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Welcome to the 2024-25 School Year!

 

Dear Laurel Park Families, 

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! We are thrilled to have everyone back and welcome new families as we gear up for another year of learning, growth, and achievements!

 

Friendly reminders as we kick off the school year: 

  • Adults are not permitted to walk their child/ren to their classes on the first day of school. School personnel are stationed throughout the building and will assist students with getting to their classrooms. 
  • We use the WCPSS-provided Verkada system for signing in to the building. Please remember to bring a government-issued identification when signing out your child from school. 
    • Tardy bell rings at 9:15 AM. Any child arriving after 9:15 AM will need to be signed in. 
    • Students must be present for at least 3 hours and 15 minutes to be counted as present for the day. 
  • Please complete the Walker/Biker Agreement for any child walking or biking to and from school with or without an adult. Beginning this year, we will allow students in grades 2-5 to walk home (Laurel Park and Ellington Place neighborhoods) unaccompanied by an adult with parent/guardian permission. 
  • Our Family Handbook answers all of your questions about whom to call and much more!

 

We look forward to a great school year at Laurel Park!

 

Respectfully, 

Charelle Lovett, Principal

 

Upcoming Events / Important Dates (Community Calendar)

  • July 8: First day of school for Tracks 1 & 3
  • July 8-11: Tracks 1 & 3 Kindergarten Staggered Entry Days; 9:30 AM - 2 PM
  • July 12: Tracks 1 & 3 Kindergarten Meet the Teacher, 11 AM - 12 PM
  • July 15: First Full Day of School for Tracks 1 & 3 Kinders; Cheers and Tears @ 9:00 AM
  • July 19: PTA's Donuts with Grown-ups @ 9:30 AM
  • July 26: Happy Track Out, Track 3!; Track 4 Meet the Teacher & Supply Drop Off @ 4:30 PM
  • July 29: First day of school for Track 4
  • July 29-Aug. 1: Track 4 Kindergarten Staggered Entry Days; 9:30 AM - 2 PM
  • Aug. 2: Track 4 Kindergarten Meet the Teacher, 11 AM - 12 PM
  • Aug. 5: First Full Day of School for Track 4 Kinders; Cheers and Tears @ 9:00 AM
  • Aug. 9: PTA's Donuts with Grown-ups @ 9:30 AM
  • Aug. 13: General PTA Meeting at 6 PM; LPES Media Center

 

 

LPES Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Update

We are incredibly appreciative of Kara Haywood, our contract SLP, who joined our staff in September 2023. Beginning July 2024, Ms. Haywood has decreased her contract hours with the school district, therefore, we will begin the school year without a full-time speech-language pathologist assigned to Laurel Park. The district's Speech Department recommended a candidate to fill the position, but they are not set to begin until mid-August 2024. 

 

The Speech Department will keep careful track of speech sessions missed and will offer compensatory services. Please note that compensatory services take place outside of the regular school day and may be provided during track out. The Speech Department will communicate directly with families regarding options for compensatory services as staffing becomes available. If you have questions or concerns regarding speech services, please contact April Suddarth, the district's lead SLP, at asuddarth@wcpss.net or (919) 694-0385. 

 

Thank you for being so understanding as we continue to face challenges countywide with regard to staffing. I will contact families as soon as I have more information about the speech therapist assigned to our school. 

 

Tears & Cheers for Kinder Families

Join representatives from our PTA under the shade structures on the playground after morning drop-off on your child's first full day of kindergarten. This is a perfect time to meet other kinder families. Light refreshments will be provided. 

 

 

3rd Grade Recorders Information

Third-grade students will have an opportunity to purchase and play recorders later this year. Dr. Thompson, LPES music teacher, chose a particular type and brand of recorder she would like to use called a Kingsley Baroque recorder. The school will place one large order of recorders for all 3rd graders, and then families will purchase the recorder for their child from the school. We will send a message next month directly to 3rd-grade families when it is time to purchase the recorder. Students will not begin playing the recorder until 2nd quarter.
 

Welcome from Student Services

We are excited to start the 2024-25 school year with our new and returning Penguins!  We are also welcoming our new social worker to Laurel Park! Ms. Alex Mumford was at Lufkin Middle School last year and will now be working with us to support our Laurel Park families.  Student Support Staff work together to help students and families with social, emotional, behavioral concerns and family needs.  As your child(ren) transition back to school, please feel free to reach out to us if we can be of assistance!   

Caren MacEntee, Counselor grades K-2, cmacentee@wcpss.net 

Ashley Truskowski, Counselor grades 3-5, atruskowski@wcpss.net

Dr. Amy Hawkins, School Psychologist, ahawkins@wcpss.net

Alex Mumford, Social Worker, amumford@wcpss.net 

 

New Bus Delay Notification System

Starting the 2024-25 school year, families of bus riders will be sent text and email notifications in the event of bus delays or cancelations. These messages will be sent as soon as transportation staff learns of a disruption. The system is designed to more quickly notify parents so they can make alternate arrangements when necessary. You can still track your child’s bus using the Here Comes the Bus app. There will also be a link on our school website that will display bus delays. 

 

To receive these messages, you will need to make sure you have given permission to receive text and/or email notifications via SchoolMessenger. This is the same system used for school and districtwide messaging, separate from TalkingPoints or other communications services. If you receive the weekly district-wide message sent on Wednesdays, you should be able to receive bus notifications without taking any further action. If you do not receive those weekly messages, go to wcpss.net/schoolmessenger to learn how you can sign up to receive notifications. The simplest option may be to simply text YES to the number 67587. That should automatically allow you to begin receiving text notifications.

 

Message from Mr. Edwards, LPES PE Teacher

My name is Mark Edwards, and I am the Physical Education Teacher at Laurel Park Elementary School. I want to thank you all for the honor and privilege of being able to be a small part of your child’s experience during the last school year. I hope that each child was able to feel safe and felt that they could be themselves while at the same time improving their overall health and fitness. We started the year focusing on being aware of our surroundings and being able to move our bodies in a way that was safe for everyone around us. We did this by doing station work and playing games that involved working on sports skills. During the year in the younger grades, we continued to focus on body awareness and respecting our friend’s personal space while learning and practicing locomotor skills such as walking, galloping, skipping, hopping, and jogging. In the older grades, we began to refine the skills worked on in the lower grades by doing modified sports activities such as soccer, floor hockey, team handball, basketball, and striking sports like tennis and volleyball. In 4th and 5th grade, we also emphasized cardiovascular fitness by working on pacing and doing the mile run in the Fall and Spring. This is a quick overview of the content we covered this past year. I tried to emphasize the importance of self-improvement and each student working at their own pace to improve on the specific skills we were working on simultaneously.

 

I look forward to seeing all the returning students and meeting new penguins. Please ensure your child comes to school prepared to safely participate in PE class. They are asked to wear or bring a pair of tennis shoes for use during class. This will not only keep them safe but also active, improving, and having fun. We will begin the year by reviewing some of the skills we worked on last year and class expectations. I am looking forward to a great year of building relationships with you and your children.

 

Lastly, I want to be able to help your child in any way possible and build a caring relationship with all the students I teach. If there are any physical limitations that you feel I should know that might hinder your child’s ability to fully participate in some of the class activities, please send me a detailed email or note, so I can be aware and help your child feel successful.

Thank you!

Mark Edwards, Mjedwards2@wcpss.net

 

Join the PTA

Laurel Park has an active PTA that serves as our primary parent-teacher organization. Advocating for public schools and sound instruction is the PTA's priority in supporting the school with clubs, coordinating school events, beautification, playground enhancements, teacher planning days, and instructional resources. 

 

The PTA board is currently seeking feedback on ideas for new clubs at LPES. They are also looking for different event coordinators for the 24-25 school year. 

 

Get Approved to Volunteer!

We are asking all parents/guardians to complete the WCPSS volunteer application at wcpss.net/volunteers. Families who were approved to volunteer in the 2023-24 school year received an email on June 1 outlining the simple volunteer renewal process for the 2024-25 school year. Please renew your volunteer status during the renewal window, July 1-Oct. 1. 

 

2024-25 School Meals Price Increase, Free/Reduced Lunch Application

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, wages, and benefits for staff.

 

You can apply for free or reduced meal prices for the 2024-25 school year. Prior year meal benefits carry over for the first 30 days of the next school year. See https://www.wcpss.net/free-reduced-meals for more information about free or reduced meal prices.

 

Donuts with Grown-ups! Learn about the LPES PTA

Swing by LPES on Friday, July 19 (Tracks 1 & 3) or Friday, August 9 (Track 4) from 9:30-10:15 AM. Have a donut and mingle with families while learning about the PTA, annual events, and ways to support. This is an adult-only event.

 

 

Health Plan Updates & Renewals!

Nurse Heide must speak to a parent or guardian to reassess a student’s health care needs before she can renew any health plans. 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. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Nurse Heide can be reached at 919-524-1894 or hcassimatis@wcpss.net. 

 

Track 4 Meet the Teacher & Supply Drop-Off

We look forward to seeing our Track 4 students and families on Friday, July 26 from 4:30-5:15 PM for Meet the Teacher and Supply Drop Off. Supply kits ordered from Sprouts were delivered to teachers' classrooms the first week of July. 

 

 

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 July, we will focus on Respect -- You show consideration for something within your power. 

 

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. 

 

Open House on August 22 at 6 PM