📝 Producer’s Notes
- Acronyms expanded by Claude (not defined in source, please verify): LTEF as Lawrence Township Education Foundation; NJEA as New Jersey Education Association; PTO as Parent Teacher Organization; ESL as English as a Second Language; LES as Lawrenceville Elementary School; SWS as Slackwood (the source names Slackwood Elementary School elsewhere).
- FVHD Architects is a firm name with no expansion in the source, so it’s scripted as letters (“F V H D”).
- Details pulled from flyer images rather than body text: Trunk or Treat date, time, and address; Craft Fair cafeteria location and address; math workshop location and 7 p.m. end time; Handbag Bingo price ($40) and 6 p.m. start; bike ride address and contact info.
- Time-sensitive items: The LMS Halloween Dance (Oct 29), Halloween parades (Oct 30), Spiritwear deadline (Oct 31), bike ride (Oct 31), and Trunk or Treat (Oct 31) may have passed depending on release date. The source said the dance was “tonight”; the script uses the specific date instead.
- Link-only items: The ribbon-cutting video, math workshop registration, Dolly Parton tickets, and Handbag Bingo tickets have no URLs in the PDF. The script directs listeners to the newsletter. LTPS-TV had no body text and was omitted from the script.
- Missing details: The November 18 Board of Education meeting has no time or location listed. The Dolly Parton event lists no ticket price.
- Presenter: The Dolly Parton flyer shows “Lumos” branding; it isn’t named in the body text, so it’s left out of the script.
- Content omissions: None. All content was family-friendly and community-related.
🎃 Seasonal Notes
October is Italian American Heritage and Culture Month and Bullying Prevention Month. Have a safe and happy Halloween!
📅 Important Dates
DateEventTue, Nov 3 | Election Day
Thu–Fri, Nov 5–6 | NJEA Convention, schools closed
Wed, Nov 18 | Board of Education Meeting
Thu–Fri, Nov 5–6 | NJEA Convention, schools closed
Wed, Nov 18 | Board of Education Meeting
🎭 Lawrence Middle School Auditorium Ribbon Cutting
Lawrence Middle School celebrated its renovated auditorium on October 19, the first completed project from the $98 million bond referendum approved in March 2025. The rebuild includes new seating, ramps, flooring, carpeting, lighting, and sound equipment. Partners included Higley Construction, FVHD Architects, and Greyhawk Project Management. The event coincided with LMS’s 75th anniversary.
🍂 Fall Fun Across the District
Ben Franklin’s Cardinal Kids enjoyed a Pumpkin Patch experience. Slackwood third graders extracted DNA from pumpkins with Princeton University’s Molecular Biology Outreach Program. Students ran a skeleton-themed memory match in gym and painted skeletons in art. Lawrence Intermediate School held its Fall Fest.
🎶 Record Year for the LHS Choir
Eleven LHS students made the 2026–2027 New Jersey All-State Chorus, a school record. Junior Karina Godovanyy and senior Isaiah Walker-Underwood are nominees for the New Jersey Governor’s Award in Vocal Music.
🦸 Billy Chester Named Unsung Hero in Education
LHS Security Monitor Billy Chester (LHS Class of 1972) received the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Unsung Hero in Education award on October 20 in Atlantic City. He has coached basketball for more than 40 years and founded an affordable basketball clinic.
🌏 Educators from New Taipei, Taiwan
A delegation from New Taipei visited to learn how the district supports English language learners. ESL teachers Jennifer Acuna, Sabrina Casale, Katie Kochis, Hailey Lippincott, Kasia Semeniuk, and Leah Urizar led the session.
🛍️ School Events and Fundraisers
EventDate and TimeLocationDetailsLHS Booster Club Fall Spiritwear Sale | Through Sat, Oct 31 | Online | https://www.storessimple.com/smartstitch/lhsbooster
LMS and LHS PTO Craft Fair | Sat, Nov 21, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | LHS Cafeteria, 2525 Princeton Pike | Handmade gifts, food trucks, ice cream
Family Workshop: Developing a Mathematical Mindset | Tue, Dec 1, 5:30–7 p.m. (workshop starts 6 p.m.) | Lawrence High School, 2525 Princeton Pike | Grades K–12 families; childcare with pizza; registration required
LMS and LHS PTO Craft Fair | Sat, Nov 21, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | LHS Cafeteria, 2525 Princeton Pike | Handmade gifts, food trucks, ice cream
Family Workshop: Developing a Mathematical Mindset | Tue, Dec 1, 5:30–7 p.m. (workshop starts 6 p.m.) | Lawrence High School, 2525 Princeton Pike | Grades K–12 families; childcare with pizza; registration required
🏘️ Community Programs
EventDate and TimeLocationDetailsRalph Copleman Neighborhood Bike Ride | Sat, Oct 31, 10 a.m.–noon | LHS Parking Lot, 2525 Princeton Pike | Hybrid or mountain bike recommended. LetsMoveLawrence@gmail.com, sustainablelawrence.org
Rays of Hope Trunk or Treat | Sat, Oct 31, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Slackwood Elementary School, 2060 Princeton Pike | Free family event
A Dolly Parton Candlelight Experience | Sat, Nov 7, sittings 6–7 p.m. (doors 5:15) and 8–9 p.m. (doors 7:30) | Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, 2688 Lawrenceville Rd | Tiered seating zones, first come, first served
15th Annual LTEF Handbag Bingo | Fri, Nov 13, 6 p.m. | West Trenton Firehouse Ballroom, Ewing | $40 tickets; expected to sell out
Rays of Hope Trunk or Treat | Sat, Oct 31, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Slackwood Elementary School, 2060 Princeton Pike | Free family event
A Dolly Parton Candlelight Experience | Sat, Nov 7, sittings 6–7 p.m. (doors 5:15) and 8–9 p.m. (doors 7:30) | Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, 2688 Lawrenceville Rd | Tiered seating zones, first come, first served
15th Annual LTEF Handbag Bingo | Fri, Nov 13, 6 p.m. | West Trenton Firehouse Ballroom, Ewing | $40 tickets; expected to sell out
🗓️ District Calendar Highlights
DateEventTimeThu, Oct 29 | LMS Halloween Dance | 6–8 p.m.
Oct 29–30 | LMS Spirit Week | All day
Fri, Oct 30 | LES Halloween Parade | 1:15–1:45 p.m.
Fri, Oct 30 | Slackwood Halloween Parade | 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Nov 2, 3, 4, 9 | LMS Cheer Tryouts | 2:45–4:45 p.m.
Mon, Nov 2 | LMS Mercer County Technical Info Session | 6–7 p.m.
Wed, Nov 4 | LMS End of Marking Period 1 | All day
Mon, Nov 9 | Wrestling Practice Begins | 2:45–4:45 p.m.
Nov 10–12 | LMS Girls’ Basketball Tryouts | 2:45–4:45 p.m.
Thu, Nov 12 | LIS 6th Grade Glow Party | 6–8 p.m.
Oct 29–30 | LMS Spirit Week | All day
Fri, Oct 30 | LES Halloween Parade | 1:15–1:45 p.m.
Fri, Oct 30 | Slackwood Halloween Parade | 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Nov 2, 3, 4, 9 | LMS Cheer Tryouts | 2:45–4:45 p.m.
Mon, Nov 2 | LMS Mercer County Technical Info Session | 6–7 p.m.
Wed, Nov 4 | LMS End of Marking Period 1 | All day
Mon, Nov 9 | Wrestling Practice Begins | 2:45–4:45 p.m.
Nov 10–12 | LMS Girls’ Basketball Tryouts | 2:45–4:45 p.m.
Thu, Nov 12 | LIS 6th Grade Glow Party | 6–8 p.m.
📺 LTPS Rewind
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