Latest / Lawrence Together / June 9, 2026 – PRIDEfest, Juneteenth Celebrations & Class of 2026 Graduation Week
Transcript
- Welcome to Lawrence Together, your community podcast for Lawrence Township, New Jersey. Today's episode covers news and updates from News from the Nest, dated June 9th, 2026. Let's get started. We begin with some exciting community announcements. Lawrence Neighbors Together invites everyone to the second annual Lawrence PRIDEfest on Sunday, June 14th. The event is free and open to all, rain or shine. It kicks off with a Fun Run, Walk, and Roll at nine a.m., followed by a party featuring live music, food, vendors, lawn games, and more. For questions, you can reach out to lawrenceneighborstogether at gmail dot com. There are also two special Juneteenth events coming up this week. On Wednesday, June 17th, the Lawrence High School Black Student Union will host its fourth annual Juneteenth Celebration, featuring a Gospel Choir performance, a wisdom circle, a Historically Black Colleges and Universities panel discussion, games, arts and crafts, music, food, and more. Morning activities are open to all classes, and afternoon activities are reserved for active Black Student Union, Advanced Placement African American Studies, and Gospel Choir students. Then on Thursday, June 18th at ten a.m., the Lawrence High School Gospel Choir will perform at Lawrence Township's official Juneteenth festivities at the Lawrence Township Municipal Building. Congressman Herb Conway will serve as the keynote speaker. This year's theme is "Lawrence Township Celebrates America 250: Black History and American Legacy." And a reminder that school will be closed on Friday, June 19th in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. Now for general school announcements. Yearbook distribution for students in grades nine, ten, and eleven will be on Thursday, June 18th during lunches outside of Room 301. Wait for the announcement before leaving the cafeteria. If you did not pre-order, a limited number of yearbooks are available for one hundred twenty-five dollars cash only, exact change. Any yearbooks not picked up at distribution will be moved to the Main Office. All physical education lockers must be cleaned out by the end of the day on Monday, June 22nd. Make sure your master lock is attached to the door. Any items left behind will be cleared out and donated. The last day of school is Wednesday, June 24th, with an early dismissal. For those returning in the fall, see you in September! If you are enrolled in an Advanced Placement or Honors course, summer assignments will be posted on the district website under the Summer Learning Portal by no later than July 1st. Students interested in running cross country this fall should see Mr. Krajunus in the Guidance office for more information. Attention rising seniors, the class of 2027! The Lawrence High School Guidance Counselors are hosting the annual College Bootcamp on Tuesday, August 4th from eight-thirty a.m. to twelve-thirty p.m. in the Library. Whether you are working on your college list, starting your Common App, or brainstorming your admissions essay, counselors will be there to guide you. Registration is required. Check the original newsletter for the registration link. The class of 2027 is also running a Thrift Shop Clothing Drive all summer long. The drop box is in the Main Office. Dates for the fall Thrift Shop will be posted next school year. Now for the Senior Scoop. Seniors, if you have not yet picked up your cap and gown, please stop by the Main Office by Friday, June 10th. If you did not order a gown, a limited number are available for purchase for thirty-five dollars cash only. Senior Yearbook Distribution will be on Wednesday, June 17th on the stadium turf field during Period 4. Report to your fourth period class first, then wait for the announcement before heading to the field. If you do not have a fourth period class, go straight to the field after lunch. Yearbooks are one hundred twenty-five dollars cash, exact change, for those who did not pre-order. Any books not picked up will be moved to the Main Office. Senior Chromebook collection is on Thursday, June 18th. Come to the auditorium during your assigned time slot with your Chromebook, case, and charger. On Thursday, June 11th, seniors attending prom are required to be in school for the Senior Breakfast, which begins at eight a.m. The breakfast will be followed by the annual Distracted Driver Presentation, sponsored by the Lawrence Township Police Department and Project Graduation. Report to Period 1, or to the Library if you have late arrival. The breakfast is free for all seniors. Seniors will be dismissed at the conclusion of the program, provided they have submitted their required paperwork, either an 18-year-old sign-out form or a parent note. No seniors will be permitted to leave until dismissed by administration. This year's Senior Sunset will take place on Monday, June 22nd at six-thirty p.m. on the stadium turf field and track. The Dunkin Cruiser will also be at the event. See Ms. Recentio or a class officer with any questions. The annual Lawrence Township Public Schools elementary school clap-outs will also take place on Monday, June 22nd. Seniors, this is your chance to return to your former elementary school and walk the halls one last time as students and staff cheer you on. Watch for a sign-up form from Dr. Stein arriving later this week. Permission slips are available in the Main Office and in Room 319. Please arrive at your elementary school by one-thirty p.m. wearing your cap and gown, and arrange your own transportation to and from the event. All seniors who plan to walk in the graduation ceremony must attend the mandatory rehearsal on Tuesday, June 23rd. Please arrive by seven-fifty a.m., pick up your line-up card outside the auditorium, and proceed inside. Rehearsal is estimated to end by eleven a.m., at which point seniors will receive their graduation tickets. If you do not plan to walk in the ceremony, please email Ms. Roche as soon as possible at k roche at l t p s dot org. On the topic of tickets, all seniors will automatically receive ten graduation tickets each. No additional requests are being accepted at this time. Printed programs will be available at the arena entrance, and digital versions will be accessible via Q R codes posted near the entrance and throughout the arena. The graduation ceremony will take place on Tuesday evening, June 23rd. Seniors should arrive at CURE Arena by six-thirty p.m. and meet in the tunnel behind the arena. Do not forget your cap, gown, and tassel, as extras will not be available at the venue. The ceremony will not be live-streamed, but it will be available to watch on L T P S Rewind on YouTube within a few weeks of the event. Project Graduation is a free, adult-supervised, substance-free graduation party for Lawrence High School seniors, also taking place on Tuesday, June 23rd, from eleven p.m. until five a.m. The school will be transformed into a party zone with free food, games, karaoke, raffle prizes, senior gifts, and more. The community is encouraged to volunteer or make a donation to help make the night a success. Check the original newsletter for links to sign up or contribute. Before we close, the newsletter includes a heartfelt message to the Class of 2026. In just a couple of weeks, you will take your final bows as high school students and become graduates. You will always be Cardinals, and your school community could not be more proud of you. The message from your teachers and staff: do great things, but more importantly, be great people. Congratulations, Class of 2026! Now let's take a moment to celebrate some Cardinal pride from the Brag Bag. Two Lawrence High School Class of 2023 alumni have some wonderful news to share. Mohamed Abdelatty, a junior at Ursinus College, was named a Division III All-American this past winter, placing eighth in the country at the two hundred ninety-five pound weight class in wrestling. And Cole Verga, a junior at Bloomberg College, was honored as Academic All-District and Academic All-Conference. Congratulations to both of them. We also want to celebrate four Lawrence High School seniors who were selected for the 43rd annual Gentlemen's Ball this year: Elijah Toro, Gabriel Rodriguez, Edwin Urias, and Isaiah Grier. Seven Lawrence High School young women also attended alongside their peers. The Gentlemen's Ball is a black-tie event that includes a multi-week mentorship program focused on etiquette, public speaking, and personal presentation, and culminates in a choreographed performance. Congratulations to all of the Lawrence students who represented their school and community with class, pride, and honor. And one more brag worth sharing. On Saturday, June 6th, the Lawrence High School International Alliance club hosted its annual Culture Fest celebration. Guests enjoyed singers, dancers, a flag celebration, moving performances, music, and a buffet representing the many cultures at Lawrence High School. Proceeds from the event will support organizations that help children and families around the world. Finally, a few fundraisers still going on around school. The N H D Club is holding its final chocolate chip cookie sale on Friday, June 12th after school for just one dollar. The Student Council sells Rita's water ice every Tuesday after school for three dollars, or two for five dollars. And the Advocates for Innocence Club sells ice cream every Thursday after school at the Staff Sign-In area for two to three dollars. That's all for this edition of Lawrence Together. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update from our community. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.