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<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />August 27, 2010

Good afternoon Puster families!  We are at the end of our first incredible week.  Students have been busy building relationships, learning routines and procedures, reviewing skills and learning new ones!  I have seen great writing, super math thinking, computers and iPads in use, and so much more!   The students are also learning about how to use the library with a little help from Becca, our resident yellow lab!  I have attached the video for you to see!  We are off to a great start and I am excited about the rest of the year.

Tonight I’m off with the entire family to watch the Lovejoy Leopards play football against the Argyle Eagles.  I hope to see some of you there as well.  One of the best things about being in Lovejoy is the great community support of our schools and their programs!

Have a super weekend!

Volunteers Needed!

Our 2011 Denim & Diamonds Chairman, Kelli Billingsley, is requesting a Puster Elementary volunteer to chair our Masterpiece projects for the spring event.  This person would be responsible for getting volunteers for each grade level for Puster Elementary and making sure the projects are created by the deadline.   Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if interested and thanks!

Lovejoy ISD Children’s Choir  

Lovejoy ISD is pleased to announce the first season of the Lovejoy ISD Children’s Choir.  This choir is designed to serve the needs of our district’s musically exceptional 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grade students.  Singers will rehearse weekly with their campus music/choir instructor to prepare for the final concert on March 5, 2011. 

Auditions will be held for any and all LISD 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grade students interested in participating.  Students interested in participating will audition at their home campus and will be assigned a 5 minute time slot by their music teacher.

Auditions Dates:

·         Monday, September 20 (4:05-6:30PM) Sloan Creek MS

·         Tuesday, September 21 (3:30 – 6:00PM) Puster ES

·         Monday, September 27 (3:30 – 6:00PM) Lovejoy ES

·         Thursday, September 30 (3:30 – 6:00PM) Hart ES

We hope to select at least 60 singers from Hart ES, Lovejoy ES, Puster ES, and Sloan Creek MS.  Those who are not selected will continue to have the opportunity to sing with their campus choir.

The attached packet contains further information about the mission, expectations, and goals of the Lovejoy ISD Children’s Choir.  Your child’s music instructor will be discussing the choir in class.   If you have any questions please contact your school’s music / choir teacher.

Student Handbook

Please be sure you have taken a moment to read over, along with your child, the Student Handbook on the Lovejoy ISD website – parent resources page.  You need to verify that you and your child are familiar with the contents.  There are attachments to guide you through the process along with other required updates.

Upcoming Holiday and Early Release

Mark your calendars as we do have an upcoming 4 day work week.  Both students and staff have a holiday on Monday, September 6^th.  Friday the 17^th is an early release day with students leaving at 12:00. 

From The Counselor

The first week of school brings excitement and exhaustion at the same time - for students and teachers alike! It has been a great beginning, and we thank you for helping make that happen. Your children are showing great character as they help clean up after one another, open doors for younger students, and help new students feel welcome. Speaking of character, our focus this six weeks will be on RESPECT. Guidance lessons will feature respectful behavior, with emphasis on anti-bullying. Every student will learn what bullying is and is not, as well as strategies to help stop it. Be checking your child's folder for more information about this important topic. Have a wonderful weekend.

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

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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. 

DISTRICT NEWS

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

Leopard Friday

Mark your calendar for Leopard Friday on Friday, September 24^th at LHS.  If you have not attended Leopard Friday in the past, please join us this year for good food, fun and Leopard football against the Abilene Wylie Bulldogs.  It is a great evening for our entire Lovejoy community.

Message from Student Nutrition Department

We are very excited and looking forward to the 2010-2011 school year and to the opportunity to be of service each day to our kids and to the LISD staff. 

Our menu approach is focused on the complete and balanced meal with a wide variety of options to help keep the menu fresh and exciting.  We are introducing more scratch cooking this year with a emphasis on vegetables and whole grains.  We will slowly transition as the school year progresses and the menu will be adjusted periodically to keep it fresh and seasonal as well.  We hope to have some fun along the way with themes that will not interfere with instructional time or scheduling, just some internal stuff.

In place of the calendar, we have elected to send out a periodic newsletter.  We will send out the calendar at least one time per month with the menu and as information may be needed to share.  On the Student Nutrition web page, there is a sign up icon for the newsletter, but please enjoy an early copy of our first edition.

Upcoming Dates:

Sept. 6 – Labor Day Holiday, No School

Sept. 7 – PTA Exec. Board

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. 13 – Chess Club

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

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

Sept. 20 – Chess Club

Sept. 24 – Noon Early Release

Sept. 24 – Leopard Friday

Sept . 27 – Chess Club

Sept. 29 – 5^th Grade Adventure Camp

Sept. 29 – Green Team Meeting @ 3:00pm

Can’t Imagine Us Without You!

Janet