Bellerive Bulletin

Dear Bellerive Families,

It was wonderful seeing so many of you at Meet the Teacher last week! The excitement throughout the building made us even more eager to welcome our students back for the 2026–2027 school year.

This year, we are ready to blast off with our new theme, Leading Across the Galaxy! As your family prepares to launch into the new school year, this bulletin includes important information for a successful takeoff.

We are looking forward to an out-of-this-world year of learning, leadership, and growth at Bellerive!

In partnership,

Joey Kneer, Ed.D.

Principal, Bellerive Elementary School

mkneer@parkwayschools.net

314-415-6051

We look forward to our first day of school on Tuesday, August 25! The doors open at 8:50 am and school begins at 9:05 am. School ends at 4:00 pm.

Please remember, parents will need to say goodbye to their children at the front door (or at the bus stop or in the car drop-off line). Though we cannot allow access to the building due to safety, parents and students will be able to participate in a photo opportunity in front of the building and walk their child to the front door to say good-bye. We will have many Bellerive staff members present to walk your child to their classroom the first week of school, if needed.

We encourage you to practice your normal routine on the first day of school (bus, car rider, or walker) to prevent any confusion for arrival and dismissal the remainder of the week!

Parents are invited to the PTO's Boo Hoo Breakfast at 9:05 am on the first day of school. Join other parents near the picnic tables by the Adventure Club door.

Please make sure to read below if you are dropping students off or picking students up from school. Our process for arrival and dismissal is specific. Please understand the procedure so that everyone can stay safe.

Reminder for Parents of Kindergarten Students: Kindergarten students (unless riding with an older sibling) must be met at the bus stop by an adult. If an adult is not at the bus stop when the bus arrives to drop off your child, your child will be brought back to the school office.

These shirts will be worn throughout the year to show your Bellerive spirit! The shirts will be your child's grade-level color (e.g., Kindergarten: Purple), and adult shirts will be gray. We encourage every child to have one.

• Youth Sizes = $10.00
• Adult Sizes = $13.00

T-shirts run on the small side. A youth small is a size 6-8. A youth medium is a size 10-12. A youth large is a size 14-16. A youth extra large is a size 18-20.

Parents must order through the online payment system, accessible through Infinite Campus. Additional instructions can be found here!

Be Proactive! Completing these items before the first day will set you up for success this year!

1. Order Your 26-27 School T-Shirt through Infinite Campus
2. Verify your child's bus stop location and times
3. Follow Bellerive on Facebook and Instagram
4. Access the School Calendar and incorporate it into your personal electronic calendars (See directions here.)
5. Review the Family/Student Handbook
6. Update your Family Profile (It is important we have accurate phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contact information.)
7. Bookmark the Bellerive Family Hub
8. Complete the Free/Reduced Lunch application (This must be completed annually!)
9. Download the Parkway Mobile App (This is a great resource for lunch menus, staff contact information, news, calendars, and more.)
10. Remind your child about expectations for cell phones and smartwatches
11. Preview the Breakfast/Lunch Menus and add money to your child's account through MySchoolBucks

Family Numbers and Student ID Numbers: Earlier today, you received an important email with two key pieces of information:

1. Your child's family number for dismissal. Please read more about our dismissal procedures below.
2. Your child's Student ID number. You may need this number to create or access accounts for the transportation app and other school apps.

Transportation Information: Bus information is available on the Transportation website. If you have any questions about your child's bus assignment, please contact the Parkway Transportation Department at 314-415-8400. Here are the phone numbers for other transportation offices that serve some Bellerive students:

1. Voluntary Transfer Student Transportation - 314.721.8657
2. Special School District Transportation

• Central Garage Dispatch (routes 300-599) - 314.989.7165
• North Garage Dispatch (Student Transportation of America/routes 600-899) - 314.989.7750
• South Garage Dispatch (routes 1-299) - 314.989.7563
• Private transportation providers: https://www.ssdmo.org/departments/transportation

Parkway Back-to-School Guide: Please view this Family Resource Guide to help you have a smooth start to the school year.

Medication at School: If your child needs daily or as-needed medication available at school, please contact Nurse O (mosterholt@parkwayschools.net or 314-415-6060) to coordinate a drop-off and to ensure the appropriate forms are completed. Here is a link to the Parkway medication forms. Parent and physician signatures are needed before medication can be accepted or administered at school.

Teacher Wish Lists: The PTO asked that we gather a list of items that teachers would love to have in their classrooms to enhance the learning environment and support teaching and learning. If you would like to help make a teacher's wish come true, please click here to review the items requested along with some of their favorite items.

School Supplies: Please click here to access the School Supply List for 26-27, or click here for a printer-friendly version of the list. If you ordered supplies through the Impacks supply box program, they have been delivered to your child's classroom.

Thank you for helping us prioritize safety. Below are the guidelines that will make the arrival and dismissal process smooth and safe for all.

To ensure that arrival/dismissal times run smoothly, safely, and efficiently, we ask that all parents remain in their vehicles and pull forward when waved to do so by a Bellerive staff member. If assistance is needed, please wave and signal to a staff member to come and assist. Please have your child exit from the right side of the car so they are not crossing traffic. We also ask that you please refrain from using your cell phones. Students are not to be dropped off prior to 8:50 am. We do not have supervision prior to this time.

We ask that you DO NOT park along the street and walk to drop off or pick up your child. The streets around Bellerive are marked NO PARKING and are congested during arrival and dismissal. If you are physically dropping off or picking up your child on foot, please utilize Door 1 directly outside the main office. All walkers will meet at the bench on the bridge and be dismissed by a Bellerive staff member before leaving school.

If you have an appointment or activity and need to pick up your child early from school, please come to the main entrance (Door 1) and ring the buzzer. A staff member will help locate your child, and you can sign them out on a Chromebook. We ask that you not pick up your child from the office after 3:30 pm as we are busy preparing for dismissal.

We want to ensure the safety of each child and that the correct designated person is picking up your child. Each family will have a placard/sign with their family number. Please keep a placard in your car and display it in the window until your child is in your car. The placard and/or family number allow the Bellerive staff to quickly confirm that an authorized individual is picking up each child. Not having your placard will slow down the dismissal process. If you do not have a placard in your car or do not know your family number, you will be asked to pick up your child from the office and provide ID. If you need a new/additional placard or need your family number changed for safety reasons (e.g., an unauthorized person knows the number), please complete this Google form and a new placard will be made for you. Please know that the placards are only used during regular dismissal. When children are signed out early, the adult must present photo identification.

To summarize:

1. Please turn cell phones off while in the pick-up/drop-off zones.

2. Students should not be dropped off before 8:50 am and should be picked up at 4:00 pm.

3. Please remain in your vehicle and pull forward only when motioned. Do not get out of your car. If your child needs assistance with buckling, please ask the adult supervisors for assistance or move forward to the area by the handicapped parking spaces.

4. No one should be parking around Bellerive to drop off or pick up their child as a walker.

5. Please have your child exit from the right side of the car so they are not crossing traffic.

6. Do not make a left-hand turn into the car drop-off or pick-up lane.

• At arrival, turning left cuts off other cars who have been waiting patiently and causes a traffic backup on Rue de Fleur, holding up neighborhood traffic.
• At dismissal, it means you will miss the staff member responsible for entering your family number into the pick-up system. As a result, your child will not be lined up and ready for pick-up when you arrive.

Thanks for your cooperation as we work to ensure the safety of your children! We are working to create a Win-Win situation by keeping your child safe and moving the line quickly.

As you can see in this diagram, our car rider lane uses the second entrance to the building. Please be mindful not to block crosswalks or sidewalks. Our neighbors thank you!

Please use these alternate routes to avoid making left turns into Bellerive’s lot.

First Day of School: Tuesday, August 25

• Drop-off begins at 8:50 am
• School begins at 9:05 am
• Boo Hoo Breakfast for parents at 9:05 am (around the picnic tables/Adventure Club door)
• Dismissal at 4:00 pm

PTO Back-to-School Picnic: Friday, August 28, 6:00 to 7:30 pm, Millennium Park

Grades 1-5 only!

On Thursday, September 17, students will participate in a high-energy, interactive assembly with Joe Fingerhut, the “How Can I?” Mindset Specialist. Joe will encourage students to shift their thinking from “I can’t” to “How can I?” while building resilience, confidence, and problem-solving skills. We are excited for this fun and inspiring experience!

If you do not wish for your child to participate in this assembly, please email Dr. Kneer (mkneer@parkwayschools.net) prior to Friday, September 11.

Thank you, PTO, for providing this opportunity for our students!

Click here to volunteer!

It is registration time for the 2026-2027 Parkway 4th & 5th Grade Strings Program. Our strings classes are open to all students continuing in 4th & 5th grade. The weekly music instruction is free and provided by certified string teachers. We are pleased to provide this learning opportunity for your student.

Instruction on the viola, cello, and bass are new instrumental options in addition to the violin in the 4th and 5th grades. Our 4th and 5th grade string curriculum builds on the previous year's instruction.

• Click here for more information.
• Follow this direct link to register your child.

Get a head start on the school year! If you are new to Bellerive or haven't utilized this convenient resource previously, please link the Bellerive school calendar to your personal calendar (Outlook, Google Calendar, iCalendar, etc.) to receive automatic updates and have quick access to school events.

Back-to-school dates are already listed and additional dates are coming soon!

Click here for directions on how to subscribe.

Click here to learn more details and review answers to frequently asked questions.

Monday, September 7

• No School (Labor Day)

Tuesday, September 8

• Grades 1-5 Parent Open House (Parents Only): 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Wednesday, September 9

• Half Day--1:05 pm Dismissal at Bellerive (Professional Development)

Sunday, September 13

• Before School Club Sign-Ups Begin

Monday, September 28

• Before School Club Sign-Ups Due
• Picture Day!