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Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - November 10, 2020
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Dear WSMS Parents and Guardians,
We have a lot to accomplish over the next few weeks as we finish up the 1st semester. The final exam schedule is posted below. Test reviews will be made available for students on December 6. The district will be opening up the window to change your child's learning environment beginning November 20. Be on the lookout for that communication.
The most important upcoming date, to our students anyway, is the rescheduling of Club Day. After looking at the calendar, one of the only days to do this is next Friday, November 20, which is the date we have chosen. We will also have at least two Club Days in the Spring semester as well.
I encourage you to look at your child's grades in PowerSchool. This week is progress report week and teachers have been asked to make sure grades are up to date. If students are missing work, we will be reaching out to them to clean up their grades and get their work turned in. The most important work we do at WSMS is to ensure that your children learn the content we are teaching them. Each child's motivation is different and we as educators must find the right button to push. That is the most satisfying part of our job and sometimes the most frustrating. Either way, we have to be successful. I'm glad we get to partner with you to achieve this.
If you are not aware, the district is using a new software called Aristotle. With the opportunity for students to learn virtually and the need for students to use computers in the classroom, this software allows teachers to monitor the work their class is doing while on the computer. During Final Exam Week, if you have a virtual student who is taking their test, we will ask them to turn their camera on so they are visible to the teacher. They will also be asked to use the Google Chrome browser and be logged in with their school credentials so teachers can monitor their test taking. On campus students will also be monitored using Aristotle if they are taking a computer based exam. We feel these steps uphold the integrity of the exam and ensure accurate data is being collected regardless if a child is virtual or in person.
Have a great week!
Kevin
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UPDATED! ParentPortal Update Needed
The PowerSchool ParentPortal is now open for you to complete the online Enrollment & Student Information Forms. As of today, there are 149 accounts that have not been updated. Please click here to access the Parent Portal. Parents will access the enrollment forms in their PowerSchool Parent Portal - left navigation panel - "Enrollment & Student Forms." Completion of these forms is required every year for each student in the family. Please take a few minutes to update your contact information and other forms.
REMINDER! NJHS Service Project: ACO Thanksgiving Box Drive, November 6 - 18
It's that time of year when giving just a little can change a needy family's entire holiday season. Willow Springs homeroom classes are partnering with NJHS to hold a Thanksgiving Box Drive for Allen Community Outreach. NJHS students will be working with 7th and 8th-grade homeroom classes to put together a Thanksgiving Box for needy families in our community. Each class will be assigned ONE item to bring, and the students may bring as many of that item as possible (The more the better) Allen Community outreach will combine the items to form a box that contains everything a family will need in order to cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The food drive will begin on November 6 and last until November 18.
In addition to canned goods, each homeroom will ask for one volunteer to provide a $15 dollar gift card to Kroger or Walmart for the purchase of the turkey.
LAST CALL! Lovejoy Letter Campaign: Now through November 13th
Lovejoy Family!! The 7th annual Lovejoy Letter Campaign for teachers and staff members has begun! Many of you are familiar with this beloved tradition, but for those of you who are not, it is the time of year when we write appreciation letters for each of our teachers and staff members across the district.
The letters do not have to be elaborate or lengthy. The goal is just for people to write a note of thanks to show appreciation to their teachers, the staff and administration in our district. It is the opportunity for us to take the time to let each person who makes a difference for us throughout the school day know how much we value them.
Please clearly label the envelope with the staff/teacher's name and LLC (Lovejoy Letter Campaign) and return the letter to the box located at a specified location of each campus no later than Friday November 13th. Please feel free to share this message as we spread the word about the campaign. We do not want to add any extra burden to our kids and parents, but we do want to share how much we appreciate our teachers and staff - especially this year in these very unusual times!
#shortandsweet #showappreciation
REMINDER! Attention 8TH GRADE PARENTS - Deadline for recognition ads, November 13th
8th grade yearbook recognition ads are also now on sale! The deadline is Friday 11-13. You can purchase and create your senior recognition ad online via the link below as well. Note all 8th grade recognition ads must be paid for and created online by Friday 11-13.
REMINDER! Yearbook Order Deadline for Discounted Price - November 13th
The last day to purchase your 2021 WSMS yearbook at the current price is Friday 11-13 at midnight. The price will go up at midnight on 11-13.
UPDATED! AIM for Success
This program will be offered again this year to WSMS students both in person and virtually on November 30 and December 1. The parent portion will be available for viewing online on November 18.
Aim for Success is a nonprofit, youth health education organization whose mission is "helping young people make healthy choices that will give them freedom to reach their dreams and goals". The program your students will be participating in this year is Aim for Success and focuses on "why wait for sexual activity". Topics included are teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and emotional hurts. Students in 7th-8th grade also receive information on contraception and "how far is too far".
The parent presentation will include the entire student presentation, and additional information for parents on how they can help reinforce the information at home. This link will go live on Wednesday, November 18th at 12:00 AM-11:59 PM. PLEASE NOTE: LINK WILL BE ACTIVE FOR THE DESIGNATED DATE AND TIME FRAME ONLY.
We are not able to reactivate links once the viewing time has passed.
1 - Aim for Success RECORDED Parent Program Available for viewing from 12:00 AM - 11:59 on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 7th-8th - RECORDED - AFS MS-HS Version Password: WillowS78SP Post Program Evaluation for Parents: If you would like your child to opt-out of this program in December, please contact Kathy Stone and/or Carey Miller.
REMINDER! "Stop The Bleed" Student Training
Welcome to the first ever Willow Springs "Stop The Bleed" training program. 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! Final Exams, December 14th-17th
For a copy of the fall semester final exam schedule, please click here.
Final exams will officially begin, Monday, December 14th. Teachers are expected to provide students with final exam reviews by Friday, December 7th. In addition, all final exam reviews will be loaded on the WSMS website on December 7th (under both student and parent) and teachers will upload exam reviews into their Google Classrooms. Please encourage your son or daughter to begin working on their final exam reviews early. As they begin to study, encourage them to study every night in short 15-20 minute increments rather than "cramming" the night before the test. Research shows that students who study in small chunks of time over a period of days are more successful on assessments.
We will be sending out more information about middle school final exams over the next two weeks.
NEW! 2020 All Region Band Contest Results
I am so excited to share with you the results of the 2020 All Region Band Contest. The following TWENTY Willow Springs Band members won spots in the All Region Band!
Atkinson, Jennifer, Flute, 11th chair
Born, Caleb, Clarinet, 5th chair
Cazares, Christian, Clarinet, 17th chair
Dillon, Emily, Clarinet, 9th chair
Dunleavy, Liam, Trombone, 1st chair
Kuhn, Jack, Trombone, 7th chair
Le, Ethan, Percussion, 6th chair
Li, Sofia, Flute, 7th chair
Moore, Cooper, Trombone, 6th chair
O'Brien, Joe, Trumpet, 1st chair
Palani, Paari, Horn, 8th chair
Phan, Adrian, Tenor Saxophone, 1st chair
Ratleff, Max, Percussion, 10th chair
Schnurr, Robert, Tuba, 5th chair
Sofia, Gabe, Horn, 7th chair
Van Rihn, Xander, Alto Saxophone, 8th chair
Varughese, Joshua, Bass Clarinet, 3rd chair
Wimbish, Aaron, Trumpet, 1st chair
Wood, Addison, Bass Clarinet, 6th chair
Zhang, Kevin, Flute, 1st chair
The following students won FIRST CHAIR positions in All Region!
Kevin Zhang, Flute
Adrian Phan, Tenor Saxophone
Joe O'Brien, Trumpet
Aaron Wimbish, Trumpet (There were two trumpet rooms and we had the first chair in both rooms!)
Liam Dunleavy, Trombone
We also had several students who missed it by one or two chairs! I am so incredibly proud of our students. Your hard work and dedication has paid off.
Though Willow Springs was one of the smaller schools entered in the contest, only one other school had more students make All Region Band than we did! We had more first chair positions than ANY other school! I am truly thrilled with the excellent work of all of our students! Every student who auditioned represented Lovejoy with honor. #lovejoyproud
Please join me in congratulating these students on this outstanding achievement!
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WSMS Career Day ~ SAVE THE DATE, February 11, 2021, 9:15 - 12:50pm
Come share your professional expertise with Willow Springs students! Each Career Day presenter will meet with groups of students in 20-30 minute presentations, sharing educational requirements, salary and travel expectations, future prospects, and what a "day in the life" is like in this career field.
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Campus Information and Reminders
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November Nutrition Newsletter
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. Summer fun
2. 1st day of school-virtual and/or face to face
3. My virtual learning environment-this can be pictures of the WSMS student in his/her favorite room or spot to participate in virtual learning.
4. Students participating in non-school activities like a club sport, horseback riding/jumping, 4H, cooking/crafts, or other activity that showcases your commitment to the activity
5. Halloween/Thanksgiving/Winter break celebrations/fun
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:
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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.
Football Results vs Allen Ford
8th Grade
Red Team - Lost
Black Team - Won
7th Grade
Red Team - Lost
Black Team - Lost
Volleyball Results vs Allen Ford
8th Grade
C Team - Lost
B Team -Won
A Team - Won
7th Grade
C Team - Won
B Team - Won
A Team - Won
Boys Basketball Parent Information and Tryout Details
Boy's basketball will have tryouts for all 7th and 8th graders November 30th, December 1st and 2nd.
Tryouts will take place at the Willow Springs gym. Please make sure you wear your mask as you enter and exit the building and any other time when you are not actively exercising.
Wear a pair of shorts, t-shirt, and basketball shoes. Bring a bottle of water with your name on it as water will not be provided.
If you have any questions about tryouts, please contact Coach Higgins or Coach Blom. Thanks and we are looking forward to seeing you on the floor.
See schedule below:
November 30
7th Grade: 7:45-9:45 am
8th Grade: 4:15-6:00 pm
December 1
7th Grade: 6:45-8:15 am
8th Grade: 2:30-4:30 pm
December 2:
7th Grade: 7:45-9:45 am
8th Grade: 4:15-6:00 pm
December 8: Middle School Boys Pictures - Tentative
December 10: Zoom Parent Meeting
Girls Basketball Parent Information and Tryout Details
Middle School Tryouts will be held November 30th(Monday) through December4th (Friday). We will meet with the girls individually on Friday and let them know if they made the team. Practices will start the following Monday.
8th Graders will tryout from 7:30am to 9:15am on A-Days and 7am to 8:10am on B-Days.
7th Graders will tryout from 4:15pm to 5:30pm on A-Days and 2:50pm to 5pm on B-Days.
The first 7th grade game will be on January 6th (Wednesday).
The first 8th grade game will be on January 7th (Thursday).
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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.
Foundation For Lovejoy Schools
It's not too late to give to the Annual Appeal campaign. Every gift makes an impact. Invest today in our students' tomorrow.
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