LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #16 2019-2020
December 15, 2019
HOLIDAY EDITION!!
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I wish you all a happy, healthy holiday season and a happy new year. We have had another great year at the Locke. It certainly was a busy one with BMHS opening its doors to 8th graders and our school welcoming 5th and 6th graders. Change can be difficult at times, but our students and staff are resilient and embraced the transition for the benefit of all. It is a great time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to new challenges and goals. The Locke has a great year of learning planned for the coming months. Enjoy your vacation with family and friends. The newsletter will be taking a week off and we will publish again on January 1st. See you in 2020!!
4 ½ DAYS OF LEARNING left in 2019! Let’s see what’s happening …
Monday, December 16th is a “B” Day. Please plan accordingly for the week.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness” – Helen Keller
AFTER SCHOOL THIS WEEK
We will have HW club and late buses only on Monday and Wednesday this week. We will not have HW club or late buses on Thursday. HW Club and late buses will resume on Monday, January 6th.
HALF DAY – UGLY SWEATER DAY
Friday, December 20th is a half-day (also ugly sweater day!) with dismissal at approximately 10:40 – 11:00. Breakfast and lunch will not be served. Dismissal time is dependent on the arrival of buses. Please be patient as we will follow our regular dismissal procedures for the safety of all students.
REPORT CARDS
Report Cards were published on the Aspen portal last week. You can see the report card under published reports on your home page. We ask that you sign and return the report card envelope for us to verify that you have seen the report card.
FALL/SPRING MUSICAL
Congratulations to the cast and crew of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for two great performances Friday and Saturday. It was outstanding! We are not wasting any time and we are ready to start work on our spring musical. An information meeting will be held for “Legally Blonde-Jr” after school on Wednesday, December 18th from 1:45-2:45. Please see the attached flyer.
HOLIDAY CONCERTS!!
Our band, chorus, and orchestra are busy preparing their holiday concerts. Please come out to hear some great music. Please see the calendar below for the dates.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Last week’s answer: 4 hours
DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN? (Read carefully)
Ron and Rhonda are each building a snowman. Rhonda tells Ron that she is making each of her 3 balls of snow 20% smaller than the one below it. Rhonda starts by making the base ball with a diameter of 20 inches. If she reduces the diameter by 20% each time she makes a new ball, what is the radius of the third ball she makes (the ball for the snowman’s head)? Express your answer as a decimal to the nearest tenth.
Turn your answers in to the office. SHOW YOUR WORK. The correct answers will be put in a drawing for huge, tremendous prizes!
PARENT CORNER
The holidays can be a stressful time for adults and children. The American Psychological Association offers the following tips to parents:
Strengthen social connections – We know that strong, supportive relationships help us manage all kinds of challenges. So, we can view the holidays as a time to reconnect with the positive people in our lives. Accepting help and support from those who care about us can help alleviate stress. Also, volunteering at a local charity on our own or with family can be another way to make connections; helping others often makes us feel better, too.
Initiate conversations about the season – It can be helpful to have conversations with our kids about the variety of different holiday traditions our families, friends and others may celebrate. Parents can use this time as an opportunity to discuss how some families may not participate in the same holiday traditions as others. Not everyone needs to be the same. It is important to teach open-mindedness about others and their celebrations.
Set expectations – It is helpful to set realistic expectations for gifts and holiday activities. Depending on a child's age, we can use this opportunity to teach kids about the value of money and responsible spending. We need to remember to pare down our own expectations, too. Instead of trying to take on everything, we need to identify the most important holiday tasks and take small concrete steps to accomplish them.
Keep things in perspective – On the whole, the holiday season is short. It helps to maintain a broader context and a longer-term perspective. We can ask ourselves, what’s the worst thing that could happen this holiday? Our greatest fears may not happen and, if they do, we can tap our strengths and the help of others to manage them. There will be time after the holiday season to follow up or do more of things we’ve overlooked or did not have the time to do during the holidays.
Take care of yourself – It is important that we pay attention to our own needs and feelings during the holiday season. We can find fun, enjoyable and relaxing activities for ourselves and our families. By keeping our minds and bodies healthy, we are primed to deal with stressful situations when they arise. Consider cutting back television viewing for kids and getting the family out together for fresh air and a winter walk. Physical activity can help us feel better and sleep well, while reducing sedentary time and possible exposure to stress-inducing advertisements.
ASPEN – PARENT PORTAL
For Parent Account login assistance or to re-set your password, please email: portalhelp@
ABSENCES
Attendance is an important part of overall student success. 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
This week the PTO will be selling holiday trinkets at all lunches! Most items are $1.
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
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
Email: billericalockepto@
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Our next PTO meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 8th at 7:00 pm in the library.
Hope to see you there!
Important Upcoming dates:
- Orchestra Concert—Monday, December 16th – 7:00 PM BMHS
- Chorus Concert – Tuesday, December 17th – 7:00 PM BMHS
- 6th grade Field Trip – Wednesday, December 18th
- 7th Grade Field Trip – Thursday, December 19th
- Half-Day – Friday, December 20th – 10:40 Dismissal
- Holiday Break – December 21st – January 1st
- Return to School – Thursday, January 2nd , 2020
One attachment this week
If you have any questions, please contact me at tgaras@billericak12.com or call at 978-528-8655. Have a great week!
Warmest regards,
Tony Garas, Principal