Dear Laurel Park families, 

We are excited to welcome back Track 3 students on Tuesday, May 14. Only Tracks 1 and 4 students are on campus on Monday, May 13. (See WCPSS Year-Round Calendar). A similar pattern will occur on Tuesday, June 4, when only Tracks 3 and 4 students are on campus. Please mark your calendars accordingly.

The second primary election is on Tuesday, and Laurel Park will serve as a polling location. We will shift voters from our cafeteria to our science enrichment room with an exterior door. Voters will enter and exit through that door and not have access to any other part of the school building. 

As the school year winds down, please pay close attention to dates shared in the Penguin Press and teachers' newsletters. Our website's Community Calendar (linked below) also has important dates and reminders. 

Happy Mother's Day! 

Respectfully, 

Charelle Lovett, Principal

Upcoming Events / Important Dates (Community Calendar)

• May 10: Happy Track out Track 2!; Family Movie Night @ 6 PM (LPES Field)
• May 13: Only Tracks 1 & 4 on campus
• May 14-16: Track 3 Teacher Appreciation
• May 14: Welcome back, Track 3!
• May 15: PTA General Meeting @ 6:30 PM, LPES Media Center
• May 17: Speech Pathologist Appreciation Day (Thank you, Ms. Haywood!); Last day for the Family Survey
• May 21-23: Track 1 EOG Testing (grades 3-5)
• May 24: Tracks 3 & 4 Interims Go Home
• May 27: No School
• May 29: Rising Kindergarten Orientation @ 6 PM
• May 31: 2024 High School Senior Walk @ 2:30 PM
• June 3: Track 1 Rising 5th Grade Ceremony; Last day of school for Track 1
• June 4: Only Tracks 3 & 4 on campus
• June 5: Welcome back, Track 2!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Laurel Park will recognize this from May 13-17. We ask all students and staff to wear  GREEN on Thursday, May 16th in recognition of Mental Health Awareness. Our wonderful Student Services staff, ensure our students know that keeping themselves mentally healthy is as important as keeping themselves physically healthy. We encourage you to talk with your children about their thoughts and feelings. Families serve as great support systems and can help children feel comfortable understanding and managing their feelings and emotions. Below are some tips for parents on how to discuss and deal with the mental health of their children.

https://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/helping-home-tips-parents

Lucky's Bedtime Stories Returns on May 14!

Lucky's Bedtime Stories returns during Ms. LeSueur's final few months as our media specialist. Join teachers and staff virtually on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM for a few bedtime stories. Use the Google Meet code lpes reads to access the storytime. We ask that you use your child's WakeID Account to access the Google Meet. 

3rd-5th EOG Testing Dates

The testing window for 3rd-5th graders is the last 10 days of school. We will give the initial subject test on the days below, and make-up testing days will follow after.

• Track 1:
  • Testing window: May 20-June 3; retesting for certain students June 4-5
  • May 21: Reading
  • May 22: Math
  • May 23: Science (5th grade only)
• Tracks 2, 3, & 4:
  • Testing window: June 12-26, retesting for certain students June 27-28
  • June 12: Reading
  • June 13: Math
  • June 14: Science (5th grade only)

EOG Remediation and Retesting Information

Students in 3rd-5th grades will take the Reading and Math EOG at the end of this school year. Should your child meet the criteria for our EOG Remediation and Readministration program (proficient in grade level content but not proficient on the EOG), you will receive an invitation for your child to attend the program after the EOG testing window closes. For your planning purposes, the program dates for the end of the school year are June 4-5 (Track 1) and June 27-28 (Tracks 2, 3, & 4). Transportation will be provided, and breakfast and lunch will be available. 

Congratulations to Stella Hunter!

Complete the Panorama Family Survey by May 17

We need your feedback! The Panorama Family Survey is now open through May 17th. Thank you to those who already submitted a survey response about Laurel Park's school environment and engagement barriers. Access the survey here: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/wakecounty/family/surveys?language=en

LPES Spring Beautification Day 

Home Deport, Focus Church of Apex, and Devoted City Church partnered with Laurel Park staff and families to spruce up our grounds. These community partners brought volunteers and donated wheelbarrows, shovels, mulch, and flowers for the beautification day. Thank you, Amy Gagnon and your team for organizing!

Bike, Walk, and Roll Day

We loved seeing our students and families walking and biking to school on Wednesday, May 8! It was a little humid that morning, but everyone persevered. Thank you for participating and to the Pauleys for organizing!

Last Friday's Family Movie Night 

A little rain did not keep families from enjoying food trucks, games, and music before settling in to watch the selected movie. This was a great time for our families to engage with one another. Thank you, Tracy Zimmermann and your team for organizing!

Please Charge Chromebooks for 3rd-5th EOGs!

As teachers begin to prepare for upcoming End-of-grade testing for our 3rd-5th graders, students need to get into the habit of charging Chromebooks at home so they can be used during the day. Students will be asked to bring their chargers to school closer to testing days to keep both the charger and Chromebook at school to ensure the technology is sound during testing.

Middle School Updates

Visit our Middle School Updates site for information on middle schools in the area. Ashley Truskowski (atruskowski@wcpss.net) will continuously update as she receives information for the upcoming year. Please contact her if you have any questions.

5th Grade Moving Up Ceremonies

2024 High Senior Walk -- Spread the Word

Typically, around graduation time, high school seniors who attended Laurel Park return to take pictures in front of the school and by their handprints on the wall. Now is the time (better late than never) to have an organized time for seniors to have an opportunity to find their handprints and also be celebrated by current school students and staff. We will have our first High School Senior Walk in the afternoon on May 31. We are excited to see former students in their cap and gowns as they close one chapter and begin the next. 

Family Fun Night @ Salamanders Baseball

The LPES PTA is partnering with the Holly Springs Salamanders. Sunday, June 9th is Family Night. Tickets are $12 per ticket or  $22 for an all-you-can-eat ticket. It is also Princess and Pirates Night and Sunday Funday, where the kids can dress up and run the bases after the game. Purchase tickets at https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Laurelpark. Two dollars of every ticket will go back to the LPES PTA!

Laurel Park Character Strengths

Each month, a selected character strength is highlighted in the morning announcements and discussed during your child's Classroom Huddle/morning meeting. In May, we will focus on Self-Discipline -- You control yourself and your actions to do what you know you should. 

Friendly Reminders

• LPES Family Handbook 
• Please remind your child to check the lost and found area in the cafeteria. We will donate lost and found items quarterly.
• Each child needs a labeled set of extra clothes to keep in their backpack or cubby. This is not just for bathroom accidents! The Front Office does not have extra clothes to give to students. 
• Interested in volunteering at LPES? Register at www.wcpss.net/volunteer
• Students who arrive at school after 9:15 AM must be signed in by the parent/guardian via the QR code on the front door. Early check-out ends at 3:15 PM. 

2024-25 LPES Information

Back-to-School Supply Kits Available to Order!

Skip the stores and save both time and money on back-to-school shopping with a Sprout School Supply Kit! These kits are teacher-approved, matching our Laurel Park supply lists, and will be delivered to school and ready for the first day. Again this school year, we will offer families the opportunity to Pay It Forward and purchase an additional school supply kit to donate to a deserving child at our local school if they are interested. All Pay It Forward Kits will be provided to the administration at the close of our sale and distributed to local students, so they are all set for the first day. 

Order now at sproutsupplies.com using School Code LPES001. The order deadline is 06/11/24.

Rising Kindergarten Orientation (Newsletter)

We look forward to seeing returning and new families at the rising kindergarten orientation on Wednesday, May 29th at 6 PM in our gym. This 1-hour event is geared towards caregivers. We will not have childcare for the orientation but will share information afterward. 

Playdate at Marbles for Rising Kinders

Marbles Museum is hosting its annual kick-off to Kindergarten on Thursday, June 20 from 3-7 PM. Sign up to attend at HTTP://m.arbl.es/kickofftokindergarten.

Meet the Teacher & Supply Drop-Off

Our 2024-25 Meet the Teacher and Supply Drop-off is Wednesday, July 3 from 1:30-3:00 PM (Tracks 1 & 3) and Friday, July 26 from 4:30-5:15 PM (Tracks 4). The PTA partners with Sprout School Supplies for grade-level kits. More information will be shared about Sprout School Supplies at a later time. Next year's school supply lists are posted on the school's website.  

A Note from Nurse Heide

Hello Laurel Park Families! Spring is upon us, so you know what that means. That’s right, health plan updates and renewals! As your school nurse, I will be reaching out over the coming weeks to touch base about your student’s health plans and whether any changes need to be made for the 24-25 school year. I am required to speak to a parent or guardian to reassess your student’s health care needs before I can renew any health plans. I do understand that it can be hard to take a phone call while at work. If this is the case, please return my call and leave a message letting me know how best to reach you.

If you have a student who has medications at school, a new 1702 form will be required when the new school year begins in July. Your doctor may complete the 1702 form anytime after April 1, 2024, and it will be valid for the 24-25 school year. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I can be reached at 919-524-1894 or hcassimatis@wcpss.net

Here’s to a happy and healthy spring!

Heide Cassimatis, BSN, RN, NCSN

2024 WCPSS Letterland Days

Throughout the week of May 13-17, different Letterlanders can be found at various locations around Pullen Park. Join WCPSS community members daily from 10 AM to 8 PM for a scavenger hunt to locate your favorite Letterlanders. On May 13 and May 16 from 5 to 8 PM, additional fun and exciting themed activities will be located at stations around the park. Register for Letterland Activity Nights