Eagle News

We are so excited about tonight’s Math Parent Workshop! Our very own Ms. Vanegas, Grade 2 Teacher and Math Elementary Chair, and Ms. Johnson, our Math Data will lead this special event tonight at 6:00 p.m. The workshop is designed to give parents practical strategies to support their children’s math learning at home. Plus, with Club Day on February 25th just around the corner, attending this workshop will earn your child(ren) extra Dojo points, bringing them even closer to the 20 points needed to participate! We look forward to seeing you there for a fun and informative evening.

We also want to extend a huge thank you to Ms. Labovitz for her dedication in preparing our students for the Blacks in Wax Museum showcase! This exciting event will take place on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the gym. Our students have been working hard to bring history to life, and we can’t wait for families to experience their incredible performances. Mark your calendars for this inspiring evening!

We truly appreciate your partnership in ensuring that our students are present and engaged in learning every day. We understand that receiving an attendance letter may be concerning, so we want to provide clarity on this process. Last week, we sent 180 letters to families regarding chronic absences, as required by Administrative Procedure (AP) 5113. PGCPS defines chronic absenteeism as a student being absent—excused or unexcused—for 10% or more of their enrolled school days. Schools are required to notify families once a student reaches this threshold. Additionally, AP 5113 requires parents to submit written notification for absences to determine if the absences are excused or unexcused, which impacts whether students can receive make-up work. Without written documentation, students receive a score of zero, and teachers cannot provide make-up assignments. To support families, we include the attendance procedure in every Eagle Newsletter to ensure expectations are clear. Please contact your child's homeroom teacher and Ms. Torres, Registrar, at Merlyn.Torres@pgcps.org when you have questions about attendance.

Families should note that the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) sets high standards for attendance, aiming for schools to achieve a 94% attendance rate or higher. This means no more than 6% of students should be chronically absent. Together, we can meet this goal and ensure that all students have the opportunity to thrive academically.

Let’s work as a team to prioritize attendance and give our children the best chance to succeed. If your family is facing challenges that may impact attendance, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Albrecht at Allison.Isrin@pgcps.org. We are here to support you in every way possible. Thank you for your partnership and dedication to your child’s education. Let’s make every day count!

We will publish the next Eagle Newsletter on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. If you need anything before then, contact me at Toi.Davis@pgcps.org or 301-985-1898.

Consistent attendance is key to student success! When students are present every day, they build strong learning habits, stay on track with their lessons, and feel connected to their classmates and teachers. Missing just a few days can add up and make it harder for students to catch up. We understand that illnesses and emergencies happen, and we appreciate your efforts to ensure that absences are minimal. Together, we can help our students thrive by making daily attendance a priority!

The PGCPS Office of Communications and Community Engagement will continue to deliver timely communication that achieves our goals of safety, equity, and excellence.

Communication Tools

The Office of Communications and Community Engagement uses five key tools to reach audiences:

School Messenger

○ Email

○ Text/SMS

○ Robocall

Websites

○ PGCPS (www.pgcps.org)

○ PGCPS en español (www.pgcps.org/es)

Newsletters

○ Engage PGCPS (families and communities), weekly

○ Acción PGCPS (Spanish-speaking families and communities), weekly

○ Partner PGCPS (business, faith-based and nonprofit

groups), monthly

Social media

○ Facebook (@PGCPS)

○ Facebook en español (@PGCPSenespanol)

○ Twitter (@PGCPS, @DrMonicaCEO)

○ Instagram (@PGCPS)

○ LinkedIn

○ YouTube

PGCPS-TV

○ Verizon 38

○ Comcast 96

○ YouTube

○ Video-on-demand

Grade levels have started planning field trips for students, but we need parent volunteers. The county expects a ratio of 1:4 for students in Pre-K and K and a ratio of 1:10 for students in grades 1-5. The county also requires that half of the chaperones must be PGCPS employees. .

The steps for the approval process are below.

You must complete the volunteer approval process for each academic school year. To reinstate your SafeSchools account for SY '24-25, you will need to complete an updated registration form which can be found by clicking this LINK.

You can complete Returning Volunteers renewal applications in just four easy steps!

1. Use the email address you originally registered with and your existing volunteer identification number (VIN) to complete your application for the 2024 -2025 school year.
2. Click the green plus + sign below the Register Volunteer column to enter/edit your volunteer details that may have changed from the previous school year.
3. Read and sign the disclaimer statement.
4. Submit your application.
5. You will receive an email from SafeSchools in approximately 48 hours with the training plan for SY '24-'25.

The virtual 2nd quarter Honor Roll Assemblies will be Monday, February 24- Thursday, February 27, 2025. All assemblies will take place between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. Each team will post the Zoom link at least 48 hours in advance on their Dojo pages for parents. Honor Roll recipients will receive a formal invitation.

Grade 2-Monday, February 24

Grade 3-Tuesday, February 25

Grade 4-Wednesday, February 26

Grade 5-Thursday, February 27

Library Renovations To Begin Soon

Work on the library will begin soon. New shelving, furniture, and modern layout will create an inviting and welcoming environment for our students and the entire school community. Redesigning our library has been a collaborative effort with the PTA and school staff. I would like to thank the PTA for their vision and continued support. Over the next couple of weeks, you will see the following.

1. Removal of old or out-of-date library books.

2. Packing up library material to remove old shelving.

3. Installation of new shelving and cabinets.

4. New furniture

5. Painting around the library

Destiny (destiny.pgcps.org)

While working on the library, students will access online library media resources available on DESTINY. Students have reviewed EBOOKs during media. An ebook is an electronic book, a printed book made available in digital form via a device with internet access. Many of you access ebooks via a tablet, IPAD, computer, kindle, smartphone etc.. Several databases on destiny.pgcps.org provide access to ebooks for Prince George’s County Public School (PGCPS) students for free. Some are in multiple languages and some of the databases will read the text to the student.

A variety of topics are included in fiction and nonfiction. This is an excellent resource for students and allows them to explore literature in another format that may be more engaging to them than the printed text.

OVERDUE LIBRARY BOOKS

Remember your options for returning overdue books.

1. Locate the overdue or lost book and return it.

2. Purchase the same book (hardback cover only, no paperback or softcover) from any retailer. If you select this option, please hand the book directly to me (Mr. Clark) so the book can be cleared in the checkout system. I am scheduled at University Park ES every Monday and Wednesday.

3. Pay for the book based on the price on the overdue notice or in the email. Again, If you select this option, please hand the money directly to me (Mr. Clark) so the money can be credited, accounted for, and the book can be cleared in the checkout system. I am scheduled at University Park ES every Monday and Wednesday.

As always, if you have concerns or questions, please contact Mr. Clark at aclark@pgcps.org.

2024-2025 PTA Executive Board

President: Kara Mundy

Co-Vice Presidents: Julia Rupert and Bernadette Jerome

Treasurer: Megan Brisch

Secretary: Merlyn Torres

Visit our website (https://www.upespta.com) to learn more about the PTA, how you can get involved, and to join the UPES PTA Listserv.

Have a question, suggestion, want to join a committee, or looking to reach out to the PTA team? Contact us: UPESPTABoard@gmail.com

Committee Updates and Volunteer Opportunities

Teacher Appreciation

Thank You Teacher Appreciation Committee

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to the Teacher Appreciation Committee and Kristin Moseley for organizing the wonderful February Teacher Appreciation Event. Thank you as well to all the parents who contributed items for the event—it was a big success because of you!

Azalea Classic: Registration OPEN! – May 10

Despite the cold and threat of more snow, spring really is just around the corner - and so is the Azalea Classic! If you have not registered you and/or your family yet, please do so here: https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/UniversityPark/AzaleaClassic

If you're interested in volunteering, you can learn more about the various volunteer needs (packet pick up, course marshals, etc.) and sign up directly on the race website: https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/MD/UniversityPark/AzaleaClassic

We're busy soliciting local businesses for sponsorships for the race. If you have any connections, such as a contractor who has recently done work at your house, etc., that you would be willing to make an introduction to or share sponsorship information with, please reach out to upesazaleaclassic5k@gmail.com for more information.

A big thank you to our sponsors who have already confirmed: Rise Investment Partners, JTCC, and Councilmember Eric Olson!

Wednesday, February 19-PTA Meeting-6:00 p.m.

February 20, 2025-MSDE Expert Review Team visits UPES

Thursday, February 27-Blacks in Wax Museum-6:00 p.m.

Friday, February 28-3-Hour Early Release-Students dismissed at 10:40 a.m.

1. School finder...know what school your child belongs to… Buscador de escuelas... sepa a qué escuela pertenece su hijo... http://gis.pgcps.org/schoolfinder/

Registration requirements...know exactly what you need to register your child... / Requisitos de inscripción... sepa exactamente qué necesita para inscribir a su hijo...

https://www1.pgcps.org/registration/

2. Lunch...apply for free/reduced meals... / Almuerzo... solicitar comidas gratuitas/reducidas... https://www.myschoolapps.com/ |

Email: upark@pgcps.org
Website: https://www1.pgcps.org/universitypark/
Location: 4315 Underwood Street, University Park, MD, USA
Phone: 301-985-1898
Facebook: facebook.com/UniversityParkElementary-PGCPS
Twitter: @UPSoaringEagles