Penguin Press News
June 14, 2021
A MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL BAME
Dear LPE Families,
We are busy wrapping up our last few days of school while planning for the 2021-22 school year. As a parent of two school age children, I can relate to the challenges this school year posed for many of our Laurel Park families. On Monday, June 28th we will provide families with a "Back to School" newsletter filled with important updates and reminders that we hope will bring you a sense of normalcy.
Staffing Plan/ Teacher Assignments
For your planning purposes, please review our 2021-2022 Staffing Plan
Teacher assignments will be emailed on Tuesday, June 22nd. Thank you for understanding, in advance, that classroom assignments take countless hours to build. All class rosters are vetted by our grade level teachers, Student Support team, and administration. We will not change class placements.
Note: We are sad to see any Laurel Park staff member move to another school or district, but one thing we have learned this year: family and wellness come first! Our departing staff members seek to make their commutes shorter or need to be closer to family. Once a Penguin, always a Penguin!
- Mrs. Cutler will be staying home with her newborn daughter once she arrives in July.
- Mrs. Butler is moving into an eleven month intervention position.
- Mr. and Mrs. Farrell are moving to schools very close to their home. Mr. Farrell is transferring to Herbert Akins and Mrs. Farrell is transferring to Willow Springs.
- Miss Pierce is moving back to the Pinehurst area.
- Mr. Roach is heading to teach CTE (twelve month position) at Lufkin Road Middle School.
- Ms. Killen is taking time to travel and enjoy her family.
2021-22 Meal Reminders:
Reminder: Breakfast and lunch will be available at no cost to students for the 2021-22 school year. You may be interested in creating a My School Bucks Account for snacks (snacks range from $.75 to $1.00)
Important Dates:
- June 18th - Virtual Academy - 5th Grade Moving Up Carpool Ceremony: 12:30 - 1:30 pm
- June 21st - In Person - 5th Grade Moving Up Carpool Ceremony, 12:30 - 1:30 pm
- June 21st - Last Day of School/ Report cards sent home
- June 22nd - Rising 1st - 5th grade students will receive their teacher assignments via email. This will come in the form of a welcome message from your child's new teacher
- July 7th - Tracks 1, 2, 3 Meet the Teacher sessions (rising 1st - 5th)
- July 8th - Tracks 1, 2, 3, - First day of school for rising 1st - 5th
- July 30th - Track 4 Meet the Teacher sessions for Track 4 (rising 1st - 5th)
- August 2nd: First day of school for Track 4
Did you know?
Every Penguin Press Newsletter is available on our LPE Website under News. If you want to refer back to information throughout the year, this is a great place to find it!
Kind Regards,
Mrs. Raleigh Bame, Principal
A Note from Student Support Staff
As we think about closing out this school year and starting a new one, please know that your Student Support Staff will be available to help students with this transition. We expect most of our students will be excited to come back to school to see their friends and teachers, and they will do very well. If you are concerned that your child may struggle after being at home for so long, it might be a good idea to find opportunities for your child to experience play or other activities more independently. Examples are track-out camps, art or music classes, play dates or sleepovers with friends/extended family with which you feel comfortable. We are looking so forward to seeing all our LP Penguins back in person very soon!
Caren MacEntee, Counselor
Amy Hawkins, School Psychologist
Ashley Truskowski, Counselor
Lucky's Library Corner
Hooray! In spite of our crazy year, Lucky's Library was still able to circulate over 9,300 books! Thanks to all who participated in Curbside Library Service.
Closing out the year: Please return all library books by June 21st so students can start the year with a clear account. The bin in front of the school is available 24/7 for book returns. Track 4 families - if you need library books over the July break, please email Mrs. LeSueur at alesueur@wcpss.net. Overdue notices will be emailed to families so check your Junk mailbox in case the automated messages are blocked. If you need to check your child's library account: have your student log into Wake ID, click on the Follett Destiny icon and sign into Destiny Discover, click on the three lines in the upper left and choose "Checkouts".
Time to Return HOTSPOTS/ Repair Chromebooks
Wifi hotspots need to be turned in by the last day of school. If you have any chromebooks that need to be repaired, please let Ms. Trent know as soon as you can. Her email address is ttrent@wcpss.net. You can return these and be higher on the list to get a replacement next year.
Students will be keeping Chromebooks over the break and bring them back when school starts again. As always if you leave the district you will need to bring all devices back. If you change schools within WCPSS, the equipment goes with you to the next school.
It's Time to Return Materials!
UPDATE: Materials drop off (June 14th-June 17th)
- Bins will be available by grade level
- Check the list embedded below
- No need to ring the bell - just drop off your items
All the materials in your child’s math manipulative kit need to be counted before it is returned at the end of the school year. We understand things get misplaced. We just need to know what needs to be replenished so that we can be sure that we have complete kits for the new school year.
Using the checklist for your child’s grade level please count and write the actual number of each item on the list. If printing the checklist isn’t a good option for you, use it as a guide to write the checklist on any piece of paper. If you are not sure which item is which, refer to this document with images of the items in the kits. Remove any items that are not on the checklist.
Once you have counted your child’s kit, slide the checklist or piece of paper into the clear pocket on the front of the kit. We appreciate your support and help in getting the kits ready for students next year.
Yearbooks have arrived! For those who purchased a yearbook this Spring, books will be distributed according to the following schedule:
PLAN A / IN-PERSON STUDENTS
Yearbooks will be delivered to teachers Thursday, June 17th.
VIRTUAL ACADEMY STUDENTS
Yearbooks can be picked up outside at the front entrance of the school on Tuesday, June 22nd from 9am-12pm. Can't make this pickup? Yearbooks will be held in the front office for pick up at your earliest convenience. We recommend calling ahead 🙂
WANT TO PURCHASE A YEARBOOK?
We DO have extras! But a very limited quantity of extras. They will be available for purchase June 22nd 9am-12pm while supplies last! Yearbooks are $35. Cash & checks only. Checks should be made out to LPES PTA. Exact change is recommended. 🙂
6 Reasons to Join the LPE PTA!
- We make a difference. The PTA advocates for the education, health, safety, and success all children while building strong families and communities. We achieve this through close collaboration with parents, teachers, staff, and the school administration.
- We are about child advocacy. The primary mission of the PTA is to advocate for all children. We do this through a variety of ways. While fundraising is not the primary purpose of the PTA, fundraising provides the financial resources to bring programs and resources to the school that may not be otherwise be available. We fundraise Our PTA has board members that will attend school board meetings, county commissioner meetings, and keep up-to-date with state legislative initiatives that relate to education. These board members will relay all pertinent information back to all members of the PTA. In addition, the more members we have the louder our voice. When the NC PTA, in addition to all the local PTA units, advocate for our children our message will be much more effective if we can show a large population of our families support the PTA and it’s mission.
- Get to know other parents, teachers, and LPES staff. We all care about creating the best possible educational experience for our children. Becoming a PTA member, allows you more opportunities to interact with new teachers, staff, and other parents and their children. We are neighbors and peers who share similar experiences, as a result friendships often develop through our connections.
- The commitment is minimal. Parents are often reluctant to join the PTA due to a fear of having to commit a lot of time. As a member, it is up to you to decide if you want to commit your time. We all have other responsibilities and family commitments. We understand time is precious. It would be great if you can come to an occasional PTA meeting to do things such as: vote for PTA members, vote on the PTA budget, and any other items that may require a vote. Most importantly, PTA meetings are a wonderful way to have your voice heard and gather information about what is happening in your child’s school.
- We are welcoming. The LPES PTA welcomes all! We are a very laid-back group and appreciate all of your feedback and ideas.
- We want you to have a voice. Everyone has different talents and skills they can bring to the table. Parents provide us a connection between the school and the “outside world”. Your connections can help maintain the bond between the school and the greater community.
- select the 2021-22 school year in the drop down menu
PTA is SEARCHING FOR A PROGRAMS CHAIR
Positivity Project Resource for Families
P2 for Families is an easy and effective way for families to discuss the importance of character strengths and positive relationships. It is differentiated for grades Pre-K – 2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each character strength follows a 1-1-3 model: 1 quote, 1 video, and 3 questions to drive conversations around character at home.
Please choose your child’s grade level found at the link below:
Do you know your child's email address?
Want more answers to tech questions?
Go to Students and click on Remote Learning Resources and FAQ on the Laurel Park Website.
Parent and Student Tech Guides (WCPSS)
Grocery Store Rewards Cards
Laurel Park Elementary School
Website: wcpss.net/laurelparkes
Location: Laurel Park Elementary School, Laura Duncan Road, Apex, NC, USA
Phone: 919.290.2333
Twitter: @LaurelParkElem