Beginning with the first day of the new school year, the Lower Moreland Township School District (along with all other school districts in the country) will return to serving breakfasts and lunches as they did before the pandemic. The waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), that allowed all districts to serve meals for free, expired on June 30, 2022. As of the date of this newsletter, there has been no movement to extend that waiver further, so our school district will return to the provisions of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

The District is strongly encouraging families to fill out the Free and Reduced Applications if you believe your family will qualify. Information on income qualifications and paper applications can be found here.

Please note that provisions for free breakfasts and lunches over the past two years were only afforded by the federal government and the return to the National School Lunch Program is mandated by the USDA. We all realize the importance of students being properly fed and we look forward to serving your student(s) in the upcoming year.

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact our District Food Service Manager, Logan Myers at lmyers@lmtsd.org or at (215) 938-0270 ext 6214.

Lower Moreland is happy to be welcoming a number of new staff members to the district this fall. We are fortunate to have found qualified, energetic and knowledgeable hires, despite the challenges of hiring in 2022! The district has a number of things in place to help new teachers be successful. All new teachers participate in a multi-day new teacher orientation that provides information, expectations and coaching in order to help them acclimate to LMTSD. New staff members meet with Directors, Principals and other district leaders and gather lots of valuable information during these sessions. Ongoing support for new teachers is provided through mentors. Colleagues work to support each other and provide ongoing coaching, modeling and problem solving for the first two years of a person's LMTSD experience. Instructional coaches provide additional learning and support opportunities through an induction program. We are eager to welcome new teachers to the district and look forward to watching them thrive!

During the summer months, the technology department was busy preparing for another extraordinary school year. Technology staff members inspected and cleaned mobile devices, installed new equipment, prepared training materials, repaired hardware, deployed updates, and replaced obsolete hardware in school buildings. The technology department is looking forward to continuing to support information technology systems and instructional technology programs and practices in the district. Here are a few highlights for the new school year:

In addition to preparing classroom technology and mobile devices, the major areas of emphasis during the summer months are providing teacher and staff professional development and supporting new staff members. Members of the technology department completed training sessions to acquire and enhance skills related to Google Workspace for Education, networking, security, and project management. Teachers and staff participated in virtual training sessions using the district Learning Management System. The instructional coaches will welcome new teachers to the district at the end of August. New teachers will engage in learning about educator effectiveness, Special Education, data-informed decision making, and technology as well as meet their colleagues who will support them as they begin their tenure in Lower Moreland.

All students in grades K-12 will be using 2-in-1 touchscreen Chromebooks at school and at home. The Chromebooks are lightweight, fast, and durable, and they will be configured with tools and applications to support the needs of all students. The district was able to standardize the Chromebook model at each building which will help streamline repairs and replacements this year and beyond.

One new and exciting project that started last year and will be continuing this school year is planning for the new Lower Moreland Township High School. The technology department has been working closely with the high school administrative team and construction personnel to ensure the new building is equipped with cutting-edge technology and innovative learning spaces. Project updates, interviews, and other exciting content can be found on the district website at this link: New High School Project.

The McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act ensures the immediate enrollment, school stability, and academic support needed to increase the educational success of homeless children and youths. It defines homeless children and youths to be those who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

If you have school or preschool-aged children or you are a youth not in the custody of a parent/guardian and are experiencing homelessness, please contact one of the persons listed below for assistance:

Julie O’Malley

Lower Moreland Township School District Homeless Liaison

2551 Murray Avenue

Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006

jomalley@lmtsd.org

Michelle Connor

Region 8 Homeless Coordinator

(Bucks, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton counties)

215-348-2940 ext 1361

mconnor@bucksiu.org

Storm Camara

State Coordinator Pennsylvania Department of Education

Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program

333 Market Street, 5th Floor

Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

(717) 772-2066

scamara@pa.gov

http://www.education.pa.gov

Additional Resources

211 - 211 provides callers with information about and referrals to social services for every day needs and in times of crisis. Phone: 211, www.211.org

Foodfinder.us - a nonprofit website and app (for iOS or Android) that offers the location and contact information of more than 40,000 food pantries and similar food programs across the country.