Henry Happenings

Dear Henry Families,

This past week, we had our very first Buddy Day at Henry! It was exciting to see our older and younger students meet their new buddies and begin building relationships that we hope will continue to grow throughout the school year.

Our Character Education Buddy Initiative pairs older students with younger students to help build connections, develop relationships, and create a strong sense of belonging within our school community.

It has already been so heartwarming to see students after they have met their buddies. We are noticing students waving to their buddies in the hallway, stopping to say hello, and asking how their buddy is doing. These may seem like small moments, but they are powerful examples of the connections we want every student to experience at Henry.

We know that remembering a new buddy’s name can be tricky at first! Our buddy classes will continue to meet throughout the year, and with each opportunity to connect, those names and relationships will become more familiar and meaningful.

As the year progresses, our buddy classes will also work together on a service-learning project. This will give students the opportunity to take the connections they have built and work together to make a positive difference in our school, community, or world.

We are excited to watch these relationships grow throughout the year! At Henry, we want every student to know that they belong and that they have others in our school who know them, care about them, and are cheering them on.

Continue reading below for more information about: Bingo Night, Hello Display, PTO updates, Parkway updates, and more!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jodi Oliver

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September 14- Henry Harmonizers, 8:00am

September 16- Henry PTO General Meeting, 6:00pm, Library

September 23, 24, 25- Talent Sharing- Music, Grade 3 & 5

September 23- Board of Education Regular Meeting @ Welcome Center, 7:00-8:00pm

September 25- 2nd Grade Shaw Nature Reserve Field Trip

September 25 - Family Bingo Night, 6:30pm - 8:00pm

September 28- Henry Harmonizers, 8:00am

September 28- Talent Sharing- Music 3 & 5

Kindergarten families, if you are able, kindly bring your welcome yard sign back to the front office or drop it through the pick up/drop off line. We appreciate your help—thank you so much!

Next week is National Arts in Education Week (September 13–19, 2026), a nationwide celebration of the transformative power of creative learning! Passed by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 designates the week beginning with the second Sunday in September to recognize and celebrate the arts in our schools.

We are fortunate in Parkway to have such a robust arts program and dedicated educators guiding our students every day. This week is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the joy, innovation, and community that creative learning brings to our classrooms.

Why We Celebrate the Arts

• Sparks Innovation: Creative problem-solving in music, theatre, media, and visual arts builds critical thinking skills that serve students for a lifetime.

• Builds Connection: Performances, exhibitions, and school shows bring families, staff, and students together.

• Nurtures Well-Being: Artistic expression provides vital outlets for self-confidence, emotional growth, and belonging.

Below are links to view the recordings of the presentations from Curriculum Night for Henry's Specialists.

Vision screenings- The school nurse will begin vision screenings soon to identify students with vision problems. This will include kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th grade and new students. The nurse will reach out to parents for any concerns and send a referral note home so that an eye doctor appointment can be scheduled.

UPDATE to Flu Clinic-There will not be a student Flu Clinic at school this year. Please contact your medical provider about getting your child's flu shot.

If you were a Henry student last school year, and completed the summer reading log, please have your child turn it into the library by Friday, September 25th. Please make sure the log has your child's name, teacher, their summer reading details/total, and your signature. This is for current 1st-5th grade students only, please contact Mrs. Goyal with questions.

If your child arrives late to school, (anytime after 9:05 AM) please remember that the adult dropping them off must walk inside the building and sign them in at the office. This applies to anyone who may be bringing your child to school, so please share this information with family members, caregivers, or others who may be dropping off your child.

This procedure helps us ensure that every student is safely accounted for and prevents our office from making an absence call when a student has actually arrived at school.

Thank you for your help and cooperation in following this important safety procedure!

Dear Henry Families,

Our EL team is creating a vibrant community display to welcome every single student and family into our school. To make sure all languages, scripts, and characters are captured accurately and authentically, we need your help!

We are inviting Henry families to sign up for a quick visit to write "Hello" in your native language on our window that overlooks our school courtyard.

How to Get Involved:

• What: Visit Henry to write "Hello" in your native language.

• Who: We are looking for one representative per language to ensure our display represents the full diversity of our community.

• When: Time slots are available starting on September 8-11 from 9:30am - 3:00pm

Having our parents physically contribute to this project brings authentic representation into our halls while building a stronger connection between home and school.

Ready to represent your language and help us build a more inclusive environment?

Window Language Display Signup Genius

Thank you for your continued support, partnership, and for making the Henry community such a special place for our kids!

Warmly,

The Henry EL Team

🍂Fall Spirit Starts Here!🍂

Stock up on school spiritwear for fall! This week, save on long sleeves, football tees, polos, performance 1/4-zips and more.

FREE SHIPPING on orders over $49 —no code needed!
Shop our school store here: https://www.henryspiritwear.com/

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!

Henry Families,

You’re invited to join us for our general PTO Meeting on September 16 from 6:00–7:00 PM in the Henry Library. We will vote on the 2026–27 budget, discuss plans for this school year, and Parkway Superintendent, Dr. Schnieder, will be speaking on the Parkway Prop P initiative. We hope to see you there!

Thank you,

Henry PTO

Link to: https://henry.parkwayschools.net/families/pto/26-27-newsletters

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Henry Elementary PTO Facebook

Henry Elementary PTO Instagram

WE NEED YOU FOR GRADE-LEVEL PARTIES!

Want to help make this year’s parties extra fun for our Bulldogs? Whether you’d love to help plan and customize the party or simply lend a hand on party day, we’d love to have you!

PARTY VOLUNTEER INFORMATIONAL MEETING

Wednesday, 9/30 at 7 PM in the Henry Cafeteria

We’ll give a quick overview of party procedures, share tips for creating fun and grade-appropriate activities, and give parents a chance to meet, collaborate, and start planning some awesome Bulldog memories!

Can’t make the meeting? No problem! We still need plenty of volunteers on party days—and all are welcome! Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends can volunteer with a valid government-issued photo ID for a visitor pass. Sign-up Links Coming Soon!

Fall Party

Tuesday, November 24th

Spring Party

Thursday, March 11th

Junior Longhorn basketball teams are committed to providing excellent instruction in a fun and competitive environment. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for our athletes to play with others who plan to attend Parkway West High School, while improving their fundamentals and teamwork. We are committed to teaching offensive and defensive concepts that are used at the high school level. Teams will compete in the competitive CNR League and the Park/Rock League, and may also participate in tournaments. All of this depends on the commitment level of each team. Teams will practice 1-2 times per week (depending on team).

TRYOUTS DATES AND TIMES: All tryouts will be held at Parkway West High School Main Gym

5th Grade: Sunday, September 27th (3:30-5pm)

6th Grade: Sunday, September 27th (5-6:30pm)

7th Grade: Sunday, September 27th (6:30-8pm)

8th Grade: Sunday, August 23rd (7-8:15 pm)

Please bring a basketball and a water bottle.

Please fill out the QR code below to register for tryouts. Please email Brett Katz bkatz@parkwayschool.net (Head Basketball Coach at Parkway West), or Neil Adams (Head of Jr. Longhorn Basketball program) Neil.Adams@raymondjames.com, with any questions. Parkway West HS staff will be placing the girls on the respective teams for all grade levels. Some grade levels will have multiple teams, with the top 8-10 players at each age playing on the Red Team, and the next 8-10 players will play on the Blue Team. Kids grow and develop skills at different rates, so teams may look different each year. If interested in coaching, please make sure to indicate on the registration form.

Email: joliver2@parkwayschools.net

Email: aspellicy@parkwayschools.net

Website: https://henry.parkwayschools.net/

Instagram: @pkwyhenrybulldogs