June 14, 2026
FINAL EDITION!!
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
We have 5 ½ Days of Learning remaining in the school year! We will not publish the newsletter next week.
Final Reflections:
As we wrap up another fantastic year at Locke Middle School, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our families. Your unwavering support and partnership with our staff are essential to our students’ academic and emotional growth. Looking back, I am incredibly proud of everything our students have achieved. This year has been full of learning, discovery, and triumph. Whether tackling academic challenges, participating in extracurriculars, engaging in community service, or forming lasting friendships, our students have demonstrated remarkable resilience, curiosity, and character.
To our 7th graders (the Class of 2031!) we wish you the absolute best as you transition to BMHS. It has been a true honor to watch you evolve over the last three years from apprehensive 5th graders into confident young adults. You have shown amazing perseverance and a commitment to excellence, and we cannot wait to see what you accomplish in high school and beyond. Remember to work hard, make positive choices, learn something new every day, and above all, follow your dreams. We will miss you!
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated staff. Your passion and care ensure our school remains a safe, positive, and engaging place for students to thrive.
Please stay tuned for updates over the summer regarding the upcoming school year. We are committed to always improving our school and are excited about the opportunities and experiences that are ahead for our students. I wish you all a happy, healthy, fun summer with many days of learning.
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: locke_middle_school
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The classroom doors close, but the memories of this year will remain open in the minds of our students.” — Unknown
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – C Day
Tuesday – D Day
Wednesday – A Day – FIELD DAY!
Thursday – B Day
Friday – No School – Juneteenth
NEXT WEEK
Monday – C Day – 7th Grade Class Day
Tuesday – D Day – Last Day, Half-Day Schedule, Dismissal at 10:40
LAST DAY — HALF DAY – Tuesday, June 23rd
Tuesday, June 23rd is the last day of school. It is a half-day schedule with 10:40 dismissal. This is dependent on the arrival of buses. When the majority of buses arrive, we will begin to dismiss students.
FINAL REPORT CARDS
Final Report Cards will be published to the Aspen portal on Tuesday, June 23rd
IMPORTANT PARENT SURVEY
Our Locke school council recently presented an update on our school improvement plan to the school committee. As we developed this plan, we utilized feedback from parents and guardians. Every Spring, we ask parents to reflect on their year at the Locke. The information from this survey will help us improve student learning, parent/school relationships, and the Locke’s overall learning environment. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. It is greatly appreciated. Your answers are confidential. The link will remain open until Monday, June 15th.
7th GRADE END OF YEAR EVENTS
June 22nd – 7th Grade Class Day
7A awards and completion ceremony 8:00 – 9:00 — See Attached 7A Parent Invitation
7B awards and completion ceremony 9:30 – 10:30 – See Attached 7B Parent Invitation
SUMMER READING AND MATH
Please see the link below for all of your summer reading and math information.
FIELD DAY 2026!
Locke Families! Field Day is Wednesday, June 17th, and we need your help to make it a great one for the students! We need to borrow some items and volunteers to make our Field Day complete. Please sign up to contribute some items or volunteer using this link.
MESSAGE FROM THE NURSE
Ms. Roberts will be sending EpiPens and inhalers home with students, but any controlled substances will need to be picked up by a parent or guardian.
RIDDLE/JOKE OF THE WEEK
Have a funny summer!
Last week’s answers: 1. What do you call a pile of cats? – A meow-tain 2. What do you say to boiling water? – You will be mist
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
There is no problem this week. Thank you for solving! Awesome work this year. We will back in the fall with more math challenges. Be ready!
Last Week’s Answer: a. 5 b. 15
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. We also presented our school improvement plan update to the school committee. Please see the attached presentation. All related documents for the council can be found on our website. I would like to thank our parents and staff who served on the council this year. I appreciate your valuable input and thoughtful discussion.
PTO CORNER
LOWELL SPINNERS GAMES
The Spinners are back in Lowell. The PTO has booked two outings to the park. Each game includes a $5 donation back to the PTO for each ticket sold. See the attached for more information. The links to purchase tickets are below:
8/7: https://www.gofevo.com/event/Lockemiddle0807
POST GAME FIREWORKS
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:
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.
· Wednesday, June 17th – Field Day
· Friday, June 19th – No School, Juneteenth
· Monday, June 22nd – 7th Grade Class Day, Moving on Ceremony (Parents Invited)
· Monday, June 22nd – 7A Ceremony, 8:00-9:00 AM
· Monday, June 22nd – 7B Ceremony, 9:30-10:30 AM
· Tuesday, June 23rd – Last Day of School, Half-Day 10:40 Dismissal
· Tuesday, June 23rd – Final Report Cards Published
· Friday, August 21st – Student Schedules Published
· Wednesday, August 26th and Friday, August 28th – 5th Grade Orientation
· Wednesday, September 2nd – First Day of School
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