Penguin Press News
June 1, 2021
A MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL BAME
Dear LPE Families,
We hope that you all enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend. As a community, we are very thankful for the sacrifices of those who have served or currently serve our country, keeping all of us safe. For me, being able to spend time with my family this weekend, after months of separation, was a truly joyous experience. We all continue to balance the health and safety of our schools while trying to ensure normalcy as much as possible. Once we have final guidance from the county about health and safety protocols for the upcoming year, we will provide our families with detailed information in a presentation format. Therefore, we will not hold a separate "newcomers" event because we feel all families will need this information.
We had over 75 rising Kindergarten families join us for Parent Orientation last Wednesday. If you were not able to attend the session, please click on this link to access the presentation.
Reminder: Breakfast and lunch will be available at no cost to students for the 2021-22 school year. While the district may be able to offer free meals to all students, it is very important for eligible parents to complete a meal benefits application because this data enables schools to obtain funding to provide other important educational resources to benefit students. Other benefits that are issued directly to families that have applied and are eligible for meal benefits may also be available (such as the P-EBT cash benefit). Parents can complete a meal benefits application online at myschoolapps.com. Paper applications also are available at all schools. More: www.wcpss.net/free-reduced-meals.
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
Face Covering Reminder from Earlier Communications
Reminder about face coverings for outdoors: Students will still be required to wear masks indoors and on school transportation. While not required outside, NCDHHS still recommends that anyone who is not vaccinated continue to wear a face covering when they are closer than six feet to another person, even when outdoors.
Parents will be responsible for having a conversation with their children about this choice as teachers cannot be expected to manage who should or should not be wearing a mask at recess. In addition, if you want your child to not wear a face covering while at recess, please know it is his/her responsibility to keep up with their mask. I have seen some students attach their masks to eyeglass chains. This may be a good option. We must all work together to maintain safety!
2021 End of Grade Assessments
Tuesday, June 8th - 5th Grade Science (Plan A & Virtual Academy)
Wednesday, June 9th - 5th Grade Science Make-up
If you have any questions, please contact:
Mr. Adam Barabasz,
Assistant Principal and Testing Coordinator
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 Almost 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.
Social Learning Updates from Ms. V
It's almost the end of this school year Penguin families! In Social Learning class, students are learning about the unthinkables, "Was Funny Once" and "Grump Grumpany".
We are learning all about having positive attitudes and when it is expected to be silly. Staying positive and having a growth mindset can make a world of difference when learning new skills! Both positive and negative thoughts a play a valuable role in how we process the world around us, but we can learn to give ourselves positive feedback and affirmations to help us grow stronger. Positive thinking builds resilience. Some more ideas from The Center for Parenting Education include:
- Use positive self-talk to model growth mindset.
- Foster an "I can" attitude.
- Teach principles of good manners to teach respect and consideration.
- Try ideas to switch bad moods.
- Model problem solving and dealing with negative feelings proactively.
- Encourage positive nutrition and good self-care habits.
Lucky's Library Updates
We like our students to be able to start out the new school year with a clear library account. The last day to check out library books will be June 7th. All books should be returned by June 21st. Overdue notices will be emailed to families so please check your Junk mailbox in case the automated messages are filtered.Track 4 families - if you need books over the summer break, please email Mrs. LeSueur at alesueur@wcpss.net.
Our Little Free Library is now officially open! Stop by to "Take a Book, Share a Book."
Thank you,
Mrs. LeSueur
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