Lenox Public Schools

We welcome Police Chief O'Brien to Alumni Corner as our latest featured alumnus. You can use this link to nominate someone as a featured alumnus: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSer54tJYBxZILuTkwB0Pc0Eks6qWZQ9fDDDIbG8W_-xy6SEKA/viewform

NOTICE OF VACANCY FOR A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST WITH LENOX PUBLIC SCHOOLS If you know someone, please let them know that LPS is looking.

October is National Principals Month "There are no good schools without good principals. It just doesn't exist. And where you have good principals, great teachers come, and they stay, they work hard, and they grow!" - Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education Let's hear it for the dedication and devotion of our LPS Principals!!! (Please note that National Assistant Principals Week will be April 7th–11th)

PreK students at Morris learned about fire fighters and police officers. They even got a close up look at a fire truck and a police cruiser. A big thank you to the Chiefs of both Departments for their ongoing care and support of our students.

Lenox Library Event: Join Casey Young, Enrollment Counselor, from Berkshire Community College to answer questions about BCC, free college, the admissions process, and any other questions.

Lenox will be holding its first Special Education Advisory Council meeting tonight, October 3, at 5:30 pm at Morris Elementary School. We will meet in the Morris Conference Room. All members of the Lenox School Community are invited to join our district Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). The mission of this organization is to work for the understanding of, respect, and support of children of all abilities in our community. The Lenox SEPAC holds informational events throughout the year in which we host experts invited to discuss, educate, and support us all on a broad cross-section of topics that speak to identified family needs and challenges. Even if you don’t wish to join as formal a member, your input and participation is key to successful programming for the year. If we understand what the community needs we will be able to best support all of our children and assist our district families as we grow together. Hope to see you there! Brian

October 2nd is National Custodians' Day! LPS thanks you for all that you do day and night to make our schools safe and clean.

The CBS series "Steve Hartman’s On the Road” travels around the country highlighting stories about kindness & character. Last Monday LMMHS 7th & 8th graders received a surprise visit from Mr. Hartman and his Kindness 101 co-hosts (his children) Meryl and Emmett. Ms. Khoury-Cady’s social studies enrichment classes were fortunate to be selected out of hundreds of schools who have been using segments of the "On the Road" series, which is part of the Kindness 101 program.

Congratulations to last year's 10th Graders, their parents, and of all the LPS staff who have supported these students along the way! Only 6 School Districts in Massachusetts achieved a 90% or better (meeting or exceeding expectations) on the 10th Grade ELA MCAS. Well done Class of 2026!

Ms. Baer, Dr. Collins, and Kurt served as judges for the Apple Pie Contest at the 43rd Annual Apple Squeeze. They each sampled 16 apple pies!

Please visit the Morris Kids' Park at Lilac Park during Apple Squeeze. It is our biggest fundraiser of the year!

Road Closure Notice from the Lenox Police Department: On Tuesday 09/24 and Wednesday 09/25 Housatonic Street will be paved from Crystal Street west to the intersection with Route 7&20 (Lenox Bypass). During the paving this section of Housatonic Street will be CLOSED. The only traffic allowed on this section of Housatonic Street will be residents and the school bus that picks up and drops off kids in the area. ALSO, the intersection of Housatonic Street and East Street will be CLOSED each day! No thru traffic at all. Signage will be put out on upper East Street to alert motorist to take the Pittsfield Road south. If you are coming to LMMHS from the north (Northern Lenox, Pittsfield, etc.), you MUST take the Pittsfield Road/Bypass south to the WALKER STREET intersection. Then take the left down Walker Street and then a left north on East Street to LMMHS. Once you drop off/pick up at LMMHS you must return in the same direction. NO traffic will be allowed to travel north on East Street (including schools buses) from LMMHS on Tuesday or Wednesday. All traffic must use Walker Street. To PARENTS. If you have a child that drivers to school, please let them know about this. Lenox PD will have detail officers assisting with traffic and trying help anyway they can. Thanks in advance for your assistance and understanding. All traffic patterns will return to normal on Thursday 09/26.

Yesterday, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Executive Office of Education, and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education jointly issued updated guidance to support schools in addressing hate and bias given an increase in hate incidents in schools and communities across the Commonwealth. In an effort to combat incidents that reflect racism, white supremacy, xenophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-LGBTQ+ hate they also offer these guides for students and families

Ayer, la Oficina del Fiscal General de Massachusetts, la Oficina Ejecutiva de Educación y el Departamento de Educación Primaria y Secundaria emitieron conjuntamente una guía actualizada para ayudar a las escuelas a abordar el odio y los prejuicios, dado el aumento de los incidentes de odio en nuestras escuelas y comunidades. En un esfuerzo por combatir incidentes que reflejan racismo, supremacía blanca, xenofobia, antisemitismo, islamofobia y odio anti-LGBTQ+, también ofrecen estas guías para estudiantes y familias.

LPS is hiring substitutes. If you know a good candidate who would like to sub, please let them know that we are hiring.

Jill Sweet, the Regional Public Health Nurse Leader for the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative has asked I share with our school community that all the appointments for the October 8th  Flu/COVID clinic scheduled at LMMHS have been filled.   She wants everyone to know that there is a clinic at W.E.B. DuBois Middle School in Gt Barrington on Saturday, September 28th and at Lee Middle/High School on Wednesday, October 9th.  Both of these clinics have plenty of open appointments.   Here is the link to preregister for an appointment: home.color.com/vaccine/register/tritown.

Nora Mathews is our newest featured Alumnus. If you want to nominate an Alumnus to be featured, click this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSer54tJYBxZILuTkwB0Pc0Eks6qWZQ9fDDDIbG8W_-xy6SEKA/viewform

It's National Arts in Education Week Pictured is Everton's "Gorilla on the moon"

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month

From the The Central Berkshire County chapter of the League of Women Voters - Be prepared for the November election. It’s right around the corner. Attend one or more of the following voter-service events organized by LWV CBC. September 17: We are partnering with the National Voter Registration Day Organization and local libraries for a one-day event. LWV CBC will be set up to register new voters that day in libraries in Egremont, Great Barrington, Lenox, and Stockbridge. September 21: LWV CBC will be registering voters at Lee Founders Day. September 28: LWV CBC will be registering voters at the Festival Latina in Great Barrington. October 10, Lenox Library at 5:00 p.m.: Our chapter will offer a forum about the five statewide ballot questions that voters will be deciding this year. You can review a list of the ballot questions on the website of the Secretary of State https://www.sec.state.ma.us/. In addition, voters in District 3 will be choosing between Leigh Davis and Marybeth Mitts for the position of State Representative. Various dates this fall: League volunteers will visit Berkshire Community College, working together with the administration offering students information about voting in the U.S. Presidential Election on November 5. For questions about the status of your voter registration, you can go to any of the League registration events listed above. You can also visit the website of the Secretary of State https://www.sec.state.ma.us/, or contact your town clerk of your town, or visit www.VOTE411.org. You can also write to us at lwvcentralberkshires@gmail.com. Even if you are sure you’re registered to vote, the League recommends that you check the status of your registration. You should also check your sample ballot online before going the polls. You can do this by entering your name and address on this site: https:// www.sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA/WhereDoIVote. Be sure you know where you are voting and the times the polls are open. Early voting will begin October 19. The last day to register is Saturday, October 26 (10 days before the election on November 5). If you would like what is called a “no excuse absentee ballot,” be sure to apply for it as soon as possible. In presidential election years, typically 50% of registered voters cast their ballot. We can do better this year. Let’s break records! We are aiming to have the highest turnout in our history on November 5, 2024!