Monday Message 2/9

Good Morning Lowell Families,

We are facing another storm that could disrupt the start to our school week.  Please tune in to local news for updates on school cancelations or delayed openings.

School Calendar Updates:

The district has had to make some adjustments to the schedule for spring conferences.  The parent and teacher conferences that were originally scheduled for March have been moved to April.  Use the following link for an updated school calendar: 2014-2015 Revised School Calendar.  Elementary report cards will be sent home on Thursday, March 26.

PTO

The next PTO meeting is Tuesday, February 10th at 7:00 PM.

Tardies and Absences:

The snow storms have made for many disruptions to the school calendar.  Teachers are trying to keep students immersed in the daily routines despite all of the snow days.  Teachers are trying to maximize every moment of instruction in these short weeks.  For these reasons it is important for students to be in school and to arrive on time.  Students can arrive at school starting at 8:05.  School begins at 8:15.  Any student arriving after 8:20 are marked tardy.  I will be contacting families if students have excessive absences or tardies.

Ms. Knight's Guidance Blog:

The Lowell School Guidance counsellor, Ms. Knight, has a blog that she updates with information about education, child development and parenting.  Her latest post is about successful relationships.  Please check out the guidance blog at the following link: Lowell Guidance Blog.

PARCC

In the 2014-2015 school year the students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will take the new PARCC test instead of the MCAS test that students have taken in past years.  On Friday, March 6th there will be a parent coffee for parents in grades 3, 4, and 5 to get an overview of the PARCC testing.  PARCC testing will occur during two weeks in March and two weeks in May.

Have a great week!

Ms. Donovan