Bellerive Bulletin

Dear Bellerive Families,

As we approach the winter break, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support and partnership. It has been a wonderful first half of the school year filled with learning, growth, and special memories.

This week we celebrate the season with fun events like our Winter Spirit Week, the 4th and 5th Grade Music Concert, and our Winter Party and Movie Day.

I hope this season gives you time to relax, recharge, and enjoy moments with loved ones. Wishing you a joyful winter break and a Happy New Year! I look forward to welcoming everyone back in January for an exciting second half of the school year.

In partnership,

Joey Kneer

All Week

Winter Spirit Week: December 16 - 20

Monday, December 16

PTO Gift Wrap Volunteer Event

Thursday, December 19

4th and 5th Gr Music Concert: 7 pm

Friday, December 20

Winter Party / Movie Day

Half Day AM (1:05 pm Dismissal for Bellerive)

Winter Break

No School for Winter Break: December 23 - January 2

No School for Professional Development: January 3

School Resumes: Monday, January 6

If you signed up to help support other families in need this holiday season, please bring your donations to Bellerive labeled with the Family Number (#1 or #2) NO LATER THAN Tuesday, December 17.

FAMILY #1 - Fourth Grade Girl

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0C4BABA623A5FA7-53532822-4thgrade

FAMILY #2 - Fourth Grade Boy

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0C4BABA623A5FA7-53538120-family

Our Bellerive community is always so generous, and we thank you for your continued support and generosity this time of year.

We are excited about the upcoming Winter Party on Friday, December 20, which is a schoolwide movie day! Students are invited to bring a blanket or towel to donate to the Humane Society if you gave permission for it be donated on the movie selection form.

If your child will not be attending school for any reason, it is very important for you to call and notify the school office of the reason for the absence. This helps us to keep track of illnesses among our students. It also helps us be assured that your child is safe at home.

For the health of your child, other students, and school staff, it is important to know when your child should stay home due to illness. Students should stay home if they have had any of the following symptoms:

• Fever of 100.4 or higher in the past 24 hours
• Undiagnosed rash that is accompanied by fever or itching
• Bad cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing
• Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours
• Sore throat, with fever or swollen glands in the neck
• Symptoms of being sick such as being unusually tired, fussy, pale or having difficulty waking

If your child has strep throat or another bacterial infection, he/she should stay home until the antibiotic has been given for at least 24 hours and your healthcare provider has given permission for your child to return to school. We encourage you to seek medical attention when your child is sick and to follow your healthcare provider's recommendations about returning to school and other social activities.

Dear future Northeast Middle families,

Welcome to Northeast Middle and the Jr. Viking family! It is hard to believe that it is already that time of year. We are excited to begin the process of transitioning your child to middle school. The course request process is the first step. This will begin with a highly encouraged parent/scholar meeting for ALL incoming 6th grade families on Tuesday, January 7th, at 5:45p until 6:45p, in the Northeast Middle gym. Our goal is to have 100% participation with a parent/guardian/caretaker and the scholar in attendance. If you need any translating or accommodation services, please let me know in advance.

This meeting will be held at Northeast Middle in the gym. We will be discussing course offerings, completing the course request process, meeting the administration and counselor, be able to walk around the school, purchase spiritwear, and more. Of particular interest, scholars will learn about their required music course offerings and complete an optional band instrument fitting.

In the meantime, we encourage you to review the course request handbook for Northeast Middle, with your child.

On the 7th, we will meet in the large gym and the presentation will be approximately 30 minutes. If you have any Special Education questions, we do strongly encourage you to reach out directly to our Special Education Administrators:

• Ms. Lauren Rayfield, SSD Administrator / IEPs (lrayfield@parkwayschools.net)
• Mrs. Emily Moxey, SSD Administrator / DHH (emoxey@parkwayschools.net)

We look forward to meeting you on January 7th. If there is anything we can do to assist in the meantime, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Have a wonderful holiday season and see you in 2025!

Important Links

• Course Request Handbook 2025-2026
• Team INSPIRE Video

Important Contact Information

• Dr. Jason Cox, 6th Grade Assistant Principal / 504s (jcox@parkwayschools.net)
• Mrs. LaDonna Lowe-Sutherlin, 6th Grade Counselor (llowe-sutherlin@parkwayschools.net)
• Dr. Kevin M. Martin, Principal (kmartin2@parkwayschools.net)

Your Partner In Education,

Kevin M. Martin, Ed.D.

Principal

If you have an incoming a Kindergarten student for the 25-26 school year, check out this Parkway Kindergarten Guide resource. It has everything you need to know:

• Kindergarten Registration Information (Opens Monday, January 6)
• Link to Register for the Wonderful World of Kindergarten event (Tuesday, January 14)
• Link to Register for Visit Your Elementary School event (Thursday, January 30)
• Information on Jumpstart to Kindergarten (Registration Begins Sunday, February 2, 11 am)
• Adventure Club Information
• An interactive guide on skills, books, and kindergarten readiness activities

Please share with family and friends who will have a Kindergarten student starting in August.

Bellerive along with all Parkway schools 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.

The Bellerive Book Battlers is looking for members! This is the first year we are competing, and we are ready to win! Students should join the Reader Leaders for 2nd semester LEAD time if they like reading, competition, and being a part of an amazing team! Click on this link and start reading the 2025 book list! For more information, contact Mrs. Liz Zahnweh (lzahnweh@parkwayschools.net).

As we enter the holiday season, many parents asked us to reshare this list of Staff Favorites.

In conjunction with our work with Leader in Me and the 7 Habits, this survey is an opportunity for members of our school community to provide feedback on a number of meaningful factors. For our students' families and caregivers, this includes feedback on the growth of your student, available supports, and areas for improvement. Please click here to complete this survey!

Here is a direct link to the Trivia Night website.

School Resumes: Monday, January 6

Kindergarten Registration Opens: Monday, January 6

American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge Launches: Monday, January 6

Northeast Middle Incoming 6th Grade Info Night: Tuesday, January 7, 5:45 pm, Northeast Middle

Equations Club Parent Meeting: Wednesday, January 8, 6:30 pm, Bellerive Library

Incoming 25-26 Kindergarten District Event--Wonderful World of Kindergarten: Tuesday, January 14, 6 pm, Virtual

PTO Restaurant Fundraiser at Chic-Fil-A: Wednesday, January 15

End of 2nd Quarter/1st Semester: Thursday, January 16

Half-Day AM (Teacher Records/Grading): Thursday, January 16, 1:05 pm Dismissal at Bellerive

No School (Teacher Records/Grading): Friday, January 17

No School (Dr. Martin Luther King Day): Monday, January 20

Project Lit Book Club: Tuesday, January 21, 7 pm, Panera (Town & Country)

PTO General Meeting: Wednesday, January 22, 6:30 pm, Virtual

Progress Reports & NWEA Scores Emailed to Parents: Thursday, January 23

Step Team Performs at Highcroft International Night: Thursday, January 23, 5 pm

Club & Group Photos for Yearbook: Friday, January 24