A message from the principal......

Dear Lawrence School Families: Welcome and welcome back to the Lawrence School! For those who are new to the Lawrence community, we extend a special welcome. In the words of our school vision statement, we strive to be a safe, just and caring learning community of students, staff and families. We are a vibrant learning community with high expectations for academic excellence. We invite you to join us in bringing this vision to life. CALENDAR NOTES Opening Day: School Begins THURSDAY, September 6, 2012. Kindergarten Staggered Opening: Thursday, September 6: 8:00 a.m.12:30 p.m. Last Name AL* Friday, September 7: 8:00 a.m.12:30 p.m. Last Name MZ* Monday, September 10: Full day for all K students. (8:00 a.m.2:20 p.m.) *Bring lunch and a snack. Children enrolled in LEDP will be picked up in their classrooms on Thursday and Friday by the LEDP staff at 12:30 p.m. School Hours: 8:00 a.m.2:20 p.m. Build Good HabitsPlease Be on Time: School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. Students will be marked tardy if they arrive after 8:00. Hallways open at 7:50 a.m. Students arriving between 7:30 and 7:50 should report to the cafeteria. Older students are permitted to remain in the lobby until 7:50. Student Drop-Off and Parking Reminder: Please take note of the enclosed Driving and Student Drop-Off yer for information on where to park or drop-off. Dropoff behind the school (via Newell Road) is NOT permitted. Please do NOT park in on-street spaces designated for Lawrence staff. During School, Please Sign In: Doors are programmed to be unlocked 7:508:10 a.m. After 8:10, you must use the front door. Lawrence prides itself on its open feeling. During the school day, however, we ask that parents and visitors sign in at the ofce. No need to interrupt class for a forgotten lunch or backpack. We can arrange delivery or pick-up in the ofce. And it helps us to keep the school safe and reduce interruptions to learning. Days of Low AttendanceNo School: Please take note of two early No School days this fall on September 17 and 26. Early Dismissal Days: Also note the Early Dismissal Days for parent conferences in November/December and April/May. Open House Dates: Open House provides an opportunity for you to meet your childs teacher and get an overview of the school year. Wednesday, September 196:15 p.m. Grades K2 Thursday, September 206:15 p.m. Grades 68 Thursday, September 276:15 p.m. Grades 35 7/8 Fall Trips (Permission slips and additional details will be sent home in the fall.) Grade 8 Fall Trip to Georges IslandThursday, October 4: This is an extended day trip, including a ferry ride to the island in Boston Harbor. Last year, we greatly reduced the cost of the fall trip by returning to one led by school staff. Teachers Kirsten Alper and Jon Greiner plan and lead a fun, team-building experience for our students. (P.S. The annual eighth grade overnight trip to New York City will be June 6 & 7.)

 Grade 7 Overnight Trip to the Farm School, Athol, MANovember 14/15 or 15/16. Half the grade will attend at a time. One group will leave early Wednesday morning, stay overnight and return on Thursday afternoon. The second group will leave early Thursday morning, stay overnight and return home on Friday afternoon. NEW FACULTY PROFILES We welcome two new faculty members this year: Katherine GrenzebackGrade 2 Teacher: Katie has taught second grade in the Milton Public Schools for the past four years. She holds an M.A.T. in Education and Child Development from Tufts University and a B.A. in Art History from Wellesley College. Kathleen MoriartyLibrary Media Specialist: Kathy brings 8 years experience as a Librarian in Chelsea, serving 2,000 students in a four school complex that shares one library. Kathy began her career teaching middle school English for 9 years. She then worked as a trainer for the Institute for Community Inclusion for 4 years before becoming a librarian. Kathy holds a B.A. in English from Wellesley College, an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Emmanuel College and an M.L.S. from Simmons College. Kathy is also an alumna of Lawrence School! SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN A culture of continuous improvement is one hallmark of an effective school. Our School Council and faculty update the goals in our school improvement plan annually. The latest plan is posted on the Lawrence School page of the Public Schools of Brookline website (http:// www.brookline.k12.ma.us/SCHOOLS/Lawrence/). I will

provide an overview of our goals at the opening PTO meeting and Principals Forum in September. HOW TO STAY INFORMED AND BE INVOLVED Check the School Website: Be sure to check our newly updated school website regularly. Bookmark www.lawrenceschoolbrookline.org. This new site combines the former school and PTO websites and will be the main source of school information in the coming year. Receive weekly email updates: Weekly email updates will be sent out to all parents who subscribe. If you are new to the school or were not receiving weekly updates from the PTO last year, send an email to president@lawrencepto.org to add your name to the list. Attend PTO Meetings held 8 times a year on Tuesdays (5 evenings and 3 mornings). Most meetings feature a focus topic of interest to parents. Attend Principals Forums scheduled 6 times during the year at 8:00 a.m. These usually begin with a focus topic, but always include time for informal Q&A. Volunteer: Check the website for information about event sign-ups. Support the PTO: This mailing from the PTO is but one example of the many ways that parents enhance the school by providing resources, programs, and other opportunities for students, staff, and parents which would not otherwise exist. I urge you to support and participate in the PTO this year.

I hope this summer has enabled you to enjoy a less scheduled pace and more time as a family. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns. I am looking forward to seeing you on September 6th! Sincerely,

Rick Rogers Principal rick_rogers@brookline.k12.ma.us