Dragon News

October 1, 2026

McKelvey Primary Families,

There is still time to register for the Boosterthon Color Run on Friday! Please look at the information below! Every student will get to participate, regardless of whether you registered or not. Friday may be a bit muddy along with the fun mess from the color run. The students will be participating in a fun run, and their clothes will be filled with color. Please send them in clothing and shoes that you don't mind getting a little messy!

Learn more about Prop P below!

We have talked with the students about this, but please try and make sure that they leave their toys at home. We have been seeing a lot of toys at school, and they typically get lost or broken and make for some upset kiddos :(

As always, please reach out if you need anything.

Dr. Christina Brown

McKelvey Primary is our Kindergarten and 1st Grade Elementary School that is located at

12657 Fee Fee Road, St. Louis, MO 63146.

Mark you calendars!

More information to come about these specific dates!

October 2: Fun Friday- Fall Festival/Boosterthon Color Run during school; Party on the Playground at Intermediate after school at 4:30 (flyers below)

October 7: Half Day-dismiss at 1pm

October 8: St. Louis Blues Home Opener (wear Blues gear or the color blue)

October 9: North Area Night at Parkway North Football Game

October 16: Half Day of School (Dismissal begins at 1:00)

October 26-30: McKelvey Primary BookFair
October19th-Nov 6th: Parent/Teacher Conference Window (classroom teachers will schedule these at a later date)

October 30: Dress Up Day (wear hats, costumes, or dress like a book character)

*Kids should be able to take clothing on and off on their own. No masks, face paint, or weapons. Please wear athletic shoes*

November 2: No School, Fall Break

November 3: No School, Staff Professional Development

Click on the link below to sign up to volunteer for our Fall Fun Day on Oct. 2nd

The company, cowboy critters, will be at the fall festival with a petting zoo. The students will get to interact with friendly farm animals! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

The cost of operating schools is rising faster than funding, creating a projected $75 million shortfall over the next 10 years. Prop P on the November 3 ballot would provide stable funding for Parkway teachers, classrooms, safety, and student support.

Join Superintendent Dr. Melissa Schneider and Chief Financial Officer Carrie Nunn for a Parkway Community Webinar to learn about Proposition P: why it’s on the ballot, and what passage or failure would mean for Parkway schools and our community.

When: Wednesday, October 7 at 7 p.m.

Livestream the webinar at https://pkwy.info/community-livestream. Can’t make it live? A recording of the presentation will be available.

Get the facts about Prop P at www.parkwayschools.net/Prop-P

• Attracting and retaining teachers and staff

• Safety and security

• Classroom resources

• Student programs and services

• Long-term financial stability

Did you know that before placing Proposition P on the November ballot, Parkway reduced spending by $15.4 million?

The reductions impacted every school and department budget, professional development expenses, and other operating costs. Further reductions would increasingly impact students, teachers, programs, and services. and classrooms.

Learn more about Prop P on the November 3 ballot: www.parkwayschools.net/Prop-P

Throughout the year, we will have a trained touch therapy dog from Love on a Leash visit our classrooms. Lucy is a certified therapy dog associated with Love on a Leash, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit pet therapy organization.

About Love on a Leash

• Mission: Dedicated to providing volunteer pet therapy teams (handlers and their pets) to offer comfort, joy, and stress relief in settings like schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care.







• Certification Process: Requires pets to pass a control evaluation and complete supervised visits with a certified member after mastering basic obedience.







• Services: Entirely volunteer-driven and offered free of charge to facilities.

At school, we are continually helping students build important social, emotional, and behavioral skills that support their success in the classroom and beyond. Social stories are short, simple stories designed to help children understand and practice specific skills.

When children hear consistent messages and use similar language across both home and school, it helps them better understand, remember, and apply the skills they are practicing.

Our Shared Goal

To give children the tools, language, and practice they need to grow. Home and school are strongest when we work together.

Thank you for partnering with us!

A free four-part program designed for families with K-8 graders to bring parents and guardians closer to their adolescents through education and understanding.

There are 3 remaining events, one in the North area. Check out the document below for more information!

What We Are Learning

Our second literacy unit, Character Matters, focuses on how characters’ actions, choices, and responses help us understand who they are. Students will read a variety of stories and think about characters’ traits, feelings, motivations, and how they respond to challenges. Through reading, writing, and discussion, students will explore how the choices characters make can affect themselves and others and consider what we can learn from their experiences.

Try this at Home

• Notice character traits everywhere! While reading a book or watching a show together, ask, “What kind of person is this character? What did they do that makes you think that?” Talk about how characters’ choices affect other people.

• Practice the power of “not yet.” When something feels hard—zipping a coat, reading a word, building something, tying a shoe—resist the urge to jump in right away. Give your child time to try, make mistakes, and try another way. A little productive struggle builds independence and confidence.

• Build an October routine. As mornings get darker and schedules get busy, let your child take ownership of one part of getting ready. They might check the weather and choose a jacket, pack their backpack, fill their water bottle, or put everything they need by the door the night before.

Did You Know?

Children are still developing the brain systems that help them manage big feelings, frustration, and impulses. Self-regulation develops through co-regulation. Children borrow calm from the adults around them before they can consistently create it for themselves.

• When your child is overwhelmed, connect before you correct. A calm voice, getting close, and acknowledging the feeling can help their brain settle.

• Keep your words short when emotions are big. A dysregulated brain has a harder time processing lots of language.

• Wait to problem-solve or talk about what happened until your child is calm. That's when their brain is better able to listen, reflect, and learn.

• Your calm doesn't mean the behavior is okay. You can hold a boundary while helping your child regulate: “It's okay to be angry. It's not okay to hit. I'm here to help you.”

• Every time children experience big feelings and successfully move through them with support, they are building the skills they'll eventually use on their own.

The application MUST be resubmitted every year!

The Parkway School District participates in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. This allows families the opportunity to apply for Free and Reduced Price Meal Benefits.
The information provided on the application is confidential and will be used only for the purpose of determining eligibility. The eligibility criteria and application are available for download below.
Applications are also available from the Nutrition Services Office or the School Principal's Office.

HOW DO YOU QUALIFY?
Qualification is based on household income. The income criteria table for the 2026-2027 school year is provided in the link below.

Click the button below for more information.

McKelvey Primary Family Handbook

Facebook

Instagram

Website: https://www.parkwayschools.net/domain/2773
Location: 12657 Fee Fee Road, St. Louis, MO 63146, USA
Phone: 314-415-5000