Graceland Park-O'Donnell Heights Elementary/Middle School #240
Family & Community Newsletter - May 2025
Dear Graceland Park Families,
Happy May! As we enter the final stretch of the school year, I want to take a moment to recognize and thank our dedicated teachers and staff who continue to work tirelessly to support our students academically, socially, and emotionally. Their commitment and care make a lasting impact every single day.
This month brings a busy and exciting season filled with after-school programs, athletics, and important state and end-of-year assessments. We are proud of how our students have shown growth and resilience, and we ask for your continued partnership in helping them finish the year strong.
Please remind your child to come to school each day prepared and focused, ready to do their best. A good night’s sleep, regular attendance, and time set aside to study and review will go a long way in ensuring success during testing.
Students in Grade 3-8 are currently taking the Maryland statewide assessment, MCAP, for Reading and Math, and Social Studies. MCAP is the state’s measure of growth for our students and school. It is important for families to support their child during this period with the following MCAP Tips:
Ensure your child is well-rested and goes to bed early.
Ensure your child eats their breakfast at home or here at school.
Encourage your child to do their best and show how much they have learned.
Thank you, as always, for your support. Together, we are helping our students reach their full potential.
With gratitude,
Johanna Mullally, Principal
Important events for May 2025
May 1-2, Grades 6-8 MCAP ELA
May 5-8, Grades 3-5 MCAP ELA
May 5-9, Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6, SGA Meeting, 12:15
May 9, Middle School Spring Dance, 5:00-7:00
May 12-15, Grades 6-8 MCAP Mathematics
May 13, Parent Power, 8:00
May 15, Grades 6-8 Field Trip, Orioles Weather Day, 9:00-2:20
May 15, Community & Culture Night, 5:00-6:30
May 16, No School for Students, Professional Development Day for Staff
May 19-22, Grades 3-5 MCAP Mathematics & Grade 8 Social Studies
May 20, PTO Celebration, 8:00
May 20, SGA Meeting, 2:30
May 23, Grades 6-8 Field Day
May 26, School Closed for Students & Staff, Observance of Memorial Day
May 27-30, Grade 6 Field Trip, North Bay
May 29, Green Team Field Trip, MAEOE Youth Summit at Sandy Point State Park, 8:00-2:00
May 29, Spring Concert & Art Show, 5:00-7:00
May 30, Grades PK-5 Field Day
May 30, Grade 8 Class Trip
Let's celebrate the teachers and staff at Graceland Park with an EPIC spirit week! Look at each day to celebrate your GP spirit!
Join us to celebrate the diversity of Graceland Park at the annual Community Culture Night. There will be activities for the entire family, a parade of nations, and food samples from around the world.
Under the direction of our Musical Educators Mr. Mandawe & Ms. Lisondra, Graceland Park is proud to present "Under the Sea Rhythms!" The spring concert will get you in the mood to go visit the beach and explore . Remember that if you child participates, they must have a permission slip signed and turned in prior to the concert. Any questions, please contact Mr. Mandawe or Ms. Lisondra.
Students in grades 3-8 will participate in MCAP (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program) testing. Encourage your child to do their best as this is a reflection of their learning. Remind them to actively attempt all questions and use testing strategies that are taught in the classroom.
Camp Graceland is returning this summer for students in grades PK-5. The summer program will run Monday through Thursday's from July 7 through July 31 from 8:30-12:30. There are limited spots available. Registration is ONLINE through the QR code in the flyer or go to https://forms.gle/VE5sD8gE1W3jRfY56 to register your child. If you have questions about Camp Graceland, please contact Dr. Rosenkrans or the main office.
Do you know a child who will be 4 or 5 by September 1, 2025? If so, it is time for them to be registered for PreK or Kindergarten at Graceland Park Elementary/Middle School! Spread the word to family, friends, neighbors, and anyone who may have a child who is 4 or 5!
Ms. Teleisha, Grade 3 ELD Teacher
Ms. Teleisha is the third grade ESOL teacher here at Graceland Park, where she brings dedication, energy, and heart to everything she does. In addition to supporting MLs during the school day, she stays busy after-hours coaching Girls on the Run and tutoring students. This is her second year at Graceland and her eighth-year teaching in Baltimore City.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Ms. Teleisha received her bachelor's degree from Flagler College before earning her master's degree in ESOL from Goucher College just last year. In her free time, you can find her solo travelling, trying out local restaurants around Baltimore, or taking a walk with her recent rescue dog, Zeus.
Ms. Teleisha says her experience teaching in Spain helped shape her path into education. She knew she wanted to do something meaningful—and teaching has been just that. She finds joy in her students’ growth and especially values being able to witness their “aha” moments. We’re so glad to have her as a part of the Graceland Park team!
Favorite quote: "One person can make a difference, and everyone should try it." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy
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 May 5 - Self-care - Self-care is what we do to support our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. It is important to find self-care strategies that you enjoy so you can stay healthy. A few self-care ideas are: taking a walk, writing in a journal, mediating, listening to music, spending time with people you love, and reading your favorite book.
Week of May 12 - Self-esteem - Self-esteem means being able to see the good qualities and strengths in yourself. It is feeling good about yourself and believing in yourself, even when you fail at something. Self-esteem is feeling proud about what you can do. You can help build your self-esteem by not comparing yourself to others and focusing on being the best YOU that you can be.
Week of May 19 - Patience - Patience is the ability to accept or tolerate difficult situations without getting upset or angry. Patient people are able to wait calmly without complaining and have a higher tolerance for unpleasantness or inconveniences. Some ways we can practice and grow our patience is by taking deep breaths, focusing on the positive, and getting plenty of sleep!
Week of May 27 - Humility - Humility is the quality of being humble or modest and not being arrogant or selfish. Humility is about being respectful and putting the needs of others before your own. Some ways to practice humility are by speaking well of others, avoiding bragging, being patient, and apologizing when we have done something wrong.
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 May CORE focus words are up and turn.
Congratulations to the following students for their participation in the Maryland Science Olympiad Elementary State Competition!
4th Grade: Cristian, Arnell, Daniel
5th Grade: Aleksandra, Yasser, Masya, Jefferson
These amazing young scholars representing Graceland Park and placed in the New School Division in the following events:
1st Place: Codebuster, Sink or Float
2nd Place: Building Block Racers, Clay Boats, Fossil Find, Science Jeopardy, Write It Do It
3rd Place: Aerodynamics, Mystery Liquids
Who runs the world... GIRLS! Led by the Girls on the Run coaches, Ms. Teleisha, Ms. Reck, and Ms. Nettleton, our Girls on the Run club completed their 5K race! These incredible girls dedicated themselves to training all season long, showing perseverance, teamwork, and determination. We are so proud of their hard work and commitment to reaching this goal. A big thank you to Mr. Kemp, Ms. Wenner, and Ms. Newman who stepped in as running buddies on race day and all the staff who supported through donations and the after-school fundraiser!
Learning about the Civil Rights Act in second grade ELA, Ms. Sadouki aimed to provide students with a hands-on understanding of advocacy and civic engagement. Students conducted workshops to prepare for a protest - "YES YES MORE RECESS". Scholars created their own signs and practiced delivering speeches in preparation of the protest. These students demonstrated incredible enthusiasm and commitment as they presented their case to Principal Mullally. The protest went great... they earned some extra recess for their hard efforts!
Congratulations to Graceland Park's Battle of the Books team! The students read and prepared for the citywide competition in an afterschool club. The team competed on Friday, April 25th at Morgan State University against 33 other schools in Baltimore City. Kudos to Danny, Alexis, Gian & Cristian in 4th grade and Aleksandra in 5th grade for their amazing efforts! They made Graceland Park proud!
Students in Ms. Green's 8-03 class celebrated good behavior and great work with a celebratory hot dog party as chosen by the students themselves.
Pre-K & Kindergarten had another fantastic visit, sadly the last one for the school year, from the scholar athletes from the JO Club from Patterson High. Special kudos to Coach Kelley from Patterson who is their advisor. This year we marked 20 years of collaboration together. Graceland Park is thankful for their willingness and dedication to the school community.
Physical Education & Health - Mr. Cassidy
PK-2nd Grade:
The elementary students will be starting a new unit focused on jump rope movements. The main focuses are working on their coordination and reaction. We are excited to introduce the students to new movements through exciting activities.
3rd-5th Grade:
The intermediate students will be working on a new unit in frisbee. They will focus on their hand eye coordination through throwing and catching a disc. They will be learning new skills and techniques for throwing and catching while moving and developing into learning skills and strategies for games of ultimate frisbee.
6th-8th Grade:
The middle school students will be circling back to review units from earlier in the year. They will be using the skills and strategies they learned and showcase them in competitions through sports such as flag football, volleyball, soccer, and ultimate frisbee.
Music - Mr. Mandawe
Students are making melodies outdoors! Music class has moved outside where students are joyfully playing the outdoor instruments while practicing their song for the big Music Performance.
The countdown is on! Our students are busy rehearsing for the enchanting "Under the Sea Rhythms" musical. Prepare to be amazed by their talent and the magic they're creating!
Music class in 8th grade is where it's at! Kids are totally absorbed in making their own music on Soundtrap, this cool online software. You can feel the energy in the room as everyone gets creative, putting together all kinds of songs. They're really putting their hearts into these tracks, which are going to be shared in the Sound Gallery performance soon. Seriously can't wait to hear what these talented 8th graders have been cooking up!
Library, Media, & Foreign Language - Ms. Guth
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.
If your child has GREAT attendance, they will get to participate in the Kona Ice Truck for our quarter four 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.
It is amazing how fast the school year has gone. Here we are in the last full month of the school year. Student success is important to us. Failure is not an option. Please rally behind your child (ren) to continue to complete the school year successfully.
May is the month of end of year testing for students. Encourage your children to do their best and be present each day.
The school will host its Community Culture event on May 15th at 5:00 p.m. We are still in need of a variety of foods. Please see Anna Scribner or Mr. Ariosa for food donations.
The PTO will be hosting an end of year celebration. Lookout for more information on classdojo.
The Y in Central Maryland at Graceland will not have a summer program. The school will host Camp Graceland. Be on the lookout for more information.
Thank you stakeholders for your support in meeting the needs of the school and families. Please do not hesitate to call or visit me with questions/concerns.
