Falcon Family Updates

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! As we begin another week at University Place Elementary School, I want to take a moment to thank you for the support you continue to show our school. It truly takes all of us working together to make a difference in the lives of our students.

This week, I encourage you to take a few minutes each evening to talk with your child about their school day. Ask them what they learned, what made them smile, or even what challenged them. Those simple conversations make a difference and remind our students that their education matters both at school and at home.

I also want to encourage everyone to continue making attendance a priority. Being at school each day and arriving on time helps our students stay on track and get the most out of their learning. If you your child is absent, remember to send in an excuse.

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your child's educational journey. I am grateful for our UPES families and the opportunity to serve your children each day. Let's make it another great week!

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

October is National Principal’s Month, and our UPE family is continuing to celebrate our incredible principal, Mrs. Brittany Grayson! This week, our wonderful Pre-K Falcon Leaders helped make her feel extra special as they joined in showing their love and appreciation. These sweet moments remind us how much it means to celebrate the people who lead, encourage, and inspire us each day. We are so grateful for Mrs. Grayson’s leadership, dedication, and the heart she pours into University Place Elementary. Thank you for helping our Falcon Leaders and staff grow, soar, and strive for greatness! Mrs. Grayson, our UPE family is so lucky to have you leading the way! 🦅❤️🖤

We need our Falcon Families to help us address the increasing number of late check-ins and early check-outs. While we understand that occasional circumstances arise, frequent late arrivals and early departures are having an impact on student learning and instructional time. Regular, full-day attendance is essential to student success. The school day begins promptly at 7:55 a.m. and does not end until 2:40 p.m. Students need to be here on time, remain at school throughout the instructional day, and take advantage of every minute available to learn, grow, and lead. Even a few minutes missed each day can add up to significant lost learning time over the course of a school year. We are asking families to make on-time arrival and full-day attendance a priority. Please schedule appointments and other activities outside of school hours whenever possible. Together, we can help our Falcon Leaders build strong habits, maximize their learning, and Strive for Five!

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!

Nouns, verbs, adjectives, oh my! Our fourth-grade Falcon Leaders in Mr. Fikes’ class are putting their grammar skills to the test with a fun, hands-on parts of speech activity! From identifying words to discovering how they work together to make sentences come alive, our students are learning that grammar can be both meaningful and FUN! We’re proud of our Falcon Leaders for spreading their wings and soaring to new heights in literacy! ❤️🖤

Our first-grade Falcon Leaders in Mrs. Ortiguera’s class are making math FUN! Through engaging math centers, students are building number sense, practicing important math skills, and learning through hands-on activities. From counting and problem-solving to working together, these little Falcons are proving that learning is always an adventure when you add a little fun! Way to go, Falcon Leaders! 🧮✨

❤️🖤 Our 3rd Grade Falcon Leaders are soaring into another week of making great choices and leading by example! These students have been recognized through our Positive Office Referrals for demonstrating kindness, responsibility, respect, perseverance, and a positive attitude. We are proud to see our third graders putting their leadership skills into action by making responsible decisions, encouraging their classmates, and showing others what it means to be a Falcon Leader. Keep up the great work, 3rd Grade! We’re Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today! ❤️🖤🦅

At University Place Elementary, safety is always a priority, on and off the bus! ❤️🖤 During National School Bus Safety Week, we are reminding our Falcon Leaders that making safe choices on the bus helps protect everyone. Students can do their part by remaining seated with their backs against the seat, keeping hands and feet to themselves, using quiet voices, following the bus driver's directions, and keeping the aisles clear. When entering or exiting the bus, students should wait patiently, use the handrails, and never run or push. If crossing the road is necessary, always follow the driver's instructions and look both ways before crossing in front of the bus. Remember, the bus driver is in charge, and every student plays an important role in keeping the ride safe! Let's work together to make every bus ride a safe ride as our Falcon Leaders continue to show up and soar! 🦅

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 means recognizing and appreciating the good things and people in our lives! As Falcon Leaders, we can show gratitude every day by saying “thank you,” writing a kind note, helping someone without being asked, including others, taking care of our school, and letting our teachers, friends, and family know how much they mean to us. Even the smallest act of appreciation can make someone’s day brighter! Let’s fill our school with thankful hearts, kind words, and thoughtful actions. Remember, a grateful heart is a happy heart! ❤️🖤

Challenge: What is one person you are thankful for, and how will you show them gratitude this week? Together, we’re Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today! 🌟

Get ready to celebrate words, creativity, and the power of a great vocabulary on Monday, October 19th! Our Falcons are invited to wear their best nerd outfits as we embrace our inner word nerds and celebrate the joy of learning new words. Let’s get creative, explore new vocabulary, and show off our love for learning! ❤️🖤🦅

We’re celebrating the 50th Day of School on Wednesday, October 21st, and we’re going back to the 1950s! During PE, our Falcon Leaders will enjoy a fun 50th Day Dance featuring music, movement, and plenty of school spirit! Students are invited to dress in their best 50s attire. Think poodle skirts, leather jackets, letterman jackets, rolled-up jeans, scarves, and other retro looks! Get ready to rock, roll, and celebrate 50 days of learning and growing! We can’t wait to see our Falcon Leaders dressed to impress as we Rock Around the Clock! ❤️🖤🦅

*There is no additional charge for this event. It is just a fun dress up day.

Join us on Friday, October 23rd, as University Place Elementary celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness! Wear pink to show your support as we honor survivors, remember loved ones, and encourage those who are fighting. Together, our Falcon family stands united for awareness, strength, and hope! 💕🎀❤️🖤

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

Our overall attendance rate has climbed to an impressive 96.38%, soaring above our schoolwide goal of 95%! 🎉 We’re celebrating 3rd and 5th Grade for leading the way at an outstanding 98%, followed by 1st Grade at 97%, Kindergarten and 2nd Grade at 96%, and 4th Grade at 95%! Way to soar, Falcons! Your commitment to showing up and learning every day is making a difference! Now, let’s focus on bringing Pre-K up to our 95% goal! Currently at 91%, we need our Pre-K families to help close the gap. Every missed day means a missed opportunity to learn, grow, build relationships, and make progress.

Falcon families, we need your continued partnership! Our goal is 95% attendance for EVERY grade level, not just our schoolwide average. Let’s keep building strong attendance habits, encourage our students to rise to the expectation, and make every school day count. We are proud of the progress we’re making, but we’re not finished yet!

⭐ 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. 19th-Health Hero Flu Clinic
• Oct. 19th-Nerd Day
• Oct. 19th-23rd-School Bus Safety Week
• Oct. 20th-Make-up Picture Day
• Oct. 21st-50th Day of School
• Oct. 23rd Pink Out Day
• 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