Penguin Press News
Back to School Edition 2 - July 6, 2021
A Message from Principal Bame
Welcome back to school! Our staff family is very excited to see you all this week. Tomorrow we will host Meet the Teacher sessions for Tracks 1, 2, and 3.
MEET THE TEACHER DETAILS:
- Meet the teacher sessions are ONLY for rising 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students.
- Drop supplies tomorrow to lighten the load for the first day of school.
- Try to limit family to one parent/ caregiver per student.
- Masks are required inside the building.
- There are no formal presentations. Average time spent at the event is usually 15 - 20 minutes.
- Please check out the PTA tent outside of the school. They will have membership information and Spirit Wear for sale.
FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL:
First day of school for tracks 1, 2, 3: Thursday, July 8th (1st - 5th)
First day of school for track 4/ Virtual Academy: Monday, August 2nd (1st - 5th)
- School hours: doors open at 8:45 am. Instructional Hours: 9:15 am- 3:45 pm
- Make sure that your child knows how they will get home (carpool, bus, day care, YMCA, walker) every day.
- School breakfast and lunch remain free for ALL students the entire school year.
- Students should bring WCPSS issued Chromebooks to school the first day. Chromebooks will go back and forth with students each day (per WCPSS policy).
- Students should bring a pair of headphones, a water bottle, and a healthy snack. If your child will NOT be eating school lunch, they will need to bring their lunch.
- Students should wear comfortable clothes - we have daily recess for 30 minutes.
Please make sure to review the information found in the Back to School Presentation linked below.
Kind Regards,
Principal Raleigh Bame
Click Below for the Back to School Presentation
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
A Note from Student Support
We have a couple exciting announcements to share as we begin the 21-22 school year. First, Mrs. Truskowski is having a baby girl in July! As of now, she is planning to be here for the first week of school, but then will likely be out on maternity leave through mid-October. Mrs. MacEntee and Dr. Hawkins will be covering many of her responsibilities while she is out.
Second, we are happy to announce that we have a summer intern who will be working with us to start the school year, Melvin Blackwell. He has already been with us for a few weeks and will be here until mid-August. You can learn more about him here.
We cannot wait to see our students return to start the new year! Please contact us with any questions or concerns you have - we are here to help!
Caren MacEntee, Counselor, cmacentee@wcpss.net
Ashley Truskowski, Counselor, atruskowski@wcpss.net
Dr. Amy Hawkins, School Psychologist, ahawkins@wcpss.net
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
PTA is SEARCHING FOR A PROGRAMS CHAIR
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