Henry Happenings
August 20, 2023
Principal Message
It was great to see so many of you on Meet the Teacher night. We look forward to our first day of school, tomorrow! Please remember, parents will need to say goodbye to their children at the front door (or at the bus stop or in the car drop-off line). Though we cannot allow access to the building due to safety, parents and students will be able to participate in a photo opportunity in front of the building and walk their child to the front door to say good-bye. We will have Henry staff members present to walk your child to their classroom the first week of school, if needed. We do encourage you to practice your normal routine on the first day of school to prevent any confusion for arrival and dismissal the remainder of the week!
To allow us to build routines and procedures with the students we ask for no lunch visitors until after Labor Day. After that time, we welcome parents at lunch once checking into the office with your identification. Any lunch visitor need to be listed as the student's emergency contacts in Infinite Campus.
Please make sure to read below if you are dropping students off or picking students up from school. Our process for arrival and dismissal is specific. Please know how to access our driveway so that everyone can stay safe.
We encourage all students to bring a refillable water bottle to school, especially this week, due to the heat!
Please click here to see the Parkway Back to School guide. This link provides many back to school updates.
We are so excited for an amazing first week!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jodi Oliver
Upcoming Dates
August 21 - First Day of School
September 4 - No School - Labor Day
September 5 - PTO Meeting @ 7:00 PM
September 7 - Curriculum Night (Grade 1 and 2 @ 5:00 PM) (Grade 3-5 @ 6:30 PM)
September 13 - Early Release @ 2:05 PM
September 22 - Family Outdoor Movie Night - Time TBD
Update Your Family Profile
Update your family profile here.
Access the School Calendar
The Henry School Calendar has been updated for the 2023-2024 school year with school-wide events and information (as much as can be planned at this time).
Please click here to access a printable district calendar that includes days off school and early release days.
You can access the school calendar by visiting our website (click here).
You may wish to load the calendar into your personal electronic calendar. Please use this web address to access the calendar from other applications: https://www.parkwayschools.net/site/handlers/icalfeed.ashx?MIID=15. You can copy and paste this into any calendar product that supports the iCal format (i.e. Google Calendar, iOS devices, Android devices, and Microsoft Outlook). Detailed instructions are available by clicking here.
Bus Information
Bus Stop Information: Bus information is available on the Parkway mobile App. Download the app and log in to access the bus stop location, pick and drop-off times.
Students in the VICC program and anyone receiving specialized transportation will receive a postcard in the mail with their bus stop information.
Call the transportation office at 314-415-8415 for questions or additional information.
Kindergarten Bus Safety Video: This message is designed for kindergarteners, but the tips are important for all bus riders. Please click here to view the bus safety video with your child.
Reminder for Parents of Kindergarten Students: Kindergarten students (unless riding with an older sibling) must be met at the bus stop by an adult. If an adult is not at the bus stop when the bus arrives to drop off your child, your child will be brought back to the school office.
Bus Procedures and Safety: Please review these bus rules with your child.
1. Be at the bus stop early.
2. Respect the bus driver and listen to instructions.
3. Take your seat right away after boarding the bus.
4. Stay seated at all times.
5. Always get on and off the bus at your bus stop.
6. Leave the bus carefully using the handrail.
7. Keep your head, arms, legs and hands inside the bus.
8. Look both ways before crossing the road.
9. Wait for the bus in a safe place away from the road.
10. Keep away from the bus if you drop or forget something.
11. No eating or drinking on the school bus.
12. Do not ride the bus if you feel ill/sick /have a fever.
13. Specific seats may be assigned by the bus driver.
A Note from Nurse Munch
Welcome to a new school year! I am so excited to see all of the children again! If your child needs to take medication at school, I will be available for drop off during Open House on August 17th from 3:30pm-5:30pm. If you are unable to attend, please let me know and we can arrange another time. Parkway Policy requires all medication to be in the original pharmacy container and must be accompanied by a Medication Authorization Form signed by both the parent and pediatrician. The Medication Administration, Asthma and Allergy Action Plans and Meal Modification Forms can be found here: Medication Forms. Please remember, for safety reasons, it is strongly preferred that medication be dropped off by a parent or guardian. Per Parkway Policy, elementary aged children are not allowed to self carry medication and nursing staff are not allowed to send medications home with students.
Missouri law also requires that students are up to date on the required immunizations before attending school. If your child is missing immunizations, you should have been notified over the last several weeks. Immunizations can be obtained at most pediatrician's offices and the St. Louis County Health Department. Additionally, Parkway is hosting an immunization fair on August 17th from 4-6 pm at Parkway Central High School. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
If you have any questions about our health services or if you would like to discuss any particular health concerns for your child, please email me at lmunch@parkwayschools.net. I will also be available by phone starting August 14th. My phone number is 314-415-6360.
Driving to Henry
In collaboration with the Ballwin Police Department, to keep our car drop-off & pick-up lane safe and the traffic moving on Henry Ave, please follow the route through the neighborhood as outlined below. Please help us keep the non-school traffic moving on Henry Avenue by following this right turn only plan and NOT making a left turn from Henry Ave into the school lot. Please only enter the Henry lot AFTER you have been on Guenevere.
DROP-OFF LOOP
From BOTH DIRECTIONS on Henry Ave:
Turn onto Clayworth Dr.
Left on Ruthwood Dr.
Left on Guenevere Dr.
Right on Henry Ave.
Right into Henry Elem
Proceed to the Rear of the School
Right Turns Only for Entering the School Drive! Please enter the school drive only from Northbound Henry Ave (going toward Clayton Rd) AFTER you have LOOPED THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD and are exiting the neighborhood from Guenevere. THE LINE BEGINS ON GUENEVERE.
DO NOT TURN DIRECTLY ONTO GUENEVERE
If you turn directly on Guenevere, you will have to make a U-Turn to enter the line. This causes a major safety issue for those children walking to school. It also upsets our neighbors when cars turn around in their driveways. Please help us be safe and good neighbors by entering Guenevere only by using the route through the neighborhood. When waiting in line, please be considerate of neighbors needing to enter or exit their driveways.
FROM GLENMEADOW DR OR SPRING MEADOWS DR
If you are coming from Glenmeadow Dr or Spring Meadows Dr, please turn Right onto Henry Avenue and loop back to make a right turn into the Henry drive.
SAFETY REMINDERS
For safety, please do not use cell phones in the pick-up line where students are loading. Students should always load on the passenger side of the vehicle in order to avoid walking between cars.
PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF LANE
Please refer to the map below for the loading/unloading zones, waiting zones, and exit path.
Procedures for Car Riders/Pick Up
Please refer to the maps above!
See the map through the neighborhood and follow this route before attempting to turn into the Henry lot so we avoid traffic back-ups on Henry Ave.
You will circle around the shed and then go into the upper playground blacktop and circle around the perimeter of the blacktop.
Always pull forward as much as possible. Please drive all the way to the stop sign past Door 4 to ensure the maximum number of cars can load and unload at one time. This helps us keep the line moving efficiently!
Drop-Off:
The back drop-off doors will be open from 8:50 - 9:05 a.m. Once the doors close, you will need to bring your child to the front of the building, park, and walk them to the door. Please do NOT drop off your child if the doors are closed because the doors lock and they will not be able to get in.
Students do not need to wait for a staff member to open the car door. Once the cars have stopped moving, students may exit through the passenger side of the vehicle. Adults will assist younger students as quickly as possible, but to keep the line moving, please practice with your child unbuckling and opening the car door independently.
Pick-Up:
Please have a car sign hanging from your rearview mirror.
All families will receive a rearview mirror tag at Meet the Teacher or it will be sent home with your child on the first day of school.
If you do not yet have a sign, please be prepared to show photo identification and ensure that anyone picking up your child is listed as a guardian or emergency contact in your child’s Infinite Campus profile. This is our safety procedure all year long and everyone having a sign helps the line move faster.
Safety Reminders:
Students can ONLY unload/load from the passenger side IN the specified ZONE.
Drivers side doors should ALWAYS stay closed.
Do Not pull up in front of the building to drop off your child during arrival/dismissal. This is an important safety procedure due to the unloading of the buses in the front area. Please remember that due to the size of the buses, the drivers have limited visibility. Never walk between buses because they can roll back which can cause a serious accident.
For safety and so that full attention is given as students walk to their cars, we ask that cell phones are NOT used in the pick-up line.
Dismissal and Parent Pick Up
**All families will get new hangtags available at Meet the Teacher Night. Family numbers will be emailed out before the first day of school.
HANGTAGS AND FAMILY NUMBERS
Each family will have a hangtag with its family number. The hangtag and/or family number allow the Henry staff to quickly confirm that an authorized individual is picking up each child.
For car pick-up, please display your hangtag by hanging it from the rearview mirror.
For walkers and bikers, please hold your hangtag and show it to the Henry staff member at the dismissal door.
If the person picking up the child does not have a hangtag or does not know the family number, photo identification will be required. Not having your hangtag will slow down the dismissal process. If you need a new hangtag or need your family number changed, please contact the school office and a new tag will be made for you. Please know that the hangtags are only used during regular dismissal. When children are signed out early, the adult must present photo identification.
Walking and Biking to School
The safety of children walking to school is very important. Please show your child the route you wish him/her to take before school starts. Also, please review with your child the necessity of using the designated crosswalks near the school and also to follow the instructions of our crossing guard. Children should always be aware of any strangers who approach them and should let a responsible adult know immediately if anything unusual occurs. They should also remember not to approach anyone in a car who may stop to ask them questions.
The school crosswalks are supervised from 8:50 a.m. to 9:05. Students should leave home at a time when they will reach the crosswalks when they are supervised.
Students riding bicycles to school should park their bikes at one of the two bike stands in front of the building and secure their bikes using a lock. Per St. Louis County ordinance, bicycle riders under the age of 16 are required to wear a helmet.
PARENT-LED WALKERS & BIKERS
Parents are asked to wait outside the building when waiting for those students who are walking. When walker dismissal begins, please walk down to the main entrance and show your hangtag with your family number to the school staff.
INDEPENDENT WALKERS & BIKERS
If your child will be walking or biking home without an adult (or siblings middle school-age or older), please email permission for your child to be released independently. Please send emails to your child’s teacher and to Carolyn Schenck in the main office via cschenck@parkwayschools.net.
Transportation Changes
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 to your child’s teacher.
Children being picked up by someone other than their parents are to also bring a note and get a pickup pass. Notes from the parents of both children will be needed if a child is going to another student’s home.
If you are calling in with a last-minute change of transportation, you need to call the main office by 2:30 p.m.
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.
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.
PTO New Family Breakfast
Are you new to the Henry community? The PTO is hosting a New Family Welcome Breakfast on Thursday August 31st at 8am. We want to welcome all new families to the Henry Elementary family and give them a chance to ask any questions or meet some friendly faces to help make their transition smooth for kids and parents! If you are a new family at the school please RSVP to Bethany Papacostas (BethanyPapacostas@gmail.com) to join us on Thursday, August 31st.
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):
PTO Updates
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