Dragon News
McKelvey Primary
January 22, 2026
Dear McKelvey Primary Families,
I hope you all stay warm this weekend! I kept the information about AMI/snow days in this newsletter just in case. Please remember that the AMI packets that were sent home should only be done on AMI days and returned the next school day. If you accidentally completed the AMI packet/choice board already, you can repeat the activities if you would like.
We have tons of coats, jackets, gloves, etc. in the lost and found. Please be sure your child's name is on their belongings.
There are so many important things in this newsletter so be sure to read through it all. I kept some of the relevant information from last week and it will remain in the newsletter until the date passes.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christina Pliske
Mark your Calendar!
January 23: Chuck E. Cheese Night 4-9pm (flyer below)
January 28: Half Day-Dismissal at 1pm (Teacher Professional Development)
January 29: 100th Day of School! Spirit Day- Dress Like You're 100 Years Old (no canes or walkers)
February 3: PTO Meeting at McK Intermediate Library 6:30-7:30pm
February 4: State of the District at Parkway Central High School 5:30pm (more info to come)
February 12: Half Day-Dismissal at 1pm (Teacher PD); Spirit Day WEAR PINK
February 15: No School, Presidents Day
March 10: McKP Art, Music, Books Event (more info to come)
March 13: Half Day-Dismissal at 1pm (Teacher Records Day)
March 15-20: No School, Spring Break
March 23: Spirit Day-WEAR BRIGHT COLORS!
March 26: Cardinals Spirit Day
It's time to show our love for the amazing teachers and staff at McKelvey by stocking their lounge with snacks, drinks, and other thoughtful items! This is our way of filling their break room with treats to make their day a little brighter and give them a relaxing space to recharge.
We've put together a suggested list of items to help fill the lounge, but if you have any other ideas, feel free to purchase those as well. If you’d prefer, you can donate money and we’ll do the shopping for you. Just click the link below to donate any amount and be sure to note in the comments that it's for "Stock the Lounge."
All items need to be purchased by Friday, February 6.
You can find the wishlist here:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/5TZC1ZRIBIGD?ref_=wl_share
Or, donate directly here: https://givebutter.com/XKjnYz
– be sure to mention it's for "Stock the Lounge" in the comments.
Any questions? Contact us at McKelveyPTO@gmail.com.
Thank you for helping us make McKelvey’s teachers and staff feel appreciated! Your support makes a big difference.
We want YOU to be part of our next PTO meeting on February 3 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM! All McKelvey families are invited to attend – we’d love to have you there!
Child care will be provided for school-aged children so you can attend with ease.
Location: McKelvey Intermediate Library
At this meeting, we’ll be sharing details about exciting upcoming events and programs to help make the second half of the school year amazing!
We’ll also have the privilege of hearing from our fantastic Counseling Team about the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). This system helps support students both academically and socially/emotionally, and we’ll share how the process works, how we identify students who may benefit, and the types of interventions we use. We believe it’s important for parents to understand this framework, which has been a key focus of our professional development over the last year.
We hope to see you there as we work together to support our McKelvey students!
Your child’s bus has new features!
You can now get notified on your phone when:
Your bus is approaching the bus stop
Your bus is running early or late
To start receiving bus notifications, learn more here.
App & Technical Support (issues logging in, app errors, or installation)
Contact Infinite Campus Helpdesk: 314-415-8181, Option 2 or ic-parenthelp@parkwayschools.net
Bus Schedule & Route Information (questions about bus times, stop locations, or delays)
314-415-8400 or parkwayschools.net/contact/departments/transportation
Parkway still has two "traditional" snow days remaining; should inclement weather days be needed next semester beyond those two, we will transition to our state-approved plan for Virtual Snow Days (also known as "Alternative Methods of Instruction," or AMI Plan).
This year, since students in grades PK-2 do not regularly take Chromebooks home, they will access their learning through paper-based activities. These AMI packets and choice boards were sent home before winter break. Please put them in a spot where they will not be misplaced. Do not use them until we have an AMI snow day. If they are misplaced, The AMI Activities for K-2 students are posted on the Parkway website here. The choice boards should be returned to school on the first day back after the snow day.
Information for parents/students is available on the Parkway website here, and below is additional information for staff:
The lunch times are now as follows:
Kindergarten → 12:10-12:30
1st Grade → 11:25-11:45
Dear Families,
As you may know, each class comes to my room for a counseling lesson once a month. I’d like to share what your Dragons have learned about in counseling lessons so far this school year.
Friendship: Boundaries Song
Size of the problem: Big Deal or Little Deal
Conflict resolution: Kelso’s Wheel of Choices
Positive attention (expected behavior) & negative attention (unexpected behavior): Millie Fierce
I’ve included links above to give you a resource for each topic. I encourage you to explore these ideas at home to help your student generalize their learning.
I look forward to continuing our learning in the new year!
Mrs. Roth
Dear Families,
As we near the end of the first semester, we conduct many assessments. The purpose of assessment is to guide instruction. It tells us what scaffolding and support students need. When you receive test scores for your child, please try not to worry. Tests are just one small piece of information.
We are moving into our next theme: Technology and Society. We will read a lot of non-fiction books, write non-fiction pieces, and learn about technology. The kiddos LOVE this unit!
At home, you can support this learning by talking about the history of technology in your own life. What did your TV look like during your childhood? Did you have a PC or a laptop as a child? What technology did you use at school? How did you listen to music and watch movies–was it different from how we do those things now? If possible, you could even involve grandparents to encompass a larger period of time to see how things evolve.
Play opportunities could involve pretend play with old computer keyboards or devices that you have that are not in use. If you keep old technology boxes—kids could set them up as a store. For a challenge, you could put prices on them to give an opportunity to shop and add up the amounts. Students could pretend to be a repair person, and could write “help tickets” for a chance to practice independent spelling and writing.
The Fixies is a great show about how things work! It is available on youtube and amazon prime.
Thank you for all that you do to support our work with your amazing kiddos!
Julie Mouser-DeArmond
Below is a link to our district calendar (click the blue button) as well as a snapshot of the half and no school 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.
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
https://prcommunityed.org/programs/school-age-care/registration-instructions
