Bellerive Bulletin
July 28, 2025
Dear Bellerive Families,
I'm proud to share that Bellerive has officially been recertified as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School by Franklin Covey! This recognition celebrates our school’s ongoing commitment to student leadership, continuous growth, and innovation within the 7 Habits Leader in Me framework. Maintaining Lighthouse Certification is a significant milestone and reflects the high standards we uphold as a school community. Thank you for your continued support in helping our students shine as leaders!
The Bellerive Staff is gearing up to welcome you and your children to the 25-26 school year! We have a fun school theme that we are excited to unveil at Meet the Teacher.
In this newsletter, you will find important dates and events, school supply lists, volunteer updates, details on counselor assignments, and policy reminders. August is an exciting time of the year! Please reach out with any questions.
In Partnership,
Joey Kneer, Ed.D.
Principal, Bellerive Elementary School
314-415-6051
BACK-TO-SCHOOL DATES & EVENTS
Overview
Click here for a printer-friendly list of Back-to-School Dates & Events
Kindergarten Screening
Thursday, August 7
4:30 to 6:00 pm
Register here for Bellerive's Kindergarten Screening. This is a Kindergarten Screening Event only for Incoming Kindergarten students who did not attend Jumpstart to Kindergarten.
Popsicles on the Playground
Visit with your Principals and meet new friends
Thursday, August 7
6:00 - 6:45 pm
**New Families: During the popsicles event, we will offer optional building tours for new families starting at the Adventure Club door.
Bus Route Information Available
Week of August 11th
Click here to access bus information after August 12th.
Class Placement Emails Sent
Tuesday, August 12 (afternoon)
Kindergarten Parent Orientation/Open House
Wednesday, August 13
6:00 - 6:45 pm
New Parent Orientation (Grades 1-5)
Wednesday, August 13
7:15 - 8:00 pm
Meet the Teacher & Student Supply Drop
Thursday, August 14
- Last Names A-L: 3:30 - 4:15 pm
- Last Names M-Z: 4:15 - 5:00 pm
First Day of School
Monday, August 18
- Drop-off begins at 8:50 am, and school starts at 9:05 am.
- School ends at 4:00 pm, and dismissal begins at 3:50 pm.
Open House for Parents (Grades 1-5)
Thursday, September 4
6:00 to 7:30 pm
Kindergarten Screening
Popsicles on the Playground
Kindergarten Parent Orientation
New Parent Orientation
THIS WEEK'S NEW INFO
School Supplies
Please click here to access the School Supply List for 25-26.
- This weekend is Missouri's Tax-Free Holiday.
- If you ordered supplies through the Impacks supply box program, those will be delivered to your child's classroom.
- Click here for a printer-friendly version of the list.
Counselor Assignments 25-26
Mrs. Svetlana Bigott
Mrs. Lindsay Knowles
Mrs. Jessica Larson
Bellerive counselors switch back and forth every year between serving grades K, 2, 4 and grades 1, 3, 5 so they are always working with their same cohorts of students as the students matriculate through Bellerive! Students may also be supported by the Mental Health Specialist, Bellerive's clinically licensed mental health professional, who is available to support students in all grade levels based on individual needs.
Smartwatch Expectation Change
Cell phones and personal technology, including smartwatches, tablets, and laptops, are expected to be turned off and put away all day at all K-12 schools.
Earlier this year, Parkway announced stricter cell phone and personal device restrictions for the 2025-2026 school year based on input from teachers and families. However, a new Missouri law now requires a complete ban on the use of cell phones and personal devices during the school day.
The policy around cell phones is not new for Bellerive Elementary School. Students have always been required to keep their cell phones in their backpacks during the school day. The change for Bellerive is that students may not wear Smartwatches. Previously, students were allowed to wear smartwatches as long as they were not used as a communication device, but under the new Missouri law, all smartwatches must be kept in backpacks.
If your child has a cell phone or smartwatch, now is the time to talk to them about this policy. As a family, you will need to decide if the devices will stay at home or if they will be stored in backpacks.
Click here to learn more details and review answers to frequently asked questions.
Register to Volunteer
New Volunteer System: Action Needed
Parkway has transitioned to a new volunteer system called Volunteer Tracker through Raptor Technologies. While current volunteer information has been uploaded, all volunteers—new and returning—must complete a new application in the system.
Click here to compete your Volunteer Application
Why should you register and become an approved volunteer? You must be an approved volunteer in order to attend any part of a school field trip. This includes chaperoning or simply stopping by. Anyone not registered and approved as a Parkway volunteer will not be allowed to participate or be in proximity to any field trip activities.
You can find more information and access the application link on the Parkway Volunteer page. Thank you for your continued support and involvement at Bellerive!
Library Volunteers Needed
Click here for a direct link to sign up as a Bellerive Library volunteer!
You must also follow the steps in the section above to become an approved Parkway Volunteer.
REMINDERS
Bellerive's Summer Reading Program
Join the fun this summer with our Bellerive Reading challenge! Check out the Summer Reading Website for tons of resources to keep your child from being bored this summer and avoid the "summer slide," (loss of reading comprehension which can impact their reading abilities over time)!
Turn in your recording sheets during the first week of school in August for a fun reward! ALL are welcome to participate. Send any questions to our new librarian, Mrs. Liz Zahnweh (lzahnweh@parkwayschools.net), happy reading!
Kdg-2nd Grade Challenge
Recording Sheet
Part 1 for Kdg-2nd Grades
Recording Sheet
Part 2 for Kdg-2nd Grades
3rd-5th Challenge
Can you read more than a Bellerive staff member?
Recording Sheet
For 3rd-5th Grades
Don't Forget to Register Your Child
If you have a child, friend, or neighbor who will be entering Kindergarten or will be new this school year, please remind them to register NOW! Begin the process by clicking here. We need everyone to register ASAP so we know how many students to plan for and have the correct number of staff members hired.