Welcome to a New Year!
We are so EXCITED to welcome you to a new school year! We are looking forward to new opportunities and excitement ahead! We are proud of the work we accomplished in the 2024-2025 school year and are looking forward to growing even more!
REMINDERS
School doors open at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast. The instructional day begins at 8:00 a.m. Students arriving at 8:01 a.m. are considered tardy. Dismissal begins at 3:30 p.m.
Cell Phone Policy…..
Please make sure your child/children are remembering to turn in their cellular device upon arrival. Cell phones are not permitted within the building. UCP will securely store devices however it is not recommended to send your child with a phone within the building. UCP assumes no responsibility to the technology upon the entry to the building. Please do your part to reduce the distraction and adherence to our policy.
Water Bottle Reminders…..
At UCP we have a water bottle refill station so that students can bring a water bottle each day to make sure they stay hydrated and healthy. A few guidelines to review:
- Water bottles should be plastic or metal, reusable or single use.
- Glass water bottles will not be permitted (this is a safety hazard!)
- Water bottles are to be filled with WATER, no juice, soda, energy drinks etc.
- Water bottles should not cause any disruption within the classroom and should NEVER be in the vicinity of a school-issued Chromebook or other electronics.
Drop Off &Pick Up Reminders
It is critical that we all work together to follow the established procedures for pick-up and drop-off. When we all follow the established procedures everything flows well and safety is maintained!
GOALS:
- To ensure that we are creating the safest environment and procedures possible for drop-off and pick-up.
- To ensure that all UCP community members are aware of the current drop-off and pick-up procedures.
If your child is being dropped off and picked up each day please review the information below:
- During arrival (7:30 – 8:00 am) there will be no parental access to as a safety precautions. If access is necessary, an prescheduled appointment should be arranged.
- During dismissal: All parents will remain in their cars during pick-up and dismissal.
- Pull to the end of the parking lot in one of the designated lanes, and remain in that lane.
- All parent pick-up must either enter from the east on Perkins where our parking lot is located. Please utilize E 36th in order to join the parent pick-up line.
- If your student has been placed on a bus route he or she will ride the bus daily. Any transportation changes must be made in writing the morning of or called-in prior to lunch.
Between the hours 8:30 – 3:30, building access to parents, students, and visitors will be shifted to our Chester Avenue entrance.
Doors will be locked and not responsive at our Perkins Avenue entrance and redirected to our Chester Avenue entrance. Our main office location is off Chester Avenue.
We encourage parking at the PNC bank parking lot along the gate during this time when visiting (dropping off or picking up child, meeting with staff, etc); do not park on Chester Avenue.
Teacher Spotlight: MEET OUR AMAZING 4th and 5th Grade Team MEMBERS!
Raeann Marko: 4th and 5th Grade Math & Science
I was born and raised here in the Cleveland area. This is my fifth-year teaching fourth and fifth grade math and science here at UCP. When I am not busy here at school, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, working in my garden, going to concerts, traveling, and shopping. I received my bachelor’s degree in middle childhood education from Ashland University and my master’s degree in Education from Baldwin Wallace University.
Favorite Things
- Teaching
- Shopping
- Going out to eat
- Traveling
- Anything chocolate
- Disney
- Colors pink and purple
Welcome back to the 2024 – 2025 school. I am excited to watch everyone grow and learn new things. Let’s make this the best year yet!
Shari Carpenter – 4th and 5th Grade ELA & Social Studies
I was born and raised here in Portage County, and I currently live in Cleveland, Ohio. This is my 13th year teaching here at UCP. When I am not busy here at school, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing with my dogs(Bella, Monet and PK), going to concerts, traveling, and playing sports. I graduated from Lee University with my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science.
Favorite Things
- Teaching /Learning new things
- Playing Softball
- Going out to eat
- Traveling
- Pets-dogs
Welcome to 2024-2025 school year I am excited to work with everyone and to expand our skills, so we are prepared for an amazing year.
STUDENT HEALTH & WELLNESS
SLEEP
Sleep is food for the brain. During sleep, important body functions and brain activity occur.
Poor sleep hygiene can negatively affect your mood, your performance on daily tasks and even your appearance. Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with your family and friends and hurt your scores on school exams. It can also affect your performance in your extracurricular activities. Remember that a brain that is hungry for sleep will get it, even when you don’t expect it.
For full article and more information on sleep go to The Sleep Foundation
DEVELOP A MORNING AND NIGHT TIME ROUTINE
Developing a routine for both the morning time and night time helps give students a sense of security and predictability. Routines are consistent activities that happen at designated times each day. Pick a few activities that can be done in the same pattern each time. An example of a night time routine could include:
-packing your backpack for the next day
-brushing your teeth
-reading a book for a few minutes
-turning the lights out at the same time each night
UNPLUG AND GET MOVING
According to the American Heart Association, kids should spend about an hour each day engaging in physical activity. Moving (even just a little) improves heart health. Get creative with different movement ideas around the house!
ENCOURAGE POSITIVE SELF-TALK
The Mayo Clinic encourages following one rule to get started: “Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else.” Work to switch your framework from negative to positive self talk. Instead of saying “This is too hard, I’ll never figure it out” try saying “This is an opportunity to learn something new.” Notice how you feel after making this shift.
Tips for Academic Success
Set High Expectations!
Ensuring your child’s academic success is dependent in part on your expectations of their performance. Establishing high expectations does not mean demanding your child earns perfect scores on all their assignments. Rather, setting high expectations means challenging your child to achieve beyond what they think they can achieve. First, be realistic about your child’s abilities, then help your student set achievable goals. Realistic expectations will depend on a wide variety of factors, including your child’s age, inherent abilities, and areas of interest. It’s perfectly fine for your child to be a “C” student in math, but expressing the expectation that he or she strives for a “C+” or a “B” will help them set their sights above and beyond what they think is possible. The point is, regardless of your child’s level of academic abilities, they need to be challenged to reach higher, and they need to know that you expect them to try their hardest to do so.
