The Lee Academy Pilot School

8/29 New Student Orientation 5-5:45pm (Zoom Link)

8/30 Popsicles With The Principal 5:00-6:00 (click on the link to RSVP)

9/5 Classroom Preview/ Meet & Greet (10-11 am)

9/7 Day 1 for Grades 1-6

9/11 Day 1 for Grades K0-K2

9/20 Open House 4:30-6:30

Greetings Lee Academy Pilot School Families,

It is with much joy that I send this letter to welcome you to the 2023-2024 school year at Lee Academy Pilot School. It is an honor to introduce myself once again as the Proud Principal. I am truly excited to serve this school community and look forward to what this school year will bring; high academic achievement. This summer teachers and staff were engaged in a book titled “Young, Gifted, and Black: Promoting High Achievement among African-American Students.” The book is a compilation of essays by Theressa Perry, Claude Steele, and Asa Hilliard III. The text provides various reasons why historically, students of color underperform in schools but also provides a number of strategies and indicators to promote a culture of achievement. One of these indicators we will focus on this year; “A school has a culture of achievement if it is organized around the belief, shared by most of the adults in the school community, and overtime by students, that all students can do high-level academic work. Over time and with some intentionality, teachers and school leaders reject the practice that exceptionalize the achievement of a category or a few students.” At Lee Academy Pilot School we will be raising the standards and expectations to ensure ALL students have opportunities and access to a high-quality education and high academic achievement and BELIEVING ALL our students will meet those expectations. When we say ALL, we mean ALL. 

Our teachers and staff are eager to meet their new and returning students and kick off what will be a great year of learning, growing, and acceleration. We’re excited and looking forward to serving students and families for all 180 days! School starts on Thursday, September 7th for students in grades 1 - 3 and Monday, September 11 for students in pre-Kindergarten (K0/K1) and Kindergarten (K2). The first couple of days of school are crucial. Teachers and staff will be working diligently to set a strong foundation for the school year. 

First Day Classroom Activities K-3

Teachers will conduct orientation sessions with students on the following topics:

• Introductions
• Classroom procedures, routines and norms 
• School-wide expectations
• Behavioral incentives
• Emergency routes
• Daily academic activities 
• Bus and dismissal expectations
• Subject areas 
• Supplies
• And more!

Uniforms:

The LAPS School is not a “uniform school”. Students are welcome to dress in what makes them comfortable. 

Please note there is a change in our dismissal time. Dismissal is at 3:25 pm. 

This letter has much-needed information for a solid start to our school year. If for any reason you need additional information or support please do not hesitate to contact us at 617-635-8618.

The LAPS School hours are from 9:15 AM (instruction begins at 9:30) to 3:25 PM. It is very important that our students arrive on time and ready to learn. The school doors will open at 9:05 am in the back of the school. Students will be allowed to enter and eat breakfast in the cafeteria and then be allowed to transition to their classroom at 9:15. We know from experience and much research that the routines for all students are important to developing habits of work that they carry throughout their school career. Please also begin preparing your kindergartner and young students to enter school and to say goodbye to you. After the first two days of school, families will no longer be able to walk students to the classroom. Staff personnel will be stationed throughout the school and will help guide students. Whether you’re saying goodbye at home or at school, let them know you will see them soon and have a ritual for how to say goodbye (for example, fun handshake, 3 kisses and a whirl, 3 high fives…). This too will become their routine. The academic day begins at 9:30, but we all know that learning begins the moment a student enters the classrooms at 9:15. The back door will close at 9:30 am and then students will have to enter through the front door to go to the main office for a late pass. 

A safe and consistent dismissal is equally important. On the first day of school, please send a note with the plan for your child’s dismissal for the first two days of school (walker, busser, or in the Champions after-school program). Dismissal begins promptly at 3:25 PM. Families should wait in the back of the school at 3:15 to pick up their children on time. Changes in routine are discouraged because they cause confusion and have a higher risk for errors. Again, your child’s safe arrival and dismissal are our priority. If there is an emergency requiring a change in dismissal plan please call the main office before 11:30 AM and/or send a note to your child’s teacher if possible.

Please refrain from dismissing your child after 2:45 pm or pick them up just before dismissal. The end of the day tends to be the busiest time of the day and we want to ensure the safety and whereabouts of all students at all times. 

We strongly encourage K0/K1-K2 parents to use Torrey Street when picking up and dropping off their children. The back gate will be open and accessible. Families of students in grades 1-3 should use Dunbar Ave. This will help reduce traffic and congestion in front of the school. 

Students must meet state laws and BPS requirements for school attendance. Excellent attendance and school success go hand in hand. Students who are chronically absent—missing 10% (18 days) or more of school days for any given time period—are more likely to fall behind in their classes and have difficulty staying on track academically over the long term. In addition, students with consistent attendance are more likely to show proficiency on MCAS and classwork and assignments.

Excused Absences 

Certain absences may be excused, meaning they will not be considered as it relates to a referral to truancy court by a Supervisor of Attendance under Massachusetts General Law (M.G.L. c.119). However, it is important to understand that all missed instructional time has the potential to negatively impact student outcomes. In addition, all absences are included as they relate to chronic absenteeism, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused. For an absence to be excused, students must bring in a note after each day they are absent.

•  The note must include the date absent, the reason for the absence, a phone number where a parent or caregiver can be reached, and the parent or caregiver’s signature.
• The note must be provided upon returning to school, no later than seven school days after the absence.  

Excused absences may include: 

• An illness or injury that prevents the student from attending school.
  • • If the illness or hospitalization results in absence for three or more consecutive days, a note from a health care provider documenting the health problem or hospitalization should be attached to the parent/caregiver note.
  • • Parents/caregivers are not expected to have a note from a health care provider for an illness of fewer than three days. 
  • • These requirements may be adjusted based on specific public health guidance. Contact your school nurse regarding any questions or changes to this policy based on specific circumstances.

Alexandre Chery, Principal, achery@bostonpublicschools.org

Zoraida Camacho, Secretary zcamacho@bostonpublicschools.org 

Govi Tovar, Family Liaison, gtovar@bostonpublicschools.org

Marthe Jean-Jacques, Nurse, mjeanjacques2@bostonpublicschools.org

Maude Auroubgh, ABA Strand/Board Certified Behavioral Analyst, maubourg@bostonpublicschools.org

Jennifer Medeiros-Crabbe, School Psychologist, jmedeiros@bostonpublicschools.org

Jasmin Torrejon Chu, Student and Family Support Counselor, jtorrejonchu@bostonpublicschools.org

TBD, Coordinator of Special Education (COSE)

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. 

Sincerely, 

Alexandre Chery, Principal