Lawrence Township Public Schools News Roundup

Editor's Note: The following news briefs were contributed by .

There is a special Board of Education meeting Monday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. in the high school library. The purpose of the meeting is to approve the district’s 2012-2013 budget so it can be submitted to the Mercer County Office of the Department of Education for review by the Executive County Superintendent. Come learn about the proposed budget!

Teens for Jeans

Did you know that one out of every three homeless people in the United States is under the age of 18? Four years ago DoSomething.org and Aeropostale started a program to help homeless kids called Teens for Jeans. Together with teen volunteers, they have collected one and a half million pairs of jeans that are donated to organizations that help the homeless. The school with the most jeans collected wins $5,000, new Aeropostale jeans, and a party for the school. Everyone who participates is a winner because they are collecting for a worthy cause.

This year, seventh-grader Nelle Evans challenged Lawrence Middle School to participate. After a two week collection period Lawrence Middle School collected a total of 311 jeans. Phoenix won the House challenge with 133 jeans, Draco was second with 95, and the House of Orion had 83. Nelle collected over 50 pairs from her friends and family as well. The jeans were donated locally to Home Front. LMS students and staff met the challenge and are making a difference!

"High School Musical Jr." at Lawrence Middle School

Lawrence Middle School: LMS Nation Drama Club is producing “High School Musical Jr.” on March 2 (7 p.m.) and March 3 (1 and 7 p.m.) in the Middle School Auditorium. Questions? Call (609) 671-5520 extension 4802.

Lawrence Intermediate School Book Drive

Miss Steiner’s fourth-grade class at Lawrence Intermediate School collected children’s books to donate to HomeFront. Emma Paxton came up with the plan, and the class supported the wonderful idea. They worked together to publicize it by creating posters and announcing it on the school morning show. As a result of their hard work, they were able to collect about 700 books which were delivered to HomeFront on Valentine’s Day to be given to families in need.

Acme Teacher of the Month

Acme picks a Teacher of the Month, based on students writing something about their teacher. Amy Valentino from Slackwood School was chosen for February. She received a canvas teacher bag, Cookie Cake, and gift card.

Ben Franklin’s Big News

Watch and find out what news Ben Franklin students learned in a school assembly earlier this month. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nMXDwDn5GY

Ben Franklin Students Bring Cheer Via MOW

Kindergarten students at Ben Franklin have been busy! Under the guidance of teacher Theresa Krisak, 23 children in her class made snowmen refrigerator magnet gifts to cheer elderly recipients of Lawrence Township Meals on Wheels (MOW). Why? Ms. Krisak is teaching the children that they can help within the community where they live at ANY age in many small ways. Once the kids learned about Meals on Wheels, they were anxious to help and came up with ideas for future months to keep smiles on the faces of the Meals on Wheels clients.

LTPS Technology Lab Now Open

Is your internet down? Has your home computer stopped working? No home access to the internet? Come to the LTPS Open Technology Lab on most Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5-8 p.m. in the LTPS Technology Center. This is an opportunity for the Lawrence community to have access to the district technology beyond school hours. Check the weekly schedule in advance for dates the lab may be closed due to other evening activities within the district. The weekly schedule can be accessed by going to http://goo.gl/HykQe. Contact (609) 671-2062 for more information.

LTEF Free Workshop for Parents

“Ten Tips to Stand Tall in Family Relationships,” is the topic of a free workshop on March 1, 2012 at 7 p.m. at Lawrence High School. The workshop is organized by the Character Team at Lawrenceville Elementary School and is funded by a grant from the Lawrence Township Education Foundation (LTEF).

The workshop is designed to provide parents of students in the Lawrence Township Public Schools practical tips to maximize relationships. Each tip connects with many aspects of life and can be applied to relationships with children, family, friends, career, and perhaps most importantly, yourself.

The workshop’s keynote address will be presented by“Stand Tall Steve” Bollar, a current Upper Elementary School Principal and a former Lawrence Township Public School visual arts teacher. See attached flyer for registration information.

Every Child Valued Pancake Breakfast

Join the Every Child Valued Parent Committee for a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 3, from 9-11:30 a.m. in the ECV Community Room. This fundraising event is hosted by the parents of students who participate in the ECV After School Program. Cost is $6/adult, $4/children ages 12 and under. Payment can be made at the door, but if you are interested in purchasing tickets beforehand, please contact the office at (609) 883-0300. See the flyer in the media box above for additional details.

LES PTO Spring Kids’ Used Toys and Clothing Sale

The Lawrenceville Elementary School (LES) PTO will hold its annual Spring Kids’ Used Toys and Clothing Sale on Saturday, March 3 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. indoors at Lawrenceville Elementary School, 40 Craven Lane. Over 150 families from the community will be participating by selling gently used Spring and Summer children’s clothing in sizes newborn to 16, maternity clothing, baby equipment and accessories, toys, books, videos, and much more. The LES PTO hosts this event every Fall and Spring giving community members an opportunity to recycle gently used items and find great bargains! Remaining items are donated to organizations that support local families in need. For more information, see the flyer above or contact les.clothing@yahoo.com.

5th Annual St. Baldrick’s Day

Step up and shave your head! Experience the brilliance of being bald while raising funds for pediatric cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

• Who: Teachers, students, parents, siblings and friends
• When: March 17, 2012 from noon to 6 p.m.
• Where: Amalfi’s Restaurant, 146 Lawrenceville-Pennington Rd.

To sign up as a shavee or to donate to this worthwhile community event, please visit www.stbaldricks.org/events/Amalfis2012.

Talent Hunt Competition

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. in conjunction with Mercer County Community Youth College is hosting their annual Talent Hunt Program on March 3, 2012. The talent show competition is for HS students in the Mercer County area in the performance areas of vocal-classic/contemporary, instrumental-classic/contemporary, dramatic interpretation, visual art, or dance. See the flyer above for entry information. Please note the deadline to enter has been extended to Feb. 29.