We have missed the students so much and were delighted to see so many returning this morning. Our new K-2 desks were a big hit!

Students remembered the rules about walking in the hallways and on the stairs, they raised their hands when they had a question or comment and cleaned up after they had breakfast and lunch. K-2 students danced in Spanish with Ms. Sosa while keeping socially distant.

All in all it was a very successful first day, and we couldn't be happier!

Below is an updated letter that was sent home to parents from Superintendent Carrero regarding the SY'2020-2021 Opening Plan for LFDCS. At the end of this letter please click on the link to read this letter in Spanish.

Dear Parents,

I hope this letter finds you and your families well. This letter is to inform you of our plans for opening school in the 2020-2021 school year. You may know that Lawrence has the fifth highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state of Massachusetts. Because Lawrence has so many COVID-19 cases and is not experiencing a downturn yet, we have decided to start the year in full remote learning for the first quarter of school September - November. We will reassess the situation in November to decide if we can reopen next term. All students except those in K-1,   K-2, and Grade 1 will learn remotely.

Here is what you need to know now. More information to follow:

1. The Academy (10 Railroad Street) for Grades K-1, K-2 and Grade 1 will be open, and all students in that building will learn in person with all their teachers and support staff! School will open on September 14 at 7:45am for K-2 and first grade. K-1 will begin September 15 at 7:45am. There is adequate space for all the safety precautions we must put in place. Because there is research that children in that young age range do not learn as well remotely as they do in person we will have classes as usual for those children. If you do not want your child to attend school as usual, you must fill out a Remote Learning form so your child can stay home for the first term. Students in K-1, K-2 and Grade 1 are not eligible to attend the Remote Learning Academy.
2. All students in grades 2-8 will come to school for two days the first week of school, September 14-18.
3. A Remote Learning Academy is being created in two separate buildings who need more support in learning remotely or whose parents are unable to stay home and supervise them. They are 404 Haverhill Street (Quintana Center) for grades 2-4; and on 417 Canal Street (SISU Center) for students in grades 5-6. The hours will be 7:30am-3:00pm. Support with assignments and projects will be provided along with remote activities for all students. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be included. There is an application form, and the fee is $100 each week. The After-School Program is available to those students at the Remote Learning Academy from 3:00-5:45pm for a cost of $50 each week.

Group A students will attend Monday and Tuesday September 14-15. Group B students will attend Thursday and Friday, September 17-18. They must be dropped off at 7:45am. At that time, they must return any school Chromebooks so they can get an updated Chromebook to use this term. Those two days teachers will explain the routines, expectations and details that will ensure that students will be successful remote learners. Parents will receive information about attendance, grading, participation and other important details. After that week, all classes will occur remotely.

We miss your children and hope that COVID-19 begins to recede so we can all be together again. We are committed to the best educational opportunity for our students. Beginning a school year in remote learning is very different from learning remotely, as we did at the end of last year's school year during March - June. There will be grading, attendance and participation expectations as we have when learning in person, and you will be receiving more information about these things.

As mentioned in the past, parent/teacher conferences will be via Zoom and the same for other meetings including monthly parent coffees. This year these meeting will be done by building so we can efficiently address topics and other important matters pertaining to the grade levels of each building and will try to shift these meetings to accommodate working parents to the late afternoon.

We are all experiencing this new way to teach and learn together and will get through this together because we are family.

Sincerely,

Ralph Carrero, Superintendent

PARENT LETTER IN SPANISH

Rising to the challenges of remote teaching & learning in 2019 - 2020 

Lawrence Family Development Charter School's Innovative Learning Team (ILT) was established in the 2018-2019 school year to use digital tools in the classroom thoughtfully, effectively, and efficiently.

Below are two examples of the work LFDCS teachers have done, associated to the ILT. Interested in see more? Click on the Innovative Learning Team in the SPOTLIGHT section.