Upcoming Community Events & Programs

The Committee for Special Education (CSE) is a parent-led, volunteer organization serving families of students with an IEP, GIEP and/or 504 Service Agreement.

Attention all parents of children with IEPs, GIEPs and 504s! Please come to our Spring meeting and social on Thursday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Common Space (located at 25 Rittenhouse Place in Ardmore) to meet your school representatives, learn more about the CSE and help us thank our outgoing Board members for their hard work

CSE hosts general meetings on topics of interest to families, and helps families advocate for their children to obtain resources and services through training and parent/guardian supports. Each Lower Merion school has volunteer "CSE Representatives" whom you can talk to and find out how to get connected and identify resources in and around the District. In addition to the monthly education series, the CSE regularly represents our community on school district hiring committees, task forces and working groups.

What: Feel like you could use a night out without the kids? Parents' Night Out is a fun-filled evening of board games, open gym, arts & crafts, movies and more as LMHS staff and student volunteers supervise! (For children ages 4-11)

When: Friday, May 3 from 5:30-9:00 p.m.

Where: Lower Merion High School (315 E. Montgomery Avenue in Ardmore). Drop-off and pick-up at the Main Entrance to LMHS on Montgomery Avenue.

Cost: $25 for 1 child; $40 for 2 children; $50 for 3 children; $5 for each additional child. Proceeds benefit the LMHS Classes of 2020 and 2021.

Note: For those interested, we've got dinner covered. Drop off your kids at 5:00 p.m. for pizza and drinks for an additional cost of $5 per child.

Parents must fill out the registration and consent form located here.

Payment is due upon arrival. Cash or check is accepted. Please make checks payable to "LMHS". Walk-ups are welcome, but parents must complete the registration and consent form upon arrival. A light snack of mini-pretzels will be provided. All proceeds benefit the LMHS Classes of 2020 & 2021.

Questions or concerns? Please contact Dave Clark (clarkda@lmsd.org) or Beth Hampton at (hamptob@lmsd.org.(

Please join the Lower Merion School District's Interschool Council (ISC) for our Spring Speaker and Workshop Event – "Equity: A Community Call to Action - Valuing Our Differences to Build a Stronger Community" – on Wednesday, April 24 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Lower Merion High School (rooms 128 & 129).

This program – facilitated by Dr. Tara Doaty, author, national speaker and trainer, adjunct professor, and Founder & CEO of Sage Wellness Group - is an interactive evening that will allow participants to take a reflective look at equity (racial, gender, ability level, sexual identities) from a community-building perspective and identify ways to ensure that Lower Merion provides a culture of inclusion for all students and families.

The Philadelphia Science Festival will return in 2019 to educate, inspire and engage the region with the science and technology that surrounds our everyday world. Organized and led by The Franklin Institute, in collaboration with 200 of the region's premier science, cultural, and educational establishments, the Philadelphia Science Festival offers events for families and adults all across the Delaware Valley. To explore the full list of related events, which will take place, April 26-May 4, click here.

Educators, families, community members and allies are invited to show their support for transgender and non-binary youth by participating in an evening of book readings and discussions.

The event will be held on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. at Gladwyne Elementary School and is sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Welcoming Schools and the National Education Association (NEA).

The books to be read are:

• "I Am Jazz" -- the story of a young transgender girl based on the real-life experiences of Jazz Jennings.
• "Julian is a Mermaid" -- a celebration of individuality and the power of being seen and affirmed
• "They She He Me: Free to Be!" -- an exploration of pronouns and gender fluidity with diverse illustrations

These books and others on related topics will be available for purchase at the event. Light refreshments will be served.

Members of the Lower Merion High School girls and boys lacrosse teams held a pizza dinner to raise money for this year's KSF Lacrosse Festival.

KSF is an organization founded by Katie Samson, a championship lacrosse player from Radnor, Pa., who suffered a spinal cord injury after her freshman year at Middlebury College. KSF raises money for people who are paralyzed so that they can afford the adaptive equipment they need to participate in sports.

This year's KSF Lacrosse Festival will take place on April 27, 2019, at Radnor High School. 54 high school lacrosse teams have been invited to participate and each team raises funds to benefit the charity. The daylong event features children's entertainment, food trucks, mascot appearances, face-painting and clowns, in addition to the on-field competitions.

As Samson explains, "This Festival is about Growth: My Personal growth as a young disabled woman, the growth of this amazing day, the growth of research for paralyzed individuals, the growth of the young athletes who come to compete, and most importantly the growth in the awareness that there is life after spinal cord injury."

The LM lacrosse players will be selling raffle tickets as an additional fundraiser.

Please see a slideshow from the dinner below:

Please join local representatives for a discussion of the issues affecting our schools on Monday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. in the District Administration Building Board Room (located at 301 E. Montgomery Avenue in Ardmore).

Scheduled to participate in this event are State Representatives Mary Jo Daley (D-148th), Tim Briggs (D-149th) and Pam DeLissio (D-194th). This event is hosted by the Legislative Committee of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors.

The 10^th Annual Education Foundation of Lower Merion "Run for Our Schools" will take place on Sunday, June 2 at 9:00 a.m. – rain or shine! This community-wide event starts and ends at the Harriton High School stadium and includes a 5K run, a 1.5-mile walk and a Tot Trot for the youngest children. Prizes will be awarded for top individuals overall and by age group in the 5K. You can also run for YOUR school in a team. Proceeds benefit the Education Foundation's grants program in LMSD public schools. Business and individual sponsorships are available. For more information and to register for the event, click here.

Questions? Email info@educationfoundationoflm.org.

The event will feature a fitness fair and various area vendors. Check in for the event will be held from 7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. on race day, but participants can pick up their bibs and get a pre-race shirt at Lower Merion High School at a date and time that will be announced in the near future. Participants can also register on the day of the event.

The 5K begins at 9 a.m. and the route is an out-and-back course that starts and ends at the Harriton High School track. Age categories for the 5K are:9 years and under; 10-11; 12-14; 15-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; and 60 and up. Registration cost is $25 up until May 30, when the price will increase. Family registration costs $70 and must be done online. Family can be up to 5 members of the same household.

The 2nd Annual Lower Merion Youth Football Camp is set to take place Monday, July 29 - Thursday, August 1, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. each day at Lower Merion High School's Arnold Field. (Players will meet in the atrium by the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium).

The Lower Merion Youth Football Camp is a non-contact youth football camp for boys ages 7-14 looking to master both the fundamentals and specialties of high level football techniques. The camp is designed to teach the players the basics of football, which will enhance their overall football ability, along with specialty skills that will push the players to the next level. Main focus is to have fun!

Camp instructors take great pride in making sure each camper leaves a better football player. The camp is also considered a great training ground for upcoming flag football seasons. Children will be prepared and "ahead of the game" by participating in camp. Both beginnings and experienced players will benefit and are welcome!

The Welsh Valley and Harriton buildOn community teams are hosting a "Kids-Only Holiday Shop" Fundraiser December 10-13 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Welsh Valley Middle School library.

This four-night event serves as a chance for students (grades k-8) to get all their holiday shopping done for their family and friends – in secret! Parents help their child decide who they are shopping for and a Secret Shop guide helps the student pick out the perfect gifts. Shoppers learn about budgeting and practice decision-making skills. The Secret Shop will wrap and tag all gifts free of charge.

Questions? Contact Jamie Nemec at nemecj@lmsd.org.

A FUN LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES K-3!

Jr. FLL is one of the four FIRST Robotics Programs that allows students between the ages of 6-9 to explore STEM by using Legos. Through participation in the Jr. FLL expo, students will gain valuable skills in problem solving, creativity, design, and building that will help them develop a strong foundation in STEM.

Through cooperation between LMSD and the Lower Merion High School Technology and Engineering Club, a Jr. FLL expo is held annually at Penn Wynne Elementary School. This year, the expo will be on Saturday, March 16th, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. until noon.

In preparation for the event, teams of 2-6 kids will create a robotic Lego Model and a Show-Me Poster to demonstrate their knowledge on an environmental or social theme. The theme for the 2018 competition is Mission Moon, which will give kids the opportunity to explore the aspects of the moon. We recommend that teams spend approximately 8-12 hours working on their project.

Before you register for the Lower Merion expo, you must register with FIRST Lego League Jr. at https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/flljr/start-a-team to obtain the necessary the materials for the event. The cost is $99 for the challenge, engineering notebooks, and LEGO pieces to complete the project. If this is your first time participating in the Lower Merion expo, you will need to purchase LEGO WeDo kit from FIRST. Following that, you will need to register for the Lower Merion expo at lowermerionjrfll.org. After registration, you will be prompted to pay a $25 fee to participate in the expo. Registration is done per team, not by individual.

To learn more, please see our newly updated website: lowermerionjrfll.org or contact event coordinator Julian Ginzburg at julianginzburg19@students.lmsd.org. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

The Main Line Girls Basketball Association (MLGBA) is getting ready to start its 27^th year and registration is now open for 2018-19 season! All programs can be found at www.mlgba.com by clicking online registration on the left and scrolling to the age appropriate form.

To start things off, MLGBA is offering grade specific, one-night clinics for girls in kindergarten through fifth grade. Please email mlgbahoops@gmail.com with any questions. The sessions fill up fast, so be sure to register ASAP.