LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #30 2022-2023
April 9, 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I hope you are having a great long weekend! We are back with another busy week before vacation and 5 DAYS OF LEARNING! The newsletter will not publish next week. Enjoy your vacation! Let’s see what’s happening this week…
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LockeMiddle and INSTAGRAM: locke_middle_school
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – D Day – HW Club, Late Buses, Site Council Meeting – 5:00 PM
Tuesday – A Day – Day 135, Last day of quarter 3
Wednesday – B Day – 1st day of new unified arts classes, Group Pictures, HW Club, Late Buses, PTO Meeting 6:30 PM
Thursday – C Day – HW Club, Late Buses
Friday – D Day
MCAS MAKE-UPS THIS WEEK
Thank you to all students for their hard work and excellent effort during MCAS last week. We are extremely proud of all students. Students who were absent and missed MCAS will be making it up this week. We will be in touch with students and families to let them know which days.
END OF QUARTER 3
Tuesday, April 11th is the last day of quarter 3 unified arts classes. Quarter 4 classes start on Wednesday, April 12th. Students, please check your schedules for your new class.
GROUP PICTURES
Group pictures will take place on Wednesday, April 12th. We will be taking photos of all groups and also the group photo for the 7th grade. Students need to dress appropriately.
LITERARY MAGAZINE—SUBMISSIONS NEEDED
Ms. Cabral is looking for submissions to be entered in this year's literary magazine! Submissions can be any artwork or written work, as long as it's school appropriate. Examples of submissions received in the past include poetry, horror stories, original short stories, digital art, paintings, research essays, etc. There is no limit on how many items you can submit, so please submit as many as you'd like! Submissions can be emailed to Ms. Cabral at pcabral@billericak12.com. All students who submit work will receive a free printed copy of the magazine once it is out. Please reach out to Ms. Cabral with any questions.
Want to see previous years' magazines for inspiration? Check them out here!
7th GRADE – YEARBOOK INFORMATION
The Grade 7 yearbook google classroom is open for all 7th-grade students to submit information for the book. ( in 20 years and remember when)
Please join the google classroom The code is: mxyxkys
STUDENT RECOGNITION
Please see the honor roll lists and the Student of the Trimester recipients for Trimester 2. All students will receive certificates. Congratulations to students! Great work!
PTO FUNDRAISERS
The Penny War is over! Thank you for your donations. The results are in! The homeroom winners are:
Grade 5 -- Ms. Gagne, 246
Grade 6 -- Ms. Ternullo, 114
Grade 7 -- Ms. Fournier, 231
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
MCAS CALENDAR 2023
Please see the attached calendar for MCAS testing dates this year.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Easter Bunnies!
A baby rabbit moves 5 inches forward with each hop and his mother moves 14 inches forward with each hop. After the mother and baby each hop 10 hops in the same direction, the mother stops and waits for her baby to catch up. How many hops does the baby have to take to catch up?
Last Week’s Answer: APRILFOOL
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 did the donkey say on April 1st? Happy April Mule’s Day!
This Week: Why did the duck get fired from his Easter job?
7th GRADE FAMILIES:
SUMMER STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAM
Hello Families, The registration window for the summer program is now open. Please read the descriptions below to select the most appropriate program for your child.
Summer Enrichment Strength & Conditioning Camp
Take advantage of the summer break to harden the mind and body by attending Billerica’s Summer Enrichment Strength & Conditioning camp. The camp is designed for ALL students and is fully staffed with fitness instructors and an athletic trainer. The perfect opportunity to learn how to properly exercise and develop your fitness. The program will focus on a wide range of physical traits such as flexibility, strength, speed, agility, and stamina. Our Strength & Conditioning Program will be a comprehensive four-day per week program designed to emphasize all of the physical attributes that are important to developing core strength. Participants will also receive advice and instruction on nutrition, the importance of recovery, and the prevention of injury. All that is required of the participant is his/her motivation and a willingness to work hard. We’ll provide the equipment, instruction, programming, and RESULTS.
New session option that will have a focus primarily on building aerobic strength as well as working on balance, flexibility, mobility, and general strength. Athletes will learn about proper form and mechanics while running as well as injury prevention routines. Athletes will also learn about the importance of nutrition and sleep and how they impact performance. This option would be ideal for athletes planning to compete in cross country, soccer, or looking to build fitness/aerobic strength.
- Ages: 8th-12th grade
- Time: 7:30-9 am
The program is designed with 2 age groupings and 1 Hybrid Model (New Session Option)
1. Class of 2027 & 2028 8th & 9th Grade
2. Class of 2024, 2025, 2026 10th-12th Grade
3. Class of 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 Hybrid Model (New Session Option)
To Register: Need a verified account with “Community Pass” Select 2023-24 Athletic Programs
Questions Contact: John Magliozzi or Laura Jenkins 978-528-7922
6 Weeks of Training
- June 26 to August 11, 2023 (July 4th week Closed July 3-July 7)
- Monday-Thursday for ALL Sessions
- Location BMHS
- All sessions include breakfast and a snack
Program Options:
- Class of 2027 & 2028 from 8-Noon
- Cost $250.00 per student
- In addition to the Strength & Conditioning Program there will be free gym time to play basketball, floor-hockey, and other team games.
- Class of 2024, 2025, 2026 -3 Morning sessions offered 6:30, 8:00 & 9:30 AM.
- Cost $170.00 per student
- New Hybrid Model (Focus is aerobic strength)
- Class of 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 Hybrid Model (New Session Option)
- 1 Morning Session 7:30 am to 9 am
- Cost $170.00 per student
BATV – APRIL VACATION PROGRAMS
BATV is providing student workshops over vacation. See the link below for more information.
4-7th Graders will be Superheroes on the Screen. We will create our own superhero story, design the set, record, and edit a final trailer together.
8-12th Graders will create a comedy sketch, commercial, or parody from script to screen.
Each Workshop will have a maximum capacity of 12; sign up now! http://ow.ly/Mg3r50NrzrB
NEWSLETTER REMINDERS
LATE BUS PICK-UP
Students will report to the cafeteria for late bus pick-up. Late bus runs 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.
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.
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.
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
- The Billerica Recreation Department has many great programs for all ages. Please see the department website.
- The Boys and Girls Club has great opportunities for our students. Please see the club website.
- Clean-up/Green Up is on April 22, 2023. Please see the attached flyer.
UPCOMING DATES – ALL DATES ARE ON OUR WEBSITE
- Monday, April 10th – Locke Site Council Meeting, 5:00 PM, Library
- Tuesday, April 11th – Day 135, Last day of quarter 3
- Wednesday, April 12th – Start quarter 4 unified arts classes
- Wednesday, April 12th – Group Pictures
- Wednesday, April 12th – PTO Meeting, 6:30 PM-Library
- April 17th- April 21st – Spring Break, No School
- Monday, April 24th – Return to School
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