Henry Happenings

Dear Henry Families,

I hope you all enjoyed a cozy—if a bit rainy—fall weekend! As we head into Halloween week, I want to remind everyone that we will not be wearing costumes at school on Friday. This applies to both students and staff as we strive to create an inclusive environment where all students feel comfortable and welcome, especially since not all families celebrate this holiday. Pumpkin- or fall-themed clothing is absolutely encouraged! Thank you for your continued support in helping us make our school a place where every student feels valued and included.

We do thank our PTO for hosting a fun Trunk or Treat outside of the school day, this past Friday, for those families that do chose to celebrate. It was a great opportunity for students to show off their costumes.

We also need your help ensuring that all students are safely supervised before the school day begins. As a reminder, students may enter Henry Elementary starting at 8:50 AM. Before that time, staff members are not on duty, as they are arriving, attending meetings, or preparing for the day.

Lately, we’ve noticed some students arriving early. Please help by ensuring that walkers leave home a little later, or by helping your child set a timer so they arrive between 8:50 AM and 9:05 AM. This will help ensure that all students are safely supervised once they are on school grounds.

Thank you so much for your continued partnership and support in keeping our students safe!

Continue reading below for more information about: Last Chance Conference Sign Up, Picture Retake Day, Notes from the Library, PTO Updates, and More!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jodi Oliver

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Facebook: facebook.com/henryelementaryschool
Instagram: @pkwyhenrybulldogs

October 29- Picture Retake Day

October 30-31 - Book Fair Preview

November 1 - Book Fair Breakfast, 8:00 - 10:00 AM

November 3 - November 7 - Book Fair

November 3- 5th Grade Field Trip to Biz Town

November 3 & 5- Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 4- No School (Professional Development)

November 6- Fine Dining Day

We are looking forward to our upcoming fall conferences on November 3rd and November 5th. The teachers will share strategies, updates from formal and informal assessments, and other observations about your child and his/her progress. Parents are encouraged to bring their child to the conference. Student-involved conferences (or participation) is preferred, but we understand if you are not able to bring your child to the conference. We do have a system in place for student involvement so there is no pressure for parents to bring anything.

In order to make signing up for a conference more convenient, we are combining all of the conference sign-up links into this form for easy access and planning. Please sign up by Friday, October 31, 2025. More information is provided on this link!

We’re cooking up something special—our very own Henry Cookbook! In an effort to celebrate the wonderful mix of cultures, traditions, and favorite foods that make our school community so unique, we would like to create a Henry School Cookbook with your help!

Please send us one of your favorite recipes to include—whether it’s a treasured family dish passed down through generations or a simple meal that always brings smiles around your table. We would love for every family to be part of it!

Please fill out the Google Form to share your recipes. Together, we’ll create a cookbook full of flavors and stories that reflect the heart of our school family. The recipes and pictures will be displayed in our cafeteria, allowing all students to see their favorite recipes represented. At the end of the year, we will share a digital cookbook with all of the recipes. Let’s make this something delicious to share for years to come!

25-26 Henry Cookbook

Make sure to save the dates for the upcoming Scholastic Book Fair.

• Saturday, 11/1, 8:30 am- 11:00 am (Book Fair Breakfast)
• Monday, 11/3, 9:00 am- 12:00 pm (student shopping)
• Monday, 11/3, 4:30 pm- 8:00 pm (open during conferences)
• Wednesday, 11/5, 9:00 am-12:00 pm (student shopping)
• Wednesday, 11/5, 4:30 pm- 8:00 pm (open during conferences)
• Thursday, 11/6, 9:00 am- 12:00 pm (student shopping)
• Friday, 11/7, 9:00 am- 12:00 pm (student shopping)

Volunteers needed for the Book Fair!

The book fair would not be a success without the help of parent volunteers. Come help

students discover new books, run the register, and restock shelves- all while meeting

other parents. It makes a huge difference and supports our Henry Library.

*Parent volunteers will need to have completed the Parkway Volunteer screening process.

Book Donations for Teachers

Teachers will be choosing books they would like to add to their classroom

libraries. While you are at the fair, please consider donating one of these books

to your student’s classroom. Students can write their names in the cover so

teachers will know who made the classroom donation.

Set up an eWallet now!

The book fair accepts cash, card, Apple Pay, and eWallet.

Any remaining balance on eWallet will roll over.

Scan the QR code for eWallet set up.

Online shopping: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/henryelementary

If you have any questions, please contact henrybookfair@gmail.com

Thank you for your patience as we compiled the survey results and Boosterthon totals. While the final figures are still being finalized—since corporate matching funds are received at different times and Henry retains 100% of those contributions—the total amount raised will exceed $26,908. The above graphic provides a clear overview of Booster’s deductions and the funds returned to Henry.

This was the first time the Henry PTO partnered with a fundraising company to support a major project, and it resulted in our highest-grossing fundraiser to date. Given this was our inaugural year, the PTO board opted last spring to contract with Boosterthon at their highest service tier, allowing us to evaluate the process and assess the required volunteer effort. Overall, survey responses were positive, and the board gained valuable insights—including areas for improvement should we pursue similar fundraisers in the future.

For additional clarification, PTO approved the fundraising goal of new cafeteria tables on 10/24/24, decided to move forward with a fundraising company on 11/21/24, and signed a contract with Boosterthon on 3/27/25 at the Full Level that would give us the most support in the first year.

As always, fundraisers are never mandatory, and the Bulldog Dash event was meant to be inclusive for every student, regardless of the funds raised.

We had 73 responses from the survey:

88% were satisfied with this type of fundraiser

96% thought the purpose of the fundraising goal was clearly communicated

80% thought it was enjoyable for the students

74% prefer experience and event-based fundraising

18% would not like to use Booster in the future

We appreciate the constructive feedback from those who took the time to complete the survey. We understand that life is busy and appreciate the support as we test out new fundraisers and events. For additional feedback on this matter, we encourage you to attend the next general PTO meeting on 11/10 at 7:00pm.

More questions about Booster? Visit: https://boosterthon.com/how-it-works/

The PTO website is now updated and can be used to find our calendar of events, links for donations, meeting minutes, etc. You can find it under the “Families” tab of the Henry Elementary page or by clicking the button below.

Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up! Henry PTO would love to make our amazing teachers and staff a delicious dinner! Please consider signing up to bring something to share.

Did you know that families can recognize staff members with Bulldog Brags, just like we do for students? If you or your child notice a staff member demonstrating one of our Henry Core Values—Kind, Responsible, Persevere, or Inclusive—we invite you to share it using the button below.

Each staff member who receives a Bulldog Brag will be honored with a certificate and a special surprise. As part of our character education, it is important for students to see adults modeling these values every day—and to hear real examples of what they look like in action!

Email: joliver2@parkwayschools.net

Email: lsmith6@parkwayschools.net

Website: https://henry.parkwayschools.net/

Instagram: @pkwyhenrybulldogs