Willow Springs Middle School


A Message from the Principal

WSMS Principal Newsletter, May 3, 2022

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Good Afternoon Parents!


This is one of my favorite weeks of the entire school year.  First off, May is a great month.  There is a ton of anticipation and excitement in the air for both teachers and students who are excited to show off what they have learned throughout the year. My favorite part though is being able to appreciate the hard work and dedication that our teachers have shown throughout the school year.


Our teachers have worked so hard this year, and I am so proud of each and every one of them.  Organizations like PTO, NJHS, and PALS are all doing great jobs to bless our teachers this week.  If you would like to join in the appreciation, I know our teachers would appreciate it.  Even our student body had the opportunity at lunch yesterday, thanks to our dedicated PTO board, to write hand written notes to our teachers to show their appreciation.


Thank you Lovejoy community for your continued support of our school and our teachers.  We love that you are trusting us with your kids and we are so happy to be a part of their lives.



Respectfully,


Chris

Chris Koder
WSMS Principal
1101 West Lucas Rd, Lucas 75002
Office: 469-742-8417
@WSMSLovejoyISD
#wsmslovejoy


WSMS Attendance Rates

STAAR Testing Calendar

STAAR Testing Dates -

WSMS Spring 2022


STAAR season is upon us, so I thought I'd send out some reminders for our testing days. Students will report to their testing locations each testing morning by 8:42, and it's very important they are on time each day. We need to start by our scheduled start time, or our entire schedule is affected. Students should bring a choice read book, a water bottle, a snack if they want one, and lunch from home. If your child cannot bring lunch from home, they do have the option to buy a sack lunch from the cafeteria. Please encourage your children to dress in regular school clothes. It can be tempting to wear pajamas/slippers on testing days. It's important to come ready to put in our best effort, and our attire can impact our mood/effort.  



8th grade Math/Science Testers

A calculator is available within the online testing platform. However, some students may prefer a handheld TI-84 calculator. While we have a few calculators available for each room, we do not have enough for all students. If your child would like to use a handheld calculator versus the online one, please have them bring their personal TI-84 calculators, charged and ready to go. 



As a reminder, the STAAR testing schedule is listed below:


May 5th (Thursday) STAAR Grade 8 Science (All 8th Grade)

May 6th (Friday) STAAR Grade 8 Social Studies (All 8th Grade)

May 10th (Tuesday) STAAR Grade 7 Math (7th Grade, except GT)

May 11th (Wednesday) STAAR Grade 7 Reading (All 7th Grade)

May 12th (Thursday) STAAR Grade 8 Reading (All 8th Grade)

May 13th (Friday) STAAR Grade 8 Math (8th Math and 8th GT)



WSMS Library Material Due Date

Hello Parents!

All student library materials are due back on Monday, May 16th. So that you and your student know what materials are currently checked out, I will be sending out weekly overdue notices starting the first week of May. Students with outstanding materials and/or fines will not be allowed to receive their yearbooks until their library account is cleared. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out!

Upcoming Dates

WSMS Theatre 1 & Production Classes Present


We have 4 shows to present next week! They will be held on Thursday, May 5th and Friday, May 6th at 7pm, in the WSMS  cafetorium. 


Thursday, May 5th's  performance will be presented by the Theatre 1 classes. 3rd period will present Bedtime Stories As Told By Our Dad, Who Messed Them Up, then we will have a short intermission before 6th period presents Bestest Bedtime Stories As Told By Grandpa. He's Silly; both written by Ed Monk This is a "pay-what-you-can" event. 


On Friday, May 6th, our top Production classes will each present a short One Act Play. Our 4th period Production Class will present Our Place by Terry Gabbard followed by a short intermission and then 7th Period will present One Stoplight Town by Tracy Wells. These productions are student directed and student run from set, costume, music, lights, etc. Tickets will be $7/Adults and $5/Students.


We hope to see you there!

Leopard Fishing

Are you a rising 9th grader or a current LHS student interested in bass fishing for the 2022-2023 school year? If so, we hope you will join the Leopard Fishing Club for an informational meeting on May 4th.
Send any questions to:  [email protected]

Scoliosis Testing

Our school Nurse, Gretchen Young, will be screening all ALL 7th grade GIRL students for possible Scoliosis on Thursday, May 5th and ALL 8th grade BOY students on Wednesday May 11th during their Scocial Studies classes. Scoliosis screening is required by House Bill 832 passed by the Texas Legislature in 1985.

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 email during the second week of April. Student eligibility will be based on the cumulative GPA of 94.0 for the first three grading periods of the 2021-2022 school year. Upon receiving this email, students will be allowed to fill out an application for NJHS that will be included in the eligibility email. All applications will be due by 5:00pm on May 13th. This is a firm deadline. Students will receive acceptance letters via email in August during the first week of school. The induction ceremony will be held during the first six weeks of the 2021-2022 school year. More information regarding specific eligibility requirements for NJHS will be coming at a later date.
Immunizations

Early reminder to parents of students that will be 7th graders during the 2022-2023 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 1st, 2022. 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.

End of Year Award Ceremonies

SAVE THE DATE!

WSMS End of Year Award Ceremonies


7th Grade Awards Ceremony—Thursday, May 19, from 8:00—9:00 in the WSMS Gym

  • Only students receiving Honor Roll or Teacher Awards will be in attendance


8th Grade Awards Ceremony—Friday, May 20, from 8:00 - 9:30 in the LHS Main Gym

  • All 8th grade teachers will be in attendance. Please arrive by 7:45 and park in the front of the building.
  • Every student will be recognized for completion of middle school
  • Students will also be recognized for Honor Roll, Teacher Awards, and the Principal's Award
  • Students will have the option to ride the bus back to WSMS.

Not Returning to LISD Next Year?

If your student will not be returning to WSMS or Lovejoy High School for the 2022-2023 school year, please email Carol Vik with your student’s name, as well as complete and return this form.

Summer School Information

Summer School - 8th Grade Students!


LHS will offer health and leadership to high school students this summer from May 30- July 15. The Google form to request health and/or leadership over the summer through LISD will be open May 2 (6:00pm)-May 6 (4:30pm). The sign up will be first come, first serve; however, upperclassmen will be given top priority. Each class will be limited to 30 students. The cost is $350 per class. If you do not get into summer school but would like to take the course through an alternative method, please see your counselor. The Google form will be posted in each cohort's Google classroom and the principal's weekly newsletter.


https://forms.gle/o4fgkEFgrDtbvct48


Operation Unite


Lovejoy ISD staff will be holding a drill to test logistics and communication planning in case of a real emergency in the district, and need parent and student volunteers (completed grades 2-8). The event will take place on June 7 from 8am to 11am. This is a great opportunity to support our administration and help them prepare for scenarios we hope will never happen. You can use this link to view details or sign up to volunteer. Questions? Email Volunteer Coordinator Christy Forte' ([email protected]).


Reminders From The Nurse

Parents...

To keep all of our students safe, please partner with us and monitor your child for the following symptoms BEFORE sending them to school. 

  • Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees
  • Loss of taste or smell
  • Cough
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Headache
  • Chills
  • Sore throat
  • Shaking or exaggerated shivering
  • Significant muscle pain or ache
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea/Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Congestion or runny nose
 
If your student is not feeling well, please keep them at home and email your child’s assistant principal. Please also keep them home, contact the nurse, and their assistant principal if your student receives a lab positive COVID test.

Nurse Young [email protected] or by phone at (469) 742-8420. 
 
Carol Vik [email protected] - Attendance/PEIMS Clerk

Rebecca May [email protected] - Assistant Principal for students whose last name begins with the letters A-Le.
 
Rachael Merrick [email protected] - Assistant Principal for students whose last name begins with the letters Li-Z.

If there is a positive case of COVID in your child's classroom, we will send an email to let you know. Lovejoy ISD will maintain our current COVID-19 dashboard by each campus on the website. Numbers will be updated at the end of each day. We are also required to notify the Health Department and the TEA of positive cases in our schools.
 
Please click here for the most up to date information regarding LISD’s 2021-2022 Health and Safety Measures.


NEW! Regarding Medications in Clinic
If your child has medicine at school, please make sure your child has exactly enough medicine to finish the school year.

All Medications must be picked up by Friday May 27th by 12:00 pm.

You are responsible for picking up any extra medicine as the school district has a policy against sending medicines home with students. After 12:00 pm on Friday 5/27/22, 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 2022-2023 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.

Campus Reminders



PowerSchool App

The PowerSchool app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. You use the same PowerSchool online login. Enter the District code NJBC.


LISD Calendar
Please go here for LISD calendars.


WSMS Report Card
We recently received our updated TEA federal report card for Willow Springs. This has been uploaded to our website and can be viewed by clicking here.



WSMS PTO

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and we are so excited to show our support for our amazing WSMS teachers! Through your generous support, the PTO has put together some fun and creative ways to shower appreciation on our teachers this week, and you can see pictures on Facebook or in our PTO email. We encourage you to find ways to show appreciation individually as well.

 


Next Parent Program

Mark your calendars for May 9! At 12:15, juvenile defense attorney April Doyle will join us for an informative discussion about the legal implications of the decisions our teenagers make. Bring a lunch and your questions and the PTO will provide drinks and sweet treats.


Yearbook Signing Party Volunteers – Save the Date!

On the morning of May 27th we will be looking for volunteers to supervise the yearbook signing and the distribution of sweet treats. Details coming soon!

 

Operation Unite – Volunteers Needed

Lovejoy ISD staff will be holding a drill to test logistics and communication planning in case of a real emergency in the district and are recruiting parent and student volunteers (completed grades 2-8). The event will take place on June 7 from 8am to 11am. This is a great opportunity to support our administration and help them prepare for scenarios we hope will never happen. You can use this link to view details or sign up to volunteer. Questions? Email Volunteer Coordinator Christy Forte' ([email protected]).

 

Parent Program Recordings

Parent programs can be found on our web site at:

https://willowspringsmspto.wixsite.com/willowspringspto/events-news-1.




Warm Regards,

 

Christy Forte'

WSMS PTO President

2021-2022

https://willowspringsmspto.wixsite.com/willowspringspto

Athletics

WSMS Soccer Results vs Wylie McMillan

7th Grade Girls - Won

8th Grade Girls - Won


7th Grade Boys - Won

8th Grade Boys - Won


Athlete Physical Information
Online athletic forms are online and ready to be completed for the 2021-2022 school year. Please go to https://lovejoyisd.rankonesport.com/New/Home.aspx set up your account, and fill out the forms.

Any and all online paperwork questions should be directed to Steve Smith at 469-742-8411 or [email protected].

The 2021-2022 physical forms are now available for players to pick up. Players may get one at the front office of WSMS, or print one by clicking here.  

District and Other News

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.



New Instruction Materials

New instructional materials for Advanced Quantitative Reasoning and Physical and Health Education are available for review at the Central Office Building beginning May 9 through May 20 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Please check in at the receptionist desk for assistance.



Leopard Store Spring Sale



Lovejoy ISD Summer Enrichment



Lovejoy ISD Summer Sports Camps



Free Parent Event!

Lovejoy Orchestra Booster Club Spirit Night - May 11th


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