LVMS Newsletter

Well, in the past seven days, we've had a school dance, our last volleyball game, a pep rally(with an awesome rendition of Ghostbusters), our last home football game AND Halloween! Needless to say, our teachers have earned this weekend! We had a whole lot of fun with our students, and I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from the crazy week...looking back at the week, I consider myself extremely lucky to serve the students of LVMS!

For many years, the Lago Vista and Point Venture Lions Club have sponsored the "Peace Poster" competition, and the students have always done an amazing job. Here are this years winners -

Point Venture's winners:

1st place: Towner Sims

2nd Place: Lesly Perez-Rodriguez

3rd Place: Rowan Parra

Honorable Mention: Brody Norris

Lago Vista's winners:

1st Place: Lesly Perez-Rodriguez

2nd Place: Gracie Farjellah

3rd Place: Michael Caldwell

Honorable Mention: Jasmine Baker

Attention 7th Grade Parents! It's the most wonderful time of the year... the Alamo Project! The iconic assignment that students love is happening NOW until November 14th. On Friday, 11/1, students were put into their partnerships and began brainstorming a supply list. They've also been provided with the instructions and blueprints.

Coach Keel and Coach Tomlin thought it would be good to provide parents with some information that will help keep everyone on the same page throughout the project. If you're a 7th grade parent, please read the following info thoroughly.

Overview:

Students will build a model of the Alamo and surrounding compound as it looked during the siege in 1836. They are allowed to use any materials they please, so creativity is encouraged. All required parts of the project must be made from scratch, meaning no pre-made kits or 3D printing allowed. This project is NOT about who spends the most money. Some of the best Alamos that met all requirements in the past have been made with free cardboard boxes from the cafeteria. In addition to the model, students will create a one-page biography about one of the heroes of the battle.

Commonly Used Materials:

- Cardboard

- Clay

- Popsicle sticks

- Toothpicks

- Styrofoam

- Pipe cleaners

- Hot Glue

- Water-based paint

Project Duration:

Students will have 6 full class days to work on the project with a partner. None of the work on the model is allowed to be completed at home.

Grading:

Students will receive daily grades for checkpoints during the project. The final model and required biography will be in the assessment grade category.

Thank you for your support during this project. If you have any questions throughout the Alamo Project, please don't hesitate to reach out to your student's teacher.

On Tuesday November 12, Bella Vista Italian Restaurant will be donating 10% of all sales to the Lion's Club Children's Hunger Initiative. Help feed hungry kids and have a great meal!

Help erase school lunch balances for students in the Viking Nation! Each generous donation will lift a financial burden from our community and will allow Lago Vista ISD to focus resources on supporting student success.

To donate, please visit https://lvisdtx.schoolwindow.com/estore/lvdo/donation.html.

Thank you for helping us ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive!

Hard to believe that Thanksgiving Break is three weeks away! If you'd like to help out for Thanksgiving pies, please let our incredible volunteers know.

We will send an email to coordinate the many different opportunities you have to make a difference at the middle school. Whether you have a few hours a week, an hour a year, or awesome culinary skills, we’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to help out but aren’t quite sure how, just let us
know and we’ll figure something out! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Courtney Stockard at cstockard@duck.com or Lindsey Phillips at lindsey.phillips@modmed.com

Please join here - https://forms.gle/Y7N8StvYr18UpJPD6

You can order your LVMS Yearbook now using this link - https://prod.yboc.varsity.com/jobSearch/displayHome

Order Number - 18995

Your student will be in or headed to the high school in the Summer of 2026, so you are invited!!

We have an opportunity to go on the trip of a lifetime! We are headed for a European tour in the summer of 2026! London! Paris! The Alps! And so much more! This tour will show your student history, art, beautiful cityscapes, and stunning nature!

This trip was selected by our students and has wonderful reviews! Sign up for the meeting to find out just how amazing and affordable this experience will be! Please plan to come to the information meeting, no obligation to join, but tons of information for you to make an informed decision and a chance for a $200 travel scholarship!

Sign up today with this link! https://tinyurl.com/4yrksvvs

Andrew Larkin, Lago Vista HS Art Teacher

alarkin@lagovistaisd.net

Per Texas State Law, in order to receive credit for a course or grade level, a student must be in attendance 90% of the time. Absences whether excused or unexcused count towards the total.

But even more important than the law is that when your child misses school, they miss the amazing instruction that is happening and there's no way to ever truly make that up. Last year, our students missed a total of 3,320 days of instruction which equals 24,900 hours of awesome teaching that went unexperienced.

We want all of our students to be able to take advantage of as much great teaching as possible, so that's why this year we are encouraging all parents to "Strive for 5!" Strive for 5 or less missed days for your child this school year. Please do not misunderstand- if your child is sick, please, please, please keep them home. However, try to plan vacations around our school holidays so that your child can avoid missing as much instruction as possible.

Many parents don't realize that the vast majority of our funding from the state is directly tied to our daily attendance. Each student that is present each day equates to about $37 in funding. If a student is absent, that amount is lost. $37 may not seem like much, but it adds up quickly! When looking at last year's numbers, LVMS lost $122,840 in funding due to attendance.That funding could allow us to hire more teachers equating to smaller class sizes to benefit our students.

Again, if your child is sick, please keep them home. The last thing we want is for your child to be miserable here at school and to possibly cause another child to be sick. What we are trying to limit is avoidable absences.

Attendance Reminders

• The tardy bell rings at 8:40. Instruction begins immediately at this time.
• Official attendance is taken each day at 9:45. If your child is not physically present at that time, they are counted absent.
• All attendance notes should be given to your child's teacher or emailed to Terri Harkins at tharkins@lagovistaisd.net. Notes should be returned within 3 school days of the absence or appointment.
• Typically, the later in the school day you can schedule needed appointments, the better. You definitely want to avoid the 9:45 time frame if possible.

7A

The 7A team had an unfortunate loss to Salado Monday evening to end the season. The anticipation to play Salado again built up for these girls over the week prior and I think they just couldn't get past the nerves! But what an amazing season these girls had their 7th grade year! They started the first ½ of the season 0-4 in District and came back the second ½ of the season 3-1 in District! They competed in 2 non district tournaments and went 4-2 with those! This team is the epitome of starting out slow and working hard to show vast improvement! I can't wait to watch them continue with their volleyball experience and I am so glad I had the opportunity to coach them this season - though I could have gone broke if the season continued with all of the Sonic purchases! What a great group of girls and personalities! Contributing to the team this year was: Danni Tristan, Sienna Todd, Eva Navarro, Evelyn Brown, Nova Baker, Autumn Clements, Ashlynn Evans, Towner Sims, and Scarlett Wright.

7B

The Lady Vikings wrapped up their season on Monday with a home game against Salado. It was a season filled with ups and downs, but every player showed tremendous growth and embraced their roles on the team. Lauren Wood, Teagan Pilz, and Emery Smith provided invaluable experience, guiding our newer players as they learned the game. Aubrey Alves, our new setter, was dedicated to refining her skills throughout the season. Gracyn Koncak hustled impressively in her role as Libero, while Starry Dannelley and Isabella Faz made significant strides with their aggressive play at the net. Cora Larkin shined both in the front row and as a serving specialist, and Victoria Porras’ hard work on her serve was truly rewarding to see. Defensive specialists Cori Davis, Tallulah Hardy, and Brookley Janson all improved their passing, which was crucial in setting up our aggressive playing style. I am so grateful to have coached such a dedicated group of athletes and can’t wait to see what they’ll accomplish next season!

8A

The Ladies hosted Salado this past Monday evening in what was their final match of the season. The girls entered the night in solid 3rd place with a chance to tie Salado for second with a win. The girls knew coming in that this was going to be a tough match but were amped up for the chance. Despite bringing their very best, serving very aggressively, playing great defense, creating strong attacks of their own, a win wouldn’t be in the cards this evening as the Lady Eagles power was too much to overcome. The girls kept each set competitive score 17 and 19 points. The girls had a great season finishing with a record of 10 wins to just 5 losses. The Ladies placed 3rd in a very tough district, as well as winning 5 matches over two tournaments. This group played one of the toughest schedules I can remember and I’m really very proud of how they performed. I’m looking forward to watching this group grow as they transition to high school.

Team members: #2 Rain Nelson, #3 Brinkley Gold, #4 Leya Sund, #7 Lauren Carpenter, #8 Kinsley Boyd, #9 Sloan Wolfe, #13 Te’a Turner, #15 Amelia Ferguson, #21 Lila Rodriguez, & #22 Molly Cortez

8B

The Lady Vikings hosted Salado in our last volleyball match of the season this past Monday. Although the outcome wasn’t what we had hoped, I was extremely pleased with the girls because of the season they had. This team grew in leaps and bounds over the course of the season. By the end of the season we were blocking balls, making aggressive attacks out of the back row, transitioning and shifting defensively, making aggressive attacks from the front row, and serving consistently. I am very proud of them for the progress they made on the volleyball court, but I am much more proud of the young ladies/people they are becoming. Summer, Lilah, Hadley, Emma, Lucy, Brookelyn, Lili, Elena, Gianna, Anabelle, Madison, and Stella - thanks for a great season! Go Lady Vikings!

The Super Team Game kicked off the Halloween festivities in thrilling fashion this Thursday! The Vikings charged down the field with the dynamic duo of Austin Babin and Austin Tarver leading the offensive assault, complemented by an incredible run from Lester Gonzales. On defense, Artem Hordiienko, Brandon Brown, and Liangel Gonzales anchored the team, showcasing their skills and determination. With a remarkable performance, the Vikings secured their second consecutive victory, triumphing over Navarro with a final score of 14-0. This game was a testament to the Vikings' teamwork and grit!

Meanwhile, in the 7th grade matchup, the Vikings faced a fierce challenge against Navarro. Despite the speed and size of their opponents, Aiden Street and Karter Kurdna spearheaded turnovers on defense. However, the Navarro offense proved relentless. The Vikings put forth a valiant effort, especially with Tate Philips leading the charge on offense, but ultimately fell short, ending the game at 0-22.

In the 8th grade A game, the Vikings were determined to keep their championship hopes alive against Navarro on Thursday night. From the first whistle, the Vikings were on fire, dominating both offensively and defensively. Easton Rice and Brody Norris each rumbled into the end zone for touchdowns, while Rice also connected on passing touchdowns to Ayden Chaffin and Landon Jordan. Lila Rodriguez was stellar, nailing the extra points all night long. The defense was relentless, allowing Navarro just a single touchdown as every player contributed to a flurry of tackles. It was an electrifying performance that showcased the Vikings’ strength and unity! 36 - 6 was the final score.

The Booster Club would like to welcome our Viking students, athletes, families, and fans back to school! There is already so much going on at LVMS and LVHS. Get ready for a fantastic year! Please visit our website for information on all things Booster Club at https://www.lagovistasports.com/

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

The Booster Club needs your help! Please consider signing up to help out at the concession stand.

WE ALL ROW!

MS Football -- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-50417322-2024

MS XC Tri-Meet Relay -- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-50417339-2024

We are proud to celebrate the college readiness of our Lago Vista ISD students! With impressive results in both ACT and SAT assessments, our students consistently demonstrate their preparedness for the next step in their academic journey. Their hard work and dedication to excelling in these assessments is a testament to their future success!

We encourage all parents to log into your Parent Portal at any time and set up alerts. Follow the directions and screenshots below.

Once you are logged into your Parent Portal, go to the upper right hand corner of your screen and click on the "bell".

You will then click on the View/Set Alerts.

Click on the Set Alerts to go to the menu to set alerts for grades, assignments and attendance.

If you have any problems or questions, please contact Monica Kaiser @ #2503.

Our goal in Lago Vista ISD is to ensure that every student benefits as much as possible from the great teaching and learning that happen here every day. When your child misses school, they miss out on learning opportunities that simply can't be replicated. That's why this year, we are encouraging all parents to help our students "Strive for 5!" — aim for five or fewer missed days for your child this school year. Of course, if your child is sick, please keep them home. However, we ask that you try to plan vacations and other activities around our school calendar to minimize the loss of valuable instructional time.

In addition to missed learning opportunities, many parents also may not realize that our school's funding from the State is directly tied to daily attendance. Each day your child is present, the school receives about $37. While $37 might not seem significant on its own, it adds up quickly. Last year, the District's funding was reduced by over $700,000 due to student absences. This loss of funds impacts our ability to hire more teachers, reduce class sizes, and further enhance the learning environment for all students.

We appreciate your help in reducing avoidable absences so that your child — and all of our students — can take full advantage of the excellent instruction we offer every day.

Doors open at 8:10 - there will not be supervision before then...

1st Period - 8:40 - 9:26

2nd Period - 9:30 - 10:16

3rd Period - 10:20 - 11:06

4th Period - 11:10 - 11:56

A Lunch - 11:56 - 12:26

A 5th Period - 12:30 - 1:16

B 5th Period - 12:00 - 12:46

B Lunch - 12:46 - 1:16

6th Period - 1:20 - 2:06

7th/Advisory - 2:06 - 2:36

8th Period - 2:40 - 3:26

9th Period - 3:30 - 4:15

Reminder - any student who is either using or in possesion of an e-cigarette(vape) of any type is an automatic DAEP(Disciplinary Alternative Education Placement) sentence.

HB 114 makes offenses involving the possession and/or or use of vapes a mandatory DAEP offense. School districts will now be required to place all students who are caught in possession and/or or using vapes (of any kind – not just those with drugs) into their DAEP.

Please share this with your children - it's just not worth it!

Email: eholt@lagovistaisd.net
Website: www.lagovistaisd.net
Location: 8039 Bar K Ranch Road, Lago Vista, TX, USA
Phone: 512-267-8300