Leicester High School
March 27th, 2022
Dates to Remember
April 7 - Evening with the Arts
April 8 - Freshmen/Sophomore Semi-Formal/Leicester High School
April 15 - No school
April 11 - Bus Evacuation Drill April 11th rain date April 13th.
April 18-22 - Spring Vacation
May 6 - Junior Promenade
May 20 - Senior Dinner Dance/The College of the Holy Cross
May 20 - Special Olympics School Day Games
May 26 - Senior Awards Night/LHS
Announcements
Attention Seniors
Leicester High School Commencement
Ongoing Celebration of Inclusion and Diversity
This Week
WEAR BLUE ON FRIDAY!
LHS will be celebrating World Autism Day on Friday, April 2nd. We are asking all students and staff to WEAR BLUE to help increase understanding and acceptance for people with autism and create a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential.
Last week:
Students and staff showed their support for World Down Syndrome Day, March 21st, 2022 by wearing their wackiest socks! See the video below.
Special Olympics School Day Games
- May 20th is GAME DAY
- May 11th and May 13th are volunteer meetings
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
- You can not be on academic or social probation
- You must stay for the whole day, including cleanup. Seniors make sure you note this.
- You are responsible for making up any missed assignments for the day.
- Stay at your station and listen to your captain and co-captain. Cheer for student-athletes! They are the stars of the day and we are there to help them feel like it.
- There is absolutely no tolerance for negative, derogatory, or disrespectful language towards anyone on this day.
OTHER REMINDERS
Volunteers will be provided with lunch
Please attend volunteer meetings. At these meetings, volunteers will be given a tee-shirt that must be worn the day of the games.
If you have any questions please email deannaherbert2022@lpsma.net.
Summer Science Academy
The Summer Science Academy offers one-week science sessions for students entering grades 6 – 9 or 9 - 12 in the fall of 2022. Students will work as scientists and conduct hands-on investigations in their selected program. This summer, topics include criminal and animal forensic science, cancer biology, and biotechnology. Students will have the opportunity to use the tools found in state-of-the-art research facilities and learn techniques used by real scientists and researchers.
For session descriptions and additional information including discounts and scholarships can be found on our website,
Community Service Opportunities
Employment Opportunity
Class Dues
Reminder: Dismissal Procedure
Yearbook Orders (Use the QR code below)
Guidance Department Updates
Post-Secondary Planning for Juniors
Last week, school counselors met with ALL juniors to discuss the post-secondary planning process including all of the steps necessary students should be completing. Counselors discussed how to start researching colleges, community colleges, technical and vocational schools, or careers. They discussed SAT and ACT exams as well as lots of other steps to start working on so that students are best set up for when they begin applying to colleges next year.
Students should be emailing their counselor to set up an appointment to individualize the process for each student. If not, counselors will schedule those meetings in the upcoming months.
MyCAP
The letter linked below contains important information about Individual Career and Academic Plans (MyCAPs). Every 9th through 12th-grade student at Leicester High School will have a MyCAP. Parents and families play an important role in helping children plan for and reach their postsecondary goals. Please click on the link for this information.
Meeting Updates
3/22/22 School Committee Meeting
- All fundraisers were approved as presented (Class of 2023 and Y.A.F.)
- The creation of student groups (Fishing Club and Humans Organizing for Peace and Equity) were approved as presented.
- The School Committee was thankful for and accepted the donation from Mr. Rick Antanivica for the "Fan Bus" to the girls' basketball playoff game in Mashpee.
- The field trips to Music in the Parks and the WooSox were approved as presented.
- The School Committee reviewed a presentation regarding chronic absenteeism and possible credit loss for students identified as chronically absent.
2/16/22 School Council
- Members discussed the Class of 2022 commencement ceremonies to be held at Polar Park.
- Members discussed the emotional impact the pandemic has had on students, parents, guardians, caregivers, and educators.
- Members discussed the end of school-based close-contacting procedures as a result of the Covid-19 testing program.
Athletics
Covid - 19
Covid Update
Masking Guidelines
On Wednesday, February 9, Commissioner Riley announced that after consulting with medical experts and state health officials, he will not renew the state mask requirement in schools after it expires on February 28. Effective Monday, February 28, when we return after vacation the DESE mask requirement will be lifted statewide. On February 15th, 2022, the School Committee voted to make masks optional in the Leicester Public Schools for staff and students.
As always, any individual who wishes to continue to mask, including those who face higher risk from COVID-19, should be supported in that choice. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and DPH strongly recommend that unvaccinated individuals continue to wear masks in school settings.
Important Information
- Any individual who wishes to continue to mask, including those who face higher risk from COVID-19, are encouraged to do so and will be supported in that choice.
- Per DPH, masking continues to be required in the School Health Offices in all buildings.
DESE/DPH Protocols remain in place for the following:
- Students and staff who have had COVID or need to quarantine due to an outside of school exposure, and return after their five-day isolation/quarantine period, must wear a mask for the remaining 5 days, except when eating, drinking, or outdoors, regardless of vaccination status.
- Recommended that unvaccinated individuals continue to wear a mask in school settings.
- Individuals who experience COVID symptoms should stay home and be tested. If negative, they may return to school once fever-free, without medication, for a full 24 hours, and improvement of all other symptoms. A mask should be worn until symptoms fully resolve.
- The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Public Health strongly recommend students and staff continue to follow the DESE-DPH Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios.
Covid-19 At Home Testing Program
In accordance with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH), our district is updating our COVID-19 Testing Program, effective January 31, 2022. We are opting into an at-home testing program that will increase testing of our participating students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. The at-home testing option will begin the week of January 31, 2022. In addition to this new at-home antigen test option, we will continue with routine COVID safety checks and/or symptomatic testing during the week. As part of this shift in the program, we are discontinuing Test and Stay and contact tracing for in-school close contacts. This means that if you are a potential contact in school, you may continue to come to school and do not have to quarantine. This new at-home testing opportunity is voluntary and only those who opt-in will receive tests. In order to begin receiving tests the week of January 31st, you would have needed to opt-in by January 24th. Additional emails allowing for opting into the program will follow.
Overview: At-Home Rapid Testing Program
- About the Test: iHealth is a 15-minute at-home FDA-approved rapid antigen test
- Opt-In: To participate, you must opt-in by completing the [online form]. By opting in, you will agree to review the training materials for test administration, report positive test results, and administer the tests according to Leicester Public Schools and State guidelines.
- Weekly: Every two weeks you will receive an iHealth at-home rapid test kit. Each kit contains two individual tests. You will administer one test each week on Tuesday.
- Reporting Positive Test Results: If you test positive on an at-home antigen test, you will report the positive result using the [positive result notification link]. The district will keep the results confidential and will not make individual results public. In addition, it is strongly recommended that you inform your healthcare professional of the positive result.
- Easy, Free, and Flexible: This test is administered at home (not at school), reducing the burden on school staff and time to administer tests and increasing your flexibility to do testing in the home for free.
- Students that are absent, or unable to pick up their test on the day of distribution should contact the applicable school main office their next school day. Students should test the evening of the day they receive their test.
Busing
Schools are strongly encouraged to keep bus windows open whenever feasible to increase ventilation on buses. Increasing outside air will affect the temperatures on buses. Families and caregivers, please send students to school with plenty of warm layers in fall and winter, as bus temperatures could fluctuate throughout the day.
Quarantine Meals
If your child is quarantined at home, breakfast and/or lunch are available from the school at no cost to you. If you would like to take advantage of this option, please complete this Google Form the DAY BEFORE you would like a meal.
You must complete the above-linked form one day in advance in order to have breakfast/lunch prepared for your child.
Meals can be picked up between 10:00 and 10:30 at the main office on the date(s) you request.
The meal will consist of the main menu choice for that day - no substitutions. Click here for school menus.
Leicester High School 21-22 Bell Schedule
Mrs. Beth Johnson - Assistant Principal
Email: johnsonb@lpsma.net
Website: http://lhs.leicester.k12.ma.us/
Location: 174 Paxton Street, Leicester, MA, USA
Phone: 508-892-7030
Twitter: @LHSMrsJohnson
Mr. Ted Zawada - Principal
Email: zawadat@lpsma.net
Website: http://lhs.leicester.k12.ma.us/
Location: 174 Paxton Street, Leicester, MA, USA
Phone: 508-892-7030
Twitter: @LHSZAWADA