The
Eagle Express
University Park Elementary
January 26, 2011
Principal’s Corner: Thank you so much for coming to Family
Gym Night! We had over 350 people enjoy scarf juggling, bowling,
an obstacle course, the pacer contest, the long jump, cup stacking, basketball
and dancing with music with the fabulous Eric Maring (Leo’s dad!!) Our outstanding PE teacher, Christy
Neff, organized the entire event, and I appreciate all of our staff members who
came out to help!
84%
of our students turned in a book log this quarter! That’s a good start! They will be enjoying a movie and
snacks on Friday! We are working
towards a higher percentage of students turning in a log for the third quarter!
Congratulations
to our choir! They have been
selected to sing the Star Spangled Banner at the Bowie Baysox game on April 15th!! We will be selling tickets at school
when we get closer to the event!
Our
students have just finished taking the math and reading FAST (Formative
Assessment Tests) in grades 3-6. Grade 5 students also took the
Science FAST. We are looking forward to seeing their scores, which will
help the teachers determine what skills they are strong in, and which need more
practice. This month, all 2nd – 6th graders will be
taking the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) to determine their reading and
comprehension levels.
This Friday, January 28th, I'm
going to give the "State of UPES Address" at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria.
The PTA will be selling pizza, drinks, cookies and brownies starting at 6:15
p.m. Then, at 7 p.m., the school age children will go to the gym with one
of our PE teachers, Ms. Caulkins, and her daughter to play games while the
parents listen. I plan to talk about our current test scores and
activities, and how we’re doing.
I'll take questions, and then parents will have time to talk together to
write down any questions they have, ideas, concerns, compliments - and whether
they would like to do this type of evening again. I think this will be a
great opportunity to dialogue with parents and come out with some great ideas!
I
am excited about our upcoming Science Fair! Our 4th – 6th grade students have been
working very hard on their projects, with your wonderful support from
home. Parent Visitation Night is
Wednesday, February 2nd from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.in our gym! I hope you will get the chance to come
by and be impressed!
Lately
we have been having a lot of indoor recess. If the temperature (including wind chill) is below 32
degrees, we have recess inside. We
also look at the condition of the playground. We realize that having recess indoors is not optimal –
we absolutely prefer for the students to play outside! But we also need to think of their
health and safety – the temperatures have been freezing, with snow and ice on
the playground. If you have any
board games that you would like to donate to your child’s classroom for indoor
recess – we’ll take them! J
Just
a reminder of our cell phone policy:
Cell phones are to be turned off and stored in a student’s backpack
during the day. Cell phones that
are seen/used during the day will be confiscated; the parent will be notified
and will need to pick the phone up.
Good
luck to our Science Bowl Team!
Mr. Favero has been working hard with the team to prepare them for the
competition on February 8th!
We know they will do a fantastic job! Best of luck to Olivia Martin, Maria Kisker, Nelson Lotz,
Owen Roy, Nora Stewart, and Charlie Dawson!
I
hope you will come to the Black History Month Instrumental Concert on
Wednesday, February 9th at 7:30 p.m.! Mr. Spitzberg and the instrumental students have been
practicing faithfully, and they sound fantastic! It’s a wonderful evening that you won’t forget!
The
Community Builders are continuing their coat drive this week – this is a
great time to check your closets for coats you are no longer using! Send them on in! They will definitely help a person in
need! In addition, on Friday, February 4, the School Store Returns with many of your
favorite items, plus valentine related gifts.
Many
thanks to Becky Widman and Kris Moss for giving interested prospective
parents tours of our school! Many thanks to the parents who helped with
the PTA’s Citrus Sale:
Annarita Mariotti, Gayatri Varma, Mari Hoefler, Karin Carlson, Tony
Zaun, Carmen Booker, Michelle Hermanson, Amy Weaver, Carrie Murphy, Kris Moss,
Catherine Herberholtz, Lori Farrar, and Lily Baker!
The PTA's Silent Auction is going to take
place on Saturday, Feb. 26th at Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church on
Metzerott Road from 4 - 6 p.m. This is one of their major
fundraisers, and just about every penny comes back to the school! They need everyone's help to keep
funding art, the library, and after school enrichment at UPES! Donations
come in all shapes and sizes - we are all feeling the effects of the recession
but if we all give something, together we can make a huge impact! Local
businesses can see this as an opportunity to connect with a great potential customer
base - a win-win for everyone!! Donating some homemade dinner or great
child-care can be just the thing to help our busy neighbors!
You can help your child win a pizza
party!! The classroom that brings in the most donations (number of
donations, not monetary value) will win a pizza party!!
So, mark your calendars -
it's going to be a great time!!
For any
questions, please contact Carrie Davis Murphy at carriedmurphy@mac.com,
or Kris Moss at 301-277-1340.
Science Fair
backboards are still on sale in the office! Color boards are $5.00! Please send in cash or checks made out to UPES in a labeled
envelope with your child’s name and teacher.
Save the date – April 9th – for
the 10th Anniversary Azalea Classic!! We will also be celebrating the 75th anniversary of University
Park! Look for flyers
coming home for the event – it was a rousing success last year!
Valentine’s
Parties will take place on Feb. 14th at 1 p.m.! Your child’s teacher will be sending
home a class list and more information soon on how you can contribute to the
party!
Upcoming Dates:
Jan. 28th
– Book Log Event During the Day – Movie
State of UPES Address – 7 p.m.
(PTA Pizza Sale at 6:15 p.m.)
Feb. 2nd
– Science Fair Visitation Night (6:30 – 7:30 p.m.)
PTA Meeting (Time TBA)
Feb. 9th
– Black History Month Instrumental Concert,
7:30 p.m.
Mobile Dentist Visit
Wednesday Envelopes Goes Home
Feb. 14th
– Valentine’s Day Parties, 1 p.m.
Feb. 18th
– ½ Day for Students – Professional Dev. For
Teachers
Feb. 21st
– No School – Presidents’ Day
Feb. 23rd
– Wednesday Envelope Goes Home
Feb. 26th – PTA Silent Auction