Lawrence Public Schools
All Students. One Team.
Hello, Lawrence Public Schools Community,
As we approach mid-October, we wrap up the first quarter of the school year. We are thankful for our teachers, school and district teams, and parents and community partners all working together to support our students' learning and growth and our beautiful neighborhood schools.
I recently had the exciting opportunity to share learning time in a kindergarten classroom. The teacher had clearly orchestrated a community of care, cooperation, and an inspiring love of learning. The students were fabulous! I hope you enjoy the gift of Aubree’s rainbow, shared with me during that visit — an end-of-week moment of joy!
Fall Conference Time
Fifty years of research reveals the striking benefits of school teams actively partnering with families to improve their children’s learning. We welcome families to conferences next week. Our teachers and staff look forward to meeting with you to share more about your students’ progress.
Please remember that due to conference schedules there is no school Oct. 17 for early childhood-grade 8 students. High schools are in session! All students will be out of school and all district buildings will be closed Oct. 18.
Quality public schools are a hallmark of engaged, caring communities that value our children and their education. We are grateful for your partnership in support of students, staff, schools, and our shared community.
Sincerely,
Jeanice Kerr Swift
Interim Superintendent of Schools
Lawrence Public Schools
You're Invited!
Join Superintendent Swift in conversation from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in Liberty Memorial Central Middle School's cafeteria. All are welcome!
Our high school students working to earn certification in the early childhood education pathway will provide childcare for children ages 3-6. Families must RSVP for childcare by emailing their teacher at Kelly.Welch@usd497.org.
We look forward to hearing about your experiences in Lawrence Public Schools.
- In what areas are we doing well and should continue to strengthen?
- In what areas do we have opportunities for improvement?
- What do you see as the top priorities as we move forward together this year?
Boundary Study
The Boundary Advisory Committee, charged by the school board to study and recommend a proposal to better balance high school enrollments, will share its work during public input sessions 6:00-7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Lawrence High and Nov. 14 at Free State.
The committee continues to discuss two options. One would expand the LHS attendance area by moving its 15th Street boundary line east of Massachusetts St. to the north to include East and North Lawrence. The new LHS attendance area would look like an "L" lying on its back on the southern border of the district (See image.). A second option would create feeder middle schools. Southwest and Billy Mills Middle Schools students would attend LHS and students from West and Liberty Memorial Central Middle Schools would advance to Free State.
Please consider sharing your input!
Life Cycles
Third graders in Michelle McLenon's, Jillian Desmond's, and Brianna Kent's classes at Langston Hughes Elementary learned about life cycles by observing eggs hatch into baby chicks, caterpillars emerge from their chrysalises as monarch butterflies, and mealworms transform from larvae into darkling beetles.
Courtyard Prairie
Lisa Ball's AP Environmental Science students showed off their green thumbs as they expanded the native pollinator garden at Lawrence High. The Kansas Native Plant Society donated verbena stricta, stiff goldenrod, rough blazing star, and spider milkweed as part of a Plant a Prairie grant.
Future Leaders
More than 150 middle schoolers participated in a hands-on, cross-curricular Future City Leadership Retreat, learning from professional architects, engineers, urban planners, and KU professors. The students of Dani Lotton-Barker, Southwest; Jessica Miescher-Lerner, West; Devin Heath, Liberty Memorial Central; and Paula Nordstrom, Billy Mills; applied practical STEAM concepts to building parts of a city from recycled materials and designing and assembling mouse-trap cars.