Dear Puster Community,

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It was wonderful to see everyone last night at “Meet the Teacher Night”.  It has been quiet and lonely without the children.  We are working hard today to make sure we are ready for the first day of school on Monday.  Please allow your children to view the attached “Welcome Back” video!

There are several important information items included in today’s message, so please read carefully!

First Day of School

We know that many of you will want to walk your child to class on Monday morning.  Teachers will be in their rooms and ready for you at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />7:30am.  Once you have helped your student settle in, please say good-bye and let the teacher begin the day with her students.  Our PTA and Saxby’s are hosting a “Tears and Cheers” for new kindergarten parents in the Think Tank across from the cafeteria.  We appreciate the support from Saxby’s! If you have a kindergarten student, please join us.  Please see the attached flyer for more information!  

School will be dismissed at 3:05.  If you are picking up in carpool, please remember your car tag with your number! 

Lunch Visitors

We welcome you to visit and have lunch with your child.  However, during the first week of school, we ask that you do not come to lunch.  This allows us time to practice routines and procedures in the cafeteria and develop a process that will be efficient for students and allow them to get their lunches quickly and have ample time for eating.

***This year guests at lunch will be asked to sit at our special guest table.  Parents may ask only their own child to have lunch at the guest table.  This will help us with hurt feelings and making sure we are following the food guidelines from the state.

Also, please remember that recess is a social time for the students to play and visit with friends from their class and other classes whom they have not seen all day.  We respectfully ask that parents not go out to recess with the students.

Positive Proof

Puster Elementary School has updated our visitor sign-in system. The updated system is called Positive Proof Intercept. Positive Proof is the same system we have used in the past to track visitors, students, volunteers, and staff but now the system requires the use of a state-issued ID.  Positive Proof Intercept enhances school security by reading visitor drivers’ licenses, comparing information to a sex offender database, alerting campus administrators if a match is found, then (assuming no match was made) printing a visitor badge that includes a photo. The system was piloted at Lovejoy High School this past school year and over the summer all campuses have been updated. The overall goal of this system is to increase the safety of our schools.

Chess Club 2010-11

It’s time to sign up for the 2010-11 Chess Club.  Our Puster Chess Club had great success last year and brought home numerous trophies.  Come see them on display in our atrium trophy case!

Chess Club meets on select Mondays.  The dates are included on the registration form.  If your child is interested in Chess Club, please complete the attached registration form and have your child return it to school!

New This Year: Online Classroom Volunteer Sign Ups!!!

Just go to www.lovejoyisd.net, select Puster for the Campus, under Parent Resources click Classroom Volunteers and then select your child’s homeroom teacher…it’s that easy!! 

Remember you must be a “cleared” volunteer to help with school activities and field trips, so please fill out the Volunteer Application while you’re there if you have not done so already for this school year.

Please be sure to go online and enter all of your contact information under your teacher’s “INFORMATION” category, even if you are unable to volunteer so that you will be informed of classroom events and happenings!!  Also, be sure to check out other links such as Specials, Library and Gate 10. 

***IMPORTANT UPDATE:  Please note that every category must be filled in for the system to accept your input.  For example, if “AM/PM” or “DAY AVAILABLE” isn’t necessary for your request, please just put NA in the blank box so that your information will be submitted successfully!

Thanks,

Carrie Gallagher

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Purchase of Microsoft 2007 for Student Home Use

If you would like to purchase Microsoft 2007 for your student to use on your home computer, you can visit: www.journeyed.com/select , select k12, select state, select county, click on Lovejoy ISD.  On main page is a button that shows Microsoft Academic Discounts. Click that button and you are directed to page that provides all MS products and prices available to the faculty, staff and students - 2^nd row down you will find Office 2007 download.  The cost is $79.95.

Please Note: Office 2007 download product will be available until the end of September.  Microsoft will no longer offer 2007 option after September – 2010 will be the only option.

Microsoft 2007 installed on all computers at Puster

This summer our campus software programs have been updated and improved at Puster.  One major change our staff and students will see is the transition to Microsoft Office 2007.

We would like to provide you with a tool that will help with this transition.   Below is a link to a Free Compatibility Pack update offered from Microsoft.  This compatibility pack will allow you to view files that were created in Microsoft Office 2007 on a system that may be running a previous version.  For example, if you have Microsoft 2003 on your home computer, this compatibility pack will all your son or daughter to access files at school in Microsoft 2007 and at home in Microsoft 2003.  We encourage you to take the time to install this free update to help alleviate any problems that may arise between systems (school and home) running separate versions of Microsoft Office.

To install the update, follow the link below.  Read the simple directions provided from Microsoft and click on the Download button.  When the pop up appears, select “Run."

Microsoft Compatibility Pack free download

Parent Portal – IMPORTANT

Lovejoy ISD Parent Portal gives parents and students access to real-time information including attendance, grades, and detailed assignment descriptions. PowerSchool now provides single sign-on access to the Lovejoy Parent Portal. With single sign-on access parents/guardians can now have their own individual parent/guardian account, including user name and password.

Please note the individual student account login information that you have used in the past will no longer work to login to the Parent Portal.

In order to login to the Parent Portal, you must follow these steps:

1. Open your Web browser to http://powerschool.lovejoyisd.net/. The Log In page appears.

2. Click Create Account. The Create Parent/Guardian Account page appears.

3. Enter the required information in the Create Parent/Guardian Account section.

In order to create an account, you must have the Access ID (firstname_lastname) and Password (first initial of the first name and first initial of the last name followed by the last four (4) digits of the student’s social security number) for at least one student enrolled in school. When creating the account, you will need the Access ID and password for each student you want to associate to your parent/guardian account.  For example:

Student:                                 John Doe

Social Security Number:    XXX-XX-1234

Access ID =                           John_Doe        (be sure to capitalize the first letter of the first and last name)

Password =                           JD1234           (be sure to capitalize both initials)

4. Use the student’s Access ID and Password in the Link Students to Account section.

If you need additional help, please refer to the Parent Portal User Guide: http://www.lovejoyisd.net/Uploads/34/misc/f191946.pdf

Once your account is created, you can manage your account information, link any and all students to your account (for whom you have parental and legal rights to), and set email and notifications preferences for each student linked to your account. If you've forgotten your account login information, you can retrieve them by using auto-recovery.

***Once you have completed the Parent Portal login, please see the attached form for information on required updates and acknowledgments. 

LHS Majestics Drill Team

"The Majestics Drill Team and The Majestics Booster Club are hosting our annual "Evening with the Majestics". It will be on Oct. 22, Homecoming Night, for girls in grades K-5. The girls get to go onto the field during pre-game and sit in the stands with the girls until half-time. If interested, contact Jennifer Thomas@ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 214-864-9258."  Go Leopards!

Thanks,

Mary Lee Bergwall

Booster Club President 2010-11

Upcoming Dates:

August 23 – First Day of School

August 26 – 5^th grade Curriculum Night and Camp Meeting @ 6:00pm

Sept. 6 – Labor Day Holiday, No School

Sept. 7 – 1^st grade Curriculum Night @ 6:00pm

Sept. 7 – 4^th grade Curriculum Night @ 7:00pm

Sept. 9 – Picture Day

Sept. 9 – Kdg. Curriculum Night @ 6:00pm

Sept. 9 – 3^rd grade Curriculum Night @ 7:00pm

Sept. 13 – 17 – Bookfair

Sept. 14 – 2^nd grade Curriculum Night @ 6:00pm

Sept. 16 – PTA Meeting @ 6:15 and Ice Cream Social @ 6:30pm

Sept. 24 – Noon Early Release

Sept. 24 – Leopard Friday

Can’t Imagine Us Without You!

Janet