Penguin Press News
July 12, 2021
A Message from Principal Bame
Dear Laurel Park Families,
The first three days of school have been very successful. Many of our students have returned to campus after 15 months of virtual learning. We are so proud of how our students are working together to build positive classroom communities. As a reminder, please reach out to your child's teacher these first few weeks to build a positive partnership for the school year. Our teachers want to know about your child's academic and social/emotional needs. When contacting your child's teacher, please consider the following best platform practices for sharing information. We look forward to building strong partnerships!
With the addition of two administrative team members, we have updated our roles and responsibilities to better serve our community. Please take a moment to review the administrator that is assigned to your child's track.
We are excited to welcome our track 1, 2, and 3 kindergarten families for Meet the Teacher on Wednesday, July 14th at 1:00 pm. Kindergarten families will enter classrooms through the external classroom door the afternoon of the event. Teachers will email a welcome note to their assigned class prior to Meet the Teacher event Wednesday. The first day of school for tracks 1, 2, and 3 kindergarten is Thursday, July 15th.
2021-22 Virtual Academy families will receive an important update on teacher assignments this Friday, July 16th. Please be on the lookout for this communication.
Please save the date for our upcoming parent/guardian partnership events on August 19th (tracks 1 and 2) and September 9th (tracks 3 and 4). These evenings are meant to provide parents and guardians with academic and social/emotional resources. Grade level teachers will present an overview of their grade level curriculum, along with important parent resources. Other instructional staff members will present information which will include topics like mCLASS assessments, Academically Gifted programming, Positivity Project curriculum, and much more. This event is geared for adults. We hope to see you there!
Kind Regards,
Principal Raleigh Bame
MCLASS Formative Assessments for K-3
Mrs. Sonstorem's Music Notes
I am excited to welcome our new and returning LPES Penguins for a fun school year of music learning! We have had a great start to the year and I am so proud of our amazing students. Our specialist webpage is a one-stop shop for our specialist teacher's programs. The music website is a great go-to resource and I encourage you to take a look around.
We use the Quaver Music curriculum which can be accessed digitally as an optional supplemental activity. Students will first need to login to their WakeID portal and most likely add the Quaver app. Please note: District rosters are in the process of being provisioned so it may take some time for all students to have access.
Grades K-5 Curricular Focus:
Quaver Song of the Month is "No Worries." Start the school year with certainty and confidence! This Reggae-inspired song reminds us to take a deep breath and tell your worries to walk out the door.
All classes sing, play various instruments, create and discuss diverse music topics throughout the year. Students begin the year exploring beat and rhythm, meter, and ostinatos (repeated musical patterns). Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything. As I say to my students, I'm here for you!
May everyday be lived with a song in your heart.❤️🎵
Jenni Sonstroem
Music Specialist, Laurel Park Elementary (Year-Round)
NBCT, Early & Middle Childhood Music
MM, East Carolina University
BM, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
https://sites.google.com/wcpss.net/sonstroemmusicclass/ My Google Site
Important Medication Information!
If you would like to sign in medications for the 21-22 school year for Tracks 1-3 prior to the beginning the first day of school, you may do so at the following times:
July 1, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
July 7 during Meet the Teacher sessions
Starting July 8, medications may be dropped off after 9:15 AM and before 3:30 PM. Do not bring medications during arrival and dismissal as staff will be busy helping students and not available to sign in medications.
Kindergarten parents may sign in medications after dropping off their student on staggered entry day if they wish.
If you have any questions regarding medications or health concerns, please contact Claire Larsen, RN, Laurel Park's school nurse. 919-218-3591
PTA Spirit Event: Salamanders Baseball!
Our event is the
Salamanders Baseball Game at Ting Park
Fri, Jul 23, 7:00 PM
Salamanders vs Wilson Tobs
Tickets are $11 excluding taxes and processing fees.
All proceeds go toward LPES PTA, we need to sell a minimum of 50 tickets.
Here's the link to purchase tickets https://fevo.me/laurelpark
6 Reasons to Join the LPE PTA!
- We make a difference. The PTA advocates for the education, health, safety, and success all children while building strong families and communities. We achieve this through close collaboration with parents, teachers, staff, and the school administration.
- We are about child advocacy. The primary mission of the PTA is to advocate for all children. We do this through a variety of ways. While fundraising is not the primary purpose of the PTA, fundraising provides the financial resources to bring programs and resources to the school that may not be otherwise be available. We fundraise Our PTA has board members that will attend school board meetings, county commissioner meetings, and keep up-to-date with state legislative initiatives that relate to education. These board members will relay all pertinent information back to all members of the PTA. In addition, the more members we have the louder our voice. When the NC PTA, in addition to all the local PTA units, advocate for our children our message will be much more effective if we can show a large population of our families support the PTA and it’s mission.
- Get to know other parents, teachers, and LPES staff. We all care about creating the best possible educational experience for our children. Becoming a PTA member, allows you more opportunities to interact with new teachers, staff, and other parents and their children. We are neighbors and peers who share similar experiences, as a result friendships often develop through our connections.
- The commitment is minimal. Parents are often reluctant to join the PTA due to a fear of having to commit a lot of time. As a member, it is up to you to decide if you want to commit your time. We all have other responsibilities and family commitments. We understand time is precious. It would be great if you can come to an occasional PTA meeting to do things such as: vote for PTA members, vote on the PTA budget, and any other items that may require a vote. Most importantly, PTA meetings are a wonderful way to have your voice heard and gather information about what is happening in your child’s school.
- We are welcoming. The LPES PTA welcomes all! We are a very laid-back group and appreciate all of your feedback and ideas.
- We want you to have a voice. Everyone has different talents and skills they can bring to the table. Parents provide us a connection between the school and the “outside world”. Your connections can help maintain the bond between the school and the greater community.
- select the 2021-22 school year in the drop down menu
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