Principal Message 12/15/21
To receive future Puster Principal Message emails, click here.
We loved having our Puster Choir greet us in the courtyard this morning!
Puster Families,

We look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow for Puster Pride and class parties. It's going to be a fast and festive half day! Please note the schedule for the day below. We ask that all parents exit the building by 11:45 to ensure a smooth dismissal process for our buses and car riders. You are welcome to park in the front and back lots, along Stoddard, and in our back field. Please do not block fire lanes. Thank you!

We have a large amount of lost and found items. Please take a moment to "shop" when you visit tomorrow. All remaining items will be donated tomorrow afternoon.

If I don't get a chance to see you tomorrow, it is my sincere wish that each and every one of you have a wonderful holiday season!

Puster Proud,
Holly
@pusterlearners
#PES
#PusterProud

Click here to tell us about a PES staff member who has gone Above and Beyond!
Upcoming Dates
December
16 - Puster Pride
8:10-8:55 K-2
9:10-9:55 3-4
16 - Grade Level Parties
16 - Early Release 12:00
16 - Lost and Found Donated
17-28 - Winter Break

January
3-4 - Teacher Professional Development/No School
5 - 2nd Semester Begins - See you at 7:55 a.m.!
14 - Q2 Report Cards Go Home
We want to extend a special thank you to The Stix Icehouse for their generous donations of 50 gift cards! They have been a super contribution to our Daily Dose of Holiday Cheer where we draw daily winners for staff treats!

Thank you to our PTO for organizing pies and gift cards for our staff before Thanksgiving break and for the fun Lotto draw for the holidays!

Huge thanks to Lisa Wilkinson, PTO Environmental Chair, for her work to apply for a grant and for her communication with our grounds crew to prep the area for our Wildflower Stomp last weekend. We had some great volunteers that day!
Why Attendance Matters
WHY ATTENDANCE MATTERS

How important is it for kids to be in school? 
School attendance is a baseline factor in determining school success. 
A missed school day is a missed opportunity for students to learn. 
Regular attendance fosters a classroom connection between teachers and students. 
Attending school also provides time for social interactions with peers. 

Did you know that?
Attendance is the most significant driver in the funding Lovejoy ISD receives from the state each year? 
A 3% reduction in the yearly average daily attendance (ADA) can cause the district to lose $800,000 in funding. 
An increase of 1% in the yearly ADA can fund 3 teachers’ salaries. 
Although it may seem insignificant that the district loses $50 a day when a student is absent, consider the impact when 250 students are absent across the district and the district loses $12,500. Multiply that by 15 days and it is a loss of $187,500. The impact is significant.
Attendance taken at 10 AM determines the ADA funding that Lovejoy ISD receives for that date. If the student is on campus at that time, LISD receives approximately $50.00 per student. If a student is absent, ADA is lost.

Lost and Found Donated December 16th
There are a lot of awesome items sitting in a HUGE Lost and Found collection at Puster! Students have daily opportunities to check lost and found during their lunch periods. We are delivering any items we find with names. We will also have all items on display for those of you attending our early release day on the 16th.

Any items remaining on the 16th after school will be donated.
At Puster, we know EVERY staff member goes above and beyond, though we may not always hear about it. Who are our unsung heros? Has a Puster teacher or staff member gone above and beyond for your child/family? We want to hear about it! Parents, community members, staff members and students are welcome to share by clicking the link above. We will keep contributors anonymous in our shout outs.
Lunch Visitors Update - 1/10/22
As we enter the cold weather season, we will be creating a separate, indoor space, for lunch visitors. Beginning January 10th, you may join your child(ren) for lunch and eat on the cafeteria stage OR you may continue to picnic outside. As always, we ask that students enjoy that time with parents - friends will not be allowed to join.
Volunteers and Visitors to Puster will be required to complete a COVID pre-screener the day of visit. Please scan the QR Code at the front of the building to access this form. We appreciate your diligence in keeping our leopards healthy!

Library News
Library books
We love that students are reading so much, our goal is that students have access to books that interest them. Overdue notices will be going home this week, we currently have 631 books overdue! 

Interested in shelving books by section in alphabetical order, tidying shelves, dusting, making sure books are in the correct order, assisting with other tasks such as laminating etc as needed? Then find a time date that works for you in the sign up link above.
Mark your Calendars! Our Spring Book fair is March 28th-April 1st. More volunteer opportunities are coming soon.

Bluebonnet Book Nominees: Voting & Celebration 
How can your student attend? 
3rd and 4th graders have had the opportunity to learn about this year's Bluebonnet Book Nominees. The Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List is one of the most distinguished children’s literature lists in the country.
If students have read at least 5 of the current nominees, and filled out this google form for each book before January17th, they will be invited to the Bluebonnet Voting Party after school on Tuesday, January 25th from dismissal until 3:45. Invited students will vote for their favorite bluebonnet nominee, have a blue snack and engage in the Makerspace. We will find out the state winner (voted for by Texas students!) in early February.

Makerspace donations welcome! 
In makerspace, students are focusing on solving challenges or exploring using the 4C’s of 21st century skills: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication.
If you have these items and would like to donate, our makers would love them! 
Feathers, Yarn, Cupcake liners, foil, paper plates, fun tape, pom. Poms, popsicle sticks, coffee filters, beads, dot markers

Want book or STEM gift ideas? Mrs. Dawson, the L.M.S at Hart Elementary has provided some resources here!

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I am here for you!
-Ariel Stewart 
Puster Elementary
Library Media Specialist
Attention 4th graders! Spring Morning Announcements: Anchors/behind the scenes for the morning announcements
 
The Puster News airs bright and early each morning to help our campus start our day. The smiling faces of the Morning Crew appear for each student as we broadcast a prerecorded morning show that includes the pledges, birthdays, fun theme days, and school news. We love to highlight special events and celebrate our students and teachers.
 
To become a Morning Crew member, you must be a fourth-grader and complete an application.
Morning Announcements: 4th graders wanted to be on the PES morning announcements broadcast!
We will meet on Monday mornings at 7:30 to record our video segments for the week (Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, & next Mon)
We will have anchors introducing our week, recite pledges, our lunch menu, birthdays and more.
Don't want to be on camera but still interested? There is an opportunity to just work behind the scenes as well, adjusting slides, images and our script.
If your 4th grader is interested in participating this semester, please fill out this form with them by December 10th at 4:00pm. I will email you and your child with their dates to record before we return to school in January.


Ariel Stewart
Library Media Specialist 
Puster Elementary  

News from Fine Arts
SAVE THE DATE - Tuesday, February 1, 2022
4th graders will present a Texas program Tuesday, February 1st at 5:30 PM on the PES stage! Details will be coming soon. If you have any questions please contact [email protected] (Puster music specialist).
Puster Elementary families,
 
We have just kicked off the Kids Heart Challenge! Kids Heart Challenge benefits our school by providing valuable health & wellness resources for our community and classrooms, PE equipment, and funding for our school and PE program. Joining the Kids Heart Challenge, raising awareness, and supporting the American Heart Association helps save lives. Students can also earn awesome thank you gifts! Thank you for your continued support of Puster Elementary and the AHA.

 
Each $50 any student raises will enter them into a raffle to pie Mrs. Haynes LIVE over the morning announcements!
 

 
Download the free and fun Kids Heart Challenge App (App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android)!
PTO News
PTO Membership
Calling all Puster students, staff, and families!! We want all of you to be members of Puster Elementary PTO! This system will allow members to join online, subscribe to our calendar of events, receive online directory access, and update personal information at any time! These features are also available via a mobile app on your phone. https://ptopes. membershiptoolkit.com/home
Helpful Resources
Can I bring birthday treats to school for my child?

Yes, you can purchase birthday treats for your child through Student Nutrition. Please note that we are only allowing birthday treats from the LISD Student Nutrition department. Please click here to order your child's birthday treats today! Please email your child's teacher to inform them that you ordered treats so that we do not have 2 students celebrating birthdays on the same day. At this time, we are requesting no visitors during birthday celebrations.
District News
Gifted and Talented Kinder Referrals

The referral form for kindergarten G/T testing is open through January 7, 2022 in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. 

Testing is scheduled for February 5 and 12, 2022 by appointment only. 

Additional information may be found on the G/T portion of the LISD website
December Nutrition Newsletter 
Go to this link to get the December Nutrition news:
https://4.files.edl.io/d66c/12/09/21/142538-3251dca3-3367-4988-b1c6-1a8bc02fe1af.pdf
SCHOOL MESSENGER AND POWER SCHOOL APP
Beginning Monday, November 29, 2021

School Messenger 
Lovejoy ISD will reinstate the use of School Messenger to notify parents when students are absent or tardy for class. Messages will be sent via text message, email and phone call. The District is committed to joining forces with parents to ensure timely communication is provided to assist with your student’s safety and school experience. 

PowerSchool App
The PowerSchool Mobile App is available for Lovejoy ISD parents. The mobile app gives parents and students instant access to information they need to stay up-to-date on student grades, performance, and attendance. 
Some of the Key-Benefits include:
Receive real-time push notifications with updates about Scores and Attendance.
Receive Email notifications for Assignments, Teacher's comments, Daily Bulletins, Schedules, and Fee Transactions.
Access all of your children in one portal
View Grades, Assignments, Attendance,and more
View Announcements from schools
Designed for iPhones/iOS, tablets, and Google/Android Devices
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
We’re excited to kick off our Annual Appeal campaign!  Our goal is to raise $300,000 and have 35% community involvement. The students of Lovejoy ISD are touched by Foundation dollars in every school and grade throughout the district. Now, more than ever, they need our support to ensure no interruption to the Lovejoy standard of exceptional learning. Visit our website today to learn more and donate! Click on the insert to go to the website.
Lovejoy ISD Football Events Update
Click here to get information regarding Lovejoy ISD Football Events