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Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - September 20, 2018
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Dear WSMS Parents and Guardians,
As we wrap up the 5th week of school, I love seeing our students excel in a variety of school activities. Our volleyball and football seasons are underway and our theatre program has begun rehearsals for their fall musical. In addition, we will be inducting 104 eighth grade students into our National Junior Honor Society next Wednesday. It is a great time to be a Leopard. Hope to see our students at the Back to School Social tomorrow after school. Although some are always hesitant to come, they always have a great time once they are here. Please see below for more info.
Sincerely,
Kent Messer
Principal
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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!
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.
*8th Grade Parent pick up will be in the front of the school near the main entrance.
Activity Schedule - Tomorrow, 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.
Club Day -Tomorrow, September 21st
Tomorrow is Club Day and 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 the counseling office before bringing an animal to school. Students may leave their equipment for Guitar Club, Extreme and Remote Control Club in the front office.
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:
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.
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.
As of today, there are 299 students whose forms have NOT been updated.
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.
No Pass - No Play: Six Week Progress Report Grades
Next Week, September 28th, will be the last day for six week progress reports. Although we have moved to a nine week grading system this year, UIL requires all schools to check eligibility after the first six weeks and again at the end of the first grading period if it exceeds six weeks. Based on our district academic calendar, we will have two eight week grading periods in the fall. Our first grading period will end on Friday, October 14
th
. For a copy of the UIL eligibility calendar, please
click here
.
Picture Retakes - Tuesday, October 2
Picture retakes with Legacy Studio are Tuesday, October 2 for students that did not have their picture taken on August 31 or for students needing a retake. For parents who originally purchased a package and want their child to have a retake, please have your son or daughter bring those original photos with them on this retake day. Students who did not have their picture taken on August 31 may have their picture taken and a proof with order information will be sent home within two weeks.
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!
Your student could earn a $25 Cinemark card!
It's time for the annual WSMS Battle of the Books!
Please encourage your students to participate in this fun event. Student and teacher teams are already forming. Using books as ammunition, participants will go head-to-head in this epic battle that will test each competitor's knowledge of the 4 selected titles. Students may compete as individuals or as teams with up to 4 students per team.
The student champs will earn a $25 Cinemark card and will get to compete against our teacher teams to see who will be the Overall Grand Champions.
The EPIC battle will take place on Tuesday, November 13 , starting at 4:15 pm. Tell your students to stop by the library to get more details and to sign up a team.
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Campus Information and Reminders
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Safety Corner - Bullying Prevention Presentations to all WSMS Students
All WSMS students had the opportunity to experience Bullying Prevention this week. LHS students joined our WSMS counselors to educate students on the dangers and consequences of bullying and how to appropriately report bad behavior on and off campus. To view the PPT our students viewed, please
click here
. Please ask your student about the sticker they were given during the presentation.
WSMS Yearbook
Parents - Do you have great pictures of your student from last summer's vacation, staycation or mission trip? We would love to use your favorite one in the yearbook. Please email the picture with your student's name and a brief description to [email protected].
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
[email protected]
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:
-
-
Go to the Google Classroom to print off and complete the assignment and/or any test preparation materials
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Email their teacher and ask questions about the assignment or missing work
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Talk to their teacher about the missing assignment or test
-
Know how and where to turn in the assignment or complete the test
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Volleyball Results vs Rockwall Utley- September 13th
7th Grade
A Team - Won
B Team - Lost
C Team - Won
8th Grade
A Team - Won
B Team - Lost
C Team - Lost
Football Results - September 18th
7th Grade
Red - Won
Black - Lost
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
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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
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
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.
New! Senior Class Council - Collecting for Those Affected by Hurricane Florence
The Senior Class Council is accepting donations for those affected by Hurricane Florence. Collection boxes will be located in each school from September 19th - September 28th. Requested items include:
Deodorant
Diapers
Baby Wipes
Travel Size Shampoos/Conditioners
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Soap
Other Hygienic Items
The Senior Class Council thanks you for your support and for your assistance in helping those in serious need.
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 Youth Wrestling Club Registration/Information Meeting
Lovejoy wrestling is excited to announce the first ever Youth competitive team. The Lovejoy youth wrestling team is open to all boys and girls, grades K-6. We will be hosting an informational meeting at 7pm on September 25th at Sloan Creek in the wrestling room. For more information, please click to see the flier
here
. If you would like to be added to the email list, please click
here
.
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.
Leopard Friday, Friday, September 28th
The Lovejoy Independent School District will host a free community event on Friday, September 28th from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Leopard Friday.
On Leopard Friday, the Courtyard at Lovejoy High School will be transformed into a showcase of our students, clubs, community, and organizations. There truly is something for everyone, regardless of age. Join us for choir karaoke, the rubber duck game, baked goods, the opportunity to try multiple sports, and much more.
A community pep rally will be held at 6:00 PM in the Lovejoy High School Courtyard. All Leopard fans are invited to form a spirit line on the field prior to kick off.
Sonny Bryan's will cater a BBQ dinner. Tickets may be purchased via the
Online Payment Center
, or at the Lovejoy High School store. The ticket order deadline is September 26th. A small number of tickets will be sold at the door.
New! Senior Project - To Raise Funds for Autism
Zachary Taylor
, a senior at Lovejoy High School, is asking for your help with his senior project:
"Hi! My name is Zachary Taylor and I am a senior at Lovejoy High School. My senior project is on the topic of Autism. There are 2 events I would like to bring to your attention.
The first event is Leopard Friday on September 28th. I will have a table in the Lovejoy High School courtyard with information on Autism as well as selling the Autism Awareness ribbon for $1 each. All proceeds from this event will be donated to Autism Speaks. Their mission: "Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the lifespan, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions." More information can be found on
their website
.
The second event is the Autism Walk I will be participating in on Saturday, September 29th in Richardson. My goal is to raise $500 for the walk. Please consider donating to this great cause by c
licking here
. Please search for my name under the "Search for a participant" tab to ensure your donation is counted toward my goal of $500. If you would like to participate in this walk, you are welcome to join my team (Team Draeven) or create your own team.
Autism is on the rise. Together we can help work toward a great cause. Thank you for your time and donations."
Lovejoy High School Cheer
The Lovejoy High School Cheerleaders will host a Junior Leopards Mini Cheer Camp for ages 4 through 4th grade on October 20th. The Mini Cheerleaders will learn cheers, chants, and jumps to prepare for cheering at a Varsity football game. For detailed information, and to register, please click:
Junior Leopards Cheer Registration
.
The registration deadline is Monday, October 1st.
Lovejoy High School Majestics
The Lovejoy High School Majestics will host Evening with the Majestics on Friday, October 12th at the Pink Out football game for Lovejoy ISD students in grades kindergarten through 6th. The mini Majestics will learn a routine to perform on the field during the Pre-Game show. For detailed information, and to register, please click:
Evening with the Majestics Registration
.
The registration deadline is Wednesday, October 3, 2018.
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 [email protected] 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 [email protected].
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