LISD Expect Excellence Newsletter

Hello Levelland Lobos!

This is a critical period for school districts at both the local and state levels. Upcoming local

elections and statewide decisions will significantly influence schools. Both will have a profound

impact on the quality of education Levelland ISD students receive.

Levelland Independent School District (ISD) will hold its annual School Trustee Election on

Saturday, May 3, 2025. The general election will include positions for Single-Member District 1

and Single-Member District 3, each with a three-year term. Additionally, a special election will

be held to fill an At-Large Position for a one-year term, necessitated by a vacancy.

Applications for a place on the ballot for both the general and special elections must be

submitted by Friday, February 14, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. Application forms are available at the

Levelland ISD Central Office, located at 704 11th Street, Levelland, TX 79336. District

administration staff are available to assist with any questions related to the election process.

For those interested in the role of a school board member, the Texas Association of School

Boards (TASB) outlines the primary responsibilities of a trustee as providing local citizen

governance and oversight of education within the district. Levelland ISD Board Members are

dedicated to serving all students and upholding our commitment to "Expect Excellence" in all aspects of education. Additional information pertaining to the role of a trustee can be found in

Levelland ISD Board Policy at https://pol.tasb.org/PolicyOnline?key=664 and on the TASB

website at https://www.tasb.org/.

The 89th Texas Legislative Session is currently underway, running from January 14, 2025,

through June 2, 2025. Statewide discussions have focused on key issues such as public school

funding and school vouchers for private institutions. The public school accountability system and

student state assessments are additional focus areas for our legislators. While the specifics of

new legislation remain uncertain, Levelland ISD is hopeful for increased funding to support

essential needs, including employee raises and operational expenses.

Levelland ISD’s mission is the Relentless Pursuit of Excellence for Our Students. Our students

are our highest priority, and we are committed to providing an education that prepares them for

both current and future success. As new legislation is enacted and additional requirements are

placed on schools, Levelland ISD will remain flexible and proactive, striving to make a

meaningful and positive impact in the lives of all our students.

Becky McCutchen, Superintendent of Schools

Have a great week!

Go Lobos!

Congratulations to all of our FFA and 4-H Exhibitors in the stock show last week. It was a buy week and lots of medals were taken home!
For a list of accomplishments please see https://www.facebook.com/groups/604309009762690.

How much do you understand about DNA? These LHS students in Mrs. Sandy Billington's Biology classes were caught in a DNA Lab today. They were experiencing a hands-on activity to show DNA translation and transcription, which are the processes cells use to express their genetic information. Transcription is the process of copying DNA into RNA, and translation is the process of using RNA to create proteins. This high level engagement is awesome!

We send out a huge congratulations to the Lobo Band members who made the ATSSB All-Region Band! Our students auditioned against peers from the Lubbock area to earn their spots in the band. Along with our Honor Band members from the previous auditions, these 15 students will perform at the All-Region Band concerts on Saturday at the Lubbock Civic Center.

Flute: Lily Alvarado, AnnaLee Napier, and Rosa Servin

Clarinet: Valentine Esparza, Daira Bejarano, Cadence Trevino, Sophia Koubek (Not pictured Joleen Caballero & Anaylis Aguilar)

Bass Clarinet: Abril Perez

Trumpet: Jose Bejarano, Brayden Perez and Jayden Moreno

Bass Trombone: Michael Arriaga

Euphonium: Adden Luna, Araseli Torres, Diego Franco and Max Chapa

Bass Trombone: Michael Arriagean Brothers, and Alexius Quezada

Capitol GT students in Mrs. Alexander's and Mrs. Utley's 3rd grade GT groups went on a field trip Friday to learn about news production. Students took a tour of KLBK(KAMC) to learn about the process of developing a live news broadcast. Students were then featured on the 11am KAMC news and again on KLBK at 6pm and 10pm. Following a lunch at Capital Pizza where students used their creative skills to form wicky stick creations, they visited the campus of Texas Tech University Davis College of Agriculture Education and Communication and were educated on editing and producing their own videos. Students will use the knowledge gained to help prepare them to write, format, edit and produce a news broadcast as their Spring GT project. This News Show Production project teaches students about the 5 "W"s in news writing, understanding the difference between editorial pieces and news content, culture and citizenship, pursuing interests, data analysis, developing essential skills for communicating, creative problem solving, and logical thinking. We are so thankful for Mrs. Utley and Mrs. Alexander #expectingexcellence and for keeping our students engaged and challenged with wonderful learning opportunities.

We thank The Wallace for bringing Ballet Lubbock Dance Connect to Levelland ISD. Through this extracurricular program, students will learn ballet, modern, jazz, and creative movement. Students will perform at the Buddy Holly Hall in April! We are so thankful to The Wallace for bringing opportunities to our students that they might not experience otherwise!

Brrrrr, it was cold outside last week! South Librarian Mrs. Harkins hosted a Winter Wonderland in the library and there was a packed house. Parents and students made winter igloos, constructed snowmen, & read books about winter and snow, all while earning AR points! It was a great evening of winter fun! We appreciate the parents that came out to spend winter with their kids!

What better way to remember a great science lesson than with a hands-on activity? Mrs. Gina Randol #expectsexcellence and her LMS classes wrapped up their study of the moon phases with an Oreo Cookie Lab. Students took the cookies apart and used the icing to recreate the appearance of each moon phase. What a yummy way to learn about the orbit of the moon and how it looks at each phase!

Mr. Russell Hill's LHS Business Classes were visited today by Megan Acevedo from the Texas Tech Rawls School of Business. Students learned about programs of study offered, admission requirements, opportunities for study abroad, as well as many interesting facts about the Rawls School of Business. Students were especially interested in the 94.6% successful placement rate for graduates. Thank you, Ms. Acevedo for teaching our students more about college and careers!

ABC Librarian Abi Swain #expectsexcellence and engaged students in a game of musical chairs to introduce them to new books in the library! ABC Littles were caught in the act and were excited to view various genres of new books, hoping to check them out next week! The new books in the ABC Library include books about football, vehicles, fiction, nonfiction, funny, sensitive, popular TV characters that students love, and more. We appreciate that our LISD Librarians are always thinking of ways to turn kids on to books!

Congratulations to LHS Senior Clayten Edwards for being chosen as an Ag Texas Ag Youth of the Month! We are proud of the leadership you put forth!

Mark your calendars! The LHS and LMS National History Day students #expectexcellence and invite you to their NHD Showcase at the Brasch-Mitchell Building on February 3rd at 6 pm! Come see these amazing projects and quiz our students to help them prepare for their competition!

Email: rmccutchen@levellandisd.net
Website: www.levellandisd.net
Location: 704 11th Street, Levelland, TX
Phone: 806-894-9628
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LevellandISD/
Instagram: levellandindschooldistrict