Falcon Family Updates

Happy Sunday, UPES Families!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is ready for another great week at University Place Elementary School!

What an exciting time it is to be a Falcon! Last week, we had the opportunity to introduce our Falcon Five Core Values to our students, and I am excited about what is ahead for our school! Our core values are centered around P.R.I.D.E.

• P – Perseverance: Never give up, even when things get tough.
• R – Respect: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
• I – Inquisitive: Be curious, ask questions, and always be willing to learn.
• D – Disciplined: Make good choices and take responsibility for your actions.
• E – Empathy: Show kindness and care about how others feel.

These values will help guide the way we learn, lead, and treat one another at UPES. We want our students to not only do well academically but also develop the character and leadership skills that will help them be successful in life.

As we move into another week, I encourage you to talk with your child about our Falcon Five. Ask them what each value means and how they can demonstrate P.R.I.D.E. at school and at home.

I also want to remind our families that every school day matters! Please continue helping us make attendance a priority by ensuring students arrive on time and are present each day. If your child is absent, please remember to send an excuse.

Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and partnership. I truly appreciate our UPES families and all that you do to help make our school a special place for our students. As always please do not hesitate to reach out to me at bgrayson@tusc.k12.al.us.

Let's have another amazing week, Falcons!

Growing Tomorrow's Leaders Today!

Aim High, Fly Higher!

With Love, Kindness, & Falcon Pride

Mrs. Brittany Grayson

Principal, University Place Elementary

🦅 Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

We need your continued partnership in helping our Falcon Leaders make the most of every school day! We are seeing an increase in late check-ins and early check-outs, and we want to remind families that arriving on time and remaining at school for the entire instructional day are important parts of student success. While we understand that unexpected circumstances may arise, frequent tardies and early departures can cause students to miss valuable instruction, classroom activities, and important learning opportunities. Our school day begins promptly at 7:55 a.m. and ends at 2:40 p.m. We encourage families to establish routines that support on-time arrival and full-day attendance. Whenever possible, please schedule appointments and other activities outside of school hours so students can benefit from every minute in the classroom. Together, we can help our Falcon Leaders develop responsible habits, stay engaged in learning, and reach their full potential. Let's continue to Strive for Five by making attendance a priority! Be here. Be on time. Stay all day. Every minute matters! 🦅❤️🖤

Our Falcon Leaders soar higher when families and schools work together! We invite all families to join the University Place Elementary PTA and be part of making a difference for our students and school. PTA membership is a wonderful way to stay connected, support school activities, share ideas, and help create meaningful experiences for our Falcon Leaders. You don’t have to attend every meeting or volunteer at every event—every voice, every idea, and every bit of support matters! As we continue our Passport to Excellence journey, we’d love to have YOU along for the ride! ❤️🖤🦅

Join us in Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today!

❤️🖤 Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today!

Our second-grade Falcon Leaders in Mrs. Habel’s class are strengthening their reading skills as they practice fluency and comprehension using the -dge phonics pattern! 📚🔤 Through engaging reading activities, students are learning to recognize words with the -dge spelling pattern, read with greater accuracy and expression, and build their understanding of what they read. We love seeing our Falcon Leaders grow into confident readers as they continue to soar to new heights! 🦅❤️🖤 #GrowingTomorrowsLeadersToday

Get ready for a little spooky fun with Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds! Families are invited to read the story together and pause along the way to talk about the characters, problem, and solution. Then, let your Falcon Leader’s creativity shine by designing their own creepy carrot and writing a short creepy carrot story! 🥕📝 This is a fun way to build reading comprehension, creativity, and storytelling skills while enjoying a favorite seasonal read together at home. We can’t wait to see what creepy creations our Falcon Leaders dream up! 🦅❤️🖤

Our Falcon Leaders can keep their math thinking going at home with an Awesome Aquariums challenge! Students will use tape diagrams to interpret comparisons and show how two quantities are related. Encourage your Falcon Leader to draw a tape diagram, solve the problem, and explain how they know their answer is correct. Look around your home for opportunities to compare quantities—books, toys, snacks, or even collections of coins! We love seeing our Falcon Leaders think mathematically, explain their reasoning, and make real-world connections! 🦅❤️🖤

Gratitude is more than saying “thank you”, it’s showing others that we notice, appreciate, and value the good things they bring to our lives! As Falcon Leaders, we can practice gratitude every day by offering a kind word, lending a helping hand, celebrating someone else’s success, including others, and showing appreciation for the people who make our school a special place. Remember, even the smallest thoughtful gesture can make a BIG difference! Let’s continue to spread kindness, lift others up, and lead with thankful hearts. When we choose gratitude, we make our Falcon family stronger! ❤️🖤✨

🌟 Weekly Challenge: Think of someone who has made a positive difference in your life. What is one meaningful way you can show them how much you appreciate them this week?

Our United Way Coin Drive is rolling on through September and October, and our Falcon Leaders are proving that even the smallest contributions can make a BIG difference! Every penny, nickel, dime, and quarter helps us give back and make an impact in our community. Let’s keep those coins coming and continue to show the power of Falcon Leaders working together to make a difference!

Small coins. Big hearts. BIG impact! ❤️🖤🦅

#UnitedWay #CoinDrive #FalconLeaders #PassportToExcellence #GrowingTomorrowsLeadersToday

We’re proud to celebrate an overall attendance rate of 96.0%, soaring above our schoolwide goal of 95%! 🎉 A special shoutout to Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 4th Grade for leading the way at an outstanding 97%! 3rd Grade is close behind at 96%, and 5th Grade is meeting our goal at 95%. Way to soar, Falcons! ❤️🖤 Our next goal is to bring Pre-K and 1st Grade up to 95% or better! Every missed day is a missed opportunity to learn, grow, build friendships, and make progress. We need our Falcon families to partner with us to help every grade level reach our attendance goal! Remember, our goal is 95% attendance for EVERY grade level, not just our schoolwide average. Let’s continue building strong attendance habits, encouraging our students to rise to the expectation, and making every school day count. Together, we can close the gap and help every Falcon soar!

⭐ Be here every day. Arrive on time. Stay all day. Be ready to learn. STRIVE FOR FIVE! ⭐

Together, we’re Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today! ❤️🖤

Planning a family getaway? Be sure to check our Vacation Planner and plan those special trips around the school calendar whenever possible. A little planning ahead helps our Falcon Leaders enjoy important family time while protecting valuable instructional days. Let’s work together to keep our Falcons present, engaged, and ready to learn so they can continue to learn, grow, and soar all year long! 🦅❤️🖤 Plan It. Be Present. Make Every Day Count!

• Oct. 26th-30th-Red Ribbon Week
• Oct. 30th-Leadership Assembly & PBIS Celebration
• Oct. 30th-Community Fall Festival
• Nov. 6th-Progress Reports Go Home
• Nov. 9th-13th-World Kindness Week
• Nov. 11-No School-Veteran's Day
• Nov. 16th-20th-Book Fair
• Nov. 17th &18th-Thanksgiving Lunch (more details to come)
• Nov. 20th-Holiday Pictures (pre-pay only)
• Nov. 23rd-27th-Fall Break

We are excited to partner with Neighborhood Bridges, an organization committed to connecting families with the resources and support they need to thrive. Through this partnership, our Falcon Leaders and their families can gain access to valuable community resources and opportunities that help strengthen our school community. We are grateful for organizations like Neighborhood Bridges that help build bridges, create connections, and support our families!

The Tuscaloosa City Schools is now using ParentSquare—a unified platform for all schools, classrooms and district communications. With ParentSquare, you can receive updates via email, text or app; view calendars and RSVP to events; sign up to volunteer; and securely receive student documents like report cards and IEPs. What's even better is you'll get communications from school administrators, teachers, coaches and the district all through Parentsquare.

Check your email or text for an invitation to activate your account, or register at www.parentsquare.com using the same email linked to your student’s enrollment. Download the free app TODAY to stay connected across the district. We encourage every family to join and engage with our school community on ParentSquare. #TCSUpdates #GetConnected #StayConnected #ConnectedForSuccess

Our Falcon Leaders are expected to know the rules, make responsible choices, and treat others with kindness, respect, and integrity. The Code of Conduct and dress code outline the expectations that help keep our school safe, welcoming, and focused on learning. Families, please take a few minutes to review the Code of Conduct and dress code with your child and reinforce the importance of making positive choices each day. When we understand and follow expectations, we create a school culture where every Falcon can learn, grow, and soar! 🦅 Know the Code. Make Good Choices. Dress for Success. Lead with Pride! ❤️🖤

Check out our Special Education Newsletter for helpful updates, resources, and important information to support our Falcon Leaders and families!

Feeling safe at school is a non-negotiable at University Place Elementary. Therefore, we must ensure that our campus is safe at ALL TIMES. Below are a few of our non-negotiables:

• ALL visitors must sign into our RAPTOR system before moving beyond the front lobby to enter the building. This includes having a valid state issued ID in hand.
• A valid state issued ID is required anytime a child is checked out.
• Students are not allowed phone calls or food deliveries on campus.
• Changes in transportation cannot and will not be taken over the phone.
• No students will be allowed to check out after 2:00 p.m. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
• Safety drills will be practiced monthly- including but not limited to backpack searches, fire drills, lockdown drills, and severe weather drills.
• Disruptive behaviors will not be allowed and will be handled according to the Tuscaloosa City Schools Code of Conduct.
• A threat to self or others will also be handled according to the Tuscaloosa City Schools Code of Conduct and State laws and/or mandates.
• All discipline and safety measures will be strictly enforced. NO EXCEPTIONS

It’s time to show up and soar! As our Falcon football teams take the field, let’s rally together and show our players what it means to have a school and community behind them. Encourage your families to wear their Falcon colors, bring their loudest cheers, and fill the stands with Falcon pride! Let’s pack the stands, cheer on our teams, and remind our Falcon Leaders that we’re with them every step of the way! 🦅❤️🖤

Brittany Grayson, Principal

Christina Holman, Assistant Principal

Motto: "Growing Tomorrow's LEADERS Today!"

Email: bgrayson@tusc.k12.al.us

Website: https://www.tuscaloosacityschools.com/Domain/26
Location: 2000 1st Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Phone: 205-759-3664
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UniversityPlaceElementarySchool
Twitter: @UPES_Leads