Welcome to the 2021-22 School Year

We are continuing to update this weekly with new information. The Smore is divided into the following sections:

• Introduction
• Bell Schedules/Letter days
• Logistical Information
• Health and Safety Information
• Technology Support
• Student Support

August 2021

Dear LMHS Students, Parents & Guardians,

I am pleased to welcome you to the 2021-2022 school year! I hope this letter finds you well, enjoying a relaxing summer and excited to start the new school year. While we continue to monitor the health needs of our school community, we are eager to engage in a year of full in-person learning experiences. The full return of students and staff will restore LM to its vibrant environment. This is always an exciting time of year for me. The return of students and staff brings the promise of new and meaningful relationships, expanded opportunities for personal and professional growth, and shared learning experiences that offer unique challenges and great rewards.

Lower Merion High School continues its steadfast commitment to our core value of ensuring that our students are “knowledgeable, contributing citizens capable of excelling in a rapidly changing world.” As educators, we are responsible to do everything in our power to cultivate a safe, nurturing environment as well as provide the essential resources of a 21st century education so our students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. This simply would not be possible without the extraordinary efforts of our exemplary staff and committed parents/guardians that devote unyielding attention to this task each and every day. Thank you!

Students, I would like to emphasize that we are a school that not only cares about what you learn, but also about what type of person you become. To foster this development, we are continuing our focus on building a collaborative environment distinguished by mutual respect and being mindful that character counts. I want each of you to understand that as you engage and navigate your own learning and growth with professional educators, your role as a student requires you to do the following: be on time and arrive ready to learn every day, develop good study habits, get organized so you don't miss any assignments, ask questions, address concerns earlier rather than later, and challenge yourself to do your best in every class you take. I am sure your year will be filled with academic accomplishments and memorable relationships and I wish you the very best of luck as you make your mark at LM. Also, please take some time to thank your teachers and parents/guardians for their hard work and dedication to your success.

Some practical items for the start of the school year:

• Student schedules will be available for viewing on PowerSchool after 4:00 pm on Friday, August 27th. Students passwords are the same as last year and will not be changing. Parents/Guardians of new students (grades 10, 11, & 12) should go to https://powerschool.lmsd.org/public/ which is the PowerSchool link that is under the Parent page on the district website and it explains how to create an account so you can access PowerSchool.
• Please notice that every student’s Advisory teacher and room is listed on the PowerSchool schedule. All students should report to their Advisory by 7:30 am on the first day of school, Thursday, September 9th. Additionally, lists of Advisory room locations by student will also be posted in the lobby and cafeteria. Staff will be available to assist students in finding their Advisory locations.
• We will be operating on a series of special bell schedules for the first few weeks of school in September in order to orient students to the school year prior to starting our Lunch and Learn schedule on Tuesday, September 21st.
• Review the Welcome to the 21-22 School Year Guide or https://www.smore.com/1h3j0 for the bell schedules and letter days. This newsletter is still being updated in regards to health and safety information so please visit it weekly. We will also have all bell schedules available via our website lmsd.org.

• We anticipate heavy volume of traffic at arrival and dismissal and ask you to plan accordingly expecting delays. If you would prefer to avoid the congestion altogether, our bus fleet remains prepared to transport students in a safe and healthy manner. If you are dropping a student off, your child should be fully prepared to exit the vehicle as quickly as possible by having their school items ready in advance. Please do not stop on public roads to pick up and drop off students as this is a safety risk to you, our students, and our neighbors.
• Please note the grade level administrators:
• The 12th Grade Assistant Principal is Mr. Scott Kilpatrick (610-645-1855)
• The 11th Grade Assistant Principal: Mr. Jon Fadely (610-645-1834)
• The 10th Grade Assistant Principal is Mr. Tyrone Ross (610-645-1832)
• The 9th Grade Assistant Principal is Ms. Karen deFranco (610-645-1998)
• We suggest all families subscribe to the weekly HSA e-newsletter, LM Aces Update, by sending an email to lmacesupdate@gmail.com to request to be added to the distribution list for regular updates on school activities.
• We value student involvement in extra-curricular activities. Please see the Athletics and/or Activities page on the District website for more information.

As we venture into a new year still impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to be vigilant in maintaining a safe environment for our students. LMSD’s Health and Safety Committee and LM’s Administration team have met throughout the summer in preparation for the start of school. We invite all students and parents, guardians, and caregivers to attend a health and safety meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, August 31st, at 7:00 pm to provide an update on the following issues:

• The bell schedules
• Protocols for arriving to and departing from school
• Protocols for lunch time
• Protocols for movement in the building between classes
• Protocols for navigating free periods
• Protocols for maintaining a safe classroom environment

Please join the presentation on Tuesday, August 31st at 7:00pm here or https://zoom.us/j/97629681120?pwd=dU9YOFZ2ellPZEV3Wko1Mm9wb0ZSZz09

Please submit any questions you would like addressed: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyUSx8sWYoDSxDoFwoamA3nLkrNI0iFhc_J-_b4SLBn56NiQ/viewform

I am honored to serve as the Principal of Lower Merion High School and look forward to continuing to serve the students, staff, parents, and community. Best wishes for a wonderful school year!

Sincerely,

Sean Hughes

Principal

The PSAT exam will be administered to all 10th & 11th graders on Wednesday, October 13th. We will have delayed openings for 9th and 12th grade students.

All students should report to their Advisory by 7:30 am on the first day of school, Thursday, September 9th. Please notice that every student’s Advisory teacher and room is listed on the PowerSchool schedule.

September, 2021

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers:

The Lower Merion High School Home and School Association, administration, faculty, and staff invite you to join us as we come together to partner for our annual Lower Merion High School Open House Program on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, which will be held in person with a pre-recorded option available. The beginning of the school year, while hectic, is an integral time to strengthen our school community and forge positive school-family relationships. Our students will certainly benefit from such teamwork.

Lower Merion High School’s in-person Open House Program

Our in-person Open House will begin promptly at 7:00 pm and is limited to one parent per child. If you need special consideration to allow another adult to attend our Open House, please reach out to your child’s Assistant Principal. You will follow your student’s schedule from class to class beginning with the Set 1 class through and including the Set 8 class. Upon logging into the Parent Power School Portal (here) on a web browser, you will be able to access your child’s semester 1 schedule (you will need your Power School information).

Study halls, “frees,” and science labs will not meet during the Open House Program. Instead, if one of these appears on your student’s schedule, you are welcome to visit the Main Lobby, the Library, or the Student Services Suite during that time slot. The time schedule for each class is 10 minutes with 5 minutes of passing time between classes. The Home and School Association will be situated in the upper atrium to provide information about their activities and volunteer opportunities at LM. As per Governor Wolf’s order as well as LMSD protocol, the proper wearing of masks is required while in the building.

The purpose of the Open House is to give you the opportunity to meet our teachers, who will describe their course goals, content, materials, and grading procedures. Our tight schedule does not lend itself to discussions concerning individual students. If you would like to meet with a teacher or with the counselor, please request an appointment by telephone, email, or stop by the main office on Thursday evening to leave a message. The first period class (Set 1) begins promptly at 7:00 PM. There will be students from the Lower Merion Student Council and the National Honor Society on hand throughout the evening to assist with campus navigation and to help make your evening run smoothly.

Lower Merion High School’s pre-recorded Open House Program

In order to de-densify the building and to offer an alternative to an in-person experience, our teachers will post their presentations on Blackboard, allowing you to view them at any time from your home. Parent Blackboard Accounts are required to view our Open House Videos. To access your Parent Account and view them, please use the instructions provided here: Access Open House. If you would like to meet with a teacher or with the counselor, please request an appointment by calling or emailing them.

On behalf of the Lower Merion High School community, we hope that the additional information provided by our Open House, whether you access it in person or at home, will help you better understand our curriculum, afford you the opportunity to learn more about your child(ren)’s experience, and familiarize you with the caring adults leading the way.

Sincerely,

Sean Hughes, Principal

Scott Kilpatrick, AP

Jon Fadely, AP

Ty Ross, AP

Karen deFranco, AP

Jason Stroup, AD

If you are choose to watch the pre-recorded teacher videos - here is a link that provides information to parents on how to access Open House teacher videos.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PAzgh8ol7UjmQRTRr3eyxbFmkkh33ZPOEslxX7unT50/preview

7:00 - 7:05 - Announcements

7:05 - 7:15 - 1st Set

7:20 - 7:30 - 2nd Set

7:35 - 7:45 - 3rd Set

7:50 - 8:00 - 4th Set

8:05 - 8:15 - 5th Set

8:20 - 8:30 - 6th Set

8:35 - 8:45 - 7th Set

8:50 – 9:00 - 8th Set

The opening bell schedule will have 4 lunches. Students will go to lunch by grade level in their Advisory. This will allow us time to hold administrative and counselor meetings with students per grade level during the first two weeks of school.

Students will have an Advisory period every day from September 9th until September 20th. During this time they will attend grade level meetings with administrators, counselors, and teachers. They will learn about supports, programs, logistical information, and attend an activities fair on September 17th. After September 20th, Advisory will then be on every "A" day from 11:32 till 11:52am throughout the year.

For students involved in afterschool activities and athletics, there will be late buses starting Thursday, September 9th afterschool. The buses will leave from the bus cutout adjacent to Owen Road (please see the attached map). There are two departure times for late buses each day, 4:30pm and 5:40pm.

Students will be expected to attend all periods Monday through Friday in-person. Teachers will record attendance in PowerSchool in both academic and advisory periods. If your child is absent or requires a late “arrival” or early “dismissal” from school, please utilize the Safe Arrival system to communicate with our attendance secretary, Jean Davis (davisj@lmsd.org) or 610-645-1898. Please use this link for the form. https://www.lmsd.org/lower-merion/parent-info/attendance/absence-form

• Masks will be required at all times indoors (except while eating) and on busses
• Social Distancing will continue where possible (classroom seats are 4 feet apart / Lunch Seats are 6 feet apart)
• Bipolar Ionization in cafeteria, auditorium, and main gym
  
• Ventilation Merv 13 filters
• Hand Hygiene Stations throughout building
• Outside classrooms will be utilized
• Student testing TBD

Troubleshoot Microphone & Camera on Macbook using Chrome by clicking Here

Dear Senior Families,

We know that many of you are busy writing/editing your essays for your college applications. Many of you attended the College Essay Program presented last July by Mrs. Bowlby, Mrs. Whelan from Harriton and Abbey Morris who is the Associate Dean of Admission at St. Joseph’s University. For those of you who did attend and need a refresher or if you were not able to attend, the links to both the YouTube and the PDF are below. They can also be found on the School Counseling page of the LMHS website under Programs 2021-22 where all of our programs including those about the college application process can be found.

The College Essay

Click here to view a video presentation of 'The College Essay'. -July 2021
Click here for a PDF of the 'College Essay' Presentation

If after reviewing these you have questions or concerns, please reach out to our counselor or Mrs. Bowlby.

Link to LMHS Teacher's office hours during lunch and learn (by letter day):

https://www.lmsd.org/lower-merion/academics/office-hours

Math Enrichment will be offered on Thursdays from 2:45 - 4:15 PM in room 229

English Enrichment will be offered on Tuesdays from 2:45 - 4:15 PM in the Library. No English Enrichment on 11/2 and 11/23

Chemistry Enrichment will be offered on Thursdays (beginning Thursday, October 14th) from 2:45 - 4:15 PM. Enrichment will take place in room D375 or D377

National Honor Society tutoring is up and running! Any students and/or parent can request a NHS tutor (any subject, any level!) here is the google doc link for them to sign up https://forms.gle/mugqwNbamrHoPa4t6.

Please know we are all here to support you in many ways:

· If you are struggling with accessing or completing schoolwork, please reach out to your school counselor (posted below).

· If you’re a teen who is starting to feel overwhelmed and need another teen to talk to, please call Montgomery County’s teen talk line at (866) 825-5856 or text (215) 703-8411. It is available, free of charge, Monday through Friday, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

· Montgomery County Children’s Crisis Support Program provides not only immediate support for crisis situations but also assistance with managing recurring or future crises. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-HELP-414.

Below is the link the to the Activities / Athletics Blackboard and the links to the Athletics and Activities page on the District website. Students can find current information, meeting dates, fundraisers, and more for clubs and athletics that may be of interest to them. Please email Ms. Shalon (Secretary in the Athletics and Activities Office) @ shalonk@lmsd.org with information any club student leader would like posted on the blackboard or if there are questions.

https://lmsd.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_37276_1&content_id=_944887_1&mode=reset

Athletics: https://www.lmsd.org/lower-merion/athletics

Activities: https://www.lmsd.org/lower-merion/activities/activities

• Preorder meals at MySchoolAccount.com. Breakfast and Lunch is free to all students
• Medical Forms Make sure you are up to date (Class of 2023 Physical Required)
• 🚌Check Class and Bus Information in Powerschool
• 💁‍♀️Volunteer Registration You must do this to volunteer in LMSD schools in any capacity.
• Sports Physical Form Have it ready for Winter or Spring sports
• 💾 Keep Tech Support contact handy: techsupport@lmsd.org and LMSD Helpdesk
• Check LMSD Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response
• 📷Print out our photo cards and share your opening day photos on social media using the hashtag #LMSD1stDay

If you are a LMHS parent or guardian, to subscribe the LM Aces Update please create/update your free account on the LMHS, MembershipToolKit (MTK) and subscribe to the LM Aces Update. MTK is our HSA’s communication platform that houses our school directory, important HSA information, calendar of events, and communication tools to help us build school community at the individual/grade level through directed emails and school-wide through our weekly HSA newsletter.

To create/update your account:

• From a computer, go to https://lowermerionhsa.membershiptoolkit.com/
• Click on the Login button.
• If you already have an account with LMHS or another organization that uses Membership Toolkit:

• you can use the same email and password to log in, and follows the steps as you are prompted.

• To create a new account:

• select "Create Account" and fill in the name, email, and password information.
• Click "verify my email" and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.

• Once you have verified your email address, log back in, and finish the registration process.
• After you've completed this process from a computer, you can also download an app for your smartphone or tablet: iPhone or Android.

Email: hughess@lmsd.org
Website: lmsd.org/lower-merion
Location: Ardmore, PA
Phone: 610.645.1810