|
Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - November 9, 2017
|
If you would like to update your district/campus email preferences or change your email address, please click on the Update Profile link at the footer of this email. You will receive an email from Constant Contact which will allow you to update your information and campus news preferences.
Dear WSMS Parents and Guardians,
We are looking forward to a great weekend. Our middle school volleyball and football programs wrapped up successful seasons and we will be heading into our winter sport seasons over the next two weeks.
Congratulations to our theatre, choir and dance students for their outstanding performance of
Madagascar Jr.
last week. They made our school and community proud. We are also looking forward to our 8th grade service learning project next Wednesday.
Tomorrow is the last day to bring your used shoes to donate to our "Share the Shoes" project. Students can drop off donations in boxes located in the rotunda, fish bowl, and trophy case.
As we head into Thanksgiving break next week, we have an exciting week of activities on campus. Please see below for more details. Go Leopards!
Sincerely,
Kent Messer
Principal
|
4th Annual Lovejoy Letter Campaign
Our Lovejoy letter campaign will be coming to a close tomorrow Friday, November 10th
.
This fabulous program goal is to have our community write at least one gratitude letter to each
teacher/staff members in our district. It's a great way to show how much we appreciate what
they do for our children.
We like to encourage you and/or your child to write a letter(s) to any teacher or staff, current or
past that have been valuable to your child(ren)'s educational experience. Please clearly label
the envelope with the recipient's name & LLC (Lovejoy Letter Campaign) and return the letter to
the front office by
Friday, November 10th.
Maria Ritchie and Onji Anderson will be coordinating Willow Springs Letter Campaign efforts.
The letter campaign has become such a meaningful tradition. We really appreciate you in
helping us make the campaign a success this year!
Sincerely,
Maria Ritchie and Onji Anderson
Willow Spring Lovejoy Letter Campaign
Recycle Week Ending Friday, November 10th
Are your shoes too small?? Not your style anymore? Bring your no-longer-worn shoes in for donation Friday, November 10th as we wrap up the Share the Shoes project at Willow Springs!
Collection boxes will be available on campus and all shoes collected will be donated to those in need. Thank you in advance for supporting this PTA program!
  
Veterans Day
Willow Springs will be celebrating Veteran's Day on Friday, November 10th through Advisory classrooms. Willow Springs' students will hear from the 335th SCT Army Troop currently deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. They will talk to our students about why we celebrate Veteran's Day, their definition of sacrifice, and about life in Kuwait. Please ask your students to describe their favorite part of Advisory! WSMS sends out a special thank you to our families and community members who have served or currently serve in the military!
Click here
for the activity bell schedule.
WSMS & PTA Presents a look at Sex Education & Your Willow Springs Student
Join us Tuesday, November 14th at 10:30 a.m. in the Auxiliary Gym to preview the Aim for Success Program "Freedom to Succeed." The Aim For Success, Inc. motivational programs have educated over a million young people across America during the past 15 years on topics such as sex, drugs, alcohol, and bullying. Students in grades 7 and 8 will be shown the program on December 4 and December 5 at Willow Springs Middle School. Students will participate in the program through their math classes.
The Parent Program is a preview of the student presentation where parents will learn creative ways to talk about sex with their children and encourage them to avoid sexual activity until marriage. "This is a must see event for anyone concerned about the problems associated with teen sexual activity," said Marilyn Morris, President of Aim for Success.
Battle of the Books
This Tuesday, November 14th at 4:15 in the library, come cheer on the students and teachers (and an Assistant Superintendent!) as teams go head-to-head in this fierce battle for the Championship. All are welcome!
The library will be closed after school on Tuesday, Nov. 14th. Mr. Crocker has also cancelled Chess Club.
Cross Country Meet/Carpool Pick Up Next Tuesday
WSMS is hosting a middle school cross country meet starting at 4:15 PM next Tuesday, November 14th. This could potentially slow carpool pick up and flow with the arrival of four other schools coming to compete in our cross country meet. Please be patient as we will have parents from other schools and buses arriving on campus between 3:30--4:30.
8th Grade Service Learning Project
Wednesday, November 15
th
- 8th Grade Students will arrive on campus and be transported by bus to their designated community service location. Students will need to wear their red Willow Springs spirit shirt or a solid red shirt, dress for the location selected, bring a sack lunch and wear comfortable shoes.
Once students return from their service learning locations, all students will report to the main gym for a reflection and debrief of the day. This will include students sharing what they accomplished at their designated service learning location and what they learned from the experience. At the conclusion of the day, we will have our annual faculty/student volleyball game where the 8th grade volleyball teams will take on a stellar faculty team.
If you have any questions, please call Monique Cardwell at 469-742-8422. We thank you in advance for helping make our 2017 Service Learning Day a memorable experience for all students.
Spelling Bee - Thursday, November 16th
Willow Springs Middle School will be hosting our 10th Annual Spelling Bee on November 16th at 9:30 a.m. in the cafeteria. All are welcome to attend.
Thanksgiving Lunch in Cafeteria
On Thursday, November 16 we will offer a Thanksgiving lunch at Willow Springs Middle School. Students will have the option to purchase a Thanksgiving lunch if they choose in one of the serving lines. Additional lunch choices will be available in our other two serving lines. This is traditionally a student lunch but parents are always welcome to attend. At the middle school level, we have had very few parents participate.
Club Day - Friday, November 17th
Club Day is Friday, November 17th a
nd we will be on an activity bell schedule. For copy of the activity bell schedule, please
go here
. Students participating in the Extreme Club must wear a helmet. Students who are in the K9 and Kritters Club must have permission from Mr. Abney before bringing an animal to school. Students may leave their equipment for Guitar Club, Extreme and Remote Control Club in the front office. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kathy Stone.
|
|
Campus Information and Reminders
|
Safety Corner
School Bus Safety Practices
We would like to remind everyone of the following school bus safety practices:
*When you see a school bus, assume children will be in the area, and take extra care: leave lots of space around the bus.
*When the bus turns on its flashing yellow lights, the bus is either preparing to stop at a railroad crossing or preparing to stop to pick up or drop off children. Please slow down and prepare to stop.
*When the bus turns on its flashing red lights traffic must stop in both directions. Never pass a school bus with flashing red lights.
Thank you for your assistance in helping to keep our students safe.
Student Nutrition Newsletter for November
College Board PSAT 8/9 - Wednesday, November 29
On Wednesday, November 29th, WSMS 8th graders will take the College Board's PSAT 8/9 test. This assessment is an opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to assess a student's math, writing, and reading skills needed to be college-ready.
For more information on the College Board's PSAT 8/9 test, you can visit
this website
. The PSAT 8/9 assessment will begin promptly at 9am on Wednesday, November 29th and will last approximately 3.5 hours. 8th graders may want to bring a bottle of water for testing. All 8th graders will eat C lunch that day.
We ask all 8th graders to leave their cell phones at home on testing days. If students choose to bring their phones to school, they will be asked to sign a waiver and place their phone in a bin that will be removed from the room during testing. Phones will be returned after testing. While we will take precautions to keep all phones safe, we cannot be held accountable for lost or damaged phones.
Sex Education & Your Willow Springs Student, December 4th and December 5th
Students in grades 7 and 8 will be shown the AIM for Success program - Freedom to Succeed on December 4th and December 5th at Willow Springs Middle School. Students will participate in the program through their math classes, with a trained AIM presenter. The Aim For Success, Inc. motivational programs have educated over a million young people across America during the past 17 years on topics such as sex, drugs, alcohol, and bullying. AIM has been educating our Lovejoy students for more than 12 years!
Click here
for an overview of the program.
Final Exams, December 15th-20th
For a copy of the fall semester final exam schedule, please
click here
.
Final exams will officially begin, Friday, December 15th. Teachers are expected to provide students with final exam reviews by Friday, December 1st. In addition, all final exam reviews will be loaded on the WSMS website on December 1st (under both student and parent) and teachers will upload exam reviews into their Google Classrooms. Please encourage your son or daughter to begin working on their final exam reviews early. As they begin to study, encourage them to study every night in short 15-20 minute increments rather than "cramming" the night before the test. Research shows that students who study in small chunks of time over a period of days are more successful on assessments.
We will be sending out more information about middle school final exams over the next few weeks.
Interested in Becoming a Mentor?
Willow Springs is seeking strong adult volunteers to become mentors on our campus. An effective mentor understands that his/her role is to be dependable, engaged, authentic, and tuned into the needs of the student. Becoming a mentor is a great way to pay it forward, make a positive impact on a student's life, and make a positive impact on your own life!
If you are interested in becoming a mentor at WSMS, please contact Kathy Stone at [email protected].
School Store T-Shirt Sale
The school stores, located at Lovejoy High School and Willow Springs Middle School, are getting ready for the cooler weather. Don't miss their special sales as they make room for the new season.
All Short-Sleeved T-Shirts - 50% off
Hurry, as the t-shirts will go quickly at this special price.
The LHS Store is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. The WSMS Store is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11:15 AM - 1:15 PM. In addition to Lovejoy spirit wear, there are a limited number of grade-level spirit shirts for pep rallies, athletic events, and field trips to identify them as a WSMS student, also available for sale in the school store. If you pre-ordered a grade-level spirit shirt, please have your son or daughter pick their shirt up in the school store during lunch. These grade-level spirit shirts may also be purchased by
clicking here
. We will place another order based on our online purchases.
|
Football Results - November 7th
7th Grade
Black team: Lost 20-22
Red team: Won 22-0
8th Grade
Black team: Won 42-0
Red team: Won 27-14
Volleyball Results - November 2
7th Grade
A team: Won
B team: Won
C team: Won
8th Grade
A team: Won
B team: Lost
C team: Lost
Winter Sports Season Transition
Once our winter sports teams are finalized, practice and game schedules will be communicated through athletic emails from the coaches of each winter sport. If your son or daughter is not participating in a winter sport and is enrolled in athletics during 1st or 8th period, they will need to report to off-season workouts everyday during their athletic period. Students who do not attend off-season workouts will be marked absent and will be handled through state truancy procedures.
Girls/boys
wrestling
will begin practice on Monday, November 13. Thank you for your support of Willow Springs athletics. Go Leopards!
XC Update
WSMS CROSS COUNTRY will get underway with their first meet here at Willow Springs on Tuesday, November 14th. Come out after school and support your running leopards! The first race starts at 4:15!!
RUDOLPH RUN COMING SOON! - Get your child and family registered for the Rudolph Run on December 2nd in Allen. The deadline to register online is November 19th. Your child can get a flyer from their PE teacher or athletic coach. Please make sure to mark your child's campus and PE teacher's name so we get the credit for our school. Let's represent Lovejoy Running!!
|
|
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
Kendra Scott Gives Back
Kendra Scott is hosting a "give back" event with 20% of the sales going to the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools. Kendra Scott will provide snacks and beverages. We hope you will join us for this special event.
Thursday, November 9
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Kendra Scott in Watters Creek
888 Watters Creek Boulevard
If you are unable to attend the event, you may call-in your phone order from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM on Thursday and mention the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools. The phone number for Kendra Scott is 469.795.0988.
Lovejoy High School Theatre Presents Almost, Maine: November 9 and 11
The Lovejoy High School Theatre program will present
Almost, Maine
on November 9th and 11th at 7:00 PM in the new LHS Black Box Theatre. We hope you will join us for this inaugural performance in this beautiful space. Tickets will be on sale beginning Sunday, November 5th through the
Fine Arts Box Office
.
A New Tradition
The Lovejoy High Cheer Team is pleased to announce the new tradition of "Chant of the Week."
Please watch our Lovejoy Varsity cheerleaders' video and be ready to cheer our Leopards to victory at this Friday night's home game against Royse City at 7:30 PM. We hope everyone will join us for Senior Night, as we show our support for the Seniors at their last home game.
E-Waste Recycling Event: November 11
Lovejoy High School will host an e-waste recycling event on Saturday, November 11th from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM in the front parking lot of LHS. Now is the perfect time to gather electronic items you would like to dispose of.
Click here
for additional information regarding the e-waste collection.
Girls Lacrosse Try-It Clinic: November 11
Lovejoy Lacrosse will host a free try-it clinic and introduction to lacrosse for all Lovejoy girls in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. The clinic will be held on Saturday, November 11th from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the Willow Springs Middle School Football Field. No lacrosse experience is necessary and there is no need to register. This will be a fun, no pressure environment where Lovejoy girls can try lacrosse and parents can learn about the Lovejoy Lady Leopards Lacrosse program. Please
click here
for additional information.
Last year's inaugural season was a great success. Now, we're looking for more girls to join the fun. Come out and see why lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the United States and in North Texas.
Questions? Click here to email Lovejoy Leopard Lacrosse.
Lovejoy High School Honors Veterans
On November 13th at 6:00 PM, Lovejoy High School will host its annual Veterans Day Banquet. The event, catered by Rudy's Barbecue, is open to all veterans and their families. Please share this information with friends and family members, and
click here
to RSVP.
Lovejoy Gifted Association Parent Panel: November 16
The Lovejoy Gifted Association invites you to join them for an evening of wit and wisdom shared by parents of recent Lovejoy GT graduates. This is an opportunity to receive answers to questions you may have. The Parent Panel members will share their stories and perspective on how to help you and your children get the most from the GT programs in LISD. It's a great opportunity for families who are new to GT to get a head start, as well as for families who have been with GT and are looking to reconnect as their children's interests continue to evolve and change. The event is sponsored by The Lovejoy Gifted Association and is open to all parents, teachers and students who are interested in learning more about the Gifted and Talented programs. You do not have to be a member to attend. Please contact Piritta van Rijn with questions.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Parent Panel: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Mix and Mingle: 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Lovejoy High School
Lecture Hall
Lovejoy ISD Fine Arts Festival
The Lovejoy ISD Fine Arts Festival will be held December 1st and 2nd at Lovejoy High School. There will be band, choir, and orchestra concerts. You may attend plays and short productions by the middle school and high school theatre programs. The dance department will perform two concerts. Every student enrolled in a visual art course will have one or more works on display. In addition, volunteers from the High School Fine Arts Booster Clubs and district fine arts parents will provide homemade baked goods and beverages for purchase as well as the infamous Fine Arts Festival Chili luncheon. This event is truly a wonderful showcase of the incredible fine arts programs in Lovejoy ISD. Please click here for additional information to include schedules, maps, and details.
Kindergarten Gifted and Talented Referrals
Referrals for kindergarten Gifted and Talented services will be available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal from December 1, 2017 - January 12, 2018.
An information session for the parents of kindergarten students will review the referral process, as well as the G/T services offered in Lovejoy.
Lovejoy ISD Administration Building
Board Room
December 4 or 15, 2017
9:00 AM or 4:30 PM (Session information repeats)
If you are unable to attend and would like more information, a slideshow presentation will be available on the
Gifted and Talented webpage
after the December 4th presentations.
All kindergarten students will be tested at their home campuses in January. Additional testing for referred students is scheduled for both Saturday, February 10th and 24th. Services for identified kindergarten students begin March 1, 2018.
For questions regarding referrals, please contact Kari Lockhart (469.742.8015) or Brie Smith (469.742.8032).
November is American Diabetes Month
American Diabetes Month is part of the American Diabetes Association's efforts to bring attention to the disease and those affected by it. The American Diabetes Association's website provides additional information which may be found
here
.
Each Friday during National Diabetes Awareness Month you may show your support for people affected by diabetes by wearing blue. Click here for details.
|
|
STAY CONNECTED
|
|
|
|
|
