The Weekly Update

There are many ways to learn about what is happening at LMS. It is very important that parents visit the Genesis Parent Portal and update their contact and emergency information. Much of our school information is communicated through emails and phone messages.

1. School District Website - Please visit www.ltps.org and open school (top right tab), click on drop down menu to select LMS. A lot of school information is viewable throughout the website. Check out news and calendar in particular.

2. Weekly Update - Each week a newsletter is emailed to parents/guardians. The current issue is posted on the school website on the landing page under news. Archived issues can be found on the website, by using the link under Our School/Announcements.

3. WLMS - Each week a group of students record announcements on WLMS. The announcements are broadcast to students each Friday during the flex periods. Parents can view WLMS on the website, under Our School/Announcements.

3. Social Media - Like us on Facebook or Instagram using LMSNation.

Calling All LMS Graduates and former staff members—Come Share Your Story!

Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal! As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we invite LMS graduates to return for Be A Cardinal Day on October 9, 2026, from 8:30–10:00 a.m. Share your memories, favorite traditions, and experiences with today’s students and staff during two 20-minute, Q&A-style sessions. No formal presentation is needed—just bring your LMS story!

Help us honor our past while inspiring the next generation of Cardinals.

Use the link below to sign up.

https://forms.gle/1QdSHjNNrQUc54i89

Please join us at Back to School Night.

Back to School Night will be held on Thursday, September 10 beginning at 6 pm. This is a time for parents/guardians to become familiar with the middle school program. Parents/Guardians should park in the main parking lot between the middle school and the high school. Everyone must use use Door #1 to enter the building. This is the main entrance that faces Princeton Pike. Staff will be available to direct parents/guardians.

Please ask your child for the copy of their schedule that they prepared for the evening. You will need it to visit the classes.

The evening is for adults only.

All students enter the building at Door #1. This is the main door which faces Princeton Pike. Parents who are dropping their student off at school, may pull along Princeton Pike, or any of the adjacent side streets. Students who walk to school and need to cross Princeton Pike should cross the street using the cross-walks and corners where a crossing guard is present.

At dismissal, walkers and students being picked up will exit the building at Door #1 and bus riders will leave at Door #23. Parents who are picking up students, should park along Princeton Pike.

As we begin another school year, please be aware that the District Attendance Committee worked diligently throughout the summer, to align schoolwide practices, create more consistent intervention strategies, and identify meaning ways to improve student attendance. The main goal is to minimize lost instructional time and to maximize student engagement in the classroom.

New Jersey state standards consider nearly all absences, regardless of whether a parent note or documentation is provided, as unexcused. The District Attendance Committee has updated a few of the attendance codes in Genesis to reflect these standards. You may notice this on your child's Daily Attendance.

How to Report an Absence or Tardy

Parents are requested to enter their child's attendance in Genesis directly through the Parent Portal!

A "Telesafe" or dedicated attendance phone line will no longer be in use.

To access this feature, simply log in and:

1. Click on “Attendance” in the left-hand toolbar.

2. Select “Notify our Office.”

3. On the page, you can specify the student's absence, choose a date range, and if you have multiple children in the district, you can indicate which one will be absent.

4. A space is provided for you to leave a brief explanation for the absence.

For step by step directions please click here.

We encourage you to take advantage of this new "Notify Attendance Office" feature for a more direct and immediate response.

Should you need any assistance or have questions about your parent portal account, do not hesitate to contact our front office staff at (609) 671-5521, or your child's school counselor.

The LMS Fall School Store is now open. Orders must be placed by September 15. This is a firm deadline. Please use the link below to order merchandise.

https://kampusklothes.chipply.com/LMS2026/?action=viewall

There are also new Varsity Grey Shirts ($15) available for purchase in Room 304, as well as an abundance of Large/XL shirts from last year ($10). LMS Cardinal blankets are still available for purchase ($20). More information and pictures are below.

Registration for fall sports is now open. Fall sports include:

Boys' Soccer (Coaches Vince Damiano, vdamiano@ltps.org and John Hanson, jhanson@ltps.org)

Girls' Soccer (Coaches Jillian Testa, jtesta@ltps.org, and Laura Moyer, lmoyer@ltps.org)

Cross Country (Coaches Kristen Huyler, khuyler@ltps.org and

Jordan Wildermuth, jwildermuth@ltps.org)

Field Hockey (Coach Ashley Palombi, apalombi@ltps.org)

Fall Sports Tryouts will begin on Monday, September 14

To Register and Submit Paperwork, please follow these instructions:

Parents/Guardians are asked to go to the district website, www.ltps.org.

* Open the Lawrence Middle School page from the dropdown menu marked schools at top right

* Once on the Middle School landing page select Our School

* Find the tab for LMS Athletics

* Follow the instructions below to complete the necessary paperwork. As a reminder, all students must be medically cleared in order to participate in a sport, including try-outs.

Sports Clearance Steps:

1. Complete Online Registration - Click HERE to access.

2. Submit only the medical eligibility form - page 1. All other physical paperwork should be kept on file at your child's doctor's office - if the most recent physical is older than 365 days old. Click HERE to access paperwork.

3. Health Update Form - If the most recent physical is older than 90 days - Click HERE to access paperwork.

4. All LMS student athletes are required to complete the online baseline assessment in order to participate in athletics.

Instructions to Complete from Home:

Go to: www.impacttestonline.com/schools

Enter code: 620F630656

Click “Launch Baseline Test”

5. Submit all paperwork to LMS Nurse's office.

****All requirements must be met by the deadlines above in order to be eligible to try out and/or participate in a sports offering.

The first Student Council meeting will be held on September 24, 2:45 - 3:45 pm. Students who are interested are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more. Students must have a ride home or sign up for the late bus.

Student Council is an excellent way to become involved at LMS Nation, plan activities for the greater good and support our community. Please see Ms. Moyer if you have any questions.

We are pleased to share our first fundraiser for the 2026-2027 School Year. Once again, we will be selling beautiful mums. The mums are from A&M Farms, located in Robbinsville. Pick-up of mums is at LMS. This is the same farm that we used last Fall and again in the Spring for our flower sales.

Nine inch mums are on sale for $10 each. Please use the form attached to order the mums. Deadline is September 18. Pick Up will be September 25, 2:00 - 5:00 pm at LMS.

Happiness Ads are available to purchase for 8th graders only. Please use the attached form to place your ad. Deadline: February 11, 2027

Also attached is the order form for 2026-2027 LMS Yearbook. We recommend ordering the yearbook early so you don't forget.

Order by October 19, 2026 and get up to $20 off when you personalize your

yearbook with your student's name and 4 icons. Use promo code YBKICONS at checkout.

Beginning this fall, all public school districts in New Jersey are required to implement a bell-to-bell cell phone policy. At Lawrence Township Public Schools, this aligns with our district's already existing Away for the Day initiative, which is designed to create classrooms where students are fully engaged, connected with one another, and focused on learning.

Research continues to show that reducing distractions from personal devices during the school day helps students improve attention, strengthen relationships, and support their overall well-being. Our goal is to provide an environment where every student can be fully present from the first bell to the last.

The good news is that LTPS is already ahead of the curve. Away for the Day has already been in place across our schools during instructional time, and the expansion of this policy applies primarily to the high school to include passing periods, lunch, study halls, and other supervised school activities during the school day.

What "Away for the Day" Means

Students may bring personal devices to school but must keep them powered off and stored throughout the entire school day, from arrival to dismissal. Storage expectations may vary by school and grade level. For example, students may be expected to keep devices in backpacks, lockers, or another designated storage location identified by their teachers or principals.

This includes:

• Cell phones
• Smartwatches
• Tablets
• Wireless earbuds or headphones
• Any other personal internet-enabled device

When Your Child May Still Use a Device

The law does not leave students without options when there is a real need. Your child will still be permitted to use a personal device when: it is part of their IEP or 504 plan; it is needed for a documented health condition; it is needed for translation; your child is a caregiver routinely responsible for a family member; a teacher approves it for a specific classroom activity; it is required by law; or there is an emergency.

Families who believe their child requires an accommodation should contact their child's school so appropriate arrangements can be made.

A late bus is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for students who are bus riders, and need to stay after school for a club or activity. The bus leaves at 4:00 pm. Please be aware that the bus route may include many stops within Lawrence and therefore can take almost an hour for students to arrive at home.

Students will meet our security staff by the library and Door #23.

Important: Students must sign up, each Tuesday and Thursday, that they need to use the late bus. They can sign up in the cafeteria during lunches. Sign up ends at 12:45 pm. The Transportation Department adheres to a very strict deadline. No student can be added after that time.

Questions? Please contact the Main Office.

We are excited for a new year working with staff, families, and students! Stop by and visit us at the September 8th Welcome Event at Lawrence High School, and the Back to School night at Lawrence Middle School on September 10th.

We know how busy life can get throughout the year when you are getting emails about many different fundraising events from many different sources and we want to help! Please consider a one time donation towards the LMS/LHS PTO and live guilt free for the rest of the year!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084DA8AC28ABFE3-65332529-lmslhs

Dine to Donate

Our first dine to donate will help ease the back to school burden at Jersey Mikes (in the Lawrence Shopping Center) on September 17th. Be sure to mention the PTO and a portion of each order is donated to helping our schools!

Fall Bulb Sale

We are bringing back one of our best fundraisers from last year with our bulb sale with Give and Garden. Do your shopping now for a beautiful spring later.

https://store.giveandgarden.com/pages/fundraiser/lms-lhs-pto-planting-for-education

Volunteers Needed

In order to have a successful year for our students we need your help! Please help us by volunteering for upcoming LMS events.

Fall Mum Sale Distribution

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084DA8AC28ABFE3-65347924-lmsfall

Fall School Dance Chaperones

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084DA8AC28ABFE3-65391995-lmsdance

Thank you for your support.

Stay tuned for our brand new website.

Families who have participated in the free and reduced lunch program in the past are reminded to please go online to the Parent Portal in Genesis to complete a new application. The main office has hard copies of the application if you prefer. A new application should be submitted each school year however, only one application per family is necessary. Families who do not submit a new application in a timely manner will be dropped from the program in mid-October (more detail as we move closer).

For questions related to lunch applications, and eligibility benefits please reach out to Mr. Gerald Truehart, 609-671-5416, or gtruehart@ltps.org.