Hoot Owl

Dear Parents,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you and your child to Craig Elementary for the 2025-2026 school year. My name is Dr. David Duckworth, Principal of Craig. Dr. Rosalyn Goodwin is our Assistant Principal. Our enrollment for the current school year is projected to be near 450 students. We have 80 dedicated staff members who are here to serve our school community.

At Craig, it is our privilege to teach, nurture, encourage, and enable your child to be a part of a community of life-long learners. We provide a safe environment where kids can take risks and feel valued, respected and encouraged. It is our mission to ensure all students are capable, curious, caring and confident learners who understand and respond to the challenges of an ever-changing world.

Our dedicated faculty will challenge your child to achieve excellence. We strive to create a family atmosphere where parents will find a welcoming open door and know they are appreciated. We encourage your family to be involved at Craig, especially helping with the PTO.

The Parent Hoot Owl is our primary tool for school-wide communication. The Hoot Owl is typically released on the 1st of each month. Please be sure to review our newsletter each month to stay informed. With information changing over the next few weeks, we will send a more detailed newsletter in the middle of August with several updates and reminders to start the school year.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we look forward to seeing everyone in a little less than a month.

Best,

Dr. David Duckworth

Our Craig Core Values

Respectful- Being polite and thoughtful.

Responsible- Choosing to meet expectations independently.

Integrity- Doing the right thing when no one is looking.

Caring- Showing kindness and concern for others.

Perseverance - Keep trying even when something is difficult or challenging

Important Quick Facts

School Colors: Blue and Yellow

Mascot: Owl

Motto: “Every Student, Every Day. The Craig Way”

Start and End Times: 9:05 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

Office Hours: 8:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M.

Building Open to Students: 8:50 A.M.

Website: www.parkwayschools.net/craig

Twitter: www.twitter.com/craigelementary

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Craig-Elementary-School/392391024146935

Main Office Number: (314) 415-6200

Attendance Reporting Line: (314) 415-6226

Nurse’s Number: 314-415-6210

Parkway Transportation Office: 314-415-8400

Voluntary Transfer Student Transportation Office: 314-721-8657

Principal: Dr. David Duckworth ~ 314-415-6201

Assistant Principal: Dr. Rosalyn Goodwin ~ 314-415-6203

As you can probably tell from driving past Craig, we have had a lot of exciting changes to the building this summer.

Inside the building

As of right now the projects that are going on inside the building are running on time and we expect for the classrooms and the front office to be ready for the first day of school. This summer the focus was the kindergarten and 1st grade hallway and the front office. Everything in that hallway is brand new. In addition, we have new HVAC, roof, electrical, and sprinkler system for that part of the building. Over the next two summers the rest of the building will be completed.

Outside the Building

Outside the building we have a new upper parking and car rider lot. That was completed this summer. The handicapped lot is expected to be completed by the first day of school. The bus lane and the teacher lot, along with the back lots will be completed next summer.

Playgrounds

Both the kindergarten playground and the big playground in the back have been taken down and are in the process of being replaced. Over the summer the district decided to change the playground company that we have been working with, which will allow us more autonomy with our design. Unfortunately it will push our project back several months. Dr. Duckworth is meeting with facilities next week to establish a new timeline. Once we know more, we will communicate those details to you along with a recess plan to begin the school year.

Contacting us

We appreciate your patience while we work through the renovations. The building will remain closed to visitors for the time being. We will not be able to have any one besides staff inside the building until Meet the Teacher on August 14. If you need to contact Dr. Duckworth (mduckworth@parkwayschools.net) or the front office (Michelle - mbehrle@parkwayschools.net), email is the best way right now because phones are still being installed. Thank you again for your patience and understanding and we look forward to showing off our new space on August 14 from 4:00pm-5:30pm during Meet the Teacher.

Craig is excited to welcome some wonderful new staff members to the Craig family:

Emily Ramirez - Nurse

Jillian O' Brien - Mental Health Specialist

Caley Cook - Art

Emma Abernathy - Strings

Meriam Dwidar - Music

Kalen Ponche-Ciszweski - Teacher Assistant

Jessica Hogan - Teacher Assistant

Kara Glosecki - SSD Resource Teacher

Kindergarten

Trina Broemmelsick

Hailey Runge

Anna Schrader - New

Emily Waldman

First Grade

Morgan Butler - New

Katie Capkovik -New

Brook Proske

Hannah Stolz

Second Grade

Jill Hooper

Mahreen Lakho

Jennifer Mezines

Kaitlan Williams

Third Grade

Maria Cavato - New

Rachel Murphy - New

Kim Ragsdale

Paige Smith

Fourth Grade

Kaylee Akin

Tina Fairbanks

Tony Giubardo

Kara Jethi - New

Fifth Grade

Jessica Blase

Sarah Wegmann

Brooke Williams

Annie Wuelling - New

Teacher placements for the 2025-26 school year will be available on August 13th by accessing your child's Infinite Campus account. We will send an email reminder on August 13th.

Bus route information for the 2025-26 school year will be emailed out August 8.

• Families eligible for bus transportation will receive an email with details about their bus stop, pickup, and drop-off times.
• Please note that stops and times may be adjusted in the first few weeks of school as we finalize routes and accommodate family needs. Transportation will notify you of any changes.

Students in the VICC/VST program and receiving specialized transportation will receive a postcard in the mail with their bus stop information. Call Transportation at 314-415-8415 for questions or additional information.

We will host our Open House and supply drop on August 14th 4:00pm-5:30pm. This is an opportunity to meet your teacher and bring your child's school supplies to their classroom prior to the first day of school.

Supply Lists can be found here.

At Craig, we have a lot to celebrate when it comes to Character. We have been recognized as a National School of Character twice. We work hard everyday to make Craig a great place for all students to learn. Our foundation is based on our Core Values: Respect, Responsible, Integrity, Caring, and Perseverance. Some of the programs incorporated within character are Craig Clubs, Chain Link Connections, Moonlight Spotlights, Service Learning, and Leadership Ambassadors

Our goal at Craig is to establish and good relationship and good communication with parents regarding building and district policies. One of the ways we do that is by having a Student Handbook. The Student Handbook is always accessible on our website. Please take a look and familiarize yourself with our policies.

Craig Student Handbook

Calling all 3rd through 5th grade girls! If you are interested in running and building self confidence, Girls on the Run is perfect for you. Girls on the Run is a program where the girls set goals, participate in lessons and activities leading up to running 5K. Please see the Girls on the Run Website for more details. Our Fall Girls on the Run group will begin accepting registration on August 4th. Practices start the week of September 8th and are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30. The 5k will be on Saturday, November 15. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Sarah Wegmann at swegmann@parkwayschools.net .

Intro

My name is Emily Ramirez. I have been a substitute nurse within the Parkway school district for three years, and this year I look forward to being Craig Elementary's nurse. I already have a deep love for Craig as all three of my kids have attended school here; two have graduated from Craig, and one is still attending. I love spending time with my family, travelling, and reading. I'm looking forward to this new school year and being a part of the team!

Emily Ramirez,

Phone- 314-415-6210

Fax- 314-415-6211

Email- eramirez2@parkwayschools.net

School Office Hours: M-F 8:45am-4:15pm

Immunizations

All students must have immunization records on file with Nurse Ramirez that meet Missouri Immunization Expectations. If your incoming kindergarten student is in need of additional vaccines or up to date records, I have already reached out to you by email or phone. Please submit records to Nurse Ramirez as soon as you are able to avoid a disruption in school attendance at the start of the school year.

Medications

If your student will need a scheduled or as-needed medication during the school day please contact Nurse Ramirez. For each medication, a Medication Authorization Form will be needed and must be filled out by the parent and physician. The form can be found here.

Medications must be provided in their original package, this includes the Rx label for prescription medications.

Additionally, it is recommended that any student with asthma, food allergies or seizures have an Action Plan on file at school. This can be obtained from your child's physician and is good for 1 year.

Medication Drop-off Times

Please see below to make time to drop off your students medications for the 2025-2026 school year:

Thursday 8/14/23 4pm- 5:30pm (Craig Open House)

Friday 8/15/23 12pm-4pm

All kindergarten parents and those who are new to Craig Elementary are welcome to attend our back to school Boo Hoo Breakfast. This event is from 9:00 to 9:45am on the first day of school. Once you drop your student off at school, join us in the cafe for a greeting from Dr. Duckworth, an introduction to Craig PTO and time to socialize with other Craig families.

Are you interested in becoming a volunteer? If so, attached

is a QR code that will take you to our new app called

Raptor Technologies. You will find the step-by-step

directions to help you get signed up. So, if you want to

participate in helping with the book fairs, attend field trips

and or many other activities throughout the school year,

please sign up. The other QR code is for Infinite campus. For

the new parents, you will have to create an account to be

able to access the app. This will be the place to go to fill

out the field trip forms and to pay for them. If you have

any questions, please contact me.

Thanks,

Tiffany Rose

Admin Asst III

314-415-6202

Every year we ask that families take a few minutes to update your Family Profile on Infinite Campus. This is very important because it gives you an opportunity to update all of your contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses so that we have the best possible way to reach you. You can do this on either the website or the app.

To Update online:

Inside the Infinite Campus parent portal, you will see “More” on the lower left side. Click there and on the next screen, click on “Online Registration.” The next screen will display a box that reads, “Click here to complete the Annual Family Update.” Login to Infinite Campus here to get started.

To Update using the app:

On the Menu button, choose More and then Online Registration. Click there to begin.

Only one parent or guardian from the primary household needs to complete the update. Please complete the update before the first day of school. If you have any questions, or need an Infinite Campus portal account, please email ic-parenthelp@parkwayschools.net.

Students may purchase breakfast and lunch daily. Breakfast is $2.55 and lunch is $3.60. Students need money in their accounts to be able to charge meals. See how you can add money to their accounts at the link below.

Check out lunch menus and deposit money here.

Families who submitted and were approved for free/reduced meals last year will carry over that status for the first 30 days of the new school year. All families must reapply in order to be eligible for free/reduced meals throughout the school year. Apply here.

Welcome Back from Your Craig PTO!

We’re so excited to welcome all of our Craig Elementary families back for another amazing school year! Whether you’re new to Craig or a returning Owl, we want you to know that you are already a part of the PTO—every parent, guardian, and caregiver is included, and we’re so glad you’re here.

The Craig PTO is dedicated to supporting our students, staff, and the entire school community. Through fundraising, volunteering, and events, we work hard to provide the resources and experiences that help our school thrive. From classroom supplies to school-wide celebrations, we’re here to make Craig even more special for our kids.

There are many ways to get involved this year—join us at a PTO meeting, volunteer at an event, help out behind the scenes, or simply show up and cheer us on. Every bit of support makes a difference!

Stay in the loop with all things Craig PTO—meetings, upcoming events, fundraisers, and more—by visiting our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/craigpto

Join us for our Boo Hoo Breakfast!
On the first day of school at 9:00 AM in the Craig Cafeteria, all families are welcome to come enjoy donuts, coffee, and connect with others—especially those new to our Craig community. Dr. Duckworth will be there to answer any questions, along with members of the PTO board. We’d love to see you there!

Don’t forget to grab your tickets for our Craig Elementary STL CITY2 Game Fundraiser on September 28th Here! It’s going to be a fun night out for our school community, and a great way to support our students.

We can’t wait to meet you and work together to make this year the best yet. Go Craig Owls!

With gratitude,
Jenna Mueller
President, Craig Elementary PTO

• August 5th - Kindergarten Screening at MT. Zion
• August 8th - Bus information will be emailed
• August 13th - Teacher Placements will be emailed and available to view on Infinite Campus
• August 14th - Meet the Teacher at Craig 4:00-5:30 pm
• August 18th - First Day of School, Boo-Hoo Breakfast at Craig 9:00-10:00

Email: mduckworth@parkwayschools.net
Website: https://www.parkwayschools.net/Domain/12
Location: Craig Elementary School, Craig Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314-415-6200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craigelementary/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @craigelementary