Graceland Park - February 2025

Dear Graceland Park Families,

As Groundhog Day approaches, we're all wondering: will we have six more weeks of winter? While we appreciate the beauty of a snowy winter, we also prioritize student safety and well-being. We closely monitor temperature, weather conditions, and air quality to maximize outdoor play opportunities. Students will be outside when the temperature is 32 degrees or above. Please ensure your child is dressed warmly for outdoor activities.

Important Reminders:

Student Pick-Up: Please pick up your child no more than 10 minutes after the 2:10 PM dismissal bell. Supervision is available from 7:15 AM (15 minutes before school) and until 2:20 PM (10 minutes after school). If you require assistance with pick-up beyond these times, please contact the school and speak with your child's grade level administrator.
School Hours and Attendance: The academic day runs from 7:30 AM to 2:10 PM, Monday through Friday. Mondays and Fridays are regular instructional days. Please ensure your child arrives at school on time and prepared for learning. Thank you for your continued support in this effort.
Upcoming School Closures: Please note that school will be closed for students on February 13th for teacher professional development and on February 14th for a wellness day.

We appreciate your ongoing partnership in your child's education. We are committed to providing the best possible learning opportunities for every student. Thank you for your support of our teachers and school community. Please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or grade level administrator with any questions or concerns. My door is always open!

Warm regards,
Ms. Mullally
Principal, Graceland Park

Graceland Park's Robotic Team came in FIRST PLACE in the First Lego League Scrimmage. The team will advance to compete in the district competition and hopefully qualify for the State of Maryland Finals!

Important events for February 2025

February 7, Lion Leader Incentive
February 10-February 12, SGA Candy Grams Fundraiser
February 11, PTO Meeting
February 12, SGA Middle School Valentine's Day Dance
February 12, Pre-K Car Day!
February 13, Professional Development Day for Staff - School Closed for Students
February 14, Wellness Day - School Closed
February 17, President's Day - School Closed
February 27, Parent Cafe
February 27, Food Pantry Distribution
February 27, Black History Month Wax Museum

Graceland Park is proud of the diversity we have in our student population. This month, as we celebrate Black History Month, we will hold a "Black History Month Wax Museum" on February 27th. More details will be shared on ClassDojo closer to the date.

testing — All students in grades 5-8 will participate in the Maryland School Survey. It will be given during the survey window which is February 18 through April 18. The Maryland School Survey and its answers will factor into Graceland's Maryland Star Rating.

Applications for YouthWorks is now open! If you have questions about the application, contact Ms. Scribner, Community Schools Coordinator.

The Graceland Park Community Academy will kick off with 2 classes this semester. Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday beginning on February 4 and ending March 13. Two classes will be offered: 2:30- 3:30 Conversational English Skills - Intended for adults who want to learn or improve their English skills. We will learn English vocabulary, and practice speaking and conversations. 3:30- 4:30 Citizenship Test Preparation - Intended for adults who are on the pathway to citizenship. We will study the basics of US History and Government and practice oral test taking skills. The first 25 people registered will be contacted to secure their spot in the class. Participants can register for one or both of the classes. The Graceland Park SGA will provide childcare during classes. A second session will be held later in the Spring.

Join our scholars for a Black History Month "Gallery of Heroes" exhibit. Classrooms will showcase noteworthy African American individuals who have made an impact on society and history.

Ms. Nizamoff, Grade 4 ELD Teacher

Ms. Nizamoff is a fourth grade ESOL teacher at Graceland Park. This is her 20th year teaching! She attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, where she studied Economics and was a Division 1 fencer (epeé) and team captain. Around this time, she also competed with the youth Modern Pentathlon team for the United States. After college she obtained a work visa for Australia, and she lived and worked Down Under for over a year. After returning home, she decided to pursue a career in education. In 2002, Ms. Nizamoff moved to Baltimore, and in 2003 she attended The John's Hopkins University where she earned her Master in Teaching.

Ms. Nizamoff is in her twentieth year of teaching! She is loving her first year at Graceland Park and appreciates working with the amazing fourth grade team as well as the Graceland coaches and administrators. "Graceland Park is a welcoming place to work," she says. "The fun staff events help us stay connected even as a big school."

Currently, Ms. Nizamoff is working on her Professional Spanish Certificate through Towson University. She asks the students for help with her Spanish because they are the experts!

Favorite Quote: "At our best, we are all teachers." -Maya Angelou

Each morning, a character trait is highlighted on morning announcements. These character traits embody the spirit of a Graceland Park scholar. Here are the words that will be highlighted this month.

Week of February 3- Friendship - Friendship is the state of mutual or shared trust and affection between two people. A friend is someone you can rely on and enjoy being around. Some ways you can be a good friend is sharing with others, being a good listener, and always being honest.

Week of February 10 - Teamwork - Teamwork is the collaborative effort by a group of people to accomplish a task. Good teams cooperate with each other and utilize individual strengths to reach their goals. They work together to solve problems and resolve conflicts. Times you may need to show that you're a good teammate are when working on a group project, playing a sport, or performing in a play.

Week of February 18 - Sportsmanship - Sportsmanship is being dedicated to fair play and treating other players with respect and kindness. People who have great sportsmanship do not cheat or whine when they lose. Others are more likely to want to play a game or sport with someone who shows great sportsmanship. An example of being a good sport is congratulating the other team or player after they beat you in a game.

Week of February 24 - Citizenship - Citizenship is belonging to a particular group or area to which one feels allegiance. You could be a citizen of your country, state, city, and family. Actions of a good citizen include taking care of others in your community, obeying laws, and taking care of your environment.

Do you know know CORE is?

CORE is a low-tech visual tool to help facilitate communication. CORE vocabulary is made up of 80% of what we say throughout the day. The CORE vocabulary board is made up of what City Schools determined to be the 50 most appropriate words students use during the academic day. Our goal is to use this tool school-wide to help increase communication and understanding for our students, especially in the early childhood grades.

Our February CORE focus words are like and go.

Congratulations to our all star library readers. Remember that all scholars have an opportunity to check out library books! If you have questions about the library, contact Ms. Guth!

Some of our Green Team members went to the Food x Climate Summit at Great Kids Farm. Students participated in workshops and activities such as learning to compost with bokashi, building their own climate friendly garden, pollinators, flowers and food, and climate resilient farming.

Students with GREAT ATTENDANCE for Quarter 2 were rewarded with a GLOW PARTY. Remember that every student has the opportunity to attend - just come to school!

Grade 3 students designed and built a magnetic levitation train (know as MAGLEV) with materials they were learning about in their magnetic science unit.

Another successful round of students completing the Bike Safety course under the direction of Mr. Holifield Student were able to learn proper riding etiquette and most importantly safety measures.

Community members who have young children completed The Chicago Parent Program. This program is a national, evidence-based program designed to address the needs of parents raising young children (2-8 years old)

Who doesn't love hot chocolate? Ms. Teleisha rewarded some of her scholars hot chocolate for their hard work during small group instructional time.

Visit our school website for the most updated information and calendar events
Grade level newsletters will be posted on the school website by the 10th of each month! Check out what your child is learning in their class!
Attendance matters! Make sure you have your child come to school every day and on time! With GREAT ATTENDANCE (absent two days or less) comes special perks. See the flyer below for the quarterly attendance incentive.
Parking - Do not double park or yield to let passengers out of your vehicle on the streets around the school. This is for the safety of ALL students. All vehicles picking up students at dismissal should be parked on Gusryan as that is the designated "car rider" area.
Snow - Please look at our instructional plans below in case there is a snow emergency. It is important that all families are aware of this information!
English - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LamBFmiyzyUuztuoFzxw-iSTpOnHhnaAkLA6ZXs04Jo/edit?usp=sharing
Zoom Links - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wUL3RedETAaVoVbzWND7DvywY4iRzL3i2oNTiOaluGY/edit?usp=sharing

As the weather turns colder, remember that all students will still go outside for recess if the "feels like" temperature is above 32 degrees and there is no precipitation forecasted.

Attendance — If your child has GREAT attendance, they will get to have their GLOW ON for our quarter two attendance incentive!

City Schools has explicit guidelines for what is permitted and not permitted for dress code in our schools. Please look at the flyer that was published at the beginning of the school year for a reminder of the protocol.

Join us each month for Parent Power - a workshop tailored to parents to help their child at home with their education and provide them with resources. This month the Parent Power meeting will be on Thursday, February 27th. This months topic will be "Know Your Rights" presented by CASA. Be on the lookout on ClassDojo for more details closer to the date. In the meantime, here are some informational links to use as reference:

Know Your Rights - Conozca sus Derechos

(English) (Español)

City Schools Immigration Resources & Information

Wow! Half of the school year is over. We are excited helping our scholars to achieve their goals. It is important for them to continue to focus in class, do their assignments, and show up in school ready to learn each day.

Graceland After School Tutoring program is from 2:15-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Scholars receive supper and snacks. They receive tutoring in math and reading. Scholars attending the Y in Central Maryland After School Program attend Monday through Thursday from 2:15 to 5:15 p.m. They receive supper, snacks and small group instruction in literacy and participate in enrichment activities.

February is an exciting month full of celebrations. February is Black History month. The 2025 theme is “African Americans and Labor”. February is also American Heart Awareness month. The theme is “Heart Health and Cardiovascular Prevention”. We will be celebrating President’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

A few things to remember:

If the school is on a delayed opening, breakfast will not be served. Scholars are to report to school at the appropriate opening time. They will go straight to class. Please do not send your child early as we will not have supervision for them.
The school office is open to parents from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The office will reopen once scholars are dismissed at 2:30 p.m.

Thank you parents, partners, and community members for all you do in supporting our scholars.

Family & Community Newsletter February 2025

Important events for February 2025