Dear Families and Caregivers,

Happy New Year! As we welcome 2025, I hope your holiday season was filled with joy and relaxation. Here at the UES, we are excited to begin the year with a renewed focus on our character education program. For January, our theme is Responsibility.

Responsibility is a value that helps guide us in being accountable for our actions, taking care of ourselves and others, and making thoughtful choices. At the UES, we connect this theme to our UES Big Three: make safe choices, respect others, and building community. These principles are deeply tied to responsibility, as they encourage students to act thoughtfully, show kindness, and contribute to a positive and supportive environment. As we close out Marking Period 2 (MP2), we will have several special opportunities to reinforce this important theme and continue fostering a positive school culture.

One highlight this month will be an Internet Safety Presentation for our students. In today’s digital age, understanding how to navigate the internet responsibly is essential. This presentation will teach students strategies to stay safe online, make responsible choices, and develop good digital citizenship habits.

We encourage you to talk with your children about responsibility at home as well—whether it’s completing homework on time, helping with household tasks, or using devices thoughtfully. Together, we can support our students in becoming responsible individuals both in and out of school.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Wishing you a wonderful start to the new year, and I look forward to all the learning and growth ahead!

Warm regards,

Dr. J and the UES Leadership Team

Update on Construction: The work has started on the sewer line and will continue to happen. During the first portion of the construction the bike path will be inaccessible for student walkers and bikers. During the 2nd half, the sidewalk alongside the school building on Salem Crossing Road will be inaccessible. We are working closely with the township construction team to ensure safety and minimal disruption to our school day.

• Winter Recess December 23rd- January 1st
• Home and School Meeting January 10th
• UES 5th Grade Carnival January 17th
• School Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 20th
• Internet Safety Presentation for students (during the school day) and Parents (6:30pm) January 23rd
• End of Marking Period January 28th

We have several items in our lost and found section of the building. If you child is missing anything please have them search!

The UES Musical rehersals have begun! We look forward to the production of SpongeBob Musical! Show dates are March 21 and 22, 2024. For more information about auditions and the schedule visit the UES website https://sites.google.com/mtps.us/uestheater/home?pli=1

Here is our Home and School's weekly newsletter to keep you up to date.

• Be safe and sit on the bus.
• Talk with your seatmates on the bus in a normal level.
• Feel free to read or relax on the bus.
• Use school appropriate language on the bus.
• Respect others space, bodies and feelings.

• You can easily report a child's absence by clicking on the NURSE link located under the "Quick Links" section of the UES website.
• The UES school day begins promptly at 8:00 AM! Please ensure your child arrives on time to set a positive tone for the day.
• To help your child develop responsibility, consider creating a plan together to ensure they bring all necessary items to school. Using checklists with pictures, setting alarms, or establishing routines can be great tools for fostering independence.
• If you need to drop off lunches, please do so before 10:00 AM to ensure timely delivery to your child.
• Lastly, please remind your child to charge their laptop each night so they are ready for the school day ahead!

MTPS Technical Support

Students and parents may contact the MTPS tech team if experiencing a technical

problem at home with the MTPS computer or with the online systems that MTPS

supports. If you get a busy signal or voicemail, we recommend calling back later or

using the email address if possible. Emails may be sent to the email address below

anytime, and a tech team member will respond as soon as soon as possible.

UES Tech support: uessupport@mtps.com 856-793-0333 x 14250