LPS Spotlight
News for the Livingston Public Schools Community
June 12, 2023
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- Board of Education Meeting TONIGHT!
- WATCH: School Safety/Grief Program
- Equity Audit Update: Parent Focus Group Dates
- Calendar News: 2023-2024 Revised, 2024-2025 Approved
- MPMS Equity Summit
- HMS Jr. Lancer Leader Awards
- Elementary Happenings
- Student Working Papers Update
- Staff News!
*PLEASE NOTE THAT TONIGHT'S PUBLIC MEETING WILL BE HELD IN THE HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER AND BEGIN AT 7:15PM.
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING: June 12, 2023 (7:15PM)
The Livingston Board of Education will hold a public meeting at 7:15PM tonight, Monday, June 12, 2023 in the Heritage Middle School Media Center, 20 Foxcroft Drive. The agenda includes the district's Retirement Ceremony as well as presentations on the Seal of Biliteracy, the district Equity Audit, and modular units/LHS renovations.
Tonight's meeting will be held in a hybrid format during which participants will have the ability to ask questions and make comments either in person or via the webinar. Register for the webinar using the link below. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the district's Facebook page, @LivSchools.
SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE KIT
DEADLINE IS 4PM ON JULY 31, 2023
Now is the time to consider school board candidacy for the Livingston Board of Education. In November, voters will elect one candidate to serve for a three year term. A candidate must file a nominating petition with the county clerk for his or her name to appear on the ballot during the annual school election. The deadline to submit the petition is 4 p.m. on Monday, July 31, 2023. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
ACADEMIC CALENDAR NEWS
SUPERINTENDENT PARENT FORUM
WATCH PUBLIC SAFETY/GRIEF PROGRAM
Livingston Public Schools (LPS) and the Livingston Police Department (LPD) held a Public Safety Forum/Grief Program on Tuesday, May 30, at 6:30PM in the Heritage Middle School auditorium. Representatives of the LPD and LPS discussed safety issues for the first half of the program. The second part of the program featured a guest speaker from Grief Speaks, who talked about helping children cope with violence on the news as well as the fear brought about by lockdown drills and other precautionary safety measures in schools.
PARENT FOCUS GROUPS
LPS has hired an experienced, independent, third-party consulting firm that specializes in equity work, to conduct a full equity audit of the district. Over the course of the full audit period, which began on May 16, 2023 and will span four to six months, the auditors will engage in focus group discussions with members of the LPS community including staff, students, and parents.
Over the last week, the Equity Auditors have been visiting our schools for the first round of onsite visits with students and teachers. They will begin to meet with LPS parents in June.
All LPS parents have been invited via email to participate in a Focus Group Meeting with our Equity Auditors from Rowan University. These meetings will be held via Zoom at 7PM on the dates listed below. A Zoom link will be shared via email on the day of the meeting.
Focus groups for parents of families new to LPS and for parents of elementary school students were held last week. Upcoming parent focus groups include:
- Tues., June 13, 2023: Parents of Middle School Students
- Thurs., June 15, 2023: Parents of High School Students
Thank you in advance for participating in this process and helping our district to continue to ensure that schools are places where equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and anti-bias are priorities. Additional information regarding our Equity Audit can be found on the LPS Equity Initiative webpage.
MPMS Equity Summit
On Tuesday, May 30, Equity Leadership Team members from each of the district’s elementary schools joined together at Mt. Pleasant Middle School (MPMS) to participate in an Equity Summit.
The fifth graders, who will all join together at MPMS as Jr. Lancers in the fall, worked together to identify characteristics that would help create an equitable and inclusive school community. Students focused on the “Butterfly Effect” and how small actions can create a big impact. They concluded the meeting by beginning a butterfly mural that will welcome, and then be completed by, the newest Jr. Lancers.
These students entered the meeting as fifth grade Equity teammates and left as sixth grade leaders!
HMS JR. LANCER LEADERS!
Each marking period Heritage Middle School honors students who have made positive contributions to the school community with Jr. Lancer Leader Awards!
"HMS Jr. Lancer Leaders are students who consistently demonstrate the characteristics of being responsible, respectful and empathetic to those around them. Selected by their team of teachers, Jr. Lancer Leaders are students who have also made a positive impact on the HMS School Community," said HMS Principal Shawn Kelly.
FIND OUT WHO HAS EARNED A JR. LANCER AWARD SO FAR THIS SCHOOL YEAR!
ELEMENTARY HAPPENINGS!
MPE
BURNET HILL
HILLSIDE
HARRISON
COLLINS
RIKER HILL
Riker Hill first graders have been working on reading, comprehension skills and identifying characters, actions, feelings, character traits, and more. As a culmination project, students made “Character Kites” to show how their character analysis skills impacted their understanding of a favorite story.
STUDENT WORKING PAPERS UPDATE
The way teens obtain working papers in New Jersey has changed!
As of June 1, 2023, Working Papers for minors have gone digital. Minor workers, their caregivers, and employers all fill out their respective parts of our streamlined online application instead of using the old paper form. Visit my.workingpapers.nj.gov.
KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION DATES
Welcome to all of our new kindergarten families! Please check your school’s calendar for June kindergarten orientation dates:
SUBSCRIPTION BUSING
The district provides free transportation for in-district students who live more than 2 miles from school in grades K-8; and more than 2.5 miles from the high school. Subscription busing is available for students who are not eligible for free busing. If you are unsure if you qualify for free transportation, please call the Transportation Department at 973-535-8000, x8013, BEFORE filling out the form.
LPS SUMMER ACADEMY
*VIEW THE UPDATED 2023 LPS SUMMER ACADEMY BROCHURE
Livingston Public Schools is committed to providing students with excellent educational experiences for students of all ages this summer! Check out the district's offerings for Summer 2023!
CARE SOLACE
OFFERS MENTAL HEALTH & SUBSTANCE USE SUPPORT
Livingston Public Schools believes that your mental health and well-being is a vital part to your success at our school. With this in mind, we have partnered with Care Solace to provide an extra layer of support to our entire community.
Livingston Public Schools students, staff members, and their families can use Care Solace to quickly find verified mental health, behavioral health, and substance use treatment options matched to their needs, regardless of circumstances. Care Solace’s team is available 24/7/365 and can support you in any language.
If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a provider:
- Call 888-515-0595 (available 24/7/365)
- Visit www.caresolace.com/livingston and either search on your own OR click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.
STAY CONNECTED WITH LPS!
LPS is committed to building strong relationships with students, families, and the community, and as such, we strive to provide accurate and timely information to our stakeholders.
Communication tools for parents include the Blackboard Mass Notification System, the LPS website (www.livingston.org), LPS Spotlight (our district newsletter), Facebook & Twitter (@LivSchools), Around the Block (the Superintendent's TV program), and various promotional videos that highlight our students and staff. Explore our communications tools here!
CARLOS GRAMATA EARNS HONOR
Livingston Public School is pleased to announce that Hillside Elementary School principal Mr. Carlos Gramata has been named the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA) Visionary Elementary Principal of the Year, as well as NJSPA’s selection for the National Association for Elementary School Principals (NAESP) National Distinguished Principal of the Year.
Dr. Lang Chosen for Fellowship
FOLLOW US!
EMPLOYMENT
Kiwanis Swim Karnival
TRIBUNE GRADUATION SECTION
It's that time of year again! Livingston High School's Class of 2023 is gearing up for graduation, and so is the West Essex Tribune!
On June 29, the Tribune will publish its annual pull-out, keepsake LHS graduation section, featuring color yearbook photos of all of the graduates. Families and friends of the grads can run congratulatory ads.
Questions? Email WETribune@gmail.com
VISIT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
CRISIS LIFELINE
LPS Spotlight
2022-2023 School Year / No. 20
Michelle Bent
Manager of Communications
Livingston Public Schools
(973) 535-8000 ext. 8036
Email: mbent@livingston.org
LPS Spotlight is the official e-newsletter of the Livingston Public Schools.