What's in a List? LHS Absent from One, Nearly Tops Another

More evidence ‘Best of Lists’ must always be taken with a grain of salt.

  Does GoLocal Worcester know something Newsweek doesn’t? Hard not to ponder that question after Lexington High nearly topped the Worcester pub’s list of the state’s best high schools, but was left off Newsweek’s rankings of the nation’s top high schools. The No. 3 spot Lexington High claimed on GoLocal Worcester’s list of Massachusetts’ Top High Schools in 2013 appears a little closer to the norm, as these “Best of” lists go. In the not too distant past, LHS grabbed the No. 2 spot in Boston Magazine’s Top 20 for 2012, and earned the No. 204 spot nationally (No. 11 in Mass) from US News. Keep in mind, the two publications use different formulas and different starting points. This resulted in different schools making the grade, and …

• Photos (1)

15 A+ Ways to Show You Appreciate Lexington Teachers

In honor of National Teacher Day, here is a list of creative gift ideas and places to find them around town.

National Teacher Day is today, May 7. With that in mind, here are some suggestions to help you get an excellent grade on your next teacher appreciation gift. 1. Starbucks card or gift card to any store/restaurant they enjoy. 2. Get parents to pool their money together for a gift certificate for a massage with a local massage therapist, nails or spa treatment at somewhere like Indulgence Day Spa or MiniLuxe. 3. Gift card to a local book shop. Teachers love to be able to purchase new books for their classrooms. 4. New board game for the classroom. Maybe from Catch A Falling Star. Merideth Hansen, an elementary school teacher for 19 years, says this is her favorite teacher appreciation gift. 5. Hansen also says teachers appreciate gift …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

UPDATE: 34 Students Transported to Hospitals Following Bus Accident

And two still decided to attend school today.

A total of 34 Lexington METCO students were transported to area hospitals following a school bus accident this morning in Newton. Only 11 of the middle-schoolers were complaining about pain or injuries at the scene, and two made it to school after being released from the hospital earlier this morning. That’s right, two middle school students decided to come to school after the accident instead of letting the scheduled half-day turn into a whole day off. And they did it, according to Assistant Superintendent Carol Pilarski, because they’d committed to be tour guides for “Moving-Up Day,” which gives fifth-grade students the chance to spend a day at the middle schools where they’ll enroll next year. The bus involved in this morning’s three-…

• Photos (1)

Schools Chief: 'Together We Will Help In Every Way We Can'

How Lexington's Public Schools plan to support students after a vacation week bookended by unspeakable violence.

Lexington Schools Ready to Support Students After Marathon Tragedy

In an April 21 statement, Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash said the ‘Lexington Public Schools are fully committed to safety and support of all schools’ and that staff will review support plans Monday morning.

With vigils, services, inspiring speeches and T-shirts, the region is righting itself after a tumultuous week bookended by the Patriots’ Day bombing at the Boston Marathon’s finish line and an explosive manhunt for the bombing suspects. Part of the return to normalcy will be local school districts returning from April vacation. And as parents prepare to send their children back to school, educators are preparing to answer questions and provie support to students shaken by the tragedies of the past week.   Here in Lexington, Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash released a statement Sunday saying the ‘Lexington Public Schools are fully committed to safety and support of all schools’ and that staff will review support plans early Monday morning…

• Photos (1)

Photo of the Day: She Said Yes!

Earlier this week at Lexington High, a student got creative in asking one lucky lady to prom. Rumor has it, she said 'Yes.'

The above photo was provided by a Patch reader who wished to remain anonymous. It was taken earlier this week at Lexington High School, where a female student was asked to prom in this unique way -- and on her 18th birthday no less. According to the supplier of the photo, the invitation was as labor-intensive as it was over-the-top. "It involved belaying over 300 pounds of sand bags onto the roof to secure the banner and sewing sailcloth into loops so that PCP piping could be intertwined like a mast on a ship," the photographer told Patch. Do you have a picture you'd like to share with us for Photo of the Day? Remember, they come from readers, so without you, we have no photos! Text them to 781-530-0029 or e-mail patrick.ball@patch.com. We…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Karla Vallance

8:16 am on Saturday, April 13, 2013

I love hearing what it took to get the sign secure! Nice work, romantic one.   more ›

Patch Facts

Five Things: First Friday Forum Tackles State Budget Issues

A quick look at what you need to see, do and know on April 5 in Lexington.

1. First Friday Forum: At 9:15 a.m. this morning at Cary Library, the League of Women Voters will host a First Friday Forum on the state budget and its impact on Lexington. Luc Schuster, senior policy analyst for the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, will show how past tax policy choices have contributed to the state's ongoing fiscal crisis, leading to painful cuts to many programs. A discussion will follow with state Sens. Michael Barrett and Ken Donnelly and state Rep Jay Kaufman about ways the state could improve its revenue system. 2. Today in Public Meetings: According to the town website, public meetings posted for today include the Bowman School Council at 7:45 a.m. at the school and the Human Rights Committee at 8 a.m. at the…

• Photos (1)

$172M Budget, Financial Items Approved at Annual Town Meeting

Monday’s session was all about the money, and budget talks delved into enrollment and foreign language programs within the Lexington Public Schools.

The budget was the night’s biggest—and longest—item, but once Lexington’s annual Town Meeting approved a roughly $172 million budget for fiscal 2014, members made quick work of the other seven articles on Monday evening’s agenda.  Other items approved included school capital projects (Article 13), fiscal 2013 enterprise fund budgets (Article 5), a $20,000 appropriation to supplement the Senior Services Program (Article 6), reauthorization of revolving funds (Article 7), $900,000 for water system improvements (Article 11) and $1.3 million for Wastewater System improvements (Article 12).  Each of these passed with little discussion and less opposition. Article 4 dealt with the FY14 operating budget, and a good deal of conversation around the…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Jack Lo Cicero

10:41 pm on Thursday, April 4, 2013

$172 million is a lot of money... Any chance there might be enough to help pave those horrible back roads? Today I almost got my self killed trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle that turned wider than they should have! And in my attempt to avoid an accident, I hit a pot hole that I think may have bent the frame of my new 2012 vehicle. I chose to hit the pot hole, rather than a really large tree …   more ›

Committee Would Look at Expanded Foreign Languages in Lexington Schools

Would be tasked with looking at the feasibility of introducing foreign languages in elementary schools.