WSMS Principal Newsletter
March 15, 2024
Principal's Message
Hello Parents,
We are looking forward to welcoming our students back to campus on Monday. Please be sure to read the email from me about the Spring Social, there is a required parent permission form so that we have an accurate count for the event that takes place right after school on Friday, March 22nd. Now is a great time to ensure your child locates their Chromebook and charges it for school on Monday, we will jump right back in to learning! I hope you had a wonderful Spring Break.
Save the Date!
Spring Social March 22 at 4:15 PM
7th Grade Awards Ceremony May 13 time TBD at WSMS
8th Grade Awards Ceremony May 18 4:00 - 5:00 PM Lovejoy High School
Sincerely,
Caitlin Eldredge
WSMS Principal
When: 4:15 - 6:15 in the WSMS Cafeteria 3/22/24
What to wear: Regular school attire, something that might glow!
What to bring: Students may carry their phones at the event. Jeremiah’s Ice will be on site for optional purchase (cash and cards)
Activities: Music/DJ in the cafeteria, pizza, Jeremiah’s Ice, and games in the Main Gym! Please join us for this fun WSMS tradition. We hope to see you there!
3/19/24 at midnight is the firm deadline for parents to fill out this form. If the permission form is not filled out by the deadline, your child will not be able to attend the event. A final count is needed on this day to plan for adequate staff member supervision, security, and food orders.
Students will drop off backpacks in the auxiliary gym at dismissal time. They can pick up their belongings at the conclusion of the event. Pizza and a drink is provided at no cost. Jeremiah's Ice will be on site for purchase as dessert, Jeremiah's accepts cash and cards. We will have food, fun, music, and social time for the students. It's a great WSMS tradition!
We understand that sometimes middle schoolers want to wait until the day of the event to see if friends are attending. We would rather have an overestimate than under, thank you for your partnership and understanding on this item. Please fill out the form by the deadline if your child is unsure or wants to wait to decide. - WSMS Administration
Upcoming Academic UIL Competition
"The registration deadline for the Academic UIL competition in Coppell is coming up on March 22. We still have available spots on the following teams:
- Calculator Applications for grades 7-8 (See Hope Cooksey)
- Number Sense for grades 7-8 (See Ryan Vollmuth)
- Social Studies; 2 8th grade spots available (See Regan Campbell)
This year's competition is on Saturday, April 13th at Coppell East Middle School. Students will board the bus at Willow Springs at 6:40 AM, and return around 3:00 PM. Concessions will be available for student purchase at the event. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Mr. Washburn (joseph_washburn@lovejoyisd.net)."
Deliveries
Our campus does not accept meal service deliveries. Parents may drop off food items for their child only at lunch time. You may drop off lunch for your child only. We have noticed a sharp increase in the number of group food orders delivered and requests to distribute it. We do not allow this at the middle school for the safety of our students with food sensitivities or allergies.
Students may pick up dropped off lunches on their way to the cafeteria for lunch.
Please note that our office staff is not authorized to receive or distribute dropped off medication to students. Please contact our nurse, Ms. Glover, if you have questions about medication procedures through the school clinic.
District Issued Devices
At WSMS, we are noticing a sharp increase in the number of students arriving to school without their chromebook and charger. While we have a limited number of loaner devices in order to support our students on district wide assessments, the demand for them is very high at this time. We kindly ask for your partnership in reminding students about this expectation.
It is expected that all students use their Lovejoy issued devices during instructional time and testing. All other personal devices must remain off and put away unless they are being used as approved testing modification. Students must obtain prior approval if their personal telecommunications or other personal electronic devices are to be used for instructional purposes while on campus. Students are responsible for:
● charging their device every night
● bringing their device and charger to class every day
● maintain and caring for their device
Student devices and chargers are considered instructional materials, the same as a textbook, and are expected to be in class every day. Parents will have an opportunity to purchase insurance on their district issued device. Parents/students will be responsible for covering the cost of repair if insurance is not purchased. Prices vary based on the extent of the damage. A replacement, loaner device will be provided to students when their device is out for repair. Lost chargers will incur a $10 replacement fee.
Student ID Badge Info
Academic Tutorial Schedule
Please see the campus tutorial schedule below. If you do not see the teacher's name or have questions, please email your child's teachers directly to partner with them if your child needs academic assistance. Thank you for your support.
Leopard Time- Leopard Time is from 12:21 - 12:54 each day. All students at WSMS are assigned a Leopard Time teacher for attendance and monitoring purposes. Teachers may request that students leave their assigned classroom to report for academic intervention or extended learning by providing them a signed pass. Passes are also available for the library if students are not requested by an academic teacher.
Priority Tutoring Days are listed below: A priority day indicates that the teachers of the subject listed have priority in requesting students to attend their tutorial. If students are not requested by a priority teacher, a teacher of a different subject may request them. Please reach out to your child's teachers if you have any questions or concerns about Leopard Time.
Monday- Math
Tuesday- Social Studies
Wednesday- RLA
Thursday - Science
Friday - High School Credit Electives
LISD Calendar
Please go here for LISD calendars.
March Nutrition Newsletter
Click Here to view the nutrition newsletter
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. **Helpful Tip: If your app is not syncing, follow these steps:
- Log out
- Update app
- Log back in
Attendance continues to be a top priority for Lovejoy ISD. It should come as no surprise that attendance has a direct relationship with student learning. Additionally, public school funding is provided by the State of Texas based on each district's average daily attendance (ADA).
Lovejoy has developed an Attendance Task Force consisting of staff, parents, and students to formulate ideas about how to positively impact ADA in our district. One suggestion is to update the community via weekly principal communication on the number of absences each campus has accrued YTD along with the budgetary impact of those absences. This information can be found below:
Need Chromebook Charger?
Visitors to Willow Springs and Office Hours
WSMS office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:35 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Student Support Center Update
Upcoming Grief Group
In spring, we will be implementing a small group for students who have experienced or are currently struggling with grief. If you have a student who you feel might benefit, please fill out this google form.
Spring Registration Information
We have completed our Spring Registration Meetings for students and parents.
Please visit our WSMS Registration Page for all of our up to date registration information.
PTO General Meeting
Updated PTO General Meeting dates and locations
(Aprils meeting will be off campus due to STAAR testing)
April 17- 10:00am- LCDC Board Room
May 15- 10:00am- WSMS Band Hall
PTO Board 24/25
Interested in serving on the WSMS PTO board next year? Please fill out this interest form and someone from our current board will be in contact with you soon!
Membership
Your membership dues and donation enables us to provide important programs for students and parents, to organize volunteers to support our campus, and to deliver appreciation events for teachers and staff throughout the year. Please encourage your friends to join PTO today. We appreciate your support!
Dues are $10 for individual and $20 for the whole family. Join and Donate Here
Volunteer:
If you’d like to know more about volunteer opportunities at Willow Springs please fill out this form and we’ll notify you as needs arise. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-ZUVnniJK4utt6GgYVq8mkXVZVxAlz1uo3VdBkLeXkjnIVA/viewform
Connect Your Kroger Card
Kroger Community Rewards offer a great way to earn money for the Willow Springs Middle School PTO. Just swipe your Kroger rewards card or use the phone number on your Kroger rewards account when shopping to earn money for WSMS.
Visit Kroger Community Rewards website:
www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards.
New users will need to create an account which requires a valid email address and a rewards card. Once logged into your Kroger account, search for WILLOW SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL PTO either by name or WG753 and then click Enroll.