The Eagle Express
University
Park Elementary
December
14, 2011
Principal’s
Corner: I am very proud of our Community Builders! They are leading the school in making holiday cards for senior adults who
are living in nursing homes, living alone, or in homeless shelters. They are also working the school store,
where students can buy small gifts for their families. All of the money raised at the store
will go to help kids in South Africa!
The Community Builders are also sponsoring a Coat Drive in January! They will be working with local
homeless shelters to get coats to people in need. A coat that is used and in good condition can really help
someone during this cold time of year.
Adult and children’s sizes are welcome!
I am so proud of
our choir! They performed at the school system’s
Holiday Extravaganza last Wednesday and did a beautiful job! Tonight, the choir and instrumental
music students will be presenting their Winter Concert at 7 p.m. in the
gym. I hope you will join us!
On Friday at 7
p.m., our third graders will be performing their musical, “Hidden Lands!” They have been working hard on the show and are so excited
to present it to you! Please come!
It's not too late to sign up to enter a Write-a-Book
in this year's contest! Contact Ms. Jackson or Dana Campbell
(danalcampbell@hotmail.com, 301-277-8123) if your child is interested, or if
you have questions. Also check out
all the info on the UPES PTA write-a-book website:
https://sites.google.com/site/ptaupes/home/write-a-book-2011-12. Hand in rough drafts next week if you'd
like feedback (optional); Final drafts are due January 4, 2012!
Parents, a few reminders: If you
bring your children to school, please have them wait in your car until you see
the first bus arrive in the morning. The first bus gets here around 7:20
a.m. In the morning, students wait
outside when the weather is above 32 degrees. Please have your child dressed appropriately. Students who
eat breakfast at school enter the building at 7:20 a.m., while all others enter
the building at 7:45 a.m.
In the afternoons, please wait at the bus stop, and if the bus hasn't arrived at the
appointed time, wait a few minutes more.
Then CALL the school to see if the bus has left and if it was late.
Parents are leaving and coming to the school only to miss their students
because a bus has left school property late.
Our
students go out to recess whenever the weather is above freezing! (This includes the Wind Chill
Factor.) Please remember to send your children with a warm coat, hat, and
gloves every day. It’s a great idea to write their name on all of their
winter clothing – we have many items in the Lost and Found that we don’t know
who they belong to! Please feel free to check the Lost and Found in the
cafeteria for missing items!
Progress
reports will be coming home on Tuesday, December 20th. If you have any concerns about
your child’s grades, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s
teacher. We are so happy to work with you – we want all of our students
to be successful!
Science Fair backboards are now on
sale! White
backboards are $4.00 and 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.
Many
thanks to Kim Fouche for creating and maintaining the “Math Problem of the
Week” bulletin board! The students are excited to try the new
problem; we announce the names of the students who get the answer right!
Many
thanks to Janel Tillman
for all of her help with the Eagle Guides program! Mucho thanks to Tona
Hauser for faithfully coming every two weeks to sort the flyers for the
Wednesday Envelope! Lots of thanks to Nancy Pretto for
translating the parent newsletter into Spanish!
Many thanks to everyone for
going to UPES Night at Franklin’s Restaurant! We made a nice profit, which will go
directly to helping our students!
Thank you, also, for supporting our PTA through the Yankee Candle and
Pie fundraisers!
On
behalf of University Park’s staff, I want to wish you all
a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!
Enjoy the Winter Break!
Upcoming Events:
Dec.
14th – Winter Concert in Our Gym, 7 p.m.
Wednesday Envelope Goes Home
Dec.
16th – 3rd Grade Musical, 7 p.m.
Dec.
20th – Progress Reports Go Home
Dec.
22nd – Jan. 2nd – Winter Break
Jan.
3rd – Students
Return to School
Coat Drive Begins
Jan.
4th – PTA
Meeting, 7 p.m.
Wednesday Envelope Goes Home
Jan.
16th – No School – Dr. King’s Birthday
Jan.
18th – Wednesday Envelope Goes Home
Jan.
19th – Choir Performs at Winter Fest
Jan.
20th – End of the 2nd Quarter
Jan.
23rd – No School for Students – Grading
And Planning Day
Jan.
24th – Family Reading Night
Jan.
31st – Our Science Bowl Team Competes