Penguin Press News

Dear LPE Families,

We are so excited about STEAM Night on Thursday, January 23rd and we hope to have a huge turnout! Many Laurel Park Staff members and parents have contributed to the planning of this amazing event. On behalf of our LPE family, I would like to thank the following super STEAM volunteers:

PTA STEAM Night Coordinator

Beth Owens

PTA Science Fair Committee

Mary Masui

Laurel Voelker

Science Fair Judges

Crissy Heron, Kevin Tighe, Eric Rogers,

Doug Clark and Jun Masui

PTA Reflections Coordinator

Julie Jaquillard

Thank you to our LPE Staff Planning Committee:

Adam Barabasz

Danielle Bridges

Kim Carnell

Kirsten Cox

Alston Davis

Liz Fairbrother

Alison LeSueur

Rosemary Link

Tiffany Trent

Wendy Yothers

*** Detailed vendor information is listed below this welcome message. Thank you!

Friendly request: Our neighbors across the street in Ellington Place kindly ask that you do NOT park along their roads to avoid carpool. Our carpool line runs smoothly. If you are not one to wait in line, we suggest you arrive at school right around 4:00 pm. We finish carpool usually by 4:10 every day. Carpool students are not picked up by that time are asked to wait inside. We do hope you will consider safety as a top priority - we have many students walking and riding bikes.

As a reminder, Track Change Requests for the 2020-2021 school year are due February 28th. Please see the link below for more information:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ajmBEs_GoRgi__ryepu4NjYSmQszmTGl_rMCcTm0ejo/edit?usp=sharing

Mark your calendars:

• January 23rd - LPES STEAM Night (5:30 - 7:30 pm)

• January 31st - Report Cards Track 4

• February 3rd - 7th - National School Counselor Week

• February 8th - PTA Spirit Night at Jelly Beans (5:15-7:00 pm)

• February 17th - No School/ County Teacher Workday

• February 28th - Track Change requests due

Wish List Item:

Sharpies

Baby Wipes

Tissues

Clorox Wipes

Large baggies

Q-tips

tooth picks

Thank you!

Kind Regards,

Raleigh G. Bame

#LPESWAKE

#Everychildeveryday

#OtherPeopleMatter

Our LPES Student Council wants to make a difference in the lives of our community members this winter. Please drop off non-perishable items to one of the collection boxes found in our main entry way from now until February 21st. Thank you for supporting this great cause!

l

STEAM NIGHT
January 23, 2020
​5:30-7:30 PM
Join us for an evening of learning!
Hands-On-Activities ⧫ Demonstrations ⧫ Food Trucks ⧫ & More
STEAM for kids, Apex Friendship Engineering, NC State, NC Air Quality and more!

Interested in volunteering at STEAM Night?
Please sign up through this link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F044CA4AF29A3FA7-steam


If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ms. Trent - ttrent@wcpss.net

Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for all Americans, and up to 80% of it may be preventable through lifestyle changes? Kids Heart Challenge is a service-learning program that will teach your child the importance of heart-healthy habits, share inspirational stories of children who have been touched by heart disease and help raise lifesaving funds for the American Heart Association.

Here’s how it works:

· Your child has received his or her fundraising envelope. Start by setting up a personal fundraising page—easy directions are on the back of this letter.

· Ask family and friends if they’d like to donate. Not sure what to say? Your child can use the simple script on the collection envelope.

· Encourage your child to get ready to jump and have fun at his or her school event!

As part of Kids Heart Challenge, your child will choose a healthy challenge and share lifesaving tips. There is even a parent corner with tips on keeping your children healthy at home! Our school can earn money for PE equipment and your child earns fun prizes that encourage him or her to keep up the good work for heart health. And that’s something to jump up and down about!

Important information for our event:

Collection dates: Jan 6-Feb 21

Donations may be done online or with checks or cash

Only turn in collection envelopes to Mr Edwards

Any questions please contact Mr Edwards at mjedwards2@wcpss.net

Sincerely,

Mark Edwards

Physical Education Teacher

THANK YOU GI

YEARBOOK ORDERING

You can now order your 2019-2020 LPES Yearbooks online! To do so,

Visit: http://www.strawbridge.net/

Click Order Pictures & Yearbook (RED BUTTON)

Enter Code YB108933

Confirm Laurel Park Elementary School

You will be prompted to enter your email address. Then you will be taken to the order screen.

Our Hardcover Yearbook is $35 with the option to personalize with your student’s name for an additional $8.

*** Order envelopes will be sent home in the next few weeks if you prefer to not use the online ordering system

In Social Learning class, we have lots of activities going on in the different grades:

Kindergarteners and first graders are learning about “Superflex” and the team of “Unthinkables”. Superflex is the hero in all of us that helps us find solutions to a problem, try a new way or just be able to let go of something keeping us stuck. The “unthinkables” are characters that everybody has once in awhile but when they get us stuck we need to pull out our Superflex to remember to use flexible thinking.

In 2nd and 3rd grade classes, we are talking about the many unthinkables and even ones we make up. Unthinkables sometimes get into our head and we forget that we can make a different choice. For example, “Blurt Out Bob” forgets to wait his/her turn to talk and blurts out. Our motto at Laurel Park is that “Other People Matter” so we need to let other people have a turn as well.

In 4th and 5th grade, we have started talking about friendship. We discussed what it means to be a friend and what a “DNEIRF” is (friend spelled backwards). Some of the classes started talking about peer pressure. Understanding how peer pressure works is important so that we can recognize it and make a decision about whether it is “good” peer pressure or “bad” peer pressure. Thinking before we act helps us make more thoughtful choices.

@Lucky’s Library

Doing some New Year’s cleaning out? Lucky’s Library will be participating in the county’s Wake Up and Read Book Drive again this year. Wake County collected over 130,000 books last year for needy families. Children’s and young adult titles in good condition are welcome. The collection boxes will be next to the library doors in the front lobby. More information can be found here: https://wakeupandread.org/initiatives/book-drive/

READvolution completed in December. If your student participated and logged 800+ minutes reading, make sure you go back into their READvolution account and claim your voucher for free hockey tickets. If you aren’t sure, contact your teacher or Mrs. LeSueur at alesueur@wcpss.net.

Our Quaver Music Song of the Month for January 2020 celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Listen here.

3rd graders will be beginning their recorder unit the first week in February. Information about purchasing your child's recorder is on the music website.

Mrs. Sonstroem's Wish List for Music:

• www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/YSS310HWX7RK?ref_=wl_share
  
• Amazon, Target, and Walmart gift cards
• tissues
• "Wet Ones" wipes (not Clorox)
• band-aids
• music books
  
• https://shop.quavermusic.com/gear/wishlist/shared/index/code/94dc7fc86c11c2deb797f5f450962325/

Laurel Park Spring Fun Run Volunteers Needed

We are THRILLED to be hosting our *very own* Laurel Park FUN RUN in March for our students!

We will be using Boosterthon to help organize secure donations but this will allow us to keep more of the gracious donations that we receive during this fundraiser!

With this exciting change, we are looking for a LOT our Penguin Community to volunteer any time to help us organize this event and make it the best year yet for our students and our school!

Please follow the link below to find a sign up for our current planning needs!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F044CA4AF29A3FA7-lpes1

Website: wcpss.net/laurelparkes
Location: Laurel Park Elementary School, Laura Duncan Road, Apex, NC, USA
Phone: 919.290.2333
Twitter: @LaurelParkElem