
LPS Connector

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ដើម្បីបកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រព័ត៌មាន សូមមើលលើផ្នែកខាងស្តាំខាងលើនៃព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រ ព័ត៌មាននេះនូវមធ្យោបាយ ហើយសូមចុចលើជម្រើស" បកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រព័ត៌មាន ។
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
At Lowell Public Schools, we believe that learning never stops—not for students, and not for adults either. That’s why we are building a Culture of Continuous Improvement across our district, where everyone is encouraged to keep growing, learning, and getting better every day.
In the same way athletes depend on good coaching to help them hone their skills and reach their potential - so do teachers!
Instructional coaches are experienced educators who work closely with teachers to help them reflect on their teaching, try new strategies, and better meet the needs of all students.
What does this look like in action?
Coaches might co-plan lessons with teachers, analyze student work together, model new approaches to teaching; or visit classrooms to support teachers implementing new curriculum.
They work side-by-side with teachers as partners in professional growth.
Why does this matter for your child?
When teachers get better support, students get better instruction. Research shows that coaching is one of the most effective ways to improve teaching quality—and better teaching means stronger learning outcomes for our students.
We are invested in this approach because we believe every child in Lowell deserves an excellent teacher in every classroom. And we believe every educator deserves the tools, time, and support to keep improving.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to build a stronger school system—together.
With appreciation,
Liam
Jammin'
Jam Fest 2025 was FIRE! Twelve bands from four schools (Bartlett Community Partnership School, Wang Middle School, STEM Academy, and Lowell High School), incredible music, big personalities, and a fully energized audience.
Great job by all of the performers! Congratulations to the music teachers whose dedication have gotten them this far. Special thanks to Music Will, a non-profit that supports music education, who sponsored the May 15 event and to the generous folks at Taffeta Music Hall. Watch the full video below.
LHS Class of 2025 Take Final Walk Through Campus
Lowell High School SHOWED UP for the Class of 2025 on May 23, cheering them on as they paraded through campus on their last day of school!
They will don ther caps and gowns on June 4 for graduation at the Tsongas Center. You did it! Congratulations!
Remembering Lieut. Scondras
You may know that the STEM Academy's gymnasium is named for James Scondras, but did you ever stop to wonder about who he was?
Jimmy Scondras (LHS 1937) grew up on Dutton Street in the Acre neighborhood; one of nine Scondras children. He shined as a superstar athlete at Lowell High School.
As a sophomore he hit .400 and stole eight bases in 20 games; in his junior year he led LHS to a state basketball championship; and as a senior playing halfback on the football team, he scored eight touchdowns and as captain of the basketball team, was the squad’s top scorer.
After graduation from Lowell High, Scondras spent a year at St. John’s Prep before heading to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, where he continued his impressive athletic career, lettering in baseball, football, and track.
While still at Holy Cross, Scondras enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his college graduation, he was sent to Quantico, Virginia and later Parris Island, South Carolina for training.
He was killed in action on Iwo Jima on February 1945. He was 25 years old.
His brother, David, had been killed in action in Europe the previous November.
Lieut. James Scondras was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, as well as the Silver Star for his previous action in Guam.
On May 23, Scondras was remembered, 80 years after his death, at the STEM Academy’s Memorial Day observance in the gym that bears his name. His niece, Diane Scondras Eacrett, daughter of his brother George, was in attendance for the moving ceremony.
The event, which featured the LHS U.S. Air Force JROTC, a performance of “America the Beautiful” by the STEM band, the singing of “Thank You, Soldiers” by the STEM 2nd graders, and a solemn rendition of “Taps” by STEM Principal Dr. Greg Passeri, was a great way for students to understand the meaning behind Memorial Day and to pause to show respect and thanks for the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms.
Videos of the JROTC and the 2nd graders' performance below.
Care on Wheels
On May 5, representatives from Lowell Public Schools, UMass Lowell, and Lowell Community Health Center gathered at the Greenhalge Elementary School for the official ribbon cutting for the Mobile Health Unit, a medical examination room on wheels that has been traveling to the district’s community schools to provide immunizations, well and sick child visits, and referrals for specialty healthcare. Read more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/05/22/care-on-wheels/
LHS Prom 2025
The Lowell High School Class of 2025 and their friends showed everyone how prom was meant to be done on Tuesday May 27. Everyone looked amazing! The Academy Awards have got nothing on the LHS prom! Check out a slideshow of photos below (which can also be seen on the LPS Facebook page).
Cookies! The Musical
A little different vibe from Jam Fest - on Friday May 16, the Pyne Arts Magnet School's Kindergarteners, under the direction of music teacher Tinson Lam, put on "Cookies! The Musical" They did a great job staying on beat, emoting when they sang, and most importantly bringing fun and joy to their performance. Great job! Short video below.
Honors Night 2025
Lowell High School held its Honors Awards Night on May 20. There were 388 scholarships awarded to 291 members of the Class of 2025, totaling more than $670,000.
Special thanks to the Greater Lowell Community Foundation and to all of the donors who keep these vital scholarship funds alive.
See the full list of scholarship recipients here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/05/21/lhs-honors-night-2025/
A Day at the Farm
On the morning of May 20, the Murkland Elementary School 4th graders hit the road, crossed the river, and landed at the farm - Farmer Dave's in Dracut!
They had the opportunity to tour the 90-acre farm on a fun tractor-pulled wagon ride, where they learned about the wide range of crops grown on-site and saw spinach being harvested, garlic and strawberries growing, bee hives buzzing with activity, and even a turtle lounging by one of the farm's irrigation ponds. Additionally, students got to fill planting pots with soil and plant flowers to take home, learned more about bees, AND enjoyed a great snack - freshly made doughnuts.
This field trip was made possible by funding from the Massachusetts Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health (FRESH) grant, which also funded the new school garden Mill City Grows recently built at the Murkland.
The Robinson's Got Talent!
The Robinson Middle School's 3rd Annual Musical & Multicultural Showcase hit it out of the park on May 22. It was an impressive evening of performances (see videos below), cultural celebration, food, and community. Congratulations to all of the organizers and performers! Can't wait for next year!
Middle School Flag Football
On May 1, the new LPS Middle School Flag Football league held its inaugural games at Cawley Stadium. Schools fielding teams were: the Stoklosa Middle School, Sullivan Middle School, Butler Middle School, Wang Middle School, Robinson Middle School, and STEM Academy. The football field was broken into three smaller fields, allowing teams to play 20 minute games and then switch to take on another school. Following the games, the middle school players heard from LHS Football Coach Scott Boyle, who put the league together.
Check out a slideshow of all the action below:
Congrats After Dark Graduates!
On Wednesday May 20th, 15 Lowell High School Seniors graduated from the After Dark Program at Greater Lowell Technical High School.
After Dark is a collaboration between LHS and GLTHS that provides more students the opportunity of a career and technical education.
The partnership program started in September 2020, and requires a two-year commitment. Students complete over 900 hours of hands-on training earning multiple credentials and certifications which allows them to be ready to step into the workforce in multiple fields beyond their area of specialties.
Students take core academic classes at Lowell High School before attending technical programming at GLTHS from 2:15pm to 5:30pm Monday through Thursday. We commend these students on their dedication, hard work, and future success.
The graduates are:
HVAC
Rangel Da Silva Santo
Jose Angel Gonzalez
Tegan Holder
Atik Morocho Mayancela
Harrison Palacio Zuluaga
Automotive Technology
Brandon Chhuon
Bryan Fernandez Paguay
Eric Ganyo
Bunsunny Khiev
Jonathan Munoz Mena
Lucas Ramos
Welding and Metal Fabrication
Julian Christian
Sam Marius
Ezekiel Perez
Smith Rojas Florez
Civics Day 2025
The Lowell Public Schools' 4th Annual Civics Day took place Monday May 19 at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
Fifty-six groups of students from all of the city’s middle schools, Lowell High School, and the Career Academy, presented projects on a wide range of issues facing society: immigration rights, school lunch, affordable housing, mental health, substance abuse, littering, road safety and bike lanes, LGBTQ+ rights, sports gambling, sexual harassment, racism in schools, and much more.
The students conducted extensive research on the topics they chose, interviewing policy makers and practitioners at the state and local levels, and reading articles and research papers. Many of the students expressed an interest in continuing to study the topics and work with lawmakers and others to find solutions to the real-life problems plaguing our city and society. See the list of winners here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/05/22/civics-day-2025/
And check out videos of the speeches of this year's Student Changemakers below.
Stoklosa is a (Climate) Cool School
On the Friday of April break, the Stoklosa Middle School's garden was brought back to life through the sweat and hard work of a dedicated group of folks from National Grid, UMass Lowell, and Mill City Grows.
The revitalization of the garden is just a piece of the Climate Cool Schools program, a collaborative sustainability initiative between UMass Lowell and National Grid, which is the first of its kind in the United States. The idea was born from a trade mission Governor Maura Healey made to Ireland, focused on climate and environmental education. To read more, visit: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/05/22/climate-cool-schools/
Building and Growing
Third and fourth graders in the Lincoln Elementary School after school program are ready for the spring planting season! On May 20, they were joined by our friends from Mill City Grows and Engineer to Empower, who helped them build small planting boxes and plant lettuce seedlings in them to take home.
Future Educators Corded
Hugs, handshakes, and high fives were everywhere in Lowell High School’s Burgoyne Theater on Friday May 9, as four dozen Lowell High School seniors received their certificates and graduation cords for completing the requirements of the Education Pathway.
Special thanks to LHS student photographers Liz Gerena and Tatiana Schaefer for these great pictures.
Read more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/05/22/future-educators-corded/
Barnyard Friends Visit the City
The Greenhalge preschoolers had a great time making new friends on May 8 when some barnyard pals from Enchanted Animal Parties of Groton came to visit.
Butler Inducts National Junior Honor Society Members
Lead boldly. Serve humbly. Continue striving for excellence.
That is the directive Butler Middle School Principal Jaime Moody gave to the 45 students who were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society on May 1; the third group of students to join the ranks of the Butler’s NJHS chapter, which was chartered in 2023, co-advised by teachers Tanya Sparkes-Swepson and Luis Cruz.
Read more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/05/22/butler-inducts-new-njhs-members/
Family Fun at the Adie
The students at the Dr. Janice Adie Day School's Chelmsford and Lowell campuses and their families had a great time at the school's Family Fun Day on May 15 (Chelmsford) and May 16 (Lowell).
Chic Boutique at the Sullivan
The snazziest boutique around isn't at the mall - it is at the Sullivan Middle School.
On Friday May 9, 8th graders were invited to browse through the Sullivan Boutique to find the perfect outfit for their end of year formal dance. Totally FREE.
The dresses and dress shirts were collected by Community Schools Program Manager Gayl Hurley and several Sullivan teachers and staff over the last several months.
Classroom Quarterback - Danielle Wright
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 Bailey Elementary School Kindergarten teacher Danielle Wright. Ms. Wright received a $250 gift card courtesy of Wellpoint. Read about her here: https://insidelowell.com/classroom-quarterback-danielle-wright/
The End is Near!
Casey to Lead Greenhalge
Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner is proud to announce Brendan Casey has been named Principal of the Greenhalge Elementary School, effective July 1.
Casey, a Lowell native (LHS ’04), has served as Assistant Principal of the Greenhalge since 2022. He will be taking the reins from Dr. Jen Scarpati, who was recently named Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education for the Nashua Public Schools.
As Assistant Principal of the Greenhalge, Mr. Casey has overseen the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team and the student discipline program. In the three years he has served in the role, there has been an increase in positive behaviors and a decrease in discipline issues among students. He has also overseen the school’s safety protocols and has conducted drills and ensured that all safety plans are updated and in place.
Additionally, as Assistant Principal, he handles planning and logistics for MCAS testing; completes observations and evaluations for all staff; works as part of the school’s Instructional Coaching and Instructional Leadership teams; and serves as the school’s 504 coordinator, ensuring that students receive the accommodations and supports they need for success.
Prior to coming to the Greenhalge, Mr. Casey served as the Health, Physical Education, and Wellness Coordinator for Watertown Public Schools; and for many years as a Health and Physical Education teacher in Cumberland, Rhode Island, at the Valley Collaborative in Tyngsboro, as well as for Lawrence and Lowell Public Schools.
Mr. Casey holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Management from Fitchburg State University, a bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education from Rhode Island College, and served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard from 2014-2023.
Gobbi to Lead Wang
Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner is proud to announce Andrea Gobbi has been named Principal of the Wang Middle School, effective July 1.
Gobbi has served as Assistant Principal for Lowell High School’s McDonough Freshman Academy since 2022, where she has excelled in making the middle school to high school transition easier for countless students and has taken the freshman academy program to new heights.
Prior to taking on her role at LHS, Ms. Gobbi was an English teacher at the Robinson Middle School (Go Eagles!); the Director of Academic Programs at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Billerica; the Supervisor of Secondary Curriculum at Lawrence High School; and had taught English at Lawrence High School, Whittier Regional Technical High School, and Greater Lawrence Technical High School.
Ms. Gobbi holds a bachelor’s degree English Literature from UMass Lowell, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from UMass Lowell, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy from UMass Lowell.
Greenhalge Honored by Kids In Tech
Congratulations to the Greenhalge Elementary School - honored with the School Partnership Award at Kids in Tech, Inc.'s 2nd Annual Pathways to Success Dinner & Awards earlier this month in Boston!
Representing the Greenhalge were: 2nd Grade Teacher Joy Flanders, Assistant Principal Brendan Casey, Principal Jen Scarpati, Community School Program Manager Monica Melo Ernest, Social Worker Tami Marshall, and Music Teacher Mel Emmerick.
LHS JROTC Shines in Florida
Lowell High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC unit (MA-771) made their presence felt on the national stage over April break, traveling to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in the All-Service Nationals Drill Competition. Competing in Division II, the cadets shined against top programs from across the country.
The Unarmed Team, led by Cadet Lt Col Paola Morel, brought home a 2nd Place trophy in Regulation Drill and a 3rd Place in Inspection—an impressive showing from a field of 21 schools.
The Armed Team, commanded by Cadet Lt Col Joshua Alves, earned 5th Place in Armed Regulation among 20 strong competitors.
Overall, Lowell’s Unarmed Team finished 6th in their division, with the Armed Team taking 12th. The results continue Lowell’s long tradition of excellence, keeping the program visible, competitive, and respected on the national circuit.
The teams’ performance drew special recognition from Colonel Matthew E. Tipton, national director of Air Force JROTC programs. Following the competition, Colonel Tipton personally congratulated the Unarmed Regulation Team.
“He had heard we were the only school in New England to receive a perfect 100 on our unit evaluation this year,” said Master Sergeant (Ret.) Paul Perez, head coach of the LHS drill program. “He wanted to see what that looked like—and we showed him.”
This outstanding showing by Lowell High School’s nationally recognized drill teams reflects proudly on the City of Lowell, Lowell High School, and the unwavering commitment of the instructors, coaches, and cadets. It also stands as a strong representation of the core values of both Lowell Public Schools and the United States Air Force.
LHS Takes Costa Rica
Over April break, 16 Lowell High School students traveled to Costa Rica, where they got to experience "Pura Vida", the country's sense of wellbeing, positivity, and gratitude. Led by English teacher Suzanne Riley and Spanish teacher Mary Ann Dyson, the group began the week with a visit to a coffee plantation, hiking the lava trails, kayaking Lake Arenal, and horseback riding.
After traveling to the Pacific side of the country, they volunteered at a wildlife rescue center, helping to construct a firewall to protect the animals during the dry season. The week continued with a trip to Manuel Antonio National Park and beach, where they were amazed to see sloths, monkeys, macaws, and giant iguanas up close in the forest. The trip concluded with ziplining and a farewell folklore show, which showcased Costa Rican music and dancing.
The students were: Alanna Cohen, Lexi Abrams, Ariana Yrrizarry, Daisy Rita Wariua, Ella Machado, Kate Woodlock, Keelyn Grady, Kisha Patel, Kylee Pailin, Lucas Scollin, Lyla Furtell, Mia Simuang, Nora McCabe, Sabrina Cady, Shamar Chambers, and Violet Kourembis.
Save the Date!
Lowell High School Freshman Orientation will be held on Friday August 22 from 7:40 a.m. to 12 p.m.
ESL Teachers Honored
One-third of Lowell Public Schools students are Multilingual Learners. Recently, seven incredible Lowell ESL teachers were honored as part of Flashlight Learning’s Top 100 Teachers Nationwide!
Flashlight Learning provides a progress monitoring tool used by LPS that helps teachers assess and support the language development of multilingual learners.
These seven teachers were selected because their students made some of the highest gains between their beginning and middle-of-year benchmarks.
They are:
Nour Sammeraei, Butler Middle School
Holly Fleury, Moody Elementary School
Marianne Monbleau, Shaughnessy Elementary School
Kimberly Edie, Shaughnessy Elementary School
Paula Dwire, Greenhalge Elementary School
Nicole Gould, Sullivan Middle School
Kristen Eschmann, Stoklosa Middle School
May - Mental Health Awareness Month
It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth—a time to #BreakTheStigma and ensure everyone has access to the support they need. If you’re looking for a mental health care provider, contact #CareSolace for confidential care coordination, provided by Lowell Public Schools. 888-515-0595 www.caresolace.com/lowellma
Pop Warner Football & Cheerleading
Registration for Lowell Pop Warner football and cheerleading is in full swing. More information on the flyer below. To register online, visit: https://leagues.bluesombrero.com/lowellpopwarnerfootballandcheer
UMass Lowell Summer Soccer Camp
UMass Lowell will be hosting their annual soccer camps for girls in grades 2-8 this July. There are two sessions: July 14-17 and July 21-24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information and to register: https://umlwomenssoccercamps.totalcamps.com/shop/EVENT