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Lawrence Together is an AI-automated podcast that blends essential news from The Township of Lawrence, Lawrence Schools, The Lawrence Business Community, and other key organizations around town into one friendly briefing. This is a free service that aims to make it easier to get your local news, without getting it in your inbox. It can make pronunciation mistakes from time to time. For that, we apologize in advance. But, hey, it's free, and we hope this is helpful. If you like it, subscribe!
Welcome to Lawrence Together, your community podcast for Lawrence Township, New Jersey. Today's episode covers news and updates from News from the Nest, dated August twenty fifth. Let's get started.
There's still a little precious summer left to soak up, but the first day of the school year is right around the corner. Enjoy these last days of break, because next week we ring in the twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven school year at Lawrence High School.
Let's start with a few announcements. Incoming ninth grade students are invited to the annual Freshman Agenda orientation program on Tuesday, August twenty fifth. A completed registration form is required to participate, and the school is looking forward to welcoming the newest Cardinals, the class of twenty thirty, along with their families.
There are also two senior parking meetings being offered this year, so students can pick whichever fits their schedule. Seniors can attend either Tuesday, August twenty fifth at three o'clock in the afternoon, or Thursday, August twenty seventh at three o'clock in the afternoon. Parking decals will be distributed to eligible seniors through a lottery system.
Families should also know about a new statewide policy taking effect this year. New Jersey has enacted a law requiring all kindergarten through twelfth grade public school districts to adopt what's called a bell to bell restriction on personal internet enabled devices, and it takes full effect for the twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven school year. In practice, this means cell phones, smart watches, tablets, laptops, wireless earbuds, and other personal devices must be powered off and stored out of sight from the first bell to the last bell of the day. Storage options may vary by school and grade level, including lockers, backpacks, or other bags. If a parent or guardian needs to reach a student during the day, the school asks that you contact the school office directly, and staff will pass along the message or connect you. The goal, as the school describes it, is to reduce distractions and support students' mental health while keeping the focus on learning.
On the logistics side, schedules and bus passes will be viewable in the Genesis parent portal starting Monday, August twenty fourth. Finalized schedules go out on the first day of school, and minor adjustments may still happen as the school works to balance classes and meet student needs. One important note, schedules will not be changed simply so that students can be placed with friends, since the scheduling guidelines are meant to keep things fair and stable for everyone.
As for school supplies, the school doesn't issue a required list, since every class and every student's needs are a little different. Teachers may make specific requests once the year gets underway, but for now, a sturdy backpack, organizational tools like folders, binders, or dividers, basic writing utensils, and some sticky notes or index cards should cover the basics for high schoolers.
A quick heads up on scheduling, the first two days of school, Tuesday, September first and Wednesday, September second, will run on a modified schedule, though both are full days for students and staff. The regular daily schedule kicks back in on Thursday, September third.
For attendance, parents can skip the phone call entirely and report an absence directly through the Genesis parent portal. Just log in, click Attendance in the left hand toolbar, select Notify our Office, specify the dates of the absence, and leave a brief note explaining it. A visual step by step guide is also available through a link in the newsletter.
The high school is excited to welcome a number of new faculty and staff members this fall, who recently completed orientation and got familiar with the building.
Speaking of welcomes, mark your calendar for Welcome to the Neighborhood, a family friendly, back to school style event open to everyone, whether you're new to Lawrence Township Public Schools or you've been part of the community for years. It's happening Tuesday, September eighth, from six thirty to eight o'clock in the evening at Lawrence High School. While the adults connect with district staff, discover resources, and meet community partners, kids can join a free karate or art class. Registration is available in advance through a link in the newsletter.
Lawrence High School also has more than forty clubs and activities for students to get involved in. Keep an eye out for interest meeting announcements as the year begins, and mark September eighteenth for the clubs and activities fair, held during the school's fall picnic.
Parents and guardians are also invited to the annual Back to School Night on Thursday, September twenty fourth, beginning promptly at seven o'clock in the evening. More details will follow in the next newsletter.
For students attending technical school, morning session students should report to door number twenty seven by seven twenty five in the morning for transportation to the Assunpink and Sypek campuses, and will return in time for third period. Afternoon session students should report to the bus drop off area by ten fifty five in the morning, with buses to both technical campuses and Mercer County Community College departing at eleven o'clock.
A few handbook updates are worth knowing about this year, covering policies on rideshare services, e bikes and e scooters, and weapon detection screenings at school events. Families can find the full details and specific links in the show notes, and any questions can go to a school administrator.
The approved district calendar for the twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven school year, along with the full year rotation calendar showing the A day, B day pattern, are both linked in the show notes. Please note calendar details are subject to change, and families will be notified of any adjustments as they happen.
For dining services, families can view menus by school and manage lunch account funds through the district's dining page, linked in the show notes, and online payment is preferred, though checks are also accepted. The Nutrislice app is also available for nutritional information, photos, allergen details, and menu translation into more than fifty languages.
Counselor assignments for the new school year are available in the newsletter, organized by grade level and last name. If you have a question for your student's counselor, you can reach out by email or use the online link to schedule an appointment, both included in the show notes.
The school also uses a digital hall pass system called SmartPass, which helps keep students safe and accountable while making the most of learning time. Students create a pass on their Chromebooks when they need to leave the classroom, and passes are generally limited to five to six minutes. Cell phones are not permitted while a student is out on a SmartPass. If passes are misused or overused, teachers will address it directly before involving administration or families.
Fall sports teams have already been hard at work preparing for the season. The Athletics Department has introduced a new scheduler app for team schedules, locations, directions, scores, and results, with a link to instructions in the show notes. Online ticketing is also new this year, available through GoFan, also linked in the show notes.
You can follow Lawrence High School on social media too, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, with handles included in the show notes.
Turning to parent organizations, the Parent Teacher Organization, spelled P T O, is looking forward to a new year working with staff, families, and students, and a brand new website is coming soon. You can find them at the Welcome to the Neighborhood event on September eighth, and at Back to School Night on September twenty fourth. If you'd like to skip the stream of fundraiser emails throughout the year, a one time donation link is available in the show notes. There's also a Dine to Donate fundraiser at Jersey Mike's in the Lawrence Shopping Center on September seventeenth, where mentioning the Parent Teacher Organization sends a portion of proceeds back to the schools. And the popular bulb sale fundraiser through Give and Garden is returning as well, with a link to shop in the show notes.
A few fundraising events to know about. Registration is open for the second annual Fun Run, spelled L T E F, happening Saturday, September fifth at Village Park, a morning of fitness and school spirit for all ages and abilities.
Save the date for Student Council's annual Laps for a Cause fundraiser on Saturday, October twenty fourth, held on the Lawrence High School track from eleven in the morning to two in the afternoon, with proceeds supporting breast cancer research.
And on Sunday, October twenty fifth, HomeFront is hosting its annual Halloween five K run, one mile walk, and preschooler pumpkin dash at five oh two Carnegie Center in Princeton. Every step supports local kids affected by poverty, housing instability, and homelessness. Registration is forty dollars for the five K, twenty five dollars for the one mile walk, and ten dollars for the preschooler dash, with prices increasing after October seventeenth, so early sign up is encouraged. Teachers, students, and staff can also join or support the school's team, with a link in the show notes.
In the Brag Bag this edition, a big shout out to the hardworking staff who kept things running all summer long, whether that meant supporting the E S Y program, getting classrooms and hallways ready, keeping the offices running, helping fall athletes prepare, or making sure the building stayed safe and secure. If you know a student, teacher, or staff member who deserves some recognition, submissions are welcome by email, included in the show notes.
A few save the dates before we wrap up. September twenty second is the second session of senior portraits. September twenty ninth is picture day for grades nine, ten, and eleven. October second is the homecoming football game. And October third is the homecoming dance.
And finally, a little something for fun from this edition. This week's word power theme is all about water. In South African slang, a monkey's wedding is a sun shower, when it's raining and sunny at the same time. In Arabic, gurfa is the amount of water you can scoop up in one hand. And in Swedish, a badkruka is someone who takes forever to get into the water because it's too cold. And the newsletter leaves us with this thought, a fresh start might not be a new place, but a new mindset.
That's all for this edition of Lawrence Together. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update from our community. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.