Superintendent's Update January 13, 2017

Post date: Jan 13, 2017 10:00:10 PM

Today I met with numerous school personnel, including Extended Day Program personnel, and Lunenburg Police Chief Marino to review the after-school incident at Turkey Hill Elementary School and our response to that situation. I want to again express my appreciation to the school personnel and police officers who responded quickly and effectively. Keeping our students safe is everyone’s priority. We are grateful for many ways everyone supports this goal and to the Lunenburg Police Department for their presence in our schools today. All of us need to remember that doors to our buildings are not to be propped at any time.

Starting today and going forward extended day personnel will be stationed at the doors into THES and the Passios building before and after school. The doors will be locked. Parents/guardians of extended day students will be allowed to enter the school. Dismissal procedures for after-school activities for grades K-8 will remain as is. Adult(s) responsible for an after-school program in those grades will directly supervise pick-up of students. We are working with the coordinators of the after-school music program and the Lunenburg Youth Basketball program to identify procedures for those programs to ensure everyone’s safety and building security. Parents/guardians of students in the after-school music program will be notified of drop-off/pick-up protocols for those students next week.

I received a few communications from parents asking if there are security cameras at THES and the Primary. There are no security cameras in either of those buildings. Mr. Londa, Director of Facilities, has developed proposals and received quotes for the installation of cameras as part of our safety plan. We continue to look for grants and other funding sources to fund these projects. The cost for each building is $50,000-$60,000 for cameras and installation plus additional costs for asbestos abatement if necessary.

Finally, I wanted to remind everyone that all our school personnel are trained by the Lunenburg Police Department in A.L.I.C.E. https://www.alicetraining.com/ It has not been our practice to involve the students in the A.L.I.C.E. drills to date. Our administrators, educators, School Councils, and the Lunenburg Police will review this practice of not including students in the drills in the upcoming weeks. I will communicate out any changes to that practice.

Safety is a priority for us all. Let's all remain vigilant and if we “see something- say something”!

2017-2018 School Calendar Approved 2017-2018 School Calendar Approved 1-4-17.pdf

The Lunenburg School Committee approved Calendar Option B at their last meeting.

Have you completed the quick Life-Long Learning Interest Survey?

Lunenburg's Life-Long Learning Advisory Committee seeks your input to implement an adult education program. Workshops would be offered on evenings or weekends at the new Lunenburg Middle-High School by local instructors for a nominal fee. Link to digital survey: https://goo.gl/forms/c26Jns3zEfiznhWh1

Sincerely,

Superintendent Loxi Jo Calmes

Lunenburg Public Schools

1025 Massachusetts Ave.

(978) 582-4100 x211

(978) 582-4103 fax