Lawrence Public Schools

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

- Melody Beattie

As we enter this fall break, we have so much to be grateful for in the Lawrence Public Schools community, and we have all grown from exploring the practice of gratitude across our school campuses this month.

Our gratitude begins with our 10,000 beautiful children; we are most grateful for each and every student and the opportunity to serve and support their learning and growth each day at school. The light in their eyes and the energy and curiosity they bring to learning give us all joy and hope for the future. Thank you, parents, for sharing your amazing children with us.

We are grateful to the teachers, support staff, and leaders of the Lawrence Public Schools for their incredible work each day. Members of our team serve as deeply committed and caring professionals, dedicating their lives and energies in service to our children; because of their continuing work and dedication, our children discover, grow, and thrive at school each day.

We are grateful for our highly engaged and supportive parents and community partners whose participation, alongside school and district teams, makes us a stronger, more connected school community.

We are so grateful to so many individuals and organizations, including Lawrence Schools Foundation Partners from both within our schools and across the community who have responded during the November LIFT Lawrence campaign with food donations to support our students and families experiencing food insecurity. If your family needs support during the coming days, or if you would like to donate, you may locate resources at LIFT Lawrence or directly at JustFood. Your efforts have been inspiring, and your donations have made a profound impact on students and their families across our community.

We all understand that quality public schools are the direct result of engaged, giving and generous individuals who come together in community; in Lawrence, gratitude and generosity in helping others is not just what you do, it’s who you are. Thank You.

Wishing you a safe and peaceful Fall break,

Sincerely,

Jeanice Kerr Swift

Superintendent of Schools

Lawrence Public Schools