Dear Lawrence Community,
I hope everyone is getting a chance to enjoy the amazing weather this weekend! We are off to a great start at Lawrence School, as the building has truly has come to life with children enthusiastically beginning their new year in the journey from Kindergarten to 8th grade. As Mrs. Horst, Dr. Ferdinand and I work our way through the hallways and classrooms, we see and hear great things happening. Teachers and staff are creating caring communities of learners, establishing the routines and expectations that make a classroom and school hum. Students are engaged in their learning, eager to make a good impression, and start the year off with success!
Overall, it’s been a smooth start at Lawrence. Staff and teachers have been reinforcing our school-wide expectations - check out the school-wide matrix below and please review these with your child! The logistics and systems we have in place for cafeteria, recess, arrival, and dismissal seem to be working very well this year. We also continue to reinforce our safety procedures - reviewing and revising them as a staff, but also discussing with students in developmentally appropriate ways. Last week, we had our first fire/evacuation drill with Brookline Fire - and we were incredibly impressed with the way students followed our most important message in an emergency: listen carefully to the directions of a Lawrence School adult. We are very proud of our students for exhibiting our core values: BE SAFE, BE RESPONSIBLE and BE RESPECTFUL during this drill!
Beginning a new school year is wrought with change: new teachers, new classmates, new routines and learning demands. However, our students continue to show us how resilient they are, and how willing they are to trust the adults at Lawrence. They quickly recognize our staff cares very deeply for them as individuals - and as a student body, and know they are in a safe place here. I'm filled with gratitude for the staff of Lawrence for all of the efforts they've made to make our launch so strong! Please make sure to give a warm, "thank you," next time you speak with one of them!
I really enjoyed meeting some of our new-to-Lawrence families last week at our New Family Meet and Greet - and look forward to meeting more this Monday at the Japanese New Family Welcome. As a reminder, this Thursday evening we open our year as a community with our PTO's Annual Lawrence Fall Picnic (Thursday 9/19 from 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM). I also hope to see you at other upcoming events, like the Principal/PTO forums, as well as our Fall Open House nights.
As I mentioned last time, with the Linked "In" With Lawrence School Newsletter, the office and admin team will share out needed key information for our community. We hope it gives everyone a bit more insight into all the amazing things that occur in a school. Please check out the "Raising Good Humans" section below for a variety of resources for all adults to peruse when you have a moment or two.
A few final key reminders for the community:
School Council Elections: It is time for the biennial elections for the Lawrence School Council! We are looking for 3 parent/caregivers (as well as 1 "community member") to join this important group that is tasked with approving and reviewing our School Improvement Plan, as well as other school leadership responsibilities. This is a 2 year term. Please see the information below on this Council and learn how to become a nominee. The PTO will be helping us in coordinating elections, which will be held week of September 28th. Meeting dates/times are listed in the calendar below.
Drop off/Morning Doors: As a reminder, the school doors open at 7:30 AM, for those coming to breakfast in the cafeteria. There is NO supervision prior to 7:30 and we will not be able to open the front door until this time. Please make sure that students are not arriving or dropped until 7:30, if they are headed to the cafeteria. No students are allowed to be in the rest of the building until the doors open at 7:50AM.
Tech policy: As another reminder, students are expected to be following our "Off and Away" personal electronic device policy. This is essential - for the safety of all students and to promote an active and engaging learning environment! We are aware that some students have been telling staff that they've "left their devices at home." There is a strong belief by our middle school staff that students are using this excuse to keep devices on them during the day, in violation of the policy. Please, reiterate these expectations at home and anticipate staff reaching out to confirm that you are having a student leave their device at home if they share this with teachers.
In collaboration,
Vanessa Bilello
Principal, Lawrence School
Important Beginning of Year Dates
Please contact us if you have any questions on events listed below!
Click below to view more important dates:
PSB Religious and Cultural Observances Overview
- Monday, September 16th - 8:15 - 9:00 AM - Japanese New Family Welcome: Meet and greet with key Lawrence staff and community members
- Thursday, September 19th - 5:00 - 7:30 PM - Lawrence Fall Picnic: Evening picnic on the field to catch up and meet other Lawrence community members.
- Wednesday, September 25th - 5:00 - 6:00 PM - Lawrence METCO Family Meet and Greet - Lawrence METCO families (children and adults!) are invited to join our administration and members of our METCO team for a light dinner in the Lawrence Library before the Open House. Please contact Brendan Rollins, METCO advisor, or Vanessa Bilello, for more information.
- Wednesday, September 25th - 6:00 - 8:00 PM - Open House (Grades 3 - 8) 3-5 Classrooms 6:00-7:00PM, Specialists 6:30-7:30PM , 6-8 Classrooms 7:00-8:00PM - adults only) *We do plan on providing limited (space and volunteer-dependent) child care for ages 3-10 with PTO for the evening - stay tuned from the PTO for more info! There will be a separate email about these events.
- Thursday, September 26th - 6:00 - 7:30 PM - Open House (Grades K - 2) K-2 Classrooms 6:00-7:00PM, Specialists 6:30-7:30PM - K-2 students may attend with caregivers
- Thursday, October 3rd - No School, Day of Low Attendance (Rosh Hashanah)
- Wednesday, October 9th: 8:15-9:15 am - Principal/PTO Forum: Location - in person (cafeteria) - Topic: Fall Feedback - Join the PTO leaders and school leadership to discuss the start of the school year: what worked, provide feedback, ask questions about upcoming events, connect with school/PTO! *These forums will alternate formats (zoom/in person), with the hopes of connecting with members of our adult community. Each forum will include a different, timely topic of interest related to the Lawrence School.*
- Monday, October 14th - No School, Indigenous People's Day
- Wednesday, October 16th - SCHOOL PHOTO DAY -Student photos taken for the yearbook during the school day. More information coming home soon!
- Thursday, October 17th - 2:30PM - Lawrence Playground/Field - Lawrence Japanese Fair
- Saturday, October 20th - Lawrence Fun Run
- Thursday, October 31st - 2:10PM - Halloween Parade
- Dates in October TBD! - Lawrence Japanese Fair: Afternoon of Japanese food and culture experiences. Learn more about this tradition and how to make some of the treats like candy leis and kusudama!
- Tuesday, November 5th- No School - Professional Development Day: Staff Reports/Closed for Students
- Thursday, November 7th - Early Dismissal K-6 (Students dismissed @ 12:40)
- Monday, November 11th- No School, Veterans Day
- Wednesday, November 13th - Early Dismissal K-8 (Students dismissed @ 12:40)
- Thursday, November 21st - Early Dismissal K-8 (Students dismissed @ 12:40)
- Wednesday, November 27th - Early Dismissal K-8 (Students dismissed @ 12:00 - no lunch is served)
- November 28th - 29th - No School, Thanksgiving Break
- Wednesday, October 9th: 8:15-9:15 am
- Wednesday, November 13th: 4:00-5:00 pm
- Wednesday, January 15th: 7:00-8:00 pm
- Wednesday, March 12th: 8:15-9:15 am
- Wednesday, May 24th 8:15-9:15 am
Conference Early Release Days - 12:40 pm Dismissal
Fall: 11/7 (K-6), 11/13 (K-8), 11/21 (K-8), 12/4 (K-8)
Spring: 4/2 (K-8), 4/10 (K-6), 4/16 (K-6), 5/1 (K-6)
Evening Conference Dates: Fall: Week of 11/18/24, Spring: Week of 4/22/25
School Council Dates (tentative, via Zoom): (8:15-9:15 am) Sept 12th, Oct 24th, Dec. 5th , Jan 30th, March 27th, May 15th
Principal/PTO Forums (Dates/times subject to change):
School Council - Parents/Caregivers & Community Members Needed!
The Lawrence School Council is a state mandated structure made up of parents/caregivers and Lawrence staff. We are charged with reviewing and updating the School Improvement Plan and addressing issues that impact the school community. We have three open positions starting in October of 2024. Each term is for two years. The council meets five times during the school year. We will have our first meeting on October 24, 2024. Meetings will take place from 8:15-9:15 AM in a hybrid format. (see tentative meeting dates above).
If you are interested in being a member, please write me a proposal as to why you would like to be a member and what contributions you can make to support the council and the school as a whole. If there are more than three proposals, the PTO is mandated to run an election.
Please send all proposals to Vanessa Bilello by Thursday, September 26th, 2024.
With school return, we also see the return to all sorts of viruses and illness. As a reminder, all our school nurses follow all the current health this district/town have established and are currently in place for all of the schools, in terms of reporting out to families. As an individual school, we do not establish these policies, but follow those that are decided by the public health officials. For more information on Health services, check out the district webpage, put together by the Public School of Brookline Health Services - there is a lot of excellent information there. If you have specific concerns or questions, please reach out to our school nurses or the district team.
COMING SOON - VOLLEYBALL & CROSS COUNTRY SIGN UPS!!!
Cross Country Intramurals (Grade 5-8):
More information coming soon!
Volleyball Extramural Sign Ups (Grades 7/8):
We are excited to announce that we will be offering volleyball to any 7th and 8th grade students who would like to try out. Just like last year we will have a boys team and a girls team. The teams will compete against the other Brookline Public Schools. In order to be eligible to try out students must complete the following two steps:
1. Register online at www.familyID.com
2. Submit a copy of a current physical exam unless the nurses at the school already have one.
You do not have to pay the $85 fee until your child makes the team.
Note regarding physical exams: Physical exams must be current within the past thirteen months and be signed by the physician. If a student’s physical expires during the season, they will not be allowed to play until a current one is received.
Notes regarding familyID: This is the same system that is used at the high school level. Once you create an account, you will use this account to register for sports in future seasons as well. On the familyID site, it will ask you to sign off that student athletes along with parents/guardians complete the concussion course. State law requires this for athletes and their families. You can register for the brief online course at nfhslearn.com It appears that you have to order the course, but it is actually free and takes about thirty minutes to complete.
Dates will be shared in a separate email
If you have any questions, please contact Colin King, Lawrence's : Colin_King@psbma.org
Sincerely,
Colin King
Making Good Humans is the section of our newsletter where we will share out a variety of resources: videos, articles and websites that can support our goal in meeting the social-emotional needs of all students - by working together as an adult community focused on the idea that compassionate learning is built on a foundation of compassion.
Below, I've picked a couple of my favorite videos to re-watch each September. One is the special story of the Thai Panyee FC soccer team- an inspiring video about the importance of community - and believing "we can!" Last year, we watched it together as a staff to launch our year, and as a household with a big focus on soccer, this inspirational story makes me smile each time I watch it!
Another video below is from one of my favorite authors and former Stanford University Dean, Julie Lythcott-Haims. As a parent to a college junior and freshman, Julie's words hit home in a new way for me this year! Her Ted Talk, "How to Raise Successful Kids - Without Over-Parenting," has messages that every adult raising children today should reflect upon. Finally, I'm linking in an excellent new Ted Talk - from clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Becky Kennedy, who shares her Single Most Important Parenting Strategy. Please, take 15 - 20 minutes from your busy days/nights to watch and reflect on these wise words, so that we can partner together in guiding our children to become better humans!
Snack/ Lunch:
Snack-- “Working Snack”-- bring a nut-free, nutritious snack that can be eaten quickly in the first few minutes of a class. We will have a designated snack time mid-morning (7/8th).
Lunch- We will be reviewing guidelines and expectations with students. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Entering the cafeteria-- this year there will be 3 lines-- students bringing lunch from home, buying “cold lunch”, and buying “hot lunch”.
Lunch will continue to be free. The September lunch menu links are in the Food Service section below.
Cell phones and smart watches: Please remind your students that cell phones and smart watches need to be turned off and put away while at school. Students should turn them off and put them away once they enter the building and keep them off and away until the school day is over (7:50-2:30), per our "Off and Away" rules.
We have found that student access to personal devices during the school day can significantly distract them. We are hopeful that this will help students stay focused in the present moment, on their learning task.
Lockers: Students usually go to their lockers at the start of the school day, before and after lunch, and at the end of the school day. With over 200 students in the halls between classes, it is very difficult for students to use that time to get things out of their lockers. We will have ongoing discussions with students about how to manage their materials.
Locks on Lockers: Families may choose to purchase locks for their child’s locker, especially if they are bringing devices to school that must be left in lockers. We ask that the student either give a duplicate key to the advisor, or share the combination with the advisory (in case of emergency, or when someone’s bag strap accidentally gets stuck!)
Town-Wide Music Groups (extracurricular options):
Our Performing Arts Department offers five Town-Wide Music Groups:
The Town-Wide Concert Band is open to all 6th through 8th-grade students with some prior experience on a wind, brass, or percussion instrument and bass players and meets on Mondays from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm in room 363 at the Florida Ruffin Ridley School. For more information, email rick_stone@psbma.org.
The Town-Wide Jazz Band is open to all 6th through 8th students with some prior instrument experience on any instrument and meets on Mondays from 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm in room 363 at the Florida Ruffin Ridley School. For more information, email rick_stone@psbma.org.
The Town-Wide Orchestra is open to all 6th through 8th students with some prior experience on violin, viola, cello, or double bass and rehearses Monday evenings from 6:45 pm to 7:45 pm in the Roland Hayes School Auditorium. For more information, email john_ferguson@psbma.org.
The Brookline Youth Orchestra (BYO) is open to more advanced students who play violin, viola, cello, or double bass and is by audition or recommendation. BYO rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 pm to 7:45 pm in the Runkle School Multipurpose Room. For more information, email john_ferguson@psbma.org.
The Town-Wide Chorus, Voices of Brookline, is open to all 5th through 8th grade students who love to sing. Rehearsals are Mondays from 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm in Room 1440 at Driscoll School. For more information, email lauren_cecchini@psbma.org.
The Town-Wide groups are a great way to advance as a musician, have a lot of fun, meet other students with common interests from all schools in the district, and each of the groups perform at least twice a year and participate in special field trip performances. The Performing Arts Department will be sending out more details at the start of the school year, and you can contact the K-12 Performing Arts Curriculum Coordinator, Kenny Kozol, with any questions at kenny_kozol@psbma.org.
The Cafe @ Lawrence School!
At this time, students will have assigned seating (by table for 3-8 and by seat K-2). in the lunchroom. Observations and feedback has demonstrated that assigned seating, determined by staff, decreases anxiety for many students. While certain grade levels may mix seating between homerooms over time, staff at Lawrence is committed to fostering a safe lunchroom environment for all students. Student's lunchtime is consistent each day, and for most grade levels, they will be in the cafe with the majority of the students in their grade, and possibly one other grade level. We will share more information regarding the expectations within the cafe in future editions of the Linked "In" newsletters.
Student Meals
All students can access their meals by going through the serving lines in their school cafeteria. Lines are set up with dual pin pad and barcode scanners, with the goal is to provide students with multiple ways to register their meals at the POS (register). K- 5 students will receive an ID card prior to the start of the school year. Each ID card will include a student pin and a barcode scanner. Either can be used to access their account. It will be useful for students in lower grades to start memorizing their pin as this will be used as they move through the system. Middle school students will use their pin which is their LACID and can be found in each staff portal. Students in middle school are encouraged to memorize their pins for this to be successful.
Breakfast:
The Food Services Department is committed to working with schools and principals to help assure that all students have a chance to start their day with a healthy breakfast. Their goal is to serve at least 70% of the students in attendance breakfast each day. Breakfast is available in all schools starting at 7:30 am. Grab and Go breakfast carts will be available at the entrance for students to grab on their way in.
Lunch:
A Free lunch is available to all students. All schools now have a salad bar where students can access fresh fruits and vegetables most of which are locally sourced. Student lunches do include milk. Students need to take a lunch to receive a free milk. There will continue to be hot/cold lunch options - and this year, with the numbers of students and limited space, students are asked to stand in one of two lines: the hot lunch line OR the cold lunch line. These will be labeled at the entrance to the cafe. Students bringing from home will enter the cafe through the "exit" door to go to their assigned lunch table.
Monthly and weekly menus will be posted outside the cafeteria for review. Lawrence will review the basic lunch options on announcements Monday morning. Middle school teachers are asked to post the monthly menu in visible locations in their classroom. K-5 staff are asked to review the lunch choices (hot vs cold) from the monthly menu during their classroom Morning Meeting. Families are asked to review menus at home, to assist in choice-making, especially with younger students. These efforts will help cut down on time spent in line, since it will help students make their choice before entering the cafe.
Beginning of Year- Key Info
School Hours:
School hours will continue to be Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am - 2:30 pm and Fridays from 8:00 am - 1:40 pm. The front door opens at 7:30 AM for students choosing to eat breakfast in the cafeteria (students must report to the cafeteria and stay there until 7:50 AM). Door around the building (see below for your child's location) open promptly for students not entering for breakfast at 7:50 AM daily.
Arrival for the ‘24-’25 School Year:
There are multiple entrances for students and staff to use when arriving to and exiting the building. Students must arrive at and leave from their assigned entrance every morning and when school is dismissed.
Students should arrive between 7:50-8:00am, and not sooner as they will have to remain outside even during the colder weather. Staff who monitor the doors will need to leave their doors exactly at 8am to start servicing students. They will not be able to keep doors open and let students into the building even if students are just feet away from the door.
For students who arrive at the building at 8:00 a.m and after regardless of their assigned entrance, they will need to enter the building through the main entrance on Francis Street in order to check in at the main office and receive a late pass.
There are multiple entrances for students and staff to use when arriving to and exiting the building. Students must arrive at and leave from their assigned entrance every morning and when school is dismissed. Students in grades K-2 will meet their teacher at a determined location close to their assigned door. Teachers in grades K, 1 and 2 will communicate with their classes directly about meeting locations.
Front Door on Francis Street: KG, 3R, 4MC, 6M, 6YS, 6S, 7A, 8D (KG, 4MC walk to classes on the first floor. Grades 6-8 travel up to the second and third floors via the center staircase.) (Door 1 has name of school and address above the double doors)
Playground entrance near cafeteria: KC, 2A, 3M, 3P, 3W, (Grades K- 3 travel up to the first and second second floors via staircase.) Door # 4
Playground entrance near the bike racks: KO, 1O, 1L, 5B, 5M, (KO goes down to the basement. Grade 1 walks up stairs to their first floor classrooms. 5M&5B travel to the second via the staircase) Door #3
Side Entrance on path between Francis Street and Newell Rd. 1P, 5N, 7V, 7LM, 8B, 8H (1P walks in and down stairs to their classroom. Grades 5-8 travel to the second and third floors via the staircase) Door #13
Classroom Door-1C (Door # 2), 2T (Door # 10)
Back Door by Courtyard: 2W, 2GS, 7M (2W can enter and go down the stairs, 2GS can enter the building, take left and go to class on first floor, 7M will use the center stairwell to second and third floors based on location of first period) Door #9
Back Doors off of Newell Road across from tennis courts: KP, 4C, 4W, & 4E (KP Door # 15) and 4C & 4W & 4E will enter at the adjacent door (Door #16) closer to the alcove near their rooms and use the stairwell to the second floor.
Students who take a bus will meet their adult support staff and enter via the cafeteria side door or front door pending the weather.
Late Arrivals/Tardies: Starting each day in class on time helps set the tone for learning all day. Please, work together with your child to establish strong morning routines at home that allow you to ensure that they are ready to start their day at Lawrence by 7:55 am. It is very important that students arrive in time to go to their lockers/cubbies and then get into their classroom by 8 am. Therefore, the doors to Lawrence will open at 7:50 am each morning for your child to enter. Students (and families) should plan their morning to arrive no later than 7:55 am so that students can be in their classroom, with materials and ready to learn, by 8:00 am. Students will be marked tardy if they after 8:00 am. Staff monitoring the doors will leave them at 8 am sharp so they can begin their day with students. Since doors will be locked at 8 am, anyone arriving after that time must go to the front entrance to be checked in late and receive a tardy pass from the office.
Dismissal:
Kindergarten, first grade and second grade students will be walked out via assigned doors (above) and dismissed to their caregivers.
Grades 3-8 students will walk to their caregivers or homes when dismissed by their teacher.
Information for Parents/Caregivers:
If for any reason you need to pick up your child(ren) during the school day, please come to the main entrance on Francis Street to sign them out.
When you arrive you can ring the bell and share your name, your child(ren)’s name(s), their homeroom(s), and the reason they need to be dismissed. A member of the front office staff will then connect with staff in the building to have your child(ren) dismissed. Children in Kindergarten - Grade 2 will be walked down to the main lobby to connect with the adult waiting. Children in Grades 3-8 will be dismissed independently from their classrooms, check in at the main office and walk out through the front entrance with the adult waiting. Students are welcome to return to school after an appointment, but should sign back in at the office so that their attendance is recorded accordingly.
NO STUDENT may be dismissed before the end of the school day without an adult waiting outside for them.
What do I if my child is going to be absent?
Contact our absence line at (617) 879-4343
What about lunch?
FREE MEALS FOR ALL STUDENTS: Free meals are available to all students once again this year, due to MA state funding. No documentation/application is needed to receive these benefits. Only complete, reimbursable meals are eligible (1 meal, with milk, per lunch period). Single milks, double meals, etc. are NOT FREE and will be charged accordingly. See the Updates from the Cafe section for more info.
How can I get involved? Lawrence Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)
Families are encouraged to learn more about volunteer opportunities with the PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization)! It is a great ways to become part of our community at Lawrence - and is an extremely important supporter of our school! You can find links to this organizations here.
The PTO provides students in our elementary schools with a variety of enrichment programs during the school year to enhance and support classroom instruction. THE PTO also helps organize parents/guardians to volunteer at Lawrence - whether you are available weekly or for special events, please reach out to the PTO to learn more. The PTO counts on your membership to support activities in the schools that are enjoyed by all. For more information, please visit the PTO website. Check out the informational flyer below!
Volunteering
As a reminder, any volunteers do need to have an up-to-date CORI on file in the office. Check with the office for details. Volunteer opportunities are frequently coordinated through our PTO.
Security Reminder - School Doors:
Just a reminder that we ask for everyone’s support to prevent ‘tailgating.’ While holding the door open for others is a polite thing to do, it can be a security risk in our schools. Please do not hold the door open for others; we kindly ask that all visitors pass through our buzz-in system at the main entrance to the school.
Our school website has static information, but it is also updated with current news and bulletins. Every few weeks, you can expect the school-wide newsletter from the principal’s office, Linked "in" With Lawrence School. As a reminder, with the Linked "In" With Lawrence School Newsletter, the office and admin team will share out needed key information for our community, as well as sharing photos, videos, resources and a look inside the happenings of Lawrence. It is a reference tool, where hopefully you can locate the key information about our school operations and have at your fingertips. The Lawrence School Family Handbook is a wealth of important information, as well.This newsletter is distributed to families via email and can also be found on the school’s webpage. We can't wait to share the great things happening at Lawrence each month!
In addition to the above school-wide methods, please communicate openly with your child’s teacher(s). Each teacher has an email address and voice mailbox. You can find their contact information on our school website.
- Linked "In": Back to School Edition