May 3, 2026
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Happy Staff Appreciation Week! We are back with 5 DAYS OF LEARNING! Let’s see what’s happening this week…
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated.” – Robert Collier
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – B Day – HW Club
Tuesday – C Day – MCAS Math Session I
Wednesday – D Day – MCAS Math Session II, HW Club, 4th Grade Parent Night 6:00 PM
Thursday – A Day – HW Club
Friday – B Day – Day 150
MCAS TESTING THIS WEEK
Parents, Guardians, and Students,
Students will be taking the MCAS assessment this week in mathematics on Tuesday and Wednesday. All MCAS testing will be done on Chromebooks. The MCAS exam gives all students an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned and how much they have grown as learners. It is important for our school and community to ensure that all students do their best work. The testing can be stressful for students and as a staff we work diligently to provide a positive environment. Here are some reminders for parents and students:
Ø Be Positive
Ø Make sure your child attends school on every testing day
Ø Make sure your child arrives on time at 7:30 AM
Ø Students need to charge Chromebooks every night.
Ø Students need to bring their school-issued Chromebook and charger to school each day.
Ø Emphasize that the tests are important and give students a chance to demonstrate learning.
Ø Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast prior to testing.
Ø Students should have a book to read when they complete testing.
MCAS is based on the common core and all of our curricula have been aligned to ensure that the work being done in our classrooms everyday meets the standards. If you have any questions regarding MCAS, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I thank you once again in advance for helping our students navigate through the testing season and demonstrating that the Locke is a great place to learn and grow.
NOTE TO FAMILIES
As the calendar turns to May we head into the final few weeks of the school year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support and partnership. Spring is an exciting time for students, but it is also an extremely busy time with activities and sports. With longer days, students will be sleeping less and the end of the year can be challenging. We ask families to prepare accordingly to ensure that students are well-rested and ready for school. We are encouraging all students to stay focused, be patient, and finish the year strong. Our school community thrives when we all work together to reinforce respectful behavior, responsibility, and kindness. Please take a moment to speak with your child about the importance of maintaining good behavior, following school expectations, staying positive, and treating others with respect. We’re so proud of what our students have accomplished so far and are confident they can finish the year with the same level of excellence and positivity. Thank you, Mr. Garas
MCAS TESTING DATES 2026
Math (All Grades) — May 5, 6
Science (Grade 5 only) — May 12,13
QUARTER 3 UNIFIED ARTS GRADES
The last day of quarter 3 was Friday, April 10th. Grades have been posted and can be seen on the Aspen portal. They will be published on the final report card of the year.
RIDDLE/JOKE OF THE WEEK
This Week – 1. Where do you go to learn about Star Wars? 2. What do you call a droid that doesn’t use deodorant?
Last week’s answers: 1. Why was Cinderella so bad at soccer? – She was always running away from the ball. 2. What’s the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a well-dressed man on a bicycle? – Attire!
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Sorting Socks
Jessie is organizing her sock drawer by arranging her socks in rows. She notices that if she puts 5 pairs of socks in each row, there will be one row with only 1 pair of socks. Also, if she puts 3 pairs of socks in each row, there will be one row with only 2 pairs of socks. If Jessie has fewer than 60 pairs of socks, what is the maximum number of socks she could have?
Last Week’s Answer: Not one specific answer
Send your answers to Mr. Garas – tgaras@billericak12.com – Show your work! You can win a Dunkin gift card and the highly coveted math certificate!! We will have prizes on Friday this week.
LOCKE SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL
Our school council met on Monday, April 27th . Please see the minutes for the meeting. All related documents for the council can be found on our website.
HOMEWORK CLUB
HW club will continue throughout the year. It will meet in the library every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1:45 – 2:45. (not on early release Wednesdays) Students do not need to sign up ahead of time for HW club. Students will report to the library immediately after school and sign-in. They can attend as many days as the parents/teachers believes are necessary. Students will receive help with assignments, organization, preparing for assessments, and are expected to stay for the full hour. Parent pick-up at 2:45 is required.
PTO CORNER
The PTO welcomes all families to the Locke. We will be meeting monthly to plan several events throughout the year. Our next meeting is on Wednesday, May 20th, at 6:30 PM.
The PTO has several exciting events coming up in May and June. We’d love to see some new faces and welcome your support in making them a success!
Staff Appreciation Week- May 4-8
We will be celebrating teacher/Staff Appreciation Week with a series of events to celebrate our incredible educators! Some of the highlights of the week include:
· Staff breakfast and luncheon
· Breakroom boost- restocking supplies in the staff lounge
· Wishes for your workspace- fulfilling classroom wish lists
· Snack happy hour
For anyone who would like to contribute, there are several ways to help:
· Make a purchase from our Amazon wish list for items to restock the staff lounge and for the teacher wish list: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/HPIBFORPLKVO?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_ggr-subnav-share_A5XKYJD2H4XWY57D6FC0&language=en-US
· Monetary donation to be used toward the cost of the staff breakfast and luncheon – https://venmo.com/u/BillericaLocke-PTO
Thank you to all for your support of our fantastic educators!
Student Entrepreneur Market
The Locke PTO is excited to invite students to participate in our very first Student Entrepreneur Market on May 21st—a fun and inspiring opportunity to explore creativity, innovation, and real-world business skills! If your student has a craft or skill and would like to showcase their products at our event, please complete the form below to let us know you’re interested in joining this engaging and empowering experience. This event will be held in conjunction with our spring Ice Cream Social, so there will be a wide audience of students and families present.
To sign up, please visit the following link by Friday, May 1st:
Volunteers needed for upcoming events! Please save the date and be on the lookout for sign-ups
· Book fair- Week of 5/18
· Ice cream social- May 21st
· Field day- June 17th
Thank you to everyone for supporting these efforts!
LOCKE GEAR is for sale! Go to this link to purchase. A portion of the price goes to the PTO.
Our PTO Facebook page is: “Billerica Locke PTO”. Click on the link below to take you there:
FROM THE COMMUNITY
Please see the attached flyer for an upcoming Spring Festival.
FROM THE DISTRICT
Our special education parent group will be meeting on Wednesday, May 6th at 6:30 PM at the Parker Elementary. Please see the attached flyer for more details.
REMINDERS
CELL PHONE POLICY
Our cell phone policy is that all student phones/smart watches are to be kept in student lockers and turned off for the duration of the school day. If parents need to contact students, please contact the main office.
ABSENCES
If your child is going to be absent, please call 978-528-8650 to report the absence. You can leave a voicemail at this number which goes directly to our secretary. You may also email our secretaries, Ms. Brewster at nbrewster@billericak12.com and/or Ms. O’Brien at lobrien@billericak12.com
BUS ASSIGNMENTS
Students who ride the bus can only ride on their assigned bus in the morning and afternoon. Students are not allowed to ride different buses to be with friends after school.
The bus routes for the year are listed at this link.
If you have any questions regarding bus assignments, please contact our assistant principal: Phillip Peters: ppeters@billericak12.com — 978-528-8654
LUNCH/BREAKFAST
All breakfast and lunches are free to all students again this year. Students will be receiving a 4 digit pin code that they will need to use when they get breakfast or lunch. Breakfast will be served beginning on the first day. It will be “grab and go”. Students can grab a breakfast in the cafeteria when they come in and then report to homeroom. They can eat breakfast in homeroom. Students are not allowed to bring in breakfast/drinks from Dunkin, Starbucks, etc.
UPCOMING DATES
All Dates are also on our master calendar on the Locke website.
· Tuesday, May 5th – MCAS Math Session 1
· Wednesday, May 6th – MCAS Math Session II
· Wednesday, May 6th – 4th grade parent orientation, 6:00 PM Auditorium
· Monday, May 11th – Site Council presentation to School Committee – 6:00 PM Town Hall
· Tuesday, May 12th – MCAS Science Session I Grade 5
· Wednesday, May 13th – MCAS Science Session II Grade 5
· Monday, May 18th – Book Fair Starts
· Wednesday, May 20th – Early Release 11:40 Dismissal
· Wednesday, May 20th – PTO Meeting 6:30 PM Library
· Thursday, May 21st – Ice Cream Social – 6:00 PM
· Friday, May 22nd – Grade 6 Field Trip
· Monday, May 25th – Memorial Day, No School
· Tuesday, June 2nd – Ditson Step-up Day
· Wednesday, June 3rd – Kennedy Step-up day
· Friday, June 5th – 5th Grade Colonial Fair
· Friday, June 5th – BMHS Graduation
· Tuesday, June 9th – 7th Grade to BMHS
· Wednesday, June 10th – PTO Meeting 6:30 PM
· Thursday, June 11th – 7th Grade to Canobie Lake Park
· Wednesday, June 17th – Field Day
· Friday, June 19th – No School, Juneteenth
· Monday, June 22nd – 7th Grade Class Day, Moving on Ceremony (Parents Invited)
· Tuesday, June 23rd – Last Day of School, Half-Day 10:40 Dismissal
If you have any questions, please contact me at tgaras@billericak12.com or call at 978-528-8655. Have a great week!!
Warmest regards,
Tony Garas, Principal