A Message from the Superintendent
It's hard to believe we are in the first week of November. The unseasonably warm weather does not lend us to thinking Thanksgiving is right around the corner; however, we remain acutely aware of everything for which we are thankful. Your students are a constant reminder of how fortunate we are as a school district. Last week's Email Express was filled with student successes, and this week is no different. We are also mindful of the substantial contributions of our staff members and the role they play in ensuring your students experience great learning opportunities. One of our staff members, Brooke Grall, was recently featured in DFW Child. You may
click here
to read the article. As always, we remain appreciative of the support and contributions of our parents.
Answering a Common Question
Several times a year, I am contacted by a Lovejoy parent who is considering selling his/her home within the Lovejoy ISD, but wants his/her child(ren) to continue in Lovejoy ISD under our Tuition-Based Enrollment (TBE) program. We have had several Lovejoy families choose this option for a variety of reasons. From the school's perspective, we grant Tuition Based Enrollment to any current Lovejoy resident student in good standing with the district. The family is welcome to move outside of the district and pay the same tuition rates our nonresident families pay. Nonresident students must meet academic, attendance, and behavior criteria prior to admission. Current Lovejoy resident students in good standing will be allowed to switch to the TBE program without any additional review of academic, behavior, or attendance records.
Be sure to read the upcoming events section to learn how you may donate during the blood drive organized by LHS Senior Katie Hale. This event is Katie's Senior project.
Congratulations to the LHS Computer Science team on their recent success at the University of Texas at Dallas competition. The team placed in both Novice and Advanced, and were the only school to place in the top three in both divisions. There were over 100 teams competing in both categories from the DFW metroplex and the Austin area. Following are the results:
Advanced Team:
3rd place -- Marcus Mao, Sam Bell, Brice May
Novice Team:
2nd place -- Andy Pottenger, Matthew McLaren, Hudson Samuels
The LHS Visual Arts Team is pleased to announce the newly opened LHS Art Gallery. The first body of work hanging in the Art Gallery is for AP Studio "Midpoint Breadth" critique. All AP 2D Design and AP Drawing students have hung pieces they have finished thus far in the year which will play a part in the "Breadth" section of their portfolio. Each student will submit 12 Breadth pieces as part of their AP portfolio, but in order to create a Breadth which meets the needs of the artist and the AP Portfolio, most of the students will create closer to 30 breadth pieces. As you enter the gallery, you will also find an installation of "Personal Voodoo Dolls" created by Mrs. Beller's Drawing and Painting 2 Students. These hand stitched creations will be used as reference for future paintings and drawings.
As the year progresses, the Visual Arts Team will be holding openings in the space for students at all levels...from kindergartner to graduating senior.
On Saturday, October 29th, the Lovejoy Boys Cross Country team competed at the UIL Region II Cross Country Championship in Grand Prairie, Texas. The boys' team won the Regional Title with 41 points over defending State and Region II champion, Frisco Wakeland (116 points), 3rd place Dallas Conrad (123 points), and 4th place Mesquite Poteet (160 points). This is the second Regional Championship for the boys' team in program history. The boys' team last won the Regional Championship in 2010. With the Regional win, the Lovejoy boys have qualified for the State Cross Country Meet for the ninth year in a row.
The boys' team placed 4 runners in the top 10, and 6 runners in the top 25. Leading the way for the Leopards was senior Grant Tiff, with a 4th place finish in a time of 16:16. Also finishing in the top 10 and earning All Region Honors were Brady Laboret (5th - 16:19), Bradley Davis (7th - 16:23), and Brett Pedersen (9th - 16:24). Rounding out the boys' team were Ryan Brands (16th - 16:39), Ryan Spruell (22nd - 16:51), and Nate Hartter (56th - 17:55).
The Lovejoy Girls Cross Country team also competed at the regional meet and placed 6th overall with 178 points. Teams qualifying for the state meet included Prosper, Frisco Liberty, Frisco Wakeland, and Highland Park. This was the 10th year in a row for the girls team to compete in the Regional Championship.
The girls' team was led by sophomore, Carson Hockersmith, placing 14th overall with a time of 19:49, and earning the 5th out of 10 individual spots to qualify for the State Meet. In addition to Carson's state qualifying spot, the Lady Leopards had some great performances for the day. Sofia Estes placed 28th (20:48), Emily Gueller placed 34th (21:10), Avery Silliman placed 45th (21:18), Lacey Pelkowski placed 59th (21:43), Shaelyn Ballard placed 78th (22:29), and Andee Richardson placed 80th (22:30).
Carson and the boys' team will compete next at the UIL 5A State Cross Country Championships. The State Championship will be held on November 12, 2016, at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, Texas. The 5A Girls race will start at 9:40 AM, and the 5A Boys race will start at 10:20 AM.
Congratulations to the Lady Leopards Volleyball team on their Bi-District Championship win over Pine Tree: 25-17, 25-14, and 25-14. The team will enter the 2nd round of playoffs on Friday, November 4th, at 7:00 PM, at McKinney High School. They will play Frisco. Join us for the game and receive a free playoff t-shirt. If you are unable to attend, you may listen to the game at www.sportsgram.net.
Special thanks to Nancy Burns for sharing the following photos with us from the Lovejoy vs. Frisco swim meet on October 20th. It's always great to see our swimmers in action. The photos include Samuel Ma, Mallory Immel, and Samuel Veitch.
There was a Zombie Breakout in the LHS Library last week. Lots of brain-work and team-work happened in the library as 35 students and teachers worked together in teams to locate and unlock the antidote to the zombie apocalypse. Using teamwork and problem-solving skills, each group had 45 minutes to locate physical clues and materials needed to decipher the key to four different locks. Teams raced against the clock to find the antidote before the zombies attacked. Although only one zombie found its way to the library, it inspired several teams to quickly find the answers needed to unlock their box. The BreakoutEDU game was a huge hit and also inspired several high school teachers to try their hand at creating their own BreakoutEDU games, incorporating critical thinking and problem solving skills in their classroom. The high school now has 5 breakout kits ready for classroom and library use.
|
A Message from the
Deputy Superintendent
Early Release: What are Lovejoy Teachers Doing?
Dear Lovejoy Community:
Today is our first early release day this school year that is focused on professional learning for our teachers. One of the adjustments we made to our academic calendar a few years ago was to provide the legally required number of instructional days to students within the confines of the state-mandated uniform start date of school and the community's preference to end the school year prior to June. In order to meet this challenge, we decided to "front load" all of the required teacher professional development days to occur before school starts.
Knowing we could not have a professional learning system for our teachers that occurred once each year prior to the student instructional days, and given our tight controls on the amount of district funds we use to send teachers to conferences during the school year, we decided to seek the waiver from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for six early release days within our calendar. In order to have staff development opportunities during the school year, we have elected to use three of the early release days for teacher professional learning.
This year, the focus of our professional learning is on the strategies to support effective formative assessment. The professional educator definition of formative assessment is "the formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of informing the next steps in learning."
In plain English, it is the strategies teachers use to find out what students know and don't know. It is the work teachers do in the classroom on a frequent basis to help students monitor and set goals around what they know and don't know until they reach mastery of the required learning. Some great examples of formative assessment we may have experienced growing up could have been in athletics or in fine arts classes.
Good coaches have always been able to make the expectations for each player very clear (the learning target), identify where each player was in their implementation of that learning target, provide explicit feedback about which components of the expectation were being done well and which were not, and provide specific feedback and coaching as to how to improve each component of the player's performance in order to reach a mastery level. Good players are able to internalize the expectation, act on feedback, set goals, and monitor their own progress toward mastery. This is the process for learning we strive to achieve in all classrooms and in all subject areas.
Formative assessment strategies are research-based and have one of the most significant positive impacts on learning. The cornerstone of the research about formative assessment was published by Wiliam and Black (1998). In addition to the effect sizes on student learning found in their research, they have also described formative assessment as one of the most economical approaches to improve student learning because the key is use of strategies by teachers as opposed to any additional supplies or materials which teachers must learn to use or purchase.
We are excited by the work of our teachers as they continue to learn and grow. As with all professional development, our goal is to improve the learning experiences for each student in Lovejoy ISD.
We hope you love where you have chosen for your child to learn. If you have feedback to help us improve, please do not hesitate to contact me on my cell at 214.385.1967 or via email at
[email protected]
.
Respectfully,
Dennis Muizers
Deputy Superintendent
|
|
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools annual Tail Gate Tournament was held last w
eek. The Cornhole tournament featured 82 competitors with the winning team, Lovejoy HVAC. Bradley Havens and James Miller, Team Lovejoy HVAC, are pictured. Special thanks to al
l of the supporters and participants of this event.
|
|
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
This section of Email Express highlights news reports/articles in which Lovejoy has been featured over the previous week.
|
|
Lovejoy ISD is currently accepting applications for substitute nurses. The application may be found by
clicking here
. Please contact Julie Rodriguez with any questions at: 469.742.8013 or
[email protected]
.
Student Wellness: Head Lice
The wellness of our students is of the utmost important. In an effort to promote awareness and prevention, you may
click here
to review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's information regarding head lice. You may also visit Lovejoy's website for lice guidelines by
clicking here
. Additional questions regarding awareness and prevention may be directed to your campus nurse.
|
|
Upcoming Events
Winterguard Auditions for LHS Students: November 2 and 3
LHS Girls Soccer Presents Parent's Night Out: November 4
The LHS Girls Soccer Team is hosting a community Parent's Night out on November 4th, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Click here
for additional information.
Rocket Build Party: November 2; Rocket Launch: November 6
3....2....1.... Blast Off.... It's ROCKET LAUNCH TIME!
The Lovejoy Gifted Association and the Dallas Area Rocket Society (DARS) will be sponsoring the ROCKET PROJECT again this year due to the overwhelming success of last year's event! The Rocket Project is an extracurricular STEM activity at which your child builds a rocket one evening, then launches it another day -- all with the assistance of the professionals from DARS. Please join us for the fun:
What: Rocket Build Party*
Where: SCIS cafeteria
When: Wednesday, November 2nd from 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Who: Skill level geared toward 3rd - 6th graders, but all ages are welcome with an adult.
Launch: Sunday, November 6th at LHS -- time TBD*
Cost: $12 for LGA members and $22 for nonmembers.
*Parental supervision is required at both the Build and Launch events.
STAR PARTY: November 7
Puster Elementary, along with the Texas Astronomical Society, will host a star party on November 7th. Viewing will begin at 6:00 PM, and end at approximately 9:00 PM. Join us as we explore the stars, moon, planets, the Andromeda Galaxy, and many exciting objects in the Milky Way. Parking will be available in the front lot. You may enter through the front doors where signs will direct you to the courtyard and back parking lot where viewing will take place. Access to the back parking lot will not be available via the driveway. The Puster PTA will provide hot chocolate. In the event the skies are overcast on the 7th, a back-up date of November 11th is planned.
Orchestra Spirit Night at Raising Cane's: November 8
The Lovejoy Orchestra Booster Club will host a spirit day/night at Raising Cane's on Tuesday, November 8th from 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM. T
his full day event provides opportunities to support the Orchestra at lunch or dinner. Please join the Orchestra for a great combination of delicious food, good company, and support of our Lovejoy Orchestra. The Orchestra Booster Club will receive 15% of the proceeds. When placing your order, please let the cashier know you are with Lovejoy Orchestra. This includes dine in, drive thru, and take out. Raising Cane's is located at 190 E. Stacy Road in Allen. We hope to see you there!
SAFE! Issues Affecting Today's Teens and How You Can Help: November 9
We all want to keep our teens safe. Join us on Wednesday, November 9th, at 6:00 PM, in the Lovejoy High School Lecture Hall to learn how to:
- Recognize signs of distress in teens
- Promote brain health
- Foster resiliency and positive coping skills
- Know the warning signs of suicidal behavior
- Find help for a struggling teen
- Implement protective measures to keep teens SAFE!
Vanita Halliburton is president of the Grant Halliburton Foundation, a non-profit organization which works to raise awareness and understanding of adolescent mental health and suicide prevention. She speaks from the heart about her son's battle with depression and bipolar disorder and his suicide at the age of 19.
Ray Levy, Ph.D., LSSP is in private practice in Dallas, Texas, and works extensively with high-risk children, children with ADHD and strong-willed behaviors. He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows discussing various psychological issues. Dr. Levy travels throughout the country giving workshops and talks on therapy, and child and adolescent issues.
Lovejoy Women's Lacrosse Try It Day: November 12
Lovejoy senior, Kennedy Miller, has taken on the challenge of launching the Lady Leopard Lacrosse program as her 2017 Senior Project. Please join Kennedy, Coach Shannon, and the rest of the Lovejoy student volunteer coaching staff for a Try It Day scheduled this fall:
November 12, 2016 WSMS 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
All grades are welcome, and loaner sticks will be available on a first come, first served basis. For additional information, contact Kennedy Miller at
[email protected]
or visit the website at:
www.leopardlacrosse.com
.
Senior Project/ Blood Drive: November 17
LHS Senior, Katie Hale, is organizing a blood drive for her Senior Project. Read below to see how you may donate blood to the American Red Cross.
Where: Lovejoy High School Auxiliary Gym
When: Thursday, November 17th, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
How:
- Go to www.redcrossblood.org
- Type lovejoycampus in box at the top right of the page. See example below:
- Choose a time slot to donate. You will receive a reminder text as the donation date approaches.
It's that easy. Thank you for supporting the blood drive. Your donation could help save a life.
Revisiting Diversity: More than a Buzzword: November 17
You see it sprinkled in college catalogs, corporate mission statements, and in employee training seminars: Diversity. A New York Times piece recently made the claim that the ubiquitous word has all but lost its meaning. This lecture, presented by Dr. Salena Brody, will revisit what diversity really means for our schools, workplaces, and communities, focusing on social science research from the past half century.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Lovejoy ISD Administration Building/Training Room
Dr. Salena Brody is a professor of Psychology at Collin College. She earned her doctorate in Social Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, studying intergroup contact and attitude change. Her research focuses on identifying the conditions under which contact between groups leads to prejudice reduction and other positive outcomes. She is a Phi Beta Kappa member and has received numerous teaching awards including being named the 2016-2017 Outstanding Professor of the Year at Collin College. She is a proud Lovejoy parent and active member of the community, serving on the Friends of Fairview Fire Board of Directors.
|
|
If you would like to provide us with accomplishments of a Lovejoy graduate, please
click here
.
We will share this information in the "Where Are They Now?" section of Email Express. It is a pleasure to report the successes of Lovejoy graduates during their college years and beyond.
Caroline Johnson - Class of 2016
Congratulations to Caroline Johnson (Birmingham/Southern Volleyball) on picking up a team-high 33 digs in the Texas Lutheran Bulldog Classic.
Click here
for details.
|
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.
|
|
As always, please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns.
With Respect,
Ted Moore
Superintendent
Lovejoy ISD
972.415.8129 (mobile)
469.742.8011 (office)
|
|
|
|
|
