May 31, 2026
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
Happy almost June! I hope you are enjoying the weekend. We are back with 5 DAYS OF LEARNING this week! It is a busy time of year as we enter the home stretch. Let’s see what’s happening …
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.” —John Steinbeck
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday – A Day – HW Club
Tuesday – B Day – 4th Grade Step-Up Day
Wednesday – C Day – 4th Grade Step-Up Day, Bionic Project 6th Grade, Ensembles Field Trip, HW Club
Thursday – D Day – Last Day of HW club, Bionic Project 6th Grade
Friday – A Day – 5th Grade Colonial Fair, BMHS Graduation
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.
HOMEWORK CLUB ENDS THIS WEEK
HW club will continue on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. The last day of HW Club will be Thursday, June 4th. Parent pick-up at 2:45 is required.
5TH GRADE COLONIAL FAIR
Just a reminder for our upcoming 5th Grade Colonial Fair on June 5th at 8:30 AM. Please see the attached invitation. When arriving to the Locke on the day of the event, please do not check in at the office. There will be a table set up in the lobby, please sign in and take a visitor pass then head to the cafeteria. After you have visited the fair, you can then exit through the main entrance again. Please do not go anywhere other than the cafeteria during the event.
BIONIC PROJECT – THIS WEEK
The Bionic Project will be at the Locke on Wednesday and Thursday this week to work with our 6th graders in PE classes. Thank you to the PTO for sponsoring this impactful program. For more information on the program, please go to https://www.bionicproject.org/
RIDDLE/JOKE OF THE WEEK
This Week – 1. Why did the parents name their child JuneJulyAugust ? 2. Why do pirates hate May, June, July, and August?
Last week’s answers: 1. Which days are the strongest? Saturday and Sunday, the rest are weekdays! 2. What did I say when my wife asked where I got so much candy? I always have a few Twix up my sleeve.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Crack the Code (same as last week, ne a few more submissions)
Janet has a safe that can be opened with a 4-digit code. Janet has set up her safe to open for any 4-digit code that satisfies the following rules:
1. The first digit and the last digit cannot be equal to each other.
2. The second digit must be greater than the third digit.
3. The last digit must be greater than either the third digit or greater than the first digit.
4. At least one digit must be an even number
Find at least 3 codes that will open the safe.
Last Week’s Answer: 1. 504 2. 1483 3. Multiple Answers
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:
6/7: https://www.gofevo.com/event/Lockemiddle0607
Theme: STAR WARS AND 6-7 NIGHT
8/7: https://www.gofevo.com/event/Lockemiddle0807
POST GAME FIREWORKS
The PTO welcomes all families to the Locke. We will be meeting monthly to plan several events throughout the year. Our final meeting is on Wednesday, June 10th 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!
Volunteers needed for upcoming events! Please save the date and be on the lookout for sign-ups
· 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:
BMHS FALL SPORTS
Hello Families, The fall season registration is NOW OPEN for the 2026-27 school year. Please review the information below:
1. Registration-Open. “Community Pass”
2. Important Dates and Link to the Athletic Calendar
3. Physicals, Concussion Course, and General Athletic Trainer Information
All members of the Class of 2031 are welcome to join our teams/ tryout as an 8th grader.
IMPORTANT DATES:
· CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS-JUNE 1, 2 & 3, 2026
o Must be Registered in “Community Pass”
Link to Community Pass: https://tinyurl.com/2p9xz4ab
o Must have a valid Physical on file with the Athletic Trainer
Registration Open: “Community Pass” NOW OPEN for the 2026-27
· There is no cost to complete the online registration for the fall Season.
· Please register your child ASAP.
· Families will be billed 2 weeks into the fall season
· Unsure about having a Community Pass account?
· Email: communitypass@billericak12.com
Link to Community Pass: https://tinyurl.com/2p9xz4ab
Click here to view our Calendar:
Health Information Athletic Trainer: Aimee Montminy
1. PHYSICALS: This is the most important piece of documentation that the Athletic Trainer needs. If we do not have a current physical on file your student athlete will not be allowed to participate.
Physicals must include
· Date of exam
· something along the lines of “okay for activity/sports”
· A doctor’s signature/electronic signature
Please upload a photo/scan to Healthy Roster or email to: amontminy@billericak12.com
If you are a returning student athlete, please check your Healthy Roster account to see when your physical is expiring.
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, June 2nd – Ditson Step-up Day
· Wednesday, June 3rd – Kennedy Step-up day
· June 3rd and 4th – Bionic Project for 6th graders
· Thursday, June 4th – Last Day of HW Club
· Friday, June 5th – 5th Grade Colonial Fair
· Friday, June 5th – BMHS Graduation
· Sunday, June 7th – Spinners Game
· 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