Parley's Park Press

There is nothing quite like the energy of a new school year. The fresh supplies, clean classrooms, and endless possibilities ahead make this such a special time for our entire community. We are so excited to open our doors and begin another wonderful year of learning, growing, and connecting together.

This year, we are continuing our kindness campaign to deepen connections across our entire school family. Our goal is for Parley’s Park to be a place where every single child feels safe, known, valued, and genuinely supported to be their best. You’ll see our focus on kindness, connection, and growth come to life everywhere, including in our classrooms, during Morning Ceremonies, at school wide celebrations, and in all the small, everyday moments that make PPES such a special place to belong.

Be the "I" in KIND! As we focus on deepening connections across our school community, our staff is excited to lead the way. Take a quick moment to watch our Be the "I" in KIND video and see how every PPES staff member plays a key role in making PPES a welcoming place for everyone!

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hRO4WeeGfnyYihT3nv5uFcV6_RaHDRQc/view?usp=sharing

Meet Our New Staff Members!

We are thrilled to welcome some wonderful new faces to our Parley’s Park family! Scroll through this newsletter for a sneak peek at our new classroom teachers. Introductions to our other fantastic new staff members will be coming soon. Please join us in giving them a warm PPES welcome when you see them around campus!

A Quick Update on Our Newsletter Schedule!

This year, we’re making a small update to how we stay in touch. To make staying connected even easier while still sharing all the great highlights, we are switching from a weekly update to a monthly PPES newsletter. Each edition will be your go-to guide for the big picture, packed with important dates, celebrations, reminders, classroom highlights, and ways to stay involved.

Don't worry, you won't miss a thing! Whenever time-sensitive news or urgent reminders pop up between newsletters, we’ll send a direct email right to your inbox so you always have what you need when you need it. Our goal is to make communication lighter, simpler, and easier to navigate with a consistent, predictable format each month.

Tips for Reading Our Newsletter

• Newsletter Translation: Did you know you can read our newsletter in your preferred language? When you open the newsletter in your email, simply look for the Translate button at the top of the page. Clicking this will open a translation bar where you can select your preferred language from the dropdown menu to instantly view all our updates!

  
  

• Mobile Table of Contents 📱✨: We’ve made navigating our monthly updates even easier! You can now view a full Table of Contents right from your phone or tablet when reading our newsletter. To quickly jump to the section you need on mobile, look for the small circular icon with three lines in the upper-left corner of your screen and tap it to open the menu!

  
  

I am looking forward to seeing you at our Meet & Greet on Monday, August 17th! The year ahead will bring new experiences, challenges to work through, lasting friendships, and exciting discoveries. We can't wait to share this adventure with your family!

Kim Howe, Principal

Parley's Park Elementary School

Park City School District

Please give a big Parley's Park welcome to Liz Brown! Liz brings 22 years of educational experience and a deep passion for arts integration to our school. An award-winning educator, she was named the 2024 Utah Art Educator of the Year and 2025 National Art Teacher of the Year for Utah!

Liz loves watching students build creativity, self-expression, and confidence through art. When she's not teaching, she loves to travel—always with paints in tow—and creates stunning glass art, including stained glass, fused glass, and mosaics.

We are honored to have her incredible talent and heart on our team to inspire our young artists!

Say hello to Holly Rupert! Holly and her family recently made the big cross-country move all the way from North Carolina, and she is thrilled to join the Parley's Park family as our new 5th Grade English DLI and Math teacher!

When she’s not in the classroom inspiring our 5th graders, you’ll find Holly outdoors hiking, curled up with a good book, or cheering loudly on the sidelines of her kids' sports games.

Please join us in giving Holly a warm PPES welcome when you see her around campus—we are so lucky to have her on our 5th grade team!

Please give a big Parley's Park welcome to Robin Jones! Robin comes to us with 12 wonderful years of teaching experience under her belt. A double alum from the University of Utah (Go Utes!), she earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2015 and her master’s degree in Special Education in 2018.

When she isn't supporting students in the classroom, Robin loves spending quality time with her family, taking long walks with her dogs, and getting lost in a good book.

She is so excited to begin this new adventure with our school community, and we are thrilled to have her expert heart on our team!

Please join us in giving a warm Parley's Park welcome to Ms. Otterstrom! She is so thrilled to be joining our school family as our new Mild/Moderate Special Education Teacher. Ms. Otterstrom firmly believes that every child needs a champion—and she is ready to be just that for our students!

Outside of the classroom, you’ll find her enjoying game nights with her family, collecting miniatures, or heading up into the mountains with a good book.

We are so lucky to have her heart and dedication on our team this year!

Please give a warm Parley's Park welcome to Matt Lyons! Matt grew up in Ephraim, Utah, lived in New Zealand for two years, and has called Heber City home for the last 14 years. He brings five wonderful years of 1st grade teaching experience with him from Soldier Hollow Charter School!

Matt and his wife have a big, beautiful family of six children (four biological and two adopted through foster care). He is thrilled to bring his passion for early learning to our 1st grade team, and we are so excited to have him join the PPES family!

Please give a big, warm Parley's Park welcome to Eddy Roberto Mora! Originally from Ecuador, Eddy brings an incredible background in education, instructional technology, and educational leadership to our dual-language immersion team. Above all, Eddy has a deep love for his students and a passion for helping every child feel valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential. He is honored and excited to join the Parley's Park family and can’t wait to guide our 2nd graders on an inspiring journey of language learning, growth, and discovery this year. Please join us in giving Eddy an enthusiastic PPES welcome when you see him around campus!

• Visitor Self Check-In Kiosk & Front Desk Policy:

  • Please bring a valid driver's license to scan at our two new self-check-in kiosks near the main office entrance.

  • To help our staff assist you promptly, please finish or pause personal phone calls before approaching the desk.

• Checking Students Out:

  • Valid photo ID is required for pickup.

  • To minimize disruptions, no early check-outs are allowed within 15 minutes of dismissal (No check-outs after 2:50 PM Mon–Thu, or after 12:15 PM on Fri).

• Reporting Absences & Tardiness: Notify both your homeroom teacher and Courtney Pedry (cpedry@pcschools.us).

• Office Phone Usage: The office phone is strictly for school business and emergencies. Please arrange all playdates and transportation changes before the school day begins.

• Food Delivery Policy: DoorDash, Uber Eats, and other delivery services are not permitted on campus. Students must bring lunch from home or purchase a school lunch via the Nutrislice Website or app.

• Digital Report Cards: Physical report cards will no longer be sent home. Watch for setup instructions for the PowerSchool Portal via email in late September.

• August Lunch Menu: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19UlUfMXKAu5-J60JgILIr-yNqcB9FTsh/view?usp=sharing

• PTA Involvement: Get connected with our wonderful PTA! Reach out anytime at parleyspta@gmail.com.

Dear Parents,

Help us shower our teachers with some extra love! The PTA is collecting Keurig K-Cups and other tasty snacks to restock the teachers' lounge.

• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4DA4AC2AA46-40583943-stock#/

You can drop off any donations at the front desk. Thank you for your kindness and support!

Warmly,

PPES PTA - parleyspta@gmail.com

Looking for a quick, fun way to keep up with everything happening at Parley’s Park? Follow @parleyselementaryparents on Instagram! It’s your go-to spot for real-time event updates, helpful reminders, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and fun community highlights.

Tap the link to follow us today so you don't miss a beat!

https://www.instagram.com/parleyselementaryparents?igsi=MXFxc2pydmxoZGNucg%3D%3D

Build the Foundation

The Park City Education Foundation's annual campaign, Build the Foundation, is underway! This campaign helps fund educator-powered initiatives driven by inspiring Park City teachers, backing over 100 programs across our district each year. Contributions made by September 18 qualify for campaign rewards, including up to $5,000 in The UPS Store Park City Grants for schools meeting participation or fundraising goals. Students can also win grade-level parties or prizes for getting involved. Give here or see the attached flyer to learn how we are working together to support our schools.

Behind the Scenes of Student Opportunity

Detrás de Cada Oportunidad para los Estudiantes

Great news! Parley’s Park Elementary School is once again partnering with Park City Municipal to provide free helmets to our students! Helmets are available in Youth and Adult Medium sizes.

Please complete this order form by September 18th to request a free helmet. If you have multiple students, please fill out an individual form for each student. Gear will be delivered the week of September 28th.

Please reach out to anna.maki@parkcity.gov with any questions.

I’m excited to announce that Yoga & Mindfulness with Randi Jo will be offering after-school enrichment classes for students at Park City elementary schools during the 2026–2027 school year.

This year, the Compass Catalog, typically offered through the Park City School District, will not be available. As a result, Yoga & Mindfulness with Randi Jo will be one of the few after-school enrichment opportunities available to students in our community.

Our classes are open to Pre-K through 5th grade and provide a fun, supportive environment where kids can:

• Move and stretch their bodies
• Learn simple breathing techniques
• Develop mindfulness and self-regulation skills
• Build confidence and body awareness
• Play, connect, and have fun
• Unwind and reset after a busy school day

Classes are designed to be age-appropriate, engaging, and welcoming to all students—whether they are brand new to yoga or already love practicing.

Class Schedule (Starting September 14)

Time: 3:15–4:15 PM

Monday: PPES
Tuesday: MPES
Wednesday: TSES
Thursday: JRES

Registration and additional information are available at Yogawithrandijo.com or by calling (310) 403-4645.

Warmly,

Randi Jo
Yoga & Mindfulness with Randi Jo
Yogawithrandijo.com
(310) 403-4645

• Calendar 2026-2027

• School Schedule:

  • Mon – Thu: 7:50 AM Doors Open | 8:10 AM First Bell | 8:15 AM Tardy Bell | 3:05 PM Dismissal

  • Friday: 7:50 AM Doors Open | 8:10 AM First Bell | 8:15 AM Tardy Bell | 12:30 PM Dismissal

• Key Links:

  • PPES School Website & Welcome Letters

  • PPES Parent/Student Handbook (Please read with your student and return ONLY the signed last page to their teacher)

  • Lunch Menus & Nutrislice

• Key Contacts & Programs:

  • Arrival & Dismissal Plans: Please notify your homeroom teacher of your child's daily travel plans.

  • Transportation & Bus Policy: Call 435-645-5660 for questions. Note: Students may only ride assigned routes to/from their home address; open enrollment students are ineligible for bus transportation.

  • Camp Falcon After-School Program: Michelle Coy (mcoy@pcschools.us) or Merrylin Pham (mpham@pcschools.us).

  • Preschool Questions: Missy Tschabrun (mtschabrun@pcschools.us) or Heather McCrory (hmccrory@pcschools.us).

  • Health Plans & Nursing: Nurse Ben Macon (bmacon@pcschools.us).

  • General Front Office: 435-645-5620 | Jobana Gertz (jgertz@pcschools.us).

Email: khowe@pcschools.us
Website: https://ppes.pcschools.us/
Location: 4600 Silver Springs Drive, Park City, UT, USA
Phone: (435) 645-5620
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parkcityschools/
Twitter: @parkcityschools