Principal's Update 4/12/24
Vacation
Quick reminder that Leominster schools are closed next week, April 15th to 19th, for April break.
Student Attendance
Student absences have been steadily increasing every month since New Year’s Day. We are also far above our absences from this same time last year as well. While this is the season of sickness, it is important to try and have your student in school as much as possible.
Graduation Information
Graduation is coming fast! Since I know that teenagers are not always reliable for passing on information, I have made a page on the LHS website where I have posted information about graduation and all the traditional senior events. You can find it at https://www.leominsterps.org/schools/leominster-high-school/graduation
Pancake Breakfast
There will be a pancake breakfast on Sunday April 21 at the Leominster Veteran’s Center to raise money for the LHS music programs. See the attached flyers for details.
Support with the College Financial Aid Process:
The Department has partnered with uAspire to provide free financial aid resources and webinars to high school seniors in Massachusetts. Upcoming offerings include:
· Financial Aid Offer: Students who applied to college and completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be receiving financial aid offers soon. uAspire will hold a webinar from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 to provide students and families with critical information to interpret their financial aid offers. uAspire advisors will share details about the different types of financial aid, best practices for reviewing and comparing financial aid offers, and next steps after determining how much each college will cost. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. Please register online.
· Summer Steps: From 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, uAspire and DESE will hold a webinar about the timeline for high school students in the months before entering college. Topics will include understanding and paying the college bill, applying for outside scholarships or additional loans, and other financial aid steps. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. Please register online.
Anyone with questions about the webinars is asked to please email Leticia Reyes Trotman at Leticiar@uaspire.org and visit uaspire.org/resources.
2nd Annual Blue Devil 5K
We are excited to announce this year's 2nd Annual Blue Devil 5K! We are running this event to support the BDN Scholarship that we established last year, which we would like to be able to give annually to members of the senior class who represent and embody the characteristics of Blue Devil Nation - all that we want our students to be.
This year's 5K will be held on Saturday May 11, starting at the flagpole entrance of LHS and venturing into the surrounding neighborhoods. Check-in will begin at 9 am and the 5K will start at 9:30. The registration fee is $15, and all participants who register/pay by 4/26 are guaranteed a T-shirt. All information is included in the attached flyer. The flyer also has a QR code that, when scanned, will take you directly to this Google Registration Form. We are also sending hard copies of the flyer to each building within the next couple of days!
If you are unable to attend the 5K but are interested in purchasing a Blue Devil Nation t-shirt to add to your spirit wear collection, reach out to Catherine Brow at catherine.brow@leominsterps.org, and we can add you to the order list.
We had a great turnout of runners and walkers for our first 5K last year and are looking forward to doing it again. Please feel free to share and invite your family and friends to participate too. All are welcome!
MCAS COUNTDOWN
The six days your student takes the MCAS are the six most important days of a student’s entire K-12 experience. Passing the MCAS is a requirement to get a diploma in Massachusetts. Students take the ELA MCAS in March of Grade 10, the Math MCAS in May of Grade 10, and the Biology MCAS in June of the year they take Biology, usually Grade 9.
MCAS is coming up fast. The ELA MCAS is done! The Math MCAS is in 39 days (not school days, calendar days!), and the Biology MCAS is in 53 days.
School Schedule next week: Shop Week A
Monday: Day 1
Tuesday: Day 2
Wednesday: Day 3
Thursday: Day 4
Friday: Day 5
Next Week’s Athletic Schedule
https://arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=12673
Reminders:
Upward Bound
Are you curious about college and want to know more? Interested in math, science, or other stem topics?
Upward bound math & science program is a free, year-round, college preparatory program.
Our program provides academic support for high school students through tutoring services, weekly workshops, college visits, a summer residential program, and more!
Application Link: Click to apply for UBMS
Website Link: Click here for more information about UBMS
To qualify for UBMS, a student needs to meet one or more of the criteria:
First Generation College Student (Parents don't have Bachelors Degree)
Low-income Households
Students at High Risk for Academic Failure
Independent Student (Foster Care, Ward of the State, McKinney–Vento)
Senior and Junior Proms
Senior Prom will be held on Saturday, May 18, from 6-10 pm at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Leominster. Ticket sales will be held from Monday, April 8 through Friday, May 3.
Ticket price TBD in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more info!
The Junior Prom will be held on Saturday, April 27th from 6 to 10 PM at the Chockset Inn. Junior Prom tickets are on sale now.
After School Tutoring Center
LHS offers drop-in afterschool tutoring from 2:15 to 4:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Students can also be assigned to attend sessions if parents feel they need to catch up or get extra help. Spanish and/or Portuguese interpreters are available on particular days.
Scholarships
Google Classroom is now open with scholarships uploaded! Join the google classroom for scholarships. Check back often as new scholarships will be posted as they become available.
Copy the link below and paste it into your browser:
https://classroom.google.com/c/NjMxODM0Mzg4ODYz?cjc=2grufkm
When prompted use Class code: 2grufkm
Calling in a student absent
If your student is going to be absent please call the school at 978-534-7715. The absence line is option 1.
If you get an auto-call that your student is marked as absent and you think they are at school, don’t panic. Sometimes they accidentally get marked absent (especially with a sub) and sometimes they do cut class. Call the school and we will confirm they are not here.
Student Dismissals
If you need to dismiss your student you can send them to school with a note to bring to the office when they get to school. Your student will receive a pass to be dismissed and can just check out at the office when it is time for them to go. You won’t need to come into the school and it’s much faster than coming in to dismiss your student.
Joshua Romano
Principal
School Instagram at lhsbluedevilnation