LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #26 2023-2024
March 10, 2024
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I hope you are enjoying the weekend. The sun seems to be making a comeback this afternoon. It is a busy time of year in the month of March. We are back with 5 DAYS OF LEARNING this week! Let’s see what’s happening …
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LockeMiddle and INSTAGRAM: locke_middle_school
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
– Shirley Chisholm ( first African American woman in Congress -- 1968)
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – B Day – Activities, HW Club, Late Buses, School Site Council 5:00 PM-Library
Tuesday – C Day
Wednesday – D Day – Advisory Schedule, No After School Programs or Late Buses, PTO Meeting 6:30, Library
Thursday – A Day – p Day, Activities, HW Club, Late Buses, Day 120 – Last Day of Trimester 2
Friday – B Day – Wear Green for St. Patrick’s Day!
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS THIS WEEK
Due to staff training, there will not be after-school programs or late buses on Wednesday, March 13th. We will have our regular after-school programs and late buses on Monday and Thursday this week.
DAY 120 – LAST DAY OF TRIMESTER 2
Thursday, March 14th is the last day of trimester 2. Students, make sure all of your work is turned in.
MAKE-UP DAY – March 29th
On Friday, March 29th, the Locke will be making up the day we missed on January 8th due to a power outage. There will be no school in the district for all other schools. It will be a “C” day and we will follow an early release schedule with an 11:40 dismissal time.
SPRING DANCE
We are having a spring dance on Friday, March 22nd from 6:00-8:00 PM. Please see attached flyer for more details.
SCHOOL BREAKFAST/LUNCH
Please see the attached lunch menu for the week.
BOOSTER-THON FUN RUN FUNDRAISER!
Locke Middle School Families,
Our Locke Monster Fun Run fundraiser kicks off officially this week! We are raising funds for student enrichment, field trips, end-of-year ceremonies, and more that will impact all of the students! Our fundraising goal is to make $15,000 by 3/20 and we are making it FUN to join in!
It all starts by registering at mybooster.com Sign up today!!
Our fundraiser comes to an end on 3/20 with our first ever Locke Monster Funrun! Each grade will have the opportunity to enjoy some outside time (weather permitting), get some exercise, and have some fun all while raising money for the Locke! We’ll have a small course set up and students are encouraged to run, walk, skip, or dance their way to the finish line. Parents are welcome to join in on the fun, and cheer the students on! A sign-up genius will be emailed out soon. We invite any volunteers to join us! You will need a valid CORI on file.
Our weekend challenge is going strong: the homerooms that raise the most thus far will be awarded a DONUT PARTY! We’ll be providing yummy treats for a homeroom of each grade!
There will be daily incentives and prizes throughout the week! Stay tuned for what’s to come! We are grateful for your support!
-Locke PTO
LOCKE GEAR FOR SALE
The PTO is now selling Locke gear. Please see the attached flyer with the link to the store.
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. You must have a valid CORI on file to volunteer at school. Please see the minutes from our last meeting. Our next meeting is Wednesday, March 13th at 6:30 PM in the Locke Library. Please see the attached dates for the remaining PTO meetings during the year.
We also have a new Facebook page – “Billerica Locke PTO”. Click on the link below to take you there:
https://www.facebook.com/
7th GRADE PARENT/GUARDIAN INFORMATION NIGHT
BMHS will be hosting an information night for 7th grade parents and guardians on Tuesday, March 19th at 6:00 in the auditorium. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
LOCKE MONSTERS ROBOTICS UPDATE
The Locke Monsters Robotics team finished their 2023-2024 season with all four robots qualifying for the Southern New England Regional Championships. The championships were a two-day event held on February 17 & 18 at the Walsh Middle School in Framingham, MA.
It was a long two days consisting of 120 qualification matches, 10 for each robot. There were also skills matches and interviews over the course of the two days. The students represented the Locke Middle School and the town of Billerica very well. They overcame challenges, collaborated with each other and their alliance partners, made last-minute adjustments to their robots, and continued to do their best right until the end of the competition.
The 8025B and 8025C robots were both in alliances that made it to the elimination rounds, but were eliminated in the quarterfinal round. The competition was extremely challenging at this event. There were many teams that we had never seen before and the overall level of competition was significantly elevated from prior events.
We would like to extend our thanks again to our returning students who came to the Locke from BMHS and college to help the team. We are also very thankful to our parent mentors who provided guidance as needed. Thank you to Mr. Garas for attending the second day of the championships and staying through the elimination rounds.
We would also like to recognize ZOLL Medical for their generous donation early in the season. The money that they donated allowed us to purchases necessary parts for the robots and also helped with registration fees for this season's events.
Mr. DeBenedetto and Mrs. Tolleson are very proud of everything that these students accomplished this year. We would also like to thank the parents/guardians of the students who supported us and their students throughout the season.
HOOPS FOR HEART TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER – A BIG SUCCESS!
We had a fantastic basketball tournament and fundraiser before vacation. Thank you to our students and families for their donations to the American Heart Association. Also, a big thank you to Ms. Higgins, Ms. Cliff, and Mr. Flynn for organizing the event. Check out some photos on Instagram and the video of the epic halftime show! Also, we made the Lowell Sun. Check out this link!
MCAS DATES 2024
ELA (All Grades) -- April 10, 11
Math (All Grades) -- May 7, 8
Science (Grade 5) -- May 14,15
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 see the late bus routes.
ESSAY CONTEST
The Billerica Adventure Series Corporation is sponsoring its annual essay contest related to the environment. Please see the attached flyer for more details.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Pi day!
A circle has a diameter of 6 cm, and a rectangle has a width of 4 cm and a length of 6 cm. You can use 3.14 for pi in your calculations for the circle.
1. Which do you think has the greater area? Which do you think has a greater perimeter/circumference?
2. Find the area of each shape. Which is greater?
3. Find the perimeter of the rectangle and the circumference of the circle. Which is greater?
Last week’s MPOW answer – 41.9 ounces
Show all work. Submit your answers to Mr. Garas for a chance at a Dunkin gift card and the highly coveted math certificate!
RIDDLE/JOKE OF THE WEEK
Last week’s answer: What did the General say to his troops? March 4th!
This week – Why should you never start talking to Pi at a party?
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.
FROM THE COMMUNITY
The Lions Club is collecting old pairs of glasses. If you have any old glasses, you can turn them into the main office. Thank you.
REMINDERS
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.
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.
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 – ALL DATES ARE ALSO ON THE MASTER CALENDAR ON THE LOCKE WEBSITE
- Monday, March 11th – Booster Thon Start Date
- Monday, Monday 11th – School Council Meeting 5:00 PM Library
- Wednesday, March 13th – PTO Meeting 6:30 PM Library
- Thursday, March 14th – Day 120, End of Trimester 2
- Tuesday, March 19th – 7th Grade Parent Night BMHS auditorium 6:00 pm
- Wednesday, March 20th – Booster Thon Event-Locke Monster Fun Run
- Friday, March 22nd – Trimester 2 Report Cards Published
- Friday, March 22nd – Spring Dance 6:00-8:00 PM
- March 25th – March 28th – Last week of after-school programs, late buses
- Tuesday, March 26th – 6th Grade Field Trip – Museum of Science
- Friday, March 29th – Make-up Day, C Day, 11:40 Dismissal
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