LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #9 2023-2024
October 29, 2023
SPOOKY EDITION!!
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I you are enjoying the 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 …
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween." – Unknown
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – C Day -- HW Club, Activities, Late Buses, Talent Show Auditions
Tuesday – D Day -- Halloween
Wednesday – A Day – Advisory Schedule, HW Club, Activities, Late Buses, Parent Conferences
Thursday – B Day – HW Club, Activities, Late Buses
Friday – C Day
UPDATED -- CAR DROP-OFF
Student car drop-off will be in the lower lot beginning at 7:10. STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO EXIT CARS UNTIL 7:10. PLEASE WAIT FOR MY SIGNAL TO LET STUDENTS OUT OF CARS. ALSO, ONLY MAKE A U-TURN AT THE END OF THE LINE. Parents are to enter VIA URBAN ST (off Baldwin Road), drop students off at the sidewalk, make a U-turn, and exit via Urban Street.
TALENT SHOW
We will be having a talent show on Thursday, November 16th at 6:00 PM. Auditions are after school on Monday this week. Sign-up outside of room 313. Please see the attached flyer 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 13th 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 COSTUMES TUESDAY
On Tuesday, 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 students need to be respectful. In addition, students should not bring in candy to share with other students.
HALLOWEEN DANCE!
We had a successful Halloween dance on Friday night. Students had awesome costumes and we had a fantastic time! Please check out our Instagram page for some photos.
PARENT CONFERENCES
Parent conferences for the Locke and Marshall will be held in person on Wednesday, 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 for scheduling 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 -- Marshall 11/1
- Band -- Locke on 11/1
- Chorus -- Marshall 11/1
- If you have any questions or difficulty scheduling conferences, please contact me – tgaras@billericak12.com
TOYS FOR TOTS DRIVE
The Locke Pride Alliance is sponsoring a Toys for Tots toy drive for this upcoming holiday season. Collection boxes are now available in the lobby of The Locke Middle School and will be available for parents to drop off toys during parent/teacher conferences. The collection will go through Friday, December 8, 2023. We are collecting new, unwrapped toys for ages infant to 18 years old. According to our contact at Toys for Tots, there are typically fewer toys donated for older children.
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Activities have started. If you have any questions regarding enrollment, please contact the main office.
If you are picking up, please arrive at 2:45 in the circle in front of the school. You can also pick up in the teacher’s lot. For student safety, students should not cross the street to be picked up.
Late Buses leave at approximately 3:10. Students will be supervised in the cafeteria until the buses arrive. If your child is taking the late bus, please make sure they know the bus number (1,2, or 3) and the stop. Students should write it down in their agenda. The routes are attached below.
HOMEWORK CLUB
HW club is available 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/teachers believe are necessary. Students are expected to stay for the full hour.
LATE BUSES
Late bus runs have started 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. Please see the attached routes.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
One of our initiatives this year is to improve student attendance and tardiness. The impact on student learning due to attendance concerns can be seen in this graphic. Please see the attached attendance policy for the 23-24 school year.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #6
This week’s problem is the same as last week. We need a few more submissions from students. Happy solving!
Fall or Autumn??
As the weather is turning cooler and daylight is arriving later in the morning and trees are starting to lose their leaves, many of us are noticing that summer is over and we’re well into fall. Or is it autumn?
- Mr. Garas surveyed one math class, and out of 28 students (with every student picking exactly one of the two options), the ratio of the number of students who called the season “fall” to the number of students who called the season “autumn” was 3:1. How many students called the season “fall?”
- Mr. Garas then extended his survey to include the entire school. Every student responded with the term they use the most (fall or autumn). He found that in this larger survey of the entire school, the number of students who refer to the season as “fall” is five times the number of students who refer to the season as “autumn.” What fraction of the total number of students in the school refers to the season as “autumn?” Express your answer as a common fraction.
Last Week’s Answers: Go South 5 feet and then west 31 feet
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/JOKE OF THE WEEK
Last week’s answer: Why do ghosts make the best cheerleaders? They have the most spirit!
This Week: Why did the vampire need mouthwash?
REMINDERS
CHROMEBOOKS AND GOOGLE CLASSROOMS
Students are required to bring their school-issued Chromebooks to school every day. 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.
SCHOOL TIMES
School starts promptly at 7:30. Students should be in their homeroom at 7:30. The drop-off time for students is 7:10 -- 7:25. (Please note this change from last year) Students will be allowed to enter the building at 7:10. From 7:10 – 7:20, students that enter the building will be supervised in the cafeteria. Students will not be allowed in before 7:10 AM.
Parents, please do not enter from Allen Road in the morning. The Allen Road entrance is only for school buses.
DISMISSAL
Walkers and pick-ups are dismissed at 1:50 after the buses depart.
TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR DISMISSAL
Parents enter via Urban Street and line up in lower circle. After the buses leave, parents are to pull around circle in a SINGLE file line to pick up children. The pick-up zone is between the two crosswalks. This is the only place we would like children picked up. We do not want children stepping in front of cars to be picked up. Please keep the line single file.
PLEASE DO NOT PICK UP STUDENTS IN THE LOWER LOT.
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 secretaries, Ms. Brewster at nbrewster@billericak12.com or Lucy O’Brien at lobrien@billericak12.com
BUS ASSIGNMENTS
Students who 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.
The bus routes for the year are listed at this link.
If you have any questions regarding bus assignments, please contact our assistant principal: Phillip Peters: ppeters@billericak12.com -- 978-528-8654
UPCOMING DATES
- Wednesday, November 1st -- Parent Conferences, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
- Tuesday, November 7th – No School, Staff Meetings
- Wednesday, November 8th – Day 45, Last Day of Quarter 1 Unified Arts Classes
- Wednesday, November 8th – Picture Re-Takes, Make-ups
- Friday, November 10th – No School, Veteran’s Day
- Monday, November 13th – School Site Council, 5:00 PM-Library
- Thursday, November 16th – Talent Show, 6:00 PM-Auditorium
- Wednesday, November 22nd – Turkey Toss!!
- Wednesday, November 22nd – Half-Day, 10:40 Dismissal
- November 23rd-24th – No School, Thanksgiving Recess
If you have any questions, please contact me at tgaras@billericak12.com or call 978-528-8655 Have a great week!
Warmest regards,
Tony Garas, Principal