A Message from the Principal
 
Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - September 13, 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 


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Dear WSMS Parents and Guardians,

It is hard to believe we have successfully completed our fourth week of school.  Over the past four weeks, our students have been very busy with academic and extracurricular activities.  Over the next few weeks, you will begin to see students bringing home more classwork to be completed outside of school, this also includes test reviews that students should complete in preparation for upcoming tests.  Next week we will have our first club day, our first principal's coffee, and our back to school social. We are in need of parent chaperones for our back to school social next Friday. Please see below for more details. Have a great weekend.






    
Sincerely,

Kent Messer
Principal
Willow Springs Middle School
1101 West Lucas Rd, Lucas 75002
Office: 469-742-8417
Mobile: 214-293-9938
@WSMSLovejoyISD
#wsmslovejoy

Student Spirit Shirts
As part of the WSMS student experience, we would like to offer a spirit shirt for all 7th and 8th grade students.  These will be shirts that students can wear to school, pep rallies, athletic events, and field trips. During campus field trips and community service events, we will ask students to wear their spirit shirt to identify them as a WSMS student.  Spirit shirts may purchased by clicking here . 7th grade shirts will be gray and 8th grade shirts will be red.   Deadline for shirt orders is September 15th.   Let's wear our WSMS spriit shirts to the first varsity home game and Leopard Friday, 9/28!!


Swim & Dive Booster Club Meeting - Thursday, September 13th
Swim and Dive Booster Club will be having a meeting for WSMS swim parents. This will be held at 7pm, in the cafeteria at Sloan Creek Intermediate School.


Willow Springs Yearbooks - Deadline for Discounted Price
Do you know what the spots on leopard is called? Answer: The spots on a leopard are called rosettes. In order for your child to be spotted in this year's yearbook, parents can order their child's 2018-2019 Willow Springs award-winning yearbook, Rosette, for a cost of $40.00 online now.  Yearbook orders are available to purchase online only by electronic check, Pay Pal, debit, or credit card. Order now, as the price goes up September 14 to be sure to guarantee your child is spotted in the Rosette yearbook. For more information, please click here .


Advocating for Yourself and Others/Bullying Prevention Presentations, September 18 & 19
According to StopBullying.gov , the school years most at risk for bullying are 4th through 8th grades. At WSMS, we are committed to preventing bullying behavior on our campus and teaching students to be strong advocates for themselves and others. On September 18th and September 19th, all students at WSMS will participate in an Advocacy / Bullying Prevention presentation. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your student's counselor: Kathy Stone , A-Le at 469-742-8423 or Kay Bordelon , Li-Z at 469-742-8424 .


Immunizations 7th Grade Students
If you have not done so already, please send a copy of your child's updatedshot record to our school nurse, Gretchen Young, before September 21st. It is a state requirement that all 7thgrade students must have had 2 required updated immunizations in order to attend school.
These required immunizations are:

  • TDaP booster (Tetanus booster)
  • Menactra (Meningococcal)

You may drop it off in person, send it through the mail to Willow Springs Middle School, 1101 West Lucas Road, Lucas, TX 75002, by fax at 469-742-8501 or email our nurse Gretchen Young.


Activity Schedule - Friday, September 21st
On Friday, September 21st, we will have Club Day. For a copy of the activity/advisory bell schedule for the day, please click here .


ParentPortal Update Needed by Friday, September 21st
The PowerSchool ParentPortal is now open for you to complete the online Enrollment & Student Information Forms. Please click here to access the Parent Portal. Completion of these forms is required every year for every student. Please take a few minutes to update your contact information, emergency contacts, authorized pickup, FERPA acknowledgments, Student Code of Conduct, Student Handbook, etc.
PLEASE NOTE: Regarding the Release of Directory Information for School Use:

In order for your child's picture to appear in the Yearbook, you should answer "YES".

IMPORTANT - Students and parents have a separate login/password for PowerSchool. Students should never have access to ParentPortal or use their parent login. If students were to access the ParentPortal on a school or public computer and not log out, family demographics as well as sibling's grades would be open for others to access. If you have any questions, you may contact Carol Vik at 469-742-8415.



Principal's Coffee - Friday, September 21st  
I would like to invite you to our upcoming Principal's Coffee, on Friday, September 21st at 9:00 a.m. The Principal's Coffee is a forum discussion for all 7th and 8th grade parents to visit with me about the middle school experience over a cup of coffee.

For our first principals coffee, Dr. Ray Levy will be our guest speaker.  Dr. Levy is clinical psychology who has extensive experience in working with and supporting middle school students and their families.  His topic for this presentation will focus how to better understand middle school students. This presentation will share parenting strategies to best support your middle school student through the emotional, physical, and intellectual changes of adolescence.    



WSMS Fall Back to School Social & Dance - Friday, September 21st
Our Fall Back to School Social and Dance will be Friday, September 21st from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at WSMS. We will have a DJ and music in the cafeteria as well as basketball and volleyball, in both gyms.  Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here, for $8 up until Thursday, Sept. 20th at 10pm.  Tickets will be $10 on the day of the social.

-Students are welcome to purchase snacks and water during the dance  
-Pizza, Chips, Sour Patch Kids, M&M's and bottled water will be available for students to purchase for $1.00  

Chaperones: We need at least 12 chaperones for this event to be able to offer all of the activities. Chaperoning is easy, very little work, and it's fun to watch the kids having a good time (they forget we are there). Please arrive by 4:15pm and plan to stay until the dance concludes.
**Please make sure you have completed your online volunteer clearance.**


To sign up to volunteer as a chaperone please  click here! Volunteer Application must have been completed and approved.

Please contact Jennifer Archer at jenniferparcher@hotmail.com with any questions.

Additional Dance Information
*This is not a date dance so middle school students will not need a date to attend.  
*Students will not need to change clothes or get into any special attire.  Students will wear what they will be wearing to school and must be in dress code.  
*After school athletics will only practice during 8th period so students can attend the social/dance.  Coaches will make adjustments to their schedules so practices are over by 4:15.
*This is for Willow Springs students only, students who attend a campus other than Willow Springs will not be allowed to enter.
*Once school is dismissed at 4:00, students staying for the dance will report to the Auxiliary Gym until the dance begins at 4:30.  
*Once students enter the dance, they will not be allowed to leave the building until 6:30 p.m. If your son or daughter needs to be picked up early, please come to the cafeteria doors in the courtyard to check your student out.
*7th Grade Parent pick up will be in the back of the school in the courtyard.


Career Day at WSMS!
How old were you when you decided what you wanted to be when you grew up?  What do you love about your career? What do you dislike? Do you enjoy sharing your experiences in your chosen career?  If the answer to the last question is YES, we want to invite you to share your career with WSMS students. On Friday, November 2nd from 9:30am to 12:50pm, WSMS will hold our 4 th annual Career Exploration Day.  This event is designed to provide students exposure to a wide variety of careers.  Face-to-face conversations and hands on investigation gives students the opportunity to consider careers in fields otherwise unknown.  We are looking for professionals in the following fields. This list is not exhaustive!


Advertising / Marketing
Agriculture
Architecture
The Arts - music, dance, theatre, visual arts
Automotive
Business
Computer Science
Construction
Culinary Arts
Data Science
Education
Engineering
Fashion
Government
IT
Journalism
Law
Media
Medical
Military
Nutrition
Research
Retail
Security
Science
Sports
Technology
Transportation
Veterinary

If you are interested in helping, please fill out the Career Exploration Presenter form here.  We look forward to seeing you on November 2nd!

Campus Information and Reminders
Safety Corner
Willow Springs Middle School is equipped with security cameras inside and outside the building. The interior cameras provide views of all hallways, gyms, and the cafeteria, while the exterior cameras provide views of the building periphery and entrances.  
 

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 during 2 nd period, which ends at 10:30 AM.  As you begin to plan out of town trips around Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break, 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.


Nine Week Report Cards
In an effort to "go green," we will not be mailing home report cards for the 2018- 2019 school year. Your student(s) will still receive a hard copy of their report card each nine weeks through their 7th period class. The report card will be printed on yellow paper for students to take home.

If you prefer to have a hard copy of your student's grade report mailed home each three or nine weeks, please contact please contact Carol Vik.


WSMS School Store
The WSMS Store will be open every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Stop by to get your school spirit gear!

If you are interested in volunteering in the school store this year, please email

Share Your Wisdom: Mentor a Student
You've learned life lessons and gained wisdom. Be a positive influence for teens and pre-teens in our own community. Become a mentor! Each year, Willow Springs administrators work with students and mentors to provide an understanding, impartial connection. Mentors share time and care, often simply listening and reflecting ideas for those young people who are facing various challenges. To learn more and/or volunteer email WSMS counselor Kathy Stone at kathy_stone@lovejoyisd.net or call 469-742-8423.


Reporting an Incident at WSMS
One of our top priorities at Willow Springs Middle School is to ensure the safety of all of our students.  Our most important asset in this is the eyes and ears our students can provide us on campus. We will begin using the Safe Schools Alert System this year for students and parents to report incidents they are aware of happening.  You can access the system by going to www.lovejoyisd.net .  Under Quick Links click on "REPORT IT!"  You will have four ways to submit an incident.  Furthermore, you will receive an access code to follow the progression of how an incident is being handled.  


Developing Student Ownership in Learning
One of our goals is to work with students to build ownership and responsibility in their own learning. Consider having your student make first contact with his/her teachers by emailing them about assignments and/or tests. For example, if your student has not completed a homework assignment or a test, please encourage your student to do the following:

  • Log into Power School to determine what test/assignment is missing.
  • Go to the Google Classroom to print off and complete the assignment and/or any test preparation materials
  • Email their teacher and ask questions about the assignment or missing work
  • Talk to their teacher about the missing assignment or test
  • Know how and where to turn in the assignment or complete the test

Student Nutrition and Cafeteria Accounts
For information about student breakfast and lunch accounts, and our student nutrition program, and free and reduced lunch, please click here.


LISD Calendar
Please go here for LISD calendars.




Athletics
Volleyball Results - September 6th
7th Grade
A Team - Won
B Team - Won
C Team - Won

8th Grade
A Team - Won
B Team - Won
C Team - Lost


Football Results - September 11th
7th Grade
Red - Won
Black - Won

8th Grade
Red - Won
Black - Lost


RUN-A-THON ---SAVE THE DATE!!! MONDAY, OCTOBER 15th
We are planning on having our first ever Run-a-thon at the middle school on October 15th!! Coach Kelly and I are still tossing ideas around... but we thought it would be really fun if we did this in an evening under the stadium lights around the track and had glow in the dark gear for the kids. We asked the kids about it, and they were pretty excited.  We will start the event at 7:30. There will be a cap of 25 laps (around 6.2 miles).Mark your calendar ASAP because I think it will be a blast for the kids!


Athletic Drop Off Before School
We know that mornings can be hectic, please help us with athletic drop-off in the morning by pulling forward as far as you can to keep the flow of traffic moving. Our goal is to unload 6-8 cars at a time in the courtyard, rather than just one. As you approach the courtyard, please continue to pull forward to the end of the metal awning to unload. This will allow cars behind you to move forward and unload 6-8 at time. Also, please remember that there are two drop off lanes in the morning to enable a steady flow of traffic. Thank you for your assistance with this to ensure everyone has a safe and smooth drop off. - Coach Quinton



WSMS PTA

Thank you to our wonderful WSMS PTA for hosting a magnificent anti-bullying presentation by Carolyn Brown to our staff and parents, as well as providing the pizza for our New Student Luncheon this week!
 
 
 
This week we welcomed, "Hey Dude, Nice Shoes" speaker, Carolyn Jennings Brown. She was a fantastic addition to our meeting and shared with parents active roles they can take to encourage our children to speak up when they see bullying and how power the word, STOP can be! Our kids are such a power resource to stop the epidemic of bullying and can be the change we need to see more kindness!
 
We hope you will join us September 21st at 9am in for Mr. Messer's Principal coffee and round table discussion with Dr. Ray Levy.
 
Volunteers needed! WSMS is in need of weekly volunteers to help with teacher copies, chaperone's for the upcoming school social and test readers in the CAT.  To see all the ways you can help and make a difference at WSMS access our volunteer calendar here or visit our website, https://ljwillowspringspta.wixsite.com/willowspringspta You can also contact our volunteer coordinator, Jennifer Archer at jenniferparcher@hotmail.com .
 
PTA Reflections- "Heroes Around Me"
WSMS PTA is excited to kick off another year of celebrating Arts in Education with participation in the National PTA Reflections Competition. All students are encouraged to get in touch with their inner artist by interpreting the 2018-2019 theme, "Heroes Around Me." Students may submit work(s) in dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, or visual arts. For rules and entry forms click here or visit the WSMS front office. Entries are due to the Willow Springs office by November 2nd. Please contact Nicole Dubree at nicolemdubree@gmail.com with any questions
 
 
To join the WSMS PTA today or donate to the Leopard drive please follow the link :   Willow Springs PTA Membership



District and Other News

Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
North Texas Giving Day
The Foundation for Lovejoy School's Annual Appeal, #WeLoveLovejoy, is underway.  Our goal is to raise $200,000 with remarkable community support and 100% Lovejoy family participation.  The Foundation Board of Directors asks you to join them in giving to the Foundation on North Texas Giving Day, Thursday, September 20th, from 6:00 AM - midnight.

Schedule Your Pledge to Give!
If you are unable to give on September 20th, you may schedule your gift during this year's 10 Days of Giving, from September 10th - 19th. Visit Northtexasgivingday.org for additional information regarding scheduling your gift, and donate.  Every gift, big or small, is valuable to the mission of enhancing education in Lovejoy.  Let's keep those campus thermometers rising!


Save the Date! - Men's Tailgate Tournament - Wednesday, October 24th
The Foundation's annual Men's Tailgate Tournament will be held on Wednesday, October 24th.  Save the date and join the Foundation for food, beer, and a double elimination corn hole tournament, guaranteeing all players two games. This is always an enjoyable evening. Registration and additional information will be provided soon. Please contact Laura Berend, Executive Director of the Foundation for additional information.





Volunteer Background Application Now Available
For the safety of our students, a criminal history record is obtained annually for every person interested in volunteering at a LISD campus. Upon completion of the background check, applicants will be notified of approval to volunteer.

Please click here to access the Online Volunteer Application. The online application is a secure link.

All information regarding volunteer applications received for the 2017-2018 school year has been deleted.  If you submitted an application prior to August 2018, you will need to complete another application.

Thank you for your assistance with this very important matter.  Your interest in serving as a volunteer is appreciated. Should you have any questions, or require assistance, please contact:

Stacey Dillon
Assistant to the Superintendent
469.742.8003
stacey_dillon@lovejoyisd.net



Google Classroom Email Summaries for Parents/ Guardians
In the next few days, you may receive an invitation to subscribe to summaries from your student's Google Classroom classes if your email address is in PowerSchool. As a parent/ guardian, you may receive email summaries showing your student's progress in Google Classroom. You may choose daily or weekly emails, and unsubscribe or remove yourself from Google Classroom anytime. Guardian summaries include missing work, upcoming work, and class activity. As a parent/ guardian, you must receive and accept an email invitation before you receive email summaries. If you accepted an invitation last year, you will have remained connected to your student and continued to receive email updates.  When accepting the invitation if you are logged into Google on the web browser, the Google account logged into will be accept the invitation instead of the email address the invitation was sent to. Please make sure you are not logged into a different Google account than the email was sent to when accepting the invitation. Following is a sample of the email invitation you may receive:



For additional information regarding Google Classroom email summaries for guardians, please click here .  If you have questions, please contact the Library Media Specialist for your campus:
Lovejoy High School
Willow Springs Middle School
Sloan Creek Intermediate School



Lovejoy Gifted Association Meet and Greet - Wednesday, September 19th
Are you interested in learning more about the Gifted and Talented program in Lovejoy? Click here for details regarding the Lovejoy Gifted Association Meet and Greet.


Tutoring and Test Prep Now Enrolling
ACT and PSAT/SAT classes will be starting soon. Private tutoring is available for students in grades K-12 in all subjects. Tutoring 101 recommends once a week tutoring for an hour to increase grades and learn subject matter more deeply. A once a week appointment usually results in an increase of 1 letter grade or more. Turn those C's into B's. Click here:    Tutoring 101@Lovejoy High School for additional information.


New! PTA Announces Reflections Contest - Heroes Around Me
Heroes don't always wear capes! The National PTA Reflections program encourages students of all ages and abilities to explore and be involved in the arts. Through the program, National PTA, Lovejoy Local and Council PTAs, and PTAs across the country urge students in preschool through grade 12 to create and submit original works. This year's contest theme is "Heroes Around Me".  We hope all Leopards will submit an entry in one or more of the following categories: Dance Choreography, Literature, Film Production, Photography, Visual Arts, and Music Composition - reflecting on the specific theme. There is a special artist division option for students with disabilities to ensure all students have the opportunity to participate in the program. Students are recognized each year for their artistic ingenuity to bring the theme to life in a way that is personal and meaningful. For rules and entry forms, click here .  The deadline is Friday, November 2nd.
  
Please contact Lindsay Thomas with questions.





Leopard Volleyball Elementary Night
Mark your calendars for September 14th, when the Varsity Volleyball team takes on 6A state champion Arlington, Martin.  During halftime we will recognize all elementary school students from Puster, Lovejoy, and Hart.



Girl Scout Troops Now Forming
New Girl Scout troops are forming for girls in K-12th grade - and you and your daughter are invited to join us to learn more about Girl Scouting. All Girl Scout activities are 100 percent girl-led and girl-focused. Join us for information events on Saturday, September 15th from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM at Bethany Lakes Park (731 Bethany Lake Blvd, Allen) or Monday, September 17th at 7:00 PM at Marion Elementary School (1595 Stablerun Drive, Allen) or contact us at serviceunit101@yahoo.com for additional information.





Lovejoy Softball Grand Slam Club Host Spirit Night - Thursday, September 20th
The Lovejoy Lady Leopard Softball Boosters are hosting a Lady Leopard Softball Night at Panera Restaurant on Thursday, September 20th from 4:00 - 8:00 PM. Bring the following flyer to Panera's for redemption and a portion of the bill will go to the Grand Slam Club.  Please come out, enjoy some great food, and help support our Lady Leopard's Softball Team.





Lovejoy Leopards, Inc. Annual Golf Tournament, Monday, September 24th
The 10th Annual Lovejoy Leopards, Inc. (LLI) Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, September 24th at "The Dye Course" at Stonebridge Country Club. This is a new tournament venue.  Registration opens at 7:00 AM. The tournament begins at 8:00 AM and the cost is $150 per player, which includes green fees, cart, gift bag and awards luncheon.

The Tournament is limited to 144 golfers.  Golfers should indicate the booster club they are playing in support of and LLI will return 90% of the net after expenses to that booster club.  Golfers may also purchase a Super Ticket for $50, which includes 10 raffle tickets and all games on the course. The deadline to register is September 17th. To obtain a registration form and pay online, golfers may access the LLI Golf Tournament Flyer by clicking here.


Red Out Homecoming Shirts - Available from LHS Band, Order Now!
Have you purchased your Red Out Homecoming Shirt?  Click  here for more information and a printable order form. The deadline to order is October 12, 2018.


Lovejoy Upper 90 Soccer Boosters Host Juggling-A-Thon - Saturday, October 13th
The Upper 90 Soccer Booster Club will host a "Juggling-A-Thon" to help raise money for the program.  Each Soccer player will have 30 minutes to get his or her highest number of consecutive ball touches.  Prior to this event, the players will be seeking sponsorships for the number of touches they complete during their 30-minute juggling drill.  Please help support our 2019 Boys and Girls Soccer program with a sponsorship.
For additional information, please contact:
Alex Duran, Head Boys Soccer Coach
Ian Keeble, Head Girls Soccer Coach
The team will perform their juggling drills for funds on Saturday, October 13th.  Additional information will be made available as the event nears.


Lovejoy Senior Requests Assistance with Senior Project
A message from Lovejoy Senior, Alexandra Brungardt:

"As an incoming senior, I have selected a project that is close to my heart. There is a "Toy Closet" at the Cancer Hospital from which patients can choose an item to help during their stay. I want to stock the Closet with as many toys as possible.  In order to purchase toys for the closet, donation bins will be placed at each of the schools and the red building. These bins will be collecting gently used Lovejoy Spirit Wear. Once collected, the spirit wear will be sold and the money used to buy Toys for the Closet.

The toys will be donated in memory of Walker Jack Rainey.

I can be reached at brungardt_alexandra@lovejoyisd.com with any comments or questions.  Thank you for your generosity."


3rd Annual Running Over Depression - Saturday, November 10th
Please join us for the 3rd Annual Running Over Depression Run on Saturday, November 10th at Lovejoy High School. The 1K Fun Run will begin at 8:00 AM and the 5K Run will begin at 8:30 AM at Leopard Stadium. Running Over Depression is an event being organized by Lovejoy Seniors Brett Pedersen , Michael O'Brien and Carson Hockersmith for their Senior Projects. The goal of this run is to raise awareness about teenage depression and suicide prevention. All proceeds from the run will be donated to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Please click here to register. If your business is interested in sponsoring Running Over Depression please email runningoverdepression@yahoo.com.