September 1, 2024
HELP BE A MODEL FOR OUR STUDENTS
One of the biggest challenges of starting a new school year is ensuring all our students feel they have the tools and understandings needed to be successful at school. This means we spend a lot of time teaching and reteaching routines and procedures, and we take time to celebrate when students demonstrate they have mastered the expectations!
We love when families embrace this mindset and help us in teaching the most important reason for campus rules and procedures: they are made to keep us all SAFE! Each of you can help reinforce this by familiarizing yourself with our arrival and dismissal procedures and expectations.
- Model use of the correct areas for drop-off and pick-up. We only have one carline, and dropping students off in the bus/daycare lane is not permitted.
- Remember car tags are required to be handing in the car window during student pick-up to help the line move efficiently.
- Do not allow students to cross traffic areas without being escorted by an adult. We always have a teacher supporting the front crosswalk, but families who choose to part and walk their students to and from the building must exit their car and walk across the parking lot.
- Walk bikes/scooters any time you are on school property.
- Arrange for socialization beyond dismissal areas. We love seeing families connect, but our priority is ensuring students are arrive and leave campus safely; this can be difficult to do when large/loud crowds gather near our doors!
When children see you honoring the rules for safety, it helps them to find value in making safe choices, too! We thank each of you for modeling the way for our students, and we appreciate you kindly helping other families to remember the safety rules as well!
Please take care of Skyward iPad forms and fees as soon as possible! All forms and fees were due by August 30! All 5th Grade families have completed their forms and paid their fees, but we are still waiting on several 4th Grade families to take care of things.
LISD Technology will begin collecting iPads from students with incomplete forms and/or unpaid fees on Tuesday, September 3. This means students will not have access to their iPad either on or off campus when we return from our long weekend.
This year, students in Grade 2 through Grade 5 will have the opportunity to participate in the Donald Theatre Club! This club is a school club that will be sponsored by Mrs. Emmett and Mrs. Herrin. Theatre improves learning abilities, develops leadership and communication skills, boosts self-confidence, fosters teamwork, stimulates creative thinking and problem-solving, and encourages self-expression.
Meetings will take place on Mondays after school until 4:30 PM, and we will put on a fall show and spring musical. Registration will be open to all students in 2nd-5th grade, but we will have a limited number of students in the club. If student interest is greater than the number of spaces allotted, we will draw names to determine which students will participate. A wait list of students will be created from those who are not selected in the lottery in case spots become available during the year.
For a chance to participate, students and parents must complete an online form, and students must submit a short audition video. CLICK HERE for details about joining the Donald Theatre Club! The deadline to apply is Tuesday, September 3!
This year Mrs. Rosier will be hosting Donald Run Club again for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders on Thursdays from 3:45-4:15. The Run Club will run an 8 week training season starting on Thursday, October 8 , and students will be training towards the FM Reindeer Run that will take place December 2. The registration link will be shared soon, so be on the lookout for it in the weekly newsletter.
There is an another great run in the area this fall, too! Dorothy’s Dash takes place November 16. It is organized by the City of Flower Mound, and registration is open now. If interested, go here for details. It would be great to see some Dolphins at this event! Keep on RUNNING!
September 16 through September 20, Donald will join LISD in celebrating Kindness Week! All students and staff are encouraged to dress up during the spirit days. Be sure to check your student's Monday Mail folder for some fun Family Kindness Challenges as we get closer to the dates below!
Monday, September 16 Shine Bright with Kindness
Start the week off BRIGHT by wearing bright or neon colors!
Tuesday, September 17 Kindness is a Superpower
Show off the power of kindness by dressing as your favorite superhero!
Wednesday, September 18 Be Kind. No Cap!
No lie, it's cool to be kind! Wear your favorite hat and lead with kindness.
Thursday, September 19 I'm on Team Kindness
Rock your favorite team's jersey or colors and celebrate being on Team Kindness!
Friday, September 20 Be Someone's Sunshine
Brighten someone's day and wear your Kindness shirt, or any shade of red, orange or yellow!
We're celebrating FMHS during Homecoming Week September 23 - September 27!
Join us in celebrating the FMHS spirit days during Flower Mound Homecoming Week! All students are encouraged to participate in spirit days at school. This year, FMHS students have picked "Tropical Paradise" as the theme. We hope to see tons of Future Jags joining in on the fun!
MONDAY 9/23 JAG PARADISE
Dress for a day in a tropical paradise with Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, and leis
TUESDAY 9/24 SPREAD SOME SUNSHINE
Wear a t-shirt with a silly saying or an outfit that will brighten someone's day and make them smile
WEDNESDAY 9/25 TOTALLY RAD OR TOTALL BAD
It's a Teen Beach Movie stand-off with Surfers vs Bikers! Dress to represent the crew of your choice
THURSDAY 9/26 OHANA=JAG FAMILY
Dress up as twins with a friend or come to school matching a while crew
FRIDAY 9/27 JAG SPIRIT
Show your FMHS or Donald spirit
I have had the opportunity to meet with every class for our first guidance lesson. I have enjoyed hearing from all the students about hobbies they have, places they have been, and how much they love their families. We have discussed ways I am here to help them be the best they can be.
As I continue to plan our guidance lessons, I want to ask all families and staff for some feedback and input. Would you please take a few minutes to fill out this survey by clicking the link: Donald 2024-2025 Counseling Needs This information will be used to help support our students and plan lessons to meet their needs. As September begins, classroom teachers will begin teaching a social-emotional lesson from our Second Step curriculum. This week's lesson can be previewed here if you are interested: Second Step Lesson 1
I also want to share with you my website, Mrs. Ramsey's Website If you have any questions, need to contact me, or would like some helpful resources this is a great place to visit.
TRA’s 2024 Art Contest has begun! This year's theme, "The Trinity River: Our Shared Home", invites students to explore the interconnected story of the Trinity River Basin. It’s a place where millions of Texans and a wide range of species coexist, relying on its rich resources and diverse ecosystems. Through their artwork, students can depict the vital relationships between the river, the river inhabitants, and the broader environment.
The contest is open to students in 1st through 8th Grade who live in or go to school in the TRA customer cities outside the TRA Board Counties. This includes Flower Mound! Winners will be chosen from each grade level, and will receive prizes and recognition. Information about the contest and past winners can be views at https://trinityra.org/art, and you can find the entry information in the document attached below. Entries must be submitted by September 30!
We would love to have you volunteer in our classrooms and at extracurricular events! To get started, JOIN the Donald PTA, and then complete your yearly VOLY Background Check. All volunteers must have a current VOLY Background Check, so if it has been a while since you completed this process, check in with the Donald Office Staff to see if you're approved!
Lewisville ISD's volunteer site, VOLY, is up and ready for the new school year. If you plan to volunteer on campus, act as a field trip chaperone, or support our campus at any point in the 24-25 school year, please either create a VOLY account or renew your account from last year. LISD's VOLY site is Lewisvilleisd.voly.org. There is also a VOLY app that can be found in the app store on your phone.
Remember that our VOLY site allows for the site to be translated to your family's home language. Look for the language drop down button at the top of the page.
Questions? Reach out to Partnerships@Lisd.net and they will be happy to assist you!
TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN
The LISD Recognize SomeONE program gives our staff and community members the opportunity to highlight the exceptional work the do. If a Donald staff member has made an impact on your student or family this week, please take a moment to Recognize SomeONE and let them know how much they mean! Teachers will receive a printed copy of your message from LISD Communications to display outside their classroom door.
HELP US HOST THE WOOT WOOT WAGON
Mrs. Harvey and Mrs. Whitsett, 5th grade teachers at Donald, began hosting a monthly treat cart called the Woot Woot Wagon last year. The Woot Woot Wagon was created to provide all Donald staff with fun snacks and drinks once a month. It is something all of our Donald staff gets so excited for, but it can't happen without the help of our Donald families! If you would like to sign-up to donate something to the Woot Woot Wagon this year, please click on the link here.