Bellerive Bulletin

Dear Bellerive Families,

I am excited to welcome your child back for the 2025–2026 school year! This year, we’re diving Under the Sea with our theme: A Sea of Leaders.

I’m sending this bulletin early so you’ll have plenty of time to review all the information and set your child up for a successful first day of school. Starting Sunday, August 24, we’ll return to our regular Sunday evening bulletin schedule.

Let’s make waves together for another amazing year at Bellerive!

In Partnership,

Joey Kneer, Ed.D.

Principal, Bellerive Elementary School

mkneer@parkwayschools.net

314-415-6051

We look forward to our first day of school on Monday, August 18th! The doors open at 8:50 am and school begins at 9:05 am. School ends at 4 pm.

Please remember, parents will need to say goodbye to their children at the front door (or at the bus stop or in the car drop-off line). Though we cannot allow access to the building due to safety, parents and students will be able to participate in a photo opportunity in front of the building and walk their child to the front door to say good-bye. We will have many Bellerive staff members present to walk your child to their classroom the first week of school, if needed.

We encourage you to practice your normal routine on the first day of school (bus, car rider or walker) to prevent any confusion for arrival and dismissal the remainder of the week!

Parents are invited to the PTO's Boo Hoo Breakfast at 9am on the first day of school. Join other parents near the picnic tables by the Adventure Club door starting at 9 am.

Please make sure to read below if you are dropping students off or picking students up from school. Our process for arrival and dismissal is specific. Please understand the procedure so that everyone can stay safe.

Reminder for Parents of Kindergarten Students: Kindergarten students (unless riding with an older sibling) must be met at the bus stop by an adult. If an adult is not at the bus stop when the bus arrives to drop off your child, your child will be brought back to the school office.

Orders Must Be Received by Friday, September 5!

These shirts will be worn throughout the year to show your Bellerive spirit! The shirts will be your child's grade-level color (e.g. Kindergarten--Purple), and adult shirts will be black. We encourage every child to have one.

Youth Sizes = $9.00

Adult Sizes = $12.00

* T-shirts run on the small side. A youth small is (ages 6-8). A youth medium is (ages 10-12). A youth large is (ages 14-16). A youth extra large is (ages 18-20).

Parents must order through the online payment system, accessible through Infinite Campus. Additional instructions can be found here!

Be Proactive! Completing these items before the first day will set you up for success this year!

Order Your 25-26 School T-Shirt through Infinite Campus
Verify your child's bus stop location and times
Follow Bellerive on Facebook and Instagram
Access the School Calendar and incorporate it into your personal electronic calendars (See directions here.)
Review the Family/Student Handbook
Update your Family Profile (It is important we have accurate phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contact information.)
Bookmark the Bellerive Family Hub
Complete the Free/Reduced Lunch application (This must be completed annually!)
Download the Parkway Mobile App (This is a great resource for lunch menus, staff contact information, news, calendars, and more.)
Remind your child about new expectations for cell phones and smartwatches
Preview the Breakfast/Lunch Menus and add money to your child's account through MySchoolBucks

Family Numbers and Cafeteria PINs: Earlier today, you received two important emails.

Your child's family number for dismissal. Please read more about our dismissal procedures below.
Your child's cafeteria PIN. We ask that you help your child learn this number and practice entering it on a keypad. We will provide a keypad image you can use for practice.

Transportation Information: Bus information is available on the Transportation website. If you have any questions about your child's bus assignment, please contact the Parkway Transportation Department at 314-415-8400. Here are the phone numbers for other transportation offices that serve some Bellerive students:

Voluntary Transfer Student Transportation - 314.721.8657
Special School District Transportation

Central Garage Dispatch (routes 300-599) - 314.989.7165
North Garage Dispatch (Student Transportation of America/routes 600-899) - 314.989.7750
South Garage Dispatch (routes 1-299) - 314.989.7563
Private transportation providers: https://www.ssdmo.org/departments/transportation

Parkway Back-to-School Guide: Please view this Family Resource Guide help you have a smooth start to the school year.

Medication at School: If your child needs daily or as-needed medication available at school, please contact Nurse O (mosterholt@parkwayschools.net or 314-415-6060) to coordinate a drop off and to ensure the appropriate forms are completed. Here is a link to the Parkway medication forms. Parent and physician signatures are needed before medication can be accepted or administered at school.

Teacher Wish Lists: The PTO asked that we gather a list of items that teachers would love to have in their classrooms to enhance the learning environment and support teaching and learning. If you would like to help make a teacher's wish come true, please click here to review the items requested along with some of their favorite items.

School Supplies: Please click here to access the School Supply List for 25-26, or click here for a printer-friendly version of the list. If you ordered supplies through the Impacks supply box program, they have been delivered to your child's classroom.

Thank you for helping us prioritize safety. Below are the guidelines that will make the arrival and dismissal process smooth and safe for all.

To ensure that arrival/dismissal times run smoothly, safely, and efficiently, we ask that all parents remain in their vehicles and pull forward when waved to do so by a Bellerive staff member. If assistance is needed, please wave and signal to a staff member to come and assist. Please have your child exit from the right side of the car so they are not crossing traffic. We also ask that you please refrain from using your cell phones. Students are not to be dropped off prior to 8:50. We do not have supervision prior to this time.

We ask that you DO NOT park along the street and walk to drop off or pick up your child. The streets around Bellerive are marked NO PARKING and are congested during arrival and dismissal. If you are physically dropping off or picking up your child on foot, please utilize Door 1 directly outside the main office. All walkers will meet at the bench on the bridge and be dismissed by a Bellerive staff member before leaving school.

Early Pick-Ups: If you have an appointment or activity and need to pick up your child early from school, please come to the main entrance (Door 1) and ring the buzzer. A staff member will help locate your child and you can sign them out on a Chromebook. We ask that you not pick up your child from the office after 3:30 pm as we are busy preparing for dismissal.

Pick-Up Signs and Family Numbers: We want to ensure the safety of each child and that the correct designated person is picking up your child. Each family will have a placard/sign with their family number. Please keep a placard in your car and display it in the window until your child is in your car. The placard and/or family number will allow the Bellerive staff to quickly confirm that an authorized individual is picking up each child. Not having your placard will slow down the dismissal process. If you do not have a placard in your car and do not know your family number, you will be asked to pick up your child from the office and provide ID. If you need a new/additional placard or need your family number changed for safety reasons (e.g. an unauthorized person knows the number), please complete this Google form and a new placard will be made for you. Please know that the placards are only used during regular dismissal. When children are signed out early, the adult must present photo identification.

No Left Turns: We kindly ask for your cooperation in keeping car drop-off running smoothly while avoiding traffic back-ups on the street. To help with this, please do not make a left-hand turn into the car drop-off or pick-up lane. At arrival, turning left cuts off other cars who have been waiting patiently and causes a traffic backup on Rue de Fleur, holding up neighborhood traffic.

If you drive to Bellerive from the north, please refer to the map below for alternative routes through the neighborhood that will allow you to make a right-hand turn into the drop-off and pick-up lane.

To summarize:

Please turn cell phones off while in the pick-up/drop-off zones.
Students should not be dropped off in the morning prior to 8:50 and should be picked up at 4:00 pm.
Please remain in your vehicle and pull forward only when motioned. Do not get out of your car. If your child needs assistance with buckling, please ask the adult supervisors for assistance or move forward to the area by the handicapped parking spaces.
Display your car sign with your family number in the pick-up lane.
No one should be parking around Bellerive to grab their child and go.
Please have your child exit from the right side of the car so they are not crossing traffic.
Please be kind to our neighbors. Do not block exits or crosswalks and follow speed limits, etc.

Thanks for your cooperation as we work to ensure the safety of your children! We are working to create a Win-Win situation by keeping your child safe and moving the line quickly.

First Day of School: Monday, August 18

Drop-off begins at 8:50 am
School begins at 9:05 am
Boo Hoo Breakfast for parents at 9 am (around the picnic tables)
Dismissal at 4 pm

PTO Back-to-School Picnic: Friday, August 28, 5:30 to 7:00 pm , Millennium Park

No School for Labor Day: Monday, September 1

Open House for Parents Grades 1-5: Thursday, September 4, 6 to 7:30 pm (Parent Only Event)

Doors Open--6 pm
Presentation in Gym--6:15-6:30 pm
Classroom Presentation #1--6:35-7:00 pm
Classroom Presentation #2--7:05-7:30 pm

Half-Day Dismissal: Wednesday, September 10 (1:05 pm dismissal)

School Picture Day: Monday, September 22

Bellerive PTO at City2 Soccer Game: Sunday, September 28

Cell phones and personal technology, including smartwatches, tablets, and laptops, are expected to be turned off and put away all day at all K-12 schools.

Earlier this year, Parkway announced stricter cell phone and personal device restrictions for the 2025-2026 school year based on input from teachers and families. However, a new Missouri law now requires a complete ban on the use of cell phones and personal devices during the school day.

The policy around cell phones is not new for Bellerive Elementary School. Students have always been required to keep their cell phones in their backpacks during the school day. The change for Bellerive is that students may not wear Smartwatches. Previously, students were allowed to wear smartwatches as long as they were not used as a communication device, but under the new Missouri law, all smartwatches must be kept in backpacks.

If your child has a cell phone or smartwatch, now is the time to talk to them about this policy. As a family, you will need to decide if the devices will stay at home or if they will be stored in backpacks.

Click here to learn more details and review answers to frequently asked questions.

New Volunteer System: Action Needed

Parkway has transitioned to a new volunteer system called Volunteer Tracker through Raptor Technologies. While current volunteer information has been uploaded, all volunteers—new and returning—must complete a new application in the system.

Click here to compete your Volunteer Application

Why should you register and become an approved volunteer? You must be an approved volunteer in order to attend any part of a school field trip. This includes chaperoning or simply stopping by. Anyone not registered and approved as a Parkway volunteer will not be allowed to participate or be in proximity to any field trip activities.

You can find more information and access the application link on the Parkway Volunteer page. Thank you for your continued support and involvement at Bellerive!