Dragon News
McKelvey Primary
December 18, 2025
Dear McKelvey Primary Families,
The cereal drive was a big success! Thank you so much for donating and helping those in our community. We delivered them to the Parkway Food Pantry this week. We celebrated everyone's generosity by lining them down the hallway and watching them fall like dominos! The kids loved it! Thank you again.
Within this newsletter you will see a couple of new notes, one from our instructional coach and another from our counselor. They give some really good insight into the things our students are learning and how we are supporting them here at school. Check out those notes from Mrs. Mouser-DeArmond and Mrs. Roth below.
I hope you all have a great winter break and enjoy celebrating the Holidays and traditions that are unique to your family. We love learning about the many different kinds of celebrations from the students. It has been an amazing first half of the '25 school year and I am looking forward to 2026 with all of you!
Sincerely,
Dr. Christina Pliske
Mark your Calendar!
December 19: Half Day-dismiss at 1pm; Spirit Day-Wear Pajamas
December 22 - January 2: No School, Winter Break
January 5: School Resumes
Parkway still has two "traditional" snow days remaining; should inclement weather days be needed next semester beyond those two, we will transition to our state-approved plan for Virtual Snow Days (also known as "Alternative Methods of Instruction," or AMI Plan).
This year, since students in grades PK-2 do not regularly take Chromebooks home, they will access their learning through paper-based activities. These AMI packets and choice boards will be sent home before winter break. Please put them in a spot where they will not be misplaced. If they are misplaced, The AMI Activities for K-2 students are posted on the Parkway website here. The choice boards should be returned to school on the first day back after the snow day.
Information for parents/students is available on the Parkway website here, and below is additional information for staff:
Starting January 5th when we return from break, we will be having lunch before recess. The lunch times are now as follows:
Kindergarten → 12:10-12:30
1st Grade → 11:25-11:45
Dear Families,
You may know that our classrooms have a calming corner that we call the “Dragon Den.” Students have been learning about the steps of the Dragon Den:
1. Calm (use a calming tool)
2. Feel (identify feelings)
3. Think (consider the size of their problem and the size of their reaction)
4. Choose (make a choice when leaving the Dragon Den)
One of the choices in step four is to follow the “group plan.” The group plan is whatever the whole class is doing together. Students have learned about the difference between following the group plan and following their own plan.
Here is a link to the visuals we use at school.
I encourage families to create a “Dragon Den” at home if possible, no matter how small or simple. This helps to normalize the idea of using the Dragon Den at school, and it helps kids become more familiar with the tools and process.
Thank you for partnering with us!
Mrs. Roth
Dear Families,
As we near the end of the first semester, we conduct many assessments. The purpose of assessment is to guide instruction. It tells us what scaffolding and support students need. When you receive test scores for your child, please try not to worry. Tests are just one small piece of information.
We are moving into our next theme: Technology and Society. We will read a lot of non-fiction books, write non-fiction pieces, and learn about technology. The kiddos LOVE this unit!
At home, you can support this learning by talking about the history of technology in your own life. What did your TV look like during your childhood? Did you have a PC or a laptop as a child? What technology did you use at school? How did you listen to music and watch movies–was it different from how we do those things now? If possible, you could even involve grandparents to encompass a larger period of time to see how things evolve.
Play opportunities could involve pretend play with old computer keyboards or devices that you have that are not in use. If you keep old technology boxes—kids could set them up as a store. For a challenge, you could put prices on them to give an opportunity to shop and add up the amounts. Students could pretend to be a repair person, and could write “help tickets” for a chance to practice independent spelling and writing.
The Fixies is a great show about how things work! It is available on youtube and amazon prime.
Thank you for all that you do to support our work with your amazing kiddos!
Julie Mouser-DeArmond
Below is a link to our district calendar (click the blue button) as well as a snapshot of the half and no school days throughout the year. We know unplanned absences will occur, but your child's attendance is extremely important. We miss them when they are gone and they miss important learning and social interaction when they are not at school. If possible, when planning for appointments and/or vacations, please attempt to use the afternoons of half days or days off school throughout the year.
This must be done yearly!
If you are in need of assistance with breakfast or lunch money, please complete the Free and Reduced lunch process. This must be done EVERY Year.
Check out the Menu
School breakfast and lunch menus can be found here. You can deposit money into your student's account at My School Bucks.
Adventure Club
https://prcommunityed.org/programs/school-age-care/registration-instructions
