August 7, 2024

Dear Lipman Families,

On behalf of the staff at Lipman Middle School, I am excited to welcome you to the 2024-25 school year!  The purpose of this summer letter is to introduce our new families to our school and expectations, note any changes to our school program and welcome back our returning students and families!  We want to do all that we can to ease the start to the school year.

As your principal, my goal is to ensure that your children, our students, are safe, engaged and learning throughout the school year.  The staff and I realize the trust you place in us when you send us your children each day, and we value the opportunity to educate and inspire them and watch them grow.

Please read on for more information to start off our new school year!

New Staff

Please join me in welcoming Kathleen Large to the Lipman Middle School team!  Kathleen will teach 8th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies next year.  Kathleen is a long time member of our community, having lived in Brisbane for 20 years, and she is the proud parent of a Lipman alum. Kathleen has been teaching English Language Arts at Parkway Heights Middle School for the past six years and taught high school in San Francisco prior to that.  With a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and Masters in English, she brings with her deep content knowledge and a vast skill set as a teacher.  She is creative, collaborative and devoted to equity, and we are delighted she is joining our team at Lipman!

In addition, please welcome Nikhil Dutta who will teach 8th Grade Math and Science next year.  Mr. Dutta comes to us from Franklin Delano Roosevelt K-8 School where he taught 8th grade STEM, led an Advisory and created a Game Theory Elective class.  He has also been a substitute teacher, a piano teacher and a learning supervisor at Charles Armstrong School.  He has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Music from New York University and a Masters in Education from the University of San Francisco.  Mr. Dutta is a professional educator with years of experience in both private and classroom environments, specializing in math and music. He practices a student-centered humanizing pedagogy and strives to deliver all curriculum through a culturally responsive lens.  We are thrilled to have him join our team!

I am pleased to introduce Mike Lee, our new 7th Grade Math and Science teacher this year.  Mr. Lee comes to us with over five years of diverse experience in private, public and charter school settings, from elementary through high school. This summer Mr. Lee attended a math institute with his future math colleagues Mrs. Rios and Mr. Dutta. Mr. Lee is a dedicated educator and committed to creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment where every student feels valued and motivated to learn. He considers himself a lifelong learner and considers curiosity an important component to leading a meaningful life and for future success. Fittingly, he considers one of the most important things teachers do is ask their students the question "Why?" Currently, he is taking courses that support his development as a teacher that focuses on the “whole student”. Mr. Lee was previously an accountant before beginning training as a teacher. In his free time, Mr. Lee enjoys playing basketball and golf. Welcome, Mr. Lee!

We are so grateful to Harpreet Kaur, a familiar face who is stepping into the role of a paraeducator at Lipman Middle School.   Prior to being hired as a paraeducator at Lipman for this upcoming school year, Ms. Kaur has worked closely with Lipman staff and our community as a substitute aide, a volunteer and a parent.  Ms. Kaur is skilled at guiding youth, supporting student learning, and collaborating with her colleagues.  We are thrilled to have her join the Lipman team!

*We are currently seeking a part-time aide or substitute aide for Tuesday and Friday at Lipman Middle School.  If you or someone you know is interested in working in a collaborative and engaging educational environment, please have them contact me to apply.

Back to School Preparation

School begins on Thursday, August 22nd at 8:25AM sharp.  To help your middle school student prepare, I encourage you to pick a date a few weeks prior to establish a healthy sleep routine.  Research indicates that our pre-teens and teens need significant sleep (9-10 hours) during this development stage and sufficient sleep is linked to success in school.  

We do not have required supply lists. All supplies and devices will be provided for your student. If you are able, we do ask for an optional $30-$50 donation to help with the purchase of necessary classroom supplies.   A return addressed envelope was mailed for your convenience or you can pay using this QR code. Write “Lipman” in the memo/description.

If you would like to request a chromebook to be kept at home for homework throughout the year, please email Ms. Lee at slee@brisbanesd.org at your earliest convenience.  This will help us prepare the devices to be distributed soon after the start of the school year.

If your child intends to bring a cell phone to school, please review the included cell phone policy and sign and return it in the provided envelope.  You may send this in prior to the start of school or on the first day of school.  Please note cell phones must be turned OFF and stored away in backpacks for the length of the school day.  

Parent/Guardian Involvement

You are our most powerful resource.  Statistically, parent involvement declines in middle school.  However, now more than ever, your child needs your guidance and involvement in school—it just may look different than it did in elementary school. We encourage all families to volunteer over the course of the school year—what a difference this makes!  You can volunteer to lead an after school club for a trimester (just 10 club meetings!), supervise at lunchtime, chaperone a field trip, solicit donations, prepare materials for a teacher, design a bulletin board and so much more.  Please get a head start on the volunteer requirements by visiting the district website for more information: https://www.brisbanesd.org/

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend these events scheduled for 2024-2025 school year:

August 18         Welcome Back Picnic In the Park, 11-2         Feb TBD Science Fair Exhibition & Awards

September 5      Back To School Night, 6pm                                February 26 & 28 Musical Production, 7PM

October  24      Family Educational Workshop, 6pm              May 29th               Open House, 6:00PM                 

Logistics

• Getting to school:  We encourage all students to walk, bike or take the bus to school.  The attached map indicates two walking/biking routes students may take to access campus.  
• Drop off and pick up:  If needed, students may be dropped off by car ahead of the SamTrans bus stop on South Hill Drive, at the tennis courts or in front of the school.  *Please note our campus is closed prior to 8:15AM and after 3:15PM (with the exception of Club Lipman students)
• We encourage adults needing access to campus to make an appointment in advance.  Please email Mrs. Mazza rmazza@brisbanesd.org or call (415)467-9541 to make an appointment.  
• To the greatest extent possible, please avoid scheduling appointments or events that require late drop off or early pick up.
• If your child is late to school or leaving early, please enter the front office and sign him or her out using the attendance tablet.  Please do not drop late students off without taking this necessary check-in step.

Homeroom assignments will be sent out electronically the week prior to the start of school.  Homeroom assignments will indicate where your student will meet on the first day of school and an outline schedule of the day.   *Please make sure you have updated your information in the Schoolwise Portal so we have the correct contact information.

Our Lipman team is here to support you.  In future communication, I will share staff contact information so you can reach out to appropriate staff members depending on need.  In the meantime, Mrs. Mazza, our school secretary, is available at rmazza@brisbanesd.org to answer any questions or to schedule an appointment, and you may also reach out to me.

We look forward to being back together on campus on August 22, 2024.  Please read on to become familiar with our plan for the 2024-2025 school year and other back to school logistics.  

Mailed home with this:

• Self-addressed return envelope
• Cell Phone Permission Slip & Supplies Donation Slip
• SamTrans Route & Walking/Biking Routes (below)
• Bus contract
• Sample Middle School Schedules (below)
• Lipman Apparel Order Form

Your Principal,

Jolene Heckerman

Logistics to help get the year off to a strong start:

MIDDLE SCHOOL SAMPLE STUDENT SCHEDULE

Notes on the schedule:

• STEM:  Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics core class.  
• Humanities: Integrates language arts with social studies and offers students a chance to see the connections among history, literature, art, and culture.  
• Advisory Period:  Students meet in small pods with an assigned staff member to set goals, create a personalized learning plan, monitor progress, engage in social-emotional learning activities, connect and increase engagement and achievement in school.  
• Electives Vary each trimester and may include Spanish, Art, Music, Theater, Leadership, Math & more. Students make selections during the first week of school.
• Immersives Deep dives into certain topics and areas of interest.  Students may take up to 5 offerings throughout the course of the year.
• Students will participate in Community Circles on Wednesdays for connection, social-emotional learning, digital citizenship, social justice activities and more.
• Each student will receive electronically an individualized schedule with room numbers the week prior to the start of school.

.            Sample Student Schedule   Schedules vary by grade/class.

Map of routes to access Lipman Campus.  Please note the student drop off/pick up locations.  At this time, visitors are limited to by appointment only.