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7/21/24

 

Dear Laurel Park Families, 

The first two weeks of school flew by quickly! We welcomed our Tracks 1 and 3 students and families, students quickly adjusted to their new teachers and classmates as they dove into learning, and our littlest Penguins experienced their first full week of school last week. There were only a few hiccups -- outside the school's control -- but we pivoted and continued to persevere. Our roofing project has lasted slightly longer than expected. The roofers should finish the final sections above the cafeteria, gym, and 5th-grade hallway over the next few weeks, and then we will begin to see the removal of large equipment. Beginning July 17, all WCPSS-owned buildings are under a temporary fire watch. Please read the update here. 

 

Friday, July 26 is Track 3's track out day! As one group takes a break, we welcome another group. It is Track 4's turn to start their school year! First - 5th-grade Track 4 teachers are excited to meet their students on Friday, July 26 at 4:30 PM for Meet the Teacher and Supply Drop-Off. Kindergarten students will meet their teacher on Friday, August 2 at 11 AM after the staggered entry week. 

 

Friendly reminders as we kick off the school year: 

  • Adults are not permitted to walk their child/ren to their classes. School staff 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. 
    • The tardy bell rings at 9:15 AM. Any child arriving after 9:15 AM will need to be signed in by scanning the QR code on the front door.
    • Students must be on campus for at least 3 hours and 15 minutes to be counted as present for the day.
    • Early sign-out ends at 3:15 PM. (Call the front office for transportation changes by this time.)
    • Please meet walkers/biker riders at 3:40 PM at the Spirit Rock.
    • Students begin coming outside for carpool at 3:45 PM.
  • Our Family Handbook answers all of your questions about whom to call and much more!

 

We look forward to a successful second round of the first day of school!

 

Respectfully, 

Charelle Lovett, Principal

 

Upcoming Events / Important Dates (Community Calendar)

  • July 23: Tracks 1 & 3 3rd Grade BOG Testing
  • 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: Track 4 3rd Grade BOG Testing; General PTA Meeting at 6 PM; LPES Media Center
  • Aug. 14: Spirit Night @ Shake Shack, 11 AM - 10 PM, Waverly Place
  • Aug. 22: Fall Picture Day; Open House @ 6:00 - 7:15 PM

 

Join the Garden Club!

Our Garden Club is recruiting new members, but spots are limited! Please email lpesgardenclub@gmail.com to fill out our registration form. Meetings take place once a month in the morning before school. Hope to see you in the garden soon!
 
 

Seeking Parent Representative(s) for the School Improvement Team and Board Advisory Council

 

School Improvement Team

School Improvement Teams focus on continuous improvement by establishing an understanding of the school's current state (e.g., student achievement, school environment, and teacher/family communities), determining school priorities to improve school and student performance, and implementing data-driven actions to address the priorities. This is slightly different from the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), which facilitates parent involvement in school activities, fundraises for educational resources, and advocates needs at the school, district, and state levels.

 

Currently, our School Improvement or Continuous Improvement Team consists of teacher representatives on two subcommittees -- Academic and Culture. Our Academic Committee focuses on student academic performance, and our Culture Committee focuses on student behavioral health and teacher/family perception data. The team meets monthly on Thursdays at 8 AM. 

 

We are seeking 1–2 parents to serve on the team, which is a critical component of continued school success and positive student achievement. Please contact Charelle Lovett at clovett@wcpss.net if interested.

 

Board Advisory Council

Each of the district's school board members holds 4-5 Board Advisory Council (BAC) meetings, which are composed of citizen members, school administrators, and other staff to provide feedback. (Laurel Park is in District 9, represented by Mr. Tyler Swanson.) This is a small way for schools to advocate their needs at the district level. Ms. Lovett is seeking a parent to attend BAC-9 meetings with her, and who can share updates with the PTA as needed. If interested, please email clovett@wcpss.net. 

 

Family Needs Assessment from Social Worker Alex Mumford

Our new social worker, Ms. Alexandria Mumford (Alex), is seeking information from families who have any of the following unmet needs:

  • Clothing Resources
  • Holiday Assistance
  • Mental health referrals/resources
  • Home visit
  • Backpack Buddy Food Program (your student will receive a bag of non perishable food items to take home each week) 
  • Housing Resources (If you are currently doubled up, facing eviction/foreclosure, in a hotel, experiencing financial hardship)
  • Immediate Need for School Supplies/Backpack

Please complete the form https://bit.ly/3zDOZz2 if needing assistance. This is purely a needs assessment and DOES NOT guarantee that we have the resources to meet your needs. The information provided below will be kept CONFIDENTIAL and shared only with the school's Student Support Services Team. If you have further information or questions, please email Ms. Mumford at amumford@wcpss.net or call/text 919-710-0056.

 

LPES Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Update

Raven Thompson, our new SLP will begin at LPES on August 20. We are excited to have a permanent staff member to serve our school. Kara Haywood (khaywood3@wcpss.net) and Peg Jerger (mjerger@wcpss.net) will work part-time at LPES on speech evaluations and IEP meetings until Ms. Thompson begins. If time permits in their schedule, they may be able to provide students with their required service delivery. They will carefully track speech sessions missed and 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.

 

LPES Open House is August 22 @ 6 PM

Families are invited to attend our Open House on Thursday, August 22 at 6 PM. Open House is a time for our homeroom teachers to share information about their classrooms (managerial and instructional) and answer any questions you may have. This year, our homeroom teachers will host two 30-minute teacher sessions -- at 6 PM and 6:45 PM. In the past, we have had sessions about AIG, social-emotional learning, and beginning-of-the-year assessments, but we will not hold those types of sessions this year. Our AIG teachers, Ms. Atwell and Ms. Baker, will conduct a virtual information session at a later date. We will also have a Curriculum Night in the Spring. 

 

Open House on August 22 at 6 PM

 

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, and behavioral concerns, and family needs.  As your child(ren) transitions 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 

 

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. 

 

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

 

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.

 

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. 

 

 

Back to School Reminders

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 Free/Reduced Lunch Application

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.

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

Laurel Park PTA Information (laurelparkespta.com)

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. PTA members will receive a 10% discount on all spirit wear!

 

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. 

 

The first general PTA meeting will be on Tuesday, August 13 at 6 PM in the LPES media center. 

 

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. 

 

 

Donuts with Grown-ups! Learn about the LPES PTA

Swing by LPES on 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.