LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #37 2022-2023
June 4, 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I hope you are enjoying the cold, rainy weekend. What a difference from last week. Congratulations to the BMHS class of 2023! It was a fantastic graduation Friday night. We are back to work with a full 5 DAYS OF LEARNING this week! It is a busy time of year as we head to the end of the school year. Let’s see what’s happening …
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LockeMiddle and INSTAGRAM: locke_middle_school
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Keep your face toward the sunshine, and shadows will always fall behind you.”- Walt Whitman.
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – B Day
Tuesday – C Day – 5th grade students-social media presentation, 4th grade parent orientation-6:30 PM
Wednesday – D Day – Choir Concert BMHS, 7:00 PM
Thursday – A Day – 4th/5th grade strings concert BMHS, 7:00 PM, PTO 6:30 PM
Friday – B Day
HW CLUB AND LATE BUSES – COMPLETED FOR THE YEAR
The last day for HW club and late buses was last week.
CONCERT SEASON
It’s that time of year again. Our students will be showcasing their musical talents in their end of the year concerts. All concerts are at 7:00 PM.
June 7 – Choir – BMHS
June 8 – Grade 4 and 5 Orchestra -- BMHS
FIELD DAY 2023!
Field Day will be on June 15th. Please see the attached payment form. We need parent volunteers! If you want to volunteer and have a CORI on file, please fill out the sign-up genius:
https://www.signupgenius.com/
7th GRADE END OF YEAR EVENTS
June 12th – BMHS tour (note change of date)
June 14th – Canobie Lake Field Trip – Permission Slips go out on Monday, May 22nd
June 21st – 7th Grade Class Day
More information will be coming out soon for these events
PTO –UPCOMING EVENTS
Our next PTO meeting is Thursday, June 8th in the Locke Library at 6:30 PM.
FROM THE COMMUNITY – SUMMER PROGRAM
The Boys and Girls Club is offering a summer camp for students. Please see the attached flyer for more details.
BILLERICA PUBLIC LIBRARY SUMMER PROGRAM
Join us on June 26th for our 2023 Teen Summer Reading Program, Find Your Voice on the Yellow Book Road: A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz, sponsored by a grant from the Billerica Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. For students entering grades 5-12.
This is a Wizard of Oz themed reading program in which students read any type of book, e-book, graphic novel, or listen to audiobooks to receive virtual tickets to enter into a raffle for some great prizes. YES, school summer reading books count! Students can also write stories and reviews, answer trivia questions, create artwork, participate in free programs, and complete several activities for a chance to earn even more raffle tickets. Swag bags will be given out for those that register, while supplies last.
Some program highlights: How to train a guide dog (Toto), Bing-Oz candy bar bingo (Lollipop Guild), create a wire tree sculpture (Tin Man), de-stress with baby animal cuddling (Farm Life), tie dye colorful tee shirts (Over the Rainbow), learn the science behind unusual weather (Tornado), paint a beautiful landscape on canvas (Kansas fields), master the art of cupcake decorating, create a backyard scarecrow, escape the room puzzle challenge, as well as a few take it and make it craft activities. It's all FREE! Registration starts June 26th! Hope to see you then.
Summer Reading Video Link: https://youtu.be/xhsu3XgilIY
WATER BOTTLES
As the weather gets warmer, students are reminded to bring in their own water bottle. Please do not share your bottle with other students.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Follow the Rule!!
Define a # b as a2 − b2 − ab, for real numbers a and b. What is the value of 5 # (4 # 3)?
Last Week’s Answer: 7 $25 gift cards
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: Why do pirates hate May, June, July, and August? They don’t have any Arrrrr’s in them.
This Week: When do you go at red and stop at green?
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.
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
UPCOMING DATES – ALL DATES ARE ON OUR WEBSITE
- Tuesday, June 6th – 4th grade parent orientation, 6:30 PM
- Tuesday, June 6th – 5th grade social media presentation
- Wednesday, June 7th – Choir Concert, BMHS-7:00 PM
- Thursday, June 8th – PTO Meeting, Library – 6:30 PM
- Thursday, June 8th – Grades 4/5 Strings Concert, BMHS-7:00
- Friday, June 12th – 7th Grade tour of BMHS
- Wednesday, June 14th – 7th Grade Canobie Lake Field Trip
- Thursday, June 15th – Field Day!!
- Monday, June 19th – No School, Juneteenth
- Wednesday, June 21st – 7th Grade Class Day
- Thursday, June 22nd – Last Day, Grades Published
- Thursday, June 22nd – Half-Day Schedule, 10:40 to 10:50 dismissal, depending on buses
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