LVHS Weekly Newsletter

Viking Family,

Ms. Kinslow takes great care in putting together the newsletter each week, and each week I try to do her justice with my small part. Sometimes we brainstorm themes, and other times they come to us organically.

This week I struggled trying to find the right quote, the right song, the right words to express how amazingly we’ve started 2025! Ms. Kinslow's go-to phrase to celebrate Viking excellence is "BOOM!💥" and I love it! I’m not sure what my word is, but my song this week has to be a 20+ year throwback - “Who Let the Dogs Out” with a slight alteration- Y'all...“Who Let the VIKES Out?!?"

As a school community, we are crushing it! (Cue the music…”Who Let the Vikes Out”)

• Boys Soccer won the Rockdale Tournament and came home with the program’s first championship trophy after defeating the host team 4-3 in penalty kicks. 💥
• Girls Soccer took second in their invitational and are looking strong in District play.💥
• Boys and Girls Basketball remain undefeated in District play.💥
• One of our Computer Science team members won a major competition in Austin💥
• We had 5 Viking Band students make All-Region Band and get the opportunity to audition for All-State Band.💥
• We have 9 Lago Vista FFA students sending projects to the Travis County Youth Fair. 💥
• Three of our DECA students advanced to DECA State CDC in March. 💥
• Our BBQ team honored our school board this week with a delicious, award-winning meal for School Board Appreciation Month. 💥
• UIL Academics and One Act Play are underway. 💥

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

I know my time here has been short, but there’s never been a better time to be a Lago Vista High School Viking! Keep reading to see how these amazing programs are thriving and creating enriching experiences for our students.

From academics to extracurriculars, we are seeing incredible growth and success across the board. Our teachers and coaches are not only engaging our students but also empowering them to reach new heights. Whether it's in the classroom, on the field, or through artistic expression, our students are excelling in ways that make us all incredibly proud!

It's a great day to be a Viking!

Janda Castillo

Proud Principal of Lago Vista High School

Monday, January 20

• No School- MLK Jr. Day

Tuesday, January 21

• A Day
• Girls Basketball vs. Austin LBJ @ LVHS- JV-5:30/Varsity 7:00pm (Tickets)
• Boys Basketball @ Austin LBJ- 9th- 5:15pm/JV- 6:30pm/Varsity 8:00pm
• Boys Soccer vs. Austin Achieve @ LVHS- JV- 5:00pm/Varsity 7:00pm (Tickets)

Wednesday, January 22

• B Day
• Wear your favorite CCMR Shirt Today (College, Career, Military)
• Girls Soccer @ Austin Achieve- Varsity 5:00pm

Thursday, January 23

• A Day

Friday, January 24

• B Day
• Girls Basketball @ Northeast Early College- JV- 5:30pm/Varsity 7:00pm
• Boys Basketball vs. Northeast Early College @ LVHS- 9th- 6:00pm/JV- 6:00pm/Varsity 7:30pm (Tickets)
• Girls Soccer vs. Austin LBJ @ LVHS- Varsity 6:30pm (Tickets)

Saturday, January 25

• Boys Soccer @ Austin LBJ- JV- 9:00am/Varsity 10:45am
• Round Rock Invitational Academic Meet

It took us a little less than 12 months to reach our goal but we did it!! The LVHS Green Team collected 1000 lbs of plastic bags and films! Check out this video to see just how much it took to reach our goal.

We will be receiving a bench from Trex Furniture soon! The Green Team wants to thank everyone who participated, it truly was a community effort! Please continue to collect your plastic bags and films and drop them off at Brookshire Bros. or Lowes (or any grocery store)!

All students at Lago Vista High School with no outstanding fines or monetary obligations may be exempt from a final (second semester ONLY) exam if they meet the following criteria and follow the guidelines as written below:

Attendance Criteria:

No more than 3 absences for the Spring semester, in the class exempting (3 tardies equals an absence).

A student who has missed more than 6 absences per period in any class for the year may not be eligible to exempt ANY exams.

Grade Criteria:

At least an 85% semester average in the class exempting.

Guidelines:

• Students can exempt up to 3 finals.

• Exempting a final exam does not entitle a student to be absent on the day or period of the final. Students must still attend classes, regardless of exemptions earned. Students absent during finals will lose their exemptions in accordance with the above exemption criteria.

• For the sake of exemptions, any attendance disputes must be addressed and resolved with the attendance clerk within 3 school days of the absence or tardy.

• No out of school discipline (ISS, OSS, DAEP)

• It is the responsibility of the student to pick up, fill out, and return the exemption form to Attendance by the stated time and date on the form. No exceptions will be made.

• The following absences do not affect exemption status:

1. Medical appointments which are documented with a doctor’s note furnished to the attendance office upon return to school.

2. Funeral for immediate family members up to 3 days.

3. School functions.

4. Religious holidays.

5. Military deployment of an immediate family member.

6. Required court dates.

7. College days (up to 2 per year for Juniors & Seniors).

LVHS DECA students competed in the District 5 DECA Career Development Conference competition at McNeil High School. Three students qualified to advance to DECA State CDC in March (Dallas). When you see these students, please congratulate them on their academic success. They spent extra time outside of school preparing for the DECA exam and business presentation events.

DECA State Qualifiers

• Ava Ferguson (Entrepreneurship Individual Series)
• Riley Caller (Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making)
• Westin Walker (Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making)

DEBATE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, LITERARY CRITICISM, SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HISTORY, JOURNALISM- The possibilities are endless! If your Viking is looking for a place to connect and compete, UIL Academics is an awesome opportunity. There is truly something for everyone! To join in on the fun, reach out to the UIL Coach listed below:

• Mrs. Holt (rholt@lagovsitaisd.net)- Computer Science, Current Events & UIL Campus Lead
• Ms. Schobelock (aschobelock@lagovistaisd.net)- Social Studies
• Mrs. Koenning (hkoenning@lagovistaisd.net)- Science
• Mrs. Statham (rstatham@lagovistaisd.net)- Mathematics, Number Sense, Calculator, & Accounting
• Ms. Kinslow (dkinslow@lagovistaisd.net)- Literary Criticism & Ready Writing
• Ms. Cox (tcox@lagovistaisd.net)- Journalism
• Mrs. Wray (lwray@lagovistaisd.net)- Debate, Poetry, & Prose

Encourage your Viking to connect with these teachers soon for more information and to get plugged in!

The UIL Academic Debate Team will have its first two Spring Practice Tournaments coming up in preparation for District in March 2025. On January 25th, the team will participate in the Round Rock Tournament. UIL Debate categories to participate in this Spring include: Lincoln-Douglas Debate (Focus: Standardized Testing), Extemporaneous Speaking (Persuasive and Informative), and Oral Interpretation (Prose & Poetry). If you think on your feet and like to discuss, come join the fun!

Counselors will be working steadily this semester to plan with students and parents regarding next year's coursework. Please encourage your students to check their emails and pay attention to announcements to set up these crucial meetings with their counselors. Parents are welcome to attend the 1:1 meetings, as well. Be on the lookout here and in your inbox for more information.

Have questions? Contact your student's counselor-

• Last Name A-L: Mrs. Read (wread@lagovistaisd.net)
• Last Name M-Z: Mrs. Clark (lclark@lagovistaisd.net)

We met with the Juniors this week and encouraged them to sign up for their 1:1 with their counselors. Appointments start next week, and they fill up FAST! Parents, please remind your Juniors:

• TO SIGN UP! (They can use the QR Code below.)
• TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU! (Parents/Guardians need to sign off on class selections.)
• TO SHOW UP! (With their yellow selection sheets, signed! Set reminders!)

Parents are welcome to attend, but counselors have left the inviting up to the students. Senior Year will be here before you know it. Let's make it the best one yet!

Visit the LVHS Counseling website for information on all sorts of Senior and post-graduation planning tools. You'll find videos explaining the financial aid process, links to local scholarships, college visit forms, transcripts and more! We are here to help your Senior transition to their next step after graduation!

• Start here. Lago Vista High School | Herff Jones
• Click on GRADUATION
• Click SHOP YOUR HIGH SCHOOL
• Enter LAGO VISTA and click SEARCH.
• Click SHOP GRADUATION PRODUCTS
• Click GRAD GEAR AND APPAREL
• Scroll to the bottom of the page select CAP, GOWN, AND TASSEL.

• Sat., 4/5/25- Prom at The Crossover in Cedar Park

• Thur., 5/1/25 GenTX Day- On this day, we celebrate you and your plans after graduation. Wear your college shirt, military shirt, or something that represents your post-grad plans.

• Wed., 5/14/25, Blue & Gold Ceremony- 6:00 p.m. in the PAC - The Blue & Gold Ceremony is where we honor seniors who have received local scholarships and/or awards. Students receiving an award will receive an invitation to attend; however, the event is open to the public.

• Thurs., 5/22/25, Graduation Practice & Legacy Walk

• Fri., 5/23/25, GRADUATION DAY!

The Girls finished second in our first ever home tournament. Bundle up and come support these student-athletes as they begin District play this week. Schedule and ticket information are below.

• 1/20- MLK Day- NO SCHOOL
• 2/14- NO SCHOOL
• 3/5- SAT Testing for Juniors
• 3/14- NO SCHOOL
• 3/17-3/21- Spring Break
• 4/5- Prom
• 4/8-4/9- English STAAR EOCs
• 4/15-4/16- Biology & US History STAAR EOCs
• 4/24- Algebra I STAAR EOC
• 4/18-4/21- April Break

The UIL Spirit State Championship is the marquee event of high school cheerleading in Texas. Lago Vista Cheer has won five UIL state championships in the past six years. TODAY, these 35 incredible student-athletes get two 3-minute runs to prove they are still the best! Although Coach Katy Baugh and her staff emphasize journey over outcome, it is a tremendous amount of pressure for these young women. They are extremely prepared and have put in countless hours to prepare for this moment.

Lago Cheer is scheduled to perform their Prelim at 11:45am, and Finals for 4A- Division 2 Finals will begin around 6:30pm. A detailed schedule of the entire event can be found HERE. There is a way to watch online through this link though a $12 fee is required. We are so proud of this team and all they work they've done to get to this point! LONG LIVE LAGO!

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY!

Exciting News! The 2025 LV Viking Booster Club Scholarship is NOW OPEN for applications! Attention all aspiring scholars! The LV Viking Booster Club is thrilled to offer a fantastic opportunity for LVHS VARSITY SENIOR student athletes, athletic trainers, and managers whose family members are active Booster Club members to apply for our esteemed scholarship.

To be considered, applicants must complete the following steps:

1. Local Scholarship Application: Fill out the form to showcase your academic achievements.
2. Booster Club Supplement: Provide additional information relevant to the LV Viking Booster Club.

Find applications and eligibility details on our official website under the Scholarship tab: https://www.lagovistasports.com

Application Deadline: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. Don't miss out on the chance to apply for a scholarship to help further your education!

For inquiries or more information, feel free to contact us. Best of luck to all applicants!

FINAL YARD SIGN ORDER DEADLINE JANUARY 31

We are now accepting orders for LV Viking Yard Signs! Show your Viking pride and support our LVMS and LVHS athletic programs with our fantastic yard signs. We offer lots of choices: All Sports (for multiple sport athletes), specific sports, Cheer, or Valkyries. We have options for everyone!

Important Details:

• Order Date: Deadline January 31. This will be the final order of the 2024-2025 academic year.
• Order Form: Please submit a separate order form for each yard sign you need.
• Payment: Signs are $25 each. Payment must be made prior to the order date via PayPal or Square.
• Pickup Arrangements: We will contact you to arrange pick up once the signs are ready.

To view Yard Sign examples and to access the Order Form please go to: https://forms.gle/8BGEXkKiXYBk99mE8

If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to email us at lvvikingbooster@gmail.com. Thank you for your support and GO VIKINGS!

SHOP THE VIKING STORE

The LV Viking Booster Club Merchandise Store is OPEN! Your one-stop shop for all your Vikings gear is just a click away. Head over to lagovistasports.com and select the SHOP tab to explore our online store. We’ve got everything from t-shirts, tank tops, and sweatshirts to hats, visors, beanies, bags, decals, and so much more!

Once your order is paid for and fulfilled, we'll contact you for pick-up details.

Remember, when you purchase from the LV Viking Booster Club, you are directly supporting the Lago Vista Middle School and High School athletic programs. Let's gear up and show our Viking pride! Let’s go Vikes! If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to email us at lvvikingbooster@gmail.com

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

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

WE ALL ROW!

Boys Basketball -- https://www.signupgenius.com/index.cfm?go=s.signup&urlid=10C044CAFAF23A4F85-52101710-202425&useFullSite=true#/

Girls Basketball-- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-52103172-202425#/

Lady Vikings Soccer -- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-53019842-20242

Vikings Soccer -- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-53019841-202425

Youth Basketball League – HS Campus Games Only:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-54195679-lvyouth#/

MS Boys Basketball Tournament Jan 18:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-54082471-2025

Softball:

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-53019844-2025

Northshore Classic Concessions-- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAFAF23A4F85-53019843-2025

• LADY VIKING BASKETBALL
  
• VIKING BASKETBALL
• LADY VIKING SOCCER
• VIKING SOCCER
• LADY VIKING SOFTBALL
• VIKING BASEBALL
• LVHS POWERLIFTING
• LADY VIKING GOLF
• VIKING GOLF

GoldStar Transit is hiring school bus drivers for Lago Vista ISD!
- Starting at $20.50 per hour
- $1,500 sign on bonus w/experience
- Bring your kids to work, no daycare needed.
- No experience necessary....training provided!

Submit your application online today at https://ridesta.com/careers/.
Please contact (512) 267-8300 x1508 with questions.

• JOIN CANVAS- The best way to stay connected to your student's academic progress at LVHS is through Canvas. Lago Vista High School parents can create parent accounts in Canvas to view student assignments, course information, and much more!

  For instructions on how to create an account, click here.

  To login, please visit http://lvisd.instructure.com/.
• GET TEXTS- For class specific updates, text the following to 81010-
• Freshmen text @lago2028
• Sophomores text @lago2027
• Juniors text @lago2026
• Senior text @lago2025
• CHECK EMAILS- Encourage your Vikings to check their email. They can login to Google Mail on their school Ipad and use the following login info:
• firstname_lastname@lvisd.com
• PW is their Student ID#
• GET SOCIAL- Follow LVISD groups on Instagram
• @lvisdvikings
• @lagovistapals

Principal, Janda Castillo- jcastillo@lagovistaisd.net

Assistant Principal, David Hilsenteger- dhilsenteger@lagovistaisd.net

Assistant Principal, Dusty Kinslow- dkinslow@lagovistaisd.net
Website: https://www.lagovistaisd.net/page/lhs.Home

Phone: 512-267-8300 ex.5500