Friday Notes, 6/3/2022

Dear Panther Families,

It was great to see so many families come out to support our Orchestra and Drum Choir students yesterday. What a great concert! Also, a special congratulations to Ms. Boyer as she led her last concert as our music teacher. Her impact has been and is tremendous on the educational quality and spirit of our school. Congratulations to Ms. Boyer on her upcoming retirement!

Thank you for finishing the school year strong at Parkwood Upjohn. Please make a note of our schedule for next week:

Monday, 6/6 through Wednesday, 6/8: We have full days of school with a normal schedule.

Wednesday, 6/8: Student Field Day. Please do not park in the staff lot on this day and make sure that your child comes ready for fun, outdoor, Field Day events!

Thursday, 6/9: 1/2 day of school for students ending at 12 PM.

Friday, 6/10: Last day of school for the year – 1/2 day of school for students ending at 12 PM.

If you would like to order a Parkwood-Upjohn Yearbook you still can! Parent’s can order with their students’ unique order code. If they do not have their code they can request it here: inter-state.com/myordercode. If you are going to order a yearbook please select the “gray background” and “package 11”. 

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Murray

PTO Events!

Dear Panther Families,

You are invited to be a part of two PTO opportunities at Parkwood-Upjohn:

1. TONIGHT! (4/27) – Join us for a Lemonade Stand at the Parkwood Playground from 5:30-6:30 PM. There will be refreshments and an opportunity to say “hello” to Panther neighbors. Please make sure students are accompanied by an adult.

2. Next Week – If you would like to assist with Teacher Appreciation for next week, sign up here.

Thanks for being a part of the Panther Community,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 4/22/22

Dear Panther Families,

Congratulations to all of our Read-a-Thon winning students! It was great to see so many of our students earn prizes this morning for remembering to READ, READ, READ! Thank you to our Parkwood-Upjohn PTO for organizing our annual Read-a-thon.

Also, thank you to every student, parent and teacher that helped make M STEP testing successful this year. We appreciate everyone’s patience and flexibility as we helped each student do their best on their state assessments this year.

Have a great weekend Panthers,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 4/8/22

Dear Panther Families,

We are enjoying the last day of our Read-a-thon Spirit Week – happy Pajama Day! Keep reading Panthers and don’t forget that April 11th is the last day to turn in reading logs and donation envelopes.

Next week, we begin MSTEP testing for 3rd-5th grade students. Here is the testing schedule:

Tuesday, April 12th – Grades 3-5 English Language Arts

Wednesday, April 13th – Grades 3-5 English Language Arts

Thursday, April 14th – Grade 5 Social Studies

Here are a few important MSTEP reminders:

1. Students may NOT have phones or Smart watches with them on test days. Teachers will have a place to store phones and Smart watches if this is necessary.
2. Please make sure students are present and at school by 8:55 AM on testing days.
3. Students and teachers may not share information regarding test questions with each other or families. The state of Michigan strives to make sure that questions and answers are not distributed online so that tests do not become invalidated.
4. Students in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grades do not take MSTEP tests.

Also, make sure to check out the latest edition of Paw Prints – Parkwood-Upjohn’s student newspaper. Great job, writers and editors! 

Finally, please help Girl Scout Troop 80409 help our families in need by donating non-perishable items. These community-minded Panther students are trying to fill a barrel by the end of the school year.  Just place the items in the Loaves & Fishes barrel in the front office foyer.

Have a great weekend Panthers,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 2/25/22

Dear Panther Families,

We have two exciting annual events coming up that we hope you can join us for:

1. Virtual Literacy Night from 5:00 – 6:30 PM on March 2nd.

2. Kindergarten Orientation on March 9th for any parents with potential Pre-K/PEEP or Kindergarten students for the 2022-23 school year. There will be a virtual information session at 8 AM and an in-person open house for adults from 5:30 – 7:00 PM.

Also, we encourage you to review this Relationship Skills Social Emotional Learning Lesson at home with your child as we work together to help all students succeed with their peers. 

Finally, if at all possible, please do not pick up your child from the office after 3:15 PM. We are experiencing traffic issues with cars parked in the dismissal bus and car rider pick up areas. There are also instances where parents have come into the office to pick up students after a class has already begun dismissal procedures. If you need to update your child’s dismissal plan do not hesitate to contact the office at 337-0720 or your child’s teacher. Thank you for helping us keep all Panther students safe!

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 1/14/2022

Dear Panther Families,

Thank you for continuing to work with your children and Parkwood-Upjohn teachers and our support staff to make sure our school community is as healthy and safe as possible. We appreciate all of your support!

Here a a couple of notes:

1. January 17th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We look forward to celebrating in school on Monday!

2. Our Art Teacher, Ms. Zuniga, is collecting bottles that have “bumps on the bottom” for an in-class project. We will have a collection receptacle set up in the entry if you wish to donate empty bottles.

3. If your child regularly rides a car home from school, this week we have been reissuing placards with your child’s name on it to increase safety and efficiency at dismissal. We also did this in August. If you did not receive one this week and would like a placard, please feel free to contact the office at 337-0720 and request one. Please display the placards in the windshield or driver’s side car window at pick up in the afternoon. For students who are picked up via car rarely, please contact the office or your child’s teacher when you wish to pick up your child by car.

Have a fantastic weekend,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 12/19/21

Dear Panther Families,

The end of the First Trimester of the school year is rapidly approaching. Thank you so much for partnering with Parkwood-Upjohn as we have relaunched in-person learning with a team approach that has benefited all students! It’s been a great start to the school year!

A few reminders:

1. Students are NOT in school beginning Tuesday, November 23rd for Thanksgiving Break. School will resume on Monday, November 29th.

2. On Sunday, December 12th you have the opportunity to help raise funds for our Community Garden by coming out to a K Wings game! Join us for a K Wings game on December 12th at 3:00 PM! All proceeds from in-game fundraising will go directly to the Upjohn Community Garden.

To participate:

A. Order tickets for your family here

B. Consider selling “Chuck-A-Puck” bags with your child to raise funds by contacting Caroline Martin at martinch@kalamazoopublicschools.net

C. Bring a stuffed animal for the “Teddy Bear Toss”. All donated stuffed animals will go the Bronson Children’s Hospital.

Thanks for being a Panther!

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 11/12/21

Dear Panther Families,

Thank you for a fantastic week of teaching and learning at Parkwood-Upjohn! Here are a couple of important reminders;

1. Supervision of students begins at 8:44 AM. Thank you for not leaving your child unattended outside of the school before 8:44 AM in the morning.

2. Thanksgiving Break begins on Tuesday, November 23rd

3. On Sunday, December 12th you have the opportunity to help raise funds for our Community Garden by coming out to a K Wings game! Join us for a K Wings game on December 12th at 3:00 PM! All proceeds from in-game fundraising will go directly to the Upjohn Community Garden. To participate;

A. Order tickets for your family here

B. Consider selling “Chuck-A-Puck” bags with your child to raise funds by contacting Caroline Martin at martinch@kalamazoopublicschools.net

C. Bring a stuffed animal for the “Teddy Bear Toss”. All donated stuffed animals will go the Bronson Children’s Hospital.

Have a great weekend!

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 11/5/2021

Dear Panther Families,

Thank you for a great four day week of teaching and learning! This week was also the first time that we had noticeably cold weather (by Michigan standards). Make sure to continue to send your child with proper cold-weather clothing for recess.

Here are a few important reminders and important events coming up:

Monday, November 8th – Picture Retake Day. Picture retakes will be indoors. If a student will be retaking pictures please make sure that the child physically brings in the picture(s) that you wish to have exchanged. These will need to be given to our Inter-State personnel. 5th grade students may enter the building as early as 8:30 AM on Monday only, if they will be retaking pictures. This will allow 5th grade students to have retakes completed before they go to Sherman Lake Camp.

Sunday, December 12th – K Wings Upjohn Community Garden Fundraiser. Join us for a K Wings game on December 12th at 3:30 PM! All proceeds from in-game fundraising will go directly to the Upjohn Community Garden. To participate;

   1.  Order tickets for your family here

   2. Consider selling “Chuck-A-Puck” bags with your child to raise funds by contacting Caroline Martin at martinch@kalamazoopublicschools.net.

   3. Consider bringing a stuffed animal for the “Teddy Bear Toss.” All donated stuffed animals will go the Bronson Children’s Hospital.

Also, don’t forget that Artsonia is live at Parkwood-Upjohn! During the 2021-22 school year, families will be able to view and even purchase art work created in Art Class through the Artsonia website for Parkwood-Upjohn. Please contact Ms. Zuniga at zunigale@kalamazoopublicschools.net with questions. Thank you Ms. Zuniga for connecting parents with student art created at school!

Thanks for being a Panther,

Mr. Murray

Friday Notes, 10/29/21

Dear Panther Families,

Thank you all for being an integral part of our Panther Prowl and Spirit Week! This afternoon, our Literacy Parade will round out the week. Unfortunately, due to the potential of inclement weather, the Literacy Parade will be held indoors. Parents will not be able to attend the parade in-person but we will make sure to send out digital updates afterwards! Also, I know our students will be excited to talk with you about their class costumes when they come home from school today.

 Also, don’t forget that there is no school this coming Tuesday, November 2nd. 

Thank you for partnering with us as we endeavor to create the optimal learning environment for all students.

Have a great weekend Panthers,

Mr. Murray