December 2016
As we prepare to enter the second half of the school year, we are excited about the accomplishments of our district and are truly happy about where we are headed.
In addition to memorable moments with our loved ones, December is also a reflective month, and in January, we look forward to making our mark in the New Year.
This is our fourth month providing you this informational resource that highlights what's happening in Lancaster ISD and hope that you enjoy what you are reading.
Lancaster ISD has a lot to be proud of and one of our points of pride is to have you engaged as Lancaster ISD parent. In this issue, we share recent district accomplishments, learning tools, bond progress, upcoming activities and educational programming and much more!
We wish you a very Happy New Year!
Lancaster ISD Crafts A New Narrative for Academic Achievement
2016 was an exceptional year for us!
We are proud to report that our schools continue to perform at high levels, and the district remains as the BEST of the Southwest Dallas County school districts.
During the last three years, we have received more than 60 Academic Distinctions from the Texas Education Agency.
We also received a Superior Achievement Rating on our most recent Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) metric.
Our Board of Trustees was also recently named the 2016 Most Outstanding School Board in Texas by the Texas Association of School Administrators and the National School Board of the Year by the National Alliance of Black School Educators.
We are excited that we have created a new narrative for Lancaster ISD, and as we enter into the New Year, we invite you to help share our story of academic achievement and district-wide success.
Click here to see our points of pride.
For more information about Lancaster ISD, please visit www.LancasterISD.org
Lancaster ISD Students Receive their State Pharmacy Technician Trainee Certificates
The Lancaster STEM Early College High School (LSECHS) Application Window is Still Open
The Lancaster STEM Early College High School (LSECHS) is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2017. Students who are currently in the eighth grade are invited to enroll. The LSECHS learning pathways (Computer Graphic Arts and Core Complete) will allow students to have the opportunity to earn their associate's degree or up to 60 hours of college credit all for free. Complete and submit your student's application before January 16.
Lancaster ISD Athletic Director and Coach Beverly Humphrey Hall of Fame Induction - This Weekend
Lancaster ISD Athletic Director and girls track head coach Beverly Humphrey is among seven legends who will be inducted into the Texas Track and Field Hall of Fame in Addison.
The Hall of Fame ceremony is free and open to the public and is part of the Texas Track & Field Coaches Association two-day clinic, which begins at noon Friday at the Crowne Plaza Addison and continues through 4:45 PM Saturday. For information, visit ttfca.org.
Under her leadership, the Lancaster ISD girls track teams have won 11 University Interscholastic League state team titles -- more than any other team in any other sport in Texas!
January is School Board Appreciation Month
January is School Board Recognition Month and Lancaster ISD will join other districts across the state to thank these local leaders for their dedication and willingness to serve as advocates for our children and public schools. As elected officials, they are the voice of their communities, serving first and foremost in the best interest of Texas schoolchildren.
The school board encourages continuous improvement in student learning and advocates at the local, state, and federal levels in support of public education. School board membership is one of the most personally demanding forms of public service as they spend countless hours preparing for and participating in monthly meetings.
Our trustees are responsible for formulating and approving school district policies, approving school curricula and maintaining school facilities. Legal concerns and the complexities of school finance, including budgeting and taxation, require them to spend many hours in board training programs to enhance their understanding. In addition to devoting a great deal of time to studying education issues and laws, they listen to the concerns of parents and teachers throughout Lancaster ISD.
The men and women who have a huge impact on public education and who have been elected to represent you in volunteer service as school board members are:
Ellen Clark
Cynthia Corbin-Jarvis
Rhonda Davis-Crawford
Marion Hamilton
Robbie Johnson
Ty G. Jones – President
LaRhonda Mays
Our deepest appreciation is extended to the dedicated men and women whose commitment and civic responsibility make local control of public schools in Lancaster ISD possible. We invite you to join us in thanking the members of our school board for all that they do for the students of Lancaster ISD.
In honor of school board recognition month, we invite you to join us at our January 23 meeting of the Lancaster ISD School Board of Trustees. We will take the time to celebrate our All-Star trustees and highlight the crucial role that they play in our district, community and schools. All campuses will be on-hand to express their appreciation to our trustees who are the ones selected as the Most Outstanding School Board in the state of Texas.
Parents, Literacy Time Can Be Fun and Games
Tumble Books is a resource that allows students to enjoy stores read aloud or they read on their own. Then, they can enjoy games and quizzes on the content.
Learninggamesforkids.com is another online resource to aid vocabulary, spelling, memorization and more literacy strategies. It also a great tool to enhance learning in other areas such as math, science, art and music.
Visit your campus website under the student tab and locate StudentNet to access other ways to help your child reach his or her highest potential.
Lancaster ISD is Rezoning its Attendance Boundaries
As part of the recent bond package, Lancaster ISD is replacing two elementary schools—West Main and Pleasant Run—and closing Lancaster Elementary which will be converted to a ninth grade center.
In preparation for the 2017-2018 School Year, Lancaster ISD is redrawing the boundaries for its elementary schools to balance enrollment among the six elementary campuses.
In Lancaster ISD, students are assigned to schools based on where they live.
As a resource for our parents and community, we have created a page on our district website to provide information related to our rezoning process. You may click HERE for additional information.
Bond Construction Update
As we enter the spring semester, the construction of our two new elementary campuses is progressing. Last month, we held several meetings about rezoning the attendance boundaries and campus transitions for the upcoming Fall 2017 school year.
We invite you to stay connected to the process and share any questions that you may have as we provide periodic updates. If you have questions, please share them via the Let's Talk application on our district website, www.lancasterisd.org.
As far as construction, every week (if the weather permits) we are flying our drones to get real-time progress on the construction taking place at Pleasant Run and West Main Elementary.
Click HERE to see the latest Pleasant Run construction video.
Click HERE to see the latest West Main construction video.
Stay connected with our progress at LancasterISDBond.org.
Donate to the Lancaster Education Foundation to help Support Student Learning
News from Our Community
Come, Watch, Participate and Celebrate
LINE-UP TO BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 9 AM
The parade will begin at 11 AM January 14, 2017, at the Lancaster Elsie Robertson Middle School 822 Pleasant Run Road. The parade will travel East on Pleasant Run Rd one mile. North onto Dallas Ave. Proceeding into the Lancaster High School parking lot.
Immediately following the parade, there will be a short program in the Lancaster High School Auditorium. The program will include short excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches, and interesting facts about his life, an awards ceremony, performances from Lancaster ISD students and a band competition.
Learn more about the parade and complete your application online at LancasterMLK.org or click the button below.
The City of Lancaster Announces the It's Time Texas Health Challenge 2017
Lancaster ISD is teaming up with the City of Lancaster for the It’s Time Texas Community Challenge on January 9 through March 31. This Challenge is a statewide competition in which Texas communities compete to see which communities can demonstrate the greatest commitment to healthy living!
Using the IT’S TIME TEXAS Community Challenge website, communities earn points by participating in a variety of activities. So, we need 100% of all Lancaster ISD parents and community members to participate in this challenge so that Lancaster, TX can be #1 in its category!
As an added bonus, the participant with the most points earned will be recognized as healthiest resident/employee in the Lancaster Connection among other opportunities.
On January 9, register at www.ittcommunitychallenge.com (1,000 points). If you already have an account from last year, you must still re-register this year.
Click below to learn other ways to earn points and participate.
For more information, contact the city of Lancaster Community Relations Department at 972-218-1300.
District Upcoming Events
Save the Date - African American History Bowl - February 18
January 9: City of Lancaster Health Fitness Challenge Starts
January 13: End of 3rd Six Weeks
January 14: Lancaster’s MLK Parade
January 16: MLK Day – Campuses & District Offices Closed
January 20: My Brother's Keeper Male Youth Summit
January 23: School Board Meeting, 7 PM
February 11: ACT Test at LHS
February 18: African American History Bowl Competition
Campus Calendars for January 2017
In Lancaster ISD, our VISION is 2020!
Lancaster ISD Beliefs:
Equity
Equity in education is a human right.
Community
Educators, parents and students share in the responsibility of developing well-rounded individuals.
Quality
Engaged, relevant learning experiences provide for a quality education leading to a quality life.
Courage
Learning is a life-long process that is enhanced by taking risks.
Growth
A person has the capacity to learn from past experiences.
Purpose
Purposeful planning to meet individual student needs leads to intentional outcomes for student success.
The Mission of Lancaster ISD
Email: info@lancasterisd.org
Website: www.lancasterisd.org
Location: 422 S Centre Ave, Lancaster, TX, United States
Phone: 972-218-1400
Facebook: http://facebook.com/golancaster
Twitter: @LancasterISD