LPS Connector

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ដើម្បីបកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រព័ត៌មាន សូមមើលលើផ្នែកខាងស្តាំខាងលើនៃព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រ ព័ត៌មាននេះនូវមធ្យោបាយ ហើយសូមចុចលើជម្រើស" បកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រព័ត៌មាន ។

Dear Lowell Public Schools Families, Faculty, Staff, and Community Partners,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your hard work, energy, and enthusiasm that made this a truly wonderful school year.

The last month of school is always a whirlwind and this year was no different. There was a wide array of events celebrating accomplishments from honoring the achievements of the district’s multi-lingual learners, to praising the determination of the wrestling squad and Science Fair team at the STEM Academy, and showcasing the immense talents of artists and musicians at the Pyne Arts Magnet School and Stoklosa Middle School.

As we wrapped up the year and had a lot of fun at field day events, dance parties, ice cream socials and more – the learning also continued. Ms. Miranda’s class from the Daley Middle School had the opportunity to cap off all they have learned in Civics this year with a trip to the State House where they took a tour and spent time with State Rep. Vanna Howard and Governor Maura Healey. At the Wang Middle School, teachers partnered with staff from Align Credit Union to provide a real-world lesson in financial literacy to eighth-graders, who were able to see how much money different career paths could earn, but also how quickly things like housing, Wi-Fi and cell phone service, car insurance and payments, groceries, gym memberships and more can drain that income. It was a lesson that will hopefully help them make prudent life and financial decisions in the future.

And of course, June is a time of transition for students ages 5 to 74. We celebrated as Kindergarten students were promoted to first-grade, fourth-graders readied to take the leap to middle school, eighth-graders moved on to high school, our Lowell High School and Career Academy graduates said goodbye for now to head off to college, the workforce, or the military, and 673 adults graduated from Abisi Adult Education having either learned English as a second language or earned their high school credential. Each of these transitions elicited tears of joy, pride, and some sadness as teachers watched their students move on and parents realized their babies are growing up. But, we know Lowell Public Schools has prepared them well for their next steps in education or life – and even as they head off into the world after high school, they can always come home to Lowell.

Looking forward, I was proud to announce that Paula Jones has been chosen as the new principal of the Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School, Brendan Asquith has been chosen as the new principal of the Daley Middle School, Wang Middle School Assistant Principal Matt Santy will be moving next door as assistant principal of the Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School, and PMES Assistant Principal Dan Shanahan will take over as assistant principal at the McAvinnue Elementary School. You can read about these exemplary educators in this newsletter.

Have a safe and fun summer break. It will go by fast so don't forget to encourage your children to read, read, read! Read for fun, read at the beach, visit the air-conditioned Pollard Memorial Library for free books and many other cool activities...your child will have a more fun summer and will be smarter on return to school at the end August!

Cheers,

Liam Skinner

Superintendent of Schools

It's that time of year again - the 2nd Annual Greenhalge Elementary School Vs. S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School staff kickball game!

Trash was talked; the walk was walked. Team McAuliffe was out-manned, but the team members that were there played with a lot of heart and were not afraid to get dirty or hurt. In the end, Team Greenhalge took this one - 24-11. Last year, Team McAuliffe was victorious in an 11-10 squeaker. The tie breaker . . . next year!

Check out the pre-game hype video the Greenhalge created below.

Fourteen-time World Champion Jump Roper Nick Woodard visited the Sullivan Middle School to share his story of dedication and hard work and show off some of his skills. Students and staff even leapt into the fun. To learn more about Nick and his wife Kaylee visit www.learnintheropes.com

Stoklosa Pride is sweeping the nation! Well, at least as far as the mid-Atlantic among folks named Stoklosa.

Lovebirds John and Catherine Stoklosa of Philadelphia have been married for 58 years. When their daughter, Tina, Senior Producer of Philly Live on NBC 10, discovered there was a school in Lowell that shared their unusual last name (ours is named for longtime School Committee member Kathryn “Kay” Philbin Stoklosa who was married to beloved Lowell High School teacher/coach/master Stanley Stoklosa), she reached out to LPS to ask if there was a way to get them a T-shirt or something with the school’s name on it. Principal James Cardaci did not hesitate to make it happen.

Like so many of the students at the Stoklosa Middle School and residents, past and present, of the city’s Acre neighborhood, the Philly Stoklosas are an immigrant and a first-generation American.

John Stoklosa, 85, came to the U.S. from Poland when he was 19-years-old, having lived through World War II as a boy in Poland. Catherine, 80, a native Philadelphian, is the mother of two and grandmother of six. She is the daughter of an Eastern European immigrant.

“They were both so surprised to receive the gear,” said Tina. “We have such an unusual last name and they were so tickled to see that they shared a last name with your school. We are so grateful for your kindness and they will be proud to wear this Stoklosa swag for many years to come!”

On the morning of June 11, 22 fresh new author/illustrators burst onto the Lowell Literary Scene . . . guided by a History professor with an eclectic sock collection.

For the second year, the second-graders in Ms. Bedard’s class at the S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School visited lala books for a book launch party and reading of the books they wrote and illustrated about why they love the neighborhood in which they live.

The book project began last school year when Tara Bedard asked her neighbor, longtime UMass Lowell History professor Bob Forrant if he would read to her class. He did, and essentially never left.

Bob gifted them books, which they read and discussed. They talked about Lowell and their neighborhoods and how to write a book. He would often arrive with a box that contained a mystery item and would ask them to guess it – it could be a rotary telephone, a typewriter, a record player, or a photo of his kids. Regardless of the show and tell item, all of the kids were mesmerized by their funny, nice friend Bob, and always curious about what socks he may be wearing. On Tuesday it was one Halloween sock and one Christmas sock.

Bob enlisted his friend and fellow UMass Lowell professor Ingrid Hess, an author and illustrator of children’s books to help the students come up with cover art and titles. Laura Lamarre Anderson, owner of lala books, bound the books and added protective covers.

All of the students at Tuesday’s book launch said they feel their writing has improved since taking on the project.

“Since I do a lot of writing, this was medium hard,” said Astrid, adding that she plans to write more books in the future.

“Thank you for the books, they inspired us all,” Zachary said to Bob.

They all dedicated their books to Bob.

When it was time for the students to step up and read their books to their classmates and other guests, some of them were shy or nervous. Bob quickly put those jitters to rest, revealing his UMass Lowell Distinguished Professor medal, which he promised to bring and offered to any student who wanted to wear it while they read.

“Whoever needs to wear it – the superpower is here,” he said.

The reading was magnificent, with students having written about dozens of things they love about their neighborhoods including: that they live near their school, that they can walk to McPherson Park to play, that they live near McDonald’s and Burger King, that they have friendly neighbors, live on a quiet street, and have trees in their backyard.

Before they got back on the bus to head back to Centralville, Bob gifted them all a fun book they can read this summer – Lift the Flap General Knowledge – an interactive book that includes 135 flaps that can be lifted to reveal interesting facts like how the Mona Lisa got her name. A perfect book for curious second-graders.

Additionally, UMass Lowell Director of Community Relations Patty Coffey, a friend of both Bob AND Rowdy the Riverhawk gifted each student a goody bag with little gifts from UMass Lowell and lala books – including tickets to see UML basketball and hockey games next season.

The Pyne Arts Magnet School never disappoints when it is time to put on a show.

At their annual Night of the Arts (theme "Pure Imagination") the audience enjoyed a variety of performances including: a candy-inspired fashion show by students in the Costume & Fiber Arts Class, snippets of Wonka-themed dramatic performances by students in the Pyne Arts Playhouse, and performances by the Dance Ensemble, Step Team, 5th/6th Grade Concert Band, Beginner Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Intermediate Orchestra, Jazz Band, 7th/8th Grade Concert Band, and Chorus.

Bravo!

Earlier this month, a special recognition ceremony was held after school for members of the STEM Academy wrestling squad. They ate pizza and chicken, received their medals and certificates, and of course - hit the mat.

This is the second year the school has had a team and coaches Carlos Lopez and Kevin Prescott said they were impressed at how hard the kids worked - wrestling all year - and how much they have grown as wrestlers, as students, and as people. Sulaiman Bin Mohamed Ismail, Captain of the team, was awarded the Leadership Award for his unwavering commitment to the sport and to his teammates.

Congrats, STEM Wrestling Sharks!

The annual Stok-a-palooza at the Stoklosa Middle School was truly epic this year. Despite the threat of rain that put a damper in a couple of the outdoor activities, the show went on with food, games, art activities, and amazing performances.

Here are some highlights of the first public performance of the combined Stoklosa Middle School and Wang Middle School Modern Band at Stok-A-Palooza! Incredible job by all the students and music teachers Mr. Grenier and Mr. Buckley. And Bravo to the audience, who provided great energy for the musicians!

And here are a few snippets from the Talent Show that followed the band's performance.

A few shots from the Khmer dance performance.

And special thanks to Stoklosa teacher Annabelle Harris for these great pictures of the afternoon.

The Wang Middle School 8th graders learned a tough life lesson - even if you graduate from college and have a good job - it is easy to blow that $$ pretty quickly. Life is EXPENSIVE!

The Wang partnered with Align CreditUnion to run a Career Day for the students. Earlier in the week, they researched different careers including the likely starting salaries and then on Friday morning hit the gym, clipboards in hand to figure out their life expenses. They traveled from table to table figuring out what they wanted to do for housing, cell phone plans, car payments/insurance/gas, cable/wifi/streaming services, vacations and entertainment, gym memberships, groceries, pet care, etc. Student loan payments were also figured in. At the end their monthly expenses were calculated and deducted from their monthly income. Some had been frugal and still had money to save or invest; others not so much.

Then it was on to the wheel of the unexpected. As we all know, as soon as you think you are getting ahead that's when the car breaks down or the boiler explodes. Spinning the wheel, our newly independent young adults may have landed on a flat tire, broken appliance, or a work bonus or tax return. Life is nothing if not a roller coaster.

In the end, the students had their eyes opened to the reality of the real world and hopefully appreciate their families and caregivers a little more, as well as start thinking ahead to their future plans as they head into high school and beyond.

June 5 was Field Day at the Dr. Janice Adie Day School. Some awesome students from The Career Academy came by to help out, handle the face painting duties, and play with the kids. Who had more fun - the students or the teachers? It was a toss-up!

If there is a group of teachers and staff who have more fun than those at the S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School we haven't found them yet. Field Day isn't just for the kids!

Hard work gets recognized at the STEM Academy.

The team of students who researched, engineered, and built a water filtration system out of a coconut shell, bamboo, and household items and competed in the local and regional Science and Engineering Fairs this spring, were honored.

The students enjoyed ice cream and mochi doughnuts, reflected on the time they spent working on the project, and received certificates and medals of appreciation from teacher Mr. Lopez and paraprofessional Ms. Rodriguez, who advised them throughout the process.

How does the Greenhalge Elementary School celebrate the LAST DAY of school?! With a dance party featuring Big J and Dragon from the Harlem Wizards, of course! Watch all the way to the end for an EPIC performance. Have an amazing summer everyone!

Another great end-of-the-year Spring Fair at the Sullivan Middle School. Shout out to Mr. Sheehan, who was a great sport, volunteering to be the victim of the dunk tank.

If you are looking for the scientists of the future, you can find them on Highland Street.

On the afternoon of June 6, two groups of STEM Academy fifth-graders took the stage and – with ease – explained what fusion is and how it works as if they had been working in a lab at MIT for 15 years.

The students participated in the “Generation Fusion” after-school program run by Kayla Miller, Director of Education for Energy for the Common Good, where they had the opportunity to learn all about fusion – the process that powers the sun and the other stars that scientists are working to harness to create clean energy.

“Over the past few months, this program has not only sparked curiosity, but has ignited a passion for learning that will undoubtedly shape the future of these young minds,” said STEM Academy teacher Liz Borrelli, adding that the program broke down the barriers and showed the students the interconnectivity between science, math, and the arts. “The fusion program was not just about academic learning. It was a journey of exploration, creativity, and personal growth.”

Throughout the program, which came to Lowell at the suggestion of Congresswoman Lori Trahan, students learned about climate change, clean energy, and fusion energy, an emerging clean energy sector.

They had the opportunity to learn about fusion from scientists at The Center for Astrophysics, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Harvard College Observatory, as well from the Education & Outreach Coordinator from MIT’s Plasma Science & Fusion Center during the first annual Fusion Energy Week.

They worked on problem solving with staff from UMass Lowell’s Entrepreneurship Program and with our friends at Lowell Makes, who helped the students 3D print molecules and subatomic particles for their presentations.

Kasey Armstrong from Congresswoman Trahan’s office attended the end of the program celebration and brought certificates of achievement from D.C. for the students.

“Your understanding of fusion and the climate crisis are going to prepare you for a world of clean energy,” she said. “Congratulations! Keep up the hard work and keep up the good fight for clean energy.”

Special thanks to Ms. Miranda for this write-up and photos!

On May 30th, students in Ms. Karen Miranda's civics classes at the Daley Middle School were able to take a tour of the MA Statehouse led by State Representative Vanna Howard. The invitation to visit stemmed from connections the students made with Rep. Howard throughout their spring semester civics project work.

Students in Homeroom 218 chose to focus on updating the state sex education curriculum, which has not been updated since 1999. They did this with the goal of reducing teen pregnancy by better educating young people on how to recognize/establish consent and how to access and correctly use contraception.

Through their research, students came to realize that Rep. Howard is cosponsoring a bill known as the Healthy Youth Act; this bill “would ensure that Massachusetts public schools electing to teach sexual health education curriculum use age-appropriate, inclusive, medically accurate, and research-based information on sex, relationships, and consent.” With the help of Ms. Miranda, the students contacted Howard and invited her to speak to their class where she answered their questions and gave them suggestions on how to influence others to support the bill.

Following her visit, students conducted several days of phone banking and emailing to contact every single member of the MA House of Representatives requesting their support. Students learned how to advocate for their cause and to negotiate intense, probative conversations with legislators.

The students also lobbied the Lowell School Committee to pass a motion to include student voice on the recently formed sex-education task force and to call for the district to survey students about what they feel they need to learn in health education classes.

Students Emma Ford-Hunt, Derek Hang, Breanna Sarith, and Analia Triv presented their class’ work at the Lowell Civics Day on May 20th and earned an award for creating a systemic impact with their civic actions.

Following this, Rep. Howard extended an invitation for Daley students to visit the MA State House for a presentation in the House of Representatives chamber.

She also arranged for the students to tour the executive offices of Governor Maura Healy and for students to even do a meet and greet with the governor herself! Students shared the details of their project with Healy and in turn, she showed them some of the legislation she is reviewing related to affordable housing and transportation. She also shared stories about being a former professional basketball player in Europe, which caused excitement among the students!

Students felt empowered after meeting so many important members of their state government and they are learning skills that will make them phenomenal future leaders and change makers!

On June 6, the English Language Parent Advisory Council held their annual awards ceremony recognizing the hard work of our multilingual learners throughout the district. Congratulations to all of the students and their families. Keep up the good work!

Classroom Quarterback, a partnership between Lowell Public Schools, Inside Lowell, and Wellpoint aims to showcase and honor one LPS teacher each month who goes above and beyond for their students. This month's honoree is Stoklosa Middle School fifth-grade teacher Cheryl Pollard. Ms. Pollard received a $250 gift card courtesy of Wellpoint that she can use for her classroom. Read about her here: https://insidelowell.com/classroom-quarterback-cheryl-pollard/

The Bartlett Community Partnership School held their first ever Kindergarten Moving-Up ceremony on June 13. Congratulations to the young scholars and their families. Best of luck in 1st grade!

This author was able to make it to five 8th grade promotion ceremonies this year. Read all about them here:

Butler Middle School: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2024/06/22/a-truly-remarkable-class-butler-2024/

Bartlett Community Partnership School:https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2024/06/22/be-a-boundary-crosser-bartlett-2024/

Robinson Middle School: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2024/06/22/different-here-robinson-2024/

Sullivan Middle School: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2024/06/22/be-the-learners-our-world-needs-sullivan-2024/

Wang Middle School: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2024/06/22/make-a-difference-wang-2024/

On June 7, the Abisi Adult Education Center held it's 47th Graduation exercises. This year, 608 students earned certificates of completion in English and another 65 earned their High School Equivalency credential. Read about it here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2024/06/22/if-i-can-do-it-you-can-do-it-too-abisi-2024/

In case you mussed it, check out this salute to the Lowell High School and Career Academy Class of 2024

https://secure.smore.com/n/4vtp6

Summer is a great time to explore new learning! Get lost in a book, try out some creative writing, investigate a new math concept, conduct your own experiments, or travel back in time and explore history. The resources on this page will help you get started. Have fun learning!

https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/domain/2799

Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner is happy to announce Paula Jones has been chosen as the Principal of the Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School for the upcoming school year.

Jones has been the Principal of the Henry Wilson Elementary School in Manchester, NH since 2020, where she has demonstrated exemplary leadership in navigating challenges and implementing innovative solutions to meet the diverse needs of students and the community.

During her tenure at the school, she spearheaded the development and execution of a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSI), successfully strategizing and meeting key goals to enhance the overall educational experience. Her strategic evaluation and alignment of the Title I grant with district and school objectives have further reinforced her commitment to equity and excellence in education.

Prior to her role at Henry Wilson Elementary, Jones served as the Principal of Highlands Elementary School in Danvers. She began her career as a classroom teacher in Marblehead, where she demonstrated a passion for differentiated instruction and academic excellence.

Jones holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Salem State College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Administration K-8.

She looks forward to joining the Lowell Public Schools and Pawtucketville Elementary for the 2024-2025 school year. She will replace Principal Michael Munroe, who has served as PMES principal this school year and is leaving the district to pursue another professional opportunity.

Superintendent Liam Skinner is happy to announce that Daley Middle School Assistant Principal

Brendan Asquith has been appointed as the new Principal of the Daley Middle School.

He will take the reins from longtime Daley administrator Rob Doyle when Principal Doyle retires at the end of June.

Asquith has been the Assistant Principal at the Daley since 2021. He began his career as a 4th grade classroom teacher at the Westlands Elementary School in Chelmsford from 2006-2008 before moving to Chelmsford’s Parker Middle School where he taught Math and Science from 2008-2021.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from UMass Amherst and a Master’s in Education from Boston College.

There will be an Assistant Principal shuffle in Pawtucketville in the next school year.

Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School Assistant Principal Dan Shanahan, who has worked in the district for a decade first as a Physical Education teacher and then an administrator, will be the new Assistant Principal at the McAvinnue Elementary School just up the street from PMES. He will be replacing current Assistant Principal Joseph Alcaraz, who has accepted an administrative position back in his home state of Michigan.

Meanwhile, longtime Wang Middle School Assistant Principal Matt Santy will move next door to the Pawtucketville Memorial as their new Assistant Principal under new Principal Paula Jones, taking Shanahan’s spot. Prior to becoming an administrator, Santy was a 5th grade special education teacher.

Attention incoming Lowell HIgh School freshmen and their families - don't miss out on attending one of these important information sessions this summer - July 18 or August 14.

To register:

English: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScV4kzTbuO8C.../viewform

Spanish: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScV4kzTbuO8C.../viewform

Portuguese: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScV4kzTbuO8C.../viewform

Here it is! The approved school calendar for next year (2024-2025). First day of school for grades 1-12 is Tuesday August 27. An exciting highlight is that Good Friday falls on the Friday before April vacation!

Last May, Lowell High School student Sahil Hakim beamed as he watched his classmates and hundreds of LHS students he had never even met eat his family’s recipe for Qably Palow, a flavorful Afghan spiced beef and rice dish with shredded carrots, raisins, and almonds.

That lunch period marked the first-time halal meat had ever been served in any Lowell Public Schools cafeteria. Halal meat is meat prepared as prescribed by Muslim law, which among other things, centers around treating the animal as humanely as possible at slaughter.

“Thank you for showing not only the culture, but the culture in its entirety,” Regina Robinson, Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said to Lowell Public Schools’ General Manager of Food & Nutrition Alysia Spooner-Gomez. “At DESE we call that a “I see you” moment.”

Spooner-Gomez said when the meal was served, you could see the look of pride on Afghan students faces.

“They truly felt included when they walked in,” she said, adding it makes a big difference to students to see food from their culture included in school lunch.

Robinson was at LHS along with State Rep. Vanna Howard and State Rep. Rodney Elliott to see the results of the partnerships LPS Food & Nutrition has forged with LHS History teacher Jessica Landers’ classes, as well as with Project Bread.

This spring saw the release of the sixth edition of “Tasting History,” a cookbook created annually by the immigrant and refugee students in Lander’s U.S. History II Seminar. It includes 99 recipes from 17 countries.

In class, they study immigration to the U.S. going back 100+ years.

“A lot of the lessons said something like - have your students imagine they had to leave their home and come to a new country,” she said. “My students don’t have to imagine because they are experts. I wanted to create a project that centered our students’ stories, our students’ history, and show that their stories are an important part of this country’s history.”

The students collect recipes from their families, translate them into English, and learn how to write a recipe in a way that makes sense to a home cook. They also incorporate their memories of or associations with the dish and some of their own immigrant story.

“When I first heard about Tasting History, I thought this is a great opportunity to get these students’ voices and recipes into our cafeterias,” said Spooner-Gomez.

Executive Chef Randy Rajsombat and his team work with the students to adapt their family recipes to meet federal school lunch guidelines and use the students as taste-testers until they get it right.

“We want to keep it as authentic as possible,” said Spooner-Gomez.

Food from Cambodia, Guatemala, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Brazil, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ecuador, and Somaliland has been served in LPS cafeterias for the first time, starting with Cambodian Lok Lak, a fan favorite, in 2022.

Today, there are three “Tasting History” items on menus across the district at all times, as well as one monthly highlighted recipe.

Robinson had the opportunity during her visit to taste Umutsima Na Isupu Y’inka, a Rwandan spiced beef stew with cornmeal fufu, a recipe contributed by LHS student Gentille Gikundiro.

“It is my favorite; it is my family’s favorite,” said Gikundiro, who said she was very happy with the response the dish received from her fellow students. “It was the first time they were trying it so I was surprised – they said “Wow!””

In addition to the “Tasting History” partnership, LPS Food & Nutrition enjoys a fruitful relationship with Project Bread, who provide three chefs to LPS to conduct hands-on training and professional development for kitchen workers in the schools.

As part of Monday’s visit, guests got to sample a recipe for kicked-up nachos -beef and vegetarian options available - created by Cook Manager Waleska Robles in conjunction with Project Bread.

Deputy Commissioner Robinson headed back to Malden with a full stomach and the understanding that There is a lot to Like About Lowell.

Tasting History can be purchased at lala books at 189 Market St. in Downtown Lowell or at https://www.jessicalander.com/tasting-history