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My 15-year-old son went to his first concert last night (Paramore and Jimmy Eat World) at the Tsongas Arena, and this Friday he’ll attend his first high school dance with a girl… I have now fully entered the Twilight Zone of parenting a teen. While I don’t pretend to know all about setting appropriate boundaries and have not completely forgotten my own youth, I can relate to my parents’ confusion in raising a beloved stranger in an alien culture. As with all my endeavors, I’ll give it my best shot, which means being involved in his life and informed about the world around him. To that end, I’ll attend tonight’s forum on Underage Drinking and Prescription Abuse at the Senior Center, 276 Broadway, 7-8:30 p.m., sponsored by the Lowell Substance Abuse Round Table. Attendees will learn current trends in substance abuse among youth as well as participate in a panel discussion, interactive games, and activities designed to help us learn how to prevent substance abuse. Parents, teachers, youth and community members are invited.

On your way home, stop by the Revolving Museum at 22 Shattuck Street for the opening of their new show, Artbotics, and experience more than 20 interactive works of art produced by students from the Lowell Public Schools and UMass Lowell.

While sitting in traffic for my second time today as I headed home after a hellish commute into Boston for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees’ Day on the Hill (more on that later), I switched the radio to 980 AM as I reached 128—just in time to hear the hosts interview LHS Band Director Brandon Clark and students Andrew Howe and Emily Anstey. They were discussing the band’s performance in the concert festival in Virginia last week where Lowell High School won Best of Show and Best Concert Band in their division, duplicating the band’s wins two years ago in Montreal. Aside from the many callers, including parents and fellow band students, such as Cory—who called first as himself and then later as “Marguerite,” the group talked about the commitment and benefits of being part of the band family. Mr. Clark, who became the director in 1999, explained how the band program has grown during his tenure from about 20 students to more than 70 today. As a music lover, parent, and member of the school committee, it was immensely gratifying to hear the enthusiasm and energy in their young voices as well as the gratitude and respect they have for their band director. For his part, Mr. Clark made a point of sharing kudos with the many excellent music teachers throughout the district as well as thanking the school department and the committee for supporting the program. Clearly music, like art, theatre, athletics, and other programs outside the standard classroom play major roles in engaging our children in their education. Unfortunately, these programs are often at risk during lean budget times, making today’s radio spotlight that much more signficant. (For a video on the competition, see Dick Howe’s post from last week.) 

Too bad you can’t reserve good feelings from sunny weekend days to help get you through the rainy ones. Today’s Boston Globe was full of doom to match the weather and my mood: Northeast bats are dying in record numbers without explanation—scientists don’t know if it’s caused by toxins, habitat destruction, or something else. In addition to adding more species to the endangered list, we can expect an increase in mosquitoes and other annoying insects as nature’s balance gets whacked again. On another note, two fathers managed to accidentally poison their sons with carbon monoxide while trying to get an off-road vehicle out of the mud. And with the sharp increase in the cost of food, more and more people are starving—a fact that impacts us all, even though those of us who are well-fed have difficulty understanding or even contemplating the horrors of hunger. (All this on one cup of coffee, and it wasn’t even 9 a.m.) Thank God, I read further and discovered the equestrian program at UMass Amherst where blue-color kids take on the blue-bloods and actually win enough to make the nationals and ride against “the best collegiate teams in the country.” Kind of reminds me of our own LHS crew kids, who by the way, will be competing this Sunday in the largest high school spring regatta in New England—right here on the Merrimack River. Let’s hope for quick oars for our team and sunshine for all.

Lowell City Manager Bernie Lynch has an op-ed in today’s Sun regarding the efforts of the advisory board formed to combat youth violence, particularly issues involving gangs. In the article, Lynch points out that the multi-disciplinary board has expanded its scope to look at a broader set of issues around youth development. This expanded focus is not because the gang issue has been solved: ironically, last week’s shooting occurred almost simultaneously to the board’s community forum on combating youth violence. What the board’s expanded focus demonstrates, rather, is an understanding of the complexity of the problem.  As a member of the advisory board, I concur with Lynch that although discussions have centered on police presence, court convictions, use of inspectional services to close gang houses, and weapons removal—all key factors in gang suppression—the board has also increased strategic planning and efforts around preventing youngsters from gang involvement in the first place. The prevention piece requires more, earlier, and better youth service programs and interventions, increased educational and job opportunities, expanded partnerships between all stakeholders, and buy-in from the community—all factors focusing on youth development. Clearly, there is much work to be done.

Last week’s forum on preventing youth violence, which brought together a substantial number of concerned people, was another step on that path. I was encouraged to see residents from neighborhood groups, church affiliates, and business owners join in the discussion as well as the usual players of nonprofit youth providers and the schools. Many people who live, work and recreate in Lowell—with or without children in our schools—must become part of the solution. As the board continues to develop strategies to improve opportunities for our youth, we will look for community input and partnership. Youth violence in our city is a reflection of societal, economic and cultural pressures; it will not be resolved in one quick fix, but only through sustained focus and community support.

Whatever your plans are this weekend, try to make time Friday or Saturday night to enjoy musical theatre complements of the Lowell High Fine Arts Department, which presents Grease at 8 p.m., in the Cyrus Irish Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for general admission, and $5 for students and seniors—an absolute bargain for an enjoyable evening of family entertainment. These kids are talented, enthusiastic, and fun, and their performances never fail to entertain. (No, I’m not biologically connected to any of the performers, yet—I happen to live with an arts-oriented sixth grader who wouldn’t think of missing an LHS show.) If you’ve never been to a show at the high school, you should give it a try: You know how athletically and academically gifted our kids are? Well, they can also dance, sing, and act, and Grease just happens to be an all-time classic for showcasing those talents. I got chills just thinking about it! 

No doubt you were as horrified as I was to learn two teens allegedly traded a gun for money in a bathroom at Lowell High School last week. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Like reacting to the weather, it may seem there is nothing you can do, or perhaps you’ve convinced yourself it’s someone else’s problem—the police, the schools, or the parents of the gang-involved children. The reality is more hopeful and more challenging: Gangs and youth violence are our problem. It is a problem that belongs to the people who work, visit and live in Lowell, and whose children, like mine, attend its educational, recreational and cultural offerings. Regardless of the neighborhood you live in, the size of your paycheck, or the sheltered existence of your own family: youth violence in our city impacts us all. We need the entire community, we need you, coming together to discuss the issue and help us develop solutions.

So join us tomorrow night, Thursday, April 10, 5-7 p.m., at the Boys & Girls Club, 657 Middlesex Street, and find out what the City Manager’s Gang Advisory Board has been doing, learn about programs to support young people, and more importantly, help us prioritize the city’s actions going forward and express your concerns and ideas. Please join the City of Lowell, the Lowell Public Schools, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, MCC, UML, UTEC, and many other youth programs for this important community discussion. 

Last night’s CPC meeting in collaboration with Stand for Children, One Lowell and the Mary Bacigalupo Educational Program showed the great value of partnerships and reinforced why we must try to communicate and work together.  We learned about the CPC model of parent engagement and their mission to inform and empower parents; about Stand for Children’s advocacy at the state and local level, mainly around increased funding for education; and One Lowell’s work with marginalized refugee and immigrant children and families.  Phala Chea, director of Lowell’s Parent Information Center, gave an overview of their work, often as the first point-of-contact between a family and the school system as well as between a family and the city.  Sheila Kirschbaum, who joined the CPC 18 years ago when her son was in kindergarden, shared with others the influence of Mary Bacigalupo in encouraging parents to get engaged with the schools and believe in themselves as leaders.  Many of us continue to be involved simply because of Mary’s example and inspiration. The Mary Bacigalupo Educational Program, formed by her friends as a living tribute in her memory, has had two successful forums thusfar and is planning another for the fall.  An action group created at the forum studied data that showed a correlation between attendance in middle school and success at the high school, other action groups continue to partner with schools and the community to help students succeed.

After the more formal presentations, which will be broadcast on LET Channel 22, the conversation began.   It was great to have people whose children had already graduated from the high school share experiences with younger parents newly-involved in the schools.  Many people were interested in joining Stand for Children members on April 15 for a ‘Day on the Hill’ to talk to legislators about funding concerns and the outlook for this year’s Chapter 70 funds.  (There is a bus leaving from the Lowell Showcase Cinemas at 8:45 am, register online today!).  Other issues of concern besides funding included the need to improve technology, more sharing of reports and data with the public, more and better parent conferences with an emphasis on positive contact between parents and teachers, and a way for parents to learn about different levels of involvement and to network with other parents across the city. Concerns about attendance and Lowell’s drop-out rate were raised as possible focus issues.  Finally, the meeting had to end at 9:00 pm, but many lingered in the hallway and parking lot to continue the conversation, a conversation that we hope has just begun.

Tonight is the final round of the Knowledge Bowl, an academic contest pitting this year’s middle school teams that advanced to the finals (the Sullivan, Wang, and Daley Schools) against each other in a culiminating test of wisdom under pressure for the coveted Knowledge Bowl trophy. Don’t miss this exciting Jeopardy-like competition at the Butler School, 1140 Gorham Street,beginning at 7 pm. The competition will be broadcast live from Lowell Educational Television on channel 22.

Tomorrow night, there will be entertainment of a different sort as eight finalists compete in Lowell High School Idol, a local twist on the popular television talent show. Selected from an earlier elimination show two weeks ago, the finalists will perform at the Irish Auditorium at 7 p.m., which will be broadcast live on channel 22. Once the acts are completed, students AND residents will have the opportunity to vote either by placing ballets in the boxes provided at the auditorium or by calling in votes by telephone (the phone numbers will be announced prior to voting). The first-place winner will receive $500, with second and third-place winners receiving cash prizes of lesser amounts.

For those focused on more serious matters, the school committee will also meet tomorrow at 7 p.m., which will be broadcast live on channel 10, to discuss (and vote) on closing the Varnum School, whether ONE Lowell will remain active on truancy issues at the high school, and transportation services for the Immaculate Conception School, among other things. It’s an important meeting, and as much as the LHS Idol show will be entertaining, I’d rather see folks informed as the committee goes forward on these initiatives. If you are interested in speaking at the meeting tomorrow night, contact the superintendent’s secretary at 978-937-7614 before 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Do you realize how many talented children we have? For four nights in a row, I experienced firsthand an amazing number of gifted young people who call Lowell home. Their abilities in athletics, academics, and the arts were highlighted in a series of events this week that demonstrated we have more than our share of talented youth with skills as diverse as their population. Monday night’s award ceremony honored our many successful high school athletes. It was also the first of three nights of the preliminary round of the Knowledge Bowl, a Jeopardy-like game pitting middle schools against each other based on the academic prowess of their student teams. The Knowledge Bowl is an evening of fast-paced questions on topics such as current events, literary devices, and math problems that is as entertaining as it is academically rigorous. (The next level of the competition will be in two weeks.) And then, of course, Wednesday saw the boys’ basketball team advance in the state tournament—another in a long list of athletic wins for Lowell students. Thursday was the semi-finals of Lowell High School Idol, Headmaster Bill Samaras’ local spin on the popular television show. As one of three judges that night, I can tell you the 14 acts were impressive, as were the two students who co-hosted the show. It was difficult to choose only eight acts for the final competition on March 19, which will be broadcast live on channel 22, but my favorite was the Derek and Henson dance duo. Their amazing choreography told a story of transformation that was at times laugh-out loud funny as well as intensely moving—not to mention the incredible dance moves. For a list of the finalists and the sponsors (first place winner will receive $500) check: more »

Tonight at 7 p.m., the LHS subcommittee meeting will be broadcast live on channel 22 from the Colleen Creegan TV Studio (rescheduled due to weather). The meeting will include high school updates on science labs, alternative programs, security, and the Latin Lyceum, as well as look at the impact of initiatives to improve student attendance. For the complete agenda, check here.  As always, the public is welcome to attend in person or simply turn on the television.

During February vacation last Wednesday, the school committee voted to change the start and stop times at the McAuliffe School, beginning in September, from 8:30 in the morning to 9:10. Letters were sent home informing parents, and a follow-up poll will be conducted this week to determine interest in childcare options, such as having CTI provide morning care on a sliding-fee basis. The time change was a result of many factors that primarily had to do with cost: saving $44K-$88K in buses, closing the Varnum School in June to save $1 million, and changing bus routes due to the condition of some bridges. With many of the Varnum students (a late-start school) being displaced to the McAuliffe, along with the need to maintain transportation efficiency (three runs for each bus) given a potential budget shortfall of $4 million next year, the time change is a necessary cost-saving measure.

Last night, the Lowell High School wrestling team topped off a great season by winning the Division I State Championship. Congratulations wrestlers!  A winning team reflects the commitment of students, coaches, and families, who all worked tirelessly to make this season successful. As the Winter Sports Award Ceremony on Monday demonstrated, LHS is filled with gifted athletes, caring coaches, and involved families. Congratulations to all those who participated—your commitment to your sport makes you a tribute to LHS.