Eagle News

Welcome back! I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed a restful and joyful winter break filled with opportunities to relax, recharge, and celebrate together.

We are excited to welcome our students back as we begin the second half of the school year. Our staff looks forward to reconnecting with students, reestablishing routines, and continuing the high-quality teaching and learning that make University Park Elementary School such a strong and supportive community.

We invite you to join us for two upcoming events. Family Math Night will take place on Monday, January 12, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This engaging evening will provide families with an opportunity to explore and enjoy math together. In addition, we encourage families to attend our virtual PTA Meeting on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Simultaneous translation will be available to ensure full participation for all families.

As we return to school, we appreciate your continued partnership in supporting regular attendance, punctuality, and positive student engagement. Please continue to review school communications for important updates, reminders, and upcoming events.

We are also pleased to share several celebrations and accomplishments. In December, we were notified that University Park ES successfully re-certified for the Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education (EGATE) Award. This marks our third time receiving this distinction since 2015. Schools must recertify every five years by demonstrating effective strategies and practices that support talented and gifted learners. We extend our sincere thanks to Ms. Hamer, our TAG Coordinator, as well as our staff and students for their outstanding work.

Additionally, we are proud to announce that University Park ES has exited Target Support and Improvement (TSI) status. Last summer, the school's SY 2023–2024 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) results identified University Park ES for TSI status. Schools receive TSI status when one or more student groups do not earn at least 45 percent of the total possible points across all accountability indicators on MCAP. This morning, PGCPS notified us that all student groups met or exceeded the required performance threshold on the SY 2024–2025 MCAP assessment. This achievement reflects the collective efforts of our students, staff, families, and community partners. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. We look forward to a productive, successful, and joyful remainder of the school year.

We will publish the next Eagle Newsletter on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. However, if you would like to read back issues of the Eagle News Newsletter, you can find this year's published newsletters on our school's website under the heading 'Announcements and Newsletters.' If you have questions between now and then, please contact me at Toi.Davis@pgcps.org or 301-985-1898.

We are proud to recognize the dedication of our University Park families in ensuring that our students are “Present and Proud” each school day. Consistent attendance is one of the most powerful ways you support your child’s academic success, social development, and sense of belonging at school. Research shows that regular attendance is closely linked to stronger academic outcomes and deeper engagement in learning.

Across Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), chronic absenteeism , defined as missing 10 percent or more of enrolled school days , remains a key focus as we work together to improve educational access and outcomes for all students. As of the most recent mid-year data, many PGCPS schools are seeing encouraging declines in chronic absenteeism compared with the same period last school year, reflecting the collective efforts of families, schools, and community partners in reinforcing the importance of daily attendance.

We are especially proud to report that our University Park Elementary School community has achieved remarkable improvement in attendance.
Chronic absenteeism decreased from 24.51 percent in SY25 to 13.06 percent in SY26 (as of December 15, 2025) , a reduction of 11.45 percentage points compared with this time last year. This represents one of the most significant decreases in the county and is a testament to the commitment of our families and staff to ensure students are present, engaged, and ready to learn each day.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Let’s keep up the momentum so that every student can be present, proud, and successful.

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)

○ X (@PGCPS)

○ 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 volunteer approval process must be completed for each academic school year. To reinstate your SafeSchools account for SY '25-26, you will need to complete an updated registration form, which can be found by clicking this LINK.

The steps for the approval process are below.

Returning Volunteers renewal applications can be completed 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 2025 -2026 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 '25-'26.

Library Procedures

1. As we continue with the checkout process for library books, please review the options below for lost or overdue library books. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact to Mr. Clark at aclark@pgcps.org.

   
   

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

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

   
   

   Write-A-Book

   Before the break, we received several entries for the PGCPS Write-A-Book competition. I am reviewing each entry for possible submission. In order to enter the PGCPS competition, all entries must meet PGCPS Write-A-Book guidelines. In the next newsletter, all participants will be listed along with PGCPS county wide participants.

   
   

   I would like to thank Write-A-Book participants for their hard work and dedication to completing the project. You are well on your way to becoming an established author.

   
   

   ParentVUE

   Parents don’t forget to check ParentVUE. In ParentVUE, you can:

   • View quarterly progress report and report card grades

   • Check the gradebook for current student status.

   • Review Daily Attendance (Tardies and Absences)

   For ParentVUE resources, click this link.

   
   

Dear UPES families and friends,

🎉Happy New Year! We hope you all had a restful winter break!

Now that we are back in the swing of things, we are pleased to share a few timely announcements:

🖐️Fingerprinting For Volunteers (Round Two!)
Monday, January 26

Time: TBD

Want to volunteer for a field trip or other event at your UPES but haven't been able to get your fingerprints done? We are pleased to announce that the UPES PTA is bringing the fingerprinting to you. A sign-up sheet will be available soon - keep a lookout on Class Dojo and the ListServ.

🗓️ PTA Meeting
Wednesday, January 21

6 pm - VIRTUAL

More details + a sign up form coming soon!

With gratitude,

The PTA Board:

- Amy Chester, PTA President

- Rheanne Wirkkala, PTA Vice President

- Elise Christopher, PTA Treasurer

- Nicole Hand, PTA Secretary

The University Park Elementary School PTA is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to come together, engage in meaningful discussions about how to support the teachers and staff, and contribute to enhancing our school community.

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

Monday, January 12-Family Math Night, 6:00 p.m.

Monday, January 19-MLK Jr. holiday, Schools and offices closed

Wednesday, January 21-Virtual PTA Meeting, 6:00 p.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