LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #5 2024-2025
September 29, 2024
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
We have almost made it through the first month of school. Happy October this week! Fall in New England – cool mornings, scary movies, pumpkins, corn mazes, football, apple cider, leaf peeping, and Halloween! We have another busy week ahead with …
5 DAYS OF LEARNING!
FOLLOW US ON X @LockeMiddle and INSTAGRAM: locke_middle_school
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The first day of October is here! Time to enjoy the crisp air and vibrant leaves." — Unknown
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – C Day – HW Club Starts
Tuesday – D Day
Wednesday – A Day – First Day of Advisory, HW Club
Thursday – B Day – HW Club
Friday – C Day
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
After-school activities begin the week of October 7th. Please complete this Fall After School Activity Form to sign up for after-school activities. The Google form must be completed to enroll. All sessions have limited enrollment and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis according to the timestamp on this form. In addition, complete the attached form and send it in with your payment.
HOMEWORK CLUB
HW club will start this week on Monday, September 30th. 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. Parent pick-up at 2:45 is required.
STUDENT COUNCIL
Students, if you are interested in joining student council, please complete the attached form:
STUDENT COUNCIL SIGN-UP FORM -- The form is due by Monday, September 30th.
Thank you, Ms. Wells and Ms. Higgins
HALLOWEEN DANCE!!
We are having a Halloween Dance on Friday, October 18th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. We will have more details soon.
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. Our first meeting was held and we had a great turnout. Please see the minutes from that meeting. Our future meeting dates have been set. Please see the attached list. Our next meeting is Wednesday, October 9th at 6:30 PM in the Locke Library.
Our new board members are:
Andrea Toomey -- President
Amit Gandhi -- Vice-President
Jacqui Chaffins -- Treasurer
Katie Malone – Secretary
We also have a new Facebook page – “Billerica Locke PTO”. Click on the link below to take you there:
https://www.facebook.com/
LOCKE GEAR FOR SALE
The PTO is now selling Locke gear. Please see the attached flyer with the link to the store.
BMHS VOLLEYBALL FUNDRAISER
BMHS Girls Volleyball is hosting a breast cancer fundraiser on Friday, October 4th. Please see the attached flyer for more details.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #4
Old Faithful
Old Faithful, a famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park, erupts approximately once every 92 minutes. (It used to erupt more frequently, but earthquakes have changed the geyser’s plumbing, so it’s not letting off a little steam as often as it used to.) Assuming that it sends out 8000 gallons of water each time, how many gallons will Old Faithful send out in one year?
Last week’s Answer: All three answers were 30. We will give out prizes on Monday. Send your answers to Mr. Garas – tgaras@billericak12.com – Show your work! We will choose two winners each week for a Dunkin gift card and the highly coveted math certificate!!
RIDDLE/JOKE OF THE WEEK
Brain Teasers this week:
1. What word is spelled the same forwards, backwards, and upside down?
2. What happens once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Last week’s Answer -- How did the bumblebee get to school? They ride the school buzz!
REMINDERS
SCHOOL TIMES
School starts promptly at 7:30. Students should be in their homeroom at 7:30. The car drop-off time for students is 7:10 -- 7:25. 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.
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. 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.
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 and Lucy O’Brien at lobrien@billericak12.com
CELL PHONE POLICY
Our cell phone policy is that all student phones/smart watches are to be kept in student lockers and turned off for the duration of the school day. If parents need to contact students, please contact the main office.
CHROMEBOOKS AND GOOGLE CLASSROOMS
Students are required to bring their school-issued Chromebooks to school every day beginning on the 1st day of school. 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. Fifth-grade students who did not pick up a Chromebook will be sent home with the paperwork for parents to sign. Please return it with your child and we will issue them a Chromebook.
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
MEDICAL INFORMATION
Our school nurse is Janice Roberts – jroberts@billericak12.com
- Students may drop off EpiPens, inhalers, and any over the counter medications.
- A parent or guardian must drop off any prescription medications.
- All medications need to be accompanied by a medication order from the student's physician and with either an Anaphylaxis Action Plan or Asthma Action Plan as applicable
- If families need copies of these forms they can be found on the Billerica Public Schools website: https://www.
billericak12.com/departments/ health-services-wellness/ school-nursing
Also, as a reminder:
ALL 7th GRADE STUDENTS must submit proof of TDaP (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) and MCV4 (meningitis) vaccines, as well as an UPDATED physical exam, by 9/30/24
LUNCH/BREAKFAST
All breakfast and lunches are free to all students again this year. Students will be receiving a 4 digit pin code that they will need to use when they get breakfast or lunch. Breakfast will be served every day and it will be “grab and go”. Students can grab a breakfast in the cafeteria when they come in and then report to homeroom. They can eat breakfast in homeroom.
UPCOMING DATES
- Monday, September 30th – HW Club Starts
- Monday, October 7th – After School Activities Start
- Wednesday, October 9th -- PTO Meeting, 6:30 PM Locke Library
- Monday, October 14th – No School
- Friday, October 18th – Halloween Dance 6:00-8:00 PM
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