PCH Community Update

2023-2024: The Weeks of March 25 & April 1

Overview

I hope each of you enjoyed your spring break! As we transition back to school, please review the academic calendar for the next few weeks; we have several atypical weeks in a row. In addition, important information about various upcoming events is also included.

Calendar Reminders
PCH Athletics & Activites: Spring Edition 1
Chartwells: Parent Survey
Prom 2024: Tickets On Sale!
Sister Project: Cinderella Project
PCH Library Newsletter: March
Solar Eclipse Day: Monday, April 8
ACT Day: Tuesday, April 9
PG 2024: After Graduation Lock-In Tickets Now Available
Project Graduation: Overview
PCH College Series: Resources Available
Parents: PTO Leadership Board
Parents: Update Your Family Profile
Free & Reduced Meals
Student Attendance
Daily Building Procedures
General Resources
Links to Nutrition, Technology, Staff Directory.
Central High Administrators

As a reminder, PCH Community Update is the school newsletter shared with students and parents throughout the school year. For much of the content, students are the primary audience. Parents, please encourage your student to regularly check their Parkway email account to review new updates. Thank you for your support and, as always, Go Colts!

The next Update will be sent on Sunday, April 7 at 4 pm and will include information for the weeks of April 8 & April 15.

Sincerely,

Tim McCarthy

Principal, PCH

Calendar Reminders

The daily schedule for the week of March 25 is:

Monday, March 25: ODD (Red) Day
Tuesday, March 26: EVEN (Blue) Day --- Ac Lab: Modules 1 & 2
Wednesday, March 27: ODD (Red) Day
Thursday, March 28: E-HD (Light Blue) Day --- No Ac Lab, Dismissal at 11:35 am
Friday, March 29: No School

The daily schedule for the week of April 1 is:

Monday, April 1: ODD (Red) Day
Tuesday, April 2: No School for Students (Professional Development for Staff)
Wednesday, April 3: EVEN (Blue) Day --- Ac Lab: Modules 1 & 2
Thursday, April 4: ODD (Red) Day
Friday, April 5: EVEN (Blue) Day --- Ac Lab: Modules 1 & 2

The daily schedule for the week of April 8 is:

Monday, April 8: Modified ODD (Red) Day Schedule --- Solar Eclipse Day (more info below)
Tuesday, April 9: Modified Schedule --- ACT Day (more info below)
Wednesday, April 10: EVEN (Blue) Day --- Ac Lab: Modules 1 & 2
Thursday, April 11: ODD (Red) Day
Friday, April 12: EVEN (Blue) Day --- Ac Lab: Modules 1 & 2

Additional minutes of Study Time are built into 6th Block on ALL (Purple) Days, which are scheduled on the following dates in the next few weeks:

No ALL Days in the coming weeks.

In addition, please note the following IMPORTANT dates / events on your calendar:

Monday, March 25: School Resumes, Odd (Red) Day
Thursday, March 28: E-HD Day, Dismissal at 11:35 am
Thursday, March 28: Term 3 Marking Period Ends
Friday, March 29: No School
Tuesday, April 2: No School --- Professional Development Day
Wednesday, April 3: PCH PTO Meeting (In-Person), 5:30 pm
Wednesday, April 3: PCH Honor Societies Joint Induction Ceremony, 7 pm
Monday, April 8: Solar Eclipse Day --- Modified ODD Day Schedule
Monday,. April 8: Senior Parent Meeting, 6:30 pm
Tuesday, April 9: ACT Day --- Modified Schedule, Dismissal at 11:35 am
Saturday, April 13: Big Band Dance
Thursday, April 18: E-ER Day, Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Friday, April 19: No School
Saturday, April 20: Prom, 6:30 pm
Monday, April 29: End of Course Exams Begin
Thursday, May 2: Band Concert, 7:30 pm
Tuesday, May 7: Senior Exams --- Blocks 5 & 7
Tuesday, May 7: Choir Concert, 7:30 pm
Wednesday, May 8: E-ER Day, Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wednesday, May 8: Senior Exams --- Blocks 6 & 8
Wednesday, May 8: Orchestra Concert, 7:30 pm
Thursday, May 9: Senior Exams --- Blocks 1 & 3
Friday, May 10: Senior Exams --- Block 2

To download Central High's 2023-2024 academic calendar, click on the calendar link in the General Resources folder toward the bottom of the newsletter.

PCH Athletics & Activities: Spring Edition 1

Click here to review the most recent edition of the PCH Athletics & Activites newsletter, which includes important information for Central High's MSHSAA sanctioned activites.

Chartwells: Parent Survey

Parents & Guardians, Chartwells, Parkway's food service provider, wants to hear from you! Please click on the button above to complete a two-minute survet,

Prom 2024: Tickets On Sale!

This year, Central High's junior/senior prom will be held at the Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet Hotel on Saturday, April 20.

Ticket Sale Info:

Only Central High junior and senior students are eligible to purchase prom tickets.
A student's outstanding district / school-issued fees and fines must be paid in full to be eligible to purchase a prom ticket.
Tickets can be purchased in-person in the Colts Corner Store (school store) or via Infinite Campus through the parent portal.
Tickets go on sale Monday, March 25th for $65 per person.
On Monday, April 1st, ticket prices increase to $75 starting.
Ticket sales end on Friday, April 5th. In-person sales end at 1:00 pm, while ticket sales through Infinite Campus end at 11:59pm.
If a Central High student would like to bring a non-Central High student as a guest, please see Ms. Foutch in the Colts Corner Store for the required forms. The guest form must be completed, submitted and approved before a Central High student can purchase a ticket for a non-Central High guest.

See the attached invitation for more details! Information regarding meal options and answers to FAQ will be available on Infinite Campus at time of ticket purchase.

Sister Project: Cinderella Project

Do you have dresses, pantsuits, shoes and accessories that you don't know what to do with? Please donate them! Parkway Central's Sister Project is sponsoring a dress donation event - all new or gently used items are welcome. Think about your old homecoming, prom, bridesmaid, or any other special event wear and accessories - we would love them all!

All donated items will be available in a PCH Cinderella Project dress shop; all PCH students who are interested in finding an outfit for prom or graduation are welcome to "shop" the racks - there will be no charge for any item! Donation bins are stationed in the upper commons, or email Joni Patton (jpatton1@parkwayschools.net) to arrange times for drop-off or pick-up. The donation period ends on Friday, April 5th. Thank you for your generosity!

Solar Eclipse Day: Monday, April 8

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On Monday, April 8, the path of a solar eclipse will occur southeast of St. Louis in the early afternoon. To facilitate viewing of the eclipse, Parkway high schools will follow a modified ODD Day schedule that will include Academic Lab at the end of the school day. During Ac Lab, students and staff will go outside to view the eclipse. Viewing glasses will be provided to all students and staff. The bell schedule for Monday, April 8 will be as follows...

Modified ODD Day Schedule

Block 1: 07:35 am - 08:35 am

Block 3: 08:41 am - 09:41 am

Block 7: 09:47 am - 10:47 am

Block 5: 10:53 am - 12:23 pm

Ac Lab: 12:29 pm - 02:30 pm

Lunch during Block 5

1st Lunch: 10:53 am - 11:23 am

2nd Lunch: 11:23 am - 11:53 am

3rd Lunch: 11:53 am - 12:23 pm

District ACT Day: Tuesday, April 9

On Central High’s academic calendar, Tuesday, April 9, 2024 is designated as “District ACT - Modified Schedule” with dismissal at 11:35 am. Closer to the date, specific details will be sent to each class. For now, please review the information below for a brief overview of the day for each class.

Seniors will attend a class meeting at 7:35 am in the PCH Theater, followed by a class field trip to Slick City in Chesterfield Valley. Information about the class activity at Slick City, including permission slips and cost, was shared with students during Ac Lab on Friday, March 8th. The permission slip, Slick City Waiver, and fee must be completed through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by Friday, April 5th.

For transportation, students will have the option to drive themselves or ride a Parkway provided bus (no additional cost). Students will leave Slick City at 11 am. Students who drove will be dismissed from there. Bus riders will return to school in time for dismissal at 11:35 am.

Juniors will take an official ACT, with college-reportable scores. On Monday, March 25 , juniors will receive an email from the district with instructions on how to register for the official ACT. Time will be set aside during Ac Lab on Tuesday, March 26 to complete the registration. Registration must be completed by Wednesday, April 3. For additional information, please click HERE.

Sophomores will take the PreACT, which includes an Interest Inventory and a shortened version of the ACT. Registration is not needed for this test. PreACT score reports will provide predicted ACT score ranges and career indicators. The assessment is designed to identify strengths and areas for improvement, providing a complete view of a students’ college and career readiness. Registration is not needed for this test. Additional information is available here.

Freshmen will take a modified ACT with questions focusing specifically on grade-level appropriate content. The assessment will be significantly shorter than an official ACT. Students will need to have their full-charged Chromebooks to access the assessment, and scores will be immediately available upon submission. Students will then participate in a classroom activity following testing. Registration is not needed for this test. Additional information is available here.

PCH Library Newsletter: March

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Class of 2024: After Graduation Lock-In Tickets Now Available!

Project Graduation: Overview

Project Graduation (PG) is one of the many wonderful traditions at Central High. PG is a parent sponsored lock-in following graduation. This event helps ensure our students have a safe graduation experience and a great time on their last night together as a class. The reality is that an event such as this requires a significant amount of money. To raise the necessary funds, parent volunteers from each class form a core committee during the ninth grade year. The committee works from the freshman year through the lock-in to raise funds and plan the after graduation lock-in for their class. Each Project Graduation Core Committee falls under the umbrella of the Central High Parent Teacher Organization.

Over the years, a few events have become central to the fundraising efforts of each PG Core Committee. Senior Tailgate, held during the week of homecoming, is sponsored by the PG Core Committee for seniors. During late winter or early spring, a trivia night is hosted by that year’s PG committee for juniors. In addition, PG committees sponsor various other fundraisers throughout the year as part of their effort to provide a safe and memorable after graduation experience for their class. Thank you, in advance, for your support of our PG committees and their work on behalf of our students

PCH College Series: Resources Available

The PCH College Series events for the fall semester have now concluded. If you were unable to attend an event, but are interested in learning more about the topics that were covered, you're still in luck. William Unk (CHS senior) recorded each event held at Central High and the links to those recordings are listed on the PCH College Series website and are also pasted below for ease of reference.

College Application Night - Senior Parents (here)
College Admissions – Resources for Families (here)
Financial Aid 101 (here)
FAFSA Presentation - Senior Parents (here)

Parents: PTO Leadership Board

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Central High's PTO leadership board for the 2023-2024 school year is:

Jessica Malone - President

Trilce Encarnacion - Vice President

Sonya Land -Treasurer

Kia Davis - Assistant Treasurer

Stephanie Harvey - Secretary

Jennifer Peters - Social Media

Thank you to these individuals for their service to the PCH community! For more PTO information, click HERE.

Parents: Update Your Family Profile

It is important to have accurate contact information for each family. Parents can update their Family Profile online using Infinite Campus or in the Infinite Campus Parent app. Please complete the update before the first day of school. Update your family profile HERE.

Free & Reduced Meals

The Parkway School District participates in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. This allows families the opportunity to apply for Free and Reduced Price Meal Benefits. The information provided on the application is confidential and will be used only for the purpose of determining eligibility. To apply, click HERE.

Student Attendance

At the end of the first week of school, during class meetings, grade level administrators emphasized the importance of good student attendance. Parents, prompt communication with the school when your student is absent, arrives late, or needs to leave early, is very important. At Central High, student attendance is handled through each grade level office. Parents, when needed, please contact the administrative assistant for your student's grade level regarding an absence or tardy for your student.

Class of 2024: Karena Gantner --- (314) 415-7904 / kgantner@parkwayschools.net

Class of 2025: Jordan Berry --- (314) 415-7908 / jberry1@parkwayschools.net

Class of 2026: Trish Reynolds --- (314) 415-7910 / preynolds@parkwayschools.net

Class of 2027: John Reyes --- (314) 415-7906 / jreyes2@parkwayschools.net

To review Parkway's official attendance policy for high school students and Central High's complete building procedures, please click HERE.

Daily Building Procedures

Students and parents, please review the daily building procedures below.

The building opens to students at 07:00 am.
In the morning, students are expected to enter through Door #1 - Main Entrance (student drivers and students being dropped off) or Door #40 - Back Athletic Entrance (bus riders).
Breakfast is available from 07:00 am - 07:30 am.
Classes begin at 07:35 am. Students are expected to be in their assigned room by 07:35 am.
The internal set of doors at the main entrance will be locked at 07:35 am. Students tardy to school will check in inside the new vestibule. Students will be issued a pass, then report to class.
All visitors, includng parents, are expected to enter through the main entrance and check in using the vestibule.
Visitors cleared to enter the main building are expected to wear their school issued visitor badge for the duration of their visit to PCH.
Students dismissed during the school day (e.g. for an appointment with a parent) are expected to exit the building through the main entrance.
During school hours (07:00 am - 02:30 am), deliveries for students from outside entities, including, but not limited to food delivery services, are not allowed. Parents may continue to drop off items for students (e.g. lunch), when necessary.