Lutherville Lab Report

Lutherville Families,

Another couple of wonderful week at Lutherville Lab! A huge highlight was our Fall Family Night on Tuesday evening. I have to offer some big shoutouts for another awesome event. Thank you to our staff on the whole -- their support, organization, and presence on these nights, and the effort each day to make school a place where your kiddos want to be and come back to in the evening, is what makes these nights possible. Shout out to our Related Arts Team and other teachers who prepared materials and organized the activities and performances. And shout out to our wonderful PTA, when weather forced a pivot on the picnic, they found a way to still connect our community and make this event even more special.

We gave out ~185 guides/stamp sheets to students and siblings, so attendance was excellent. It was lovely to see students engaged and finding joy in our school alongside their family. We hope you all have your calendars marked for March 9th for our Spring Family Night!

On the other end of the emotional spectrum this week was the incident at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon. As your school principal, a parent who entrusts my children to their schools each day, and as a human being, I want to acknowledge the many emotions that may arise when incidents like these occur. Please know that to the level we can control, we take safety very seriously at school, while also protecting the innocence and joy of the children we serve. We faithfully uphold the safety protocols and processes the school system has in place. And we try to sustain the fun, joy, and beauty that should be a part of any child's early education, while conscious of the brokeness, tragedy, and unconscionable acts in society at large.

I just want to affirm that we are in that walk through the tension with you -- aware and protective -- wishing things were different while acknowledging the reality and safeguards that makes necessary.

In partnership,

-Mr. McComb

3rd Graders performed 5 songs on recorder, just 5 weeks of instruction into the school year. Amazing!

Oct 19 -- Ledo Spirit Night

Oct 20 -- Ledo Spirit Night

Oct 21 – Fall Picture Day

Oct 27 -- Monster Mile (4:20 - 5:30)

Oct 30 -- 1:05 Dismissal

Nov 2 - 6 Scholastic Book Fair

Nov 3 -- School Closed, Election Day

Leopard get faces painted at Fall Family Night thanks to some wonderful volunteers.

Nature Scavenger Hunt for Leopards and future Leopards, at Fall Family Night

Thank you for applying to volunteer! We appreciate your time, cooperation, and willingness to volunteer.

Once you have submitted your online application, please keep an eye on your inbox for your approval email from SmartSheet.

To help us process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible, we kindly ask that you refrain from sending follow-up emails, messages or calls, to confirm receipt or check on the status of your application during the initial 14-day period after submission. The high volume of these inquiries slows down the approval process for everyone.

If you have not received your approval email from SmartSheet after 14 days, please feel free to reach out to Kelly McDevitt for assistance.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we process all applications. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to having you volunteer!

Click here to get started.

Ledo Pizza Spirit Nights Return

One of last year's favorite community events is back! Join us at Ledo Pizza on Putty Hill Avenue in Towson on October 19 and October 20 from 5:00 PM until close.

Take a night off from cooking and cleaning, enjoy some delicious square pizza, and connect with other Lutherville Lab families while supporting our school. Best of all, 20% of sales will be donated back to support our Leopards. We can't wait to see our community fill the restaurant once again!

It's Almost Here: The Great November Reading Rally

November is going to be an exciting month at Lutherville Lab as we launch The Great November Reading Rally, a month-long celebration of literacy, books, and reading.

This year, we're moving the Scholastic Book Fair from February to November so families can shop ahead of the holidays, discover exciting new books, and help students build their home libraries just in time for a month dedicated to reading. The Book Fair will also help kick off the excitement as students begin tracking reading minutes during our Read-A-Thon and other literacy activities throughout the month.

Most importantly, we're continuing a tradition that reflects our commitment to literacy for all: every student will leave the Book Fair with a free book, regardless of whether they make a purchase. We want every Leopard to have the opportunity to discover a book they'll love and enjoy reading at home.

Throughout November, families can also look forward to the Read-A-Thon, library partnerships, read-aloud opportunities, literacy-themed family events, and much more. Our goal is to bring our entire school community together around a shared love of reading while raising funds that directly support our students and staff.

More details will be shared soon, but we're already looking for community partners to help support our largest fundraiser of the year. If you know a local business that may be interested in sponsoring the Reading Rally, please contact LuthervilleLabPTA@gmail.com. Every dollar raised through sponsorships helps offset our fundraising goals and reduces the amount we need to raise through family contributions.

Together, we're building a stronger community of readers while supporting opportunities for every Leopard to learn, grow, and thrive.

As always, thank you for supporting the PTA and helping us make Lutherville Lab such a special place for our students, staff, and families.

BCPS Superintendent Dr. Bill Heiser is hosting five Community Conversations to discuss the development of the BCPS Fiscal Year 2028 Operating Budget. BCPS families, staff, and community members are invited to provide input on the process and give feedback on budget priorities. Additionally, you can share your thoughts on the budget by completing this survey by Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

The Community Conversations will take place from 6-7 p.m. on the following dates:

Cockeysville Middle School
October 27, 6-7 p.m.
10401 Greenside Dr., Cockeysville, MD 21030

Lyons Mill Elementary School
November 5, 6-7 p.m.
9435 Lyons Mill Rd., Owings Mills, MD 21117

Middle River Middle School
November 10, 6-7 p.m.
800 Middle River Rd., Baltimore, MD 21220

Woodlawn Middle School
November 19, 6-7 p.m.
3033 St. Lukes Ln, Gwynn Oak, MD 21207

Loch Raven High School
December 1, 6-7 p.m.
1212 Cowpens Ave., Baltimore, MD 21286

Upcoming Parent University Sessions

October 28 – 12:30 PM

Lunch & Learn: Navigating the Road to College & Career Readiness - BCPS Roadmap to Ready & Xello College and Career Platform

Virtual

Presented by Ms. Emily Caster, Department of Student Support Services

During this session, caregivers will explore the BCPS Roadmap to Ready Plan for students in Grades 6-12 and will learn how the Xello College and Career Platform supports students in planning for high school, college, and careers.

For registration click here!

October 29 – 12:30 PM

Lunch & Learn: Navigating Focus & Schoology

Virtual

Presented by Valerie Schaffer, Specialist Instructional Technology, Office of Special Projects

In this session, participants will learn about navigating Focus and Schoology through their parent/caregiver account. We will discuss the difference between Focus and Schoology, while highlighting the features from both platforms that can be used to support student success throughout the school year.

For registration click here!

October 29 – 6:30 PM

Dine & Learn: Building Strong Readers Together – What Families Need to Know

Virtual

In this session, participants will learn about how BCPS supports foundational reading and writing skills in kindergarten through grade three. We will discuss how students are screened for risk of reading difficulty, what the screening results mean, and what families can expect if their child is identified as “at risk”, including Student Reading Improvement Plans (SRIPs). Participants will receive strategies and resources to support their child’s literacy development at home.

For registration click here!

Please find previous Lab Reports via the following links:

Oct: 2nd

Sept: 4th, 18th

June 19th, 2026 (with links to 25-26 Lab Reports)

June 13th, 2025 (with links to 24-25 Lab Reports)

June 7th, 2024 (with links to 23-24 Lab Reports)

June 9th, 2023 (with links to 22-23 Lab Reports)

June 17th, 2022 (with links to 21-22 Lab Reports)

Website: https://luthervillees.bcps.org/
Location: 1700 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium, MD, USA
Phone: 443-809-7800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuthervillePTA/
Twitter: @LuthervilleLab