SCIS PRINCIPAL MESSAGE 3/6/24

Dear Sloan Creek Families,

We are proud to recognize this month's 'Heart of a Teacher' recipient, Coach Kevin Francis, and 'Heart of Support' recipient, School Marshal Shaun Tomlinson, for the immeasurable impact they have on our students and school each and every day. Please take a moment to thank them when you see them!

Mr. Burger, 5th Grade Math Teacher, had a vision and it finally came to life. Last Friday, he hosted our very first "Open Field" and it was nothing short of a BLAST! Thank you to Mr. Burger and a group of extraordinary staff volunteers for making this a FUN and enjoyable experience for our students. Be on the lookout after Spring Break for an invitation to the next "Open Field" on Friday, March 22, and complete the form to RSVP for your student.

A few reminders before Spring Break:

• NO SCHOOL Friday, March 8 (Bad Weather Make-Up Day)
• Spring Break March 11 - 15
• Stop by today or tomorrow for the last chance to look through Lost & Found for missing sweaters, jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes, and more! All Items will be donated after school on Thursday, March 7.
• All students will turn in Chromebooks on Thursday, March 7, before the Spring Break holiday. Please be sure to send Chromebooks and chargers to school tomorrow.

Finally, whether you are staying home to rest and recharge, soaking up the sun at the beach, or hitting the slopes this Spring Break, I wish you and your families a great week together making memories and can't wait to greet our awesome students back at Sloan Creek on Monday, March 18!

Sloan Creek PROUD,

❤️ 🐆 ☘️ Megan Rawlins

Please see all 2024 "Important Dates" through May below. Please note that these are subject to change, so check back each week for updates. We hope this helps as you plan your Spring calendar! ❤️

MARCH

4-8 - Educational Diagnostician Appreciation Week

4-8 - School Social Worker Appreciation Week

6-7 - Science Instructional Materials Preview 8:00AM - 5:00PM @ Lovejoy Administration BuildingLast

7 - Last Day to Check LOST & FOUND

7 - Chromebooks TURNED IN for Spring Break

8 - Bad Weather Day - NO SCHOOL

11-15 - SPRING BREAK

18 - Spring Window for 5th & 6th Grade G/T Referrals Opens

18-19 - Cheer Clinics @ WSMS

21 - Cheer Tryouts @ WSMS

22 - Coffee with the Principals 8:30AM

22 - OPEN FIELD 3:15-4:45 (RSVP Coming Soon...)

22 - SCIS Choir Pop Concert 6:30PM

23 - Denim & Diamonds

25 - School Board Meeting 7PM

26 - SCIS PTO Presents KIRK MARTIN, CALM PARENTING @ LCDC LIBRARY 6:00PM

29 - Student and Staff Holiday - NO SCHOOL

APRIL

1 - Teacher Extended Planning Day - NO SCHOOL for Students

1-5 - Assistant Principal Appreciation Week

4 - School Librarian Appreciation Day

5 - SCIS- Incoming 6th Grade Band Welcome Party 3:30PM @ SCIS

8 - ☀️ Solar Eclipse

9 - 5th Grade RLA STAAR

10 - 6th Grade RLA STAAR

12 - GLOW SOCIAL 3:15 - 5:30PM

13 - Orchestra Solo & Ensemble Concert @ WSMS Time TBD

15 - EOY MAP Growth Window Opens

15 - Celebrate Sloan - Determination - 8:15AM

16 - 5th Grade SCIENCE STAAR

18 - Make-Up 5th Grade & 6th Grade RLA STAAR

18 - Spring Window for 5th & 6th Grade G/T Referrals CLOSES

18 - SCIS Band Popsicle Party 3:30PM

19 - Bad Weather Day - possibly NO SCHOOL

22 - School Board Meeting 7PM

23 - Bus Driver Appreciation Day

24 - Administrative Professional Appreciation Day

24 - 5th Grade MATH STAAR

25 - 6th Grade MATH STAAR

26 - Make-Up 5th Grade SCIENCE STAAR

26 - Coffee with the Principals 8:30AM

26 - Spring Orchestra Party 5:00-6:00

27 - Spring 5th & 6th Grade GT Testing (complete referral by 4/18)

MAY

3 - School Lunch Hero Day

3 - Make-Up 5th Grade & 6th Grade MATH STAAR

6-10 - Teacher Appreciation Week

6 - SCIS PTO Member Meeting 10:00AM

8 - School Nurse Appreciation Day

8 - School Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

9 - Spring Band Concert @ LHS 6:30PM

10 - EOY MAP Growth Window CLOSES

10 - Teacher Extended Planning Day - NO SCHOOL for Students

14-15 - SCIS Band Solo Recitals 4:00PM - 7:30PM

17 - SCIS-Band/Orchestra Music Festival @ LHS & The Cove- Time TBD

18 - Speech Pathologist Appreciation Day

19 - Dads @ Sloan Appreciation Party 3:00PM - 5:00PM

20 - Celebrate Sloan - Enthusiasm - 8:15AM

20 - Spring Orchestra Concert @ LHS 6:00PM

20 - School Board Meeting 7PM

22 - SCIS Band Scale Pass Off Party 3:30PM

23 - FIELD DAY

24 - Last Day of School - Early Release 11:45AM

25 - Lovejoy High School Graduation

All students will turn in Chromebooks on Thursday, March 7, before the Spring Break holiday. Please be sure to send Chromebooks and chargers to school TOMORROW!

All Lost & Found items are scheduled to be donated after school tomorrow.

All items have been moved to the foyer, so please swing by and search for missing items or encourage students to retrieve their items before Spring Break!

127 coats/hoodies

53 water bottles

5 lunch boxes

4 pants

1 swim suit

A few hats and gloves

"Open Field" is an invitation for 5TH AND 6TH Grade Sloan Creek students to stay after school and participate in varied outdoor sports and activities. Be on the lookout after Spring Break for an invitation to the next "Open Field" on Friday, March 22, and complete the form to RSVP for your student.

CELSIUS Energy Drinks and Students

There has been more than one incident this year of a student consuming a Celsius energy drink and then having the adverse symptoms of a racing heart, chest pain, and dizziness. On the Celsius website’s frequently asked questions page, it states that “CELSIUS is not recommended for people sensitive to caffeine, children under the age of 18, or women who are pregnant or nursing.”[1] Furthermore, The American Academy of Pediatrics states that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents.[2] In a study from Chapman University, 40 percent of teens reported an adverse effect while consuming energy drinks. These included:

• Abdominal pain
• Breathing difficulties
• Chest pains
• Gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Heightened anxiety
• Insomnia
• Feeling jittery or experiencing tremors
• Seizures[3]

One can of a regular Celsius energy drink contains 200 milligrams of caffeine which is equivalent to 2 cups of coffee. Other ingredients in Celsius that may cause side effects include taurine and guarana extract. According to Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, these ingredients can cause side effects similar to those of caffeine. It is also smart to be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate energy drinks, so Celsius drinks are not FDA-approved (via U.S. News). The FDA regulates certain ingredients found in energy drinks, such as caffeine, but it is not required that the final products be approved by the FDA before being sold to the public. While this doesn't necessarily make them dangerous, it leaves more responsibility to the consumer to be aware of the ingredients and how they affect each person individually.[4]

Lovejoy campuses will discourage students from consuming energy drinks in athletics and classrooms. If a student has a Celsius energy drink, he/she will be asked to throw it away. Please talk to your students at home about the risks associated with energy drinks and their ingredients.

[1] https://www.celsius.com/frequently-asked-questions/

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/energy.htm

[3] https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2018-06-06/teens-and-energy-drinks-a-potentially-dangerous-combination

[4] https://www.healthdigest.com/376485/are-celsius-energy-drinks-actually-good-for-you/

Head Lice

Head lice, although not an illness or a disease, is very common among children and is spread through head-to-head contact during play, sports and when children share items like combs, hats, brushes, and headphones.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, children diagnosed with live head lice do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun. Nits may persist after treatment, but successful treatment should kill crawling lice.

Recommendations for parents:

1. Check your child’s hair daily. If you find lice, treat your child and any children who share rooms or beds in the house.

2. Sheets and clothes must be washed in hot water.

3. Non-washable items, such as stuffed animals, should be bagged for two weeks. Nits that might be stuck on loose hair that is on these items might not hatch for 7-10 days. Once they hatch, they will starve within 48 hours if not on a scalp.

4. Please let the school nurse know if your child has lice.

5. More information can be found on page 68 of the LISD Student Handbook.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be utilized as a resource for treatment and prevention of lice.

Treatment options: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/treatment.html

Prevention tips: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/prevent.html

Sick Policy Reminder

Please keep your child home from school if they have had a fever, diarrhea, or vomited in the last 24 hours so that we can keep our students safe and healthy.

Medication on Campus

Lovejoy ISD has a no tolerance policy for students in possession of medication of any kind, including herbal supplements, vitamins, and all over the counter medications including cough drops/lozenges. All medications must be delivered and picked up by a parent or guardian. Students are not allowed to drop off or take home their medication(s) from the school clinic. More information can be found on page 70 of the LISD Student Handbook .

Calling all 11 year olds!

There are two required booster vaccines that are given at age 11 that Lovejoy ISD must have a record of before entering the 7th grade:

1. TDaP (Tetanus) booster within the last 5 years

2. Meningococcal/Meningitis (MCV4) given on or after the 11th birthday

Immunization records may be dropped off in the Sloan Creek front office, mailed, faxed, or emailed to the School Nurse.

• Sloan Creek Intermediate School 440 Country Club Road Fairview, TX 75069

• Fax: 888-683-0420

• Nurse’s email: Jennifer_Busse@lovejoyisd.net

For questions or information about the required immunizations, please go to the Texas Department of State Health Services website at www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/school.

⭐️ Use the tabs to view past weeks! ⭐️

✔️ At least 6-8 Minor Grades Per Quarter (40%)

✔️ 1-2 Major Grades Per Quarter (60%)

✔️ Retake Opportunities:

• Major Grades Only
• Earn up to 85%
• May be taken for any score below 85%
• Must be taken for any score below 70%

HELPFUL TIPS:

• When communicating an absence please include the first and last name of your student in the email as well as the reason for the absence.
• Automated emails/phone calls are placed at the end of the day to notify parents of any absences that have not been communicated.
• Allow time for your student's attendance to be updated. I will always respond to your email indicating attendance has been updated. Thank you for your patience.
• Who to email - all attendance matters need to go to Julie Boardman, julie_boardman@lovejoyisd.net or scis_attendance@lovejoyisd.net (they both go to Julie)

Our online lunch payment system, MySchoolBucks, has informed us there will be an increase to the current $2.75 program fee for each transaction when funding your student’s meal account. Beginning on March 7, 2024 the program transaction fee will increase to $3.25.

MySchoolBucks states the increase is due to rising payment processing interchange fees and increased operational costs. If you would like to make changes to your saved payment methods or automatic payment setting, please log into your MySchoolBucks account. If you have questions about your account you can call their support team at 855-832-5256.

Our current MySchoolBucks limit per transaction is $240. If there are siblings within the district Student Nutrition can transfer funds between siblings. As an alternative to the online payment system, the Cafeteria Cashiers do accept checks with no transaction fee.

Spring sign-ups are going on now!

Extended Day Leopard Academy is an opportunity for your child to participate in enrichment activities on his or her campus before and after school. Our goal is that these enrichment opportunities will allow our Lovejoy Leopards to develop creativity and critical thinking skills through activities related to their personal interests.

Registration is open for the following academies for students in first through 6th grade. Choose from one of the links below for more information.

• Board and Card Game Academy
• Yo Yo Academy