Parkway Schools

I have been a resident of Parkway since I married in 1990. My husband and I have two children who attend Central High. I have been active in classrooms, school leadership and at the district level. I have served on the Parkway School Board since my appointment in June 2008. I currently serve as vice-president, and am a member of the budget and curriculum sub-committees.

I am proud of the progress Parkway has made since I joined the board. My proudest moment was approving free full-day kindergarten for all. My philosophy of school board membership is to always keep the students in the forefront of decisions.

During my time on the board, we have approved the mission, vision and learning principles of Project Parkway, our strategic planning initiative. I am excited, both as a board member and as a parent, to see it implemented in schools. I look forward to continuing to work on preparing students for what awaits them in life after Parkway.

In spite of current budget difficulties, I believe there are many opportunities to better serve our community while maintaining fiscally responsible spending. We must think differently in this ever-changing world.

Helen is a retired teacher who has been involved in Education for over forty years. In addition to her Master's Degree in Counseling, she also holds a real estate broker's license as well as an insurance license. Helen has also spent sixteen years in the banking industry.

Helen has been married to Walter, a Union carpenter, for twenty-seven years, and they have two sons. Matthew, 25, is employed as a production assistant in New York's theatre district. Adam, 21, is an actor in Los Angeles. Both are Parkway North graduates.

During the twenty-six years Helen has lived in the Parkway School District, she and her family have been active volunteers in the community. From chaperoning field trips to building sets for plays and musicals, everyone has participated in some way to help build a strong community.

Helen has enjoyed traveling to forty-four states with a goal of visiting all 50 as part of her bucket list. Other interests include camping, photography, free-lance writing, bowling and attending St. Louis Cardinals games.

One of Helen's long-term goals include continuing to share her valuable experience and knowledge towards the education of Parkway's students, thereby ensuring a community of capable, curious, and confident contributors to an ever challenging world.

Helen is currently serving her second term as a Director on the Parkway School District Board of Education.

Kim Appelbaum graduated from Lindenwood University with a BA in Psychology. She began her career as a Technical Recruiter and moved into IT Contract Management 15 years ago.

Kim was raised in St. Louis and has been happily married to Paul for 15 years. She chose the Ballwin area because of the reputation of the Parkway school district. She has two boys, a 7th grader at West Middle and a freshman at West High. She is a proud “Band Mom” of a baritone player and percussionist. Kim has always been involved in her children’s education by serving on the PTO and as a grade level party planner. She remains involved with Boy Scouts and served as Cub Scout Den Leader.

Kim feels training and education are critical for individuals to perform and function successfully in today’s society. To continue to be viable in her current position at Maritz, she obtained certification in ISO 9001:2000 and won the award of “Peak Performer for Outstanding Customer Service and Commitment to Quality”.

Kim is excited about new opportunities in alternative methods for education and is eager to have discussions with students, teachers, and residents to help Parkway further lead the way in education.