Dear Laurel Park Families,

As the holidays approach, we want to ensure our students and families have the support they need. If your family requires holiday assistance, please complete the needs assessment form below, providing us with clothing sizes and wish items. If you have any other unmet needs (e.g., food shortage, lack of housing, or mental health resources) please indicate this need on the form. Additionally, if you’d like to help another family this holiday season, we are currently accepting gift cards from Walmart, Target, and grocery stores. Family Needs Assessment

 

We are excited to welcome new staff members to the LPES community! Mrs. Sandhya Devarapalli, driven by her love for teaching, has joined our ECS classroom as an instructional assistant. Mrs. Brittany Farrier, a recent graduate from UNC Wilmington, is now one of our 4th-grade Track 4 teachers. Additionally, Ms. Natalie Sayag, a seasoned educator from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, will support our students as an intervention teacher. We look forward to a wonderful year ahead with these talented individuals on our team!

 

 

General PTA Meeting: Please join us on Tuesday, October 29 at 6 PM in the media center for our next General PTA meeting. Come out to hear what the PTA has accomplished so far this year and what they have planned for the remainder of the year. Kids are welcome to attend. There will be Legos, coloring pages and crayons, and board games to keep them busy. They can also bring their Chromebooks or tech devices from home.

 

Respectfully, 

Charelle Lovett, principal

 

Upcoming Events / Important Dates (Community Calendar)

• Oct. 28: Track 4 Report Cards & Track 1 Interims Go Home
• Oct. 29: PTA General Meeting @ 6 PM in Media Center
• Oct. 31: Pajama Day!
• Nov. 5: No School/Teacher Workday; Election Day; Spirit Day at Urban Air Morrisville
• Nov. 11: No School/Veteran’s Day
• Nov. 12: Welcome back, Track 3! (All students are back on campus. Please be patient with morning and afternoon carpool.)
• Nov. 13: Fall Pictures Make-up
• Nov. 15: Family Movie Night @ 5 PM
• Nov. 27-29: Thanksgiving Break
• Dec. 5: Science & Engineering Fair @ 6 PM
• Dec. 6: Happy track out, Track 1!

 

Congratulations to our Teacher of the Year Finalists!

It is that time of year when staff select the school's next Teacher of the Year! Staff cast a vote to determine the finalists before casting another vote. Teachers selected are experts in their field, engage their school community, and focus their efforts on students' success. Our 2024-25 Teacher of the Year will be announced on November 8. 

Congratulations to our finalists:

• Sheri Allen, CCR
• Hayley Bruner, 5th grade 
• Meredith Chappell, 1st grade
• Cheryl Conrad, 3rd grade
• Kat Kuhn, 3rd grade
• Christina Markulic, 1st grade
• Sara Nichols, 3rd grade

 

 

Note About Chess Club

First, thanks to all who have expressed an interest in Chess Club this year.  Here are a few critical notes on the after-school format this year:

Only families who have received a confirmation e-mail from the Chess Club Coordinator (Ryan Garcia) will be able to attend the Chess Club.  All others will be directed to the front office for dismissal.  This is for the safety of the students, so that we can ensure each student is accounted for during dismissal.

 

The sign-up link remains active and can be found here. The link went active as of the 9/29 Penguin Press.  Some Track 1 students have been on an overflow list since 10/2 to allow Track 4 to express interest once they're in session.

 

Beginning 10/29, all remaining spots that were allocated for Tracks 3 & 4 will be assigned to Track 1 students on a first-come, first-served basis, based on their sign-up date.

 

In transparency, Chess Club has to be capped by several factors:

• Number of boards available
• Table space in the Media Center (YMCA has the Cafeteria)
• Number of volunteers available to help manage the group

If your child is interested, please sign them up ASAP, so Ryan Garcia can assess all available spots. Thank you!

 

Spotlight on 3rd Grade Music from Dr. Thompson

Third grade students will begin to play recorder in Music classes starting in November (Tracks 1, 4) and December (Track 3). This is always exciting for students and though it takes some practice to get everything coordinated, everyone learns the first three notes and can play a song by the end of the second class. As we progress through the rest of the quarter, I will post videos and practice tips on my Canvas page that are not required but would be great for students to practice at home if they are enjoying the recorder and would like to spend more time playing it. Please encourage your child to play for you and tell you all of the different things that they have to remember in order to hold the instrument correctly and make a good sound!

 

Media Center Needs Reusable Bags

We are excited to be back in full swing at the library, and the students are eagerly diving into their favorite books! To help them keep their library books safe as they travel to and from school, we are asking for donations of reusable bags or plastic bags. If you have any extra reusable or plastic bags at home that you're willing to donate, we would be so grateful! These bags will be used by students to carry their library books, ensuring they stay in great condition for all to enjoy. Donations can be dropped off at the library or sent to school with your child. Every little bit helps, and we appreciate your support in keeping our library collection looking its best. Please contact Ness Shortley (vcshortley@wcpss.net) with any questions. Thank you for your generosity and happy reading!

 

5th Grade Legacy Project

Our 5th-grade students worked with Virginia Maier, a local artist, on their self-portrait pickets which were installed near the larger playground last week. Many thanks to the PTA who ensures our 5th graders have an opportunity to leave their creative mark before transitioning to middle school. 

 

 

Trunk or Treat was a Success!

It was a pleasure to see so many families and community members at our annual Trunk of Treat last Saturday. Huge thanks to our planning committee: Jane Davidson, Matthew Gronke, and Stacey Broemer!

 

Pumpkin Contest Winners:

• 1st Place: Wild Robot (Mrs. Haight’s Class)
• 2nd Place: Bob Ross (Ms. Charns’ Class)
• 3rd Place: Candy Apple (Ms. Schafran’s Class)

Winning Trunk: Jurassic Park (Brickell Family)

 

 

Reflections Art Competition Extended Deadline is October 28

The National PTA Reflections Art Competition, an annual extracurricular art competition, is seeking submissions from students in one of the six categories -- dance choreography, literature, photography, film production, musical composition, and visual art. The deadline for student submissions is Oct 28. More details are on the PTA website: https://www.laurelparkespta.com/reflections.html.

 

 

The Science and Engineering Fair is December 5!

Our annual Science and Engineering Fair is on December 5 at 6 PM in the cafeteria. We are accepting submissions through November 15. Sign up below!

 

 

Looking for STEAM Night Activities & Presenters

Our STEAM Night planning committee is seeking interested families, staff, and businesses to provide activities during our annual STEAM night on Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. This fun event highlights and celebrates the areas of science, math, engineering, arts, and mathematics. If you are interested in coming out that night and sharing your knowledge and expertise, please complete the participation form https://bit.ly/lpessteam2025. 

 

Physical Education Reminders from Mr. Edwards 

• Please make sure that your child has a pair of tennis/sneakers shoes at school each day. With all the wet weather in the past few weeks, there have been several more students coming to class with boots and other types of shoes that are not safe for them to participate in.
• Please also remind them that the focus for PE class is to work on the different skills, teamwork, and making improvements each week on those skills and their overall wellness.
• We all can be successful at this if we make sure to listen and watch the demonstrations before each new activity and then use our practice time during class wisely. If all of us do this, we will all improve and have a lot of fun together.

 

 

 

Academically/Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Information from Ms. Atwell & Ms. Baker

Important links for ALL families:

• AIG Informational Session Slides
• AIG Testing Nomination Flyer
• AIG Brochure: Gifted Education Services in WCPSS

 

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 October, we will focus on Courage -- You have the mental and moral strength to face difficulty.

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

Laurel Park PTA Information (laurelparkespta.com)

Submit Photos to the Penguin Passport

Our students experience new and different places during track outs throughout the year. We would love for students to share their adventures with us! Participation builds community, celebrates diversity, and inspires others! Visit https://www.laurelparkespta.com/penguin-passport.html for more information.

 

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!

  

Apex Friendship HS Youth Dance Clinic

The Apex Friendship High School Dance Team is having their Little Patriots 2-day dance clinic for any students in K-8 at Apex Friendship High School. The clinic will occur on Friday, January 3rd from 5-8:00 pm and on Tuesday, January 7th from 5:00 pm until the end of half-time.

Participants will work on dance techniques and learn a half-time routine for the performance on January 7th. Dancers will receive a T-shirt and be provided with pizza on Friday, January 3rd.

The cost is $100 and all proceeds go to Apex Friendship Dance Team. (No refunds. Please direct any questions to Coach Karen Civitello at kcivitello@wcpss.net. Use this link to register: https://register.ryzer.com/camp.cfm?ID=281584