|
Lovejoy Independent School District
Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence in Education
Centennial Logo Designed by Hudson Samuels, LHS Student
|
|
|
|
A Message from the Superintendent
|
I hope you and your family are having a great week. As you know, today was an early release day for your students, while teachers and staff participated in staff development.
On Friday, the Volleyball team will continue their playoff run in the Area match against The Colony. Details are listed below in the Athletics section. The Boys Cross Country team will be defending their state championship title on Saturday in Round Rock. We wish both of these teams continued success.
Click here
to read a great article in the Dallas Morning News featuring LHS Senior Bradley Davis' Senior Project. Bradley has joined forces with fellow Seniors James Ayers and Jonah Barton to plan the second annual Running Over Depression 5K. See the upcoming events section of this edition of Email Express for additional information.
|
The Lovejoy Independent School District is currently involved in a comprehensive review process to determine if it is in the best interest of our graduating seniors to rank our kids. The Education Code requires we rank at least our Top 10%. Beyond that, it is a local decision. Why would a district choose to not rank its graduates? In highly competitive academic districts like Lovejoy, many of our academically strong students are receiving a much lower rank than they would in many other districts. This can be an obstacle for either college admission or merit-based scholarships. What does the university admissions staff do when kids apply coming from a high school that does not rank? They rank the applicant based on ACT or SAT scores. Unfortunately, we do not have data to show how this "college-initiated" ranking would affect our kids. Over the next couple of months, we are collecting available data to determine which approach is in the best interest of the most number of students. The district is committed to making a decision which is objective and will benefit our kids. We will be posting information on the website and will schedule another parent meeting to share our findings before a final decision is made.
|
We would like to remind everyone of the following school bus safety practices:
*When you see a school bus, assume children will be in the area and take extra care. Leave lots of space around the bus.
*When the bus turns on its flashing yellow lights, the bus is either preparing to stop at a railroad crossing or preparing to stop to pick up or drop off children. Please slow down and prepare to stop.
*When the bus turns on its flashing red lights, traffic must stop in both directions. Never pass a school bus with flashing red lights.
Thank you for your assistance in helping to keep our students safe.
|
Last week was Red Ribbon Week, which is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October in the United States. The following video features staff and students from Sloan Creek Intermediate School and Lovejoy High School sharing their "anti-drug". It's a great reminder of all of the many reasons we have to be drug free.
|
|
Madagascar Live Tickets on Sale Now!
|
The animals are escaping from the Central Park Zoo. Join the WSMS Musical Theatre Cast for an enjoyable evening of fun as they proudly present Madagascar Live on November 2nd, 3rd and 4th at the Lovejoy High School Auditorium. All seats are reserved. Tickets may be purchased online at the
Fine Arts Ticket Box
.
If you like to Move It, Move It, we hope to see you at the show.
Be sure to read the Upcoming Events section of this edition of Email Express for information regarding the Mini Madagascar Live VIP event on November 2nd.
|
|
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
|
Kendra Scott Gives Back
Kendra Scott is hosting a "give back" event with 20% of the sales going to the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools. Kendra Scott will provide snacks and beverages. We hope you will join us for this special event.
Thursday, November 9
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Kendra Scott in Watters Creek
888 Watters Creek Boulevard
|
Give to the Foundation via AmazonSmile
If you plan on purchasing items from Amazon.com, please consider visiting Amazon Smile. Amazon established AmazonSmile to give back 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to charitable organizations. When you are ready to shop, log in to your Amazon account by visiting the
AmazonSmile
website for the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools. Once you have logged in, you will have access to the same products, same prices and same service you find at amazon.com. Thank you for your support of the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools.
|
Curriculum Express
News from the Deputy Superintendent
|
GPA and Class Rank Q&A
(Fourth in a Series)
Dear Lovejoy Community:
In recognition of the interest and wide variety of approaches used in school districts to calculate GPA and determine class rank, this is the fourth in a series on this topic. Thank you to the parents who made time to attend the meeting at LHS on Monday night to hear from five college admissions officers from across Texas. As was shared, this was the first of several opportunities to gather and share information as a part of our study to examine the pros and cons of ranking students who are not in the top 10% of their graduating class.
I received a few emails last week based on Curriculum Express. The feedback I received was based on confusion about the ranking policy adopted in Lovejoy, which includes two different GPA scales which are used for two distinct purposes.
The GPA ranges I shared last week were the GPAs that qualified students in the top 10% and top 25% of the last three graduating classes. These GPAs are calculated for each student using our Ranking Scale. The Ranking Scale for course grades between 95 and 100 is as follows:
|
Weighted Grade Scale for Ranking
|
|
Grade
|
Tier 1
|
Tier 2
|
Tier 3
|
|
100
|
5.0
|
4.5
|
4.0
|
|
99
|
4.9
|
4.4
|
3.9
|
|
98
|
4.8
|
4.3
|
3.8
|
|
97
|
4.7
|
4.2
|
3.7
|
|
96
|
4.6
|
4.1
|
3.6
|
|
95
|
4.5
|
4.0
|
3.5
|
As I shared last week, "For the last three graduating classes, a student who earned a 3.71 - 3.79 GPA was ranked in the top 25% of the class. Students who were ranked in the top 10% of the graduating class had a GPA of 3.93 - 4.04. The ranking GPAs are calculated on the weighted scale, with 5.0 being the top of the GPA scale." As you can see, the Ranking Scale has a .1 difference for each point difference on the course grade for courses on the same Tier, and a .5 difference between each Tier, with Tier 1 courses being Advanced Placement (AP) courses. This design is to allow more distinction between the grades earned by students, and for a student to benefit by taking more weighted courses.
The second scale in our policy is the Official GPA scale. This scale was developed with the purpose of ensuring our Lovejoy graduates are viewed from the most favorable perspective during the admissions process. The Official GPA scale for course grades between 95 and 100 is provided below:
|
Weighted Grade Scale for Official GPA
|
|
Grade
|
Tier 1
|
Tier 2
|
Tier 3
|
|
100
|
5.00
|
4.50
|
4.0
|
|
99
|
4.95
|
4.45
|
3.95
|
|
98
|
4.90
|
4.40
|
3.90
|
|
97
|
4.85
|
4.35
|
3.85
|
|
96
|
4.80
|
4.30
|
3.80
|
|
95
|
4.75
|
4.25
|
3.75
|
This scale has a smaller difference between each course grade earned on the same Tier, which has the intended benefit of increasing a student's GPA. This is the Official GPA which will be on a student's transcript, and will be used during the admissions process for colleges and universities accepting a weighted GPA.
Thank you for your feedback last week to seek clarification about the GPA ranges which I shared. Your feedback provided a wonderful opportunity to give greater detail about the two scales utilized and the purpose for each. To read any policies in Lovejoy, feel free to visit the district website and click on the "About LISD" tab. The second option under this tab is "Board of Trustees." On the right-hand side of the Board of Trustees, you will see the link "Lovejoy ISD Board Policy Online." From this link, you can do keyword searches. To go directly to the ranking policy used in Lovejoy, please click here.
Our goal remains the same in regard to a class ranking system, which is to ensure our graduates are viewed as positively as possible in the college admissions process, while ensuring that a GPA is a reflection of the rigor of courses taken and the grades earned in high school.
We hope you continue to love where you learn. If you have feedback to help us improve, please do not hesitate to contact me on my cell at 214.385.1967.
Respectfully,
Dennis Muizers
|
Lovejoy Boys Basketball
The Lovejoy Boys Basketball team has begun after school practices for the upcoming 2017-2018 season. Coach Herrema, the staff and team are all hard at work to continue their march to another State Playoff run. Additional information on the boys' team will follow in the weeks ahead.
|
Lovejoy Girls Basketball
The Lady Leopards travelled to the American Airlines Center on Saturday for the first scrimmage of the year against Mansfield High School. The Leopards had a strong showing, winning five of the seven quarters. The girls showed their long range shooting ability, knocking down several NBA three pointers. Casey Perkins, Taylor Meixelsperger, and Kim Lyne each made one from beyond the arc. Kaylee Rekieta led the varsity with 17 points, Grace Bennett had 12 points for the JV Black, and JV Red was led by Layla Myers-Healey with 4 points.
Their next scrimmage will be this Thursday against Hebron and Prestonwood at 5:30 PM at Lovejoy. Come out and support the Lady Leopards.
|
Lovejoy Cross Country
The Boys Cross Country team will compete on Saturday, November 4th in Round Rock to defend their State Championship title. We hope you will join us in making the trip down to Round Rock to see the Boys team defend the State Championship title and bring home the State Championship trophy.
|
The Lovejoy Leopards celebrated their third straight victory with a win over the North Forney Falcons 43-41 this past Friday. Now sitting at 3-2 in district, Lovejoy not only controls its playoff path, but also could clinch a spot this week with a win over Mesquite Poteet and a West Mesquite win over North Forney. If that happens, Lovejoy would have the head-to-head edge in any tiebreaker scenario. The Leopards will travel to Mesquite Memorial Stadium this Friday, November 3rd at 7:30 PM to take on the Mesquite Poteet Pirates. Make plans to come out and support our Leopards. If you cannot make the game, you may listen to the game on
Sportsgram.net
.
|
Lovejoy Golf
The Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls golf teams will be competing this Friday and Saturday at Firewheel Golf Club in Garland. There will be approximately 30 teams in this event.
|
Lovejoy Swim and Dive
The Swim and Dive team has the week off. Training is beginning to transition from the endurance phase into the power and speed phase, which will help the team prepare for the upcoming Invitational and Championship season. The team will face off against McKinney High School next Tuesday, November 7th at the McKinney High School Natatorium.
|
Lovejoy Tennis
The Lovejoy tennis team finished their season as the 15-5A District Runners-up, Bi-District Champions, Area Champions, and also won two rounds at the Regional Tournament to qualify for the Regional Finals. In the Regional Finals, the Leopards matched up against the #1 ranked Highland Park team, taking two matches off the Scots, which is more than any 5A school has done all season. The tennis team will have a break in the action for November and December, and will begin their Spring/Individual season when we return from Christmas Break.
|
Lovejoy Volleyball
Lovejoy traveled to Mineola to play Longview Pine Tree in their Bi-District playoff game Monday night. It was a clean sweep in three sets (25-8, 25-2, and 25-10) for the Leopards. Aggressive serving and minimal errors kept Lovejoy in control each set. Madison Waters contributed 10 kills and 3 blocks in just 2 sets, while Shanel Bramschreiber and Maddie Speicher had 8 aces each. Lovejoy continues their playoff run in their Area match against the The Colony Lady Cougars this Friday night at McKinney Boyd High School. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 PM.
|
A New Tradition
Cheer of the Week
The Lovejoy High Cheer Team is pleased to announce the new tradition of "Chant of the Week."
The winning streak continues for the varsity football team. Please watch our Lovejoy Varsity cheerleaders' video, and be ready to cheer our Leopards to victory at this Friday night's game at Mesquite Memorial Stadium at 7:30 PM against Mesquite Poteet. We hope to see you at the game.
|
LHS Band
The LHS Band competed in the Area B round of the state marching band competition this past Saturday in Little Elm. The band drew an early time in the cold, but pulled out a great final performance for the season. Three of the five judges had the band moving on to the next level. Out of 24 bands, the Lovejoy Band finished 12th in the Area. The band will perform their 2017 Show "Metalmorphosis" two more times at the remaining regular season football games. If you have not seen the production yet, come check it out before it is gone.
Photo Credit: Melissa Smith
|
LHS Band Sax Section
It has become an annual tradition for the LHS Sax Section to prepare an arrangement of Thriller which they share with elementary students in the district. The video below shows a brief clip of their performance at Lovejoy Elementary school yesterday. Special thanks to the following students for sharing their talents in this creative manner.
Michael O'Brien
Emily Orr
Joe Ridgeway
Alex Vislosky
Kennison Williams
Jonah Hicks
Owen Miller
Will Pekinpaugh
|
Leopards in the News
This section of Email Express highlights news reports/articles featuring Lovejoy over the previous week.
|
PTA Reflections: Within Reach
Deadline Extension - Friday, November 3rd
The National PTA Reflections program encourages students of all ages and abilities to explore and be involved in the arts. Through the program, National PTA, Lovejoy Local and Council PTAs, and PTAs across the country urge students in preschool through grade 12 to create and submit original works. This year's contest theme is "Within Reach". We hope all Leopards will submit an entry in one or more of the following categories: Dance Choreography, Literature, Film Production, Photography, Visual Arts, and Music Composition - reflecting on the specific theme.
There is a special artist division option for students with disabilities to ensure all students have the opportunity to participate in the program. Students are recognized each year for their artistic ingenuity to bring the theme to life in a way which is personal and meaningful. For rules and entry forms,
click here
. The deadline extension is this Friday, November 3rd.
|
School Store T-Shirt Sale
The school stores, located at Lovejoy High School and Willow Springs Middle School, are getting ready for the cooler weather. Don't miss their special sales as they make room for the new season.
All Short-Sleeved T-Shirts - 50% off
Hurry, as the t-shirts will go quickly at this special price.
The LHS Store is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. The WSMS Store is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 11:15 AM - 1:15 PM.
|
Eagle Project: Hurricane Harvey Relief
A Message from Hunter Kight
 "My name is Hunter Kight, I am an 8th grader at Willow Springs, and I've just started my eagle project. I have chosen to help the Hurricane Harvey victims for my project. Many of the victims did not have flood insurance, and this looks to be the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history. The clean-up and rebuild effort will take more than a year. There is a time during disasters like this that charities experience donor fatigue. This is where donations drop to their lowest. Through my project, I am trying to reduce donor fatigue by collecting basic essential items. I have partnered with the Salvation Army to collect supplies like canned goods, baby food/formula, hygiene items, diapers, and cases of water. Large donation boxes are located at each school to collect these items. I will leave these boxes out until this Friday, November 3rd. Please consider supporting this effort by filling the boxes and helping the victims."
|
Lovejoy ISD Pre-Kindergarten
Space Available
Our district has offered a Pre-K program as a part of our employee daycare program for the past 11 years. On the suggestion of parents, we decided to expand that program and offer a tuition-based program open to our community. We currently have two Pre-K classrooms open at Puster Elementary. This program offers enhancements in music, fitness, art, library, science, technology, engineering, and math. We are enthusiastic about providing a Lovejoy education for community members looking for a rich learning experience which will provide a firm foundation for kindergarten and beyond. The first week of school we received an email from a parent with a child in the program and this is what she said:
"My daughter loves her new school and runs to get dressed every morning (used to throw a fit). Her teachers are great."
If you are interested in applying, please
click here
. To schedule a tour of the Pre-Kindergarten program, please contact
Stacey Dillon
at 469.742.8003.
|
The Lovejoy Running Club
The Lovejoy Running Club meets every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 6:00 PM near the Duck Pond at Celebration Park. All ages and ability levels are welcome to attend, from novice walkers looking to shed a few pounds, to elite runners gearing up for the next race. If you have questions regarding the running program, you may contact:
[email protected]
. P.S. Dogs are welcome.
|
Bus Drivers
Lovejoy ISD is currently accepting applications for full-time and part-time school bus drivers.
Click here
for additional information.
|
Aim for Success Parent Presentation: Tonight
Aim For Success is presenting information to Lovejoy High School students on November 7th. The topic is "Focus on Success," and students will hear about technology, sexting, pornography, and healthy relationships on that day. The 9th and 10th grade rotation will be held from 10:00 AM - 11:25 AM, and the 11th and 12th grade rotation will be held from 1:30 PM - 2:23 PM.
Parents are invited to preview the presentation tonight at 6:30 PM in the Lovejoy High School Lecture Hall.
Click here
for additional information regarding Aim For Success.
|
Majestics Informational Meeting: Tomorrow
 Do you want to be on the Lovejoy Majestics Dance Team? Tryouts are December 4th - 7th. A candidate/ parent informational meeting will be held tomorrow, November 2nd at 6:30 PM in the LHS Lecture Hall. All paperwork is due to Mrs. Morrow or Mrs. Willis by 9 AM on Tuesday, November 28th.
Click here
for additional information regarding tryouts.
|
Mini Madagascar Live! VIP Party: Tomorrow
Are you a VIP? Join us for a Mini Madagascar Live! VIP Party tomorrow evening at 6:15 PM, prior to opening night of the Willow Springs Middle School musical, Madagascar Live!. The animals are escaping from the Central Park Zoo, and you are invited to experience it firsthand. If you like to Move It, Move It, we hope to see you at this exclusive engagement to meet the zoo animals, and experience a Crack a Lackin good time.
This experience includes a special pre-show backstage tour with a Madagascar Live! character, signed show poster, t-shirt, 1 adult ticket and 1 child/student ticket, a goody bag and special reserved seating. Tickets are $50 and are available at
this link
. Tickets to this special event are limited to the first 50 students. Tickets are available
only online
.
|
Lovejoy Orchestra Spirit Day/ Night: November 7
Join the Lovejoy Orchestra for their spirit day/night at Raising Cane's on Tuesday, November 7th, from 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM.
This is an all-day event so if you are unable to stop by for dinner, you may pick up lunch and still support the Lovejoy Orchestra Booster Club. 15% of the proceeds will go to the Orchestra Booster Club. When you order, please let them know you are with the Lovejoy Orchestra. This includes dine in, drive thru and take out.
We look forward to seeing you at Cane's for a great combo of delicious food and good company in support of the Lovejoy Orchestra. Raising Cane's is located at 190 E. Stacy Road in Allen.
|
Safe!: November 8
Issues Affecting Today's Teens and How You Can Help
We all want to keep our teens safe. Join Vanita Halliburton and Dr. Ray Levy on Wednesday, November 8th at 11:30 AM in the Lovejoy ISD Administration Building Board Room 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 that 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 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 High School Theatre Presents Almost, Maine: November 9 and 11
The Lovejoy High School Theatre program will present Almost, Maine on November 9th and 11th at 7:00 PM in the new LHS Black Box Theatre. We hope you will join us for this inaugural performance in this beautiful space. Tickets will be on sale beginning Sunday, November 5th through the
Fine Arts Box Office
.
|
Running Over Depression 5K and 1K Fun Run: November 11
 Bradley Davis, James Ayers, and Jonah Barton are organizing the second annual Running Over Depression 5K and 1K event for their Senior Projects. Last year, this event had over 360 participants, and raised over $8,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). This year, the organizers are looking forward to increasing the number of participants and involvement from the Lovejoy Community. The event will be held on Saturday, November 11th. The entry fees are $20 for the 1K and $30 for the 5K, with all proceeds donated to the AFSP. You may register by
clicking here
. Register early, as prices increase after November 3rd.
|
Girls Lacrosse Try-It Clinic: November 11
Lovejoy Lacrosse will host a free try-it clinic and introduction to lacrosse for all Lovejoy girls in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. The clinic will be held on Saturday, November 11th from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the Willow Springs Middle School Football Field. No lacrosse experience is necessary and there is no need to register. This will be a fun, no pressure environment where Lovejoy girls can try lacrosse, and parents can learn about the Lovejoy Lady Leopards Lacrosse program. Please
click here
for additional information.
Last year's inaugural season was a great success. Now, we're looking for more girls to join the fun. Come out and see why lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the United States and in North Texas.
Questions?
Click here
to email Lovejoy Leopard Lacrosse.
|
E-Waste Recycling Event: November 11
Lovejoy High School will host an e-waste recycling event on Saturday, November 11th from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM in the front parking lot of LHS. Now is the perfect time to gather electronic items you would like to dispose of.
Click here
for additional information regarding the e-waste collection.
|
Lovejoy High School Honors Veterans:
November 13
On November 13th at 6:00 PM, Lovejoy High School will host its annual Veterans Day Banquet. The event, catered by Rudy's Barbecue, is open to all veterans and their families. Please share this information with friends and family members, and
click here
to RSVP.
|
Lovejoy Gifted Association Parent Panel:
November 16
The Lovejoy Gifted Association invites you to join them for an evening of wit and wisdom shared by parents of recent Lovejoy GT graduates. This is an opportunity to receive answers to questions you may have. The Parent Panel members will share their stories and perspective on how to help you and your children get the most from the GT programs in LISD. It's a great opportunity for families who are new to GT to get a head start, as well as for families who have been with GT and are looking to reconnect as their children's interests continue to evolve and change. The event is sponsored by The Lovejoy Gifted Association and is open to all parents, teachers and students who are interested in learning more about the Gifted and Talented programs. You do not have to be a member to attend. Please contact
Piritta van Rijn
with questions.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Parent Panel: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Mix and Mingle: 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Lovejoy High School
Lecture Hall
|
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.
|
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)
|
|
|
|
|
