LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #10 2020-2021
November 15, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I hope you are having a great weekend. It is a busy time of year at the Locke as we approach Thanksgiving. Please read through the newsletter as we have many events and important dates coming up. We are back this week with a full 5 DAYS OF LEARNING! Let’s see what’s happening …
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17th – Last day of Quarter 1
This Wednesday is the last day for quarter 1 Unified Arts classes. – Health, Computers, Art, Drama, Industrial Tech, and Music. Students will begin quarter 2 specials on Thursday, November 18th. Students, please consult your schedules for your new classes and look for Google classroom invites.
VIRTUAL TURKEY TOSS – It’s Happening!
Every year we have a fundraiser for the Billerica Food Pantry. We gather in the gym to fling turkeys through the air for fun and prizes! This year we are going virtual, of course. Please see the attached flyer for more details. Sales will be on Monday/Tuesday for cohort 1 and Thursday for cohort 2.
STUDENT COUNCIL
Students, if you are interested in being on the student council please see the attached information and fill out the form.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Last Week’s Answer: Try the number game with family and friends!
180 DAYS OF LEARNING??
We spend 1/3 of the year sleeping (if the average is 8 hours a day).
There are 52 weekends a year.
We have 3 months of summer vacation.
We have 2 days Thanksgiving break.
We have 2 weeks winter holiday.
We have 1-week spring break.
Not counting additional days off for holidays (Martin Luther King, Jr., Labor Day, etc.), my calculations tell me that we have a little less than 1 month left for school. Yet in the United States, we spend 9 months in school.
How can this be?
- verify my calculations,
- explain where I went wrong, and
- show what the real results should be.
Thank you for so many answers last week! Congratulations to Caroline Gorski and Alivia Fulgoni for winning the drawing last week. Send your answers to Mr. Garas – tgaras@billericak12.com – Show your work! Your answers will be put into a drawing for a dunkins card!
PTO UPDATE AND FALL FUNDRAISER
Hello from the Locke PTO!
Our next PTO meeting is on Wednesday, November 18th at 6:30. Please join us via Zoom!
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We kicked off our fall fundraiser with Raise Craze on Thursday! We have already raised over $1000 and completed many acts of kindness! Keep up the great work! And if you haven't registered, go to my.raisecraze.com/A96KZB1 now and start spreading kindness!
Help us reach our goal of 1000 acts of kindness and see what Mr. Garas has in store for us!
Curious how fundraising through kindness works? Check out the brief video ( https://raisecraze.com/
#Lockeschoolspreadskindness
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Need an excuse not to cook? On Tuesday, November 17th from 4:00-8:00 pm all orders placed at Blaze Pizza in Burlington will earn 20% when you mention the Locke, or by using code 1230A as the promo code when ordering online.
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Anyone looking to start holiday shopping? Scrip is a great way to do it. Order gift cards to all your favorite places with one single order and the Locke will receive a percentage back! Your cost is the same! A few of the larger percentages are LL Bean 16%, Old Navy/Gap 14%, and 99 Restaurant 13%.
The attached order form does not have all the gift cards Scrip offers. Feel free to add your own if you see it on their website www.shopwithscrip.com.
You can return your order and payment to the school, email it to the PTO (billericalockepto@gmail.com), pay via Venmo (@CheriGargalianos), or pay online through Scrip.
You can print your gift cards at home or we will have contactless delivery prior to the holidays. Please make sure we have a contact number for you.
Please let us know if you have any questions and as always, thank you.
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You can keep your family safe while supporting the Locke by ordering one of these handmade masks. They are comfortable, very breathable, and can even be customized!
PARENT RESOURCES
Parents, please see the link for a video with some great tips for motivating students in the remote environment.
7 Tips for Motivating Students During Remote Learning
FLU SHOTS
As you know, all students are required to have a flu shot by December 31, 2020. Please send your child’s flu shot information to our school nurse: Janice Roberts, jroberts@billericak12.com
TRANSITIONS
We are establishing a more structured timeframe for making student transitions between models of instruction. (hybrid to remote or remote to hybrid) Transitions will now take place on the Monday of the 1st week of each month. Any requests that are submitted prior to the 15th of the month will take place on the 1st of the following month. Please send requests to Mr. Garas, tgaras@billericak12.com
Requests Submitted | Transition Date |
October 26 – November 15 | November 30 |
November 16 – December 15 | January 4 |
December 16 – January 15 | February 1 |
January 16 – February 15 | March 1 |
February 16 – March 15 | March 29 |
March 16 – April 15 | May 3 |
No requests accepted after April 15 | |
VIRTUAL ABSENCES
We are accounting for all students both when they are in school or at home.
On Wednesdays, attendance will be taken for both cohorts in homeroom at 9:15 on a google meet.
On the days that the cohorts are home, students must attend the support staff meeting with Ms. Rogers for 6th and 7th grade or Mr. Smith for 5th grade. Homeroom teachers will also send out a quick question to ensure that students are present. Attendance will be posted by 2:00 on those days. If your child has been marked “virtually” absent, you will be notified via email the next day.
If your child is going to be absent either virtually or live, please call 978-528-8650 to report the absence. You can leave a voicemail at this number which goes directly to our secretary. Please leave a reason for the absence. You may also email our secretary, Ms. Brewster at nbrewster@billericak12.com
NEW LIBRARY INFORMATION –Books are still available!
Check out library books from the Locke library! The process for requesting library books online has become even simpler! Using Destiny Discover in your BPS Quick Links, you no longer need to log into the library catalog. Please see Ms. Cabral's updated instruction video on the Locke library website: https://
Returning library books: Students who still have library books that were checked out last year should please return them to the main office. There will be a library book bin for you to return the books. Late slips will be going out for overdue books this week. Any books that are from elementary school can still be returned in the bin. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Cabral at pcabral@billericak12.com
UPCOMING DATES
- Turkey Toss sales in homeroom 11/12 – 11/17 (see flyer attached)
- Quarter 1 ends (Last day for unified Arts Classes) … November 17, 2020
- PTO Meeting … November 17th, 6:30 PM
- Quarter 2 begins (Unified Arts Classes Change)... November 18, 2020
- Half-Day (Staff and Students)......Wednesday, November 25, 2020
- Thanksgiving Day (Holiday- No School)....Thursday, November 26, 2020
- Thanksgiving Recess (Holiday- No School)...Friday, November 27, 2020
- Trimester 1 Ends...Thursday, December 10, 2020
- Report Cards Published (Trimester 1 & Quarter 1)...December 17, 2020
- Half-Day (Staff and Students)......Wednesday, December 23, 2020
- Winter Break (No School).....December 24, 2020 to January 1, 2021)
- Schools Resume…..Monday, January 4, 2021
- Quarter 2 ends (Last day for unified Arts Classes)...….January 29, 2021
- Quarter 3 begins (Unified Arts Classes Change)...February 1, 2021
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