- Barretts Elementary
- Homepage
Parkway Schools will remain closed through the end of the school year
4/9/2020 -- The below letter was sent to all Parkway families.
Dear Parkway family,
If you told me at the beginning of this school year I would write this letter, I would not have believed it. While I regret having to send this message, I am also confident this is the right thing to do for our Parkway family of students and staff.
Based on ongoing guidance from health professionals, and after careful consideration, Parkway and all public schools in St. Louis City and County have decided to continue with eLearning for the remainder of the school year.
I have included a video here to share more about our plans for the next six weeks.
We simply cannot risk the health and safety of our students, families and staff. Based on guidance from the CDC, if we open for the remaining few weeks and have a positive case of COVID-19, we would need to close school for up to a week each time. This would be disruptive for everyone and difficult to ensure the ongoing safety of our students and staff. We are also aware our region is likely weeks away from a potential peak in cases and possibly further from a downward trend. Social distancing is working which is hopeful news.
We will continue our focus on eLearning through the scheduled last day of school on May 21. What our teachers have accomplished in the past few weeks with your support is extraordinary. We know this has been challenging for parents and students as well. We are proud of you for all you are doing to support your children at home.
We will continue to support the needs of our students and families. Our food pantry remains open and we plan to resume daily meal distribution as soon as possible. Please reach out if we can provide your family with additional support.
I know you’re eager to find out what our plans are for these final six weeks. Each spring, my wife and I enjoy attending so many wonderful activities in our schools including end-of-year concerts, plays, athletic events, field trips and, of course, graduation ceremonies which are the most exciting of all.
Our school leaders will be in touch with you soon to share more information regarding the plans for each of these activities. Some events may be held in a different format or canceled and some may be postponed until we have more information to guide our decisions and ensure the safety of our community. We also have important decisions to make about our plans for this summer. We are exploring options and will share this information with you as soon as possible.
We are heartbroken to know there are experiences our students will miss. I also believe there are opportunities for new lessons and experiences. We will certainly be more grateful for and look forward to the time when we are all back together again. In the meantime, continue to look out for one another, and we will get through this together.
The beauty in a dark time is how clearly you can see the light. It is there. I find peace as we focus our energy on looking ahead to a brighter future together.
Dr. Keith Marty
Superintendent