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Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - January 12, 2021
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Dear WSMS Parents and Guardians,
I understand that our students (and staff) had high hopes for a snow day on Monday. Although we didn't get as much as they would have liked, it was really nice to see our "once a year" winter precipitation on Sunday. It's always great to get some snow in North Texas.
As a reminder, next Monday is a student/staff holiday as we observe the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. I would also like to update you on our annual Career Day. Due to the circumstances, we will move this event to a virtual setting and push the date later into this Spring. More details to come.
January is recognized as school board appreciation month. Our school board gives generously of their time to make difficult decisions for our district. I can tell you first hand that our trustees always have their eye on the target and that is the kids of this district. Each campus gets the privilege of recognizing an individual trustee each year. This year WSMS has the honor of showing Jeff Wood how much we appreciate the work he does for us. After spending some time with Jeff over the past week, it is very apparent to me that Jeff's heart is in the leadership he provides the district. He is passionate about Lovejoy and is driven by values that will propel this district to continue its excellence. A very big "Thank you!" to Jeff and all of our LISD Board of Trustees!
Have a great week!
Kevin
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NEW! School Board Appreciation Month
January is National School Board Appreciation Month. This year in Lovejoy ISD, each campus will be recognizing one of our school board members for the entire month of January. WSMS is so excited to honor LISD school trustee Jeff Wood.
Jeff was appointed to the Lovejoy Board of Trustees, Position 3 on August 24, 2020. He received a bachelors of business administration from Baylor University in 1997, and a juris doctorate from Texas Tech University School of Law in December of 1999. Mr. Wood was licensed to practice law in Texas in May of 2000, and has been practicing primarily in the area of civil litigation for 20 years. He is currently a partner at the Dallas based law firm of Steed, Dunnill, Reynolds, Bailey, Stephenson L.L.P. He was formerly an equity shareholder at Jones Carr McGoldrick L.L.P.
Mr. Wood and his family have lived in Lucas and supported Lovejoy since 2010. He has 3 children in the district: Jack- a 10th grader at Lovejoy High School; Parker- an 8th grader at Willow Springs Middle School, and Elizabeth- a 5th grader at Sloan Creek Intermediate School.
Mr. Wood has served on the board of directors for The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools since 2017, serving as the chair of the governance committee and also serving on the Men's Tailgate committee. He has served as the WSMS Committee Chair for the Lovejoy Gridiron Club and served as Game Day Volunteer Coordinator for WSMS games 2017-2018, and freshman games in 2019. He served on the Naming Rights/ Sponsorship Advisory Committee to the Lovejoy ISD Board of Trustees in 2018. In 2017, Mr. Wood answered the call to action to lobby on behalf of Lovejoy ISD during the 85th Texas Legislature Special Session to press state legislators for meaningful school finance reform in the face of a disturbing downward trend of state funding, and the resulting increased reliance on local tax revenue sources. Unfortunately, the proposed bill to overhaul public school finance was not passed in 2017. However, and with assistance from newly elected legislators, those efforts did eventually lead to the passage of HB 3 in 2019, which was a significant step forward in increasing state funds for all Lovejoy students, decreasing the disproportionate reliance on local taxes, and dramatically altering the impact of "recapture" funds that school districts such as Lovejoy were required to return to the state.
From 2010 through 2019, Mr. Wood served as a volunteer youth sports coach for Lovejoy students in organized, seasonal competitions including baseball, basketball, and both tackle and flag football. He also served as a volunteer coach for the 2023 and/or 2025 Lovejoy 7on7 teams between 2014 and 2019 in regional and state tournaments.
"I am excited and truly humbled to have the opportunity to serve our community as a member of the Lovejoy Board of Trustees during these unprecedented and challenging times. I understand that the true greatness of Lovejoy is found in the people who live, work and go to school within the district, and that behind every success, there are a great many people working together, sometimes behind the scenes, who contribute to that success. I am committed to supporting all the administrators, faculty, students, parents and volunteers that make Lovejoy such a special place."
Best today. Better tomorrow.
REMINDER! Attn: 7th Grade Families with Virtual Learners
In January, all 7th grade students take an Algebra Readiness Test. The results of this test will be used for upcoming registration and will give a recommendation for math placement in 8th grade. All 7th grade students, with the exception of current 7th Grade GT students, are required to take the test. Because the test is a standardized and timed test, all students must take the exam on campus.
The test will be given to 7th grade virtual students at WSMS on January 15th at 9:00 am and 1:30 pm. To ensure we are practicing social distancing, please sign up for the particular time you are interested in attending. Click here to sign up. If you have any questions about the upcoming test, please contact your child's counselor.
NEW! WSMS PTO Parent Presentation Series - Registration for 21-22
The second part of our parent presentation series, "How To Connect With Your Middle Schooler", will be next Friday, January 15 at 1:00 PM. This webinar will feature the WSMS counselors, Mrs. Stone and Mrs. Miller, along with Mrs. Cabrera, the lead counselor at Lovejoy High School. They will give you a road map for things to consider when discussing with your children what classes they want to register for in the 2021-2022. Please keep in mind that we will not speak to specific classes but give you a broad overview. Following this meeting, LHS and WSMS counselors will host parent registration meetings to speak more specifically about classes.
For those unable to attend, we will be posting a link to view the presentation on our website.
The link to join the webinar is:
Passcode: 691256
NEW! School Holiday - Monday, January 18
LISD will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
NEW! "Stop The Bleed" Student Training in the Spring
We had such an amazing response to this in the Fall, that we are bringing it back for the Spring. If your student was unable to attend one of the previous sessions, make sure you sign up soon.
This program is a difference maker and will allow students to possess a critical skill set that can be carried with them throughout their entire lives. Stop The Bleed training allows students to learn how to administer initial care in a life threatening situation to an injured individual.
Although this training is not mandatory for our students, we are required by state law (86RHB496) to offer it to all students in grade levels 7-12. If you choose to sign your child up for this free training, keep in mind they will be exposed to photographs of injured individuals that will contain severe injuries. Students will learn how to tend to laceration, broken bones, puncture wounds, etc. Students will also learn skills such as applying a tourniquet, applying pressure to injuries and bandaging an injured individual.
Our safety and security foundation is built on the "Force Multiply" concept. We believe in empowering our teachers, staff members, students, parents and community members with knowledge that can save lives!
If you would like to register your child for this training, please click on the link below. Each class is limited to 40 spots. The sessions will be led by LISD security personnel.
NEW! Group Photos - Thursday, January 28
Group photos day is Thursday, January 28 with retakes for students that are new or missed portrait day for the yearbook. Please have your child dress in the appropriate attire recommended by their teacher for group photos or for portraits individually.
NEW! WSMS Registration Coming Soon ~ Mark Your Calendars!
In just a few weeks, counselors will begin the registration process! Please click here for the WSMS Registration Timeline for current 6th and 7th graders. Registration information and dates will be coming soon for current 8th graders that will be entering high school next year.
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Campus Information and Reminders
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LISD Calendar
January Nutrition Newsletter
Click here to view this month's newsletter.
UPDATED! Pictures needed for the WSMS Yearbook
WSMS Rosette Yearbook would love to include in the yearbook any photos of WSMS students participating in the following ways:
1. Any holiday family time photos with the WSMS student in the picture
2. Any photo of the WSMS student such as playing a sport or performing in a club that is outside of WSMS school sponsored activities.
Please use the link to upload pictures for consideration in the 2021 yearbook! Please be specific in your explanation of the activity/event. Use the link below to upload your pictures and complete the fields of information:
You can also email or share photos in a Google folder to
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Tickets for WSMS Sporting Events
In order to control our environment as best we can, we are requiring attendees to pre-purchase tickets. The link to do this for the WSMS home games this week can be found here. All middle school football games will be played at the high school this year in order to increase capacity.
WSMS Basketball
7th Grade Basketball Results vs. Allen Ereckson
Girls
C Team - Won
B Team - Won
A Team - Won
Boys
C Team - Lost
B Team - Lost
A Team - Lost
8th Grade Basketball Results vs. Rockwall Cain
Girls
C Team - Won
B Team - Won
A Team - Won
Boys
C Team - Won
B Team - Won
A Team - Lost
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Community News
The Lovejoy ISD Community News Page includes news from our schools, programs, booster clubs, student organizations, Foundation for Lovejoy Schools, community and more. Check back often for up-to-date news on events and activities.
For the latest Athletic News, download the "Lovejoy Leopards Athletics" app.
For the latest Fine Arts News, follow @LovejoyArts on Twitter, or like them on Facebook at Lovejoy Arts.
LHS School Store Sale
Looking for some new Leopard gear to keep you warm this holiday season? Check out the Leopard Online Store for some BIG Holiday sales! With great new items and curbside pick up, you don't want to miss out on getting new Lovejoy gear! https://bit.ly/346RTKM
Chess Club Enthusiasts
This semester we will be offering our first ever Virtual Lovejoy Chess Club. Registration is going on now and we hope many of you can join us beginning in the Spring. For more information please visit our website. If you have any questions please email Miles Knight at [email protected]
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