Library Media Centers Offer Extended Hours

The Elementary, Middle School, and High School Campus Library Media Centers are offering extended hours this year to allow students extra access to computers and school resources.

The hours are as follows:

• Elementary - Open Mondays from 5 pm - 7 pm
• Middle School - Open Wednesdays from 5 pm - 7 pm
• High School - Open Tuesdays & Thursdays from dismissal until 6 pm

We hope to see you at the Library Media Center!

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Congratulations Coach Biles!

Thank you Leopard Nation for the incredible support and MyPlates.com for sponsoring this contest! We worked together and won the prize for our very deserving coach. The Athletic Department will also receive a $25,000 prize that will be used to upgrade the weight room equipment. It's a great day to be a Leopard!

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Social Media Updates

Lorena ISD has many ways of keeping parents and community members informed about district events, announcements, and activities - including social media pages. You can like our Facebook page at Facebook.com/LorenaLeopards and follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/LorenaISD.

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LHS Theatre Presents: Lost in Yonkers

The Lorena High School Theatre Department will perform Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers this Friday and Saturday, December 6th & 7th at the LISD Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Showtimes are Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 2pm, and Saturday at 7pm.

Cast and crew information can be found on the LHS Website.

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Lorena Community Food Drive

Lorena High School is organizing a Community Food Drive. The drive will be Tuesday, November 19th in the Brookshire Bros parking lot from 3pm to 6pm. We will have a trailer there to collect food, and the High School Robotics team will have their robot "Daphne" there to help with collection. The recipients for the drive will be the Lorena Food Pantry and Packs of Hope. 

Items needed include:

• Canned Goods
• Cold cereal
• 100% juices
• fruit cups
• Tuna meals 
• Mac and cheese 
• Granola bars 

Football Playoff Info

Our Volleyball and Football teams are in the playoffs. Upcoming game info can be found below:

Area Champion Lady Leopard Volleyball:

• Regional Quarterfinal Round
• Opponent: College Station High School
• Tuesday, November 12th
• 7:00 pm
• Cameron High School (303 E 12th Street, Cameron, Texas)

Co-District Champion Leopard Football

• Bi-District Round
• Opponent: Rockdale
• Friday, November 15th
• 7:30 pm
• University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Belton, Texas)
• Presale tickets available at the HS until Friday at noon: Students - $4, Adults - $7

It's a great day to be a Leopard!!!

Volleyball Playoffs!

Congratulations to our Co-District Champion and Bi-District Champion Lady Leopard Volleyball teams! They will play Rusk this Thursday, November 7th in Buffalo for the Area Championship. The game starts at 7pm. Come support your Lady Leopards as they try to bring home another title!

My Plates Coach of the Year Contest

Coach Ray Biles is a State Finalist in the MyPlates.com Coach of the Year Contest! 
Voting for the State Winner is November 22nd - December 8th!

VOTE HERE !!!

Click here to see the video produced by MyPlates.com about Coach Biles.

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MyPlates.com is sponsoring a contest to find the best youth sports coach in the state, and we know where the best coaches are - LORENA ISD!

The Grand Prize is $25,000 for the winner's organization, and a personalized "COACH 13" licence plate for the winning coach. Second and Third Prizes will also be awarded.

To find out more information about the prizes and contest, visit MyPlates.com/COACH.

Parent Tech Academy & Kid Discovery Kamp

Lorena ISD will host a Parent Tech Academy & Kid Discovery Kamp for Elementary & Primary parents and students. The event will take place on October 21st from 6 to 8 pm at Lorena High School.  Click here to register your family for this free evening of fun and learning.

For Kids -

• Science Experiments
• Math Games
• Storybook Character Read-alouds

For Parents -

• Information sessions on District Tech Resources such as:
• Powerschool Parent Portal
• Media Center Resources & Website
• Digital Citizenship
• Social Media & Digital Communication
• Virtual Textbook Access
• Web Tools

Childcare will be provided for 2-3 year olds. Register online today!

Education Foundation Golf Tournament

The Lorena Education Foundation's 8th Annual Golf Classic will take place on Friday, November 1st at Twin Rivers Golf Course.  This year's tournament will begin with registration and lunch at 11:30 am and a shotgun start at 1 pm. 

Proceeds from the golf classic benefit the teachers and students of Lorena ISD through annual teacher grants. Area golfers and local businesses wishing to participate in this great event can contact the foundation at EducationFoundation@LorenaISD.net or call 254-214-5725.

Fall Festival

The annual PTO Fall Festival will be held this year on October 4th from 6-9pm. There will be lots of games, food, and fun!!!
Here are some of the highlights:

• Silent auction 

• Dunking booth 

• Cake walk

• Extreme Makeover: Teacher Edition

• Dancing with our Stars Teacher DanceOff

Please mark your calendars and bring the whole family to this great event! If you have donations for the silent auction or questions about the event, please email Tonya Cobb at lorenaelementarypto@hotmail.com.

Primary Groundbreaking Ceremony

Homecoming Festivities

Here's a list with times for the various Homecoming activities:

Thursday:
Middle School Pep Rally - 3 pm
Middle School Football vs Groesbeck - Begins at 4:30 pm
JV Football @ Groesbeck - Begins at 5:30 pm

Friday:
Districtwide Pep Rally at Leopard Stadium - 9 am
Volleyball vs West - Begins at 4:30
Varsity Football vs Groesbeck - 7:30 pm
High School Homecoming Dance in the HS Commons - 9:30 -11:30 pm

Lorena ISD Bond Updates

Below is a brief update on the bond construction projects for each campus.

Lorena Primary School 
• Addition of new wing to house 2nd grade and a new secured entrance
• Plans have been released for bids.
• Breaking ground for new wing: October 8, 2013
• 10 Month construction including wing and new secured entrance
• LPS will begin the 14-15 school year as a Pre-K through 2nd grade campus.

Lorena Elementary School 

• Renovations include new administrative and support areas for additional classroom space, addressing handicap accessibility as well as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system repairs and replacements to meet current codes and improve energy efficiency.

• New addition to provide a secured entrance and new entry design

• Tentative Dates:

• Early March 2014 – release bid documents
• Late March 2014 – bid date  
• April 2014 – Begin construction

• 4 month construction

• LES will begin the 14-15 school year as a 3rd -5th grade campus.

 

Lorena Middle School 

• Construction includes cafeteria expansion to alleviate overcrowded lunches and to serve as concession area for the gym, flooring replacements, and a new secured entrance.

• Tentative Dates:

• Early November 2013 – release bid documents
• Late November 2013 – bid date  
• December 2013 – Begin construction

• 7 month construction

• LMS will begin the 14-15 school year as a 6th -8th grade campus.

 

Lorena High School 

• Building additions for new classrooms, cafeteria, gym, athletics and support spaces that will connect all buildings under one roof, creating a more secure campus as well as library media center expansion and a new, relocated secured entrance to the building.

• Athletic stadium renovations including moving home side to visitor side, new concessions, restrooms, increased seating, press box and field and track improvements.

• Tentative Dates:

• Early March 2014 – release bid documents
• Late March 2014 – bid date  
• April 2014 – Begin construction

• 12 month construction

• All construction and renovations at Lorena High School should be complete by the beginning of the 15-16 school year. 

Back 2 School Bash

The annual Back 2 School Bash is Friday night, August 23rd in the HS parking lot. Food and fun booths open at 5:30. The traditional Kindergarten/Senior Walk will take place at 7pm followed by Meet the Leopards and Lady Leopards.

Come join us as we kick off an extraordinary year in Lorena ISD!

Welcome Back Note from Dr. Talbert:

The 2013-2014 school year promises to be another great year in Lorena schools! Our expectations have always been to provide the very best education for the students in our community, and this year we continue in that quest.  Our theme this year will be Discover Extraordinary, and we will focus on the seven hallmarks of an extraordinary school district:

•  Educators are empowered and accountable, as well as committed to ongoing mastery of their craft.

•  Students are self-motivated and actively contribute to both learning and teaching.

•  Environment: The energy is positive, accepting, and inspiring. Learning is fun, humor-filled, and natural.

•  Technology is embraced as a daily tool for aiding instruction, differentiation, motivation, and expression

•  Standards for achievement are set high, providing a clear and consistent framework for what is taught and learned.

•  Instruction is differentiated, flexible, and highly interactive, making learning achievable for all students.

•  21st Century Skills: Time and explicit instruction are devoted to creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.

We encourage parents and community members to be involved with us in the education of our children. I consider it a privilege to serve in this extraordinary school district.

Dr. Sandra Talbert, Superintendent

“A great organization is one that delivers superior performance and makes a distinctive impact over a long period of time.” Jim Collins in Good to Great

Leopard Scoreboard Advertising

Want to show your Leopard spirit?  Consider purchasing advertising space on the new digital scoreboard at Leopard Stadium.  Find full details and pricing here.

LISD Honors Retirees

Note from Superintendent Regarding Bond

We appreciate the support our citizens showed by voting FOR the bond on May 11. This bond will allow us to begin renovation and building projects in Lorena ISD to provide more adequate facilities to meet our students’ needs.

I want to personally thank each of you who played a role in the passage of this much needed bond. I appreciate the tireless hours you devoted to getting factual information out to the public so that they could make an informed decision. Your support of this project is recognized and appreciated. Whether you voted for or against the bond, we want to assure you that this money will be spent in a responsible and reasonable manner. The students of Lorena ISD are the beneficiaries of this vote. Thank you so much.

Estimate of Project Completion Dates

Construction and renovations will begin at the primary, elementary and middle schools. Those three campuses should be completed by the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. We project that the

2014-2015 school year will open with the following new campus arrangements:

Lorena Primary School  Pre-K – 2^nd grades

Lorena Elementary School  3^rd – 5^th grades

Lorena Middle School 6^th – 8^th grades

The work on Lorena High School will begin sometime during the other projects and will be completed in phases. All phases of the additions and renovations at Lorena High School should be completed by the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.

Dr. Sandra Talbert

LISD Superintendent

Lorena ISD Bond Election Information

CLICK HERE to find out more about the Proposed Bond! 

Download the LISD Bond Quick Facts Sheet

Election Day voting will occur on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Lorena High School.  Voting is open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Spring Fling

MAY 4, 2013

Great Things are Happening at Lorena ISD…

Join us in celebrating the success of our students!

All Little League games will be held at the HS fields!

Food and Fun for the whole Family!

CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER, REGISTER FOR EVENTS, & FIND OUT MORE!

Red Rivals Rallying 4 Relief

In this trying time for our neighbors in West, the Lorena ISD community would like to come together to offer our assistance.  Here is the district plan for aiding the community and schools of West:

Each campus will be a collection site for the following:

• School supplies - for all grade levels (new)
• Backpacks (new)
• Money
• Water, Gatorade
• Non-perishable food items
• Toiletries (like shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc...)

On Monday, we are encouraging everyone on all campuses - employees and students - to wear RED.  We are calling our efforts RED RIVALS RALLYING FOR RELIEF.  We will collect money now through next Wednesday, but MONDAY will be designated as a specific day to wear red and donate cash.  Our hope is to use the cash to provide for specific needs at the school.

Lorena High School will host a Blood Drive Friday, April 26th from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm at the LHS gym. Community members are invited to come donate as well.  Call the HS Office (857-4604) for more details.

We want to organize our efforts so that we do not contribute to any chaos.  All groups, organizations, campuses, etc...will collect, but we will bring all of the items and money together for one donation/delivery from Lorena ISD Community, Students, and Staff.

Thank you again for your outpouring of concern!!!

Dr. Sandra Talbert, Superintendent

PreK and Kindergarten RoundUp

Thursday, April 18th

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Primary Cafeteria

 

Please bring copies of the following documents or we can make copies for you:

• Certified birth certificate
• Social Security card of child
• Immunization Record
• Parent’s Driver License
• Proof of Residence documents (we require the water & electricity bill and both must have your name & address on them)

 

To be eligible for enrollment in the Pre-K program, a child must be at least 4 years of age on or before September 1^st and must be:

• Unable to speak and comprehend the English language and/or

• Eligible to participate in the National Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Program

For other eligibility options, please contact the Primary school office.

Depending on the number of qualifying students, the Pre-K program may be open to parents for tuition-based enrollment.

For more information, call 857-8909.

Kindergarten enrollment requires the same documents as above.

To be eligible for enrollment in Kindergarten, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 1^st.

Lorena's Got Talent!

Next Steps

I previously mentioned our ongoing conversations regarding future facility projects in Lorena ISD. At the January 21st board meeting, the board determined that we should proceed with a comprehensive facility study to assist in decision-making. The purpose of such a study is to survey and document the needs at all of the existing facilities and to provide recommendations regarding existing and future needs. 

The board heard presentations from various firms and then determined which offered the services that best fit our needs. The board engaged Huckabee: Architecture, Engineering, Management to work with LISD as we move forward. More information about the firm can be found at http://www.huckabee-inc.com 

If you would like additional information, please contact me or LISD Director of Business and Finance, Jeff Linnstaedter, at the administration office. Thank you for your continued support of Lorena schools!

Dr. Sandra Talbert
Superintendent 

Talking about the Future

Over the past year and a half, we have been investigating facility needs for Lorena ISD. In October 2011 we established a district-wide facilities committee to assist in gathering information on current as well as future facility needs of the district. Before making any decisions as to whether to pursue building projects, we wanted to determine need and feasibility and begin conversations with existing committees such as the District Site-Based Decision Making Committee (SBDM) and the Lorena Education Improvement Committee (LEIC).

The decision of whether now is the time to proceed with building projects rests with the Lorena Board of Trustees (based on recommendations from administration). Before any final facility decisions will be made, a formal, comprehensive facility study will be conducted as well as a demographic study. We will provide multiple avenues and opportunities for parental and community input. Thank you for your continued support of Lorena schools!

Sandra Talbert
Superintendent of Schools