LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #20 2017-2018

January 21, 2018

Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,

I hope you are enjoying the warm weekend. It’s funny that we now consider the 40’s warm but we will certainly take it. I think it’s safe to say that we will have a full 5 days of learning this week. I asked the students to get their rest and be ready for a full week! As always there’s a lot going on. Let’s see what’s happening … and GO PATS !!!

Monday, January 22^nd is a “D” day.  Please plan accordingly for the week. 

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LockeMiddle

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." - Judy Garland

DATE CHANGE

Due to the recent snow days, Day 91 is now January 31^st and students will change unified arts classes. Progress reports will still be published on February 1^st.

I-READY MID-YEAR ASSESSMENT

I-ready testing begins tomorrow for 6^th grade. Please see attached schedule. We ask students to do their best work and put in an honest effort. We utilize these results as one part of next year’s placement process.  The results will be sent home with the 2nd-trimester report card.

HOMEWORK CLUB/LATE BUSES

HW Club and late buses will continue on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Winter activities will begin this week. Students were given their slips on Friday telling them the activity and days that it is meeting. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Battcock at pbattcock@billericak12.com.

SCIENCE FAIR

We would like to invite you to encourage the talented and hard working 8th grade scientists at the Locke Middle School on Friday, January 26^th. The Science fair is in the Locke cafeteria from 8:00 am to 9:15 am.

YEARBOOK NEWS – SEE IMPORTANT DEADLINES
SMILE!! Grade 8 2018 yearbook!
The following items are available to be added in the yearbook for 2018. Below is a description of the entries and how to respond. Please read all the information and email Mrs. Milner if there are any questions. Deadlines are firm-no exceptions!  
Your student’s school picture (or retake) from our school photographer will be included along with your legal name in the grade 8 photo section.  
YOU DO NOT NEED TO SUBMIT IT!
DUE DATES:
9/28/17--2/1/18 -google form open to be filled out. Closed on February 1, 2018- no exceptions!
2/2-4/28-payment collection ($20)-stay tuned for more information!
TBD -- yearbook signing-end of school yearbook distribution and signing within the last week of school.
What am I able to submit?
1) In 20 years-tell us where you plan to be 20 years from now (job/career, living, goal, etc).
2) Remember when-share a memory that has stuck with you over the past 3 years here at the Locke.
3).  Baby Picture-please make sure that when uploading the picture it is: in jpeg format and labeled by full name.  The easiest way to do this is to take an image with a smartphone (no flash), crop and email it to your google account, and then save it to the drive.  You can easily attach it from there.
To submit a response:
Log into student Billericak12.com (google) account and then go to the following link :     https://goo.gl/forms/yh9rRJVMubdbrn6Q2 

MCAS TESTING SCHEDULE

Please see the attached MCAS schedule for this spring.

MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK

Last Week’s Answers: a. 11,238,513 b. 26 c. 292,201,338

MLK DAY

Civil Rights leader and Nobel Prize winner Martin Luther King, Jr. was born January 15, 1929.  On January 13, 1979 a 15-cent stamp was issued by the United States Postal Service as part of the Black Heritage Series of commemorative stamps. In 1979 it cost 15 cents to mail a first-class letter weighing up to 1 ounce, and the current cost to mail a first-class letter weighing no more than 1 ounce is 49 cents.  Suppose $24,965,250 worth of the Black Heritage King stamps have been issued by the USPS.

 a. Using only those 15-cent commemorative King stamps that have been issued, how many first-class letters weighing up to 1 ounce each could be mailed today? Express your answer to the nearest whole number.

 b. What is the total amount of money that would be saved by using a combination of commemorative 15-cent King stamps and 1-cent stamps to mail the same number of first-class letters from the previous problem?

PTO CORNER
Yankee Candle fundraiser: Thank you to all helped make this a successful fundraiser!
Locke Apparel: We will have a limited supply of Locke apparel available for purchase. The following items will be available in sizes small, medium, and large: long sleeved shirts in cotton and dri fit, hoodies in cotton and dri fit, and hats with and without pom-pom. Order forms will be sent home soon for our January order including these and other Locke apparel items.
Gift Cards: Order forms will also be sent home the last week of January for our next order. Gift cards ordered will be available in February. Purchasing gift cards through our Scrip program saves you the hassle of store purchases while helping us raise funds for the Locke without any additional fees.
Stress-Free Fundraiser... Traditional fundraisers not your thing?  Our Alternative/ Stress-Free Fundraiser runs throughout the school year. Donations can be sent in at any time and are sincerely appreciated. 100% of all donations go to the Locke PTO to directly benefit the students and staff at the Locke. Checks should be made payable to Locke PTO in an envelope marked Locke PTO. Forms are helpful but not mandatory if Stress-Free Fundraiser is on the memo line of your check.
Looking ahead...Our next opportunity for students to purchase items for themselves or to give as gifts to friends and family for Valentine's Day will be coming up soon. Tentative dates are Wednesday, January 31st through Wednesday, February 14th.  Please take a look at your calendar and let us know if you have any days available that you would be willing to sell merchandise to students during lunchtime.  The specific timeframe would be 10:15 a.m. to 12 noon, which includes set up and break down.  Thank you in advance!
Positions/ Volunteer Opportunities: We need volunteers to "shadow" our current chair people for the following positions to take over at the end of the 2017-2018 school year:
Co-Vice President (fundraising), PTO Treasurer, Box Tops for Education Program Coordinator.
Please reach out for more information or to express your interest in any of these positions. Thank you! Without the help of parent volunteers stepping up to give some time and share their expertise, we simply cannot have a successful PTO. Please help us continue our mission to make Life at the Locke the best it can be!
Volunteer Opportunities... The Locke PTO welcomes any and all help that parents are willing to give. We have many different opportunities to help out, some at our school or in other parts of Billerica and some that you can do from home. No amount of time and effort is too little, so please take a look at the attached list and let us know what you can do to help us make Life at the Locke that much better! Remember, even if each parent or family volunteers one hour of their time and effort, it all adds up and benefits all our kids and our Locke community. Forms may be sent to school with your child labelled Locke PTO or simply send us an email at billericalockepto@gmail.com letting us know how you would like to help! Thank you!
Box Tops for Education: Please save and send us your Box Tops from Education. Each box top you are willing to clip from a Box or other container from your grocery store purchase and send into the school earns the Locke PT0 10 cents toward supplies, events, and programs for the children. Please make sure that the expiration dates remain intact so that we can receive credit. Box tops should be turned in in either an envelope or Ziploc bag clearly labelled with your child's name and homeroom number. Thank you!
Upcoming PTO Meetings: 
All Mondays 6:30 PM: February 5^th, March 5^th, April 2^nd, May 14^th, June 4th
Please join us! It's a great way to get lots of Information, share your ideas and suggestions, get answers to questions you may have, and have a say In what we do to help make life at the Locke the best we can for all the students. No babysitter? No worries. Children are always welcome.
Please contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have at billericalockepto@gmail.com or by calling Faith Stevens at 978-667-6676 or 978-314-3389. Thank you!

ABSENCES
If your child is going to be absent, please call 978-528-8650 to report the absence. You can leave a voicemail at this number which goes directly to our secretary. You may also email our secretary, Ms. Battcock atpbattcock@billericak12.com

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:

• January 22^nd – After School Activities begin, I-Ready testing begins
• January 26^th – 8^th Grade Science Fair, 8:00 AM
• January 31^st – Day 91, Trimester 2B starts
• February 1^st – Progress Reports Issued
• February 3^rd – District-Wide Spelling Bee
• February 5^th – PTO Meeting, 6:30 PM
• February 6^th – Early Release, 11:40 Dismissal
• February 7^th – School Council Meeting, 6:00 PM
• February 12^th-16^th Spirit Week, Hoops for Heart
• February 19^th – 23^th School Vacation
• February 26^th – Return to School (D Day)

ATTACHMENTS:

1. PTO stress-free fundraiser

2. PTO Volunteer Opportunities

3. MCAS testing schedule

4. I-ready testing schedule