The summer months are an extremely busy time for the Business Office with a fiscal year-end of June 30th, closing all of the financials in preparation for audit, processing hundreds of orders for equipment, books, supplies, etc. needed for the new school year as well as continuing the daily operations that are needed during the summer. However, one of the larger tasks to be undertaken is transportation. During the summer months, the Business Office, in coordination with the Special Education Department, First Student, Inc. and the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit sets up all transportation for the students who qualify for the ESY (Extended School Year) programs. These programs ran (in-district) from 7/5/22 to 8/5/22 and there were also some out of district placements that ran longer. In addition, in June of each year, notices are sent out to all of our non-public schools that we have bused to in previous years asking for calendars, early dismissals and student rosters. This information comes in during the summer and are collected into a database for uploading into the transportation program. Under State Law, school districts are mandated to provide transportation for resident students who elect to attend a non-public school anywhere within 10 miles of any boundary of a school district. For Lower Moreland (in 22/23), the District is busing to over 35 different non-public schools. Once all information is received, the routes are run through the transportation program and checked/verified to ensure all students were placed on a route. The timeline of these schools are earlier than public schools and have to be put in place as early as August 18th (LaSalle College High School) to ensure students are picked up according to their individual schools’ calendar.

Once all of the routes are completed and checked, an automated message will be sent through our phone notification system letting parents know that routes are available on a private link on our website. Additionally, copies of the routes will be sent to the individual schools for their reference. All during the school year, students are added/deleted based on information received and the District acts as quickly as possible to address these changes. The Lower Moreland Township School District endeavors to ensure that all students have a safe and efficient ride to and from school and the work that goes on behind the scenes helps make that happen each year.

You may have already received communication from your child's teacher using Talking Points, a free application that lets you communicate with your children's teachers and school. Talking Points is a valuable tool to many parents because it allows you to send and receive messages through the application in your preferred language and the application will translate the message into English for the teacher. Families are able to easily select their language of choice and we understand that the decision is often a very personal one. Some parents have expressed concern related to the selection of a language other than English. The goal of Talking Points is to make it easier for parents to stay engaged and involved with their child's school. Please know that educators do not value one language differently from another, and this tool has been amazing as it has removed communication barriers and allowed parents to become more involved in the day-to-day aspects of students' school experience. Here is a guide for families on how to begin using Talking Points.

The founder and CEO of Talking Points recently gave a TED Talk discussing, "The most powerful yet overlooked resource in schools". You can view her message here. Stories like hers are why we have partnered with Talking Points. We value our parents and welcome the opportunity to work together to support all students.

The Technology Department supports information technology systems and instructional technology programs and practices in the district. Each month, we highlight how our students and teachers engage in 21st Century learning activities. We also share updates on new initiatives and tips and tricks related to devices and technology tools used in the district.

New teacher orientation was hosted by K-12 Instructional Coach, Karleigh Sugden. New staff members had the opportunity to meet with their department mentors, learn about teacher effectiveness following the Danielson framework, and collaborate with one another to plan instruction for the first week of school. You can meet Lower Moreland’s newest teachers here: New Teacher Video.

Students in Mr. Kirk’s seventh-grade European History class are utilizing their Dell 2-in-1 Chromebooks for classroom activities. Students conduct research, communicate and collaborate with peers, and share projects using Google Workspace tools. One feature that has been particularly useful at the start of the school year is the speech-to-text tool with translations. Students can compose notes using their voices and the text is automatically typed and translated. Text can also be translated and read back to students allowing for all learners to be engaged in the activities You can learn more about accessibility features of the Chromebooks here: Chromebook accessibility.

As the school year begins, the Office Of Student Services would like to make our families aware of a Resource Fair and Family Fun Day for students with disabilities and their families, sponsored by Spring-Ford Area School District. Information about the fair can be found using this link. We hope that you find the information useful and informative.