March Newsletter

This spring, we were proud to award 13 Esstman Grants to Parkway teachers—bringing innovative ideas and meaningful learning experiences to classrooms across the district.

The Suzy Esstman Charitable Fund, established in memory of Suzy Zucker Esstman [PNH ’81, Alumni HOF ’08], continues to honor her passion for building community and enriching education. Suzy believed in sparking creativity and encouraging students to think in new and exciting ways—values that live on through these grants.

From creative classroom projects to engaging learning initiatives, each grant reflects Suzy’s spirit and the Parkway community’s ongoing commitment to inspiring students in impactful ways.

Each year, the Albert Award is presented by the Parkway Alumni Association (PAA) to three exceptional first through fifth-year Parkway teachers – one at the elementary, middle and high school level. The award recognizes new teachers for the energy and enthusiasm that they bring to their students, as well as the creative and innovative practices they use in their classrooms. Our 2026 Albert Award winners are:

• Jack Gulley – Northeast Middle – Theater teacher
• Tara Pahl – McKelvey Intermediate – 5th-grade teacher
• Christopher Sartorius – West High – Business teacher

Photographed: Christopher Sartorius, West High teacher and family

The Light of Parkway award is designed to bring recognition to the district’s extraordinary operations (non-certified) staff members who have helped to create a positive and caring environment for the people they serve. The award honors the memory of Sandy Finch, a former Parkway bus driver known for her exceptionally upbeat attitude and helpful interactions with staff, students and parents. The award for operations staff is made possible by the Parkway Alumni Association's Sandy Finch Light of Parkway Fund.

• Samantha Collins - Administrative Assistant - McKelvey Primary
• Chi-Chi Harahap - Bus Driver - Transportation
• Jim Newman - Bus Driver - Transportation

Photographed: Steve Jones, Director of Transportation; Jim Newman, Transportation; Chi-Chi Harahap, Transportation; and Melissa Hellwig, Barretts principal

It's time to talk with our community. Rising costs and reduced revenue growth are tightening the resources available for our students and staff.

Join us at any or all of our Community Conversations to:
-Learn what could be at risk
-Identify what we should protect and prioritize for our students
-Develop solutions together

March 31 @ South High – 6-7:30 p.m.
April 27 @ North High – 6-7:30 p.m.
April 30 @ Central High – 6-7:30 p.m.

Learn more about our current financial reality at InvestedinParkway.net.

Get Your St. Louis Cardinals tickets - Games Available in April, May, June, July & August.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Parkway Alumni Association have teamed up to offer alumni, families, and friends specialty priced tickets for five games! Help root on the Cardinals with discounted seats for all the games listed below. To purchase tickets, simply visit our website and choose your game!

Help Us Keep You Connected

You may have recently received a message from Publishing Concepts (PCI), our partner in helping us update our alumni contact information.

Taking a few minutes to update your information ensures you can:

• Stay informed about alumni events and reunions

• Receive alumni news and school updates

• Reconnect with classmates

• Explore opportunities to mentor, volunteer, or engage

Your participation is completely voluntary, and your information is handled with care.

If you’ve already responded—thank you. If not, we hope you’ll take a moment to reconnect.

Now Accepting Nominations: Parkway Alumni Hall of Fame – Class of 2026!

Do you know a Parkway graduate who is making a meaningful difference? From professional achievements to exceptional community service, we’re seeking alumni who exemplify the spirit, leadership, and excellence of Parkway. Founded in 2004, the Parkway Alumni Hall of Fame celebrates graduates whose accomplishments have brought distinction and pride to the district.

Selected honorees will be recognized at the 2026 Hall of Fame Event in St. Louis, where their impact and legacy will be celebrated. Help us celebrate Parkway’s legacy of excellence—nominate a deserving alum today!

Looking to reconnect? Our reunion calendar is updated monthly with events organized by graduating class and high school. Whether you're planning or attending, find your class and join in the celebration today!

Interested in our scholarship programs or want to create one to honor yourself or a loved one? Contact Sandy Riutcel, Executive Director of the Parkway Alumni Association, at 314-415-8074 (office) or sriutcel@parkwayschools.net for details. We're here to support your aspirations and ensure our alumni can continue their academic journey!

Happy 50th Anniversary, Shenandoah Valley Elementary!

The Panthers celebrated their semicentennial in style on Friday with a variety of birthday activities and the opening of a time capsule, where they deposited new memories for future finders.

Fun fact: Shenandoah Valley is the 23rd Parkway school to reach the 50-year milestone.

Parkway West Middle School was recently named a finalist for the inaugural Louie Awards and has received a $5,000 grant in recognition of its outstanding student growth in English Language Arts.

The Louie Awards, sponsored by the Gateway to Success Foundation and SLU’s PRiME Center, focus on sustained academic improvement over a three-year period rather than just a single snapshot in time. West Middle’s ELA growth scores ranked second among middle schools in St. Louis and seventh in Missouri.

Congratulations to the Longhorns on this prestigious honor! It's a true testament to the hard work of our students and teachers!

Earlier this month, students from West High's 'Let's Create Together' class traveled to the MSBA Student Showcase in Jefferson City to present their incredible blend of traditional art with AI integration in recreating the book 'The Day the Crayons Quit.'

The Creative Journey:

1. Student mentors took on the role of the crayons, for interviews with their peers.

2. The interviews became prompts for Google Gemini, which crafted "angry but comical" letters.

3. Students used ChatGPT to generate crayon scripts to layer with their hand-drawn illustrations.

We are so proud of L'Amore, Vivienne, Edmund and Riley for representing Parkway so well at the State Capitol! And, a shoutout to art teacher Kristi Ponder and librarian Brian Welch for leading the initiative. It was an honor to have Parkway Board of Education members John Kilper, Matthew Schindler and Debbie Hopper stop by to celebrate our students' hard work.

Parkway Central alum Connor Kohlschreiber [PCH ’11] has been named the new head football coach at Chaminade! We’re proud to see him continuing his leadership and impact on and off the field.

Read more about his journey in the West Newsmagazine feature >>

We need help at your school! We have openings for bus drivers, and many others for custodians and grounds crew employees needed to support our families. If you know someone who is interested, please share this with them. Interested applicants can call 314-415-8401 for more information or visit this website.