The Eagle Express

University Park Elementary

August 22, 2011

Welcome to a brand, new school year!  I hope you have all had a fun, relaxing summer!  We all have been working hard to prepare for our students’ return – we can’t wait to see them!  It is going to be an amazing year! 

Every two weeks you will receive a Wednesday folder.  (We are sending the first one home today instead of Wednesday!)  Inside you will find our parent newsletter, “The Eagle Express,” as well as a letter from your child’s teacher/grade level team.  We will also include information from the PTA and other flyers from the community.  Please take the information out, sign the folder, and send it back.  Many thanks to Tona Hauser for stuffing the envelopes every two weeks!!

Please always feel free to walk your child to class on any day, we are glad to have you!  Before the first bell rings, PreK – 3^rd graders wait quietly in lines out front, and 4^th – 6^th graders do the same out back.  They may enter when the bell rings at 7:45 a.m.  When the second bell rings at 7:55 a.m., we start our instructional day, and that is a good time for you to scoot.  We want all of our students, especially our young ones, to learn to be independent and follow our morning class routines. 

By the way, we believe that instruction is GOLDEN.  Our goal is not to interrupt lessons as much as possible.  If you bring an item for your child during the school day, (lunch, instrument, homework, etc.), we will ask you to leave it in the office.  We will call your child to retrieve it at an appropriate time.  If you plan to stay at school to observe, volunteer, meet with a teacher, etc., please always sign in and obtain a visitor’s sticker.  This is for the safety of our children and staff.  But please know, you are always welcome!!

At 1:50 p.m., we start to load the buses out front.  At 1:55 p.m., walkers are dismissed – Kindergarten through 3^rd will exit through the side door on the right of the building; grades 4-6 will exit through the back door.  PreK students will be dismissed right outside of their classroom door.  Please wait outside to pick up your child, and pay close attention to the cars and buses moving when you leave!  Only the buses are allowed to use the circle in the morning and afternoon.  We always have staff members on duty to ensure everyone’s safety.  The University Park Police Department often has an officer here to assist us, and we are very grateful!  Please try to not pick up your child between the times of 1:30 and 1:55 p.m.  Teachers are finishing up the day, students are packing up, and the office becomes very busy.  Thank you!

Meal prices for this year are $1.50 for breakfast and $.30 for the reduced price.  If students want to have breakfast, they must arrive between 7:30-7:45 a.m.  Lunch is $2.60 for full price and $.40 for reduced price.  The price of milk is $.55 for ½ pint carton.  Please be sure your child has money in their lunch account or brings a lunch to school.  Students who attended University Park last year will have the same PIN number.  New students will be issued a PIN number and may deposit money into their account.  This will begin on the first day of school.  You can deposit money in your child’s account on-line at www.paypams.com.  The office cannot loan lunch money.  Students who do not bring lunch or have money will be given a cheese sandwich and milk by the cafeteria.  There will be no exceptions; this is the school system’s policy.  You may also go to www.pgcps.org and click on “Parents, then “Lunch Menus.”  There you will find options to pay online.  Applications for free or reduced meals are there as well.  If your child had free or reduced lunch last year, you must still apply for this year.  If your child has food allergies, our nurse must have a letter from your child’s doctor on file.  Then the cafeteria manager, Anita Bookhultz, can put the allergy into the PIN system so that they are reminded of the allergy every time your child buys lunch.

We have a school-wide discipline plan to ensure the best learning and teaching environment for our students.  Our school rules are:

1. Follow directions the first time they are given.
2. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
3. Be respectful by being a good listener and using kind words.
4. Walk silently in the hallway.
5. Raise your hand before speaking and wait to be called on.
6. Leave gum and toys at home.

The consequences for not following these rules are (for 1^st – 6^th grade):

     Name on board – Warning

     One check – Lose 10 minutes of recess

     Two checks – Lose 20 minutes of recess

     Three checks – Lose 20 minutes of recess

                     and parent is notified by teacher

     Four checks – Lose 20 minutes of recess,

                     visit the principal, and take home

                     letter to be signed.

Severe misbehavior (fighting, bullying, foul language, weapon, insubordination) results in an immediate four checks and a Discipline Referral.  There are specific forms to be filled out for reports of bullying, and they can be found in the office.

Consequences for Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade are slightly different and appropriate for those age groups.  Consequences are given quietly with as little attention as possible.  Positive reinforcement is given frequently and with great emphasis!  The staff fosters an encouraging, positive, and caring environment so that all of our students will feel motivated to do their best!  We appreciate your support!

Many parents have asked how they can volunteer at school, and that is fantastic!  We appreciate all of the amazing things that our volunteers do for our kids!  The teachers have written about volunteer opportunities in their first letters to you.  Our PTA is another way to become involved!  Our PTA is the BEST!  They will be sending you information soon!  Our PTA officers are:

• President  - Gayatri Varma
• Suzanne Whelton, Executive Vice President
• Sarah Treado, Vice President  
• Dana Campbell, Secretary  
• Kristin McCue, Treasurer

 Below is the information on fingerprinting ($66) and commercial background checks ($10) for volunteers.  Please feel free to call the Fingerprinting Office at 301-952-6775 for additional information.

• Volunteers working in a capacity where they would work with students in an unsupervised capacity are required to be fingerprinted and complete a full fingerprint background check.
• Volunteers who work on a one time basis only, or on a sporadic basis, (such as Career Day, book fairs, school dances, or other one time events), do not need to be fingerprinted.
• Parents and volunteers who volunteer in a classroom on a regular basis in a supervised setting must obtain a commercial background check through PGCPS on an annual basis.
• Chaperones who participate in a day field trip or an overnight school trip are considered to be volunteers and MUST undergo a commercial background check initiated by PGCPS through the Fingerprinting Office before performing duties.

Unfortunately, we do not have a parent liaison this year.  If an interpreter is needed, we will have to ask for one from the county two days in advance.  We will translate all communication into Spanish using Google – please forgive the errors!

We are having a World’s Finest Chocolate Bar fundraiser!  Please see the information flyer included in this envelope.  This is a fantastic opportunity to help us raise funds to replace the computers stolen from our school during this summer, as well as support student activities and purchase teacher supplies.  We really need your support!!  Every participant returning the slip to order a box of chocolate bars to sell has a chance to win a 5 lb chocolate bar!!!

Below is our entire staff list.  Please do not hesitate to contact any of us if you need help in any way.

Principal:  Nancy Schickner

Assistant Principal:  Massa Freeman

Main Office:  Marcie Ramsey (Principal’s Secretary), Devilan Cowherd (Registrar)

Nurse:  Anu Abraham

Pre-Kindergarten:   Vicki Guardado

Pre-K Paraprofessional:  Aurelia Blake

Kindergarten:  Rhonda Coon, Lauren Martin, Jennifer Woodberg, Nadia Rolon

First Grade:  Barbara Duffy, Jennifer Tyler, Alison Volski

Second Grade:  Autumn Camper, Wally Young, Kathy Baer, John Malter

Third Grade:  Kitty Moore, Cindy Nell, M. Michele Rowland

Fourth Grade:  James Booker, Anthony Clark, Meredith Young

Fifth Grade:  Robert Carter, Annique Roy, Erica Berry

Sixth Grade:  Heather Bidjou, Dawna Phillips, Geoff Favero

Special Education:  Anita Byham, Brandy Bradford, Keith Marston

Special Ed Paraprofessionals:  Margaret Balducci, Nakita Adams, Susan Alston

Special Ed Dedicated Assistants:  Teresa Puma, Martha Martinez, Teresa Trozzo

Speech:  Janice Creamer

School Psychologist:  Jeff Chen

ESOL:  Mary Brogi, Mary Slaninka, Sandra Tsai

Reading:  Joyce Jackson

PE:  Christy Neff, TBA (Part Time)

Media/TAG:  Nicole Green

Counselor:  Marlene Bennett

Vocal Music:  Christopher Fominaya, TBA(Part Time)

Instrumental Music:  David Spitzberg

Art:  Liza Linder (Itinerant), Aaron Springer

Pupil Personnel Worker:  TBA

Cafeteria:  Anita Bookholtz (Manager), Libia Martinez, Ann Jones

Custodians:  Kevin Brown (Building Supervisor), Miguel Garcia-Maceda (Night Lead), Sherry Johnson, Victor Gilkes, Maria Alvarado Perez

Before and After Care:  Cheryl Axenfeld (Director), Jovany Hurdle, Delante Morton,

 Juanita Morton, Loretta Pittarelli, Betty Thompson, Teresa Trozzo, Ruth White

Many thanks to the PTA for the fantastic Ice Cream Social this Saturday – it was a major success!  Also, thank you for the delicious staff lunch!

Upcoming Dates:

Aug. 25^th -Play date for Kindergarteners and First Graders at the Gazebo on UPES’Playground,

             6 p.m.

Aug. 26^th – Chocolate Fundraiser Forms Due

Sept. 1^st – Talented & Gifted Information Mtg for Parents, 7 p.m.

Sept. 2^nd – Choir and UP Singers sign at Bowie Baysox Game, 6:15 p.m.

Sept. 5^th – No School – Labor Day

Sept. 9^th – Remembering 9/11 – Wear Red, White and Blue

Sept. 14^th – Back To School Night For Gr. PreK - 3, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15^th – Back To School Night For Gr. 4 - 6,

7 p.m.

Sept. 19^th – Turn in money from Chocolate Bar Fundraiser

Sept. 29^th – No School – Rosh Hashanah

Sept. 30^th – No School – Inservice Day for Teachers