Leicester High School
January 30th, 2022
Dates to Remember
February 2-3 - Biology MCAS (Make-up Exams)
February 21-25 - School Vacation Week
March 18 - PD No school
April 7 - Evening with the Arts
April 15 - Good Friday-No school
April 18-22 - Spring Vacation
Announcements
Quarter 2 Grades
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
The paper-based Biology MCAS retest exam will take place on February 2nd & 3rd.
Students are scheduled to take this administration for one of the following reasons:
- They took the Biology exam last June and did not receive a passing score (or they were in cohort D and chose not to take the exam).
- They transferred into Leicester High School and did not take the exam last year in their previous district.
- They attended private school last year and therefore did not take the MCAS, which is not a requirement of that school.
Students have already been notified if they are testing. An email will be sent to them a week prior regarding testing location, times, etc.
Students will be reminded that this is a state requirement and MUST obtain a passing score in order to receive their diploma.
If you have any questions regarding MCAS testing, you can contact Chris Barry at barryc@lpsma.net.
Leicester High School Commencement
Caps and Gowns Class of 2022
IT'S TIME TO ORDER YOUR CLASS OF 2022 CAP & GOWN PACKAGE!!!
The cost per senior is $35.00
Click on any image to take you to your school's landing page. The only package you need to purchase for Graduation is the ESSENTIAL Package. Other packages with additional senior gear are also available for purchase and will include everything in the essential package noted above. The Essential package will be shipped to the school for distribution. Any other items you order will be shipped directly to you.
Interested in a Class Ring/Jewelry? Use code SENIORGIFT40 to save $40 off your purchase.
Academic Partners, Inc/Jostens
774-203-3310
Attention Students
Yearbook
Dear Family and Friends of the Class of 2022:
Senior year is a special time for your friends and family. Students are their final classes at LHS, while simultaneously devoting a major portion of time to their future plans. Senior year may be a time of mixed emotions and serious pondering. Yet, it may also be a time of excitement, and for many of our students, senior year is the best year of all!
For the Class of 2022, a major highlight is receiving the Class Yearbook. It contains full-color pictures of members of the graduating class and provides a pictorial review of their years with us. It has been our experience that our graduating seniors treasure their yearbooks.
This year, there is a special section, “Family and Friends”, where parents, grandparents/family members may submit personal messages, demonstrating their pride and love for their students. Each message may contain a picture (baby, toddler, grammar school, etc.) and/or a drawing, along with your special message.
Imagine the surprise when your Senior finds your special message in the yearbook. And years after graduation, your special message will be permanently in print to look at it again and again.
Please feel free to create your own special message. To submit a personal message for your senior, please complete the attached form, and return it, with a check made out to Leicester High Yearbook, no later than February 12th. Please make checks payable to Town of Leicester or use the UNIPAY portal on the LHS WEBSITE.
Full Page - $170
Half Page - $100
Quarter Page - $45
Eighth Page - $25
Please use the QR codes and links below to be taken directly to order forms.
In The Classroom
Chemistry
Chem Talk
When two clear liquids mix together, we get a solid! Do we know what this solid is and how it is formed? Chemistry students can now explain this process at a molecular level! Before conducting such an experiment students can now hypothesize if the reaction will occur or not. If the reaction takes place, they can name and write the formula of the precipitate (solid ) formed. In a recent lab, Students have created colorful Precipitates and they have depicted this process by using a balanced molecular chemical equation. They have taken it further by writing complete ionic and net ionic equations.
Biology
This past week, AP Biology students have been analyzing photosynthesis and the factors that influence the rate of photosynthesis. They started the experiment with paper chromatography so that they could study the chlorophyll pigment. Then, they continued with adding different amounts of baking soda into water so that they could find out how carbon dioxide plays a major role in photosynthesis. They collected the data and statistically tested results in a lab report that helped them make conclusions about the relationship of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere to the rate of photosynthesis. Without respiration, humans would not be able to provide for carbon dioxide which plants need for photosynthesis. Hmm! What about the greenhouse effect?
Guidance Department Updates
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
1/13/21 School Committee
If you were unable to attend or stream the November 9th School Committee Meeting, here are some highlights:
- Leicester High School presented STAR testing data that showed improvement from BOY to MOY assessments.
- The School Committee voted to have MASC assist in the superintendent search.
- The Superintendent reported that repairs to the high school sprinkler system were complete and an inspection of the repairs has been scheduled.
12/15 School Council
- Members discussed ways to mitigate student vaping. Vape signaling devices were discussed, but the Principal reported that these devices have been abandoned by local districts as they did little to curb the problem.
- Wait time for lavatories was raised as a concern. Students report that, due to student misuse of the facilities, wait times have been extended because of staff oversight. Myriad possible solutions were discussed.
- Parent/guardian members reported that they were pleased and thankful for the dedication and hard work of the faculty and staff.
- The Principal reported the beginning of a student-led anti-hate group that would work to develop activities and lessons to inform the student body and work to foster a sense of belonging for all Leicester High School students.
Athletics
Covid - 19
Covid Update Week 1/23/22 - 1/29/22
Total positive cases yearly total: 160
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.
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