The Eagle Express
University Park Elementary
January 18, 2012
Principal’s Corner: 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 1st from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.in our gym! I hope you will get the chance to come by and be impressed!
Speaking of Science Fair, we are in desperate need of judges! (Which, unfortunately, can’t be UPES parents!) Judges are needed from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., and the PTA serves them a delicious breakfast and lunch. If you know of anyone who would be willing, please have them contact Michele Rowland at 301-985-1898 or michele.rowland@pgcps.org ASAP! Thanks!!
Please come to Family Reading Night on January 24th from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.! This will be like Family Gym Night, with exciting stations to visit! The PTA will be sponsoring the Usborne Book Fair on the stage, one night only! Come join our staff for a great night!
The Community Builders are sponsoring a Coat Drive in January! They will be working with local homeless shelters to get coats to people in need. Adult and children’s sizes are welcome!
Parents, if you drop off your children by car in the morning, please do so by the curb next to the school so they don’t have to cross the street. There have been several times where children have almost been hit by cars, and we are concerned for their safety! Please continue to remember not to drop off your children until 7:25 a.m. at the earliest. Thank you!
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. We do not recommend students bringing any expensive electronic devices to school (iTouch, iPad, Kindles, etc.) The same policy will be in effect for those devices.
Many thanks to all for participating in the Citrus Sale and Yankee Candle Sales! The combined total raised for the PTA for both sales was close to $3,000! Annarita Marriotti did a fantastic job organizing and managing the sale. Thank you to Nancy Neher, Judy Mulusa, Melanie Fiore, Kathrin Herberholz, Carrie Murphy, Suzanne Whelton, Kate Murray, Lili Baker, Katherine Motsuk, Kris Moss, Lis Fost Maring, Aaron Rust, Lisa Tate, and Dana Campbell for helping to unload and distribute the citrus.
Many thanks to Kris Moss for helping rescue our Yankee Candle products when the truck was too large to deliver to the school! And thanks to Suzanne Whelton, Gayatri Varma, Ellen Thorpe, Karen Ahalt, and the wonderful front office staff for helping with distribution of the Yankee Candle products.
Thanks are also due to Maby Palmisano and Eve Muller for preparing and submitting a grant application for the PTA.
Mark your calendars for the UPES PTA Silent Auction on Saturday, March 3 at Wallace Presbyterian Church! This is one of their major fundraisers, and just about every penny comes back to the school! If you would like to volunteer or have an item to donate for the auction, please contact this year's co-chairs, Kris Moss at 301/277-1340 or Sarah Treado at satreado@aol.com
Save the date – April 21st – for the 11th Anniversary Azalea Classic!! This is a 1K, 1 mile, and 5 K race sponsored by our PTA. To get us in the spirit, we are asking everyone to wear an Azalea Classic t-shirt from a previous year this Friday, if you have one!
When we have snowy or icy weather, please check the news and the Prince George's County Public Schools' website (www.pgcps.org) to see if school is cancelled or delayed. If school is delayed, staff also report to work at a delayed time. It is imperative that you do not drop off your children early! There may be no one here to watch them. B&A also opens later if we have a delayed opening. If snowy/icy weather starts during the day, please check the news and school system website to see if we'll be closing early. Always have a plan of action for your children if these instances occur.
Delayed Opening-Students Report Early Closure-Student Dismissed
One Hour 8:30 am 12:55 pm
Two Hours 9:30 am 11:55 am
Three Hours 10:55 am
Science Fair backboards are now on sale! 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.
Parents, please remember that county policy states that vacations taken during normal school days are unexcused. You will still have to write a note for the office explaining the absence. The work the student misses will affect their grades; the teacher will leave the assignments on their desk, but not all assignments are on paper and can be sent home. If the student is gone for longer than 10 days, he/she will be withdrawn, and the parents will have to re-register them when they return. Thank you for your understanding.
Our bi-weekly newsletter is a little off-cycle! We will send home a small Wednesday Envelope next week, and then every two weeks after that!
Upcoming Events:
Jan. 19th – Choir Performs at Winter Fest
Jan. 20th – End of the 2nd Quarter
Wear an Azalea Classic T-Shirt
Jan. 23rd – No School for Students – Grading
And Planning Day
Jan. 24th – Family Reading Night &
Usborne Book Fair
Students in Grades 2-6 take the
Scholastic Reading Inventory Test
Jan. 25th - Wednesday Envelope Goes Home