The Leopard Link

LHS Families,

Thank you for a great first week of school! It was wonderful to see our students and teachers back in our classrooms and the energy for the 22-23 school year is through the roof. We have kept a lot of the procedural information from last week's Leopard Link in the newsletter below, but we wanted to give you a heads up on a few upcoming events:

-First Pep Rally is 9-2-22

-Homecoming Week is 9-12-22 through 9-17-22 (HOCO Dance 9-17-22)

-Lovejoy HS Open House will be held on 9-19-22 at 6:30PM

-Leopard Friday is 10-21-22

-Reminders and Info regarding Senior Projects will go out next week

Next, The 8.19.22 Leopard Spotlight Award goes to Coach Ryan Gros. Coach Gros is a phenomenal teacher and coach who brings excitement and knowledge in everything he does. He is a leader and team player on our campus. He is All IN and stops at nothing to make sure everyone around him is having a great experience at LHS. Please join us in congratulating coach Gros and thanking him for all he does for our school, students, and baseball program!

You belong at Lovejoy High School! We are thrilled to host the first annual LHS Club Fair! Mark your calendars for Friday, August 26 in the LHS Library from 8:00 - 8:45 and 4:20 - 5:00. Student officers for approved clubs may have a table at the fair. As club approval is required yearly, club officers should complete the forms below. Please reach out to Ms. Eldredge if you have questions.

1. Complete the Student Group Request To Organize and Meet (Non-Curricular) and have it prepared to upload. All clubs require a faculty sponsor and the sponsor’s signature on the form. Ensure that the faculty member has already agreed before you submit their name.

2. Fill out the Request to Start a Non-curricular Club Form by uploading your application. Administration will review the application and reach out regarding approval status.

Please review the Club Orientation for more details.

Lovejoy Families,

If you have a student driver that will be driving to school, please make sure they have registered to park on campus. We have had a few students that have not registered or have parked in the wrong parking space. Parking in the wrong space can cause a trickle effect for students who have reserved spaces. We appreciate your assistance with this matter.

Just a few reminders:

• All students parking on campus should have a sticker
• Student sticker should be located at the bottom right window of passenger side
• Students need to make sure they are parking in the correct numbered space
• Temporary tags are available if your student needs to drive a different car than the one that is registered.

If a car is in your student's space when they arrive, they can park in the front of the campus and report it to the Admin Assistant, Mrs. Martinez.

If your student hasn’t registered to park yet and would still like to, please click on the link below.

https://lovejoyleopards.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/308/seating?access_code=6ce2a33b638e9fd69525d5bbd8675d1a7c6c35ec

Thank you.

All families should have received their campus’ Beginning of Year Truancy Letter, via Bright Arrow. We felt that it was important to follow up with additional information.

In addition to the Compulsory Attendance Law that was addressed in the letter, there is also the 90% law; state law mandates that a student is in attendance at least 90 percent of the academic year.

In order to receive credit for a final grade in a class, a student is required to attend 90% of the days a class is offered, regardless of whether the student’s absences are excused or unexcused.

All absences count towards the 90% law and Truancy, except for the following absences with the proper documentation:

• Religious Holidays with written request prior to the absence
• Attending a required court appearance
• UIL eligible absences- Educational Competition administered by school staff

• Academic, Athletic, and music contests (uiltexas.org)

• Medical-Related absences, when the student attended a portion of the school day and presents documentation from the health care professional for the same day

• All day Medical-Related absences do NOT exempt a student from the 90% law or Truancy. Medical Documentation for a full day absence is only used in consideration by the Attendance Committee)

• Sounding “Taps” at a military honors funeral held in Texas

Attendance notes for an absence must be submitted to your student’s campus no later than 5 school days after the absence. Notes will NOT be accepted after the 5th day, and your student’s attendance will not be changed.

Absence notification timeline, all absences are counted, (excused and unexcused):

• A letter will be sent home if your student is absent 3 times in a 4 week period
• Another letter will be sent home once the student has accrued 6 absences

• Intervention will begin with the campus attendance committee

• A 10 day letter will be sent home once the student accrues 10 absences

• Your student can be referred to Truancy Court

Although we know that students will get sick or other challenges may arise during the school year, consistent and timely school attendance is of the utmost importance. We all share the goal of enabling the students to reach their full potential and achieve all of their educational goals. The way to allow a student to reach their full potential and educational goals starts with consistent and timely attendance.

All visitors must first report to the main office and comply with all applicable district policies and procedures. This is to ensure the safety of those within the school and to avoid disruption of instructional time. All visitors are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of courtesy and conduct. Disruptive behavior will not be permitted.

Arrival Procedure

LHS will open at 8:00 am. Only the main front entrance and back courtyard entrance will be unlocked at this time; all other exterior doors will remain locked throughout the school day. The courtyard doors will promptly be locked at 8:40 am, however, the main front entrance will continue to be monitored for students, parents and visitors throughout the day.

Certain areas of the school will be accessible to students before 8:00 am for specific purposes only. If students are participating in activities outside the normal school day (athletics, band, tutorials, retesting), entrance to the building must be supervised by a staff member. Students must check with their teacher, coach and/or sponsor ahead of time to determine what supervised door to enter through in the morning. Any student arriving late to these activities will be asked to enter the campus using the main front entrance or back courtyard entrance at 8:00 am.

Students are required to remain in the area where their activity is scheduled to take place. Unless the teacher, coach and/or sponsor overseeing the morning activity gives permission, a student will not be permitted to go to another area of the building or campus.

Students who are not participating in activities outside the normal school day (athletics, band, tutorials, retesting) will remain in the cafeteria until dismissed at 8:35 am.

Closed Campus

LHS is a closed campus. Students are not permitted off campus at any time unless a parent/guardian provides a written letter or email request to the attendance office in advance. Attendance personnel will verify all written parent requests, and students will then be called to the attendance office to sign out. Violations of this expectation will be subject to truancy and/or other disciplinary consequences.

Lunch Procedures

Students may not eat in the restrooms, locker rooms, hallways, classrooms or their vehicles. LHS will only accept lunch deliveries from parents and food delivery services between 10:45 am - 12:30 pm. Lunch items must be dropped off in the main front entrance, using the security pass-through shelves. Students will only be able to collect their lunch during their lunch period, by visiting the foyer and collecting their lunch from the designated area. Students will not be able to pick up food deliveries at any other time or location other than the approved time window.

School staff are not responsible for misplaced or stolen lunches. Lunch deliveries that arrive late, will not extend the lunch period for any student. Food delivery service employees will not be permitted to enter the building for any reason. Any issues that arise from the delivery will not be the responsibility of the school.

Dismissal Procedures

Students will be dismissed from school at 4:20 pm by their classroom teacher. Unless students are attending tutorials, retest and/or participating in a supervised after school activity, students must leave the campus immediately. Once students leave the building, they will not be allowed to reenter the building without permission from a school administrator.

Students are required to remain in the area where their activity is scheduled to take place. Unless the teacher, coach and/or sponsor overseeing the afternoon activity gives permission, a student will not be permitted to go to another area of the building or campus.

After school/weekend activities

Certain areas of the school will be accessible to students, parents, volunteers and visitors for specific purposes only. If students, parents, volunteers and/or visitors are participating or observing activities outside the normal school day (performances, events, practices, etc.), entrance to the building must be supervised by a teacher, coach, advisor, sponsor and/or a designated LHS staff member. These designated staff members will communicate to students, parents, volunteers and visitors regarding the (1) purpose of the event, (2) start/end times, (3) event location and (4) entrance/exit door location. Students, parents, volunteers and visitors arriving late to these activities may experience delays in entering the event or may not be permitted to enter the building.

Students, parents, volunteers and visitors are required to remain in the area where their activity is scheduled to take place. Unless the teacher, coach, advisor, sponsor and/or a designated LHS staff member overseeing the activity gives permission, students, parents, volunteers and visitors will not be permitted to go to another area of the building or campus.

Student pick-up/Drop Off

Maintaining a safe and well-organized arrival and dismissal procedure is critical to students, staff and visitor safety. Please review the following maps to familiarize yourself with our traffic flow.

Please click on the Lunch Schedule to view the times that your class will have lunch.

Admin

Principal – Dr. Travis Zambiasi, Ed.D. – Travis_zambiasi@lovejoyisd.net

Associate Principal – Michael Montague – Michael_montague@lovejoyisd.net

Assistant Principal – Dakota Nguyen (A-Gw) – Dakota_Nguyen@lovejoyisd.net

Assistant Principal – Fernando Ocampo (Gx-O) Fernando_Ocampo@lovejoyisd.net

Assistant Principal – Caitlin Eldredge (P-Z) – Caitlin_Eldredge@lovejoyisd.net

Counselors

Sarah Thrash – College & Career/504 – Sarah_Thrash@lovejoyisd.net

Carrie Robbins – (A-Gw) – Carrie_Robbins@lovejoyisd.net

Melissa Fletcher – (Gx-O) – Melissa_Fletcher@lovejoyisd.net

Natalie Coonrod – (P-Z) – Natalie_coonrod@lovejoyisd.net

The PowerSchool ParentPortal is now open for you to complete the online Enrollment & Student Information Forms. Please click here to access the Parent Portal. Completion of these forms is required every year for each student, and need to be completed by Friday, September 16th.

Instructions for completion are attached.

If you need assistance with account access or password reset, please use this link . Access requests and password resets will occur during business hours: 8:30am-4:30pm. We are unable to fulfill requests after hours, holidays or weekends. You’ll be notified via email once your request is complete.

Click below for the PowerSchool Parent Portal Instructions

Parent Portal

Parents and Players:

I wanted to pass along a quick note regarding changes to our letterman jacket program.

Historically Lovejoy ISD has provided a sixty dollar credit towards Lovejoy high school letter jackets. Lovejoy ISD will no longer be providing this credit. We still will be providing the same service with letter jacket ordering through the school store.

August 26th is the next date for the Food Co-op

Pick up will be at the Admin Training Room - The portable outside of the admin building. The pick-up time will be about the same as last time between 2:30-5:30. (I will text when it is ready for pick-up).

I would encourage you to bring a grocery box or totes to pick up the produce.

Please email me if you want to join. I will need your email and number for texting. I will send a reminder email along with potential produce and protein included for this run, and then text with where to pick up and when it is ready. Please respond soon so I can make a purchase list. If it will be your first time ordering with me, let me know. I will help you along the way.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I'm sure I am missing some information, it's been a long while since we last met.

Who's in?

Marie

972-740-4544 cell

mariepoteet@gmail.com

See below for information from our Booster Clubs!

See below for information from our PTSO

The PTSO would like to welcome you to the Lovejoy district! Please click on the invitation below for details to the Ladies Coffee on September 13, 2022

The Lovejoy Orchestra Booster Club is having their first Spirit Night for this school year at MOD Pizza on August 31st, all day on Wednesday. For more information please click on the link below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uS_lQgp_VHQaFOmJ2zihmpN26uB-cTPY/view?usp=sharing

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) waiver that allowed Lovejoy ISD to offer free meals to all students at our schools (K-6) who participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has expired. Congress did not fund the waiver program for the 2022-2023 school year.

Due to this change in federal policy, Lovejoy ISD families will return to submitting an application to qualify for free/reduced-priced lunches.

Families are encouraged to apply now!

Submitting an application can do more than just provide access to free and reduced-price meals. Some of the Additional benefits may include:

• Funding for state and federal programs and services for our schools

• Discounted rates on internet services

• Free or reduced registration fees for AP, SAT, and/or ACT test

• Discounted rates associated with college applications

• Free or discounted fees to participate school activities

Here also are links to MySchoolBucks documents on how to load lunch accounts: https://www.lovejoyisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=388507&type=d&pREC_ID=881396

Click HERE to view the 2022-2023 Fall Semester Events