February 2023 Newsletter

Make plans to join us at The Lodge Des Peres for Parkway Trivia Night on Saturday, April 1 at 7 p.m.!

Gather your friends and family to join in this fun event.

The theme this year is April Fool's Day! Grab your table decorations and costumes and join in the fun. There will be a prize for the team with the best decor.

Be one of our event sponsors and get your name/logo on screens while players contemplate their answers - see the sponsorship options here and pay online. Sponsors will also be included in social media posts and the PAA Newsletter. Proceeds will benefit PAA programs that include Granting Dreams for Parkway students and recognition for exceptional teachers and operations staff.

You won't want to miss our games and raffles/auctions where you can win Cardinals tickets, an adult beverage package, local restaurant certificates, lottery tickets, 50/50 cash and so much more!

Did you know the Parkway Alumni Association sponsors multiple faculty and staff awards each year, including Teacher of the Year, Light of Parkway and the Albert Awards? These programs are funded entirely by donations made by Parkway alumni, friends and businesses. Here's a look at the awards we will be giving out this spring.

Join Parkway Alumni and friends for one final night on the ice as we gather to cheer on the St. Louis Blues.

Tickets are available for the following games:

• Tuesday, March 28, 2023 game vs. Vancouver Canucks, 7:00 pm

Reserve your tickets here online.

Join us on the second Tuesday of each month for an all-alumni networking event. The group meets in person at the Parkway Administration Center. Hear from alums about their current work and network with other Parkway alumni in our community. To attend, email parkwayalumni@parkwayschools.net to be added to the meeting invite list. Include your name, school, class year, profession, business name and contact info.

The PAA is happy to assist reunion planners by providing contact information and general guidance on having a successful event. We would also be available to provide volunteers to man the registration table at your event. Please call the PAA at (314) 415-8074 or email ParkwayAlumni@ParkwaySchools.net, to learn more.

The Parkway Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the 2024 Parkway Alumni Association Hall of Fame class. Parkway graduates chosen for the Parkway Hall of Fame are those who have made a noteworthy impact on the lives of others through their work in their respective career fields or through their unique contributions to their community. Make a nomination here online.

Spring is almost here and as an Alumni Association we have a variety of exciting events and opportunities to socialize with fellow alums in the coming weeks! While you can learn more about those events here in our newsletter, I want to take a moment and highlight the awards our Alumni Association sponsors.

Teacher of the Year, Light of Parkway and Albert Awards truly honor those who work each day to make our district great! We all have memories of that special teacher who inspired us or the secretary or custodian or bus driver who went out of their way to brighten our day. Through the generosity of Parkway alumni, we are able to show our appreciation to these heroes who work tirelessly to make each day better for Parkway students. Will you consider a generous gift today to continue supporting these awards? Select a program to donate to here.

Your support truly makes an impact in providing the recognition our amazing Parkway staff and teachers deserve!

For This Generation,

Dr. Thomas M. Smith

Meet Ashley Jelovic! Today she is a 4th grade teacher and this year was named Bellerive teacher of the year!

"I grew up as a student in the Parkway School District and love teaching at Bellerive Elementary! I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. When I was younger, I remember my mom telling me that I wanted to be a teacher because I loved the anticipation of school starting and I enjoyed going shopping for school supplies. The relationships that my teachers made with my family and I throughout my 13 years as a Parkway student mean the world to me. Even today, I still talk to teachers from my elementary, middle and high school on a regular basis.

As a teacher in the Parkway School District, my goal is to create the same relationships with my students and their families that my teachers have created and fostered with me. I love following my former Bellerive students at Northeast Middle School to see how they are progressing. I frequently email them to check in and reconnect with their parents from time to time. I feel so blessed to still be a part of the Parkway Community!" - Ashley Jelovic [West '10]

Congratulations to Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (#99) and cheerleader Stefanie Hillhouse on being named Super Bowl Campions! Both are graduates of Central High. (Saunders '14 and Hillhouse '11)

Khalen Saunders holds up four fingers and shouts that they’re going to their fourth straight AFC Championship game after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in an NFL divisional round playoff football game. Saunders earned a Super Bowl championship in his rookie season and heads back to the big stage for the third time in four years. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Cassie Glixman [North '11] was elected for induction into the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.

Cassi Glixman, a softball player, was one of the most feared hitters in the conference from 2012-15. She finished her Griffin career with a .424 batting average, 16 home runs, 155 runs batted in, and a .643 slugging percentage with 59 doubles and 227 hits with 170 runs scored. She ranks 2nd in conference history in RBI and runs scored, 3rd in doubles, and 4th in hits. Glixman was a two-time SLIAC Player of the Year and three-time SLIAC First Team All-Conference selection. She was named All-Region in both 2014 and 2015 and Third Team All-America as a senior as well as Academic All-District the same year. Read More >>

Joseph Fahrney [North '02] has been elected as the next president of the Southeast Executive Leadership committee at Autism Speaks. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Fahrney is married to Parkway North Alum Lauren (Simpson) Fahrney, class of 2003. Congratulations!

Read More >>

The rivalry continues as South has captured 20 of the last 23 contests against the Longhorns (10-10, 2-2). Do you remember taking the court for one of these games? Read More >>

The St. Louis Blues signed five-year-old and Carman Trails kindergartener Henry “Hank” Walker to a one-day contract! He asked Make-A-Wish if he could play hockey with Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly, and his wish was granted before O’Reilly’s recent trade. Check out photos from their day here.

What a reason to celebrate! Anne Erehart, math teacher at South High, was selected as the District Teacher of the Year, as well as the district’s High School Teacher of the Year.

Zora Shields, a first-grade teacher at Wren Hollow, is the Elementary Teacher of the Year, and Jeffrey Stephenson, a social studies teacher at Central Middle, is the Middle School Teacher of the Year. Read more as KMOV recently covered this story!

Congratulations to the South High Varsity girls swim and dive team for its class 2 state championship win. The team is led by head coach Blakeleigh Mathes, assistant coaches Elizabeth Andrews and Allison Wallace and girls diving coach Anna Casey.

Parkway Swim Club is looking for volunteers to help with its swim school program. Parkway Swim School is a learn to swim program offered to children ages 4-9 at Parkway West HS and Kirkwood HS. The only requirements are that you are good with kids and are comfortable being in pool water where you can stand. Fingerprinting is required (paid for by Parkway School District) and a volunteer application will need to be completed. The only expectation is that you commit to working at least 1 day a week on most weeks. Help is needed at both schools but there is a greater need at Kirkwood HS at this time. If you are interested please contact Tyler Cook, Swim School Director, at tcook4@parkwayschools.net.

We need help at your school! We have nearly 10 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.

Your support makes a difference! There are many ways to give to the Parkway Alumni Association. Whether you make a general donation or direct your contribution to one of our funds like the Light of Parkway or Albert Awards, your support will be used for programs that benefit alumni, students, staff and the Parkway community as defined in our mission statement. Give today by making an online donation.