Chief Weekly

Monday: A Day. First Day of School.

Tuesday: B Day.

Wednesday: C Day. PTO Meeting 4:15pm in the Zitzman Library!

Thursday: D Day.

Friday: A Day.

We know the first day can bring big emotions — especially in a large, busy building! To help ease the transition and keep arrival running smoothly, we’ve put the following plan in place for

Monday & Tuesday, August 24th & 25th only:

• Returning Zitzman students who are already familiar with our building can follow our normal school-year arrival procedures.

• If your child is NEW to Zitzman, in Kindergarten or 1st Grade, or just feeling unsure, we invite you to enter the building with your child and head to the gym. We will have 4th Grade Student Navigator Leaders stationed there, ready to guide your child to their classroom with confidence and a smile!

• Inside our main entrance in the front hallway and inside the gym on the wall, you’ll also find a directory with class lists and room numbers for your convenience.

• Doors will open at 8:05 AM at both the main entrance and the gym entrance but no one will go to the classrooms until 8:20am, if you come in with your student before 8:20am you will sit with them in the cafeteria with them.

• Bus riders who are unsure of their teacher or classroom will also be brought to the gym to be guided by our student leaders.

🚪 What About the Rest of the Week?

• Wednesday & Thursday, August 26th & 27th: We return to normal arrival procedures, no parents or guardians walking students to class, we will be using only the main entrance. 4th Grade Navigators will be stationed there to help students as needed. Things will start to feel more routine. Navigators will still be near the entrance and cafeteria areas for any student who needs support.

• Friday August 28th: We’ll be in full swing! Staff and student leaders will continue offering help as needed, but most students will be feeling right at home.

Thank you for your partnership in making the first days of the 26-27 School year a smooth and welcoming experience!

This year, students will use a 6-digit PIN to purchase breakfast or lunch.

Click the button below for a practice page to use at home. Another fun idea is to temporarily change your child’s tablet or device PIN to their lunch number for extra practice!

We know the first week will be a learning curve, but we are confident in our students! Rest assured, there will be plenty of patience and support, and we’ll make individual adjustments for students who need a little extra help.

To keep things safe, smooth, and consistent for every child, please review our updated arrival and dismissal procedures. You’ll find visuals attached to help clarify the flow for both drop-off and pick-up.

🕗 Morning Drop-Off (8:05–8:35 AM)

• Drop-off location: Main entrance.

• Doors open at 8:05 AM. Students arriving between 8:05–8:20 will wait in the cafeteria, where they may eat breakfast or chat with friends. Students are released to classrooms at 8:20.

• After 8:35: Students are tardy. Please park, walk your child in, and sign them in at the office.

• Walk-Ups: Use the crosswalk and say goodbyes at the door. Visitors must check in with ID to enter the building.

🚌 Dismissal (Begins at 3:25 PM)

There are three options for end-of-day dismissal:

• SACC (Aftercare): Dismissal at 3:25 PM to the SACC entrance.

• Bus Riders: Dismissed at 3:35 PM. Buses aim to leave by 3:40–3:45 PM. Please allow extra time the first week as routes adjust.

• Car Riders:

  • Line begins at the main entrance and splits into two lanes in the Pacific Intermediate lot.

  • KidAccount scanning starts at 3:15 PM. Have your card ready or show ID.

  • Cars begin loading at 3:35 PM. Please pull to a green cone and wait for staff to release the line.

Carline Reminder

• For everyone’s safety, please drive slowly and remain stopped in the loading zone until a staff member signals the line to move forward. We kindly ask that parents stay in their vehicles during drop-off and pick-up.
• If your child is still learning to buckle themselves, we encourage you to pull into the parking lot after pickup to assist them safely. This is a great chance to help them build independence with this important skill!
• Be Brave - if the first line is at the flagpole at Pacific Intermediate we need the next car to START the second line on the inside lane!
• Thank you for helping us keep carline safe and efficient!

• We use KidAccount to track dismissal accurately. All students remain in their dismissal holding areas until staff mark them for release. We start organizing students and moving kiddos to dismissal spots around 3:20-3:25pm.

• Any dismissal changes must go through the office by 2:00 PM. Calling the office ensures updates are made in KidAccount and teachers are notified.

  **Teachers are focused on instruction—office communication is key.** SAME FOR SACC - ALL DISMISSAL CHANGES WITH THE SACC SCHEDULE SHOULD GO THROUGH THE OFFICE!***

📞 Office Contact: 636-271-1440

Thank you for your support in making arrival and dismissal safe and efficient!

Please check BusRight for current bus schedules. If you have any questions please contact Transportation at cguenzler@mvr3.k12.mo.us or rtaylor@mvr3.k12.mo.us.

We encourage families to have students arrive and leave school using their regular transportation method beginning on the first day. Bus riders should ride the bus to and from school so they can meet their driver and begin learning the routine. Parents may meet their child at school after the bus arrives to take a photo outside.

MVR-III uses the free BusRight Parent App to share bus routes and times. Families can track the bus in real time, receive route notifications, view estimated arrival times, and receive Transportation Department updates.

To get started:

1. Download the BusRight app.
2. Create an account using your Infinite Campus email address.
3. Begin tracking your child’s bus route.

If you have trouble creating an account, contact your school office to confirm you are listed as the primary guardian in Infinite Campus. More information is available on the district website under Transportation.

It is the goal of the Meramec Valley R-III School District to provide a safe environment for students. The district recognizes that rules regarding dismissal of students are a necessary part of the district’s safety program. All visitors must enter the school through the office doors. Students who are going to be picked up before the end of the school day will be released through the office only.

This will be our third year using Kid Account to support safe and efficient dismissal. Families are strongly encouraged to use the Kid Account App, but cards from previous years will still work, and paper barcodes can be printed as needed. Kid Account is used during carline pickup and as students are released to buses, SACC, or after-school clubs to help ensure every child goes to the correct dismissal location.

SACC is our before and after school care program.

If your child needs morning childcare before 8:05 am, contact the school office at 636-271-1440

or visit the School Age Child Care Program website to register.

For more information please see the flyer below:

Rooms is built directly into the MVR-III District app—there is no separate Rooms app to download.

Download the FREE MVR-III District app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Once logged in, families can access Rooms within the app to receive classroom updates and messages from their child’s teacher.

Already have the MVR-III app? Be sure it is updated to the latest version and that notifications are turned on so you don’t miss important school or classroom communication.

Learn more about all of our district apps at https://www.mvr3.k12.mo.us/page/district-apps

Our goals as a community will be obtained with strong partnerships between the home and school. Please check out our website, download the free MVR3 App to have the ability to communicate through Rooms, and like us on Facebook.

Our Zitzman parent newsletter, called Chief Weekly, will be sent out every Thursday. This is intended to help your family best prepare for the week ahead so you have plenty of time to know about the 'next' thing going on! Students will also bring home a Purple Thursday Folder each week with flyers and classroom communication!

We’re excited to invite dads and father figures to get involved in our WatchDOGS (Dads of Great Students) program! As a WatchDOG, you’ll have the opportunity to make a positive impact throughout the school by volunteering on Mondays or Fridays.

WatchDOGs help support students both academically and socially by visiting classrooms—not just your own child’s classroom—and lending a helping hand wherever needed. You can even enjoy lunch in the cafeteria while spending time with students and helping make lunchtime a positive experience!

Your presence makes a difference, and we’d love to have you join us!

Interested in volunteering?
Jessie Karl, WatchDOGS Coordinator
email her and let her know what dates you want to schedule: karlj@mvr3.k12.mo.us

• Monday, August 24th- First Day of School!!!
• Wednesday, August 26th- ZE PTO Meeting @ 4:15pm
• Monday, September 7th- Labor Day - NO SCHOOL
• Friday, September 11th - ZE PTO Bingo Night
• ZE PTO MUM SALE IS OPEN!!! Sales end on 9/16

As we begin a new school year, I hope we can remember this: our children do not have to be the smartest in the class, the best on the field, or the most talented in the room.

But they do need to be teachable.

Being teachable is not about grades or intelligence. It is about being willing to listen, learn, and grow. It is understanding that we will not always have the right answer—and being open when someone is trying to help us find it.

Our job is not to raise children who always get everything right. Our job is to help them become children who can accept feedback without shutting down, admit when they have made a mistake, disagree without being disrespectful, and receive correction without immediately becoming defensive.

Those skills are not always easy—especially when mistakes feel embarrassing or feedback feels uncomfortable. But those moments are often where the most meaningful growth begins.

This year, our students will be encouraged, challenged, redirected, celebrated, and supported. They will have moments when they feel confident and moments when learning feels hard. Through it all, we want them to know that needing help is not failure, making a mistake is not the end, and being corrected does not change how deeply they are valued.

Talent may open a door, but teachability helps children continue moving forward. When families and schools work together to model humility, respect, and a willingness to grow, we prepare our children for so much more than success in a classroom.

Here is to a year of listening, learning, trying again, and growing together. The adventure is just beginning!

If you need anything as we gear up for the school year, please don’t hesitate to reach out:

636-271-1440 or jsladek@mvr3.k12.mo.us.

Leading & Learning,

Dr. Sladek