Edison Park Creative and Expressive Arts School

Welcome to

Edison Park Creative & Expressive Arts School!

Sherri Wipf, Principal

239-334-6232

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!

April 1, 2021

Dear parents and guardians of EPCEA students,
Happy Spring!! Our third, fourth and fifth grade students will be taking the FSA Assessments during April and May. The dates for each assessment are listed below. This test measures your child’s progress on the Florida Sunshine State Standards. It is important your child gets a good night’s sleep and arrives on time to school. Testing will begin every day at 8:15am. Here are a few tips that will help your child become successful on all assessments:
1. Understand the purpose. Let your child know that the tests measure how students in their school are doing compared with other schools in the district and state.
2. Reassure your child and let them know that you believe they will do their best.
3. Tell your child to read every answer.
4. Use your test taking strategies like “UNRAVEL” when reading passages.
5. Answer the questions in order.
6. Go back and check your answers when you are finished with the test. Use all of the time allocated for each assessment.
7. Relax…
8. Celebrate your child’s accomplishments each day.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

April 2                 Good Friday (No School)

April 5                 Easter Monday (No School)

April 16               Early Dismissal (End of Q3)

April 16               Snow Cone Day! 

Sno Cone Day!

April 16th

$2.00

Flavors:  Orange or Grape

Sweet Dreams Are Made of Teams!

The Specials Team is always keeping us on our toes around school.  Take a look at what your children have been doing and what’s coming up in Dance, Music, Theatre, and Violin!

Everyone is cuttin’ loose in our toe tapping DANCE classes! Kindergarten loves moving like robots, making a “pizza” during floor stretches, working on coordination steps to various musical rhythms, and moving creatively.  Now, they are learning traditional folk dances from around the world! They have so much fun! 1st grade is fine-tuning their ballet and jazz steps, while also learning traditional social dances and folk dances.  They will get to learn cartwheels and level-appropriate tumbling skills using our gymnastic mats soon! 2nd grade is excitedly working on their dance choreography for the 2nd Grade Show, which will be live on our historic EP stage on May 13th. Can’t Wait!  3rd, 4th, and 5th graders have been tapping their hearts out for all of quarter 3.  From Shim Shams to Shuffling off to Buffalo, we create music with our feet.  They will move onto a choreography project and tumbling for quarter 4.  It’s always wonderful to see their personal creations through movement!  A select group of 5th grade dancers will represent EPCEA at the All County Dance concert coming up in May.  We are always represented well! All students have been using their teamwork to earn class “Shoutouts” on the dance room door.  It’s fun to see their team recognized for individually doing their best! 

Marvelous Moments happen in MUSIC! Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders are playing percussion instruments to rhythms of songs while singing.  They are also learning music literacy by writing down rhythms that match their words.  Kindergarten is also having a great time learning all of their yoga songs! 1st and 2nd grades are learning songs for their grade level shows.  How exciting! They can all practice at home too! 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are becoming songwriters! They are all working on completing their personal gratitude song with all the inspiration and knowledge from artists we have studied.  “Ranky Tanky”, a band who recently performed on Sanibel Island and brings a plethora of music history from the Gullah Culture was our spotlight musician for Black History Month.  Guest artist, via Zoom, Mr. Adam Williamson, a blues artist from Kentucky, taught them about writing their own songs, playing harmonica, keyboard, and various other instruments, while overcoming challenges.  Two of our rockstar 5th grade girls were selected as “All Star Singers” for the Florida Music Educators Association All Star Honor Ensemble.  Kenania Joseph and Vanessa Zivatkauskas will be featured, via streaming on Facebook and YouTube, on April 15th with other All Star singers from around the state of Florida.  Congratulations on all of your hard work and accomplishments!

Personalities bloom in THEATRE class.  Kindergarten is learning the areas of the stage and creation of characters.  1st grade has begun work on their play, coming up on June 10th, live in our EP auditorium! 2nd and 3rd grades are building ensemble skills and learning how to work together as a team...a must for a successful stage performance!  4th grade is exploring the many careers in theatre and will soon focus on stagecraft design. How cool!  Finally, our amazing 5th graders have begun working on playwriting.  Wow! Talk about life lessons.  Your children are learning all kinds of great things in theatre class that will help them throughout the rest of their lives!

Our very awesome VIOLIN program is like no other.  Kindergarten uses music and movement to celebrate Spring with the songs “Green and Blue” and “Mr. Rabbit”.  They are using egg shakers with one of our all-time favorites, “Tingalayo”.  Ask them to sing it for you at home! 1^st grade continues to work on their Twinkle variations on the E string.  2nd grade is preparing their pieces for the 2nd Grade Show! 3rd grade just took their note assessment test and continues to identify notes on the staff.  4th grade is working on “Skip To My Lou” and “Little Red Wagon”.  Finally, our selected 5th graders for the All County Orchestra are working on their music for a district performance.  What a wonderful opportunity Edison Park students have to learn the violin! 

Special Note about 1st and 2nd grade live shows: Per district guidelines, only 2 people per student will be allowed to attend the show in our auditorium.  The show will be videotaped and emailed for others to view and for life-long memories! 

Additional Endorsements

The following certified teachers are in the process of adding an ESOL endorsement to their teaching certificate: P. Erickson, C. Henderson, G. Keller, B. Montella,K. Nustad, and L. Pennington, C. Stoneman,.  In addition, the following are in the process of adding Professional Teaching Certificate to their teaching certificate:  S. Jahn

The School Board of Lee County, Florida

Debbie Jordan District 4 (Chair) - Betsy Vaughn, District 6 -  (Vice Chair), Mary Fischer, District 1 - Melisa W. Giovannelli, District 2 – Chris N. Patricca, District 3 - Gwynetta S. Gittens, District 5 - Cathleen O'Daniel Morgan, District 7, Kathy Dupuy-Bruno, Esq., Board Attorney.

Dr. Gregory K. Adkins

Superintendent

www.leeschools.net

The School Board of Lee County, Florida, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, marital status, religion, or sexual orientation.