Eagle News
October 18, 2023
From Dr. Davis
Classroom teachers will send a letter to families by the end of the week detailing the expectations for the October 31st Character Day activities. Please read the letter carefully to ensure you are familiar with the expectations.
Friday, November 3, 2023, is an Asynchronous Day of learning. This means students will not physically come to the building but they will receive assignments and activities from their teacher to complete at home. Teachers should communicate the expectations to families within the next week. Please reach out to your child's teacher if the expectations are unclear.
We will publish the next Eagle Newsletter on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. If you have questions between now and then, please contact me at Toi.Davis@pgcps.org or 301-985-1898.
Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) continues to follow the state and local guidance in the collection of student and teacher attendance. Administrative Procedure 5113 identifies this process for lawful and unlawful absences. PGCPS is responsible for identifying, collecting, and transmitting data to local, state, and federal agencies for purposes of compliance, accountability, and school system funding for student attendance. Strong monitoring of systems, implementation of a streamlined process, and using objective and accurate data related to attendance collection is crucial. Physical attendance of staff and students will be collected in the 2022-2023 school year and daily attendance procedures will be communicated so all stakeholders are aware of PGCPS’ definition of being considered present.
Students returning to the school building for regular in-person learning must adhere to the attendance administrative procedure. Daily attendance is expected of all students unless there is a lawful reason for the student’s absence. In the event of each absence, the parent/guardian must communicate the reason for the student’s absence with written documentation upon the student’s return to school. Students will be permitted to make-up missed assignments in accordance with the administrative procedure for all lawful absences.
Communication and Parent Engagement
The PGCPS Office of Communications and Community Engagement will continue to deliver timely communication that achieves our goals of safety, equity, and excellence.
Communication Tools
The Office of Communications and Community Engagement uses five key tools to reach audiences:
School Messenger
○ Text/SMS
○ Robocall
Websites
○ PGCPS (www.pgcps.org)
○ PGCPS en español (www.pgcps.org/es)
Newsletters
○ Engage PGCPS (families and communities), weekly
○ Acción PGCPS (Spanish-speaking families and communities), weekly
○ Partner PGCPS (business, faith-based and nonprofit
groups), monthly
Social media
○ Facebook (@PGCPS)
○ Facebook en español (@PGCPSenespanol)
○ Twitter (@PGCPS, @DrMonicaCEO)
○ Instagram (@PGCPS)
○ YouTube
PGCPS-TV
○ Verizon 38
○ Comcast 96
○ YouTube
○ Video-on-demand
https://offices.pgcps.org/volunteer/cards/Become-a-Volunteer/.
If you were fingerprinted and approved last year, you still need to use the link to sign in to register and watch the SafeSchools videos for SY 23-24.
Time is moving speedily. Great News for our community!! Hazel Health is available to all students in PGCPS. What is Hazel Health? PGCPS has partnered with Hazel Health which will allow your child to see a physician from the school or at home on a video visit. You will need to give permission for the visit. The visit will take approximately 15 minutes and is at no cost to you. The great advantage is if the doctor determines that it's okay for your child to go back to class, there's no longer a need for you to leave work or make arrangements for them to be picked up. After each visit, you will receive a summary of the provider's findings. Some examples of office visits are headaches, stomachaches, asthma support, cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose, and seasonal allergies. Please see the link to sign up
The month of October brings awareness to many important health concerns. Please see the links below.
1. ADHD
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.
2. Breast Cancer
https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month/
1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2023, an estimated 297,790 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Chances are, you know at least one person who has been personally affected by breast cancer.
3. Depression/ Mental Health
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyedOctober 10th is World Mental Health Day! Click here for more information.
4.HIV/AIds
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of the disease.My office hours are 7am-8am and 2:00pm-3:00pm. Please email or call me 24 hours ahead of time to make an appointment. This is necessary to ensure that parental/guardian visits will not interfere with the care of the students.
Reminder for many, for those that are new please take time to visit my Virtual Health Room. You will find many helpful health-related resources!
I am looking forward to an exciting year of working with you and our students. As always Be Well and Stay Safe.
Nurse Jackson
SchoolMax Family Portal
School Max Family Portal
At any time during the school year, parents may access his/her child’s school information through the SchoolMax Family Portal. You can register through the site with an email address. If you need assistance, please contact Mr. Clark, Technology Coordinator at aclark@pgcps.org
Write A Book (WAB)
I am so excited to share with you information about Write-A-Book for the current school year!
Write-A-Book is a countywide writing competition for all grades that takes place over the course of the school year. Students can participate in many ways. They can write a non-fiction report, poem, or picture book. Each category has specific rules.
Students may work as a team, if they choose. Additionally, Write-A-Book is voluntary. While we hope that all students will participate, it is not required. Mr. Clark will introduce the project to students during Library Media. This year, Write-A-Book is digital. All entries will be created and submitted electronically through Book Creator in Clever. There will be no hard or printed copies.
There are several important dates you should put on your calendar:
To sign up, go to https://forms.gle/kiZwDgrXDcFFWk2X6 For Write-A-Book resources (guides, directions, videos, etc), click on this link .Please understand that this project is completed mostly at home and that the final product will be due December 12. In addition, if the final project does not meet the guidelines of the county-wide program, it cannot be submitted for judging.
Please let me know if you are interested in Write-a-Book by 10/27/23 by completing the form at https://forms.gle/kiZwDgrXDcFFWk2X6. Students do not need to submit drafts if they do not want to, but they will not receive guidance and feedback unless they submit drafts by the deadlines above. If you have any questions, just email (aclark@pgcps.org)!
Sincerely,
Anthony Kenneth Clark, Media Specialist
Upcoming Events
Thursday, October 19-Earthquake Drill, 10:30 a.m.
Friday, October 20-School closed for students
Tuesday, October 31-Character Day parade and parties, 12:30 p.m.
Friday, November 3-Asynchronous Day (students do not come to the school building)
Friday, November 10-Professional Development Day for teachers (schools closed for students)
Helpful Links/Enlaces Importantes
1. School finder...know what school your child belongs to… Buscador de escuelas... sepa a qué escuela pertenece su hijo... http://gis.pgcps.org/schoolfinder/
Registration requirements...know exactly what you need to register your child... / Requisitos de inscripción... sepa exactamente qué necesita para inscribir a su hijo...
https://www1.pgcps.org/registration/
2. Sign up for email & text alerts...school closings & more.../ Inscríbase para recibir alertas de correo electrónico y de texto...cierre de escuelas y más..https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/PGCPS/subscriber/new?qsp=PGCPS
Lunch...apply for free/reduced meals... / Almuerzo... solicitar comidas gratuitas/reducidas... https://www.myschoolapps.com/ |
3. Bus Stop Finder...know what bus & route your child is assigned to... / Buscador de Paradas de Autobús...sepa a qué autobús y ruta está asignado su hijo... http://busstops.pgcps.org/Public/default.aspx?load=addressInput&skipPlan=true
Before & After Care... / Cuidado antes y después...
https://www.pgcps.org/Office-Directory/Before---After-School-Care-Program/
4. Volunteering/Voluntario Safe schools training videos...required if you want to participate in field trips and other events... / Vídeos de formación sobre escuelas seguras... necesarios si quieres participar en excursiones y otros eventos...
University Park Elementary
Email: upark@pgcps.org
Website: https://www1.pgcps.org/universitypark/
Location: 4315 Underwood Street, University Park, MD, USA
Phone: 301-985-1898
Facebook: facebook.com/UniversityParkElementary-PGCPS
Twitter: @UPSoaringEagles