APPLICATIONS WILL CLOSE AT 4:00 P.M.
ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
Dear LMSD Parents and Guardians,
I hope your students are enjoying a great start to this school year! It has been wonderful to see their smiling faces in our buildings once again. While our students are at the center of all we do, you have important roles as well. In this letter, I will share some information about how you can become more involved in our school district. Some of these organizations and opportunities have been a part of LMSD's culture for a long time. Others are new. I hope that you will review this list and plan to participate if you can and in whatever way is most meaningful to you.
New Opportunities:
Full-Day Kindergarten Exploratory Committee
The Lower Merion Board of School Directors has tasked the administration with investigating the feasibility of implementing full-day kindergarten. To assist in evaluating the many aspects and logistics of this investigation, a small committee representative of parents and guardians and staff from across the District is being formed. The committee is expected to meet monthly for approximately 1.5-2 hours. If you would like to be considered, please click here and fill out the requested information.
Wellness Council
LMSD had a Wellness Council for many years; however, since beginning of the COVID-19, work has been focused on the pandemic. A new Wellness Council is being formed that will not only focus on nutrition and physical health, but will also will identify risk factors, establish priorities, and make recommendations to promote student mental health and wellbeing. The Wellness Council is expected to meet quarterly (October, December/January, March and May) for about 90 minutes to two hours. If you would like to be considered, please click here and fill out the requested information.
Ongoing Opportunities:
Home & School Association (HSA)
Each of the District's eleven schools maintains an active Home & School Association (HSA) that meets regularly to inform parents of upcoming school and district-wide initiatives, plan activities, provide a forum for ideas and concerns, and act as a liaison between parents and school staff. Click here for links to the HSAs.
Interschool Council (ISC)
The Interschool Council (ISC) is the umbrella organization for the eleven Home and School Associations (HSAs) in Lower Merion School District. The ISC strives to enhance education throughout the district by promoting communication among parents/guardians, teachers, school district administrators, the Board of School Directors and the general community. Click here for more information on the ISC.
Committee for Special Education (CSE)
Founded in 1972, the Committee for Special Education is a parent/guardian-led volunteer organization serving families of students with an IEP, GIEP or 504 Service Agreement. CSE hosts general meetings on topics of interest to families, and runs a monthly brown bag lunch as an informal gathering for parents/guardians to share their experiences. Click here for the CSE website.
Committee to Address Race in Education (CARE)
The Committee to Address Race in Education (CARE) was formed in 1997 in order to forge school-community partnerships and opportunities for stakeholders to work collaboratively to serve all students. CARE meets monthly from September through May to communicate about issues of race that have implications for education, advise the District on issues of policy and practice, report about programs, and educate all stakeholders to bring all students to the highest possible levels of achievement. Click here for more information about CARE and to sign up for meeting reminders.
School Board and Committee Meetings
All meetings of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors are open to the public and livestreamed on the District website. The Board sets policies that define the nature of public education from Kindergarten through the 12th grade. At all meetings, time is set aside for questions, comments or suggestions from the public. Click here for the School Board Meeting Schedule.
Ask the Superintendent
Every other month, I hold an open meeting at which students, parents/guardians and community members are free to ask questions and bring forward their concerns. These meetings alternate between mornings and afternoons, weekdays and weekends. I urge you to attend. You can find the dates on the District calendar.
The most important contribution you make to our District is sharing your children with us and entrusting us with the awesome responsibility of their educations. Beyond that, whether you choose to volunteer for a minute, an hour, a day or a week; donate a penny, a dollar or more; or attend one meeting a year or several each month, please know that every contribution you make to the success of our students is appreciated! I look forward to working with you for our students in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Khalid N. Mumin, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
