Lawrence Brook Home | Construction Update

Chris Raymond, Principal
Lawrence Brook School
48 Sullivan Way
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
732-613-6870 | Fax: 732-249-5913

 

November 2007

I am proud to announce that all the new and renovated sections of Lawrence Brook are now open for student use. We recently opened the fifth grade wing which included the four fifth grade classes, two special education classes, a speech class, the staff room and the media center.  The gym, music room and art room have also now available for these special programs.  The students and staff are excited about our new school!

The community is invited to come and see our school on Saturday, November 17th between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM at our Community Open House. The ribbon cutting will begin at 11:00 AM.  The community will then have the opportunity to tour the school with our students as their guides.  A ceremony will be held in the gym at 12:30 PM.  Staff and students are anxious to show you our new school.  You will also have the opportunity to view memorabilia of school years gone by.  It is an event that you do not wish to miss!  

Sincerely,

Chris Raymond
Principal

 

September 5, 2006

Great News! The progress of construction at Lawrence Brook has been excellent. The multipurpose room will be open for physical education classes and lunches by September 11. We may still need to provide bag lunches for about a week until our kitchen is brought on line. The gym will provide a great place for physical education activities.

Our new temporary front entrance has been moved to the door outside the computer room. This entrance is by the new circular driveway. This driveway is restricted to buses from 8:30 to 9:15 am and 3:15 to 4:00 pm. Walkers and students who attend the Early Morning Program will still enter the school by the Sullivan Way entrance to avoid conflict with the buses. Visitors to the school may park in the parking area of the circular driveway at times when the buses are not dropping off or picking up students.

Please excuse our appearance in some of the hallways. A few floors and ceilings are in transition from old to new. Some ceilings are open and we encourage students to observe the inner workings of the facility. Some floor tiles are multi-patterned and others are down to the cement as they await the new floor that will be laid in later phases of the plan.

Please remember that these inconveniences are temporary while the additions and renovation will be permanent. The project is due to be completed by September 2007.

Sincerely,

Chris Raymond

August 21, 2006

It has been a very productive summer with regards to our construction. Even so, it is possible that our newly renovated all-purpose room will not be available to us during the first week or two of school. Should this occur, the following plan has been put in place:

  • Students will eat their lunches in the classroom. 

  • Students may bring their lunches or purchase a lunch from Child Nutrition.

  • Child Nutrition will deliver bagged lunches to the classroom.

  • The following prepared lunches will be available for purchase each day:

    • Turkey Lunch

    • Tuna Salad

    • Chicken in BBQ Sauce

    • Beef Lunch

I encourage you to purchase lunch tokens. Not only will this make lunchtime under these circumstances more efficient, but will also help to alleviate long, slow lines and will give your child more time to eat his/her lunch throughout the year. By purchasing tokens, you will also save money. The cost for five tokens is $10.75, a 10-cent per day discount over the $2.25 cost per lunch.

Fortunately, students will be outside for recess where they can enjoy the beautiful fall weather on our safe and secure playground. Physical education classes will also take place outdoors. In the case of inclement weather, arrangements will be made for such instruction to take place indoors.

Thank you in advance for your understanding. Remember that any inconvenience now will be well worth it as we look forward to a completely renovated and appropriately sized Lawrence Brook School.

Please check this page regularly for construction updates.

June 29, 2006

Lawrence Brook School will be closed for construction during the summer months. Mrs. Raymond and her secretary, Mrs. Paganucci have a temporary office at Churchill Junior High School, located at 18 Norton Road. Mrs. Raymond and Mrs. Paganucci can be reached at their regular Lawrence Brook School office telephone number, (732) 613-6870.

April 17, 2006

Dear Parents:

Construction is truly under way at Lawrence Brook School! Here are a few reminders to assist with the traffic flow:

  • Remember not to drop off students on Corona Road. That is for bus drop-off only.

  • When dropping off students on Sullivan Way, please pull up in the drop off area to allow room for all parents.  Do not park in that area.  If you stop across the street, you and your child must walk to the crossing guard to cross the street.

  • Students who walk down Corono Road will be assisted by a new crossing guard to cross the street by the construction area.  They will cross back to the school area with the second crossing guard.

  • All students will be dismissed at the Sullivan Way door. We have found it more effective to dismiss the older students first, followed by the younger students.  Many younger students walk with their older siblings.

  • If you need to pick up your child early for any reason, the security guard will call down to the office. You will be asked to wait outside so that we can keep the cluster C area as quiet as possible for instruction.

  • The bike rack will be move to the Sullivan Way door to allow better access for students who ride their bikes. Students must walk their bikes through the area where parents are waiting for their children.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 is the Annual School Election from 2:00 to 9:00 PM. We hope that you will come out to vote.  The following parking is suggested:

  • Remember that the only entrance is on Sullivan Way. 

  • There will be several designated parking spots on the basketball court, which is the staff parking area.  They will marked with a sign. You can access that parking area from Hamlin Road. There is a temporary road that crosses the field.

  • You can also park in the drop-off area at times other than the student drop-off and pickup times.

  • Additional parking will be available on the street.

Playground/field Update:

  • Students will be able to play on the playground from now on, weather permitting. While the fences were going up it was not safe to allow students outside.

  • The district will also be erecting a fence by the temporary road leading to the staff parking lot to ensure student safety on the fields.

Thank you for your continued cooperation. Remember that the inconveniences will be temporary while the additions and renovations will be permanent.

Sincerely,

Chris Raymond,
Principal

March 23, 2006

Dear Parents:

We have been granted a short reprieve before the parking lot and the entrance changes go into effect.  They are working on some permits with the township, so our new target date with be April 17th, the day we return from spring break.  However, if you see fences, bulldozers or blocked doorways before that time, we will need to adjust our plans accordingly. 

The extra time has allowed me to address some of your questions and concerns:

  • Several additional parking places will be created for staff on the grounds so that there will be more available spaces for parents on the streets.

  • In cooperation with the Town ship’s Traffic Safety traffic and crossing guard issues have been addressed.

    • The morning crossing guards on the corner of Gage and Sullivan will move their cars across to Gage to provide more room for parent drop-off once it moves to Sullivan Way.

    • Traffic Safety is reviewing the student walking patterns to see if additional crossing guards will be needed.

    • There will Police support while we adjust to the new traffic patterns.

  • The bike rack will be moved closer to the Sullivan Way door to keep it out of the construction and parking area.

  • The security aides have been directed to respond to the door on Sullivan before the buzzer is rung while classes are in session.  This will prevent the interruption of instruction.  The buzzer will only ring if the security aide needs to leave the door briefly.

In addition, I have been informed that there will be asbestos removal in the cluster C hall during the spring break.  Please be advised that this process is highly regulated by federal, state and OSHA regulations. The contractors are certified and experienced in this type of work, and the District has engaged licensed professionals to oversee the removal, and monitor and test air quality to ensure that the regulatory standards are met. There will be no safety hazard to staff and students upon their return to school.

Please keep in mind that the inconveniences are temporary and the improvement to our school will be permanent.  I am available to respond to your questions and concerns as we proceed through the construction process.  Thank you for your continued flexibility. 

Sincerely,

Chris Raymond
Principal

March 16, 2006

Dear Parents:

The time that we have all eagerly awaited is finally here! Construction at Lawrence Brook will commence on March 20th. We will be having a brief Ground Breaking Ceremony on the front lawn on March 24th at 1:30 PM to commemorate this exciting event. 

To ensure everyone’s safety construction areas will be fenced off. On or about March 27th the existing parking lot will be closed. Staff will be parking on the basketball court and on the street. Parents who are visiting the school will need to find parking on the street. I encourage parents who live nearby to take advantage of the spring weather and walk rather than using your car. Parking will be difficult if you need to bring instruments, homework, lunch or lunch tokens so this is a good opportunity to encourage responsibility.

Also on March 27th the Sullivan Way door at the end of Cluster C will become our temporary entrance and exit. Since ALL students will be using this entrance please do not park in this area. Due to this change:

  • The drop-off area will be moved from Corona Road to Sullivan Way.

  • Personnel will be at the door to receive children who participate in the Early Morning Program.

  • A security aide will be available beginning at 8:00 AM to admit all other children.

  • The security check-in will be moved to this entrance.

  • Kindergarten students will be dismissed and picked up midday at the Sullivan Way drop-off/pick up area.

  • Parents are asked to keep moving their cars in that area so that all parents will be able to pick up their children.

  • At the end of the day, younger students will be dismissed first, followed by the older students.

  • Please arrange a meeting place with your child, as there will be many parents waiting at the same place.

Please enter, exit and wait quietly as there is instruction going on throughout this hallway.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation throughout our construction process. Please keep in mind that the inconveniences are temporary and the improvement to our school will be permanent. If you have any ideas that will assist us during this time, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Chris Raymond
Principal