🦁 Welcome to the 2026-2027 School Year!
Posted Date: 08/26/26 (03:01 PM)
🦁 Welcome Back to LMS!
Dear LMS Families,On Thursday, September 3, LMS will open its doors to a brand-new school year! Ms. King and I are so excited to welcome all of our LMS Cubs and Lions to the 2026–2027 school year!
Please take a few minutes to review the important information below as you prepare for the first days of school. Pay particular attention to the arrival and Auto Drop Off procedures, including the traffic pattern and directional rules established with the Leonia Police Department.
📅 First Two Days of School
Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4 are both Single Session Days with a 12:51 p.m. dismissal for all students.🏫 Where Students Report on the First Day
When the 8:17 a.m. morning bell rings on Thursday, September 3, teachers will meet students at the following designated areas:- 5th Grade: Christie Heights Courtyard, located on Christie Heights Street between Broad Avenue and the Athletic Field
- 6th Grade: Broad Avenue Courtyard, located at the front of the school by the main entrance
- 7th Grade: Rotunda Courtyard, adjacent to the front of the building on the north side and accessible from the Broad Avenue sidewalk. This is also where bus riders will be dropped off.
- 8th Grade: Gymnasium, where students will meet their Homeroom teachers
Important for 5th Grade: Fifth graders do not have a separate Homeroom teacher. They will meet their assigned 5th-grade teacher during this process.
🚗 Auto Drop Off — Please Read Carefully
For families driving students to school, LMS has a designated Auto Drop Off Zone on Christie Heights Street.⚠️ Traffic Pattern
During morning drop off and afternoon pickup, Christie Heights Street will become a ONE-WAY roadway heading east from Hillcrest toward Broad Avenue.Cars will NOT be permitted to turn onto Christie Heights Street from Broad Avenue.
To enter the LMS Auto Drop Off Zone:
- Turn onto Christie Heights Street from Hillcrest or Grand Avenue.
- Drive east toward Broad Avenue, keeping the LMS building on your left.
- Follow the cones and directions provided by the Leonia Police Department into the designated drop-off zone.
- Pull all the way forward to the end of the Auto Drop Off Zone near the Christie Heights Courtyard.
- Have your child exit the vehicle on the driver's side, directly onto the sidewalk.
- DROP AND GO — Please do not park in the drop-off area.
- Follow the traffic pattern as you exit and proceed toward Broad Avenue.
- Turn right onto Broad Avenue.
- Cars will only be permitted to turn right onto Broad Avenue during morning drop off and afternoon pickup.
- Kingsley Street will also be closed to auto traffic during morning drop off and afternoon pickup.
- Students will walk from the drop-off area to their designated morning courtyard and wait there until the 8:17 a.m. bell.
🚨 Double parking on Broad Avenue is both dangerous and illegal. The Leonia Police Department monitors Broad Avenue diligently and will issue tickets as necessary.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us make arrival and dismissal as safe and efficient as possible for everyone!
🔐 First-Day Extended Homeroom
On the first two days of school, students will participate in extended Homeroom before beginning the regular 8-period day.During extended Homeroom, students will:
- Receive their school-issued combination lock
- Be assigned a locker (Grades 6–8)
- Practice opening their locker
- Review our cell phone and Internet-connected device policy
- Visit the cafeteria and learn about cafeteria procedures and expectations
🔑 Important Locker Reminder
Please do NOT send your child to school with a personal lock. Students may only use the school-issued combination lock for their locker.🍎 Lunch
Although Thursday and Friday are Single Session Days, lunch will still be served.Students are encouraged to bring lunch from home on these first two days. Maschio's will also have lunch available for students to purchase.
Parents/Guardians can view their child's lunch balance directly through the Genesis Parent Portal.
💻 Chromebooks
- 6th and 8th graders: Bring your district-issued Chromebook and charger on the first day.
- 5th and 7th graders: You will receive your new district-issued Chromebook and charger during extended Homeroom on the first day.
Students may not bring personal devices to use at school.
📱 Cell Phones & Internet-Connected Devices
If your child has a cell phone, they may bring it to school. However, the phone must be turned off and locked in their locker for the entire academic school day, including lunch and recess.Phones should be safely secured before Homeroom and may be used after the dismissal bell.
For 5th graders: Phones must be safely stored in their classroom cubby.
This policy applies to all Internet-connected devices, including:
- Cell phones
- Smart watches
- Smart glasses
- Tablets
- Headphones/earbuds
- And other Internet-connected devices
If your child needs to contact you, they can use one of the phones in the LMS Main Office.
If your child becomes ill during the school day, they will be directed to the school nurse, who will contact parents/guardians/caregivers directly if the student needs to be picked up.
Please refer to the LMS Handbook for complete information about our cell phone policy, including consequences for infractions.
👟 Physical Education & Locker Rooms
5th & 6th Grade
5th and 6th graders will NOT change for Physical Education and will not use the locker rooms.Please check your child's schedule and have your child arrive at school ready for PE on days when PE is scheduled.
7th & 8th Grade
7th and 8th graders will use the locker rooms to:- Secure their personal belongings
- Change into PE clothing, if they choose
- Change back into school clothing after PE, if needed
All personal belongings—especially valuables—must be secured in the locker room locker before PE.
PE teachers will review appropriate PE clothing and locker room expectations with students during the first few days of school.
🔒 Lockers
Students in Grades 6–8 will receive a Homeroom locker and school-issued combination lock.Please encourage your child to use their locker throughout the school day. The school day is too long for students to carry all of their belongings in their backpacks.
Students may visit their lockers:
- Before Homeroom
- During lunch periods
- After school
🎒 Backpacks
Please have your child use a traditional shoulder-strap backpack to carry school supplies to and from LMS.Please do not send your child with a rolling/wheeled backpack. These backpacks can create unsafe trip hazards in classrooms and hallways.
Also, students may not bring backpacks into the cafeteria during lunch. Backpacks must be secured in a locker or classroom cubby before students go to lunch.
🎭 Clubs, Sports & Activities
Throughout September, club advisors will host informational meetings. Meeting information will be posted in our daily LMS Announcements.👉 LMS Daily Announcements
I recommend bookmarking this page for easy reference. Sports, music, and club information will all be posted in the Daily Announcements.
🎧 A Podcast Recommendation for Families
I recently came across a podcast episode focused on middle school called The Good News About Middle School. The title immediately grabbed my attention because, sometimes, middle school gets a bad rap!The conversation resonated with me both as the parent of middle-school-aged children and as a middle school educator. I think it is a worthwhile listen, and I wanted to share it with you as your child begins—or continues—their middle school journey.
👉 Listen to “The Good News About Middle School”
🦁 Welcome Back, LMS Cubs and Lions!
Once again, on behalf of Ms. King and the entire LMS faculty, welcome to the 2026–2027 school year!We are excited to embark upon another year of learning, growth, friendship, and opportunity, and we can't wait to see all of our students on Thursday, September 3!
With Lion Pride,
Dave Saco
Principal