Henry Happenings

Dear Henry Families,

I hope you all enjoyed a fun and festive Halloween weekend with your families! It’s always such a joy to see our students bring that excitement and creativity back to school after a fun event.

This week, we look forward to connecting with you during Parent-Teacher Conferences. These conversations are such an important part of our partnership—providing an opportunity to celebrate your child’s progress, discuss goals, and collaborate on ways to support their continued growth.

While you are here for conferences, be sure to stop by the Book Fair! It’s a wonderful opportunity to help grow your child’s love of reading and support our school at the same time.

And if you happen to find yourselves with more candy than you would like after the weekend’s festivities, we’d be happy to help! Our teachers love having a “candy jar” treat now and then—if you’d like to donate any unwanted candy, please drop it off in the office. We will gladly accept any contributions!

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Continue reading below for more information about: Notes from the Library, Parkway Food Pantry Information, Henry Harmonizers, PTO Updates, and More!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jodi Oliver

Follow us!

Facebook: facebook.com/henryelementaryschool
Instagram: @pkwyhenrybulldogs

November 3 - November 7 - Book Fair

November 3- 5th Grade Field Trip to Biz Town

November 3 & 5- Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 3 & 5- Book Fair Open for Shopping during conferences, 4:30-8:00PM

November 4- No School (Professional Development)

November 6- Fine Dining Day

November 10- PTO Charleston Wrap Sale Begins

November 10- PTO General Meeting, 7:00-8:00 PM

November 11- PTO Tab Top Collection

November 11- Veterans Day

November 12- Half Day ~ 1:05 PM Dismissal

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

Do you have questions or topics about school operations that you would like Dr. Oliver to address during the Principal’s Report at the upcoming PTO meeting on November 10?

We invite you to share your ideas in advance so Dr. Oliver can come prepared with the information or updates you are most interested in. Your input helps ensure the discussion is meaningful and beneficial for the entire parent group. Please use this form to submit yor question or ideas. Thank you!

On December 11th, Ms. Weber and Ms. Cordy who will be the 6th grade administrator and counselor next year will be stopping by to visit the 5th grade class. Their presentation will focus on what to expect at West Middle, what classes students will have to choose from and how the registration process works.

In times of need, the Parkway Food Pantry is here to help!

Did you know that Parkway has its own food pantry, located at Northeast Middle School? The Parkway Food Pantry is a charitable organization that serves Parkway students, families, and employees. We are a community that supports one another and is here to serve.

More families are reaching out to the pantry for support right now.

We can support you
If your family needs assistance, please use this link to sign up for our next food distribution day on Tuesday, November 18. Please help us prepare by letting us know you're coming! Your information will be kept confidential and used only for planning our distributions.

To learn more about food pantry assistance, visit our website.

You can find a list of other food pantries in our community here.

You can support the Parkway Food Pantry
The pantry is funded by monetary and food donations from our community. The pantry needs donations, especially as we anticipate increased need in the coming months.

If you would like to support the pantry through a food drive, you can sign up here or contact Parkway Pantry Partners at parkwaypantrypartners@gmail.com.

If your family or organization is in a season of giving, please consider a donation using our PayPal donation link.

For more information on the Parkway Food Pantry, visit our website.

Exciting updates with Parkway Nutrition Services- check out more information about the Fall Food Truck, Discovery Kitchen, and Fall Mood Boost by clicking the link below!

Henry Families & Staff…JOIN US!

Our “Henry Harmonizers” (our voluntary 5th Grade Choir that meets before school on Monday mornings) will be singing “God Bless America” at an Ambush game at the Family Arena! They will be performing on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 3:50 p.m. This is always a fun, memorable event for our Henry families. If you want to come cheer on our 5th Grade Choir, and then enjoy a great game together, here are the details:

• Attached Flyer: I've attached a flyer for all of you to share out. It includes details about the event and a QR code that directs to the Henry Elementary ticket link. The more people that attend for our Henry community, the more fun we have!

OUR HENRY ELEMENTARY FLYER WITH QR CODE

• Ticket Link: Our ticket price (per person, including each singer - anyone over the age of 2) is $25.00. Here is our direct ticket link in case anyone has issues with the QR code:

26-1-24 Henry Harmonizers - St. Louis Ambush

Important Notes:

• Tell Mrs. Plesia: When you purchase your tickets, please send Mrs. Plesia a quick email to let me know your family is coming (so I can wave to you in our Henry section)!

• All performers and supporters (family, friends, teachers, etc.) must purchase their tickets through this specific link to ensure you receive the group rate and are seated together.

• The ticket link will close on 1/9/26, so we encourage everyone to secure their tickets early. Please note the clear bag policies when attending.

We’re excited to have the Henry Harmonizers perform at the game and look forward to a fantastic evening! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Mrs. Plesia

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

Dear Parents,

We would like to extend our appreciation to everyone who recently completed the PTO surveys or took the time to share your comments and suggestions. Your thoughtful feedback is valuable and we are grateful for your engagement. There was overwhelming support for PTO and we received many appreciative comments of support.

We recognize that your time is limited and want to be sure we are representing the interests of our school community in the best way possible. Based on the responses from our communication survey, PTO updates will continue to be shared weekly in the Henry Happenings newsletter. Additionally, flyers will be sent home for specific events.

We are exploring virtual meeting options for the future, while also planning to offer limited in-person meetings. Our next general PTO meeting will be held on Monday, November 10, from 7:00–8:00 p.m. This meeting will focus on PTO business; we will not have a guest speaker this time.

You can access the agenda for the upcoming PTO meeting here: November 2025 Agenda

Thank you for your continued support.

Henry PTO Board

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.

Stock the Lounge - ATTENTION 3RD GRADE PARENTS: We need your help to make our teachers, staff, and administration feel appreciated! 3rd Grade is responsible for stocking the lounge with items and goodies for the month of November. Please take a moment to visit the Sign Up Genius linked below and sign up to bring some items. You can drop off your contributions at the school office by the morning of Wednesday, November 12th. Your thoughtfulness and generosity go a long way in showing our gratitude for those who care for our students.

A full priced student meal is $3.60. However, students who do not plan on buying the Turkey Dinner for lunch, can still purchase the pumpkin bar for dessert. The dessert will cost 90 cents, so please make sure to add money to your student's lunch account.

We are excited to bring back the Charleston Wrap fundraiser! More information and the Charleston Wrap catalog will come home this week. The fundraiser will run from 11/10 - 11/24.

Looking to treat a Henry teacher this holiday season? We've put together a list of our teachers' favorite things to make gift giving easy and personal! This is completely optional, but if you'd like to treat your teacher with something special, feel free to check it out by clicking the link below.

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.

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