SCIS Parent Message
#Be The Difference 
3.29.18
 
Parent Video Message
Principal's Message
SCIS Parents,

Thank you so much for a great week at SCIS.  I hope you will watch the following video above about the following: 
  • No School Tomorrow-3 day weekend.
  • 6th Grade Districts Assessments Next Week for Math and Science
  • Principal's Coffee, Friday, April 9th, @9:00 a.m. 
  • 5th Grade Parents- Don't forget to sign the form below for the puberty video we are planning on doing on April 27th, 2018.
With an Attitude of Gratitude, 
 
Ray Winkler
Principal
214.417.4660 

New SCIS Information
Yearbook Sales Extended to April 20, 2018
Yearbooks can be purchased from Jostens until April 20. The cost is $30
 
Volunteers needed at SCIS
Parents are needed to help administer small group tests at SCIS. A training to answer all your questions will be held from 7:45 to 8:15 on Monday, March 26th. Each week we send out a Google Form with dates and times for parents to sign up to help test. You can help as little or as much as your schedule allows. Some tests are during single block classes for about 45 minutes and other test are during double block classes for about 90 min. Typically you will have a group of 2 to 4 kids that you will read the test to. We appreciate your help and support! 

5th Grade - Growth and Development Video
Dear 5th grade Parents/Guardians:

As part of the health curriculum, the Always Changing film on Human Growth and Development will be shown to the 5th grade on April 27, 2018 at 2:00 pm during 9th period.

Boys and girls will be separated for the Growth and Development class. Mr. Winkler will talk with the boys and Tamara Pierce, the nurse at Sloan Creek, will assist with the girls. We will be available to answer questions and concerns from the students after the presentation of the film. We will only answer questions that have to do with the information from the film.

As the parent/guardian, you have the most important role in teaching your child about their growth and development. We encourage you to preview the videos that will be shown and learn more about how to talk to your child.
https://www.pgschoolprograms.com/Parents  Scroll down to the view the Always Changing-Boys or Always Changing-Girls (not the original version). Please take this opportunity to talk openly with your child.

Please fill out the online Google Form at
https://goo.gl/forms/q51KXFuE686bfWJh1.  If we do not receive a form from you by March 30, 2018, your child will NOT participate in the classes.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 469-742-8400.

Sincerely,

Tamara Pierce, RN                                       Amber Smith
School Nurse Counselor                              Counselor

ACTION ITEM: EACH 5TH GRADE PARENT NEEDS TO COMPLETE THE PERMISSION FORM HERE:

LHS and WSMS School Store Spring Sale
Don't miss the LHS and WSMS School Store Spring Sales. Save 50% on all in stock merchandise. Store hours are as follows:
 
LHS Store - Monday - Friday - 8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
WSMS Store - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - 11:15 AM - 1:15 PM

From The Nurse
Attention 6th grade parents:
There are two vaccinations required by the State of Texas for entry into the 7th grade. They are a Tdap (tetanus, diptheria and pertussis) booster and the Meningococcal vaccine. These vaccines are typically given at the 11 or 12 year old well child visit. If your student receives these two vaccines, please send a copy of the vaccination record to school with your student or fax it to  469-742-8401 . Your help is greatly appreciated, as it will make your transition to 7th grade much easier. 

Healthy Zone 
March  Newsletter

Student Nutrition 
March  Newsletter



SCIS Calendar of Events

March 30 Student Holiday
April 02 Yearbook Club 2:50 pm - 3:30 pm

Chess Club 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sloan Creek Chorale Reheaersal  3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
April 06 Principal's Coffee 9:00 am 
April 09 Chess Club  3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
April 10 5th Grade Math STAAR Closed Campus
April 11  5th Grade Reading STAAR Closed Campus
April 12 Sloan Creek Chorale Concert 6:30 pm
April 16 PTA General Meeting 10:30 am

Chess Club 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
April 18 Early Release 11:45 am
April 23 Chess Club 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
April 25 Student Lighthouse Meeting 2:50 pm - 4:30 pm
April 27 Growth and Development Video
April 30 Chess Club 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
May 01 6th Grade Orchestra Concert @ LHS 6:30 pm
May 04 Principal's Coffee 9:00 am
May 07 - 11 5th Grade Air Band  in class performance
May 07 Chess Club 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
May 14 6th Grade Math STAAR Closed Campus
May 15 6th Grade Reading STAAR Closed Campus
May 16 5th Grade Science STAAR Closed Campus
May 17-18 STAAR Retake
May 21-25  BOGO Book Fair
May 21 Student Lighthouse Leadership Presentation 6:30 pm 
May 22  6th Grade Band Competition NRH2O
May 22 6th Grade Orchestra Competition NRH2O
May 22 6th Grade Choir Rehearsal  3:15 pm
May 24 Art Field Trip
May 24 6th Grade Choir Concert @ WSMS 6:30 pm
May 25 6th Grade Choir Festival NRH2O
May 28 Student Holiday
May 29 5th Grade Award Ceremony 8:00 am
May 29 6th Grade Award Ceremony  12:45 pm
May 30-31 Hack-a-thon
June 01 Last Day of School/Early Release

Message from Sloan Creek PTA

District News

Firefighters Pancake Breakfast April 21st

BYOP® (Volleyball Spring Session)
Pre-Registration Ends March 30th
BYOP® Program Overview:   This training program is designed for any volleyball player, no matter what skill or ability level, as long as their goal is to become the best they can be. Parents must be fully dedicated to being actively involved in this program. BYOP® will provide excellent volleyball fundamental skills training, as well as life lessons to both player and parent.
 
BYOP® Program Details: Each training session will build upon a solid foundation of all fundamental skills needed to participate in the sport of volleyball. Parents must be engaged in every training session and involved in the home training program involving physical and skills activities.
 
Click here for full details regarding Session 1 and Session 2.

Summer Enrichment Camps
Online registration is now open for Summer Enrichment camps. Click here for a complete listing of camp offerings and additional information.



Town of Fairview Art Show Call for Artist Entries
The 2018 Fairview Art Show will be held April 28th and 29th in Fairview Town Center. The show will be open for public viewing from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM both days, with an artist reception and award show on Sunday.
 
Artwork will be judged by a featured juror and will include the following categories: adult artwork, adult photography, student photography, and four student artwork divisions (Early Elementary, Intermediate, Middle, and High School). The show will feature medals and cash prizes up to $2,000. 
 
Entry packets are due by April 11th. Click here for full details.

Sewing Camp
Join the fun at Summer Sewing Camps to be held at Willow Springs Middle School. Sewing Basics 101 teaches machine and tool basics while making a pillowcase and PJs. Sewing Skills Builder 201 continues to develop your skills with your choice of an individualized project. Choose 1, 2 or all 3 sessions, which will take place in June and July. To reserve your spot, email Louisekingtx@gmail.com. Hurry, as sessions will fill quickly. Click here for additional information and to learn more about the special 3rd week option: a t-shirt quilt.

Metroplex Aquatics Offers Swim Lessons

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).

Relay for Life: April 6
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.  

The Lovejoy Running Club
The Lovejoy Running Club will be meeting every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 6:00 PM near the Duck Pond at Celebration Park. All ages and ability levels are welcome to attend from novice walkers looking to shed a few pounds, to elite runners gearing up for the next race. If you have questions regarding the running program you may contact:mailto:  greg_christensen@lovejoyisd.net   P.S.  Dogs are welcome. 

Lovejoy ISD is adding text messaging capability to SchoolMessenger
The system we use for phone calls and email communications for information such as school closings due to inclement weather. SchoolMessenger will be configured to send text messages to your wireless phone number(s), with your approval. Please confirm we have your accurate wireless phone number in the PowerSchool Parent Portal and then opt-in to participate by following the directions below.
In order to receive messages from Lovejoy ISD or your student's school via SMS text we must have your wireless number(s) in SchoolMessenger and receive an "Opt-In Confirmation" from your wireless device.
You can easily opt-in by simply sending "Y" (or "Yes"), via text message, to our SchoolMessenger Short Code number 67587.
The wireless number(s) you enter into the PowerSchool Parent Portal are updated nightly. If you update your wireless number, or add a new number, in the PowerSchool Parent Portal, the new number will automatically be sent an Opt-In message.
To access the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please click here. If you have any questions, or if we may be of any assistance, please contact Stacey Dillon at 469.742.8003.

Kids 1st After School Program
Kids 1st is an after school program developed by Lovejoy ISD in order to provide quality, safe care for children at each of the elementary schools and also Sloan Creek. For information, please visit the Lovejoy ISD Kids 1st web page at:  Click Here

Lovejoy ISD Pre-Kindergarten
Registration for the Lovejoy ISD Pre-Kindergarten program is now open.  If you have a child who will be 4 years of age by September 1, 2017, you may now register him or her in this tuition-based program.   Click here to access the registration packet. 
We are looking forward to offering this new program featuring credentialed teachers who will provide a developmentally appropriate experience which will prepare our four year olds for Kindergarten.  We fully recognize a Pre-K program must be highly engaging and allow our children to explore their creativity. Enrichment opportunities in Art, Music, Library, and Fitness, as well as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) will be provided each week.  We are enthusiastic about this opportunity to provide a Lovejoy education for your youngest Leopards at Puster.  The Pre-K students will experience a rich learning environment which will provide them with a firm foundation for their K-12 Lovejoy experience.
You may  click here to review frequently asked questions.  For additional information, please contact Stacey Dillon at 469.742.8003 or by  email.
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools

Denim and Diamonds - Lone Starry Night April 7th
Through your generosity and support, the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools awarded grants totaling $451,100 to teachers for use in their classrooms this year. The Foundation is funded primarily from Annual Appeal and the Denim and Diamonds (D&D) Gala and Auction. The Foundation's goal this year is to cover D&D costs with sponsorships prior to the night of the event so all monies spent at the event go directly to fund classroom grants.
 
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools will host its 12th annual Denim and Diamonds Gala and Auction on Saturday, April 7, 2018, at the Marriott at Legacy Town Center in Plano. This year's theme is a Lone Starry Night. Foundation for Lovejoy Schools Chair, Carrie McClure and Co-Chair, Aimee Peay welcome you to a night featuring dinner, entertainment and live auctions.
 
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools will host a raffle for three great prizes, which includes:  
  • $2500 VISA gift card - donated by Owens Realtors
  •  EZ Go Golf cart - Completely Remodeled and Refurbished Model 2014 TXT-PDS with 2014 upbody with flip seating, new batteries, tires and LED head/tail lights. New factory-painted, flame-red body. EC Custom Carts - value $5,000
  •  Arcade Game Table - Designed like original arcade table from the 80s. Table can be customized, featuring officially licensed graphics of favorite College, Pro Team, etc. - value $4,400
Raffle tickets are $100. 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. You may purchase tickets from any Foundation director, via the Foundation's website, or at the LISD administration building. See the Foundation website for a list of directors or  click here  to purchase tickets online.
 
Tickets for the Gala are currently on sale for $135 each. The ticket price will increase to $150 beginning Friday, March 9th. This year, we will seat guests at tables of 12. For additional information, visit FoundationForLovejoySchools.org or contact Cindy Booker at cindy_booker@lovejoyisd.net or at 469.742.8043. Click here to purchase tickets to the gala. Ticket sales end on Friday, March 23rd.




SCIS Reminders
Attendance Information 
I often say that Sloan Creek is the bridge between the dependence of elementary school and the independence of the secondary school model.  One area that we want to continue to shine a bright light on for parent understanding  is the structure around secondary attendance procedures.
Starting at Sloan Creek and continuing through your child's years at Willow Springs and Lovejoy High School, attendance is recorded during each period of the day.  There is often some misunderstanding regarding the difference between attendance accounting for State funding and attendance accounting for State truancy.   For funding purposes, we report to the State how many students are in attendance at 10:00 a.m. each day.  For your child's truancy accounting, we count attendance in days or parts of days. If your child comes in late or is checked out early and does not have a written excuse from a doctor/dentist/orthodontist, this will accrue toward the truancy reporting. 
You will receive a letter requesting an attendance conference from our campus for the following two attendance situations:
  1. When students are absent more than three days or parts of days within any four-week period. 
     
  2. When students accrue 10 or more *absences in any six-month period.
As a reminder, unexcused absences (coded with an "A" in Powerschool) means that the school does know the reason for the absence. 
*We allow for students to have five parent notes/calls per semester without concern.  We code these first five as "PN" (Parent Note) or "PC" (Parent Call).  After the fifth PN/PC absence, parent notes and parent phone calls are coded "P5".  When a student has ten P5 absences, you will get a letter from the school requesting an attendance conference. 
Doctor's notes are excused absences and are coded "D" in power school and are excused absences. If you check your child out for a doctors appointment and bring them back the same day with a doctors note, we code this a "M" and is not considered an absence and does not count against perfect attendance. All other absences (PN/PC/P5/D) all count against a students perfect attendance record.
When your child is absent, we request that you e-mail or call Mrs. Lori Esser, our campus attendance clerk so that we have the most accurate coding of your child's absence. I have tasked her along with our campus teaching staff to account for each child's whereabouts for each period of the day. If you have a note from a doctor/dentist/orthodontist, you are welcome to e-mail the note or send it to school with your child upon their return.
We know that attendance can be a confusing subject. If you have any questions regarding how attendance is tracked, please feel free to contact our Ms. Esser, or Mrs. Underwood, or myself.
As always, you may monitor your student's attendance via the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
Ray Winkler. 

District Report Card
Dear Parent:
Sloan Creek Intermediate School is sharing this information about the district and your child's campus with you as part of its obligations under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).
Federal Report Cards for the state, the district, and each of the district's campuses are now available on the district's website at this link: https://scis.lovejoyisd.net/ or are also available on the Texas Education Agency's website at: https://tea.texas.gov/Finance_and_Grants/Grants/Federal_Report_Card/.
Information on these report cards includes:
Part I: Percent Tested and Student Achievement by Proficiency Level - Provides the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) performance results and participation for each subject area and grade level tested.
Participation reports also include reports of the participation of Children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) by assessment type.
Part II: Student Achievement and State Academic Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) - Provides the AMO outcomes and data table of STAAR performance results for each subject area tested in the accountability subset. This section also includes participation rates on STAAR for reading/English and mathematics, use of alternative assessments, plus four-year and five-year graduation rates.
Part III: Priority and Focus Schools - Priority schools are the lowest 5% of Title I served campuses based on performance in reading and mathematics and graduation rates. Focus schools are 10% of Title I served campuses, not already identified as priority schools, that have the widest gaps between student group performance and safeguard targets.
Part IV: Teacher Quality Data - Provides information on teacher quality in three parts.
Part A - Percent of Teachers by Highest Degree Held - Professional qualifications of all public elementary and secondary teachers in the Texas.
Part B and C - Teachers with Emergency/Provisional Credentials, Low Poverty/High Poverty Summary Reports - Percentage of all public elementary and secondary school teachers teaching with emergency or provisional credentials, disaggregated by high-poverty compared to low-poverty schools.
Part V: Graduates Enrolled in Texas Institution of Higher Education (IHE) - Provides the percentage of students who enroll and begin instruction at an institution of higher education in Texas during the school year (fall or spring semester) following high school graduation.
Part VI: Statewide National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Results - Provides most recent NAEP results for Texas showing reading and mathematics performance results and participation rates, disaggregated by student group.
If you have difficulty accessing the information from the website, hard copies of the reports are available at the district or campus office. If you have questions about the information, please contact Ray Winkler at  ray_winkler@lovejoyisd.net or 214-417-4660.

Lice Awareness
We want to alert you that there has been one or more cases of head lice at SICS over the last few months.  If there is a concern with your child, our school nurse will contact you directly.  If you need additional information and resources, you may visit the CDC's website at the following link:  https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/index.html 
 
Moreover, you may review the District's procedures for head lice on page 42 of the 2017-2018 Student Handbook, which states, in relevant part:

"If careful observation indicates a student has head lice, the school nurse will contact the student's parent to determine whether the child will need to be picked up from school, and to discuss a plan for treatment with FDA-approved medicated shampoo or cream rinse which may be purchased from any drug or grocery store. After the student has undergone one treatment, the parent should check in with the school nurse to discuss the treatment used. The nurse can also offer additional recommendations, including subsequent treatments and how to best get rid of lice and prevent their return."
 
Below is the link to the Handbook for your reference:
 
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns.

Tamara Pierce, 
School Nurse

REMIND 101: TEXT (TEACHER CODE) TO 81010

Cooper
@coopers5t
Drummond
@drummond5
McClintick
@emccli
Thornton
@fa62678
Turner
@8bd763
Bradshaw
@fg892e
Nash
@hf7dkc4
Rohlmeier
@rohlm
McTee
@4d938g4a
 
Reagan
@kc66kbk
Reagan - GT
@42886017
5th Math
@scis5t
Person
@df24f8
Casey
@22gg6d
Pomponio
@jpompo
Wojcik
@mrsgunderw
Anderson
@ha99cg8
Anderson -GT
@ecd1d
Underwood
@mrsunderw
Love
@gtela6
Chadwick
@mrschad
6th Math
@28e22k
Kuneman
@mrkuneman


FERPA and General Waivers
This must be done again every year via powerschool, 
It is, once again, time to complete the FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) and General Waiver forms electronically. Also, please take the time to verify that all other required forms have been completed. You can find these forms on line by:
1. Go to the LISD Website . 
2. Click on Parents, 
3. Power School Parent Portal
4. Input your user name and password
5. You should now be in PowerSchool. Click on the blue "Click here to access                       the Enrollment Packet Forms or to update student information."
6. There are multiple forms you can click to update, but the required forms are the two on       the bottom - "FERPA" and "General Waiver"
If you have any questions, please give Lori Esser  a call at 469-742-8400.

Student Absences
For your convenience when your student is absent, you may send an e-mail to our PEIMS clerk,  Lori Esser, that will serve as a parent note.You are also welcome to call us, but we will require something in writing as well to satisfy the requirement. If your child does receive a note from a doctor's visit, please do send that in as well.


WOULD YOU LIKE DAILY TEXT UPDATES FROM SCIS? 
Here are the 4 easy steps:
  
1. Send a text message to the number:40404
2. Type this message:Follow @sloancreekis
3. Send the message above to the 40404 number
4. You will receive a daily update/reminder about SCIS
 
EMAIL COMMUNICATION
Be sure to take a moment to sign up, on the Lovejoy ISD website, to receive Mr. Moore's as well as my weekly e-mails.   Click here to sign up

Google Classroom Email Summaries for Parents/ Guardians
Lovejoy has been sending invitations for Google Classroom email summaries for parents/guardians over the last week; however, Google is having some technical issues with the invitations to all parent/guardian email addresses. We continue to work with Google to resolve this problem. Please continue to watch for your invitation for Google Classroom email summaries.
 
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. 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


Volunteering at SCIS
Volunteer Applications Available 
The Online Volunteer Application for the 2017-2018 school year is now available. Please  click here access the application. Upon completion of the form, please be sure to click "Submit Application" located at the bottom of the page. You will receive a confirmation email that your application has been received. The online application is a secure link.
For the safety of our students, a criminal history record is obtained annually for every person interested in volunteering at an LISD campus.
Your interest in serving as a volunteer is appreciated. Please email  Gina Ellis if you have any questions.