LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #9 2022-2023

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October 30, 2022

SPOOKY EDITION!!

Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,

I hope you are enjoying another fantastic fall weekend as we get ready for Halloween. We are back with 5 DAYS OF LEARNING this week and a 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

"Ghosts and goblins come to play on October's final day!" –Rusty Fischer

SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Monday – B Day – Halloween - HW Club, Activities, Late Buses

Tuesday – C Day – Parent Conferences 6:00-8:00 PM

Wednesday – D Day –  HW Club, Activities, Late Buses

Thursday – A Day – HW Club, Activities, Late Buses

Friday –  B Day

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL-PARENT 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 978-528-8655.

HALLOWEEN COSTUMES MONDAY

On Monday, students can wear Halloween costumes to school. Costumes must be appropriate for school, please do not bring in weapons or scary masks that cover the entire face/head. Also, please do not bring in blow-up costumes. A reminder that it is still a learning day and that students need to be respectful.

PARENT CONFERENCES

Day 2 of parent conferences will be Tuesday, November 1st from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Many teachers still have times available. We are using a computer program called PTC wizard to schedule conferences. Conferences will be 5 minutes long and each teacher will have 48 openings. There is a possibility that a teacher will be booked and you will not be able to schedule a conference with a particular teacher. If that does occur, I encourage you to utilize email, meet individually with the teacher at another time, or schedule a team meeting.

The link to schedule conferences is now open and is:

https://app.ptcwizard.com/ptc1512061359

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 .

PICTURE RE-TAKES

If you were absent on the 1st day of photos or want your picture retaken, the pictures will be on Wednesday, November 9th. Please see attached flyer for more details.

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 if you would like to be contacted as opportunities arise. You must have a valid CORI on file. Our next meeting is Tuesday, November 15th at 6:30 PM in the Locke Library. Please see the attached dates for all of the PTO meetings during the year.

Upcoming PTO Events:

November 15th – Herby Q’s Fundraiser (All day)

MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #7

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY!

Let’s imagine a group of 40 monsters attend the school Locke Monsters University. 18 of the monsters participate in the after-school “scare” program. 17 of the monsters participate in the musical “Little Shop of Horrors”. 9 of the monsters participate in neither activity.  How many monsters participate in both activities?

Last week’s answer: -- Keep working on it, prizes coming this seek

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 do Zombies read every morning? – The Horrorscope!

This week: A zombie, a mummy, and a ghost bought a haunted house. What room won’t you find in the house?

NEWSLETTER REMINDERS

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/district/transportation

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.

FROM THE COMMUNITY

Please see the attached flyer about public skating at the Hallenborg rink.

UPCOMING DATES

  • 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

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