|
Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - February 1, 2018
|
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 Parents and Guardians,
Registration season is in full swing 2017-2018 school year. Our 7th grade students have officially begun their transition to 8th grade, and our 8th grade students visited the high school last week and will be receiving information course offerings in the next two weeks. Please see registration timeline below for important dates. During the month of February, please spend some time with your student to support him or her with the course selection process. These registration decisions help us develop our master schedule as well as identify our staffing needs for the upcoming school year.
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Kent Messer
Principal
|
WSMS Cheer Meeting - Thursday, February 1
If your son/daughter is interested in signing up for WSMS Cheer next year, please meet us in the Willow Springs Middle School Library tonight at 5:30. We will be discussing the student requirements, grading system, tryouts, and financial requirements for the 2018-2019 school year. If you cannot make tonight's meeting, please email Coach Moore at
[email protected]
to receive the PowerPoint and updated cheerleading information packet.
Early Release - Friday, February 2
Friday, February 2 is an early release day for our students and they will be dismissed at 12:50 p.m. Students will visit all 8 periods and each class will have meaningful instruction. Please go
here
for the bell schedule.
The front office will close at 1:30 p.m. For assistance after 1:30 p.m., please call the administration building at 469-742-8000.
Club Day - Online Registration Begins Friday, February 2
This spring, WSMS will host four Club Days during the school day! Teachers and staff sponsor these non-academic clubs. Students will sign-up online and commit to one club this semester. Club Day registration links will open at 4:00 pm Friday, February 2 and close 4:00 pm Monday, February 5. Sign up as soon as you can as most clubs are limited in size. On Friday, students will be instructed on how to locate the complete listing of clubs and how to sign-up for clubs. For a complete listing of WSMS club descriptions,
click here.
Please contact Kathy Stone at 469-742-8423 with Club Day questions or concerns.
WSMS Yearbook Extended Sales - deadline is February 2
The deadline to pre-order a yearbook for your child is February 2. We will need to give our yearbook order number total to our publisher and need an accurate sales count so please do not miss this deadline. We cannot guarantee your child a yearbook if you miss the February 2 order deadline. To preorder a book, please click here.
2018-2019 Registration Meetings
WSMS counselors met with rising 7th and 8th grade parents this past Tuesday, and they have met with rising 7th and 8th grade students to discuss registration for the 2018-2019 school year.
In the next two weeks, our counselors will meet will meet with students to register them for their elective course selections. Please be aware of the following dates:
SCIS On Line Registration for current 6th graders: February 8th and 9th @ SCIS
WSMS On Line Registration for current 7th graders: February 12th & 13th @ WSMS
LHS Registration Presentations
Parents of current 8th graders: At LHS, February 12, in the evening, 6pm - 8pm
Parents and current 8th graders: LHS Elective Showcase, February 12, Immediately following meeting
Counselors from WSMS and LHS will be meeting with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to discuss registration during the school day.
For a complete registration timeline, please click
here
.
NJHS Meeting - Wednesday, February 14
The next NJHS meeting is Wednesday, February 14 at either 8:15 a.m. or 4:05 p.m. in room C104. Students need to bring current grades from Power School.
"Engaged in a Healthy Lifestyle" Suicide Prevention Parent Presentation - February 20
We will have a parent preview of our "Engaged in a Healthy Lifestyle" / Suicide Prevention program after the 9:45am general PTA meeting on Tuesday, February 20th in the WSMS aux gym.
WSMS One Act Play - Feb. 21, 22, 28 & March 1 - I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY by Celeste Raspanti
This Holocaust play centers around Raja, one of the children who survived Terezin, and the other children trapped in the Ghetto. A memory play, Raja recalls the events that led her to be the confident woman she is now. This play was based off true stories of these children's lives, based on actual drawings and poems that were buried in hopes of someone finding them after the war.
SHOW TIME: 7:00 pm
DATES: Feb. 21, 22, 28 and Mar 1
TICKETS: $5 for students, $7 for adults
LOCATION: WSMS Cafetorium
This 40 minute DRAMA, is our UIL competition piece for One Act Play, on March 3 in Grand Prairie
Each night at our home show there will be a guest critic to provide feedback for the cast. Audience is welcome to stay, but may leave after the performance if they choose.
Academic UIL
Academic UIL contest is three weeks away! Teams are practicing, but it is not too late to participate. 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. (
Click here
for the schedule of events.) Currently, we need participants in spelling (7th grade) math, dictionary skills and 8th grade maps, graphs, and charts. Please see the coach of any event you are interested in and remember that you can compete in multiple events.
If your child will be competing at the UIL competition,
click here
for information about Saturday's lunch option and t-shirts! The deadline to order a shirt and/or lunch is Feb. 2!
Important note: The contest is February 23-24, 2018. The contest location is Coppell Middle School North, 120 Natches Trace, Coppell, TX 75019.
Please
click here
for the Academic UIL contest descriptions.
"Engaged in a Healthy Lifestyle" Suicide Prevention Student Presentations - February 27 & 28
We
will present "Engaged in a Healthy Lifestyle" / Suicide Prevention information to WSMS students on Tuesday February 27th and Wednesday February 28th through 7th period classes. If you have any questions or concerns about this presentation please contact WSMS counselors, Kay Bordelon at 469-742-8424 or Kathy Stone at 469-742-8423.
|
|
Campus Information and Reminders
|
Winter Illness
Due to the alarmingly high number of Flu cases being seen in Dallas and surrounding communities, we just wanted to remind you of the District Policies about students attending school with illnesses. Students MUST STAY HOME from school if they have experienced vomiting, diarrhea, or a fever of 100.0 or higher in the last 24 hours, without the use of medications to lower the fever, or stop the vomiting or diarrhea. This will help prevent the spread of illnesses to other students and staff as well as prevent your own child from contracting another illness since their immune system is already still low and trying to recover from their previous illness. Please read the attached letter about Flu from the CDC by clicking HERE.
Student Attendance
One of our focus areas for this year is to increase our student and teacher daily attendance on campus. Research shows that the more students are in class with their teacher, the more they will learn over the course of the school year. The more students learn, the more success and confidence they will have in middle school. To promote this, we will be recognizing students and staff who have perfect attendance during each six weeks. Please assist us by working with your son or daughter to ensure they are getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet, and are taking care of themselves overall. In addition, our new state accountability system uses student attendance as criteria for evaluating the performance of schools. We also receive state funding based on our "Average Daily Attendance" of students that are present after 10:00 AM. As you begin to plan out of town trips this spring, please consider keeping your children in school through the Friday before each break. Let's work together to encourage our students to be in class every day.
2
rd
Nine-Weeks Student Perfect Attendance
First Semester Student Perfect Attendance
Coding Clubs at Willow Springs - Dates Have Changed!
Does your student enjoy technology? Do they gravitate to computers? Willow Springs and UT Dallas are partnering to bring Computer Coding Clubs to our campus. Spring dates have changed to allow more students to sign up.
Classes will now begin January 31st
. WSMS coding clubs are held on Wednesday afternoons from 4-5. Please
click here
for more information and registration.
If you are interested in UT Dallas spring break or summer coding camps, please click here.
AIM for Success Student Survey Results
On December 4th & 5th, WSMS students attended the AIM for Success - Freedom to Succeed program. The presentation provided the legal definition of sex and explained laws dealing with with such issues as child support, under age sex, sexual harassment and sexual activity while under the influence of of drugs and alcohol. The speakers encouraged students to abstain from sex until marriage so they could have an easier time reaching their goals and dreams. At the end of the presentation students took an anonymous survey. The survey compares WSMS Students with other students across the country who have also participated in the program.
To see the results of the survey
click here.
If you have any question or concerns, please feel free to contact WSMS counselors, Kathy Stone or Kay Bordelon.
Save the Date: STAAR Testing This Spring
|
Date
|
Event
|
Who?
|
|
|
|
|
Tues. April 10
|
Grade 7 Writing STAAR
|
All 7
th
Grade
|
|
Grade 8 Math STAAR
|
8
th
Grade Pre-Alg
8
th
Grade Geometry
|
|
Grade 8 EOC Rotations
|
8
th
Grade Algebra
|
|
Wed. April 11
|
Grade 8 Reading STAAR
|
All 8
th
Grade
|
|
Grade 7 - Regular Class Day
|
All 7
th
Grade
|
|
|
|
|
May 7 - May 11
|
STAAR Algebra EOC Exam
|
7
th
Grade GT Math
8
th
Grade Algebra
|
|
Mon. May 14
|
Grade 7 Math STAAR
Grade 8 Math STARR Retest
|
All 7
th
Grade (except GT Math)
|
|
Grade 7 GT Math Rotations
|
7
th
Grade GT Math
|
|
Grade 8 FitnessGram
|
All 8
th
Grade
|
|
Tues. May 15
|
Grade 7 Reading STAAR
Grade 8 Reading STAAR Retest
|
All 7
th
Grade
|
|
Grade 8 Sci/SS Rotations
|
All 8
th
Grade
|
|
Wed. May 16
|
Grade 7 FitnessGram
|
All 7
th
Grade
|
|
Grade 8 Science STAAR
|
All 8
th
Grade
|
|
Thurs. May 17
|
Grade 8 Soc. Studies STAAR
|
All 8
th
Grade
|
|
Grade 7 - Regular Class Day
|
All 7
th
Grade
|
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
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.
|
Cold Weather Reminder
Parents please remind your student-athlete to bring warm clothing for athletics. Off-season in particular will practice outside if the temperature is above thirty-two degrees.
Middle School Wrestling State Championship Results:
Our middle school men and women competed in the middle school state championships in Southlake this past weekend. We had 34 men, six women compete, and we were able to bring home 12 state placers, which is a new record for our program!!
Our men's team placed 4th out of 30 teams!! Our women's team finished second out of 12 teams! Congrats to all of our wrestlers and thank you to all of our parents who came out to support!
The men were led by a strong 3rd place finish from 8th grader, Will Adams. Adams' only loss of the season came to the eventual state champion. The women were led by a pair of state champions, 8th grader Ella Mussleman and 7th grader Brindley Eaton. Musselman wins her first state title after finishing as a runner-up a year ago! Eaton's championship makes it two years in a row, the first ever Lovejoy female to win back-to-back titles, and puts her in position to wrestle for an unprecedented third straight title in 2019!
Our individual state placers were:
6th: Gavin Chaisson
5th: Jakobi Edwards
4th: Elle Foster, Trent Rucker, Anthony Lapenshon, Brian Kotecki
3rd: Will Adams
2nd: Eva Underwood, Avery Ashley, Amiya Calicutt
State champions- Ella Musselman, Brindley Eaton
For complete results from this event, please click on the link below:
You can then click on either the boys or girls division and look for all results.
Basketball News
Girls 7th Basketball vs Allen Ford
A team - Lost
B team - Won
C team - Won
Boys 7th Grade vs Allen Ford
A team - Lost in overtime
B team - Won
C team - Won
Girls 8th Grade vs Wylie Cooper
A team - Won
B team - Lost
C team - Lost
Boys 8th Grade vs Wylie Cooper
A team - Lost
B team - Won
C team - Won
Basketball Tournament Results
Girls
The 7th grade Leopards C-Team fought hard, never gave up, and fell short in the semi-finals of the District Tournament. The first round, they came away with a win of 20 to 2 against Royse City, and then fell short to Allen Ereckson with a score of 25-20.
The 8th grade C team fought a hard battle Friday night in their District Tournament. Between sickness and other complication we had 7 players to play with. The girls fought like troopers from beginning to end against Utley. The final score was Lady Leopards 16 and Utley 19.
Boys
The 7th grade C team won their first game against Allen Curtis. The game remained close until the 4th quarter, where the Leopards used their defensive pressure to take control of the game and pull away for a 34-27 victory. In the semifinal game, the Leopards played a tough Allen Ereckson team, who forced overtime in the first meeting. This game was similar. Both teams exchanged leads in a back and forth game but in the end, Ereckson proved to be too much and the Leopards lost by a score of 33-28.
The 8th grace C team made it to the finals losing to Rockwall Utley by 10 points
Parent Meeting for WSMS Track and Field - Tuesday, February 6th
There will be a parent meeting for the WSMS TRACK AND FIELD team (both boys and girls) on Tuesday, February 6th from 7:15 pm - 8:00 pm in the Willow Springs Cafeteria. If your child is interested in participating in Track and Field this spring, it is very important that you attend this meeting. Please email Coach Carly Littlefield [email protected] with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
Lovejoy Golf Meeting
Informational golf meeting Mar 7th, at 6:30 PM, at WSMS library. All those with students interested in playing high school golf will benefit from the meeting. This includes grades 5-8.
Topics covered will 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
|
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
Taste of Fairview - March 2nd
Back by popular demand, the 3rd Annual Taste of Fairview will be presented by Estate Life Magazine in partnership with the Allen Fairview Chamber, Heritage Ranch Golf and Country Club, and the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools.
What: 3rd Annual Taste of Fairview with over 30 local restaurants, wine and spirits
Where: Heritage Ranch Golf and Country Club
When: Friday, March 2nd at 6:00 PM
Why: All ticket sales donated to the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
Last year's event was a sell-out, with more than 500 attendees helping to raise more than $17,000 for the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools.
This year's goal is the same: great food and great people coming together for an incredible evening benefiting Lovejoy schools.
For more details and to purchase tickets please visit
www.tasteoffairview.com
Denim and Diamonds - Lone Starry Night
Preparations for the Foundation for Lovejoy School's Denim and Diamonds Gala and Auction are underway and we need your help to make this event a success.
Click here
for complete details regarding the different ways you may help.
Raffle Tickets
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools will host a raffle for Denim and Diamonds with three drawings for the following prizes:
·
EZ GO Golf Cart - 2010 completely customized and refurbished - value $5,000
·
$2,500 VISA gift card, donated by Owens Realtors
·
Arcade Game Table - value $4,400
Raffle tickets are $100 and only 500 tickets will be sold. A drawing will be held for each item, giving each ticket a chance to win one of these prizes. The winners will be drawn at the Denim and Diamonds Gala. You do not need to be present to win.
Click here
for additional information. Tickets may be purchased from any
Foundation Director
, via the
Foundation's website
, or at the Lovejoy ISD Administration Building.
Exciting New Online Auction Item
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools' online auction this year will be replacing Class Masterpieces with individual Grade Level Spring Fling Socials. Don't miss your chance to get a ticket when the online auction goes live on February 27th.
Things to Know:
*
Spring Fling Socials will be for grades K-4
*
K-3 Spring Fling Socials will take place in gyms at Hart, Lovejoy, and Puster Elementary schools
*
4th graders from all elementary campuses will be combined at Sloan Creek Intermediate gym
*
You will be able to buy a $20 ticket per child for attendance
Stay tuned...additional information will be coming to you from your grade level coordinator regarding Spring Fling Social dates and times.
Annual Appeal
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools would like to say thank you to the community for your generous support of the Annual Appeal giving campaign. As of December 31, 2017 the campaign raised $211,280 from 577 donors.
Without you, we could not carry out our mission to enhance the educational experience for Lovejoy students and staff.
Parents and Students Invited to Attend Food Show - February 2nd
This Friday, February 2nd, Lovejoy Student Nutrition Services will be holding a food show in the Sloan Creek Intermediate School cafeteria from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Students and parents from all schools are invited to stop by and visit our food vendor booths to sample new foods and help select new items for the school lunch menus.
Orchestra Night at Palio's - February 6th
You are invited to the Lovejoy Orchestra for Spirit night at Palio's Pizza Café on
Tuesday, February 6th from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM.
Please join the Orchestra for a great combo of delicious food and good company in support of the Lovejoy Orchestra. 15% of the proceeds will benefit the Orchestra Booster Club. When you order, please let the cashier know you are with the Lovejoy Orchestra. This includes both dine-in and take-out. The Orchestra hopes to see you there. (Palio's is located at 431 E. Stacy Road, Fairview.)
Gifted and Talented Referrals for 2018-2019
The referral window for gifted and talented services opens February 1st for students in grades 1-12. The window will remain open through March 31, 2018.
Click here
for the referral forms located online in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. All referrals must be completed in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. A line is included to type the name of the individual referring the student (parent, teacher, other educator, or student).
Testing is scheduled for Saturday, April 14th and 28th.
For questions regarding referrals, please contact Kari Lockhart (469.742.8015) or
Brie Smith
(469.742.8032).
Fundraiser for Allen Community Outreach (ACO)
Please join Lovejoy Elementary 4th graders
Jocelyn Chapman
and
Lauren Perry
for the kickoff event of their business Motive8, featuring handmade jewelry and t-shirts with motivational messages. These budding entrepreneurs are also philanthropists, as they will be donating all proceeds from this event to Allen Community Outreach. The event will be held on Friday, February 2nd from 4:30 - 7:00 PM at 2800 Bauer Court, Lucas. For more information please text Sandra Chapman at 469.371.0204.
Young Men's Service League
You are invited to The Lovejoy Chapter of the Young Men's Service League (YMSL) annual informational meeting on Monday, February 5, 2018 at 6:30pm at Creekwood United Methodist Church, 261 Country Club Road, Allen. The meeting will be held in the church sanctuary. YMSL is a service organization in which incoming 9th grade boys (current 8
th
grade boys) join with their mothers. Come learn about the opportunities that this fantastic organization has to offer. You will learn about membership and its requirements.
Please feel free to contact Nikki Winniford, VP Membership, if you have any questions at [email protected] or at 214.926.9772 or Laura Barr, VP Membership Elect, at [email protected] or 214.668.1068.
Volunteers Needed for the Frisco College Baseball Classic
The Frisco College Baseball Classic is returning to the Dr. Pepper Stadium, March 2nd - 4th. Texas A&M, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, and Cal Berkeley will be playing in a round robin tournament.
The Frisco College Baseball Classic is partnering with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for this event and is looking for volunteers to help throughout the weekend. Students in grades 8 - 12 may click here to register to volunteer.
Relay for Life Luminarias
Relay for Life is an annual event which will be held at Willow Springs Middle School to raise awareness of cancer and to donate to cancer research. This year's initiative is to bring the Lovejoy community together as a whole to promote a sense of unity and caring. We hope you will save the date of April 6th and join us for Relay for Life.
Relay for Life Dinner
A dinner in honor of survivors, caregivers, and their families will be held in conjunction with the Relay for Life event. If this applies to you or to someone you know, please RSVP to
Katherine Guo
.
Relay for Life Stories to Share
The high school Relay for Life committee is also organizing a tribute to those who have been affected by cancer. If you have a story to share, please contact
Katherine Guo
.
Relay for Life Gallery Wall Opportunity
To encourage participation of students at the elementary and intermediate school levels, the LHS Relay for Life organizers are hosting a coloring page activity. Students may
click here
to print the coloring page and decorate it as creatively as they can. They may then turn the page into the receptionist desk at their campus to receive a pencil, sticker or other prize. The event organizers will use all coloring pages to create a gallery wall for the event, which will represent loving support for those whose lives have been affected by cancer.
Relay for Life Luminarias
Relay for Life is selling Luminarias for the Relay for Life event on April 6th at Willow Springs Middle School. Luminarias honor those whose lives have been affected by cancer. You may dedicate a Luminaria to loved ones who lost their battles 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
.
|
|
STAY CONNECTED
|
|
|
|
|
