LULING ENEWS - DECEMBER 2019
Go Eagles!
It is hard to believe, but we have almost completed the first half of the 2019-20 school year! And what a great half it has been, with our outstanding students learning, growing, and achieving! I am incredibly proud of our district and what we accomplish every day!
As you know, the district has begun to implement our 5-year Strategic Plan. I would like to personally thank all of the community members, parents, staff, and students that are serving on our committees. Our focus is continuous improvement for the district and having stakeholders' input is a necessity!
Winter break is fast approaching. The district will be closed starting December 23rd. I look forward to seeing the students back in school on January 8th. Happy Holidays Luling!
-Mrs. Warren
Superintendent
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Locally-Funded Projects
The stadium project is in full swing and much progress has been made! The press box, home side bleachers, track, field, and lights have been demolished. The district salvaged the aluminum seats from the bleachers and will use them to upgrade the seating at the baseball and softball fields. Make sure you are following Luling ISD on FaceBook, as we continue to post material give-aways.Bond-Funded Projects
After 7 months of design work, the School Board will approve the final draft of the design plans for the new school (Shanklin Elementary) at Monday's Board Meeting. We are on schedule for the ground breaking ceremony in March. The renovations at Gerdes Junior High will begin 6 weeks after the ceremony.
SPOTLIGHT STAFF MEMBER!
The Spotlight Staff Member for December is Robert Broadway!
Mr. Broadway is a dedicated and caring member of the Luling ISD family. He has safely driven our students to and from school since 2015. Mr. Broadway has a huge heart for kids and is frequently heard saying, "Whatever it takes, let me know I will get them there." Mr. Broadway is the first employee students see in the morning, and he sets their day up well with a smile and a ‘good morning.’ He knows each of his riders by their first names and has spent time to get to know them. When one of our families suffered a tragedy, Mr. Broadway was the first person in the district to donate money and clothing. He is an advocate for our district and we are so lucky that he is a Luling Eagle!
LULING ISD's 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
As part of the district’s five-year strategic plan, various committees were formed to begin work
on addressing the four strands identified as priorities for the district. These strands are: establishing a culture of high expectations, high quality curriculum and instruction, internal and external communications, and staff recruitment and retention. The committees working on this plan are comprised of campus administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members. Committees have met monthly to work on each strand and ensure all identified strategies are being implemented. The overall goal of the Strategic Plan is to collaboratively shape the future of Luling ISD to accomplish the district’s vision of educating every child every day.
For more information about the plan, or joining a committee, please contact:
Dr. Glenda Thacker, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Glenda.Thacker@luling.txed.net
PRIMARY NEWS!
During the month of November, Pre-K students visited the local HEB store to see the behind the scenes workings and learn a variety of skills from the HEB staff. Students enjoyed learning from the staff at HEB. In Kindergarten, students used graphic organizers as part of the writing process. In first grade math, students used collaborative strategies to solve problems and compare answers. We had a great month of learning and look forward to many more this year.
-Mr. Weikert, Principal
Pre-K at HEB
Kinder - Writing Process
1st Grade - Collaborative Strategies
Shanklin News!
During the month of November, Shanklin students were given the writing prompt “Getting along
with others is a life skill we all need. Write about a time you had to problem solve with someone
you may not have liked, and tell how it worked out.” The following students were recognized as
winners of the November Principal’s Writing Challenge. Way to go Eagles!
2nd Grade:
Nolan Garcia
Kaden Jackson
Gabby Polk
Emma Cruz
Francisco Padilla
4th Grade:
Giovanna Rondan
Jackie Guillen
Xxabriella Rodriquez
Rodrigo Zuniga
5th Grade:
Paiton Montalbo
Three Shanklin Eagles were recently recognized by the Luling Fire Department in their annual
Fire Prevention Poster Contest. Winners included: Tristan Pekarek (first place), Jackie Guillen
(second place), and Zoe Whites (third place). Congratulations Eagles!
On November 5th , second grade students traveled to Moulton, TX to the Rocky Creek Maze.
Students were invited to explore the scenic farm and participate in activities that expanded their
learning beyond the four walls of the classroom. Some of the highlights were a hayride that
detailed the processes used on a dairy farm, an interactive book walk (Spookley the Square
Pumpkin) that focused on being a voice against bullying, and a variety of gross motor skill
activities. Students actually completed a corn maze and 2nd graders made it out by answering
questions.
-Mrs. Ewald, Principal
Writing Challenge Winners!
Fire Prevention Poster Winners!
2nd Grade Field Trip
GERDES NEWS!
AVID 6th Grade Students visit Texas State University
Our 6th grade AVID students had the opportunity to visit Texas State University on November 20th. They visited classrooms, walked the campus, and had lunch at the Den. It was also Cancer Research Day and students learned about the different types of cancer and how to prevent different types through game-based learning with university students. Students visited a history class, went to Old Main, and saw the statue of LBJ and learned the history behind his importance to Texas State. They visited Whispering Hall and the campus library. While in the library they visited where students hold collaborative study groups which is the same process our AVID students participate in on our campus. In addition, TeaCo donated smoothies for all of our students to enjoy during their visit. Students returned to Gerdes enthusiastic about learning and can’t wait for the next time they are able to explore and learn about college life.
STEM Class Explores
Our Stem class has been exploring science, technology, engineering, and math concepts in class. They have built prosthetic legs using a variety of materials, built candy grabbers based on specific criteria, and are currently creating maze games to understand open and closed electric circuits. Their long term project is creating plans for campus gaga pits. The STEM teams will “pitch” their plans in December to the campus body who will then vote on which gaga pits they would like to be built campus.
-Mrs. Meshell, Principal
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS!
Certified Nursing Aide Program
This is the third year that Luling High School (LHS) has partnered with Austin Community College (ACC) to provide the Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) program on campus. The CNA program is ideal for students who want to explore nursing or the medical field as a possible career.
The course provides training for students to obtain the skills necessary to take the state exam to become a CNA. Upon successful completion of the exam, students will be state licensed and will be eligible to work as a CNA in hospitals, nursing homes, and health care agencies.
The CNA program is part of the health science pathway at LHS which includes the following courses: Anatomy and Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Medical Terminology.
Physics
Physics students tracked energy of movement data in a kinetic energy lab. Students dropped a ball that was 0.5 kg on a 25 meter track. In this lab, students were studying the principle of conservation of energy. The use of the ball was to measure potential energy and kinetic energy and examine how the energy is converted from one form to another as the ball falls from a high place.
-Mr. Alvarez, Principal
WHAT IS CURRICULUM?
Have you ever heard someone talk about “curriculum” and wondered what they were talking about... you are not alone. Curriculum is a broad term that can refer to all or some of the components of a district’s academic program. According to edglossary.org, “curriculum typically refers to the knowledge and skills students are expected to learn, which includes the learning standards or learning objectives they are expected to meet; the units and lessons that teachers teach; the assignments and projects given to students; the books, materials, videos, presentations, and readings used in a course; and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to evaluate student learning.”
The TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) are not our curriculum. In Luling ISD, our curriculum is aligned to the TEKS, our state standards for what students are expected to know and be able to do in each course. We use resources like Lead4ward, TEKS Resource System, and Eduphoria to support our alignment and pacing of the standards to ensure that they are taught within a given school year. Over the last year, we have created written course overviews that identify each unit of study and the standards that will be taught during that time frame.
Textbooks are not our curriculum. “The resources that schools provide to teachers can also have a significant effect on curriculum” (https://www.edglossary.org/curriculum/). Textbooks and resources that the District purchases support the instruction of our curriculum.
For more information on LISD’s written, taught, and tested curriculum, please contact:
Errin Jennings, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Errin.Jennings@luling.txed.net
UPCOMING EVENTS!
We are a busy district with lots of opportunities to participate in campus activities!
Keep up with upcoming events by clicking on this link:
https://www.luling.txed.net/apps/events/
Erin Warren, Superintendent
Email: ewarren@luling.txed.net
Website: www.luling.txed.net
Location: 212 East Bowie Street, Luling, TX, USA
Phone: 830.875.3191
Facebook: facebook.com/LulingISD
Twitter: @LulingISD