Dragon News

July 31, 2025

Dear McKelvey Primary Families,

There is a lot of important information in this newsletter, so be sure to take some time to become familiar with all of it. Next week I will include information about our arrival and dismissal procedures which will be very important for you to understand before day 1. The McKelvey Primary Family Digital HUB and the handbook also have a lot of information that will answer most of your questions. These will be linked at the bottom of this newsletter throughout the school year for your reference.

I hope to see many of you on the McKelvey Primary playground this evening! I will send a text if the weather changes and we need to cancel.

Sincerely,
Dr. Christina Pliske

McKelvey Primary is our Kindergarten and 1st Grade school, located at 12657 Fee Fee Road, St. Louis, MO 63146.

Mark your Calendar!

More information to come about these specific dates!

July 31: Dragons on the Playground (flyer below)

August 11: Kindergarten Parent Information Night | 4:00–5:00 PM

August 13: 1st Grade Open House | 3:30–4:30 PM
August 18: First Day of School!

August 25: PTO Dine out Night-Qdoba (flyer below)

August 28: Kindergarten Meet the Teacher/Supply Drop | 4:30-5:30

September 20: Party at the Playground @McK Intermediate (flyer below)

September 28: McKelvey Night @ City 2 (flyer below)

KINDERGARTEN families: There will be staff available to supervise your Kindergarten student while you learn more about our school on August 11th. Please do not bring supplies on this day.

FIRST GRADE families: We will see you and your first grader on August 13th to briefly drop supplies, say hello to your teacher, and enjoy a popsicle on the playground!

If you ordered supplies through PTO to be delivered, they will be in your child's classroom for the first day of school.

Below is a link to our district calendar (click the green button) as well as a snapshot of the half 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.

25-26 District Academic Calendar

The Transportation Department is hard at work creating bus routes for the first day of school. They juggle the many changes and typically wait to create routes until the last minute to accommodate all late enrollees. Bus routes will not be given out until the Friday before school. If you do not receive information before then, please do not panic. If for some reason you do not receive them by the Friday before school, please reach out to the Transportation Department. The school does not have access to bus route information.

Kindergarten "soft placement" assignments will be give out at Kindergarten Parent Information Night. You will receive communication from that teacher on that day. You will be notified of final teacher placement/classroom assignments on August 27th when you receive communication from the teacher.

First Grade will receive their classroom placement via email introduction from their classroom teacher. You may see something on IC, but please wait to hear from your teacher before inquiring.

Important Note Regarding Incoming Kindergarten Supplies

Please bring only a backpack with a change of clothes, reusable water bottle, one small snack and a *lunch box (*if bringing lunch) on the first days of school. Kindergarten students will use community supplies until "soft placement" timeframe is over. KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES --> Do not bring additional supplies until the Meet the Teacher/Supply Drop-off on August 28th.

KINDERGARTEN SUPPLY LIST

FIRST GRADE SUPPLY LIST

Here are some things your student can practice before the first day!

Practice packing and unpacking their backpack
Try lunchtime with their lunchbox (have them practice opening and closing items on their own, and finishing their meal in 20 minutes)
Practice bathroom routines from start to finish
Talk about what drop off and pick up will be like
Set a consistent morning and bedtime routine (and also get enough sleep)
Let them practice choosing clothes for the day (weather appropriate :)
Play simple games and practice turn-taking
Practice saying their first and last name
Role play asking for help, raising a hand, and problem-solving with a friend
Practice waiting in line and sitting with a group
Try different calming strategies when frustrated or upset (deep breaths, counting, etc.)
Read books together (even ones about starting school)
Practice putting on shoes, buttoning, and zippering
Create a positive and special goodbye ritual to ease separation
Gradually limit screen time (especially before bedtime)
Let your child know that you are proud of them and excited for them to start school

Our Kindergarten students participate in a "soft placement." This means that for the first few weeks of school students will arrive/dismiss, attend lunch/recess, and attend specials with the same teacher and peers. Throughout the rest of the day, students will rotate between three Kindergarten classrooms with different groups of students and with a different teacher. This will allow us to make the best possible placement for your child to optimize their learning experience. More information to come!

The first day of Kindergarten is a big milestone—for both children and caregivers! Our BooHoo / Yahoo Breakfast gives Kindergarten parents a chance to take a breath, share a few tears or cheers, and connect with other families experiencing the same moment. Whether you're feeling a little emotional ("boohoo") or ready to celebrate this new chapter ("yahoo"), you're not alone—and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Popsicles on the playground will occur after our Kindergarten Parent Information session AND after 1st grade students drop supplies and say hi to their new teacher.

Hooray for a night off from cooking!

Save the date for PTO’s first Dine-Out Night fundraiser of the year - August 25!

Don’t forget to mention McKelvey when you order—part of the proceeds will go back to support our school!

McKelvey Primary & Intermediate Families

Let’s Do It Again!

When your PTO President loves soccer and fundraising for McKelvey, you get more McKelvey Nights at City2 games!

Save the Date:
Join us for McKelvey Night at City2
Sunday, September 28th
Kickoff at 4:00 PM

Grab your tickets through the link below — a portion of each ticket sale goes back to support McKelvey! It’s always a fun evening of soccer, school spirit, and time with McKelvey friends and families as we cheer on City2!

Tickets: https://pa.exchange/marketplace/d477451a-5751-11f0-916d-7df2ed3d8bba/storefront/d477466e-5751-11f0-8099-dd0f61a9c412?fbclid=IwY2xjawL0cHdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBIYlV4M2IyQkdxRG5xVnBhAR6mTmxTc-_gziC_Jz8_mwjdAI5VlF0353kAAqmA9bcF-hq4icWUnEQ0Vnf_MA_aem_lI7Ne-_hxZTuwHHep2ocIg

Important Links

The links and buttons below can be found below. I will keep these here throughout the entire year so that you can easily reference them when needed.

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

Needing before or after school care? Visit the Adventure Club site to contact them for more information.

https://prcommunityed.org/programs/school-age-care/registration-instructions

Sign up to be a volunteer!

If you think you might want to take advantage of any volunteer opportunities or chaperone field trips you will have to complete the Parkway volunteer requirements. This could take several weeks so be sure to complete it early!