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Willow Springs Middle School
A Message from the Principal
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Dear WSMS Parents and Guardians,
This week is Red Ribbon Week at Willow Springs and we take this week to share with parents the most recent information regarding trends the local experts see with drug use in the immediate area. I had the opportunity to host Misti Harris today in a webinar. Ms. Harris is a substance abuse coordinator from the Collin County Healthcare Department. If you were not able to join us live, you can view the recording here.
Tomorrow Ms. Harris will be on campus to present to our 7th and 8th grade students. Please, please, please take a few minutes to watch her parent presentation so you are informed with the challenges your child faces. I promise you that your children want to have this conversation with you as awkward as it may be at first. This is not a topic we, as adults, need to allow children to figure out on their own. I hope you find the presentation beneficial.
Willow Springs Proud,
Kevin
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Kevin Parker
Principal
1101 West Lucas Rd, Lucas 75002
Office: 469-742-8417
Mobile: 469-667-2280
@WSMSLovejoyISD
#wsmslovejoy
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NEW! WSMS Presents Getting To Know...Rodgers and Hammerstien’s Cinderella - October 28-30
Please join us in revisiting the classic childhood tale of wishes, glass slippers, and happily ever afters, as Willow Springs Middle School proudly presents Getting to Know...Rodgers and Hammerstien’s Cinderella. This show will be presented October 28, 29, and 30, 2021 at 7 pm.
Getting to Know Rodgers and Hammerstien’s Cinderella is a youth, one-act adaptation of the Tony Award winning Broadway Musical with all the same beloved characters and songs, including “In My Own Little Corner '' and “Impossible”.
Tickets are $8 for students, seniors, and staff and $12 for adults. Tickets will be on sale October 18th through our Online Box Office: www.TinyURL.com/LovejoyBoxOffice We encourage our audiences to buy in advance for the best seating options. Come join us for this classic fairy tale at the Lovejoy High School Auditorium at: 2350 Estates Parkway, Lucas, Texas.
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NEW! Upcoming Student Holiday - November 1st and 2nd
Monday, November 1st and Tuesday, November 2nd, are student holidays. Enjoy your long weekend.
NEW! 7th Grade Hearing /Vision Screenings - November 8th and 9th
Monday, November 8th & Tuesday, November 9th, WSMS nurses will be performing the required State Hearing/Vision screenings on all 7th grade students. If your child wears glasses or contacts, please make sure they bring them to school on those dates.
NEW! Deadline to Order Yearbook - November 12th
The last day to purchase your 2022 WSMS yearbook at the current price is Friday, November 12th at midnight. The price will go up at midnight on November 12th.
NEW! 8th Grade Parents - Yearbook Recognition Ads - Deadline November 12th
All 8th grade recognition ads must be paid for, created, and submitted online by Friday, November 12th. Click here to purchase and create an 8th grade ad.
NEW! WSMS Spelling Bee - THURSDAY, November 18th
The WSMS Spelling Bee will be on November 18th from 9:15-11, in the cafeteria. Parents are welcome to attend.
NEW! PowerSchool ParentPortal Update Needed
The PowerSchool ParentPortal is now open for you to complete the online Enrollment & Student Information Forms. As of today there are still 311 students whose forms need to be completed. Please click here to access the Parent Portal. Completion of these forms is required every year for every student. Please take a few minutes to update your contact information and other forms.
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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 gretchen_young@lovejoyisd.net or by phone at (469) 742-8420.
Carol Vik Carol_Vik@lovejoyisd.net - Attendance/PEIMS Clerk
Rebecca May Rebecca_May@lovejoyisd.net - Assistant Principal for students whose last name begins with the letters A-Le.
Rachael Merrick Rachael_Merrick@lovejoyisd.net - 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.
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REMINDER! College Board PSAT 8- Tuesday, November 16
On Tuesday, November 16, WSMS 8th graders will take the College Board's digital PSAT 8 test. This assessment is an opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to assess a student's math, writing, and reading skills needed to be college- ready. For more information on the College Board's PSAT 8/9 test, you can visit this website. The assessment will begin promptly at 9am and will last approximately 3.5 hours. 8th graders may want to bring a water bottle for testing. Scores will be released when they become available which is typically in January/ February.
REMINDER! Lovejoy Letter Campaign
Lovejoy Family!! The 8th annual Lovejoy Letter Campaign for teachers and staff members has begun! Many of you are familiar with this beloved tradition, but for those of you who are not, it is the time of year when we write appreciation letters for each of our teachers and staff members across the district.
The letters do not have to be elaborate or lengthy. The goal is just for people to write a note of thanks to show appreciation to their teachers, the staff and administration in our district. It is the opportunity for us to take the time to let each person who makes a difference for us throughout the school day know how much we value them.
Please clearly label the envelope with the staff/teacher’s name and LLC (Lovejoy Letter Campaign) and return the letter to the box located in the front office at Willow Springs (or the designated location at any campus) no later than Friday November 12th. Please feel free to share this message as we spread the word about the campaign. We do not want to add any extra burden to our kids and parents, but we do want to share how much we appreciate our teachers and staff - especially this year!
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Developing Student Ownership in Learning
One of our goals is to work with students to build ownership and responsibility in their own learning. Consider having your student make first contact with his/her teachers by emailing them about assignments and/or tests. For example, if your student has not completed a homework assignment or a test, please encourage your student to do the following:
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Log into Power School to determine what test/assignment is missing.
- Go to the Google Classroom to print off and complete the assignment and/or any test preparation materials
- Email their teacher and ask questions about the assignment or missing work
- Talk to their teacher about the missing assignment or test
- Know how and where to turn in the assignment or complete the test
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.
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.
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Thank you to everybody who sent notes or gifts to celebrate Mr. Parker as part of National Principal Month. Please continue to tell him when you see him or think of him how much you appreciate him!
Letter Writing Campaign
The PTO is excited to be spearheading this important campaign this year. I encourage you to review the details above and write your letters early and often!
Parent Programs
Tomorrow the high school is presenting a parent program on digital citizenship via Zoom at 11:30. View details and access the Zoom link here.
Substance Abuse Parent Program recorded here
October 12 Principal Luncheon recorded here
Next membership meeting: November 9
Warm Regards,
Christy Forte'
WSMS PTO President
2021-2022
https://willowspringsmspto.wixsite.com/willowspringspto
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Middle School Sports Tickets for Home Games
To purchase a ticket for this week's home volleyball or football games, please click here.
WSMS Volleyball vs Wylie Cooper 10/21/21
7th Grade
A Team - Lost
B Team - Lost
C Team - Lost
8th Grade
A Team - Won
B Team - Won
C Team - Won
WSMS Football vs Allen Ford 10/19/21
7th Grade
Black Team - Won
Red Team - Won
8th Grade
Black Team - Lost
Red Team - Won
Willow Springs Boys Basketball Tryouts
For those who are trying out for Willow Springs basketball, we will have a three-day tryout for both the 7th and 8th grade starting on November 3rd.
Tryout Details:
- Tryouts will be held at Willow Springs Middle School
- Please wear shorts, t-shirt, and gym shoes
- There will be 3 teams for each grade with 10 players for each team
- Teams will be chosen based on: Skill, Work, Ethic, Basketball IQ, Coachability & Physical Attributes
- Tryouts are closed to parents
Tryout Dates & Times:
7th Grade:
Nov 3 8:00 am through 1st period
Nov 4 7:30 am through 1st period
Nov 5 7:30 am through 1st period
8th Grade:
Nov 3 8th period through 5:30 pm
Nov 4 8th period through 4:00 pm
Nov 5 8th period - Tryout Letter After
If you have any questions, please contact Darrell Evans at darrell_evans@lovejoyisd.net
Willow Springs Girls Basketball Tryouts
8th Grade:
- Wednesday, November 3rd - 7:30 to 9am
- Thursday, November 4th - 7:30 to 9am
- Friday, November 5th - 7:30 to 9 am - We are planning on talking with each girl individually on Friday to tell them if they made the 8th grade team, but if our tryout numbers are large, we may have to do this Monday to get a little more time to evaluate the girls.
- Monday, November 8th - 7:30 to 9 am - FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE (if we did not talk to the girls Friday, this will happen today)
7th Grade:
- Wednesday, November 3rd - 3:20 to 5pm
- Thursday, November 4th - 3:20 to 5pm
- Friday, November 5th - 3:20 to 5pm - We are planning on talking with each girl individually on Friday to tell them if they made the 7thth grade team, but if our tryout numbers are large, we may have to do this Monday to get a little more time to evaluate the girls.
- Monday, November 8th - 3:20 to 5pm - FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE (if we did not talk to the girls Friday, this will happen today)
What to wear/bring to tryouts:
1) 7th grade (red athletic shirt) 8th grade (black athletic shirt) - if you do not have the athletic shirt any red/black shirt will do (make sure its the color assigned for your grade)
2) basketball shorts are preferred
3) tennis shoes/basketball shoes
4) water bottle
5) a great attitude
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Athlete Physical Information
Any and all online paperwork questions should be directed to Victoria Reyes at 469-742-8411.
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.
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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.
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
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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!
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