Welcome to Lawrence Together, your community podcast for Lawrence Township, New Jersey. Today’s episode covers news and updates from Lawrence QuickNews, dated October 29th, twenty twenty six. Let’s get started.
First, Lawrence Township Public Schools wishes everyone a safe and happy Halloween! October is Italian American Heritage and Culture Month, and it is also Bullying Prevention Month.
Here are a few important dates to keep in mind. Tuesday, November 3rd is Election Day. On Thursday, November 5th, and Friday, November 6th, schools will be closed for the New Jersey Education Association Convention. And the next Board of Education meeting is Wednesday, November 18th.
Now for some big news from Lawrence Middle School, which celebrated the completion of its newly renovated auditorium with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 19th. This is the first completed project funded by the district’s ninety-eight million dollar bond referendum, approved by voters in March of twenty twenty five. The old auditorium was stripped down to its bare structure and rebuilt with new seating, ramps, flooring, carpeting, lighting, and sound equipment. The result is a refreshed, more accessible space for student performances, presentations, assemblies, and community events.
The ceremony brought together members of the Lawrence Township Board of Education, the Township Council, the Lawrence Township Police Department, district administration, and project partners Higley Construction, F V H D Architects, and Greyhawk Project Management. The occasion was especially meaningful because Lawrence Middle School is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary, and Dr. Milavsky took the opportunity to share a seventy-fifth anniversary video with the group. The district says the new auditorium is an important first step in its ongoing facilities improvements, with more referendum projects planned to support students, staff, and the Lawrence community for years to come. A video of the ribbon cutting is linked in the newsletter.
Fall has been full of fun and learning across our schools. At Ben Franklin, the Cardinal Kids enjoyed a special Pumpkin Patch experience, picking and decorating pumpkins, sampling apple cider and donuts, and visiting game stations.
Third graders at Slackwood explored the science of genetics through Princeton University’s Molecular Biology Outreach Program. Graduate students guided them through a hands-on experiment extracting DNA from pumpkins, giving them a memorable chance to explore science beyond the textbook.
Students also brought Halloween into the gym with a skeleton-themed memory match run. They practiced running, skipping, and galloping as they collected skeleton bones for their teams, building coordination, body control, and teamwork while learning about the human skeleton. Then, in art class, students painted and labeled their own skeletons, combining creativity with science.
Schools across the district have also been celebrating with festive spirit days, as students and staff show off their Halloween colors, costumes, and seasonal creativity. Lawrence Intermediate School brought the community together for its Fall Fest, and Lawrence Middle School students have a Halloween dance on Thursday, October 29th, from six to eight p.m.
Next, congratulations to the Lawrence High School choral program, which is celebrating a record-breaking year. Eleven students were accepted into the twenty twenty six to twenty twenty seven New Jersey All-State Chorus, the most in school history. Five of those students scored in the top ten statewide in their voice parts. Two of them, Karina Godovanyy and Isaiah Walker-Underwood, each earned one of the two highest audition scores in their voice parts, and both qualified as nominees for the New Jersey Governor’s Award in Vocal Music. Having two nominees from the same school in one year is an exceptionally rare honor.
Karina is a junior who has been part of the choral program throughout high school. She is a Cardinal Award recipient, recognized for her hard work and resilience, and she is known as an exceptional vocalist and a supportive leader who helps her fellow choir members succeed. She is also being considered for the All-Eastern Choir, a prestigious honor for student musicians.
Isaiah is a senior who has been in the choral program for all four years of high school. He is a member of the Honors Madrigal Choir and one of two Music Department Student Leadership Interns. Isaiah excels in choral, classical, and jazz music, and his thoughtful interpretation, emotional depth, and generosity toward his peers make him a standout musician. Congratulations to Karina, Isaiah, and all eleven All-State Chorus students!
Another well-deserved honor goes to Lawrence High School Security Monitor Billy Chester, who was recognized as an Unsung Hero in Education by the New Jersey School Boards Association. He received the award on October 20th at the association’s annual Workshop conference in Atlantic City, joined by district administrators, staff members, and his family.
Mr. Chester is a Lawrence High School graduate from the Class of nineteen seventy two, and he has spent decades giving back to the community he calls home. In his role as a security monitor, he goes beyond his daily responsibilities to build meaningful relationships with students. He is also a mentor, coach, and advocate for young people. He helps connect high school seniors with scholarship opportunities, supports students with special needs, and has coached basketball for more than forty years. He even established an affordable basketball clinic so that every child has the chance to participate, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. The district congratulates him and thanks him for the many ways he continues to support, encourage, and inspire Lawrence Township students.
Our schools also welcomed some visitors from far away. An educational delegation from New Taipei, Taiwan, came to see firsthand how the district supports English language learners. English as a Second Language teachers Jennifer Acuna, Sabrina Casale, Katie Kochis, Hailey Lippincott, Kasia Semeniuk, and Leah Urizar shared instructional strategies, classroom practices, and approaches that help multilingual learners succeed. The visit was hands-on, with delegation members stepping out of their seats to take part in learning activities they can bring back to Taiwan and share with fellow educators.
Now let’s look at upcoming school events and fundraisers. If you want some Lawrence spirit wear, act fast. The Lawrence High School Booster Club Fall Spiritwear Sale runs until Saturday, October 31st. You can order at stores simple dot com slash smart stitch slash L H S booster.
The Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School Parent Teacher Organizations invite you to their Craft Fair on Saturday, November 21st, from nine a.m. to three p.m. in the Lawrence High School cafeteria, at twenty-five twenty-five Princeton Pike. Shop unique handmade gifts, enjoy food trucks with hot food and ice cream, and support our local schools.
On Tuesday, December 1st, the district hosts a Family Workshop called “Developing a Mathematical Mindset,” for parents and caregivers of students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. It takes place at Lawrence High School, at twenty-five twenty-five Princeton Pike. From five thirty to six p.m., families can explore resource tables and check children into the childcare program, which includes pizza. The workshop begins promptly at six p.m. and runs until seven. You’ll learn practical ways to encourage curiosity, build confidence, embrace mistakes as learning opportunities, and help your child develop a positive attitude toward math. Registration is available through the link in the newsletter.
Turning to community programs, there is plenty happening on Halloween itself. On Saturday, October 31st, join Sustainable Lawrence for the Let’s Move Lawrence Ralph Copleman Neighborhood Bike Ride, from ten a.m. to noon. The ride begins and ends in the Lawrence High School parking lot at twenty-five twenty-five Princeton Pike. It celebrates the memory of Ralph Copleman, a Lawrence resident, avid cyclist, and co-founder of Sustainable Lawrence who loved exploring the town by bike. A hybrid or mountain bike is recommended, since parts of the route follow unpaved trails.
Then, also on Saturday, October 31st, Rays of Hope hosts a free family Trunk or Treat from eleven a.m. to one p.m. at Slackwood Elementary School, at twenty sixty Princeton Pike. Look for games, music, candy, giveaways, and fun activities.
On Saturday, November 7th, A Dolly Parton Candlelight Experience comes to the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, at twenty-six eighty-eight Lawrenceville Road. This classical take on Dolly Parton’s music has two sittings. The first runs from six to seven p.m., with doors opening at five fifteen. The second runs from eight to nine p.m., with doors opening at seven thirty. Seating is first come, first served within your ticket’s tiered zone. Tickets are available through the newsletter link.
And tickets are on sale now for the fifteenth annual Lawrence Township Education Foundation Handbag Bingo, on Friday, November 13th, at six p.m., at the West Trenton Firehouse Ballroom in Ewing. Tickets are forty dollars, and organizers expect to sell out this year, so get yours as soon as possible.
Finally, here’s a quick look at the district calendar. Lawrenceville Elementary School holds its Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30th, from one fifteen to one forty-five p.m., and Slackwood’s Halloween Parade is that same afternoon from one thirty to two thirty p.m. Lawrence Middle School wraps up Spirit Week on October 30th, and the first marking period ends there on Wednesday, November 4th. The middle school also hosts a Mercer County Technical information session on Monday, November 2nd, from six to seven p.m. After-school tryouts are coming up too, with middle school cheer tryouts on several days from November 2nd through November 9th, and girls’ basketball tryouts from November 10th through 12th, all from two forty-five to four forty-five p.m. Wrestling practice begins November 9th. And on Thursday, November 12th, Lawrence Intermediate School holds a sixth grade Glow Party from six to eight p.m.
If you missed an event on the district’s TV channel, you can catch recordings on the Lawrence Township Public Schools Rewind YouTube channel.
That’s all for this edition of Lawrence Together. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update from our community. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.