LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #8 2022-2023
October 23, 2022
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I hope you are having a great New England October weekend. We love the fall weather! We are back with 5 DAYS OF LEARNING this week, and another busy schedule ahead as usual. Let’s see what’s happening …
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LockeMiddle and INSTAGRAM: locke_middle_school
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. – Beverly Sills, opera singer
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – A Day – HW Club, Activities
Tuesday – B Day – Trinket Sales through Friday
Wednesday – C Day – HW Club, Activities,
Thursday – D Day – HW Club, Activities, ALICE Drill, Parent Conferences 6:00-8:00
Friday – A Day
ALICE DRILL
We will be having an ALICE lockdown drill on Thursday, October 27th. Please see the attached letter for more information.
SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL -- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
I am seeking parent volunteers to serve on the Locke School Council. We would like at least one parent representative per grade level. The school council is responsible for the school budget, setting policy, and for revising the school improvement plan. Parental input is a critical component of our improvement efforts as we move forward with new initiatives. We will be meeting on the second Monday of each month at 5:00 PM. Our first meeting will be Monday, November 14th at 5:00 PM in the Locke library. Please see the attached link for the meeting dates throughout the year. If you are interested in serving on the council or need more information, please contact me at tgaras@billericak12.com or
HALLOWEEN DANCE!!
We had a successful Halloween dance on Friday night. Our first dance in 3 years! Please check out our Instagram page for some photos.
TRINKET SALES
The PTO will be selling Halloween trinkets during lunch Tuesday through Friday this week. Most items are $1 or $2 dollars each.
HALF-WAY POINT OF TRIMESTER 1—ASPEN CHECK
Last Wednesday, October 19th was day 30 of the school year and the halfway point of trimester 1. You can check your child’s academic progress on Aspen. If you need an Aspen account or need your password reset, please email portalhelp@billericak12.com. Include your full name and your child’s name in your request.
PARENT CONFERENCES
Parent conferences for the Locke and Marshall will be held in person on Thursday, October 27th and Tuesday, November 1st from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. We are using a computer program called PTC wizard to schedule conferences.
The link to schedule conferences is now open and is:
https://app.ptcwizard.com/
If you already have an account from last year, you can log in. If you do not have an account, you will need to register and create an account.
- You will also need to know your child’s teachers’ names in order to schedule the meetings. The site will provide a list of names for you to choose from.
- For ensembles, the teachers will split the days between the Locke and Marshall.
- Orchestra -- Locke on 10/27, Marshall 11/1
- Band -- Locke on 11/1, Marshall 10/27
- Chorus -- Locke on 10/27, Marshall 11/1
- Ms. Berard (music teacher) will not be available on October 27th.
- If you have any questions or difficulty scheduling conferences, please contact Ms. Carla Fitzgerald – cfitzgerald@billericak12.com
.
PTO CORNER
The PTO welcomes all families to the Locke. We will be meeting monthly to plan several events throughout the year. We are always looking for volunteers to help plan great programs that will benefit our students. Please email us at billericalockepto@gmail.com
Upcoming Events:
Trinket Sales -- Tuesday-- Friday this week
Trunk or Treat, Friday, October 28th – 6:30-7:30 See attached flyer- Go to Locke PTO Facebook page to have a car in the event
November 15th – Herby Q’s Fundraiser (All day)
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #6
ZOMBIE WEB
See the attached problem – and you thought getting out of a corn maze was hard!
Last week’s answers: -- A=4 Congrats to Jeslyn Santos and Lucia Nanda
Send your answers to Mr. Garas – tgaras@billericak12.com – Show your work! You can win a Dunkins gift card and the highly coveted math certificate!!
RIDDLE OF THE WEEK
Last week’s answer: What does a witch do when she goes to a hotel? Order Broom Service!
This week: What do Zombies read every morning?
HOMEWORK CLUB
HW club will continue throughout the school year. It will meet in the library every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1:45 – 2:45. Students do not need to sign up ahead of time for HW club. Students will report to the library immediately after school and sign-in. 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 bus runs have begun and will run on every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The buses usually arrive at the Locke at 3:10 PM. We have 3 late buses. The late buses have different stops than the usual routes. Please review the attached routes with students.
BUS ASSIGNMENTS
Students that ride the bus can only ride on their assigned bus in the morning and afternoon. Students are not allowed to ride different buses to be with friends after school. If there is an emergency reason that a student needs to ride another bus, please contact Mr. Peters.
The bus routes for the year are located on the district website:
https://www.billericak12.com/
If you have any questions regarding bus assignments, please contact our assistant principal: Phillip Peters: ppeters@billericak12.com -- 978-528-8654
CHROMEBOOKS
Students are required to bring their school-issued Chromebooks to school every day. It is important that students remember to bring their Chromebooks every day. We have only a few in the office to let students borrow. Students should charge their Chromebooks overnight. All teachers will be setting up a google classroom for their students where assignments will be posted and where assignments can be turned in electronically. If your child does not have a Chromebook, please contact the main office at 978-528-8650. We also highly recommend purchasing a protective case for the Chromebook.
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
FROM THE BILLERICA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Public Forum Dates to discuss extended School Day for 23-24 School Year
- Public Forum #2: Tuesday, November 1, 7:00 pm, in-person, location TBD
- Public Forum #3: Thursday, November 17, 7:00 pm, held via Zoom
- Public Forum #4: Wednesday, December 7, 7:00 pm, in-person, location TBD
Wanted! Substitute Teachers!
If you are looking to earn additional income and need a flexible schedule, then Substitute Teaching may be the perfect part-time job for you! Please visit our website at www.billericak12.com and go under 'Human Resources' and 'Employment Opportunities" to apply.
Wanted! Paraprofessionals!
We are looking for full-time paraprofessionals to provide hands-on support to teachers when preparing lessons. These are full-time positions with benefits. Please visit our website at www.billericak12.com and go under 'Human Resources' and 'Employment Opportunities" to apply.
Wanted! Substitute Cafeteria Workers!
Great opportunity for on-call part-time work. These positions are approximately 3 hours a day and perfect hours for those who need a flexible schedule. Please visit our website at www.billericak12.com and go under 'Human Resources' and 'Employment Opportunities" to apply.
UPCOMING DATES
- Tuesday-Friday, October 25-28 – Trinket Sales
- Thursday, October 27th – ALICE Drill
- Thursday, October 27th – Parent Conferences, 6:00-8:00
- Friday, October 28th – Trunk or Treat, 6:30-7:30
- Tuesday, November 1st – Parent Conferences, 6:00-8:00
- Monday, November 14th – School Site Council, 5:00 PM
- Tuesday, November 8th – No School for Students
- Wednesday, November 9th – Picture Re-Takes
- Thursday, November 10th – Quarter 1 Ends for Unified Arts
- Friday, November 11th – No School – Veterans Day
- Monday, November 14th – Quarter 2 Unified Arts Begin
- Tuesday, November 15th – Herby Q’s PTO Fundraiser (All Day)
- Tuesday, November 15th – PTO Meeting, 6:30 Library
- Wednesday, November 23rd – Half Day, 10:40 Dismissal
- November 24th-25th – No School, Thanksgiving Recess
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