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DESE Update for Quarantine for Close Contacts |
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The Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, issued the following guidance on April 26, 2021. This guidance updates the quarantine requirement for an individual who is identified as a close contact in a classroom or on a bus. The school will inform you if your child is determined to be a close contact.
If your child is determined to be a close contact:
- in a classroom or on a bus
- within three to six feet
- for at least 15 minutes
- of an individual who tested positive for Covid-19
- and both were wearing masks in the classroom or on the bus
then your child does not have to quarantine. Your child can return to school as normal as long as they don’t have Covid-19 symptoms or test positive. This is why is it extremely important that your child wear a mask in the classroom and on the bus. Although in this case the close contact does not have to quarantine, you should get your child tested and monitor them for symptoms. As always, COVID-19 test results should be reported to the school nurse immediately.
Note, this guidance is applicable only if the exposure happens within three to six feet. If the exposure happens within less than three feet, then normal quarantine requirements apply.
Thank you.
Darshan Thakkar, JD, PhD., Assistant Superintendent
To translate this article in another language, please click the Select Language button in the top right hand corner and choose the language.
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COVID Pooled Testing Important Information |
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Pooled Testing for COVID-19 is Here at LFDCS!
Please read the Letter to Parents from the Superintendent about Pool Testing: English Spanish
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“DESE”), in collaboration with the Department of Public Health (“DPH”), has introduced COVID-19 screening testing using a pooled strategy in K-12 public schools as an additional mitigation strategy. Pooled testing involves mixing several test samples together in a batch ("pool") and then testing the pooled sample with a PCR test for Covid-19. This strategy will help our school return to in-person learning from the current remote instruction mode.
How will pooled testing work?
- Weekly PCR test of all students and staff
- Quick turnaround on results (within 24 hours)
- We need a signed consent form from parent/guardian or staff member
- Click below for the consent forms
Consent form for staff
Additional information for staff
Consent form for students to be completed by parents/guardians
Additional information for parents/guardians
You can change the language of the form by clicking the language selection button at the top right corner of the webpage.
To translate this announcement in Spanish, please click on the Select Language button at the top right hand corner of this homepage and select Spanish. |
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SY'2021-2022 LOTTERY RESULTS |
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Please click here to view the lottery results for SY'2021-2022
Congratulations to all! |
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MA Department of Education Board Approves LFDCS Expansion |
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On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, the MA Commissioner of Education, Jeffrey C. Riley, recommended to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (“BESE”) and BESE approved the recommendation for Lawrence Family Development Charter School (“LFDCS”) to increase its maximum student enrollment from 800 to 1,000 students by SY'2029-2030.
By increasing enrollment, the school seeks to serve more Lawrence families and reduce the number of students placed on its waitlist. On average, the school has waitlisted 172 students for its 83 pre-kindergarten spots over the past three years. For the current school year, the school waitlisted 204 students for pre-kindergarten and 108 students for kindergarten. While an increase of 200 students will not address this issue in its entirety, it is a positive response to a community need. This is a controlled growth plan, so it will have minimal, if any, impact on the region and the city’s public schools. This plan includes the addition of 20 students in K-1, K-2 and grade 1 beginning in SY’2022-2023 (a total of 60 students) and the addition of 20 students per year at the K-1 level beginning in SY’2023-2024 and for the next six years until the maximum enrollment of 1,000 students has been reached in SY’2029-2030.
BESE recognized LFDCS’ strong performance as one of the reasons for approving its expansion request. In his recommendation memorandum, dated February 12, 2021, to BESE, Commissioner Riley stated, “In addition to demonstrating successful academic student performance, the Department assesses the organizational and financial viability of the charter school and its performance on various indicators such as attrition, attendance, retention and discipline rates.” |
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Our program includes a dual-language model with students learning in both Spanish and English. The goal is to enable students to attain advanced levels of functional proficiency in two languages and to promote understanding of and appreciation for the cultures represented by the languages studied. The primary objective is to teach students language and literacy skills that will allow them to function effectively in both their personal and professional lives. We feel the development of literacy will foster a love of learning to read, and then the competency of reading to learn.
We believe there is a strong link between school success and effective and consistent leadership. As a result, our Board of Trustees, is composed of parents, alumni and community stakeholders who provide valuable oversight and focus on creating and upholding policies that support our students and their families. Our administrative structure consists of a Principal and three Heads of School who manage daily operations and discipline. Leadership from the ranks of the teaching staff is also highly evident, as teachers improve curriculum and serve as mentors to novice educators.
Our goal is to work with many individuals and organizations in order to provide the resources necessary to enhance and enrich the lives of our students, both during the day and in our extended day and extended year programs. The quality and breadth of our community partnership program is unique. We work with an extensive array of local private schools, parent and community volunteers and organizations providing on-site programs.
We believe that when parents are actively involved in their children’s education, students have a better chance of succeeding academically. At LFDCS parents are required to be active participants in the education of their children. Parents serve on our Board of Trustees, participate in training programs designed to help them work with their children at home, volunteer in the classroom and on field trips and assist with fundraising initiatives. All parents sign a contract that places high expectations on their participation both at school and at home. |
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School is Open
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