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5/27/24

 

Dear Laurel Park families, 

As we enter Track 1's last week of school for the 2023-24 school year, this opening message is for them: As we conclude another successful school year, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and involvement. Together, we have navigated challenges and celebrated many achievements. Our students have shown remarkable growth and resilience; I am incredibly proud of their progress. Wishing you all a safe, restful, and happy track out ahead. Please take a moment to review the important information below. 

 

Yearbooks

  • Yearbooks will be delivered to all classrooms during the last week of school.

  • 5th-grade students will receive a special message from their teacher in their yearbook and will receive their yearbook during the 5th-grade Moving Up Ceremony.

 

5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony

  • Track 1: June 3rd @ 1:30 pm in the gym

  • Please park in our main parking lot.  Additional parking is available along the right side of our carpool lane. The event will conclude by 3:00 pm, in time for dismissal to begin at 3:45 pm.

  • Siblings are welcome to attend the ceremony but must be checked out from the Front Office before attending the Moving Up Ceremony. The sibling being checked out to attend the ceremony will meet you at the front entrance with their backpack and items. You will not need to return to the front office for checkout.

  • 5th Graders will check out directly from the ceremony.

  • Doors will open at 1:00 pm for families. Seating is “first come, first served”.

 

2024-25 Class Lists 

  • All rising 1st-5th grader Track 1 families should expect a welcome email from their 2024-25 classroom teacher on Tuesday, June 4th at 3 PM. Class lists are drafted by classroom teachers and reviewed by counselors, instructional support staff, and administrators. These are well-vetted, final lists.

  • Our Track 1 teachers are assigned as follows:

    • Kindergarten Teachers:

      • Daniele Gannon / Kelly Greene

    • 1st-Grade Teachers:

      • Christina Markulic / Erica Villanueva 

    • 2nd-Grade Teachers:

      • April Butler / Belle Rose

    • 3rd-Grade Teachers:

      • Rachel Beech / Cheryl Conrad / Katherine Kuhn

    • 4th-Grade Teachers:

      • Kathleen Noland / TBD (Candidate recommended to WCPSS HR)

    • 5th-Grade Teachers:

      • Celina Boyce / Lisa Charns

 

2024-25 Dates to Note for Returning and New Track 1 Families:

  • We will have a Meet the Teacher/ Supply Drop-off session on July 3rd for track 1 from 1:30 - 3:00 PM.  This is not a formal program and will be a roaming event.

  • 2024-25 Supply Lists can be found here.

  • Monday, July 8th is the first day of school for Track 1 students.

 

Happy Memorial Day! 

 

Respectfully, 

Charelle Lovett, Principal

 

Upcoming Events / Important Dates (Community Calendar)

  • May 27: No School, Memorial Day
  • May 29: Rising Kindergarten Orientation @ 6 PM, Bus Registration Due
  • 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 4-5: EOG retesting for select Track 1 students
  • June 4: Only Tracks 3 & 4 on campus
  • June 5: Welcome back, Track 2!
  • June 8: Rising Kindergarten Playdate @ 10 AM 
  • June 11: Lucky's Bedtime Stories @ 7 PM; Deadline to order 24-25 Supply Kits (Order now at sproutsupplies.com using School Code LPES001)
  • June 12-14: Tracks 2, 3, & 4 EOG Testing
  • June 19: No School, Teacher Workday
  • June 26: Tracks 3 & 4 Rising 5th Grade Ceremony; Last day of school for Tracks 2, 3, & 4
  • June 27-28: EOG retesting for select Tracks 2, 3, & 4 students

 

Check Your Child's Bus Transportation Status by May 29

View your student’s 2024-25 Transportation status via your student’s Homebase/Powerschool account. Sign up for an account at your student’s school. More information on Home Base is available at www.wcpss.net/student-information.  

 

Your student’s AM and/or PM transportation codes will display “Y” (yes) or “N” (no) for the 2024-25 school year until routes are posted. Routes usually are posted about 10 days before the start of the school year. 

  • If your student’s code is “Y” and your student will be using transportation next school year, no action is required.  
  • If your student’s code is “N” and you would like for your student to use transportation next school year, please submit a transportation request. 
  • If your student’s code is “Y” and your student will not be using transportation next school year, please submit the decline bus form at www.wcpss.net/declinebus.

 

If you need further assistance with bus service, contact your student’s school. 

 

Transportation Request Deadlines
If you are not currently registered for transportation but would like service next school year, you must request transportation by the May 29th deadline (regardless of track assignment) to ensure service on the first day. Please only request service if you plan for your student to be a regular rider. Students who don’t ride consistently will be removed from bus rosters. To register, go to www.wcpss.net/busrider. 

 

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. 

 

 

5th Grade Moving Up Ceremonies

We look forward to celebrating our 5th graders moving up to middle school next school year. Doors will open for attendees at 1 PM and the ceremony will begin at 1:30 PM. Seating is first come, first served. 

 

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.

 

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!

 

 

 

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.

  • 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)

 

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.

 

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. 

 

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) (Presentation Slides)

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. 

 

2024-25 School Meals Price Increase

Last week, our School Board approved a 25 cent price increase for school meals for the 2024-25 school year. At elementary schools, full-paid breakfasts will increase to $1.75 and full-paid lunches will increase to $3.50. The price increase is necessary to cover rising costs of food, supplies, and wages and benefits for staff.

 

Add Your Track Calendar to iCal

WCPSS created Tracks 1, 3, & 4 PDF and iCal calendars for families to access. The iCal link will automatically add your track's calendar to your phone or computer's calendar application. 2024-25 Year-Round calendar by track:

 

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