Dear Staff and Families:

The horrific events of the past week have shattered our sense of safety.  The Boston Marathon attack devastated this nation and the world. Watching a nineteen year old murderer, a graduate of RInge and Latin High School in Cambridge, left us pondering, "How could this happen?"

My 83 year old mother sat in lock down in Belmont alone as no one could get through to her.  My aunt, 86 years old, was locked down alone  in Watertown in a quiet neighborhood, just two streets away from where the terrorist was found.  As citizens of the world watched in disbelief, it just didn't seem possible that this could really be happening right in our own backyards.

Given my own shock, I am wondering how our children are handling this traumatic event.  As much as we try to protect the students from the horrors that have unfolded, it seems impossible in this day of social media to protect them from this "day of infamy".

We must acknowledge that most students have learned about the bombing, whether it is from home or their peers.  For this reason, staff needs to be prepared to talk to students on Monday morning and watch for signs of stress as well. We need to work together to build a sense of normalcy for our children.

The school staff will try to have as normal a day as possible on Monday.  Our job is to make sure that students feel safe and engage in regular activities.  In the younger grades, children may not know about the events that unfolded while others do.  Teachers should limit conversations with the little ones and remind students that the adults are there to protect them.  In the upper elementary grades, students may have more information, so teachers should be prepared to have brief conversations and then get classes back to normal.  Middle school and high school students will arrive to school with a plethora of information, so all secondary teachers who have classes first period should plan to discuss the event with students.  Please see the links below for specific information on how to deal with tragedy and talk with children of different ages.

I fully understand what a difficult time it will be for teachers on Monday morning.  Many of us are dealing with our own shock and grief, but still need to be present and reassuring for our students.  Monday morning is an example of what makes teachers heroes, as they are the ones who will once again pick up the pieces and make the world a better place for our students.  I can give no script, I cannot predict the questions, I cannot take away the horror---but I can assure parents that our teachers will provide Herculean efforts as they strive to bring children through yet another surreal, traumatic event.

Our prayers are with the victims, the families, the first responders, the medical teams and the teachers.  Our thanks go to those who assisted in the first few hours and to those who now assist in the aftermath.  I am confident that our staff will make the world feel a bit safer and more normal come Monday morning.

Finally, here are three articles that teachers and parents may want to read in order to  speak to children about the Boston Bombing.  The links are:

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/Helping_Children_Cope_With_Terrorism_2013.pdf

http://rems.ed.gov/docs/SAMHSA_TipsTalkingChildrenYouthTraumaticEvents.pdf

http://rems.ed.gov/docs/SAMHSA_ChildhoodTraumaticGriefForParents.pdf

Thank you,

Marie Doyle

Recently a Math Night was held for parents of sixth graders at Glenbrook Middle School.  The purpose of this program was to provide information about the upcoming changes to the seventh grade math curriculum as we align with the Common Core Curriculum.  Presenters were Superintendent Marie Doyle and Assistant Superintendent Michael Sullivan.  The last part of the program included questions and answers, and the panel consisted of Principal Chris Collins, Principal Dan Sullivan, Middle School Math Curriculum Coordinator Susan Newton and High School Department Chair Meredith Laughlin.  Below is the slide show from the presentation portion of Math Night.

The Longmeadow School Committee voted during their meeting on Wednesday, March 27th to continue participation in the School Choice program.  They voted to open four (4) seats in the half day kindergarten program for the 2013-2014 school year.  Interested parents should complete the application posted below and submit it by the due date to be entered in a lottery for the open seats.
There are no openings at any other grade level for the 2013-2014 school year.  No information is available for possible openings for future years at this time.

Longmeadow Public Schools are closed due to the weather conditions.

Afternoon sports activities will be taking place today!

Dear Parents:

It is necessary to temporarily shut down the high school in order to make a repair to a water pipe.  Due to the fact that we do not have water at the high school, we will dismiss students and staff at 10:45 am.

At this time, we do not know if practices for spring sports will be held.  Larry Berte will send an Alert Now later in the day to give you an update.  In addition, students may check the district's website for information.

We are sorry for this inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Marie Doyle
Superintendent

First Tours to be Held March 21 at 5:30 p.m. and March 23 at 10:00 a.m.

 

            LONGMEADOW, MA --  Superintendent of Longmeadow Public Schools Marie Doyle and Longmeadow High School Principal Lawrence Berte are pleased to invite Longmeadow residents to attend the first public tours of the new, state-of-the-art facility.  The tours are to be held on Thursday, March 21 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 23 at 10:00 a.m.  Students will be leading the tours through the academic wing, gym and locker room facilities, natatorium, media center and cafeteria, among other areas of the new school.  Students have been attending classes in the new facility since Tuesday, February 26, when there was a brief ceremony to commemorate the opening and welcome students into their new home. 

            The tours are intended to demonstrate Superintendent Doyle's commitment to ensure that  the new high school becomes a showcase facility for the community.  "We look forward to showing it off!", said Superintendent Doyle.  "We want residents to experience what a valuable resource the new high school will be.  It is also important that we convey again how appreciative we are of the community's investment in the future of our students." 

            Residents interested in attending one of the tours are asked to meet in the main lobby area of the new building at the appointed time.  There is no need to RSVP in order to attend one of the tours.  Residents should note that on-site parking is limited to the student lot, which is accessed from Bliss Road.  Principal Berte requests that tour goers looking for additional parking be respectful of residential neighbors on Grassy Gutter Road, Willet Drive, Terry Drive and Wilkin Drive.

The Longmeadow Public Schools proudly opened the new Longmeadow High School Building on February 26, 2013.  We thank the Longmeadow community for their support in making this beautiful facility a reality.  Our students will now have a state of the art facility to enhance the world class education Longmeadow prides itself in providing.  Please enjoy these snapshots of our Opening Day!

Longmeadow Public Schools announce that Kindergarten Registration for the 2013-2014 school year has
begun. Children eligible to begin kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year must be five years of age
on or before August 31, 2013.

Packets were mailed to potential kindergarten students on Thursday, 2/21.  If you do not receive a registration packet in the mail, please come to the Superintendent’s Office, located in the Wolf Swamp Road School, to receive one. Completed registration materials should be returned to the Superintendent’s Office during normal business hours, Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm and before March 22, 2013.
Only children who have completed the registration process will be eligible to participate in the kindergarten orientation (Friday, May 10th) and kindergarten screening (June 13 &14).