Friday Notes on Thursday, 3/25/2021

Dear Panther Families,

Thank you for engaging with your child’s teacher through Parent-Teacher Conferences as we celebrate achievements over the first two trimesters of the school year and plan for a successful conclusion of the final trimester. The first day of Spring Break is tomorrow, March 26th. The first day of class after break will be Monday, April 5th. School offices will be closed during Spring Break.

During Spring Break I hope you will have time to help your student engage in a Reading Panther Project from the Parkwood-Upjohn Librarian – Ms. Yerden-Ferguson! Also, take note of the following upcoming events:

– April 7th: Virtual STEAM Night from 6-7 PM

– April 10th: Spring Craft Day: Join the Parkwood-Upjohn PTO for a seed planting adventure! Check out the PTO Facebook  page for more details. Also, the PTO is looking for board members. Contact ashley.boza@gmail.com if you are interested.

– April 12th – April 16th: Student Supply Pick-up. Come to the Parkwood-Upjohn office between 8 and 4, Monday through Friday to pick up essential supplies to support your child’s learning. Please feel free to contact me by responding to this email if you have questions.

Lastly, if your child’s Chromebook is not running as efficiently as before, try these Computer Spring Cleaning Tips.

Have a fantastic Spring Break,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 3/19/2021

Dear Panther Families,

Thank you so much for a successful start to our final trimester of the school year at Parkwood-Upjohn! A team effort has helped our students maintain strong attendance and engagement throughout the year in all of our learning options. We appreciate the teamwork and look forward to continuing this partnership with you through the end of the year. As we move into the Spring, don’t forget about these important events and reminders:

1. Spring Break begins Next Friday (March 26th) and runs through April 4th. Parkwood-Upjohn offices will be closed during that time. If you still have a Letter of Intent to return, make sure to physically turn it into the school office by next Thursday or email it to student_services@kalamazoopublicschools.net.

2. Get ready for a Virtual STEAM Night on April 7th from 6-7 PM! Details about the engaging activity list will be shared before Spring Break.

3. Details will also be shared soon from our PTO about the exciting Spring Craft Day at Parkwood-Upjohn on Saturday, April 10th! Also, if you would like to find out more about being a part of the PTO Board, please contact Co-President Ashley Boza at ashley.boza@gmail.com or via the Parkwood PTO Facebook page.

4. KPS Food Services will be providing a 7-pack food distribution on Tuesday, March 23th and Thursday, March 25th. Parkwood-Upjohn is a distribution site and will operate from 11:30-12:30 both days next week.
There will not be food distribution during the week of Spring Break.

Finally, take time to check out this week’s Panther Project Idea from Ms. Roberts – one of our awesome Kindergarten teachers. Creating a “Tornado in a Jar” at home is a lot of fun but doesn’t take a lot of work!

Enjoy the weekend,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes on Thursday, 3/11/2021

Dear Panther Families,

It was great to see so many families at our Kindergarten and PEEP Orientation yesterday! If you or someone you know is still interested in finding out more about Pre-K or Kindergarten at Parkwood-Upjohn for 2021-2022, feel free to share my email (murraymb@kalamazoopublicschools.net) or have them call 269-337-0720. The school office is open from 8-4, Monday through Friday for parents to complete Pre-K through 5th grade registration and turn in Letters of Intent. As always, the best way to reserve a seat for a child at Parkwood-Upjohn is to register early!

Also, don’t forget about the following upcoming events:

Friday, March 12: No school for KPS students.

Wednesday, April 7th: Panther Virtual S.T.E.A.M. Night from 6-7 PM

Saturday, April 10th: Spring Craft Day at Parkwood-Upjohn. Be on the lookout for more information from the Panther PTO soon!

You can also check out this week’s Panther Project Idea on “How to Catch a Leprechaun” from the 2nd Grade Teaching Team and the Social Emotional Lesson Review from Ms. Collins, our Behavior Specialist.

Finally, make sure to check out two amazing ways to support Parkwood-Upjohn by partnering with our PTO;

1. Purchase NEW Panther Pride Attire. 100% of the proceeds go back to our students and you get some really cool swag!

2. Contact the PTO Co-President Ashley Boza at ashley.boza@gmail.com or through the Parkwood PTO Facebook page if you are interested in serving on the PTO Board.

Have a great weekend Panthers,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes on Thursday, 3/4/2021

Dear Panther Families,

It was great to see so many students and parents last night at both our virtual and in-person Literacy Night event. What an excellent turnout! If you were not able to pick up your child’s March is Reading Month Fun Bag or book, please feel free to stop by the office between 8 AM and 4 PM, Monday through Friday to pick up those items. While you are in the office, if you have not yet been able to return your Letter of Intent, feel free to do so while you are up at the school. You may also email the letter to student_services@kalamazoopublicschools.net. We want to make sure that every current Parkwood-Upjohn student is able to remain a Panther next year!

We are also looking forward to welcoming our newest Panthers for the 2021-2022 school year as PEEP (Pre-K) and Kindergarten students! Beginning on March 10th, we can begin to pre-register incoming students. The first step for parents of prospective Kindergarten and PEEP students is to make sure and attend one of our two upcoming virtual orientation sessions on Wednesday, March 10th. Please check out the details for the events at this link. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to respond to this email or call us at 337-0720. 

Here are some other important upcoming events and reminders;

– There is no school for KPS elementary students tomorrow, March 5th.

– The Parkwood-Upjohn PTO is currently searching for amazing parents that would like to join the board. Please contact Co-President Ashley Boza at ashley.boza@gmail.com if you are interested.

– The next PTO Meeting is on March 9th at 6 PM. Stay tuned for the Zoom link which will be sent out soon.

– Check out this week’s Panther Project Idea from our fabulous 5th Grade Science Teacher – Ms. Schultheiss!

– Mark your calendars for the second-annual Panther S.T.E.A.M. Night on the evening of April 7th. This year’s event will be virtual. More details will be coming soon.

Have a great weekend Panthers,

Mr. Murray