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Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - November 14, 2019
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Dear WSMS Parents and Guardians,
We are looking forward to a great weekend and our upcoming performance of
Annie
from our WSMS theatre and choir students. Please see below for more information on tickets and showtimes.
Tomorrow morning will be a busy time at WSMS. We will host our Principal's Coffee and annual Spelling Bee.
As you prepare for the upcoming holidays, please take a look at the final exam schedule below. We are heading into our final four weeks of the fall semester. Have a great weekend.
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IT'S SHOWTIME! WSMS Theatre - November 14, 15, and 16
The WSMS Performing Arts will be presenting ANNIE JR. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday, October 30th at 10am.
DEADLINE TOMORROW! Lovejoy Letter Campaign - A Message from the Lovejoy Letter Liaison
The 6th annual Lovejoy Letter Campaign is currently underway. Our goal is to have our community write appreciation letters for each teacher and staff member in Lovejoy ISD before the Thanksgiving break. The letters do not need to be elaborate or lengthy. The goal is just for people to write a note of gratitude for supporting our students. Keep it #shortandsweet and #showappreciation!
We would be grateful if you would write letters to any teacher or staff member who has been valuable to your child's educational experience. It can be from this current year, or someone who has made an impact in the past.
Please label the envelope with "LLC" and the staff or teacher's name, then drop off the letter to the front office of your school by Friday, November 15th.
The letter campaign has become a meaningful tradition in our community. We appreciate your time and effort to this year's letter campaign. Also, don't forget the kids! The teachers and staff love to hear from the students they are impacting.
The Willow Springs campus liaisons are Lisa O'Dowd and Stephanie McGowan and the campaign is being coordinated by Maria Ritchie.
Sincerely,
Lovejoy Letter Liaison
REMINDER! WSMS Spelling Bee - Friday, November 15
The WSMS Spelling Bee will be on November 15th from 9:30-11, in the cafeteria. Parents are welcome to attend.
REMINDER! WSMS Principals Coffee - Friday, November 15, at 9am
The topic on Thursday will be WSMS Mastery Learning & Preparing for Final Exams. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the WSMS Band Hall. The Principal's Coffee is a forum discussion for all 7th and 8th grade parents to visit with me about the importance of Mastery Learning and helping their students to Prepare for Final Exams, over a cup of coffee. During the discussion, I will provide information about the safety and security procedures at Willow Springs and answer any questions you may have. Attending parents are encouraged to park in the front parking lot to enter and sign-in through the front office.
REMINDER! Author Michael Patrick O'Neill to visit WSMS - November 19
On November 19th, our 7th graders will have a unique experience as they hear from Author/Photographer Michael Patrick O'Neill.
LINKS ARE LIVE! WSMS Turkey Trot for Dallas Tornado Relief - November 20th
WSMS will host a Turkey Trot on Wednesday, November 20th. Each grade level will participate in a race around the WSMS campus.
7th
Grade Race: 9:15 AM
8th
Grade Race: 10:20 AM
All students will participate in the Turkey Trot. Students will have the option to run or walk. Medals for the top 5 male and female finishers in each grade level will be presented during lunches.
As part of our community service project for the fall, we are asking students to raise funds for the City of Dallas Emergency Fund. We are asking each student to donate anywhere from $5.00--$20.00 for this project. All proceeds will benefit the tornado victims from the October tornado that tore through north Dallas. The donation drive will start Monday, November 11, 2019, and run through Wednesday, November 20. Students can donate cash or check (made out to WSMS) through their advisory class or online through the LISD online payment system, by
clicking here
. The advisory class with the most donations will receive a pizza party for all their fundraising efforts.
Parents who are interested in running in the Turkey Trot will be able to register for $15. Click here for registration. Parents must be on the District's cleared volunteer list to participate in the Turkey Trot. Parents will run with their students grade level. If you need any additional information, please contact Leslee Cox at
[email protected]
or Chase Crocker at
[email protected]
We are looking forward to a great Turkey Trot on November 20th.
NJHS Service Project: ACO Thanksgiving Box Drive, DONATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 21ST
It's that time of year when giving just a little can change a needy family's entire holiday season. Willow Springs Advisory 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 Advisory classes to put together a Thanksgiving Box for needy families in our community. Each box will contain all of the items and non-perishable groceries needed to cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The food drive will begin on
Students will be asked to provide the following: $15 Walmart Gift Card (to purchase a turkey), Bisquick, Cornmeal or Corn muffin mix, Flour, Sugar, Pumpkin pie filling (canned), Fruit pie filling (canned), Box of pie crust mix, Box of Jell-O mix, Box of pudding mix, Canned vegetables (variety), Canned fruit (variety), Canned yams, Marshmallows, Stuffing mix, Instant mashed potatoes, Canned gravy or gravy packets, Cranberry sauce, Chicken broth, Cream of chicken, Cream of mushroom, Evaporated milk, 1 container of salt (unopened), 1 container of pepper (unopened,) 2 to 3 casserole size foil baking pans (13x9), 3 foil pie pans
WSMS & PTA Presents a look at Sex Education & Your Willow Springs Student
Students in grades 7 and 8 will be shown the
AIM for Success: Freedom to Succeed student presentations on December 3rd (7th grade) and December 4th (8th grade)
at Willow Springs Middles School. Students will participate in the program through their math classes with a trained AIM presenter. The Aim For Success, Inc. motivational programs have educated over a million young people across America during the past 18 years on topics such as sex, drugs, alcohol, and bullying. AIM has been educating our Lovejoy students for more than 16 years!
For a quick overview of the program
click here
.
WSMS will be hosting an
AIM Parent Presentation on November 21st at 10:00 am
. Please plan on attending this program for an overview of what your children will be hearing. If you prefer your child not attend this program, please contact Kathy Stone at
[email protected]
or Kay Bordelon at
[email protected]
Attention 8th Grade Parents!
Important 8th grade Recognition ADS!!!
TO ALL 8TH GRADE Willow Springs MS PARENTS: FRIDAY 12-13 IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE 8TH
GRADE RECOGNITION ADS.
All 8th grade recognition ads must be paid for and submitted online by Friday, December 13th via the
jostensyearbooks.com
link.
Final Exams, December 16th-19th
For a copy of the fall semester final exam schedule, please
click here
.
Final exams will officially begin, Monday, December 16th. Teachers are expected to provide students with final exam reviews by Friday, December 6. In addition, all final exam reviews will be loaded on the WSMS website on December 6 (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.
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Campus Information and Reminders
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NEW! WSMS All Region Band Announcement
Lovejoy ISD just hosted both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Region 25 Middle School Band auditions this past week on November 9 and November 11. This process began with 1,080 students auditioning in Phase 1, and is now completed with 300 All Region Band members being selected for 2019!
The All Region Band Clinic/Concert will be Friday evening, December 13, and the morning of Saturday, December 14, with a concert in the early afternoon on Saturday. All rehearsals and the FREE concert performances will be at McKinney High School. Students will receive a schedule of all the rehearsals, etc, and a music binder with the band pieces they will play! There are three levels of All Region Bands--the top band is Wind Symphony, the second is Symphonic Band, and the third is Concert Band. Placement in any of the bands is an honor!
Students who auditioned for Phase 2 but did not place--I am so proud of you. You played well and represented yourselves, your school, and your community with pride. Congratulations on an outstanding effort and on making it this far!
Please join me in congratulating the following students on their placement in the All Region Band:
Flute
Kevin Zhang, Wind Symphony
Tamanna Verma, Symphonic Band
Brielle Taylor, Concert Band
Clarinet
Caleb Born, Concert Band
Bass Clarinet
Joshua Varughese, Concert Band
Alto Sax
Kat Smith, Symphonic Band
Bari Sax
Davis Miller
Trumpet
Reagan Wagner, Wind Symphony
Jonah Vuong, Wind Symphony
Joe O'Brien, Concert Band
Aaron Wimbish, Concert Band
French Horn
Payton Archer, Concert Band
Trombone
Joe Bluestein, Wind Symphony
Liam Dunleavy, Symphonic Band
Euphonium
Brady Kofahl, Wind Symphony
Nicole Young, Concert Band
Tuba
Justin Poteet, Symphonic Band
The following students were selected as alternates:
Noah Marsden, Clarinet
Adrian Phan, Tenor Sax
Ashby Lyn Williams, Tuba
Joshua James, Percussion
NEW! Willow Springs & Middle School Matchup (MSM)
MSM is a unique weekend tournament for middle school baseball players in areas that do not have formal middle school teams. MSM align players by middle school and give them the chance to represent their school and play ball with kids that will be on their high school teams.
Eleven of your Willow Springs students had an incredible MSM debut. These young men had 4 shut outs, allowed only 4 runs in 6 games (0.67 runs/game), and won their Gold Bracket Tournament Championship.
WSMS Players:(Front row left to right)Caden Stubblefield, Grant Yerkes, Alexander Franklin, Grant Harlan, Lorenzo Osteguin, Aarren Marshall, Kyle Branch, Parker Daniels(Back row left to right) Will Fahrendorf, Nolan Novotny, Colton Williams
Lovejoy High Varsity Player Coaches: (Left) Kolby Branch and (Right) Matt Piccorillo
Congratulations boys, what a great weekend!!
NEW! WSMS Yearbook Need Your Help
Yearbook staff would love to see how WSMS students celebrate Thanksgivings. During your break, please take photos of what your WSMS student is thankful for, family traditions, or any special holiday moments with friends and family. Please email the photos to
[email protected]
. Be sure to include your WSMS student's first and last name and a very brief description of the event. The first 25 student photos received by Ms. Zetsche will be given a Krispy Kreme donut as a thank you.
Students feeling under the weather?
As you know, it is prime cold and flu season. To help best manage our students and to keep in line with the policy in the Student Handbook, if students are not feeling well at school, they need to be checked out through the school clinic. The student must be fever free (Temperature of 99.9 or less for 24 hours without the use of over the counter medications to keep the temperature down) and must NOT have vomited or had diarrhea in the last 24 hours. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
ParentPortal Update - Please Complete
The PowerSchool ParentPortal is now open for you to complete the online Enrollment & Student Information Forms. Please
click here
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, FERPA Acknowledgments, General Waivers, and other information.
As of today, there are 77 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.
PowerSchool App
The PowerSchool app is now available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. You use the same PowerSchool online login. Enter the District code NJBC.
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.
November Student Nutrition Newsletter
LISD Calendar
Please go here for LISD calendars.
WSMS Twitter Feeds #wsmslovejoy
@WSMSLovejoyISD (Campus Event Updates)
@sscwsms (Counseling updates)
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7th Grade Basketball vs. Rockwall Cain
Girls
C Team 25 - 8 Win
B Team 33-4 Win
A Team 44-11 Win
Boys
C team won 40-11
B team won 50-16
A team lost 28-23
Off-Season
Please remember to have your child dress accordingly, as we enter into colder weather - please bring a sweatshirt/sweatpants.
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District Communications
Student and Parent Concerns/Grievances
The faculty and staff of Lovejoy ISD are committed to the service of our students and their parents by responding promptly and professionally to concerns or grievances which may arise.
Student and Parent Complaints/Grievances are governed by LISD Board Policies FNG (LEGAL) and FNG (LOCAL).
How Do You Resolve Parent Concerns?
If you, as the parent or guardian of a Lovejoy ISD student, have concerns regarding your child's education or performance, we want to talk with you. Sitting down and talking with the people who interact most often with your child on a daily basis - his/her teacher, counselor, coach or director- can remedy the majority of concerns.
Most concerns can be and usually are resolved at the classroom/activity/sports or campus level. However, if your concerns are not addressed by visiting with the teacher, campus counselor, coach or director, you may choose to follow the three-level process listed below:
Level One:
Within 15 business days of the incident causing the concern/complaint, you may request a meeting with the next level supervisor which could be the Athletic Director, Fine Arts Director or Campus Principal. The Level One form may be found
here
.
Level Two:
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the Level One process, within 10 business days of receipt of the Level One decision letter, you may request a meeting with the Assistant Superintendent of Operations (Athletics, Safety, Operations) or Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction (Teachers, Administrators, Student Discipline). The Level Two form may be found
here
.
Level Three:
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the Level Two process, within 10 business days of receipt of the Level Two decision letter, you may appeal the decision to the School Board by contacting the Superintendent. The Level Three form may be found
here
.
Community News
We are pleased to announce the
Lovejoy ISD Community News Page
. This new addition to the Lovejoy ISD Webpage will share 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 more information on the following topics click the "Lovejoy ISD Community News Page" link above.
Inclement Weather
School closures will be determined based on safety. In the event of a school closure, notifications will be announced on the district's website, Facebook, and Twitter pages. We will also announce any closure through the media and through a special edition of Message from Mike. Links to our social media accounts are listed at the end of this communication.
Senior Judges Needed!
Lovejoy Letter Campaign
Football Playoff T-Shirts
LJVA Campus Exhibition
Lovejoy Student Council Veterans Day Banquet
Kindergarten G/T Referrals
Soccer Fundraiser
Men's Tailgate Party and Cornhole Tournament
Benfiting the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
Willow Springs Middle School Presents Annie Jr.
Senior Project!
Running Over Depression
Safety and Security Training
Blackland Prairie Raptor Center Fundraiser
Kindergarten G/T Referrals Open
Lovejoy High School Cheer Fundraiser
Holiday Poinsettias for Sale
Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Run
Turn Lucas Green
News from Collin College
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.
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