Penguin Press Newsletter
The Week of August 7, 2017
A Message from Principal Bame
We are settling into the fifth week of school for Tracks 1 and 2 and the second week of school for Track 4. Students are eagerly learning and teachers are providing exciting educational opportunities in the classroom!
Laurel Park Elementary Staff are committed to:
Rigorous and Meaningful Instruction
Positive Relationships
Safe and Orderly Environment
Data Driven Decision Making
Celebration of Diversity
Please take a moment to review several important updates and reminders below
(and throughout this newsletter):
- Please join the PTA! Our fantastic PTA is well-supported by our teachers and
- Carpool students need to continue practicing their new carpool numbers. Once students recognize their new numbers, we will see faster service in the afternoons.
- Parents should try to send in water for students to drink everyday. We have had several spills in classrooms, which naturally will happen in our world. Juice or drinks with sugar can really cause a mess.
- Read through the information throughout this newsletter. We are trying to provide detailed information for our families to ensure you all are aware of the great things going on in our Penguin Community!
Have a wonderful week,
~ Mrs. Raleigh G. Bame
Cultivating Learning, Growing Minds!
Upcoming Dates to Note:
8/10 - Track 4 Meet the Teacher, 5:00 - 6:15 PM (two identical sessions, back to back)
8/14 - Track 1 and 2 Interim Reports go home
8/15 - Track 4, 3rd Grade Beginning of Grade ELA Test
8/17 - Battle of the Books Interest Meeting (4th and 5th Grades) @ 3:45 pm in gym
8/17 - Chess Club @ 3:45 in Media Center
8/18 - Early Release Day - Dismissal @ 1:15 pm
8/21 - Track 3 Returns, Track 2 Tracked Out
- ALL transportation changes must be in writing. We would like for parents to submit a quick note, indicating the transportation change, in their child's school folder. Teachers will review all notes the following school day and ensure students are aware of the change in transportation.
- EMERGENCY changes should be used sparingly and only for true emergencies. In the event that a sudden change in a family schedule requires a different transportation need, please send your child's teacher an email AND call the main office to ensure the message is received. For safety reasons, we need transportation changes in WRITING.
KITS Training
Training Dates:
August 11 at 8:15
Aug 25 at 8:15
Location: Media Center
Front Office Wish List Items
Cleaning Products
Paper Products
We could use tissue boxes, copy paper, post-it notes, paper towels, and ziploc bags
Teacher Goodies
We celebrate monthly at our faculty meetings. Please consider donating: candles, glade plugins, snacks, candies, lip balm, gift cards, fun teacher supplies. Thank you!
Eclipse 2017 Information
- As a school, we will not hold a mass outdoor viewing of the 2017 Eclipse. Many of our students are still very young and safety is our number one priority. Some of our 3rd-5th grade classes have had parents purchase NASA approved viewing glasses for all students in the class. I have approved individual classrooms to have Eclipse viewing events outdoors, as long as the students have completed a waiver form, signed by parents and approved glasses, along with additional supervision, has been planned.
- We WILL offer an alternate viewing option, live streaming the Eclipse event from 2:00 pm until 3:15 pm on the 21st via this link: Live Eclipse Feed 2017 As a precautionary measure, we are electing to hold all recess indoors on the 21st from 2:00 pm-3:45 pm.
- Families may choose to keep their child home. I WILL approve any absence related to the Eclipse viewing. The prior approval forms are attached to this newsletter email (English and Spanish). Please submit your educational leave form to your child's teacher.
- More Resources can be found at the websites below...
American Astronomy Society
PBS Learning Media
NC Government
NC Natural and Cultural Resources
AIG Nomination Window
th and 5th grade AIG Nominations Due:
Track 1: August 15th
Track 2& 4 : September 1st
Track 3: September 12th
4th and 5th grade CogAT & Iowa Testing Dates
Track 1: Aug. 21- Aug. 25
Track 2&4: Sept. 11- Sept. 15
Track 3: Sept. 18- Sept. 22
email nominations to: jmaye@wcpss.net
For 3rd and 4th Grade Families
Learning to play the recorder is an integral part of the music curriculum in 3rd and 4th grade. The recorder is a plastic instrument that your child will be learning to play this year during music class. To “record” means to practice and the recorder is considered a practice instrument should your child choose to play a wind (or other) instrument in middle school band. Learning to play recorder helps students learn to read music and makes another type of sound available to the group.
If you choose, your child can purchase their own recorder at Quarter Note Music at Beaver Creek for $7, Local’s Music, or Music and Arts. In class, we use the C soprano recorder with English fingering (Yamaha brand). I don’t recommend less expensive “toy” recorders as the quality and pitch don’t work with the group sound.
Learning to play any musical instrument requires regular practice of material covered in class. Encouraging your child to practice will help them progress more quickly and enable them to experience greater success. Students are taught that the recorder should be played quietly and most families find a quiet practice spot to help accommodate their child’s practice.
I have found that a child who owns their own recorder tends to take pride in learning to play the instrument and in learning to care for it properly. The student will also have the advantage of being able to practice at home.
The recorder (in its bag to keep it from getting damaged) goes to and from home in your backpack: