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Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - December 5, 2019
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WSMS is finalizing our plans to wrap up the 1st semester. It is hard to believe we are approaching the halfway mark of the 2019-2020 school year. Our teachers and students have had a great week in preparation for next week's final exams. Remember that final exams begin on Monday, December 16th. Please find information below about final exams, as well as other upcoming events at WSMS. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the LISD Fine Arts Festival on Friday and Saturday at LHS.
Parent Volunteers Needed
Click here for a sample of what volunteering looks like in the CAT.
2019 Fall Final Exam Scheduled Time Slots for the CAT
December 16th 1:30 - 3:15
December 17th 9:30 - 11:15 & 1:15 - 3:15
December 18th 8:40 - 10:30 & 12:40 - 2:30
December 19th 8:40 - 10:50 & 10:45 - 12:50
We would appreciate your help in volunteering in the CAT to support our students. To sign for one of these times and/or dates, please
click here
.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Center for Academic Training (CAT)?
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What is the purpose of the CAT?
The CAT is designed to assist all students by providing before and after school support in all subject areas. It is also where all students with testing accommodations such as small group testing, oral reading of exams, etc. take their test during class time.
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On average, how many students use the CAT during semester exams?
On the testing side alone, we will see approximately 330 students during the week of final exams who have some type of testing accommodation. This number does not include the students without testing accommodations who utilize the CAT during finals weeks.
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Who else helps students?
Teachers and Instructional Aides are available to help; however, their priority is helping students in class during instructional time.
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Does a volunteer need previous knowledge of an exam before they arrive?
Volunteers do not need any special training or knowledge to help in the CAT. Volunteers will be reading the questions and answer choices on an exam to a small group of 1-5 students. The students are not permitted to have help understanding any of the content on the exam, so the volunteer would strictly be reading verbatim from their own copy of the exam.
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Club Day - Friday, December 6th
Club Day is Friday, December 6th a
nd 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 Mr. Abney before bringing an animal to school. Students may leave their equipment for Guitar Club, Extreme and Remote Control Club in the front office. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kathy Stone.
Volleyball Ticket Deadline for Excused Absence - Friday, December 6th
Tomorrow is the deadline for all volleyball tickets to be turned in, in order to receive an excused absence. Please bring your ticket by the front office with your first and last name on it by the end of the school day. These may also be emailed to Carol Vik at [email protected].
Fine Arts Festival - This Weekend, December 6th & 7th
A fun event for the whole family! Our performing arts programs have created winter concerts and performances with a mix of your holiday favorites, while our Visual Arts teams are designing pieces that will awe you with their talents! Please support the arts in Lovejoy ISD by stopping by and enjoying the sights and sounds of the holidays while celebrating the work our students and staff engage in for this amazing Festival. The LHS Fine Arts Booster clubs will sponsor a delicious chili luncheon, a bake sale full of yummy treats, as well as hot and cold beverages. In addition, the children's craft area and a visit from Santa Claus will round out a merry and bright weekend at Lovejoy High School.
The Festival is requesting your assistance with volunteering (parents from any campus are welcome to volunteer) and donations of both chili and baked goods. Please visit the
Lovejoy ISD Fine Arts Website for additional information to include schedules, volunteer sign-ups, and more. For additional information, please contact Fela Mathy at [email protected]
Principal's Coffee- THURSDAY, December 12th - Supporting All Types of Learners at WSMS
I would like to invite you to our upcoming Principal's Coffee, on Thursday, December 12th at 9:00 a.m. The Principal's Coffee is a forum discussion for all 7th and 8th grade parents. Topic for this session will be programs we have in place to support all types of learners--this includes students who receive support through PST, 504, and Special Education.
Attention 8th Grade Parents!
8th grade Recognition ADS are DUE on Friday, December 13th
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.
Flapjacks for Finals - Monday, December 16th
As a middle school tradition, we will be kicking off final exam week with "Flapjacks for Finals" on Monday, December 16th from 8:00 a.m. - 8:50 a.m. in the cafeteria. Please encourage your son or daughter to stop by the cafeteria for hot cakes.
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.
Lost and Found - Donating December 19th
Please encourage your son or daughter to look through the lost and found and claim any sweatshirts, shoes, hats, etc. they may have left behind. All lost and found items are located on the stage in the cafeteria. Students can visit the lost and found before or after school or during their lunch. All items not claimed by December 19
th
will be donated to area shelters.
Signs of Suicide Presentations at WSMS
This year, WSMS counselors will present, Signs of Suicide, a Suicide Prevention presentation to our 7th graders on January 29th and to our 8th graders on January 30th. Dr. Messer's January Principal's coffee will offer parents a preview of this presentation. Please join us on January 16th from 9am to 10am at WSMS to preview this important program. If you have concerns or do not wish your student to participate in this program, please contact your child's counselor.
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Campus Information and Reminders
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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 76 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.
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 Utley
Girls
A-Team Won 44-5
B-Team Won 43-2
C-Team Won 38-9
Boys
A Team- Won 28-22
B Team- Won 47-25
C Team- Won 51-13
8th Grade Basketball vs. Wylie Burnett
Girls
A-Team lost
38-24
B-Team lost 29-16
C-Team won 30-21
Boys
A-Team lost 35-31
B-Team won 30-28
C-Team won 21-18
WSMS XC Update
Congratulations to the WSMS Cross Country Team on another successful week of racing. They will have their last race of the year on Tuesday, December 10th.
Full RESULTS below: (NOTE - Kamryn Messick (8th girls) ran under the name Gracyn Thompson)
7th Girls earning a top 10 medal - 2nd place as a TEAM with 41 points
Ava Easley - 6th
Mia Reaugh - 7th
Kiera Bowling - 8th
Savannah Smith - 9th
8th Girls earning a top 10 medal - 1st place as a TEAM with 18 points
Kailey Littlefield - 1st
Sara Morefield - 2nd
Kate Carlson - 3rd
Kamryn Messick - 5th
Caroline Dolberry - 7th
Brielle Taylor - 9th
7th Boys earning a top 10 medal - 1st place as a TEAM with 15 points - PERFECT SCORE!
Aaron Wimbish - 1st
Tyler Morefield - 2nd
Luke Armstrong - 3rd
David Wise - 4th
Jack Thompson - 5th
David Groves - 6th
Devin Muaina - 7th
Adam Morefield - 10th
8th Boys earning a top 10 medal - 1st place as a TEAM with 27 points
Andrew Poulton - 1st
Konnor Mayberry - 4th
Reed Hoover - 6th
Colin Milliken - 7th
Joe Bluestein - 9th
Spring Tennis Tryouts, January 13th-17th
If your son or daughter is interested in trying out for the WSMS Tennis Team this next spring, please see below for important information about the tryout process.
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Students interested in trying out will participate in a scheduled 2 day tryout at 7:30am-8:30am at LHS during the week of 1/13-1/17.
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The tryout will consist of 2 matches against 2 players of the same age level and skill level that are currently on the team.
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Skill level evaluation will be based on players form
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Coach Cherry and Coach Davis will evaluate all players and base their decision on the players skill level and the scores that they have against players who are currently on the team.
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There is not a certain number of athletes that we will keep. The final team number will be determined based on the level and skill set of current players and players that are trying out.
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To schedule a day and time for a two match tryout with current players, please contact Coach Davis at
[email protected]
to schedule. Once he receives your email, he will schedule two matches with two separate players of equal skill set that are currently participating in the WSMS tennis program.
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Please contact Coach Davis for any further questions.
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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
.
Upcoming Events
LHS Visual Arts Campus Exhibition
Join us as we celebrate the fourth annual LHS Campus Exhibition. We are excited to celebrate 55 thoughtfully selected works that exemplify the variety of vision, voice, and process our students take on in our LJVA studios. The work juried for this show was chosen from all levels of study in the LHS Visual Arts program as examples of excellence and innovation by our LJVA Gallery Managers;
Kiley Boots
,
McKenna Christiansen
,
Grace Flinchbaugh
, and
Hunter Ruiz
. We invite you to come and see this wonderful selection of works during school hours until November 18th.
Kindergarten Gifted and Talented Referral Form Opens December 2
The Kindergarten Gifted and Talented Referral form opens on December 2 in PowerSchool. Referrals are due by January 10, 2020. Testing will be held on January 25 and February 1, 2020. Testing will be at Lovejoy Elementary School by appointment only.
Parents must complete the referral form in PowerSchool.
Fine Arts Festival
The Lovejoy ISD K - 12 Fine Arts Festival will be held December 6th and December 7th at Lovejoy High School! Our performing arts programs have created winter concerts and performances with a mix of your holiday favorites, while our Visual Arts teams are designing pieces that will awe you with their talents! Please support the arts in Lovejoy ISD by stopping by and enjoying the sights and sounds of the holidays while celebrating the work our students and staff engage in for this amazing Festival. The LHS Fine Arts Booster clubs will sponsor a delicious chili luncheon, a bake sale full of yummy treats, as well as hot and cold beverages. In addition, the children's craft area and a visit from Santa Claus will round out a merry and bright weekend at Lovejoy High School.
The Festival is requesting your assistance with volunteering (parents from any campus are welcome to volunteer) and donations of both chili and baked goods. Please visit the
Lovejoy ISD Fine Arts Website
for additional information to include schedules, volunteer sign-ups, and more
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!
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
Now through November 18 - LHS Visual Arts Campus Exhibition
Softball Booster Club Fundraiser
Safety and Security Training
Registration Closed - Sessions are Full!
Lovejoy Gifted Association Presents Surviving to Thriving
Blackland Prairie Raptor Center Fundraiser
LHS Cheer Holiday Fundraiser - Poinsettia Fundraiser
Kindergarten Gifted and Talented Referrals Open
Light the World Community Event
Band Booster Club Fundraiser
Fine Arts Festival
Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Run
Save the Date! Lovejoy Country Run: April 18
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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