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Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - December 7, 2017
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
WSMS is finalizing our plans to wrap up the 1st semester. It is hard to believe we are approaching the halfway mark of the 2017-2018 school year. Our teachers and students have had a great week in preparation for next week's final exams. Remember that final exams begin next Friday, December 15th. Please find information below about final exams, as well as other upcoming events at WSMS. Tomorrow, our front office will be closing at 4:30. If you need immediate assistance after 4:30, please feel free to contact the LISD administration building at 469-742-8000 or you can call my cell at 214-293-9938. Have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Kent Messer
Principal
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Technology Survey - December 4th-20th
Lovejoy ISD is partnering with BrightBytes, an educational research organization, to learn more about our students' school and home technology use and the impact it has on instruction. We are reaching out to ask you to take part in the Technology & Learning questionnaire. This is a semi-annual initiative, and your participation is essential in helping us form a more complete picture of the role technology plays in your students' learning.
Please know that all of your responses will remain anonymous to protect your privacy.
Please
click here
to begin the survey.
Flapjacks for Finals - Thursday, December 14th
As a middle school tradition, we will be kicking off final exam week with "Flapjacks for Finals" on Thursday, December 14th from 8:00 a.m. - 8:55 a.m. in the cafeteria. Please encourage your son or daughter to stop by the cafeteria for hot cakes.
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.
NJHS Meeting - Wednesday, December 20th (Morning Only)
The next NJHS meeting is Wednesday, December 20th at 8:15am in Ms. Lamb's room, C104. Students need to bring a print out of their grades as well as their service hours log.
Early Release/Student Holiday
Wednesday, December 20th will be an early release day. Students will be taking their 4th period final exam from 8:55 a.m.-10:48 a.m. and 8th period exam and lunch from 10:52 a.m.-12:50 p.m. School will dismiss at 12:50 p.m.
Thursday, December 21st - Friday, January 5th is Winter Break. School will resume on Monday, January 8th.
WSMS 3 on 3 Basketball Tourney and Student Social - January 19th
Our winter social will be on January 19th from 6:00--8:00 p.m at WSMS. From 5:00--6:00 p.m., we will hold our annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the WSMS gyms. The cost is $30 per team, which will also admit your student into the social. Proceeds will go to the American Heart Association. Beginning at 6:00, we will have a DJ in the cafeteria and the gyms will be open for volleyball and basketball after the 3 on 3 tournament. Cost for the social is $8.00 on-line and $10.00 at the door. Students will have the opportunity to purchase pizza, snacks, and water at the dance. All items can be purchased for $1.00.
More information to come about parent chaperone sign ups.
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Campus Information and Reminders
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Safety Corner
For security purposes, all exterior doors to the campus are locked during the day. If your student is dropped off early or picked up late for tutorials, practice, rehearsal, etc., please encourage them to stay inside the building when the weather is cold. Once they exit the building in the evening, the doors will lock behind them. During the winter months, please encourage your student to wait inside until you arrive. They can wait in the rotunda in the front hall at WSMS.
Inclement Weather
School closures will be determined based on safety. In the event of a school closure, notifications will be announced on the district's website, Facebook, and Twitter pages. We will also announce any closure through the media and by phone. Links to our social media accounts are shown below.
Lovejoy ISD App
The Lovejoy ISD App is available for download on both Apple and Android devices. To download the app for Apple devices, please
click here
. To download the app for Android devices, please
click here
.
Twitter and Facebook
Are you following the district onTwitter? Have you liked us onFacebook? Join us on social media for news and announcements.
Student Nutrition Newsletter for December
Congratulation to WSMS Newspaper and Yearbook Staff
Newspaper and yearbook leaders/editors and staff members at Willow Springs Middle School placed in the Best of Show awards at the Fall Journalism Educators Association and National Student Press Association convention Nov. 16-19 in Dallas.
The
LeopardLife
print Newspaper/Newsmagazine
https://leopardlife.net/
placed third in Best of Show for middle school newspapers among thousands of students in attendance at the convention.
Rosette
yearbook at WSMS also placed in the top 10, placing 8th Best of Show award.
Also, students on
The Red Ledger
online newspaper at Lovejoy High School received awards: Hannah Ortega, a story of the year and Parker Nolan, an environmental portrait of the year. Also, Grant Dennis and Bradley Cooper earned a Pacemaker on a broadcast as well as other students receiving honorable mentions. Ortega, Cooper and Nolan all were on the
LeopardLife
newspaper staff when they attended Willow Springs.
Final Exam Reviews
Teachers provided students with a copy of the final exam review this week. In addition, an electronic copy has been posted in Google Site and on the WSMS website under "Parent Resources." Teachers will be going over their review in class prior to the final exam. Each review will provide vocabulary, concepts, and/or skills needed to be successful on the final. Students will be expected to take the information from the review and apply it to questions on the exam that include graphs, charts, maps, diagrams, and excerpts. These application based questions provide a foundation for the level of thinking that aligns with the higher level thinking of our state standards in middle school and high school. Rather than studying the review for 2-3 hours the night before the final exam, we encourage students to prepare for each exam by studying for approximately 15-20 minutes a day. In addition, students should refer to notes, handouts, assignments, and their textbook to support their learning and preparation. For an example of a final exam review topic and how it might be tested on the final exam in each of the core subjects, please
click here
(these questions are from the 7th grade curriculum in ELAR, math, science, and social studies).
Final Exam Grades
Final Exams are a summative assessment over material that has been covered during the first semester. Teachers will be closing out their grades for the first semester once final exams have been completed. As a result, students will not have the opportunity to re-take their final exam. The summative data from final exams will provide teachers with a road map for instructional planning and intervention during the spring semester. As the semester comes to a close, please continue to work with your son or daughter to stay on top of their school responsibilities. This time of year is traditionally very busy for our students and families, both often get pulled in several different directions as we approach the holidays. If you or your student needs any assistance or support with academic or behavioral support, please partner with our teachers, counselors, and administrators. Let's work together to ensure that our students finish strong in their first semester of learning.
2017 Fall Final Exam Scheduled Time Slots for the CAT
December 15th 8:55-10:23 & 2:32-4:00
December 18th 9:45-11:13 & 1:41-3:09
December 19th 8:55-10:23 & 12:51-2:19
December 20th 8:55-10:48& 10:52-12:50
We would appreciate your help in volunteering in the CAT to support our students. To sign for one of these times and/or dates, please
click here
.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Center for Academic Training (CAT)?
- What is the purpose of the CAT? The CAT is designed to assist all students by providing before and after school support in all subject areas. It is also where all students with testing accommodations such as small group testing, oral reading of exams, etc. take their test during class time.
- On average, how many students use the CAT during final exams? On the testing side alone, we will see approximately 330 students during the week of final exams who have some type of testing accommodation. This number does not include the students without testing accommodations who utilize the CAT during finals weeks.
- Who else helps students?Teachers and Instructional Aides are available to help; however, their priority is helping students in class during instructional time.
- Does a volunteer need previous knowledge of an exam before they arrive? Volunteers do not need any special training or knowledge to help in the CAT. Volunteers will be reading the questions and answer choices on an exam to a small group of 1-5 students. The students are not permitted to have help understanding any of the content on the exam, so the volunteer would strictly be reading verbatim from their own copy of the exam.
PALS Toy Drive for Vogel Alcove
Wednesday, December 6th - Tuesday, December 12th, the PALS and Lighthouse Leaders will be partnering together and initiating a toy drive for the homeless children
who
visit Vogel Alcove on a daily basis. We have partnered with Vogel Alcove in the past for our 7th and 8th grade Community Service Project days. If you would like to donat
e, plea
se send in a new, unwrapped toy
to be placed
in one of the boxes around the school. PALS and Lighthouse Leaders will be collecting the following type of toys: stuffed animals, construction
toys
, dolls, educational
toys
, electronic
s
,
recreational
items, puzzles,
and
arts and crafts
supplies
. Thank
you
to all the parents
who
make WSMS a great place to learn and work.
Family Promise of Collin County
Angelina Mapes,
a 7th grade student at WSMS, is raising funds to benefit Family Promise of Collin County. Angelina hopes to receive enough donations for parents to purchase presents for their children for Christmas. The donation box is located at Willow Springs Middle School.
Lost and Found
Please encourage your son or daughter to look through the lost and found and claim any sweatshirts, shoes, hats, etc. they may have left behind. All lost and found items are located on the stage in the cafeteria. Students can visit the lost and found before or after school or during their lunch. All items not claimed by December 19
th
will be donated to Allen Community Outreach.
Academic UIL
Academic UIL competition is on the horizon, and we are looking forward to attending this year's competition on March 24 and 25, 2017! The competition will be held at Coppell Middle School West, which is located at 1301 Wrangler Drive, Coppell, TX 75019.
All students in grades 7 and 8 are eligible to try-out for a team. Students may compete in as many events as they would like as long as the events they enter compete at different times during the competition day. Tryouts for the competitions will occur shortly after we return from Winter Break. Students who make the team will begin practices as determined by the team coach. Practice days and times will vary with each competition. Please click
here
to find a document that has the contest descriptions, tryout information, and contest times. If you have any questions, please contact Laura Rogers at [email protected].
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.
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WSMS Cross Country News
The WSMS Cross Country teams continued their winning streak on Tuesday at our home course. The runners will have their District meet next Tuesday in Rockwall, and they will fight hard to finish the season undefeated for the first time in Willow Springs Cross Country history!
Below are Team results as well as the names of the kids who were in the top 10 in their division and earned a ribbon.
7th Grade Girls - TEAM CHAMPIONS
Amy Morefield - Meet Champion
Bella Landrum - 3rd
Emily Reyna - 5th
Genevieve Jones - 7th
Morgan Streeter - 8th
Callan Snider - 9th
8th Grade Girls - TEAM CHAMPIONS
Katie Armstrong - Meet Champion
Avery Ashley - 4th
Jordyn Caro - 5th
Catie Koh - 7th
7th Grade Boys - TEAM CHAMPIONS
Logan Pedersen - Meet Champion
Landon Heruska - 6th
Damon -7th
Hayden Day - 8th
8th Grade Boys - TEAM CHAMPIONS
Matthew Murray - Meet Champion
Riley McGowan - 4th
Carson Person - 7th
Andrew Houser - 8th
Boys 7th vs. Rockwall Cain Basketball Results - December 4th
A Team - Won
B Team - Won
C Team - Won
Girls 7th vs. Rockwall Cain Basketball Results - December 4th
A Team - Won
B Team - Won
C Team - Won
Boys 8th vs. Rockwall Williams Basketball Results - November 30th
A Team - Lost
B Team - Won
C Team - Won
Girls 8th vs. Rockwall Williams Basketball Results - November 30th
A Team - Lost
B Team - Lost
C Team - Lost
WSMS Wrestling
Saturday the WSMS wrestlers competed at the A-Town Showdown in Allen. We had thirty wrestlers compete in a tournament with a total of over 230 wrestlers.
1ST Place: Reid Jacob, John Brookhart, Jackson Dubree, Anthony Morgello, Will Adams, Dylan Breaux and Avery Ashley.
2ND Place: Bennett Slaughter, Gharron Sheffield, Koen Kramer, Trent Rucker and Tyler Call.
3RD Place: Hunter Kight, Nick Garcia, Mathias Alling and Jordan Mayberry.
Great Job Leopards!!
The WSMS wrestlers take on Princeton in dual format this Wednesday at Sloan Creek. Wrestling starts at 5:00pm.
Golf Parent Meeting
All 8th grade students interested in participating in
high school golf
in 9th grade are invited to attend an informational golf meeting Jan 18th, at 6:30 PM,in the WSMS cafeteria. All those with 8th grade students interested in playing high school golf will benefit from the meeting.
Topics that will be covered include:
1. What makes a high school team, how many teams, how many on a team?
2. What kind of time does high school golf require?
3. Lessons/clinics (Who, Where, Cost)
4. Playing junior tournaments
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Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
2017 Annual Appeal Ends December 31
As the end of the calendar year approaches, the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools would like to say thank you for your generosity to the annual appeal campaign. We have received donations from 542 donors totaling $177,977. This is just shy of our goal of $200,000 and 650 donors. If you have not yet donated or you wish to make a final end of year tax-deductible donation, please
click here
. Without you, we could not carry out our mission to enhance the educational experience for Lovejoy students and staff.
Lovejoy Ladies' Night Out
Join us for a Lovejoy Ladies' Night Out to raise funds to award grants to Lovejoy ISD. The event will be held on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, at Cross Creek Ranch in Parker. This event sold out last year.
Tickets go on sale Friday, December 1st at 10:00 AM.
For pricing and ticket information,
click here
or contact Cindy Booker at 469.742.8043.
Give to the Foundation via AmazonSmile
If you plan on purchasing items from Amazon.com, please consider visiting Amazon Smile. Amazon established AmazonSmile to give back 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to charitable organizations. When you are ready to shop, log in to your Amazon account by visiting the
AmazonSmile
website for the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools. Once you have logged in, you will have access to the same products, same prices and same service you find at amazon.com. Thank you for your support of the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools.
LHS Collecting Donations for Coats for Kids
Lovejoy High School is collecting donations to buy coats for S.M. Wright's Christmas in the Park Event. The purpose is to provide funding and resources for underprivileged children and families through the nonprofit organization For Kids Foundation. Every $15 donated will provide a child in the Dallas area with a new coat. This is a great opportunity for everyone to give back this Christmas. You may
click here
to donate.
SCIS Choir to Perform at Dallas Arboretum: December 11
The SCIS select Fifth Grade Choir, Sloan Creek Chorale, will be performing at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens on Monday, December 11th. This special holiday concert will be at 11:00 AM. Join student performers in the beautiful gardens at the famous "Twelve Days of Christmas" display and enjoy holiday cheer.
Orchestra Spirit Day: December 12
The Lovejoy Orchestra Spirit day/ night will be held at Pei Wei on Tuesday, December 12th from 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Please join the orchestra for a great combo of delicious food, good company, and support of the Lovejoy Orchestra. 20% of the proceeds will go to the Orchestra Booster Club. When you order please let them know you are with Lovejoy Orchestra. This includes dine in and take out at the Pei Wei located at 1008 West McDermott Drive in Allen.
Worthwhile Senior Project
LHS Senior John Treanor's Senior project will benefit the USO through in-kind donations. He will be placing boxes for collection at our 3 elementary schools and at Sloan Creek. He shared that he wants to serve in the Navy after college, and has always respected the men and women who serve our country. He plans to have the boxes out for collection by December 13th.
Click here
for a list of suggested donation items.
MySchoolBucks Convenience Fee
MySchoolBucks, the district's online meal prepayment program, has provided notification regarding an increase in the convenience fee paid by parents using the online payment feature. The fee will be increasing from $1.95 per payment to $2.49 per payment and will be effective as of December 11, 2017. This increase is the result of an increase in card scheme fees. The district does not receive any convenience fee funds from MySchoolBucks.
In light of the increase, the district contacted MySchoolBucks. They agreed to increase the maximum payment from $120 per deposit to $240 per deposit. This payment deposit increase is effective immediately. You may contact MySchoolBucks directly by telephone at 855.832.5226 or via email at
[email protected]
.
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).
Lovejoy Lacrosse - Boys' and Girls' Teams Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for the boys' and girls' 2018 Spring season of Lovejoy Lacrosse. Join the most exciting, fastest-growing sport in the country.
Register now for Boys: Grades Kindergarten through High School
Register now for Girls: Grades Kindergarten through 8th grade
Hurry, as rosters are filling quickly!
Relay for Life Luminarias
Relay for Life is selling Luminarias for the Relay for Life event on April 6th at Lovejoy High School. Luminarias honor those whose lives have been affected by cancer. You may dedicate a Luminaria to a loved one who lost their battle with cancer, someone currently battling cancer, or anyone who has overcome cancer. When you attend the Relay event, you will see the Luminarias placed around the track, decorated with names and sometimes messages to whom they are dedicated. Luminarias are $10. If you would like to purchase one, please
click here
.
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