LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #12 2022-2023
November 20, 2022
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I hope you are enjoying the weekend as we prepare for the holiday season. We only have 2 ½ DAYS OF LEARNING this week, but we will make the most of them.
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I would like to wish you all a happy and certainly healthy holiday season ahead. It has been a challenging, yet rewarding few years and I am thankful for the support you have given me. I know in the weeks ahead our staff will continue to work hard to provide tremendous learning opportunities for our students and to support them academically and emotionally. During this busy time, I hope we all can get a chance to pause and reflect on the positive moments of this year and look forward to the coming months with many days of learning. Happy Thanksgiving!
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LockeMiddle and INSTAGRAM: locke_middle_school
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” -- David Steindl-Rast
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – C Day – HW Club, Late Buses
Tuesday – D Day
Wednesday – A Day – Half-Day Schedule, 10:40 Dismissal (depending on buses), Turkey Toss!
Thursday – No School
Friday – No School
HALF-DAY – Wednesday, 11/23
Wednesday, November 23rd is a half day. Breakfast and lunch will not be served. Dismissal will be at approximately 10:40 – 10:55. For the safety of students, we need to wait for the buses to arrive to dismiss students. This is dependent on when the buses leave the high school. Walkers and pick-ups will be dismissed after bus students.
HOMEWORK CLUB
HW club will continue throughout the school year. (only Monday this week) 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.
QUARTER 1 ENDS
Thursday, November 10, 2022 was the forty-fifth day of school and the end of the first quarter. The following courses are on a 45-day schedule this year: art, drama, health, music, shop, and computer science. Final grades for quarter 1 classes have been posted to ASPEN and will appear on the trimester 1 report card issued in December.
TURKEY TOSS IS BACK!!
Turkeys will be flying again in the Locke gym. We are raising money for the Billerica Food Pantry. Tuesday, November 22nd is the last day for donations. Please see the attached for more information.
TALENT SHOW
We are having a talent show on November 30th at 7:00 PM. We are looking for a few more acts. If you are interested, please contact Ms. Berard. aberard@billericak12.com
CLOTHING DRIVE
The Locke Pride Alliance is having a clothing drive to benefit the House of Hope in Lowell. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
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
PTO Events/Information:
- Here is the link to order Locke Spirit Wear. Any order placed by November 25th will be delivered to the school by winter break. Locke Spirit Wear Order Form
- We are looking for vendors for our upcoming Holiday Fair! Please fill out the attached form if you are interested in having a table. Vendor Form
- We are having a holiday fair on December 10th from 9:00-2:00 PM. There will be crafters, vendors, bake sales, and more!!
- Trinket sales: December 19th – 21st
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #10
TURKEY DAY!!
Last year in the United States 240 million turkeys were produced. The majority of those turkeys were produced by just nine states. Minnesota produced 1/5 of those turkeys, the most of any of the nine states. Combined, the next three largest producers of turkeys, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Indiana, accounted for 1/3 of those turkeys. Missouri, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, and Ohio rounded out the group of nine states, producing a combined 1/4 of those turkeys. Together, the remaining 41 states produced x million turkeys last year. What is the value of x?
Last week’s answer: -- 30 lbs. more Tangy Twists than Sour Drops. Congrats to Jeana Luther and Max Gorski.
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: Liam was 11 the day before yesterday, and next year he’ll turn 14. How is this possible? Today is January 1st, and Liam's birthday is December 31st.
This week: What is the main difference between Thanksgiving and April Fools’ Day?
NEWSLETTER REMINDERS
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.
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
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
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 – ALL DATES ARE ON OUR WEBSITE
- Wednesday, November 23rd – Turkey Toss
- Wednesday, November 23rd – Half Day, 10:40 Dismissal
- November 24th-25th – No School, Thanksgiving Recess
- Wednesday, November 30th – Locke Talent Show, 7:00 PM Auditorium
- Tuesday, December 6th – Last Day of Trimester 1
- December 6th through 10th – Book Fair
- Thursday, December 8th – Orchestra Concert, Marshall 7:00 PM
- Saturday, December 10th – Holiday Fair, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Monday, December 12th – School Site Council – 5:00 PM, Locke Library
- Monday, December 12th – PTO Meeting – 6:30 PM Locke Library
- Monday, December 12th – Choral Concert, BMHS -- 7:00 PM
- Wednesday, December 14th – Band Concert, Marshall – 7:00 PM
- Thursday, December 15th – Trimester 1 Grades Published
- December 19th through 21st – Trinket Sales during lunch
- Tuesday, December 20th – Orchestra Concert, 12:45 Locke Auditorium
- Friday, December 23rd – Half-Day
- December 26th through January 2nd – Holiday Recess
- Tuesday, January 3rd – School Resumes
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