LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #6 2019-2020

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October 6, 2019
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
Welcome to our first October weekend! It is a great time of year with football, leaf peeping, county fairs, apple picking, and fall weather. At the Locke, the school year is in full swing with so much going on. We have another busy week ahead with 5 DAYS OF LEARNING! Let’s see what’s happening …
Monday, October 7th is an “A” Day. Please plan accordingly for the week.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LockeMiddle
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. --Booker T. Washington
BLACK-OUT BULLYING DAY
We had a successful black-out bullying day last week.  Parents, if you have not already done so, please review the pledge with your children. Thank you.
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
After school activities continue this week.  If you have any questions, please contact our secretary Mrs. Brewster. nbrewster@billericak12.com or 978-528-8650.
HOMEWORK CLUB
HW club will continue in the library every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Students do not need to sign up ahead of time for HW club. They will report to the library immediately after school. Students can attend as many days as the parent/student believes are necessary. Students are expected to stay for the full hour.
LATE BUSES
Late buses continue this week and will run on every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The buses usually arrive at the Locke at 3:10 PM. Please see the attached late bus stops. One of our buses does drop off at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
HALLOWEEN DANCE
We will be having a Halloween Dance at the Locke on Friday, October 25th from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. More details next week.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Last week’s answer: 6 hours
RATIOS, RATIOS
The ratio of girls to boys in a 7th-grade class is 3:4. On Monday, 4 girls and 6 boys left the classroom to go to the library. Since no other students were absent on Monday, the ratio of girls remaining in the class to boys remaining in the class was 4:5. How many students are in the class when everyone is present? How many boys? How many girls? (Show the algebra for bonus points)
Turn your answers into the office by Friday. The correct answers will be put in a drawing for huge, tremendous prizes!
PARENT PAGE
At the Locke, we believe that homework is important part of the learning process. It teaches organization, meeting deadlines, and is an extension of the learning done in the classroom. At the same time, we understand that students have other commitments outside of school and completing homework can be stressful. Here are a few tips to alleviate some of the concerns raised by homework.
  • Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.
  • Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available. (have a HW box) Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.
  • Help your child with time management. Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don‘t let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.
  • Be positive about homework. Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
  • When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the work becomes difficult, someone will do it for him or her. If the homework is too difficult, make a note to ask the teacher about it the next day.
ASPEN – PARENT PORTAL
For Parent Account login assistance or to reset your password, please email: portalhelp@billericak12.com    
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. Brewster at nbrewster@billericak12.com  
PTO CORNER
We have two open spots on the PTO: Secretary & Treasurer We are also looking for help with the following programs:
Special Programs Coordinator
Labels Program (Box Tops, etc)
Locke Apparel
School Time Fundraisers (Trinket Sales) 
Scrip Gift Card Program
Scholastic Book Fair
Walkathon
Field Day Chairperson/Committee 
If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact the Locke PTO
Our next PTO meeting will be held on Monday November 4th at 7:00 pm in the library. 
Hope to see you there!
Important Upcoming dates:
  • Columbus Day – No School Monday, October 14th
  • Substance Abuse Prevention Forum – Wednesday, October 16th – 5:00PM, Marshall Middle
  • Progress Reports Published--Tuesday, October 22nd  
  • Locke Halloween Dance – Friday, October 25th – 6:00-8:30PM
  • Billerica Special Education—Parents’ Advisory Council Meeting – Tuesday, October 29th, 7:00PM-Parker Elementary
  • Picture Make-Ups – Wednesday, October 30th  
One attachment this week:
If you have any questions, please contact me at tgaras@billericak12.com or call at 978-528-8655 I look forward to a great school year!!
Warmest regards,
Tony Garas, Principal

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