News

We are excited to announce that the 2026 LPS Summer Reading List is now ready for distribution! This list includes curated, grade-level appropriate book recommendations for students entering Grades 1 through 8:

Grade 1 , Grade 2 , Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5 , Grade 6 , Grade 7 and Grade 8.

The full reading list will be posted on the LPS website and will also be shared with the Lawrence Public Library. The Lawrence Public Library will have copies of the selected books available for students to borrow. If students do not yet have a library card, please support families by sharing and helping them complete the Library Card Application Form.

Schools are encouraged to:

• Share the reading list with students and families before the end of the school year.
• Provide clear expectations or suggested guidelines for summer reading.
• Offer incentives or recognition for students who return to school with evidence of completed reading.

Optional Reading Support Materials:

Here are some optional tools schools can offer students to help them track and reflect on their summer reading:

• 📖 Sample Summer Reading Log (Grades 5–8) Summer Reading Log
• 🧠 Four Square Reading Activity (Grades 5–8) Four Square Summer Reading
• ✏️ Basic Reading Log (Grades 1–4) basicreadinglog
• 📚 Summer Book Tracker (Grades 1–4) Summer Book Tracker
• 🎯 Goal Setting Sheets (Grades 1–4) goalsettingsheets

We hope all students enjoy a summer full of engaging and meaningful reading experiences. Thank you for supporting literacy and learning all year long!

Congratulations and best wishes to Anne Marie Stronach who will be retiring after 32 years of service to Lawrence Public Schools and DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education). Thank you for all you have done for Lawrence Public Schools!

Happy Birthday, USA! We hope you are enjoying your holiday as much as these students. Thanks to the LFPA and Ms. Lewis who worked with her Kindergarten class to learn about America 250. As part of this work, students discussed the significance of Independence Day and learned that the Fourth of July commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, when the American colonies chose to govern themselves and establish a new nation. Students learned about the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and reflected on our nation's history, the contributions of its diverse people, and its ongoing journey toward growth, opportunity, and liberty. Happy 4th of July to all!

Congratulations to all the 8th graders and their families who participated in promotion ceremonies over the past two days, including Guilmar Aldana and his mother. Hundreds of incoming High School students are ready to go. Stay tuned for the videos coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Click to see some photos of the promotions

Wishing our very own, ALA LHS Junior Carolina Sanchez, best of luck tonight as she participates in the final competition for the Jimmy Awards. Follow along with the livestream tonight, Monday June 22 at 7:30pm click on this link to see the 2026 Jimmy Award livestream

Congratulations to Leahy 4th Grader, Sofia Rodriguez Osta, who drew the winning picture in Senator Payano’s 2025 "Holiday Spirit in Our Community" Art Contest! Her image of a candle earned the top prize, which included a pizza party for her appreciative classmates. She is pictured here with the Senator, her Principal and teachers at the Leahy School. Beautiful work, Sofia!

Enjoy some photos of the recent Lawrence High School Graduation for the Class of 2026 taken by LPS Media photographer My Huynh. Feel free to download any photos you like from our FREE flickr page:

Click to see LHS Graduation 2026 photos.

Congratulations to the sixteen Para-educators from Cohort Eight who completed the Lawrence Working Families Initiative program and graduated at a ceremony held on June 4, 2026 at Northern Essex Community College.

Click here for more photos on flickr.com

Mariana Hernandez, Senior Project Architect with SMMA, presented the Gold Award won for "Outstanding Professional Design Excellence" to Mayor Brian A. DePeña last week with many local and state leaders in attendance. SMMA is the design collaborative behind the new Henry K. Oliver School, and won this prestigious award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) for a fully electric school building that blends a historic facade with an efficient, modern design. Congratulations!

Click here for more Oliver School building photos.