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ដើម្បីបកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រព័ត៌មាន សូមមើលលើផ្នែកខាងស្តាំខាងលើនៃព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រ ព័ត៌មាននេះនូវមធ្យោបាយ ហើយសូមចុចលើជម្រើស" បកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រព័ត៌មាន ។

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,

I hope you and your family are well, happy to leave winter behind, and able to enjoy a boost in spirits from longer days and milder weather.

For most of this school year, I’ve been using this space to outline a guiding concept in our district - a Culture of Continuous Improvement. To date, I’ve described what it means that we consciously exhibit certain mentalities - Intentional Collaboration, A Growth Mindset, and Responsibility. Additionally, in our Culture of Continuous Improvement, there are also deliberate practices we embrace. Today, I want to focus on one of them: Safety Nets.

Safety Nets means the way our schools organize so that there is a system of supports to “catch” students when they struggle—whether academically, socially, or emotionally.

These supports can include:

• Extra help with learning— including tutoring, reteaching, or targeted interventions.

• Attendance teams to address barriers to coming to school.

• Social-emotional supports, like counseling and mentoring.

• Behavior and intervention programs to create a positive school environment.

Every Lowell school has elements of Safety Nets in place. They are designed to be proactive. Schools don’t wait for students to fail; we use data to identify challenges early. Beyond the supports teachers in individual classrooms offer, these are coordinated, schoolwide systems where teachers, administrators, and specialists work together to support students and families. And they aren’t extra programs; they are part of how we run schools every day.

This brief outline of Safety Nets is part of our effort to be explicit about what our Culture of Continuous Improvement means. We invite you to engage with us as we make our systems of Safety Nets stronger and more consistent so that all of our students get the support they need to succeed. If you feel your child needs additional supports in any way, or you have questions about the programs we offer, please reach out to your school.

Sincerely,

Liam

In 2011, Angelina Chhim was a 5th grader at the Stoklosa Middle School sitting in Mrs. Barker’s Art class. She painted the Branch Street Firehouse and forgot about it. Fourteen years later, she got a phone call out of the blue that led to a reunion with her former art teacher and the painting. Read more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/24/found-art/

The Moody Elementary School sent some extra construction workers to Lowell High School on March 13. They work for juice boxes and cookies. . . but do get a little distracted by big tires and cool high school kids.

The Moody Kindergarteners just finished learning all about construction and engineering. What better place for a field trip than a real life construction site - at their future high school? Welcome members of the LHS Class of 2037!

The Kindergarteners enjoyed a whirlwind morning led by LHS Assistant Principal Deidre Haley and a crew of Student Ambassadors. They had the opportunity to watch construction workers pour the concrete for the new bridge connecting LHS buildings from the completed bridge; hear from members of the Suffolk Construction, Skanska, and Perkins Eastman teams who designed, engineered and are building the project; receive cool swag bags with hardhats, T-shirts, a construction themed coloring book, and more; get up close and check out a big piece of construction equipment; visit an engineering classroom and the new gymnasium; tour the school store; and run around the new courtyard/quad space.

Each year Lowell High School’s College and Career Center, in partnership with Project Learn, asks community volunteers and alumni supporters to come to LHS to speak to freshman and junior classes about their careers.They spoke not only about what they do in their careers, but also their progress in their career, how they got there, and the challenges they have faced and overcome.

The goal - expand students' knowledge of what exists in the professional realm and that it’s not always an easy path, but most of the time it is a rewarding path.

This year nearly 90 speakers visited 80 different classrooms. We cannot thank each of them enough for the time they took to share their stories with our students.

Here is a sampling of some of their stories:

Bob Forrant has taught History at UMass Lowell for 30 years. . . but it wasn't his first career. Read about Bob's journey here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/bob-forrant/

Todd Dowrey is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Boston University’s Center for Regenerative Medicine, studying people who have lived to 100-years-old or older. Read about Todd here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/todd-dowrey/

Katherine Sao works with the newest technology as an AI Product Manager at CallMiner. Read about her path here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/katherine-sao/

Rep. Tara Hong, a 2018 Lowell High School graduate, is the youngest member of the Massachusetts State Legislature. He represents the 18th Middlesex District (Lowell's Acre and Highlands neighborhoods). Read about his journey here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/tara-hong/

Yahira Torres is the Business Manager for Wicked Cool For Kids. She used a health crisis in her life to find her passion - founding Lion-ess Retreat. Read about her here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/yahira-torres/

Johnny Palacios, a LHS alumnus, started working as a DJ as a kid and is now the Founder and General Manager, of Palacios Entertainment. Learn about Johnny's journey here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/johnny-palacios/

Stephanie Klinkenberg-Ramirez, a 2009 LHS graduate, is a Harvard University and NYU Law School educated attorney. She is a senior associate at Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP. Learn more about her here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/stephanie-klinkenberg-ramirez/

The Butler Middle School and Angkor Dance Troupe have enjoyed a beautiful partnership for 28 years. On March 7, the students who participated in this year's 10-week Khmer dance class put on an incredible performance for the entire school in the gym. It is wonderful to see not just Khmer students learning about and preserving their culture, but also their peers from all different backgrounds showing interest in and passion for Cambodian dance and culture.

March 14 was World Down Syndrome Day! At the Bartlett Community Partnership School, Music Therapist Maria Ramey visited a couple of LEAP (Lifeskills, Education, and Planning) classrooms to continue the fun work she has been doing with students since January.

LEAP provides students with cognitive disabilities the supports and instruction they need to build skills, grow academically, and attain levels of independence throughout their school careers and into adult life.

Karen Casey, the Bartlett's Community School Program Manager, was able to use Community Schools funding to bring Ramey to the school twice a month from January through the end of April. She is working with students in all six of the Bartlett's Lifeskills classrooms.

Of the Bartlett's 465 students, 30 percent receive special education services, with 66 students learning in the 6 Lifeskills classrooms.

"The kids really enjoy it and now that I've been here a few times they remember all the songs and get into it," Ramey said, adding that music is universally accessible. Anyone can enjoy it and participate.

She has incorporated adaptive equipment, such as vibrating speakers for children who are hard of hearing.

Ramey said she has been touched by the joy she has witnessed in the kids sharing, taking turns with different instruments, and improving their social skills.

On March 6, Rowdy the Riverhawk and his friends - UMass Lowell Student-Athletes visited the Pyne Arts Magnet School for Read Across America Day.

A crew of community readers, including Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner, other Central Office staff, our pals from the Lowell Police Department, and former STEM Academy Assistant Principal Roger Morneau (now Interim Principal of the Wang Middle School), landed at the STEM Academy as part of Read Across America Week on March 6. Both the readers and the kids had a great time!

Learning doesn’t start when a child enters a classroom for the first time. It starts when they enter the world.

On March 18, a group of parents with young children had the opportunity to hear and learn from Dr. Ron Ferguson, a well-known economist who taught at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government for more than 40 years. In 2017, Ferguson, who spent 15 years as the faculty director of the Achievement Gap Institute, founded The Basics, a non-profit focused on improving the basic foundational skills of early childhood caregiving and development in an effort to close achievement gaps.

Read about it here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/early-learning-basics/

On March 18, students at the Butler Middle School took part in a Day of Action as part of the Celtics Playbook Initiative, a 2-year commitment they have made to make change in their school and community.

Read about it here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/making-a-difference/

The Career Academy recently opened their newly installed, beautiful kitchen. It is being used for a variety of cooking classes and enrichment activities for students, increasing their skills in the kitchen either to cook for themselves and their families, or to enter into a career in the culinary arts.

Check it out in action in the video below

Congratulations to the Daley Middle School - winners of the 2025 Kathryn P. Stoklosa Knowledge Bowl! During the Championship match on March 20, the Daley came out on top (4th year in a row!) with 330 points, followed by the Pyne Arts Magnet School with 225 points, and the Wang Middle School with 145 points. All three teams played very well, showed exceptional sportsmanship, and most importantly - had fun. Students from all three teams will represent Lowell at the Regional Knowledge Bowl in May.

You never know what crazy fun is happening behind the doors of the McAvinnue Elementary School. On Thursday March 6 it was - the Kindergarten Letterland Parade!

March is Women's History Month.

Gov. Maura Healey signed a proclamation declaring March 19 Edith Nourse Rogers Day on what would have been the Lowell Congresswoman's 144th birthday. Of course at Lowell Public Schools we have a special affinity for Congresswoman Rogers, as our second largest school is named for her - The STEM Academy at the Edith Nourse Rogers School.

So who was Edith Nourse Rogers? Find out more here: https://lpsnotebook.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/honoring-edith-nourse-rogers/

The Compass Lowell High Poetry Slam Team, led by LHS English teacher Shelby Coe, competed in the "Write Here, Write Now, Speak Loud" Poetry Competition at Emerson College against 10 other teams from all around New England.

🏆 They won first place in finals for a second year in a row!!

In addition to the first place win, they were also awarded:

👥 Best Group Piece - "Chickens in Lowell"

♥️ Transcendent Coach Award - for the second year in a row!

And last but not least, one of the MVPs of the slam team, Preston Ntoro, triumphed over 14 other individual poets—after qualifying against 30 poets in the prelims two weeks ago—to earn his spot at the international Brave New Voices Festival in Madison, WI, this summer, where he will represent Lowell on the MassPoetry team!

The Compass Lowell High Poetry Slam team includes: Mary Olu, Faith Kiuna, Lex Losano, Neliksha Colon, Preston Ntoro, & Anisah Jordan.

The LHS Poetry Club club includes: Jomar Santiago (who stepped up and competed Port Veritas of Portland, Maine as they had someone drop last minute), Nicholas Park (who served as a sacrifice poet), Myles Koller, Nallely Arias, Diomara Nangwa Awah, Sapphire Felicianno, Gabby Martens (who won 1st place in the last chance slam to qualify for BNV finals), Rachael Mwaniki, & Sarah Olu.

This win is extra meaningful to the LHS team, as they lost an important mentor, friend, and essentially the "father" of youth poetry in Lowell to cancer last October, Douglas Bishop. The kids wanted to "Keep it Fresh" for "Douggie Fresh" and they did.

On February 28, the kids at the Greenhalge Elementary School were surprised by two very special visitors. Their own mascot, Freddy T and his good buddy, Rowdy the Riverhawk from UMass Lowell, as the duo roamed the hallways and popped into every classroom to spread the word about UMass Lowell hockey.

For the fourth year, Greenhalge paraprofessional Debbie Roper worked her magic with UML to put together a Greenhalge Family Night at Saturday's game against UMass Amherst. Each Greenhalge student was granted a voucher for two free tickets to the game. Roper said she is trying to expose the kids at a young age to the university, give the families a fun night out, and build community. During these family nights, Roper can be found at the Tsongas Center hiding behind poles and around corners, being hunted by little Greenhalge All-Stars for the strips of green tickets she carries that they can save up for rewards.

On Wednesday, March 12th, Lowell High School College and Career Counselor Heather Brunner, along with students Bernardo Cordeiro, Serena Lebing, Elizabella Meas, Cayla Mey, and Kendrick Del Orbe, joined Middlesex Community College President Phil Sisson, MCC Interim Dean of Education Melissa Chandonnet, MCC Coordinator of Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Amanda Wells, MCC Director of Asian American Advancement Virak Uy and Project Learn Senior Manager Sneha Patel at the Massachusetts State House for Early College Advocacy Day.

During the event, they attended a budget and program status briefing, connected with other Early College programs from across Massachusetts, and toured the State House.

Most importantly, they had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Vanna Howard and Rep. Tara Hong of Lowell to discuss the positive impact of Early College programming on Lowell High School students. They also met with Sen. Ed Kennedy’s Chief of Staff Patti Kirwin-Keilty and District Director (Lowell School Committee member) Dominik Lay.

The students did an outstanding job sharing their experiences in Early College classes, explaining how the program has saved them money while academically and mentally preparing them for life beyond high school.

If you are looking for Lowell High School 2020 graduate Elsa Keefe you can find her - On Broadway (the one in New York, not in the Acre)!

She is currently in the cast of "&Juliet,"at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre - a fun and fabulous musical that answers the question - what if? What if Juliet didn't take her own life . . . what happens then?

Special thanks to LPS Adult Education teacher Jen Tighe, for the photos. She and her daughter Elizabeth (LHS '21) recently went to NYC to see Elsa in action.

Check out this great article about Elsa from her alma mater, Elon University: https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2025/02/25/for-elsa-keefe-24-juliet-is-a-time-to-shine/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJQzLxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHReeUKkyoUqqMw27pJNdvWi6cPDkhg0wBeOkvmLlYsMYMGTM3BlQPb81eQ_aem_zdxTZeq1LP8LVn4dIxkP1Q

On March 25, author Melissa Stewart, who has written more than 200 non-fiction science books for children visited the Greenhalge Elementary School. She read from her book "Fourteen Monkeys: A Rainforest Rhyme" that chronicles 14 different species of monkeys that live in Manu National Park in Peru.

In addition to reading from the book, she also explained the process of researching and writing the book, as well as the many many edits, rejections, and revisions a writer must deal with before being published.

For more information about Melissa: https://melissa-stewart.com/

Author and illustrator Jannie Ho, who immigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong with her family when she was 9-years-old, visited 3rd and 4th graders at the Lincoln Elementary School on March 26.

She shared her experience as an author and illustrator and every student received a copy of her book, "Fry Guys". She also led the students through an exercise in creating their own comic strips!

Special thanks to Lincoln teacher Devon Mello for these great photos.

For more about Jannie Ho, visit: https://www.chickengirldesign.com/

Classroom Quarterback, a partnership between Lowell Public Schools, Inside Lowell, and Wellpoint aims to showcase and honor one LPS teacher each month who goes above and beyond for their students. This month's honoree is Morey Elementary School Art teacher Kait Lawrence. Mrs. Lawrence received a $250 gift card courtesy of Wellpoint. Read about her here: https://insidelowell.com/classroom-quarterback-kait-lawrence/

Lowell Public Schools has been awarded two grants from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) under the Promoting Safe and Healthy Learning Environments initiative.

These grants, totaling $135,000, will support innovative programs that empower students and provide meaningful learning opportunities, reflecting the ongoing commitment of Lowell Public Schools to fostering student voice, leadership, and professional development opportunities.

A $60,000 grant, spearheaded by LPS Coordinator for Special Programs Dr. Rebecca Duda, will fund a high school internship program allowing students to work in summer and after-school programs as part of a structured career pathway. This initiative provides hands-on experience for high school students interested in careers in education, helping them develop essential skills while contributing to their school community. Students will also earn college credit through an innovative partnership with UMass Lowell.

A $75,000 grant will support Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) at Lowell High School. This initiative engages students in researching and addressing issues that directly impact their school and community, fostering leadership, critical thinking, and advocacy skills. We commend Lowell High School teacher Kendra Bauer for her commitment to empowering students through this transformative program.

“This funding will allow faculty and staff to do what they do best - prepare our students for college, career, and life after high school,” said Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner. “We are grateful the Healey-Driscoll administration shares our commitment to helping the next generation become critical thinkers and highly skilled, bold leaders. I am looking forward to seeing these programs in action in the coming year.”

Lowell High School Alumnus Chanda Ouk Wolf (LHS '2001) will be having a special event at lala Books on Market Street on Sunday April 6 - an all-ages storytime and book signing for her wonderful book "A Dozen Delicious Donuts," the story of a young Cambodian-American girl living between the two cultures. The event is free, but space is limited. Reserve your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/story-time-with-chanda-ouk-wolf-author-of-a-dozen-delicious-donuts-tickets-1290625107439

Join us on Saturday April 5 for a fun and educational workshop centered on African cultural adaptability in the American education system. All are welcomed! To sign up: https://bit.ly/42pGGSf

Proleung Khmer (Khmer Soul) is a community-driven initiative dedicated to commemorating the Khmer genocide. April 17, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the takeover of Phnom Penh by the Khmer Rouge and this year in particular we will be celebrating "A 50-Year Journey of Remembrance and Resilience." Through a series of cultural events, performances, and educational programs, we honor the lives lost, celebrate the resilience of survivors, and uplift the Khmer American community.

All are welcomed and encouraged to participate. The calendar of events can be found here: https://www.proleungkhmer.org/events

Looking to connect with the community, make some friends, or find a new passion project? The City of Lowell, the Office of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Mosaic Lowell invite those of ALL ages (great opportunities for students!) to stop by the Spring Volunteer Fair on April 5th from 9am-12pm at St. Anne's Episcopal Church.

With over 20 organizations seeking volunteers, you'll have a chance to find the perfect opportunity.

It is time for Pop Warner Football & Cheerleading registration! Sign up here: https://leagues.bluesombrero.com/lowellpopwarnerfootballandcheer

April Vacation Basketball Clinic for Students in Grades 5-8

April 22nd - 24th from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Lowell High School

**Space is limited to 100 students. To register, visit: https://bit.ly/4hOpb3w

Save the date! This event is open to all - the LPS Community Resource Fair. Come to Lowell High on April 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to learn about and connection with a ton of local organizations and resources.

Preschool families! Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts is hosting a "Try-It" event where you and your child can learn more about Girl Scouts. It will be on Monday April 14 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pollard Memorial Library. To RSVP: https://www.gsema.org/.../get.../event-rsvp-region-2.html

Lowell Public Schools students, staff & families looking for help with mental health or substance use, can call Care Solace at 888-515-0595 for 24/7/365 personalized & confidential help finding a therapist or you can search on your own at www.caresolace.com/lowellma