer stays active.
If a year passes, the volunteer will need to complete and pay for another background check.
Volunteers may complete the App Garden/TransAct (Parkway volunteer tracking software) now. Use this link to start App Garden/TransAct Application. It can take volunteers anywhere from 4-6 weeks to be approved so please do not delay if you plan to assist in the coming months.
Free/Reduced Lunch
If you would like to apply for the free and reduced lunch program it is available for online submission at this link. Please contact the Henry office if you would like to request a paper copy. If you think you may qualify, please fill the forms out completely and return/submit them promptly. Students are charged the full price of their meals until the application is submitted and then, if approved.
Henry Elementary School
Email: joliver2@parkwayschools.net
Website: https://www.parkwayschools.net/Domain/15
Location: 700 Henry Avenue, Ballwin, MO, USA
Phone: 314-415-6350
Facebook: facebook.com/henryelementaryschool
Twitter: @BulldogsHenry