TOMAHAWK TRIBUNE

The Meramec Valley R-III School Board is committed to excellence in governance and leadership. The Board of Education meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Find Board News at www.mvr3.k12.mo.us.

Please note that Board of Education meetings will now be held at 6:30 p.m. Meetings will continue to be held at the district administration office unless otherwise noted.

Welcome to the Back-to-School edition of the Tomahawk Tribune! This issue is packed with essential resources and information to help you and your student prepare for a smooth, successful start to the 2026-2027 school year.

We are counting down the days until the first day of school on Monday, August 24th, and cannot wait to see our halls filled with energy again!

As we look ahead to the 2026-27 school year, I'm filled with hope and excitement for another great year together. Our staff has been busy planning, preparing, and working hard to get our classrooms ready to welcome students back on Monday, August 24th.

Our custodial and maintenance team has been hard at work making improvements and updates to all our learning spaces for students and staff. Likewise, many of our staff participated in summer training and curriculum writing workshops, all aimed at improving teaching practices and boosting student success.

At a June workshop, our Board of Education reviewed our new Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) goals as we continue to focus on improving student learning. This plan outlines new goals for the district's future, focusing on:

• Student Achievement

• Parent and Community Engagement

• Student Attendance

• Climate and Culture

We also want to thank all of our families who completed the long-range master planning survey this summer. We truly appreciate your feedback and support as we work together to plan for the future of our schools. Please know that our top priorities as a district are always our students' learning, safety, and well-being.

Building strong, positive partnerships among our schools, families, and the community is a cornerstone of the Meramec Valley R-III School District. Together, we're committed to providing an excellent education for every student. As a school community, it's a privilege to see the outstanding accomplishments, developing talents, and incredible growth of our students every day—they truly are at the heart of all we do. By working together to recognize and celebrate the positive achievements of everyone in the Meramec Valley R-III community, we will continue to strive for excellence.

From our staff to your family, we hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, stay safe, and we can’t wait to see our students back on Monday, August 24th!

Dr. Carrie Schwierjohn

Elementary Schedule (Grades K-4):

8:35am to 3:40pm

Secondary Schedule (Grades 5-12):

7:30am to 2:30pm

Parents are encouraged to download the FREE MVR-III School District mobile app to streamline school communication on the go. Find the Meramec Valley R-III School District app in the Apple App or Google Play Store. Be sure to select notifications from your preferred buildings and enable push notifications in your phone settings. Teachers will use the Rooms link inside the MVR-III app to communicate directly with parents.

Rooms makes it easier to stay in touch with teachers and class information from that same app. You can easily switch from district and school information in the app to Rooms, where you can see your student's classes and engage directly with teachers.

Rooms can be accessed via the web (at edurooms.com) and from our district app, which is available for free and can be used from both Apple and Android phones. To access Rooms, you will need to create a login and password.

Rooms: ( Apple iOS ) / ( Android )

Infinite Campus Parent: ( Apple iOS ) / ( Android )

At Meramec Valley R-III School District, we remain committed to ensuring every student has access to healthy, nutritious meals that support their learning and success in the classroom. While we have been proud to provide free breakfast over the last two years, it has been funded at a shortfall, and the district has been making up the difference to cover the cost. As a result, the district will no longer be able to provide free breakfast to all students.

To help families navigate these changes, we highly encourage everyone to complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application. Eligibility guidelines change from year to year, and many families who may not have qualified in the past find that they do now. This application will be available at the Back to School Bash and all Back-to-School events. Approved applications not only assist your family with meal costs but also ensure our schools continue to receive other vital funding.

If you have any immediate questions regarding free or reduced lunch applications, please reach out to Michelle Dawson at (636) 271-1428 or email Michelle at mdawson@mvr3.k12.mo.us.

MVR-III uses the BusRight Parent App to communicate bus routes and times with parents. BusRight is a FREE parent app which allows parents to, in real-time, follow their child’s bus route to and from school, receive notifications when the bus begins and ends its route, view the expected arrival time at your child’s designated bus stop, and receive communication from the Transportation Department.

To access BusRight, please follow these simple steps:

1. Download the App: Download the BusRight app from your mobile device's app store.

2. Create an Account: Use your Infinite Campus email address to create a login.

3. Track Your Student: Begin tracking your child's bus routes immediately.

If you have issues creating your account, you will need to verify with your school building office that you are listed as the primary guardian in Infinite Campus. Find out more on BusRight on the District website under Transportation.

If you plan to volunteer, attend field trips, or help at school events, you will first need to complete the background check process. Two background checks are now required, and the process takes up to 10 days to complete.

We suggest families plan ahead and complete the process prior to the start of each school year or 10 days prior to an off campus field trips. Volunteers should review the links below. Please contact your child's school office if you have any questions.

• Volunteer Process

• Volunteer Handbook

Thank you to our dedicated maintenance staff for their continuous effort and hard work behind the scenes to keep our school facilities running smoothly.

Pacific High School

• Main hallway lockers removed

• New sewer lift station installed

• Updated baseball & softball field (Prop 1 Project)

• Auxiliary gym floor replaced

Riverbend Middle School

• New track (Prop 1 Project)

Coleman Elementary

• New restroom exhaust fans

• New cove base in 3 classrooms

Nike Elementary

• Exterior canned lights replaced

Robertsville Elementary

• Classroom floor tile removed

• Kitchen freezer updated

Zitzman Elementary

• Interior and exterior painting

Doris Hoffman Early Learning Center

• New playground surface

Arrow Academy

• Classrooms painted

2026-27 Open House Events:

August 17 - Riverbend Middle School

August 18 - Pacific High School/ Arrow Academy/Doris Hoffman Early Learning Center

August 19 - Coleman/Nike/Robertsville/Zitzman

August 20 - Pacific Intermediate

Families will have the opportunity to visit schools, meet staff, and get ready for a great start to the school year!

Help us make a difference in the lives of our over 3,000 Pre-K through 12th grade students. Start the process of finding your home in #MVNation today!

Learn more about these opportunities and apply today at http://bit.ly/JOINMVR3.