Dear Panther Families,
I am excited to lead our educational community as we kick off our 100th year of school at Parkwood-Upjohn! Parkwood has never had a more promising year with such motivated students, a world-class staff, and a supportive community. We are underscoring our commitment to serving all students by initiating quite a few new student-centered enrichment programs, including:
- Enhanced Reading Recovery Interventions in Early Elementary
- Boys and Girls Basketball in 4th and 5th Grade
- STEM Gardening
- Self-Managers program for Grades 1-3 (in addition to the 4th and 5th Grade program)
Next week, the Parkwood Office will email you with your child’s homeroom class along with important guidelines and reminders for the start of the 2021-22 school year. The first day, August 30th, will be a half day and will end at 12 PM. The second day, August 31st, is a full day beginning at 8:44 AM and ending at 3:50 PM. Each day, we will welcome children into the building at 8:44 AM. Students will go directly to their homerooms. There will not be supervision of students before 8:44 AM. Please note the following drop off and dismissal changes that have been put in place to ensure student safety:
- All children who are car riders will be dropped off and picked up from the cafeteria. Parents will remain in their vehicles both during drop off and pick up. Drivers will enter the school driveway on South Park Street and exit onto Tremont Street.
- Students who walk to school will enter the building at designated grade level entrances in the front of the school.
- Buses will still drop students off at the front of the school on South Park Street where they can proceed to their appropriate entrances.
- Dismissal of students who ride buses and walk home will be staggered – from youngest students to the oldest students – beginning at 3:44 PM. Parents of students who walk home: please meet your child at the Community Garden at the corner of Inkster and South Park Street.
We hope that you can join us for our first celebration of Parkwood’s Centennial by joining us on August 26th from 4:30 – 6 PM for our annual Back to School Shindig held at the school playground. This will be a great chance to catch up with faculty and friends. I am looking forward to our best school year ever at Parkwood-Upjohn!
Excitedly,
Mr. Murray
Parkwood Upjohn Elementary School 