LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #12 2023-2024
November 19, 2023
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 healthy holiday season ahead. 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!
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have." – Catherine Pulsifer
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – D Day -- HW Club, Activities, Late Buses
Tuesday – A Day
Wednesday – B Day – – Half-Day Schedule, 10:40 Dismissal (depending on buses), Turkey Toss!
Thursday – No School
Friday – No School
AFTER SCHOOL THIS WEEK
We will only after school programs, HW club, and late buses on Monday this week. The week of the 27th will be the last week for after-school activities.
HALF-DAY – Wednesday, 11/22
Wednesday, November 22nd is a half day. 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. Students will be offered a take-home lunch. Students will need to complete the attached form and turn in to their homeroom teacher by Tuesday morning.
THE TURKEY TOSS IS COMING ...
Turkeys will be flying again in the Locke gym. We are raising money for the Billerica Food Pantry and the Lewiston, Maine tragedy. The last day for donations is Tuesday, November 21st. Please see the attached for more information.
QUARTER 1 ENDS
Wednesday, November 8th 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 are posted to ASPEN and will appear on the trimester 1 report card issued in December.
PTO NEWS
- Upcoming PTO Dates: Please see the attached list of PTO meetings for the remainder of the year.
- Volunteers Needed: We need parent volunteers to work at the book fair. The dates of the fair are December 12th –15th. If you can volunteer, please contact our librarian Diane Graham, at dgraham@billericak12.com
TALENT SHOW
Congratulations to all of our talent show participants. It was an awesome show!
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.
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.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #8
Hayride!!
Abby, Brenda, Celia, Denise, and Elizabeth are going to their town’s annual hayride. Tickets cost $8.00 for people 12 years old and older but only $5.00 for people 11 years old and younger. The total price for their five tickets is $31.00.
1. How many people in the group are 12 years old or older?
2. The group of five girls managed to secure five seats in a row on the crowded hayride. In how many orders can the five girls sit if they all sit in a row?
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: 4 sisters and 3 brothers
This Week: This key has legs, but can’t open a door. What is it?
REMINDERS
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.
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.
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 the lower circle. After the buses leave, parents are to pull around the 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 22nd – Turkey Toss!!
- Wednesday, November 22nd – Half-Day, 10:40 Dismissal
- November 23rd-24th – No School, Thanksgiving Recess
- November 27th – Last week of Activities
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