LHS News and Events

January 10, 2025

Head of School’s Message

Dear LHS Staff,

Thank you for a great first week of 2025! This stretch from January to February break is certainly a busy one and will require our continued teamwork to ensure a stable, safe, and joyful school culture and classrooms that are focused, engaging, and supportive for all Lancers. Let's stay rested, recharged, and committed to excellence and equity this year.

Have a great weekend,

Victor Caraballo-Anderson

LHS Head of School

LHS Website

Lancer Pride

Red Sox at LHS

Over 30 players, coaches, and announcers from the Red Sox visited Lawrence High School today--and team mascot Wally the Green Monster also made an appearance! USA students joined the team in the Field House for a panel discussion, while small groups of Red Sox players and staff visited classrooms in LSA, UNIDOS, and ALA. It was wonderful having the players--many of them bilingual--serving as positive role models for our students. Many thanks to LHS teachers and staff for welcoming the players and personnel and to district leadership for making today one to remember for LHS students.

Dr. Edward Reynoso and Wally

Posse Scholarship Recipient

In a ceremony held at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston on Thursday, USA senior Johan Mendez de Los Santos was awarded a Posse Scholarship. Out of 50,000 applicants, just 900 were considered, and only 50 of the most exceptional students were selected to receive the award. Johan exemplifies the true spirit of being a Lancer and we are extremely proud of him. He will be attending Union College next year on a full-tuition scholarship!

ACCESS roll-out

Thank you to the many ESL teachers, administrators, and faculty/staff who are helping ensure ACCESS testing runs smoothly. Your efforts in proctoring, troubleshooting technical issues, and preparing students for the test are invaluable. In addition to being a key state accountability measure, ACCESS tests are critical for measuring our multilingual learners' English language proficiency, helping us tailor instruction to meet their needs and celebrate their progress. While the testing window extends into February, our goal is to test as many students as possible as soon as possible to limit the impact on instruction. This takes a whole-school effort to inform students, be flexible with class relocations, and supporting students as they return to your rooms after testing. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding!

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Early College Video

Fifth-year student Roniel Jimenez, and LHS Early College Program Manager Ms. Leslie Peralta, are featured in a YouTube video about early college in Massachusetts, produced by the MA Alliance for Early College. They share their experiences beginning at 4:14 in the video--which also features some nice footage of Lawrence High School. Thank you to Roniel and Ms. Peralta for representing LHS to a statewide audience!

Best Practices

Rigor through Collaboration: Discourse Structures

Mr. Acosta Jr, USA History Teacher, employed the "Silent Conversation" strategy this week to foster student engagement in an analysis of the impact of Nazi Anti-Semitism propaganda on the German public. Because Mr. Acosta Jr. clarified the purpose of the activity, equipped students with an understanding of key vocabulary and concepts at the outset of the lesson (and checked for understanding thoroughly), and modeled the expectations for high-quality responses, his ESL 2 cohort students were able to sustain a high level of engagement and critical thinking with the primary sources and the lesson's concepts. Furthermore, he raised the rigor of discourse through high-order questions and visits to groups to push their thinking.

As you plan lessons, remember that discourse without adequate structures often leaves reluctant speakers without the support and guidance necessary to take the risk of developing and sharing original, analytical thinking. Planning, using, and reusing structures and protocols helps build our students' discourse "muscles" so their thinking can shine through.

Project Zero's Thinking Routines Toolbox provides great "seeds" for discourse activities because they place student thinking at the center. You can search by subject and disposition. Check it out!

Professional Development

Thank you to all of the teachers and staff who have participated thoughtfully and reflectively in this year's Professional Development offerings, and to the many presenters who have shared their time and expertise. As one of many excellent examples, this week the grades 9-12 history teachers revisited the strategy of a "silent conversation" (see above) to get students thinking, writing and speaking. Teachers then discussed how this strategy could work in their classes and what supports students might need to be successful.

Early College Opportunities

While colleges are still on their winter break, the Early College Program is providing LHS students with workshops and activities. First Year Seminar students received CPR training and creating writing with YDO. Also, the Work-Based Manager, Mr. Roberto Duran, provided a resume workshop and provided information on the Work-Based Learning program and opportunities including paid internships opportunities and job shadows. Meanwhile, NECC Early College students participated in a Network of Support session, a de-stress workshop with Mr. Quin Gonell, an FSA ID workshop with GEAR UP, and a college and career workshop and panel presentation.

Above: Mr. Roberto Duran's resume workshop; Below: CPR training

Information and Upcoming Events

School Quality Review (SQR)

We will be hosting our annual SQR on February 4th and 5th this year. As always, we'll put our very best foot forward and showcase the amazing progress our community has made this year in improving teaching, learning, and school culture for all Lancers.

Equitable Visit

A financial advisor from Equitable, Joseph Costa, will be available at LHS on Wednesday 1/16 and Friday 1/17 to discuss retirement benefits, especially the 403(b) plan. All LHS staff can visit him in room C216 from 8am - 3pm. Click here for more information.

Belle of the Ball

All LHS juniors and seniors can shop for FREE prom apparel, including dresses, shoes, and accessories, at the Belle of the Ball Hynes Convention Center event on Saturday March 22. LHS has reserved four buses, and interested students must register in advance via QR code (posted around USA). Students can also see Mrs. O'Donnell or Ms. Tracy during lunch. Click here for more information.

Scholarship Opportunity for Dominican Students

FUNDOARCU is offering $1,000 scholarships to students of Dominican heritage. Seniors must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and submit an application that includes an essay, transcript, and two letters of recommendation. The deadline is January 31, and students can find information at www.fundoarcu.org. For information, they can email fundoarcuscholarship@gmail.com.

Athletic Events

View the athletic calendar.

Staff Hours

Mon: 7:45-3:15 - Office hours/student-facing time

Tue: 7:45-3:30 - Common Planning time (CPT)

Wed: 7:45-3:15 - Office hours/student-facing time

Thurs (17): 7:45-3:15 - Office hours/student-facing time

Thurs (21): 7:45-4:15 - Professional Development

Fri: 7:45-3:15

Standard Paraprofessional Hours:

7:30 am -3:30 pm.