Highcroft Hotline

At Highcroft, we help learners grow in a safe, caring community where ALL are valued and supported to become leaders.

August

• 22: PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm
  
• 23: Kindergarten Meet the Teacher, 5:00-6:00 pm
• 24: Hotdog with Highcroft at Forest Park, 4:00-6:00 pm
• 28: Late Start, School begins at 11:05 am
• 29: Curriculum Night, 6:30-8:00 pm

September

• 2: No School, Labor Day
• 11: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, 471 N. Woods Mill Road
• 12: All Read, 3:25 pm - 3:45 pm
• 19: PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm
• 20: Highcroft Movie Night, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
• 23: Picture Day
• 25: Late Start, School begins at 11:05 am
• 25: Hats for Hikers Fundraiser
• 25: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, 471 N. Woods Mill Road
• 26: Jog Jam

Greetings,

There is absolutely nothing like welcoming children to school each morning. They bring such wonder and excitement that even on the worst of days you cannot be anything but grateful to be in their presence. We had a fantastic first week of school. Our students returned ready to learn and lead. We already have a leader take over announcements in the morning, and others step up to lead bus patrol.

Our kindergarten students engaged in Kindergarten Kickoff, our new procedure for kindergarten placement. Each day they worked with a different teacher and class composite as we strive to create permanent class placements which meet the needs of all students. They seamlessly transitioned from class to class and learned about one another and all of the kindergarten teachers. By the end of this week, balanced permanent class placements will be only one benefit of this new process. Kindergarteners will also benefit from knowing one another and the team of teachers more deeply than in the past. Now that's a win-win!

Please make sure you read and are familiar with the Highcroft Handbook and have updated your family profile on Infinite Campus.

Thank you for your continued support as we work together for our students.

In partnership,

Cartelia Lucas

Principal

To ensure that all students are dismissed to go home safely, we ask that you complete a dismissal plan for each individual student and bring it to your child's teacher during our Meet the Teacher event on Monday, August 12th, from 3:00 - 4:00 pm. This plan will inform the staff of your child's regular dismissal plan, as well as how he or she should be dismissed in the event of an emergency. You can also send the completed plan to school with your child on the first day. Copies of the form will also be available in your child's classroom for completion during our Meet the Teacher event.

Click here for the dismissal form.

In the interest of student and staff safety, Parkway implemented a visitor check-in system in all schools last fall. All visitors need to show a photo ID when they come to school and will receive a printed visitor badge to wear with their name on it. Please remember to bring a photo ID when you visit so we can check you in. Thank you in advance for helping us ensure the safety of all students and staff! Watch a video here to see how the check-in system works.

If you would like to apply to be a volunteer at Highcroft, please go to www.parkwayschools.net, click on Employment in the top red bar then click on Volunteers in the drop-down box or click here. There you will find the link for the Volunteer Application. All volunteers who might work with or around children without a staff member present, including chaperoning on a field trip, must apply. Completion of the application process must occur annually. New this year, everyone's credentials expired June 30 and will expire at the end of June going forward. All volunteers will need to reapply with the beginning of each new school year. If you only intend to volunteer at school parties, you do not need to submit an application.

The Parkway School District is pleased to offer free or reduced breakfast and lunch to students who qualify. There is an annual application that must be completed each year to receive free or reduced meals. For those renewing, the 30 day grace period for reapplying will be at the end of the business day on September 24, 2019. On September 25, 2019, all students who have not reapplied will be placed on Full Paid status.

To apply for free or reduced meals click here.

The first 2-hour late start day in Parkway is Wednesday, August 28th. The school day will start 2 hours later than usual and buses will pick up 2 hours later.

Late start days are designed to allow teachers to collaborate in Professional Learning Communities and commit to helping every child be more successful in school. Late start days allow teachers time to:

- Study data on student performance

- Identify students who need extra help or more challenging work

- Review best practices to help all students

- Take action to help each child improve

- Monitor results during the year

We look forward to seeing all of our families during Curriculum Night, August 29th, from 6:30-8:00 pm. Curriculum Night is an opportunity to hear from your child's teacher and learn more about what your child will learn this year. This evening is an adult-only event. Devices will be available in each grade level's project area for you to complete the volunteer background check. This application must be completed annually for all volunteers who might work with or around children without a staff member present and attend field trips. Sign up forms for volunteer opportunities will also be available in the project areas. We appreciate you attending Curriculum Night in support of the collaborative work ahead of us.

Our curriculum supports Highcroft’s goal to empower students to become everyday leaders.This year we will continue to use the 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey as a resource. Each month we will focus on one of the seven leadership habits. Please contact us if you have questions about our lessons or you may view Parkway's Elementary Curriculum Guide. In addition to classroom guidance, we are here to support academic concerns, small groups, parent education, and one-to-one check-ins for social and emotional support.

Mrs. Beeler, Grades K, 1, 2, 4

Mrs. Banks, Grades 3 & 5

A note from Mrs. Banks:

Greetings,

I am so excited to be a part of the Highcroft family! This is my thirteenth year as a school counselor, and I am passionate about supporting students' social, emotional and academic well-being and helping them to reach their full potential. I will primarily work with 3rd and 5th grades. Please feel free to contact me via email at sbanks@parkwayschools.net or by phone at 314.415.6408. I look forward to working with your family.

Welcome back to school everyone! We are so glad you are here!

We want to make this the healthiest year ever. Please make sure your child has a good breakfast each and every day! Please try to include some protein in their diet at breakfast to help kick start their day and help sustain their brain power until lunch time. Please include a water bottle in their backpacks so they can stay hydrated throughout the day.

One of the most important things you can do for your child is to have them immunized this fall for INFLUENZA! Last year was a particularly active FLU SEASON and we had many students and their families sick with influenza. This year we want to prevent that by having everyone in your family get their annual FLU SHOT. We will be holding a flu shot clinic at Highcroft on September 24. You will be getting more information on this very soon. If your child can’t get their vaccine at your pediatrician’s office, we can have you and your child vaccinated here on that day. Please, Please, Please consider this for you and your family.

It is also very important to establish a good relationship with a Primary Care Physician for your child. They are the best person to care and treat your child when they are sick. They all have same-day appointments for sick children and they are there to get to know your child and family to be better able to care for your children. They will also keep your child up-to-date on the immunizations they will need as they grow up.

This year there are new guidelines and forms for giving your child medication at school, please refer to the Health Services tab on the Parkway School District website.

Lastly, parents will have access to a special health record parent portal which allows you to more conveniently communicate with your school nurse. The new health parent portal will allow you to:

● Sign and submit forms, share vaccination records, physicals, or other medical documents

● View health records and visits to the school nurse

● Communicate securely with the nurse from your computer or mobile device

● Get reminders for a medication refill or additional supplies needed in the nurse’s office

● Save time by sending your school nurse a message about a recent or new illness or health condition that should be noted in your student’s health record.

Parents who have previously not participated in the pilot test will receive an email from noreply@studentehr.com with a subject line of “Parkway School District welcomes you to the SNAP Health Portal” for an invitation to join and for more information. When you accept this invitation, you will create a single account for all students you have in Parkway.

As with all other student records, the system meets industry security standards, ensuring your student’s health information is kept safe and confidential. For additional information on how we protect student privacy and more, visit our FAQ page.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the health parent portal. We look forward to continue working together to support your student’s health. If you have further questions, please email Rebecca Cartmill at rcartmill@parkwayschools.net.

Please call me with any health care needs or questions!

Fondly,

Cathy Hubert 314-415-6410

Fax 314-415-6419

Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year!

Welcome back! We hope you had a fun and relaxing summer. We are very excited to start the new school year and get back to teaching physical education/health. This year we have many fun activities planned for your student. At Highcroft, we have many traditions that involve exercise and movement. In 3-5 grades, some traditions include students participating in the Fall/Spring 30 minute Jog Jam, Pumpkin Run, Country Western Day, and Field Day. In grades 1-2, some traditions for your student to participate in will be a 20-minute Jog Jam, Country Western Day, and Field Day. Kindergarten traditions begin with procedures and age-appropriate games, Country Western Day, and Field Day.

In order to participate in physical education, students need to be prepared every class. Students need to wear socks, running shoes, and comfortable clothing to perform at their best. If students do not have the correct shoes, they will not be able to participate in class activities. We want all of our students to stay safe when moving around in the gym. Our first few units will consist of spatial awareness, locomotor movements, and fitness fun activities.

Students in Grades 1-5 will have PE every other day for 60 minutes. Kindergarten students will have physical education every day for thirty minutes. Running shoes are needed to participate in our classroom. Appropriate shoes must have a non-marking rubber sole and cover the entire foot. If sandals, open back shoes, high heel shoes or leather-soled boots are worn to school, the student must bring appropriate shoes for PE. If your child does not have appropriate shoes, he/she will not be able to participate on that day.

It is school policy to excuse your child from PE class only with a note from the parent. A doctor’s excuse is required for more than three (3) consecutive days of absence from PE.

We are looking forward to another great school year!

Mrs. Maxvill and Mr. Meinershagen

Did your student(s) participate in a reading program this summer? Some students may have completed a log from the St. Louis County Library, St. Louis Public, or even Barnes and Noble! Any summer reading program is accepted and encouraged by Highcroft Ridge!

Students who bring a completed reading log, completion certificate, or even a note from a parent/guardian to Mrs. Stilts the first weeks of school in August will be invited to a special summer reading celebration hosted by Ms. Yelton and Mrs. Stilts. The celebration will take place on Monday, August 26th at 2:30 PM.

Please bring your proof of participation (labeled with first and last name) to the library and place it in the blue bin on top of the Chromebook cart. Please feel free to contact Mrs. Stilts with any questions! dstilts@parkwayschools.net