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Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - April 17, 2019
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Dear WSMS Parents and Guardians,
Tomorrow will be the halfway point of the final grading period of the 2018-2019 school year. As we head into the final six weeks, please encourage your son or daughter to maintain a quality work ethic and focus on all assignments, tests, and projects. These last few weeks will go fast, - please feel free to email or call your son or daughter's teachers, counselors, and/or assistant principals if you need any assistance. I would to take this opportunity to congratulate our WSMS students who competed in the UIL academic competition in Coppell this past weekend. Our 7th grade team took 1st place and our 8th grade team took 2nd. This was a great experience for our students as they competed against middle schools from Highland Park, Coppell, Grapevine, and Prosper. For a copy of individual accomplishments, please click here.
I hope you have a great weekend!
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WSMS Book Fair -- Book Fiesta!
Our Book
Fiesta
Fair is wrapping up with the last day being, tomorrow, Thursday
April 18
! Our students always get excited about the homeroom competitions, but we are equally excited to get some great books in their hands before the long summer break. Students will be able to earn points for their class to win a
DONUT PARTY
by purchasing books for themselves and their teachers. There will also be fun trivia questions for students to answer to earn more points for their class. Along with many fun books at various reading levels, we will also have the
summer read choices for rising 7th-9th graders.
The list this year appears to be the best yet!
Spring Pep Rally
We are looking forward to our Spring pep rally on Tomorrow, April 18th at 3:15 pm in the main gym. This will be our last pep rally of the year and we will honor several of our teams and organizations for all their hard work and dedication in representing WSMS during the spring season. We will have performances from our band, color guard, and cheerleading programs, as well as recognition of our UIL academic teams and OAP team. All parents are welcome to attend, we will reserved seating for parents in the chairs on the floor. We will be on an pep rally bell schedule that day. Please
click here
for the schedule.
Upcoming Student Holidays
April 19th is a designated bad weather day. It will be a student and teacher holiday if we do not have a school closing due to bad weather between now and then.
Save the Date - WSMS presents Who Hath Done It?: A Shakespeare Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre Experience
April 25,26 & 27 at Willow Springs at 7 pm
Tickets MUST be purchased in advance as meals must be repurchased. Tickets are $27 for adults and $20 for children.
This show is a great family outing - Seating is selected in person at WSMS at the time of ticket purchase. There are twelve tables, 12 at each table - so only 144 seats each night! we are already over 50% sold out!!!
This ticket includes a three course meal catered by Italian Villa and the interactive experience!
You do NOT want to miss this one!!!
Club Day - April 26
Our next Club Day is Friday, April 26th and 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 in the Food Tasters Club will need to bring a dish for the other club members to try. Additionally, 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.
Custodian and Cafeteria Staff Appreciation Week
Willow Springs Middle School is fortunate to have a Custodial Staff committed to providing a clean, beautiful, healthy environment for our students and staff. Our hard-working custodians clean our halls, restrooms, cafeteria, and classrooms every day to provide our students with the best learning environment possible. WSMS Cafeteria Staff are here bright and early every day to prepare delicious, appetizing meals for students and staff. Our students often comment that the WSMS cafeteria is the best! We want to recognize these dedicated staff members. Please join us in honoring our Custodians and Cafeteria Staff during the week of April 29 - May 3. Students will help clean the cafeteria during this week and help with trash collection throughout the week. The WSMS PTA will be providing Treat Bags for staff to thank them for their outstanding service. If you would like to contribute, please bring donations to the front office by April 19th.
Click here
for the sign-up of donations needed.
STAAR Testing
STAAR tests for all of our students are below.
Please keep the STAAR testing dates in mind while scheduling doctor appointments and orthodontics appointments. If a student is pulled out of school once he/she has begun their STAAR exam, the state requires it be graded "as is". If you have questions or concerns regarding any conflicts you may have with the STAAR testing dates, please contact Kathy Stone at
[email protected].
Upcoming STAAR Tests This Spring
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Date
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Event
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Who?
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May 6 - May 10
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STAAR Algebra EOC Exam
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7
th
Grade GT Algebra
8
th
Grade Algebra
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Fri. May 10
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STAAR Drill
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All Staff
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Mon. May 13
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Grade 7 Math STAAR
Grade 8 Math STARR Retest
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All 7
th
Grade
(Except GT Math)
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Grade 7 GT Math Rotations
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7
th
Grade GT Math
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Grade 8 FitnessGram
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All 8
th
Grade
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Tues. May 14
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Grade 7 Reading STAAR
Grade 8 Reading STAAR Retest
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All 7
th
Grade
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Grade 8 Sci/SS Rotations
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All 8
th
Grade
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Wed. May 15
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Grade 7 FitnessGram
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All 7
th
Grade
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Grade 8 Science STAAR
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All 8
th
Grade
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Thurs. May 16
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Grade 7 in Classes
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All 7
th
Grade
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Grade 8 Social Studies STAAR
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All 8
th
Grade
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Scoliosis Testing
Our school Nurse, Gretchen Young, will be screening all ALL 8th grade BOY students for possible Scoliosis on Monday May 13th and ALL 7th grade GIRL students on Wednesday May 15th during their Fitnessgram Test. Scoliosis screening is required by House Bill 832 passed by the Texas Legislature in 1985.
Students will be required to remove their shirts for the screening. Girls WILL NEED TO WEAR one of the following under their blouse or shirt: swim suit top, bra or sports bra. The procedure for screening is simple and quick, it requires the back to be visually examined while standing straight and bending forward. For this examination, boys and girls will be seen separately and individually examined by the WSMS nurse.
If you do not wish for your student to be screened you must have your child examined by your healthcare provider and an affidavit submitted to the nurse's office on or before May 10th. Parents will be notified of the results of the screening only if professional follow up is necessary.
If you have any questions or concerns, or wish to submit medical documentation regarding your child, please contact Gretchen by email or phone at 469-742-8420.
National Junior Honor Society Applications for Current WSMS 7th graders
7th grade students eligible to apply for National Junior Honor Society will be notified by letter during the last week of April. Student eligibility will be based on the cumulative GPA of 94.0 for the first three grading periods of the 2018-2019 school year. Upon receiving this letter, students will be allowed to pick up an application for NJHS in the front office at WSMS.
All applications will be due by 4:30 on May 17th
. This is a firm deadline. Students will receive acceptance letters in August during the first week of school. The induction ceremony will be held during the first six weeks of the 2019-2020 school year. More information regarding specific eligibility requirements for NJHS will be coming at a later date.
Parents Night Out - May 10
Are you interested in a night out? On May 10, WSMS will host its first Parents Night Out, from 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM. This is for students in grades 1-4. WSMS National Junior Honor's Society students are hosting this event and will provide childcare (WSMS Staff will also be involved). We will have Arts & Crafts, Board Games and Open Gym (with kickball, dodgeball, soccer, and other games). A pizza dinner and snacks will be provided. Those attending should bring a sleeping bag and pillow for the movie later that evening.
Parents may begin dropping off their students at 6:00 PM. The cost is $50.00 a child. Families bringing more than one child will pay $30.00 for the 2nd child and $10.00 for the third. We are looking forward to a great night of fun for our Lovejoy students in 1st through 4th grade.
Click here
to register today!
End of the Year Award Ceremonies, May 21 & 24
7th Grade: Tuesday, May 21 at 8am in WSMS Gym
8th Grade: Friday, May 24 at 9:00 AM in LHS Auditorium
8th Grade Retreat to Main Event in Frisco - Thursday, May 23
Congratulations to our 8th Graders for a superb year! We would like to celebrate this momentous transition to high school with them at Main Event in Frisco on May 23, 2019, A detailed packet will be sent home with 8th graders in the coming weeks.
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Campus Information and Reminders
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Safety Corner--Social Media Accounts
It has been brought to our attention by a WSMS parent that there is a hack going around on Snapchat. From what we understand, this student
was bombarded with texts and calls of mean and inappropriate messages along with friends being blocked. Please keep an eye for this sort of activity on your students and visit with your students about hacks that can happen on social media accounts. Thank you for your help in keep our students safe online.
Drug Dogs on Campus
We will have a drug dog on campus for an unannounced visit once a month for the remainder of the school year. When classrooms are selected to be searched, all students will need to exit the room leaving their backpacks and other belongings. The drug dog, the handler, and an administrator will enter the room to conduct the search. At the conclusion of the search, students and the teacher can re-enter the room.
Dress Code Policy
With the weather getting warmer over the next six weeks, please help us by making sure what your son or daughter wears to school every day is in compliance with the LISD dress code. As part of the emotional, psychological, and physical changes of adolescence, middle school students can sometimes be nervous and apprehensive about what they or other students are wearing to school. Let's work together to lower their anxiety by following the LISD Dress Code. For more information about the LISD Dress Code, please
go here.
7th Grade Service Learning - Kids Against Hunger
On Wednesday, April 10th, our WSMS 7th graders participated in a day of Service Learning. Our students learned about a non-profit organization, Kids Against Hunger, and helped this organization pack meals for hungry families. With the help of our WSMS Algebra students who packed meals on Tuesday, our students packed a total of 42,552 meals. these meals will provide nourishment for 197 people for one full year. We are proud of our Leopards and the service they performed this week!
TMEA Region 25 All-Region Choir Results
Recently, 23 of our Willow Springs choir members auditioned for a place in the Region 25 All-Region Choir.
14 of our Willow Springs singers were placed into this prestigious choir!
They performed on Saturday, April 13th at McKinney North High School. Congratulations to all of our singers who auditioned and those who placed!
All-Region Choir 2019
Soprano 1
Romi Kahana
Evelyn Kwon
Jillian Nuckels
Abigail Thomas
Soprano 2
Hannah Dollinger
Ellis Smith
Natalie McLaren
Alto
Kynan Lowrance
Sage Manning
Sadie Mowrer
Tenor 1
Daniel Lamping
Ryder Sullivan
Bass
Will Flinchbaugh
Reece Robinson
Not Returning to LISD Next Year?
If your student will not be returning to WSMS or Lovejoy High School in the fall, please email
Carol Vik
with your student's name and where they will be attending school.
Notes from the Nurse - Medications
If your child has medicine at school, please make sure your child has exactly enough medicine to finish the school year. You are responsible for picking up any extra medicine as the school district has a policy against sending medicines home with students. At the end of this school year, any remaining medicines, including inhalers, will be thrown out. The school cannot store these for you during the summer.
Please remember, if your child is going to continue being medicated at school during the 2019-2020 school year, you will need to complete a new medication sheet at that time and bring a SMALL or travel size bottle of medicine that is not expired.
Immunizations
Early reminder to parents of students that will be 7th graders during the 2019-2020 school year:
It is a State requirement that all 7th grade students must have had 2 required updated immunizations in order to attend school. These required immunizations are, TDaP booster (Tetanus booster) and Menactra (Meningococcal).Please obtain a copy of your child's updated shots and provide it to our school nurse, Gretchen Young, BEFORE August 16, 2019. You may drop it off in person, send it through the mail to Willow Springs Middle School, 1101 West Lucas Road, Lucas, TX 75002, by email to
Gretchen Young
or fax at 469-742-8501.
Lovejoy School Stores Announce Sale
The Lovejoy High School and Willow Springs Middle School stores will host a sale beginning on March 18. The entire stores will offer items at 50% off. Some exclusions may apply.
Lovejoy High School School Store Hours
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
Willow Springs Middle School Store Hours
Tuesday and Thursday
During Lunch
through April
Lovejoy ISD App
The Lovejoy ISD App is available for download on both Apple and Android devices. To download the app for Apple devices, please
click here
. To download the app for Android devices, please
click here
.
Twitter and Facebook
Are you following the district on
Twitter
? Have you liked us on
Facebook
? Join us on social media for news and announcements.
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
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WSMS Girls Soccer Game 3 Recap
Last Thursday night the 7th grade team beat Wylie Burnett 3-2. The first goal was scored by Cambry Patrick with an assist from a cross by Taylor Person after a nice turn in midfield. The second goal was scored by Cambry after a defense splitting pass by Natalie Knight. Cambry did an excellent job using her body to hold back the defender and get her shot off. Wylie Burnett tied the game with two second half goals. The 7th grade team would not be denied the win though. With two minutes remaining, the 7th graders scored the winning goal. Cambry Patrick drove the ball in the box and Taylor Person slotted the ball into the back of the net beating the Burnett goalkeeper. The 7th grade team is now 3-0 heading into their game on Tuesday at WSMS vs. Wylie McMillan at 5:30.
Last Thursday night the 8th grade team lost to Wylie Burnett 1-0. In a tough, physical game, the 8th graders came up just short. As the game looked to be heading to a 0-0 tie Wylie Burnett latched onto a ball in behind the back four and finished their chance. The girls battled until the last minute but couldn't find the back of the net. The 8th graders, now 1-1-1, will look to get back into the win column on Tuesday at WSMS vs. Wylie McMillan at 6:50.
WSMS Boys Soccer Game 3 Recap
The 7th grade boys soccer team welcomed Wylie Burnett Thursday night. The Leopards got off to a quick start as Grant Anderson connected with William Ashby for a goal in the opening seconds of the game. Burnett looked to get on the board and were able to even the score 1-1. Late in the game, Burnett was able to add another goal to take the lead. The Leopards fought hard to end but were unable to get the ball into the back of the net, just missing on some chances. The final score was 2-1.
The 8th grade boys soccer team also jumped out to a 1-0 lead in their as Caden Carlock gained possession on the ball and delivered a strike for the goal. The Leopards were able to shut Burnett out in the half and took a 1-0 lead into the break. In the 2nd half, Burnett took advantage of their opportunities, scoring goals on a penalty kick and an unlucky bounce for the Leopards. Burnett would go on to win by a score of 3-1.
The Leopards have a quick turnaround as the next game will be on the road Tuesday, April 15 vs Wylie McMillan with 7th grade playing at 5:30, followed by the 8th grade.
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Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
Denim & Diamonds - The Party!
Thank you to everyone who made the 2019 Denim & Diamonds a fun and successful party.
Sponsors, donors, auction bidders, LISD staff and volunteers all came together to make it happen. $322,000 was raised to support education in LISD. The new format was a big hit, so we will make some tweaks and do it again next year. Mark your calendars - February 22, 2020.
Ladies Night Out
Tickets went on sale on March 5 at 10:00 AM.
Click here
for the reservation page and
here
for the Foundation's website.
Lovejoy Students Seeking Assistance With Birthday Party Project
United Sound Club
We are so excited to tell you about an opportunity for our students! The Lovejoy High School Orchestra is extending an invitation to selected special education students to join the United Sound Club. Members of the club will have the opportunity to learn an instrument with the help of peer mentors, and to perform with the Lovejoy High School Orchestra. This is an amazing opportunity for our students! We would love for you to join our amazing crew. For more information please contact us,
Mary Winkler
or
Tracey Snyder
.
Lovejoy Summer Musical Theatre Camps - July 9-20
We are excited to announce our 2019 musical: Seussical KIDS!
Acting, choreography, lighting, costuming, set building, and painting are just some of the fun activities taking place in Lovejoy's Summer Musical Theatre Camps: Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre, and Intern Camp.
Students will work together to produce and perform Seussical KIDS. Students who attend will develop confidence, sharpen their musical and theatrical skills, and create wonderful memories along the way. Directed by Jessica Brewster, LHS Head Theatre Director, and musically directed by Anne Tracy, LHS Puster Elementary Music Specialist, this show is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
Please read the detailed handouts for more information and a link to register your child. If you have any questions please contact
[email protected]
.
Grades 3-6 Camp Flier, Click
here
·
Musical Theatre Camp (35 student performers)
·
Technical Theatre Camp (7-10 technicians)
Grades 7-8 Intern Camp, Click
here
·
Musical Theatre Intern Camp (assist student performers develop their musical and theatrical skills)
Online registration can be accessed from the flyers or with these links:
Summer Sewing Camp - June and July Offerings
Join the 12th year of summer sewing fun at a new location: Lovejoy High School! Sewing Basics 101 teaches machine and tool basics while making a pillowcase and PJ's. Sewing Skill Builder 201 will continue developing your sewing skills with an individualized project. Sessions are available for two weeks in June and one week in July. You may choose one, two or three sessions! Spots fill quickly. Email [email protected] to reserve your spot. Click SEWING for details about the camp as well as details about a special project option: T-shirt quilt.
Lovejoy Hockey
Lovejoy Hockey is looking to grow. All interested players who are currently in grades 6 and up are encouraged to reach out so we can share information regarding the upcoming spring and fall seasons. Spring registration is right around the corner! Contact the board at [email protected].
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