Henry Happenings

Brrrrr! It is so very cold outside! I hope you and your family are celebrating this Martin Luther King Jr. Day in a warm place.

It will be important for everyone to remember patience as they drive on our parking lot during arrival and dismissal as snow is still packed on the drive, on sidewalks, etc. We want to ensure the safety of all and will alter our procedures as needed to keep everyone safe. Thank you for your help with this in advance!

Have you registered for the PTO Trivia Night? Keep reading below to get registered! It's coming up on February 1!

Make sure to keep reading below for more information on: Kindergarten registration, State of the District, Yearbooks, and more!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jodi Oliver

January 20 - No School Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 28 - Reader in Me Online Submission Deadline

January 29 - Early Release, Dismissal at Henry 2:05 PM

January 30 - Early Childhood Visit Your Elementary for incoming KDG 9:30 AM (Registration Required)

January 30 - PTO Meeting 7 PM

January 31 - Reader in Me Prize Distribution

February 1 - PTO Auction and Trivia Night

February 4 - PTO Tab Top Collection Day

February 5 - State of the District 5:30 PM

February 8 - 4th Grade Strings Day Concert at Parkway West High School

February 13 - Early Release, Dismissal at Henry 2:05 PM

February 14 - No School (Professional Development)

February 17 - No School (Presidents Day)

February 22 - District STEMFest at Southwest Middle School 10 AM

February 25 - Reader in Me Online Submission Deadline

February 25 - Spirit of Excellence Celebration at the Family Arena 6:45 PM

February 26 - 5th Grade Musical 6:30 PM

February 28 - Reader in Me Prize Distribution

Please take a moment to look through the most recent Henry Lost and Found pictures. We have many mittens, hats, sweatshirts and water bottles looking for their owners! If you see an item that belongs to your child, please have them ask their teacher when the best time would be to go and retrieve it. Thank you.

The 5th Grade Beautification Character Council is looking for winter decor to put up around Henry. If you would be able to donate any winter or snow-themed decor to the group, they would greatly appreciate it!

Also, looking ahead, they will also be seeking spring decor post-spring break.

We will administer social-emotional surveys to students in grades 3-5 and staff as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting student success. These surveys gather valuable student feedback on school safety, sense of belonging, relationships, and more.

Students will take the surveys between January 13 and 24. They take about 15 minutes and are the same as those administered in the fall. They will allow us to identify areas of growth.

For more details, visit the FAQ page.

Would you or your child like to nominate a teacher staff member for a Bulldog Brag? Hank from Duo Dogs was excited to earn his!

We love to see your children practicing our core values. What core value(s) has your teacher/staff nominee followed and how have they demonstrated this core value?

• Kind
• Responsible
• Persevere
• Inclusive

Please fill out this form and we will deliver the great news!

Join us for Parkway’s third annual State of the District event! You will have the opportunity to meet and hear from our next superintendent, Dr. Melissa Schneider. We’ll showcase student performances and dive into the progress we’re making on our Strategic Plan through engaging sessions with district leaders.

When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5

Where: Central High Commons

More information can be found on the Parkway website. We look forward to seeing you there!

Attention Parents of Henry 5th Graders, we need your help! Each year, we feature a special “THROWBACK” section for our fifth-grade class in the yearbook. Please help us by submitting 2 photos of your child to be featured in the “Then and Now” section. Please see the flyer below for guidance on how to select and submit photos.

The K-12 Human Relation and Sexual Health (HRSH) curriculum night will take place January 28th from 6 PM to 8 PM at Parkway Central Middle School. This open house is designed for parents of K-12 students to view curriculum materials for upcoming HRSH units. There will be an opportunity to preview instructional videos and resources for these lessons.

Please see the flyer below or click here to learn more.

As a school, we continue to work to increase the number of lessons students complete on Dreambox each week. One way we can do this is to play Dreambox at home or outside of school to help grow students’ math knowledge and problem-solving skills.

With your child, set a goal for how many days during the month of January he or she will play Dreambox outside of school hours. Write your goal in the box at the top of the calendar. Color in the box of each date to show your plays. Return your completed form to your teacher by Friday, February 7. If 50% of the Henry students play Dreambox outside of school at least 10 times during the month of January, we will have a surprise celebration!

Your child can login to Dreambox at home through Clever by using his or her login information or Clever badge. Once you log into Clever, your child can access Dreambox. See the flyer and calendar below for more information.

Cub Scouts Pack 310 is seeking donations of youth winter items for the Little Bit Foundation. Drop off donations at school in the designated boxes or shop the Little Bit Amazon Wishlist with

option to ship directly to The Little Bit Foundation. Enter “Henry Elementary” and your name in the Gift Receipt.

Items sought:

• Gloves (Youth Sizes)
• Scarves (Youth Sizes)
• Socks - Boys and Girls (Youth Sizes)

Scan the QR code in the flyer to donate directly via Amazon!

A few Reader in Me Reminders for 2025 below. The next online submission date is January 28th. Submit here starting Friday, January 24th.

• The link will remain the same for the duration of the program/school year
• The link will be closed to submissions until the Friday prior to each due date, then remain open until 9am on the due date.
• Paper logs will no longer be accepted
• Only one submission per student will be accepted per due date

Our “Henry Harmonizers” (our voluntary 5th grade choir that meets before school on Monday mornings) will be singing “God Bless America” at an Ambush game at the Family Arena on Saturday, February 8 at 6 PM.

Please see the pictured flyer for details about the event and a QR code that directs to the Henry Elementary ticket link. Our ticket price (per person, including each singer - anyone over the age of 2) is $25.75.

Important Notes:

• All performers and supporters (family, friends, teachers, etc.) must purchase their tickets through this specific link to ensure you receive the group rate and are seated together.
• The ticket link will close on February 5th, so we encourage everyone to secure their tickets early. Please note the clear bag policies when attending.
• When you purchase your tickets, please send Mrs. Plesia a quick email to let me know your family is coming.

Students - get ready to tell us about your dream to learn! Write something that will inspire us and tell us why your dream is important to you.

Parkway Alumni Association sponsors Dream Grants (up to $250) to help pay for extracurricular learning experiences and materials, or for free community resources, such as a job shadowing opportunity. Students are encouraged to submit requests that will help them expand their skills, gain knowledge or experience, or participate in school-related or community activities.

The Granting Dreams Program, sponsored by Parkway Alumni Association, offers three grant opportunities for Parkway students who have a dream to learn outside their regular classroom. Please see the flyer below for more information and make sure to read the 2024 Granting Dreams Application for more information on eligibility, deadlines, grant amounts and other important information.

The Granting Dreams application period ends on Feb. 14th.

Parkway is committed to keeping students and staff safe during severe winter weather. We have now utilized all three planned snow days for the 2024-25 academic calendar. If severe weather requires the district to close in the future, we will conduct virtual learning days.

If schools close or dismiss early due to snow or ice, before- and after-school care will not be available, and activities will be canceled. Families will be notified via phone, text, email, local media, Parkway’s website, and social media.

As a reminder:

• Update your contact information in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
• Have a family plan for closings or delays.
• Ensure children are dressed warmly and arrange transportation if they walk to school

Learn more about Parkway’s winter weather protocols.

Adventure Club school year before and after care registration opens for new Parkway families at 6 a.m. on March 11th.

Space is limited, please plan to register as early as possible. Visit www.prcommunityed.org or call 636-891-6644 on March 11th to register.

Do you or someone you know have a student starting kindergarten next year?

Kindergarten registration is available online for the 2025-26 school year. If you do not have internet access or need assistance completing the online application, please call the Parkway Enrollment Hotline at (314) 415-9900.

More information about kindergarten registration can be found here.

In Jumpstart to Kindergarten, children will have the opportunity to become familiar with the kindergarten experience through activities that promote the development of literacy, math, art and music abilities, as well as social and fine-motor skills. Classroom and school routines will also be addressed in order to help students make a smooth transition to kindergarten.

Children must be five by August 1, 2025. A copy of the child's birth certificate must be on file with Parkway. This is a free program available to all Parkway residents.

Details

• Dates: June 9-27, 2025 (No School - June 19)
• Time: 9:00-12:15 p.m.
• Location (for those living in Henry, Mason Ridge, Pierremont attendance areas): Pierremont

Registration

Parkway Summer School registration for elementary and middle school students will take place online via the Arux online registration system. Registration for Jumpstart to Kindergarten will open online February 2 at 11:00 a.m. You will need to have an account in the Arux system in order to register for Jumpstart to Kindergarten. View a step-by-step guide to creating an account.

Questions?

Please contact the Parkway Summer School office at lbangert@parkwayschools.net or 314-415-8075 with any questions.

Summer Expo is the largest in-person summer camp expo in the Saint Louis area. Plan your child's summer activities with local and regional summer camp providers. Meet face-to-face with representatives and get answers to your questions.

Admission is FREE and open to families across the St. Louis area!

Click here to learn more!

We are excited about another great Auction and Trivia Night. The auction is now open for bidding. Please log in and register at the following link. (https://www.32auctions.com/Henry2025) It closes Saturday, February 1st. There are items to bid on as well as food items you can purchase right now. Some area selling out as we speak.

If you are able to help at Trivia Night with set up, tear down, and or registration please click here to volunteer. Your help is much appreciated!

Having trouble connecting to the Buzz Book and other information via the helpful red buttons at the bottom of this newsletter? At the top of the email, please click "View in browser". This will make the red buttons at the bottom of the newsletter clickable again.

You can also access the links here while SMORE works to update this feature.

• Bulldog Brags for Teachers/Staff, Click Here to Nominate!
• Buzz Book (Password Henry2024)
• Henry School Handbook
• Henry Staff Directory
• How to Volunteer at Henry
• Update Your Family Profile

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
Instagram: @pkwyhenrybulldogs