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LPS Connector
September 2023
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Translation
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ដើម្បីបកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រព័ត៌មាន សូមមើលលើផ្នែកខាងស្តាំខាងលើនៃព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រ ព័ត៌មាននេះនូវមធ្យោបាយ ហើយសូមចុចលើជម្រើស" បកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រព័ត៌មាន ។
Dear Lowell Public Schools Families, Faculty, Staff, and Community Partners,
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed the break. This month's newsletter includes coverage of events that highlight some of the many things we have to be thankful for in the Lowell Public Schools this year, including:
- The respect and deference our students show every year to the veterans in our community during Veterans Day observances at the Reilly and Stoklosa schools.
- The thoughtfulness of our students as they donated their time to shop for and deliver culturally appropriate food to families for the holiday or took the time to create placemats to make the Thanksgivng dinner for those in need at the Eliot Church more special.
- The dedication and creativity of our teachers and staff who are always finding new, exciting ways to engage students like Ms. Renaud at the Sullivan School making science seasonal with pumpkins, and the staff at the Bailey who put on a Vocabulary Parade to incorporate creativity into the process of boosting the students' understanding of English.
- The wild amount of school spirit in all of our buildings - like at the Greenhalge where they welcomed their new mascot - Freddie T - with a roar of excitement and a flurry of high-fives.
- The strong partnerships with people and organizations in the community that impact our students in innumerable ways whether it be by learning CPR and First Aid, honing their boxing skills, learning about different careers and how to properly care for their skin, having the opportunity to learn about animals up close, having access to free dental services at school, and so much more.
Although we are not even halfway through this school year, it is never too soon to start planning for the future. On Thursday November 30, Lowell Public Schools will be hosting an Information Session at the Morey Elementary School from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. for families preparing to send their children to pre-K or Kindergarten in the 2024/2025 school year. Please help spread the word. We cannot wait to meet new friends!
Cheers,
Liam Skinner
Interim Superintendent of Schools
Appreciation at the Reilly
Another terrific Veterans Day observance at the Reilly Elementary School! Each year, the kids are asked to invite the special veterans in their lives to be honored - grandfathers, grandmothers, moms, dads, uncles, aunts, cousins. Each grade level learned to sing the anthem of one of the branches of the military. You can see videos of those performances on the Lowell Public Schools YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lowellpublicschools9426/videos
Thank You For Your Service
The Stoklosa Falcons came together on November 9 for a moving Veterans Day event where they honored four special Lowellians. Read about it here: Stoklosa Veterans Day and watch the video of the Stoklosa Falcons Chorus' performance below.
https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2023/11/17/stoklosa-veterans-day/
Giving Back, Giving Thanks
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, five students from the Stoklosa Middle School's Mentorship Program spent the day shopping for and delivering all the fixing for Thanksgiving feasts, including culturally appropriate foods, for three families - one Cambodian family and two Haitian families. This project was done as part of the school's partnership with Aaron's Presents. Read more here: Giving Back, Giving Thanks
Setting the Table
Ms. Bedard's 2nd grade class at the McAuliffe Elementary School has a special friend - UMass Lowell History professor Bob Forrant, who lives in the neighborhood. He pops in a couple of times a month to read with and talk to the kids. Recently, they read "Last Stop on Market Street" by Matt de la Peña, a book in which a young boy and his nana volunteer at a soup kitchen. Inspired by the story, Ms. Bedard's class - and the entire 2nd grade - made beautiful placemats (even laminated so they don't get wrecked by gravy) for Bob to bring to the Thanksgiving feast the Eliot Presbyterian Church hosts for those in need. They made 100 placemats!
Meet Freddie T!
People of Lowell . . . meet Freddie T - the Greenhalge All-Star! It was an exceptionally exciting afternoon at the Greenhalge Elementary School as the school's new mascot was introduced for the first time on November 14. Word on the street is that Freddie T is a VERY good friend of Greenhalge Social Worker Extraordinaire Darcie Coleman.
Have a Seat
On November 1, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and British Consul General to New England Peter Abbott were joined by city and school officials at the Moody Elementary School for the unveiling of a "Happy to Chat" bench. Modeled after a similar program started by the Manchester United Football (Soccer) Club, It is part of the DA's "Let's Connect" initiative aimed at combating loneliness and bringing people of all generations together. The Moody School is the perfect location for such a bench because of the school's strong relationship with the seniors who live next door at Rogers Hall.
You can read the Sun's coverage of the event here: Happy to Chat
We Love a (Vocabulary) Parade!
On November 3, the Bailey Elementary School held their annual Vocabulary Parade, where students and staff dress up to depict a letter of the alphabet or a word. It was a great exercise in creativity and resourcefulness and an excellent way both to learn new words AND put big smiles on everyone's faces. Great job!
Students Earn CPR Certification
Congratulations to the students at the Butler Middle School and Stoklosa Middle School who finished their class and were officially certified in CPR in early November. The certification is good for two years.
Our friend, paramedic Armen Jeknavorian, taught the middle schoolers adult, child, and infant CPR as well as first-aid such as what to do when someone is choking, how to bandage a wound, and how to properly administer an EpiPen to someone experiencing a serious allergic reaction.
A group of students from the Stoklosa also took a babysitting class that taught them about developmental stages of children, how to handle crying or defiant kids, the proper way to put a baby down to sleep, and much more. If anyone is looking for a well-prepared babysitter we have a team of them at the Stoklosa!
Bob, Weave, and Achieve
Lowell Police Sgt. Mike Marshall (LHS '96) and Officer Emaly Bouasri (LHS '08) were at the The Career Academy on October 31 as part of a 4-week course teaching the fundamentals of the boxing - from the proper stance, to how to protect your core and the mechanics of the four types of punches: jab, cross, hook, and uppercut.
Marshall and Bouasri are two of the officers who volunteer their time at the Lowell Police Youth Services Program’s Boxing Club, which began in early 2022 and is now located in a space on the second floor of the Portuguese American Lowell Youth Center. The Club offers free boxing lessons and mentorship to kids ages 10-18.
While boxing is a standalone sport, it is also a great workout used in the training regiments of many athletes who compete in other sports, and can be a fun way to stay fit and make friends, as well as build confidence even for kids who are not interested in competing in team or individual sports.
Pumpkin Science at the Sullivan
On Halloween morning, students in Mrs. Renaud's science class at the Sullivan Middle School had a fun science lesson all around pumpkins. Read about it here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2023/11/27/pumpkin-science/
World Kindness Day
In observance of World Kindness Day, the students at the Greenhalge Elementary School had an assembly with a very special guest - Sharon Marrama, Co-Founder of Connor's Kindness Project. Read about it here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2023/11/27/be-kind/
Preparing For Spring
Like cute little squirrels gathering acorns for the winter, the students at the Shaughnessy Elementary School were hard at work on November 3 with our friends from Mill City Grows, filling their new raised garden beds with soil. In the spring, that soil will become the nutrient-rich home for a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs the students will have the fun of helping to plant and grow throughout the spring and summer season.
McAvinnue Nature Explorers
A group of McAvinnue students have been participating in Nature Explorers after school - a program run by the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust and Mass Audubon that gives kids the opportunity to share their experiences with and in nature, as well as learn about the animals and environments of our region and beyond. Read more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2023/11/18/mcavinnue-nature-explorers/
Smiles at the Sullivan
The kids at the Sullivan Middle School have some of the healthiest smiles in the city thanks to Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services!
Earlier this month, 20 Sullivan students were examined by Dr. Qui and received FREE dental services including:Oral health exams, dental cleanings, fluoride applications, and dental X-rays.
For more information about Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services, visit https://www.cmohs.net/
Making Math Fun
November 6 was an exciting day at the Lincoln Elementary School that included a visit from a VERY special guest - JiJi the penguin!
JiJi is the mascot of the ST Math software games the district uses for elementary math education. Everyone was extremely excited to be greeted by JiJi when they got to school. Seeing JiJi in person helped inspired them for a day full of fun and challenging math activities.
Glam 101: Learning About Self-Care and Careers at The Career Academy
On November 1, Lowell makeup artist and entrepreneur Barbara Rodriguez held a tutorial for the young ladies at The Career Academy. They not only learned about skin care and makeup application, but about Barbara's path from alternative school student to successful businesswoman. Read more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2023/11/18/glam-101-learning-about-self-care-and-careers-at-the-career-academy/
Get Movin' With the LPD
On Wednesday and Friday mornings a group of Greenhalge Elementary School students get moving early - arriving at school at 6:50 a.m. for physical training and games with the Lowell Police before classes start. Read more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2023/11/27/get-moving-with-lpd/
Shooting Hoops at LHS
The week of November 6 was very busy for the athletes on the Lowell High School Unified Basketball team. Coached by Lenny Rapone and Donna Newcomb, the Unified team is a squad made up of students who receive special education services mixed with some of their general education peers, who serve as mentors.
On Monday November 6, the LHS team played an intense game against LHS teachers and staff (the kids destroyed the adults). The game served as an excellent warm up for Wednesday afternoon’s MIAA/Special Olympics Unified Basketball Jamboree. This spirited tournament brings out the Unified Basketball teams from around the Merrimack Valley including Andover, Billerica, Dracut, Lowell, Methuen, Tewksbury, North Andover, Lawrence, Chelmsford, and Haverhill.
The gym was set up to play four games at once, creating a whirlwind of basketball activity enjoyed by cheering family members, friends, and teachers. In the end everyone had fun and left exhausted. Great games all around!
Classroom Quarterback - Brittany Moegelin
Classroom Quarterback, a new partnership between Lowell Public Schools, Inside Lowell, and Unicare State Indemnity Plan aims to showcase and honor one LPS teacher each month who goes above and beyond for their students. Our first honoree is Shaughnessy Elementary School 1st grade teacher Brittany Moegelin. Ms. Moegelin received a $250 gift card courtesy of Unicare that she can use for her classroom. Read about Ms. Moegelin here: Classroom Quarterback
LHS Alumni Named Early College Fellows
Two members of the Lowell High School Class of 2023, who participated in the Early College Program while at Lowell High School, have been named Early College Student Policy Fellows by the Mass Alliance for Early College. Read more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2023/11/18/lhs-alums-named-early-college-fellows/
Pre-K and Kindergarten Info Session
Mark your calendars! On November 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Morey School, Lowell Public Schools will be hosting an information session for families preparing to send their little friends to pre-K or Kindergarten in the 2024-2025 school year. Even if your child is already in pre-K at LPS you DO need to register again for Kindergarten. Come by to gather all of the information you need and have your questions answered. We can't wait to meet you!
LAX Registration is Open!
Lowell Youth Lacrosse registration is now open for the Spring season for boys in grades 1-6. Visit: https://lowellyouthlax.com
Information about girls' teams can be found: https://www.lowellgirlslacrosse.com/
LGBTQIA+ Coffee Hour for Parents
Lowell High School Student Support Services is hosting a Parent Coffee Hour on Monday December 4 at the Freshman Academy from 8:15 a.m. - 9:05 a.m. Lowell High School Social Workers will be providing you with information and resources to support LGBTQIA+ youth.
Centralville Basketball
Centralville Basketball registration for boys and girls ages 7-15 is now open! To register: https://www.centralvillebasketball.com
We Are Thankful
We are thankful for our dedicated cafeteria workers all year round, but particularly at Thanksgiving time when they put together the best feast around! Thank you!! All LPS students receive FREE breakfast and lunch every school day. Menus can be found: https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/Page/4374