Penguin Press News

January 2, 2023

A Message from Principal Bame

A Message from Principal Bame

Dear Laurel Park Families,


Happy New Year! We are very excited about the second half of the school year and look forward to many exciting events coming our way:


  • Science Fair, January 24th
  • STEAM Night, March 9th
  • PTA Family Fun events and spirit nights, TBA
  • Field Trips, per grade level calendar


This is a great time to complete the WCPSS volunteer clearance process, if you have not done so already.



2023-24 Track change request information will be made available in late January through our Penguin Press Newsletter format. Please be on the lookout for this information. Reminder that track change requests are approved based on available space.


As a friendly reminder:


  • Please send your child (no matter what grade) to school with an extra set of clothes, in case they need it during the day.
  • We expect our students will deal with colds and viral infections throughout the winter months. Please review the WCPSS return to school policies.
  • Please make sure to send your child to school with a healthy snack every day. Teachers also welcome snack donations for those who may forget to bring snack.


As always, we appreciate your partnership and support!


Mrs. Raleigh Bame, Principal

A Message from Principal Bame
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Meet our Social Worker, Mr. Moore

LPES Teacher Spotlight (C. Moore)

Positivity Trait of the Week

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THANK YOU, PTA!

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Our amazing PTA funded our stairwell painting. We appreciate the updates and look forward to a cheerful stairwell experience!

We are SO excited about our upcoming Science and Engineering Fair!


Please click here to Sign Up if you are planning to do a project.



  • Science and Engineering Fair Event for Families:
    • Tuesday, January 24th, 5:30-6:30pm


  • Bring Project to school:
    • Wednesday, January 18 or Thursday, January 19th






AIG Updates from Mrs. Stone

This will be the last opportunity this school year that we will be accepting Academically and Intellectually Gifted nominations from classroom teachers and parents! This is a time that we ask you to really reflect and determine if higher-level differentiation is needed for your student in Mathematics and/or Language Arts. If you are unsure, this is a great time to meet with your student's classroom teacher to determine if AIG testing is needed to meet the needs of your student. When a student is nominated, the AIG teacher will send home consent for your student to be evaluated along with a parent observational checklist.


The AIG teacher will also meet with your student's classroom teacher to discuss your student's performance in the classroom, ask to see unit assessments, enrichment opportunities, and classroom samples, where we are looking for scores of 4. The teacher will complete a teacher AIG observational checklist and a Gifted Rating Scales on your student. The AIG teacher will pull all formal data such as your student's mClass data, StarMath assessments, interims and report cards scores and standardized testing scores such as the CogAT, IOWA and EOG.


After all the above data has been collected, each AIG candidate will be presented to the Laurel Park Elementary's School Based Committee for Gifted Education. The committee will review all the data and make a unanimous vote of whether the students should be tested for AIG services. If your student is selected, they will be given the CogAT and IOWA tests on the below dates:


Winter AIG Nomination Window

Tracks 1 - 3 is currently open until December 20th

Track 4 is currently open until January 20th


Winter AIG Testing Window

Tracks 1 - 3 testing will be January 9th - 13th

Track 4 testing will be January 30th - February 3rd


If you should have any questions about the AIG program or process, please feel free to email me.


Thank you!

Mrs. Amy Stone

Repeat Announcements Worth Noting

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Upcoming PTA Spirit Nights

PTA Spirit Night - Ruckus Pizza


Thursday, January 12th, 5-9pm at Ruckus Pizza

(Apex location on Pine Plaza Dr.)


Please mention Laurel Park when placing their dine-in or carry-out order.


Thank you!

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NC Zoo - Inclusive and Fun Family Environment

NC Zoo - Inclusive and Fun Family Environment

Did you know that you that our NC Zoo is a certified sensory inclusive place?

Stop by customer service and request a Sensory Bag. These bags include headphones, AAC cards, a detailed map of the park WITH PICTURES. A first-then board, a lap pad, fidgets and a map to calm zones/low noise sections.

https://www.nczoo.org/visit/accessibility-needs
NC Zoo - Inclusive and Fun Family Environment
2022-23 Year Round Calendar

Review your child's track in and out days here.

School Meal Information

Sign up for a My School Bucks account, check menus, and review meal pricing at this link.

2022-23 Laurel Park Bus Routes

Every year WCPSS adjusts bus routes. Please double check your child's assigned bus stops prior to the first day of school. Ensure your student knows how to get home.

2022-23 WCPSS Bus Ridership Information

Sign up for bus ridership, download the GPS finder for buses, and more.

Positivity Project Resource for Families

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:

https://posproject.org/p2-for-families/

Positivity Project Resource for Families
Need to Update Your Contact Number? Want WCPSS Texts?

The district uses the SchoolMessenger notification service to send important information to families through phone calls, email, and text messages. General school news is shared by email and text message. Phone calls are used for urgent school news.

Grocery Store Rewards Cards

Laurel Park Community Calendar

Please click on this link to view our daily calendar. Thank you!

Laurel Park Elementary School

Laurel Park Elementary School

Laurel Park Elementary School

Laurel Park Elementary School, Laura Duncan Road, Apex, NC, USA 919.290.2333 wcpss.net/laurelparkes