Weekly Newsletter for September 21, 2026 |
Your PTO—enhancing education and welfare of LHS students and fostering communication throughout the LHS community |
| Sep 20 - Oct 3
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| | Sep 21 | No School - Yom Kippur | | Sep 22 | Last day for PSAT registration (Junior & Sophomore)
| | Sep 25 | LHS Clubs and Activities Fair
Freshmen Welcome Dance | | Oct 2 | Half Day - Professional Development
FutureFest! - Senior Workshop, 8:30 AM - 12 PM |
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| | Save the Dates |
| | Oct 12 | No School - Columbus/Indigenous People's Day | | Oct 15 | Transcripts for institutions w/ application request deadline (Senior) | | Oct 17 | PSAT at LHS, 8 AM | | Oct 23 | Half Day - Professional Development | | Oct 30 | Picture Retake |
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| The 2026–2027 School Calendar for all holidays and half-days.
Approved 2027-2028 School Calendar
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PTO NEWS: Our Commitment to our LHS Students, Families, and Staff |
📣 LHS PTO First PTO Member-Only Webinar! 🌟 A Great Start to Our PTO Members-Only Webinar Series!On September 20th, the LHS PTO kicked off its Members-Only Webinar Series with “Finding Your Path at LHS: Clubs, Activities & Sports.” LHS parents and students came together to hear practical advice and firsthand perspectives on exploring the many opportunities at LHS, finding activities that spark their interests, and making the most of their high school experience. 🎉 And this is only the beginning! More exclusive webinars and special events are planned for PTO members throughout the school year. Join the LHS PTO today and be part of our growing community. You don’t want to miss what’s coming next! |
LHS and LPS Announcements |
School & Principle Announcement The latest Principle's Note celebrates a positive start to the school year, highlighting progress on the new school construction, library sign-ups, and student peer leaders welcoming new students. It also shares important upcoming events and reminders, including - the New-to-LHS Caregiver Evening on Sept. 15
- the Clubs & Activities Fair and Ninth Grade Dance on Sept. 25.
Read the whole post here via ParentSquare. The Lex Get Started! website is a one-stop resource for LHS students and families to prepare for the school year. It includes important information on schedules, calendars, attendance, technology, school resources, clubs and activities, and other helpful back-to-school information. |
| New! PTO Members-Only Seminar Series We’re excited to offer a series of special events exclusively for LHS PTO members throughout the 2026–27 school year! These members-only events will provide opportunities to hear from knowledgeable speakers, gain practical insights on topics relevant to LHS students and families, and connect with our community. More exciting events are coming throughout the school year. Become a PTO member today, so you don’t miss out! |
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| LHS StudentSquare! StudentSquare for Grades 9–12: LPS students have a platform to manage school messages without social media distractions through the free mobile app (iOS&Android) or via mystudentsquare.com.To enable texting: Parent permission (submit HERE) is required to collect your child’s cell phone number. For additional details, see the ParentSquare announcement. |
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2026-2027 LPS Bus Registration and Route info Lexington Public Schools provides bus transportation for eligible students who register for the service. Families can use the LPS Bus Registration Form to sign up for transportation and review the Bus Routes to find bus stop information. |
🎓 ✨ 🎉 Senior Section — LHS Class of 2027 **Deadline to requests transcripts for institutions with application deadlines of Oct 15. Instructions for ordering transcripts are here. ---------------------------- 🌟 Introducing FutureFest! LHS Counseling is kicking off senior year with several opportunities to help students feel prepared and excited about what comes next! Senior Post-Secondary Planning — Key DatesSeptember 23 – FutureFest Advisory September 25 - Senior Parent Group Meeting:9 AM, Community Center, Room 237 Topic: Question Time with Sharon Olofsson of Gateway Educational Consulting Senior parents: If you were not part of the Junior Parent Group last year, you can sign up here. (Otherwise you are already signed up.)
October 2 – FutureFest! Workshops covering college applications, financial aid, creative portfolios, alternative pathways, and more Students choose sessions based on their interests and post-secondary goals
After October 2 – Counselor Support
Click here for the FutureFest! flyer and here for workshop descriptions. Please review them ahead of the Advisories before September 23rd to help guide your workshop selections. |
🚀 📝 🎯 Junior Section — LHS Class of 2028 🌟 Class of 2028 Junior Parent Group**PSAT will be held at LHS on Oct 17, 8 AM. Sign up here before Sep 22. The test fee is $42 There will be no late signups accepted. Who can take the PSAT? 10th graders (as a practice test) and 11th graders. Other grades do not (and cannot) take the PSAT.
---------------------------- The Class of 2028 Junior Parent Group has organized several helpful sessions to support families through junior year and the college planning process. All About Junior Year — Parent Panel: Hear from experienced LHS parents about junior-year expectations, stress, counselors, college planning, and ways to support your student. Junior Year Timeline — College Planning: Get a roadmap for the year ahead, including admissions trends, college visits, standardized testing, recommendations, building a balanced college list, and other key steps. - 📅 September 25, 9:00 AM — Lexington Community Center, Dining Room
Coming up: October sessions will cover SAT testing and building a college list, followed by a UMass Amherst admissions session in November. 📌 Please note: September sessions are in person, for parents/guardians only, and cannot be recorded. LHS Class of 2028 Parent Group page on Facebook. |
LHS Parent and Caregiver Discussion Group (PDG) Welcome to the LHS Parent and Caregiver Discussion Group’s first weekly email of the 2026–2027 school year! See below for our upcoming meetings, upcoming events related to LHS, and additional announcements. Upcoming meetings: All current LHS parents and caregivers are always welcome at any of our meetings. To receive our weekly emails and Zoom links, fill out this form. We don't record our meetings for privacy reasons, but you can find notes from our 2026-2027 meetings here. Questions? Feel free to email us! ------------------------------- Other Upcoming Events: Senior Parent Group Meeting, 9:00–10:00am, Community Center Dining Room. This is a repeat of Thursday’s meeting. Topic: Finalizing College Lists, Personal Statements, Supplemental Essays, and More with guest speaker Lisa Ellsworth You do NOT need to sign up for the group if you were a member of last year’s Junior Parent Group. You are automatically part of this year’s Senior Parent Group. If you are new, you can sign up here. Note: These meetings are for parents of Seniors only
Other Announcements: About Our Group: You can find more information about our group, our meeting structure, and our meeting norms here. If you'd ever like to suggest topics for our discussions and/or give us feedback about this group, you can always do that here (or by replying to this email–your reply will go only to the group facilitators, not the entire Google Group). If you have questions for the LHS principals that you’d like them to answer during our monthly meetings with them, submit your questions here.
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LHS Performing Arts 🎭 🎤 🎺 🎷 🥁 🎻 🎹 🎶 DATE | EVENT NAME | TIME | EVENT LOCATION | 9/22 - 9/24 | LHS A Cappella Auditions | 3:30-8:30pm | LHS Room 131, 133, & Practice Rooms | 9/23 | ACDA National Student Applications Due | Virtual | Virtual | 9/26 | Jazz Car Wash | 9 am-12 pm | LHS Front Lot | 9/26 | LHS A Cappella Leaders Meeting | TBD | TBD | | 10/2 | LHS Improv Troupe Show 1
| 7 PM | LHS Black Box | | 10/27 | LHS Fall String Fling
| 7 PM | LHS Auditorium |
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| LHS Athletics All Fall sports Registrations and Tryouts have concluded. Below are links to additional athletic information. |
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| Suicide Prevention Presentation for Lexington Community On 9/28, Lexington Human Services is partnering with Riverside Trauma Center to present a 2-hour hybrid presentation in honor of Suicide Prevention Month.- Location: Community Center Room 237/Multi-Purpose Room or Virtual
Everyone can help prevent suicide. Suicide prevention isn’t just about responding to those who are struggling or who we’re concerned about. It’s about empowering entire communities to know how to help someone at risk and providing them with the tools to recognize warning signs and take action.
Developed by the creators of SOS Signs of Suicide, a trusted evidence-based suicide prevention program, Suicide Prevention for Communities is a facilitator-led training that uses video and interactive discussions to help adults build the confidence and skills to talk openly and effectively about suicide.
This adult training is designed to engage diverse audiences and is applicable across a range of personal and professional roles. The content emphasizes that anyone can play a role in supporting someone who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts. It also highlights the effectiveness of restricting access to lethal means and provides information on local and national mental health resources.
Key Learnings:- A general understanding of suicide and why safe language is important
- How to recognize warning signs and risk factors for suicide
- How to use the ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) framework when someone is struggling with thoughts of suicide
- Ways to keep a person safe while connecting them to qualified resources
To Register and receive a zoom link, click here. |
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Lexington Breaks Ground on the New LHS Building! Lexington has officially celebrated the groundbreaking of the new high school building! While construction began in July, members of the Select Board, School Committee, state legislature, students, and other community members gathered on September 22 for a ceremonial groundbreaking, picking up their shovels to mark this exciting milestone for the future of LHS. |
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NEW Interactive Project Dashboard for the LHS Building Project! Check out the NEW Interactive Project Dashboard for the Lexington High School (LHS) Building Project! The Project Dashboard is now available on the LHS Project website and displays information related to the project schedule, budget status, budget spent to date, project phase, and more. The Dashboard will be updated on a regular basis to keep the community informed. Is there additional information you want to see? Let us know - the project team is actively seeking feedback on the Dashboard for additional information the community may find useful and other ways the Dashboard can be improved. Submit your feedback on the LHS Building Project Dashboard today! |
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Academic Support @ LHS LHS offers an array of options for Academic Support. If you are struggling with some of your COURSE CONTENT, please reach out to your classroom teacher to discuss accessing support from them directly. There are also a number of resources offered by our academic support teachers and/or tutors in various subject areas. Some students have academic support scheduled into their day. You can discuss this option with your classroom teacher or counselor. Other students are welcome to drop in for academic support. Please see the Peer Tutoring link below. If you are struggling with ORGANIZATION AND MANAGING THE WORK, the LHS site Executive Functioning Tools has excellent resources. You can also reach out to our librarians and academic support teachers, also linked below. Of course, you can always reach out to your counselor to get some support in figuring out next steps! Please review the following links to gather more information: The LHS librarians are always here to help. Check out their suggestions for remote learning! |
| Math Support Blocks These happen during your scheduled school day blocks in the Learning Center. Teachers are officially assigned to specific blocks, which is what makes this more structured. At the same time, peer tutors are also present, so you may get help from either (or both). Sometimes students are placed into these blocks, but you can also drop in depending on your schedule.
👉 Best when: |
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Peer Tutoring in School This is the most flexible option during the day. You go during a free block or study hall to the Learning Center. Help is mainly from student tutors (often NHS members). No scheduling — just walk in and ask for help.
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| Library Tutoring by Request Library Tutoring by Request at LHS is a student-led program offering a relaxed space in the library for students to study and get help from peer tutors before and after school. Students can request sessions through Google Classroom at least 24 hours in advance, with scheduling based on tutor availability. Use this code (xpdcjrep) to access the Google classroom and instructions (for students only). |
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Peer Tutoring After School - Happens twice a week after school (Tues/Thurs)
Same location, same idea — but more time and usually quieter Run by peer tutors, not teachers Still drop-in, but you need to arrive before ~3:45 PM
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| METCO Academic Support METCO Academic Support is a program dedicated to middle and high school students participating in METCO who need additional academic assistance. It provides targeted support to help students strengthen their skills, stay on track with coursework, and achieve their academic goals. For more information, please check the website. |
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Youth Counseling Connection (YCC) Located at 7 Harrington Rd in Lexington, YCC provides free, confidential mental health support for Lexington middle & high school students and their families. Walk-In Wednesdays 3–4:30 PM for immediate, no-cost counseling—no appointment needed. Scheduled appointments are available Mon–Thurs. Find out more about YCC at youthcounselingconnection.org. |
| Keeping our town center safe (and fun!) for everyone A quick refresher on the rules of the road: - Sidewalk Safety:Bikes and scooters must be walked on downtown sidewalks. With so many pedestrians in the center, this simple habit helps prevent collisions and keeps our youngest and senior walkers safe.
- The Center Track: Please help us protect our track surface! Wheeled vehicles—including bikes, scooters, rollerblades, and especially e-bikes—can cause significant damage to the track, so it is strictly for foot traffic only.
- E-bike Awareness: With more e-bikes on the road, it is a great time to have a safety refresh chat. These bikes move faster and require extra caution. Please remind your children that they are expected to follow the same rules as cars: stopping at signs, signaling turns, and keeping a watchful eye for pedestrians. Children 16-and under must wear a helmet and encouraging older children to continue to habit is recommended.
How to talk to your kids about it: We know that peer pressure can make "rule-following" feel uncool. You can help by empowering your kids to be leaders. If they see a friend riding a bike on the sidewalk, they might say, "Hey, let’s walk our bikes here so we don't crowd the sidewalk!" or "I’m walking mine so we don't hurt the track." Resources: For more info, check out these resources from the Town Bike Safety Group. https://www.bike-lexington. org/bike-safety https://www.lexingtonma.gov/ 2528/Electric-Bike-Information https://www.lexingtonma.gov/ 2529/E-Bike-Classifications- in-Massachusetts https://www.lexingtonma.gov/ 2556/Electric-E-Motos-and- Electric-Dirt-Bikes Thank you for helping us make our town center a safe, welcoming place for everyone to walk, ride, and enjoy! |
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Help Preserve the Track & Field Skateboards, roller blades, scooters, bicycles/eBikes, pets, golfing, spikes, needle footwear, metal tip javelins, and/or other wheeled equipment is not permitted on the Center Recreation Complex's track & synthetic turf surfaces. Please help us preserve our track and field by avoiding use of these items, activities, etc. on the facility. Bike racks are available. Mobility Assistive Devices and Strollers are permitted. For questions, please call 781-698-4800 or email Lexington Recreation at recdept@lexingtonma.gov. |
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| Join the Hidden Disability Sunflower Program Lexington Recreation and Community Programs has joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program to support individuals with non-visible disabilities. Sunflower bracelets, pins, lanyards, or ID cards are available at the Lexington Community Center for anyone who wishes to voluntarily indicate they may need additional assistance. Staff have also received resources to help better support participants. To request a sunflower product, please complete the online Hidden Disability Form. Learn more about the program Here. |
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Useful Links and Resources |
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