Principal Message<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

September 3, 2010

Happy Friday!  I hope your week has been as wonderful as ours at Puster!  This weekend we will have cooler weather and I know it will be enjoyed by all.  My mother-in-law is flying in from New Mexico for the weekend and we are looking forward to spending time with her.  It has been a few years since she has had the opportunity to come to Texas, so we are all excited!  We will be welcoming her and introducing her to the Lovejoy experience as she will be attending the LHS football game with us tonight!  Perhaps we will see some of you there as well, cheering on our Leopards!

Picture Day

Picture Day is Thursday, September 9.  Watch for the picture envelopes sent home in the Thursday folder.  Students will need to present the envelope for payment when pictures are taken.

Celebrate Freedom Week and Parade

The week of Sept. 13 – 17 is “Celebrate Freedom Week”.  Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for our second annual “Celebrate Freedom Week Parade”.  We will be joined by our veteran friends from Heritage Ranch and Robert Puster will be here to lead our parade.  Students and staff will be dressed in red, white, and blue.  Weather permitting, the parade will begin at 9:15 in front of the school and end on the east side in the courtyard.  If it rains, we will parade inside as we did last year!  Hope to see you here!

Lunch Visitors

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. 

Per state guidelines, parents can only provide food for their own children.  Thank you for helping ensure we are following state guidelines.

Bus Information – Please Read

Parents, in order to help us know how each child is getting home and to ensure everyone who is a bus rider has a seat, please follow these guidelines:

·         If your child will ride his/her assigned bus, but will need to get off at a stop other than the assigned location, we must have a note from the parent.  The child needs to bring the note to the office for approval by the principal at the start of the school day.

·         If you want your child to ride home on a bus other than the assigned bus, you must call the transportation department in advance to obtain approval.  This is to ensure that we have enough seats on the bus for all riders.  The transportation department number is 469-742-8009.

Thank you for helping us get everyone home safely and to the correct location!

Ice Cream Social

The 16th of September is the Puster PTA’s annual ice cream social.  Please plan to attend and enjoy an evening of fun with families and the Puster staff!  The PTA meeting will begin at 6:15 and we will enjoy ice cream and toppings in the cafeteria at 6:30. 

Calling all 4th and 5th grade singers! 

• The Puster Pride Choir will begin rehearsing Monday, September 20th.  All 4th and 5th grade students are invited to sing.  Open the 2010-2011 Choir Letter attachment for more information.

• The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is looking for talented singers (ages 9-13) to audition for their Christmas Celebration Children's Choir.  Auditions, rehearsals, and performances will be in Dallas at the Meyerson.  Open the DSO-Children's Choir attachment for more information.

• If you have questions about either opportunity please contact Ms. Tracy.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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.

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, Sept. 24 is an early release day with students leaving at 12:00.  To allow all children plenty of time to enjoy their lunch, we will serve sack lunches in the cafeteria that day and have a modified lunch schedule.  Classes will eat in their classrooms, outside or, in the cafeteria, depending on the weather.

Purchased sack lunches include:  turkey or ham sandwich – wheat bread, an apple, baby carrots, animal and gold fish crackers, and milk or juice.

From The Counselor

Respect is our character trait for the first six weeks. The Golden Rule seems to encompass all aspects of respecting self and others - treating others the way you wish to be treated. This is one of our core values at Puster Elementary, and one we take seriously. There is simply no room for bully behavior in the halls and classrooms at Puster. Our guidance lessons are focusing on what bully behavior looks like, sounds like, and feels like, as well as what we can do about it.

     An article entitled Bullies and Victims: Information for Parents defines bullying as "...when a student is repeatedly harmed, psychologically and/or physically, by another student or a group of students. Bullies are typically physically, psychologically, or socially stronger than the children they bully. Bullying may present itself in different forms, including, but not limited to, physical assaults or aggressions, verbal and/or physical threats, intentional exclusion from a group, spreading rumors, menacing gestures or faces, or repeated name calling." In guidance lessons I stress that the hurtful behavior must be repeated - not just a one-time mean situation. I recommend you check out the website www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/parent/bully1.cfm for more information.

     Your child will be bringing home in the near future a Puster No-Bullying Pledge. Each classroom will have two guidance lessons on this very important topic, and a special assembly in October called The Power of One  will culminate our six weeks' focus on respecting self and others. Together Puster can be...bully free.

Allene Byroad

Counselor

Puster Elementary

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!

DISTRICT NEWS

Lovejoy High School Cheerleaders Offers Cheer Clinic

The Lovejoy High School Cheerleaders are hosting their popular Jr. Leopard Cheer Clinic for grades K through 6th Saturday, September 18 from 2:00 to 5:00.  Come join the fun, receive a cheer t-shirt and the opportunity to cheer on the sidelines with the L.H.S. Cheerleaders Leopard Friday, September 24, during a special time at the Varsity football game at Lovejoy High School. Registration ends Thursday, September 9.  Contact Karen Drake at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for information and registration.

Lovejoy Leopards Second Annual Golf Tournament    

Please read the attachment regarding the 2^nd annual Lovejoy Leopards Golf Tournament and registration.

LOVEJOY GRIDIRON MEMBERSHIP   

Please read the attachment regarding information about joining the Lovejoy Gridiron Club.  Thank you for supporting Lovejoy High School football!  Go LEOPARDS!

LHS Majestics Drill Team

"Let the Majestics surprise someone you know on their birthday by putting signs in their front yard! For more info, go to our website www.majesticsdance.org and click on the birthday cake."

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.   See the attached form for the order form for meal tickets!

Upcoming Dates:

Sept. 6 – Labor Day Holiday, No School

Sept. 7 – PTA Exec. Board

Sept. 7 – 1^st grade Curriculum Night @ <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />6:00pm

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

Sept. 7 – Chick-fil-a Night (Stacy Rd. location

Sept. 8 – Abrakadoodle (Grades 3-5) – 3:05-4:00pm

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 – Internet Safety – Technology for Parents (noon and 6:00pm) at Puster           

Sept. 13 – Chess Club

Sept. 13 - Abrakadoodle (Grades K-2)) – 3:05-4:00pm

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

Sept. 15 – 2^nd Annual Celebrate Freedom Parade – 9:15am

Sept. 15 - Abrakadoodle (Grades 3-5) – 3:05-4:00pm

Sept. 16 – 1^st Grade Relatives’ Picnic (1:15-1:45)

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

Sept. 17 – Puster Pride @ 2:00pm

Sept. 20 – Chess Club

Sept. 20 - Abrakadoodle (Grades K-2) – 3:05-4:00pm

Sept. 20 – GT Curriculum Night  @ Lovejoy Elementary/1^st-3^rd gr. @ 6:00/4^th-5^th @ 7:00

Sept. 21 – PTA Parent Volunteer Orientation Training

Sept. 21 – Puster Purple Cow Night

Sept. 21 – LISD Board Meeting @ 7:30pm (red building)

Sept. 22 - Abrakadoodle (Grades 3-5) – 3:05-4:00pm

Sept. 24 – Noon Early Release

Sept. 24 – Leopard Friday

Sept . 27 – Chess Club

Sept. 27 - Abrakadoodle (Grades K-2) – 3:05-4:00pm

Sept. 29 – 5^th Grade Adventure Camp

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

Sept. 29 - Abrakadoodle (Grades 3-5) – 3:05-4:00pm

Oct. 4 – PTA Board Meeting @ 9:30

Oct. 4 – Chess Club

Oct. 4 - Abrakadoodle (Grades K-2) – 3:05-4:00pm

Oct. 5 – Chick-Fil-A Night

Oct. 6 - Abrakadoodle (Grades 3-5) – 3:05-4:00pm

Oct. 8 – Student Holiday

Can’t Imagine Us Without You!

Janet