Burbank Bulletin

Dear Luther Burbank Families,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Kristen Titus to the Luther Burbank teaching staff. Mrs. Titus is a veteran teacher with over 11 years of teaching experience. In addition to being a successful teacher, Mrs. Titus has also been a teacher leader, and mentor to new teachers. She has extensive curriculum knowledge with a Master's degree and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Interdisciplinary Studies. We are lucky to have Mrs. Titus filling our role as the 7th grade special education teacher for the remainder of the school year.

With the month of December here, some families wish to provide a gift to their teachers. As I have written in the past, the generosity and support of the parents of Lancaster is amazing and truly heartwarming. Below are the State Ethical guidelines for gifts to teachers and public employees. In short, no teacher can accept a gift over $50 total for the entire school year. A group gift must include all in the class and also has limits. Secondly, a group gift generally needs to be used for classroom supplies.

In my 30 years of education, the most meaningful gifts I have received are student-made cards, drawings, or crafts. Knowing a student took their own time and is speaking from the heart makes those types of gifts so meaningful.

Please see the link below for the State Ethics Guidelines for giving gifts to school employees. A short summary of the law is below.

Gifts to Public Employees

In general, a public employee may not accept any gift worth $50 or more that is given because of the position he or she holds. Public employees may accept gifts that are worth less than $50, but they have to disclose in writing that they have done so if, based on the specific circumstances, a reasonable person would think that the public employee might unduly show favor to the giver or the giver's child, or be influenced by the giver.

Class Gifts: The Commission created an exemption in its regulations at 930 CMR 5.08(14) to permit class gifts to teachers in certain circumstances. Under the exemption, the parents and students of a class, acting together, may give a gift worth up to $150 to a teacher, provided that the gift is identified only as being from the class, and the names of the givers and the amounts given are not identified to the teacher. A single class gift worth up to $150, or several class gifts during the school year with a total value up to $150, may be given. A teacher may not accept any other gift from someone who has contributed to a class gift. Therefore, if an individual gift is offered, before accepting it, the teacher must confirm that the giver did not contribute to the class gift.

Any gift over $150 cannot be accepted by teachers. If there is a gift to be provided to her over that amount, it would have to be returned for them to be in compliance with the law. Any gift beyond $150 can be donated for classroom supplies.

Sincerely,

Sean O'Shea

December 9: Early Release, 11:30 AM Dismissal

December 16: Trimester 1 Report Cards Released

December 20: LBMS Winter Concert Snow Date, @NRHS, 6:30 PM

December 23 - January 2: No School, Winter Break

January 3: Classes Resume

Link to 2022-23 NRSD School Calendar

As a reminder, if there are buses parked in the front of the building at any time during the day do not enter the bus lanes. Please park in the main parking lot and walk to the front door. If you are picking up your student from an after school activity students will be waiting for parents/guardians by the flagpole with their advisor.

The law in Massachusetts requires stopping for a bus that has flashing lights and an extended stop sign, whether you are driving from behind or toward the bus. You can only resume driving when the lights top flashing or the sign folds back in.

Feeling sick can be especially concerning these days. Could your sniffles be caused by COVID-19? Or the flu? A cold? Or maybe allergies? Or RSV?

As you may be aware, we are seeing an increase in illness throughout the district. Most of these illnesses are caused by respiratory viral infections, including common cold viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus and enterovirus, and influenza (the flu). In addition, we continue to see positive COVID cases. The symptoms for these illnesses overlap and are all treated primarily with rest and fluids in order to allow the body to fight the infection on its own. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers may help with fever, aches and pain. If symptoms persist for a period of time or worsen, your healthcare provider may offer alternative treatments.

The Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics reminds families about steps to take to prevent illness and stay healthy this season:

• Practice hand hygiene frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer.

• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or if a tissue is not available, cover them with an elbow, not a hand.

• Clean high touch surfaces in your home frequently with household disinfectants.

• Stay home from daycare/school/work if you have a fever (100°F or more) especially with a cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, congestion, runny nose, or sore throat, until you are fever-free for 24 hours without medications that reduce fever.

• Avoid social gatherings if you or your children are ill.

• Get vaccinated for the Flu and Covid

For more information on these illnesses, please visit the links below:

Is It Allergies, Cold, Flu, COVID-19 or RSV?

Flu season: CDC Flu Season

For more information of COVID: Flu vs COVID

For more information on RSV: CDC - RSV

The 2022/2023 Yearbook is now on sale and is accepting orders. All orders must be placed online through the CoffeePond website. See the attached flyer.

• The cost of the book this year is $32 if ordered before 3/1/23
• $34 if ordered after 3/1/23 and before 4/8/23
• $36 if ordered after 4/8/23 and before 4/15/23

The deadline for ordering the yearbook is 4/15/2023.

Don't miss out. See the attached information to order your yearbook online.

Please be reminded that we request that you notify the school if your child is going to be late or absent. You can do so easily by emailing LBMSattendance@nrsd.net. Please feel free to call Nurse Ana at 978-365-5629 if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Substitute teaching offers flexibility and a direct interface with our awesome students. It also offers interested community members a way to contribute to our school. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a substitute teacher and/or are interested in applying to become a substitute teacher, please email Judy Ursuliak at jursuliak@nrsd.net or call our main office at 978-365-4558.

Email: jursuliak@nrsd.net
Website: burbank.nrsd.net
Location: 1 Hollywood Drive, Lancaster, MA, USA
Phone: 978-365-4558
Twitter: @LBMSPrincipal

Minuteman High School will be hosting a virtual Family Information Session for any interested families on Monday, December 12th at 7p. The session will be run by the Director of Teaching and Learning Innovations and Admissions along with a panel of current Minuteman parents where they will discuss the admissions process, Minuteman's educational model, and the benefits of career technical education. There will also be time for questions.

There is no need to register. You can log in to the session using this link. If you are unable to attend live, a recording will be posted on Minuteman's website, or you can email Madison Horner in the Admissions Office for a copy.