Penguin Press News
May 26, 2020
A MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL BAME
Dear LPE Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful, restful Memorial Day weekend. Today's newsletter is full of information to help guide families through the end of the school year. We have listed all returning and new teachers for the 2020-21 school year. Please also take a moment to view our "Welcome New Staff" video embedded after the opening message of this newsletter.
We know many of you have questions about what the coming school year will look like for teachers and students. We have questions, too. We have created a form for your questions. Please understand that we will answer questions as soon as we can but there are many we cannot answer until we get more guidance from the state and county. We have upcoming informational events like step-up day for students, but please remember that these have always been times for your child or children to meet their teacher and get excited about the year ahead. Our form will assist us in preserving this special time while also providing our families with responses to FAQs. https://forms.gle/HqFvdrj7AsAqzfX4A
Important Dates for Track 1:
- Friday, May 29th - Track 1 Report Cards sent out
- Monday, June 1st - Next Grade Teacher Welcome Letters emailed
- Tuesday, June 2nd - Track 1 student item pick up day
- Wednesday, June 3rd - Track 1 Virtual Step Up Day
- Thursday, June 4th - Track 1 Moving Up Ceremony/ Last day for track 1
- Friday, June 5th - Track 2, 3, 4 Report Cards sent out
- Friday, June 5th - Track 2 student item pick up day
- Monday, June 8th - Track 2, 3, 4 Next Grade Teacher Welcome Letters emailed
- Monday, June 8th - Track 3 student item pick up day
- Tuesday, June 9th - Track 4 student item pick up day
- Wednesday, June 10th - Track 2, 3, 4 Virtual Step Up Day
- Thursday, June 11th - Track 2, 3, 4 Moving Up Ceremonies (times listed below) / Last day for track 2, 3, 4
We have finalized our Staffing Plan for 2020-2021. Please see the list of teachers by grade and track below:
Track 1
- K = Gannon/Greene
- 1st = Markulic/Thompson
- 2nd = Butler/ Carnell
- 3rd = Charns/Conrad
- 4th = Albers/ Burcky
- 5th = Piezer/ Roach*
Track 2
- K = Berentes/ Millsaps
- 1st = Dierk/ Mallard*
- 2nd = Tweardy/ Rose*
- 3rd = Bridges/ Haight
- 4th = Noland
- 5th = Davis
Track 3
- K = Roberts/ Romstadt
- 1st = Cutler*/ Green*
- 2nd = E. Farrell
- 3rd = Beech*/ S. Farrell
- 4th = Fellman
- 5th = Tolp
Track 4
- K = McGahey/ Yothers
- 1st = Chappell/ Zaccardo
- 2nd = Decker/ Weiss
- 3rd = Alford/ Nichols
- 4th = Aguilar/ Hastings
- 5th = Bruner/ Hughes*
* indicates new staff member
Ms. Viola will be moving into an Intervention Teacher/ Coach position.
Do you need to register a child for Kindergarten, but are having trouble accessing the online registration platform? Don't worry, we are here to help! Call or email Elana Murray, our Data Manager, at 919.290.2333, ext. 21289/ emurray3@wcpss.net
Thinking of you,
Mrs. Raleigh G. Bame
#LPESWAKE
#Everychildeveryday
#OtherPeopleMatter
Virtual Step Up Dates and Times
Track 1 on June 3rd/Tracks 2, 3, & 4 on June 10th
*teachers will send Google Invite closer to the date
9:30 - First grade teachers meet with students
10:00 - Second grade teachers meet with students
10:30 - Third grade teachers meet with students
11:00 - Fourth grade teachers meet with students
11:30 - Fifth grade teachers meet with students
2020-2021 New Staff Welcome Video
Student Item Pick Up
Parents will be able to pick up student items through carpool by the below assigned dates. The assigned dates are in order by track and alphabet. We anticipate yearbooks being passed out by PTA members on these days. * 5th grade families do not need to participate in both the student item pick up day AND the Moving Up Carpool ceremony. Yearbooks for 5th grade students will NOT be available until the Moving Up Carpool ceremony (special surprise).
Assigned Car-Pool Pick up days for Families by Track/Alpha:
*** Items will be arranged by Last name/ track on cafeteria tables in advance. Families will drive through the bus lane to pick up items. Staff will be on hand with walkie-talkie radios in order to communicate back and forth from the bus lane to the cafeteria. All families should stay in their cars.
Track 1 - Tuesday, June 2nd:
- Last Names A-I: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
- Last Names J-R: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
- Last Names S-Z: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Track 2 - Friday, June 5th:
- Last Names A-I: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
- Last Names J-R: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
- Last Names S-Z: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Track 3 - Monday, June 8th:
- Last Names A-I: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
- Last Names J-R: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
- Last Names S-Z: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Track 4 - Tuesday, June 9th:
- Last Names A-I: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
- Last Names J-R: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
- Last Names S-Z: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Laurel Park is committed to making the end of year closing safe and orderly. We are asking all LPE staff, parents, and students to adhere to the following guidelines:
● Staff will be required to wear face coverings and gloves when engaging with the public or interacting in groups.
● Families will not be allowed to come into the building during item pick-up days. They will use the bus loop to create a carpool line. If a parent needs to pick up medication, they should contact Lori Baysden (lbaysden@wcpss.net) ahead of time to schedule an alternate time for medication pick-up.
● Please adhere to social distancing guidelines at all times.
● All items returned to the school by families will be labeled and returned to the proper location.
SAVE THE DATE!
Student Services Updates
As we continue our remote learning journey for the final few weeks we wanted to continue to reach out with some tips, ideas, and things to keep in mind.
Take time when you need it. Allow for grace and flexibility when completing work. Not every day is going to the best day and not every assignment is going to the best work...and that is okay. Give yourself and your children grace as we finish up the school year. Take breaks and engage in self-care when needed.
Engage in family self-care. Take time away from work and school stress to enjoy time together. You can play board games, go on nature scavenger hunts around the neighborhood, or have family movie night. Taking time as a family to relax and be with each other can lower the stress level for the whole family, even with simple activities.
Gratitude. This is one of the character traits that we talk about with the students in the Positivity Project at Laurel Park. Finding ways to focus on gratitude can be a great way to focus on the positive and help shift negative thoughts. You can start daily gratitude journals to find something everyday that you are thankful for or have discussions over meals about what each person in the family is grateful for.
Transitions. The end of this school year is unlike one that any of us have experienced before. That makes it difficult to give the same level of attention to the transitions that are occuring. However, it is important to continue to help your child understand their transition to a new grade and a new teacher. Make time to attend their virtual step up session (Track 1 on June 3rd and Tracks 2, 3, and 4 on June 10th).
As always, please reach out if you have questions or need support.
Caren MacEntee - cmacentee@wcpss.net
Ashley Waddell - awaddell@wcpss.net
Amy Hawkins - ahawkins@wcpss.net
Updates from the Specialist Team
Join our specialists on Google Meet for a Snack Chat every Monday at 3:00 pm. Get a preview of the week's activities and share your own "stay home" school news!
Google Meet code "lpchat"
Specialists Remote Learning Site - bit.ly/lpesspecialsite
STEM Updates from Ms. Trent
Families - Want to download what your child did in Seesaw this year? Here is a link to help you with this process! https://help.seesaw.me/hc/en-us/articles/208754866-How-do-families-and-students-download-an-archive-of-student-work-
Students can download their own files by signing in with the student remote learning code. If you don't have that, please email your teacher or Ms. Trent (ttrent@wcpss.net) for the code.
STEM Assignment: I have asked students to create a Google Slideshow of their best work on Seesaw for this week's STEM assignment. You can find this on either Ms. Trent's website https://mstrent.weebly.com/ or the Specials website - https://bit.ly/lpesspecialsite.
Remember to visit the Specials website to see all the great work students have done over the past several weeks!
Social Learning Update from Ms. Vitaglione
PTA Organized - School Supply Orders 2020-2021
It’s that time of year again!
SCHOOL CODE for ORDER: LAU074
School Supply Packs online ordering is now available! This convenient option ensures your student has all materials needed from grade level school supply lists without the hassle of shopping for each individual item. These kits are specific to Laurel Park and to each grade level. Please order for your student’s rising grade (2020-21 school year)!
https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks/
Food Distribution Sites Open March 17
With the announcement of school closures from March 16 through at least March 27, we want to inform you of food access options throughout Wake County during these unprecedented times.
A number of schools and community centers will serve as food distribution sites for Wake County families beginning Tuesday, March 17.
- Families may pick up food at the locations and times indicated below.
- Food will be distributed by volunteers at curbside to minimize safety concerns.
- The food will be placed in safe and sanitized food containers.
- ID is not required to pick up food.
Currently, the following sites will be offering lunch and breakfast for pickup for students aged 18 and under - 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m, Monday through Friday, beginning March 17:
- Poe Magnet Elementary School, 400 Peyton St., Raleigh
- Rogers Lane Elementary School, 201 N. Rogers Lane, Raleigh
- Creech Road Elementary School, 450 Creech Road, Garner
- Wendell Middle School, 3409 NC Hwy. 97, Wendell
- Zebulon Magnet Elementary School, 700 Proctor St., Zebulon
- Millbrook Magnet Elementary School, 1520 E. Millbrook Dr., Raleigh
- Briarcliff Elementary School, 1220 Pond St., Cary
- Pine Acres Community Center, 402 McLean St., Fuquay-Varina
- PAVE SE Raleigh Charter School, 3420 Idlewood Village Dr., Raleigh
- Wake County Human Services Northern Regional Center, 350 Holding Ave., Wake Forest
- Washington Terrace Apartments, 1951 Booker Dr., Raleigh
- Raleigh Millbank Apartments, 1500 N. Raleigh Blvd., Raleigh
- The Oaks Apartments, 3911 Water Oak Dr., Raleigh
- New Hope Village Apartments, 4321 Grandiflora Lane, Raleigh
- Casa De Luna Apartments, 3918 Bonneville Court, Raleigh
- Juniper Level Baptist Church, 9104 Sauls Road, Raleigh
Confirmed Community Sites provided by Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church will have lunch for pickup available to any students aged 18 and under:
- First United Methodist, 117 S. Academy St., Cary, Mon.-Fri., 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
- Chatham Forest Apartments, 880 Glendale Dr., Cary, Tues. and Thurs., 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p .m.
- Apex First Baptist, 419 S. Salem St., Apex, Mon. and Wed., 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Arbors at Cary Apartments, 200 Wrenn Dr., Cary, Mon.- Thurs., 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Crosstimber Apartments 900 Golden Horseshoe Cir, Morrisville, NC 27560 - Mon.-Fri. 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Mobile Market Locations and Times is available to all community members:
- Abundant Life Cathedral, 4400 Old Poole Road, Raleigh, Fourth Saturdays (beginning 3/28/20)., 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Bread for Life Mobile Market at Zebulon Boys & Girls Club, 1320 Shepard School Road, Zebulon, Third Saturdays (beginning 3/21/20) 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Community Helpers Service Center, 111 N. First Ave., Knightdale, Drive-thru, Thursdays (beginning 3/19/20), 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Martin Street Baptist Church, 1001 E. Martin St., Raleigh, Second Saturdays (beginning 4/11/20), 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Praise Temple Mobile Market, 1329, U.S. Hwy 70, Fourth Saturdays (beginning 3/28/20), 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Wake Forest Baptist Church, 107 S. Ave., Wake Forest, Third Tuesdays (beginning 3/17/20), 4:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We are grateful for the outreach from many of our parents and community members asking how they can help. We ask that you take any food donations to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle or Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC.
If you would like to volunteer to support our work with food access and food security, please fill out this form and we will contact you soon.
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