TEA Public Education Vision Survey

Parents,

Due to the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is required to complete a state plan for the vision of public education in the state of Texas.  The Commissioner of Education, Mike Morath, has launched an online survey to get input from parents and the general public.  Your input will be used in developing our state vision.  Please consider taking this 10 minute survey.  They are accepting responses through November 18, 2016. 

Thanks for being a part of the process and supporting public education.

Joe Kucera, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Link to survey: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3003630/ESSA-Public-Input-Survey

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LISD Board of Trustees Names Lone Finalist for Lorena ISD Superintendent

A Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Lorena ISD was held March 2, 2016 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Lorena ISD Administration Building, 308 N. Frontage Rd. Lorena, Texas.

The Board of Trustees of Lorena Independent School District voted to name Dr. Joe Kucera as the lone finalist for Superintendent.

Dr. Kucera comes to Lorena after 2 years as Assistant Superintendent in China Spring ISD. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Saint Edwards University in Austin in 1995 and began his career in education at Midway ISD serving first as a teacher and coach, then as middle school assistant principal and eventually middle school principal. During his time at Midway, he also earned his master's degree in education (2000), principal certification (2001), superintendent certificate (2006), and doctoral degree in Educational Leadership (2008) from Tarleton State University. In 2008 he became principal of North Forney High School in Forney ISD and served there until his hire at China Spring in 2014.

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Area Superintendents Volunteer for "Pack of Hope"

Area superintendents whose schools participate in Pack of Hope met to pack bags of food for their students this week. The McLennan County Pack of Hope "exists to erase child hunger in McLennan County by supplying participating school districts and their eligible students with backpacks of food from Friday to Sunday." For more information or to donate to this cause, go to the Pack's website at www.packofhope.org 

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Superintendent Dr. Sandra Talbert Announces Intent to Retire

After 32 years in education and 14 years of service to Lorena ISD (10 as Superintendent), Dr. Sandra Talbert has announced her intention to retire at the end of this school year. The following is an excerpt from her letter of retirement that was accepted by the board:

"When I arrived in Lorena ISD in 2002, I fell in love with the district - the students, staff, school board, parents, and community. I cannot imagine a more wonderful place to have spent my last 14 years in education! I will treasure the relationships and memories that I have built here...I hope my legacy in Lorena ISD will be my passion for children - for making every decision based on what is best for our students."  - Dr. Sandra Talbert

The school board has taken steps to begin the search for a new superintendent and has hired James Baize as an independent search consultant. The official job posting can be found here, and more information regarding the selection process including the opportunity for community members to provide input to the board will be posted in January.

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Thank You from the Superintendent

Lorena ISD would like to express our gratitude to our community for supporting the 2013 bond for school facilities. We are fortunate to live in a community that supports our schools and our students! Our citizens’ YES vote on the bond allows us to continue our Tradition of Excellence. Through the funds from the bond elections, we were able to complete all  the following projects:

• Primary School:
• New wing of classrooms for Grade 2 in order to create a Pre-K-2nd grade campus.
• Renovations resulting in a new secured entrance.
• Elementary School
• Renovations to administrative and support areas to free additional classroom space to create a 3rd-5th grade campus
• New entry design with secured entrance
• Mechanical, electrical and plumbing repairs to meet current codes and improve energy efficiency
• A “facelift” with new paint, flooring, and cabinets.
• Connection of external building for safety and accessibility
• Middle School
• Cafeteria expansion to alleviate overcrowded lunches and to serve as concession area for gym
• Flooring replacements
• New secured entrance
• High School
• Addition of new classrooms, media center (library), cafeteria, ag shop, competition gym, and support spaces (offices, nurses’ center, etc…) that connect buildings under one roof, creating a more secure campus
• Renovations of existing spaces creating state of the art science classroom/lab combinations, new cooking lab, career and technology spaces and more
• New flooring and paint in existing areas
• New secured entrance
• District-wide
• Athletic stadium renovations and additions moving home side to visitor side, new concession and restroom areas, increased seating, pressbox additions, and improvement of track and field.

Thank you again to each of you for your efforts on behalf of and your support of the bond campaign which resulted in our tremendous additions and renovations on every campus in Lorena ISD. Today – and every day – is a great day to be a Leopard!

Sandra Talbert

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Note from Dr. Talbert

Happy New Year! Lorena ISD faculty and staff are excited about all that is in store for the spring semester. 

We want to continue to challenge our students academically, encourage them in character development and citizenship, and provide opportunities for involvement in service projects, clubs, activities, sports, and more. In the midst of all that a normal spring semester entails, our building projects are in various stages of planning and construction which adds to the excitement! We ask that you share our enthusiasm for the great things happening with the facilities in the district, and, additionally, we ask for your patience as we have to re-route traffic, change activity locations. modify schedules, etc.... 


As you drive down Old Lorena Road, you can see the progress on the 2nd grade wing addition at Lorena Primary School. At Lorena Middle School, crews worked throughout the Christmas holidays to prepare for the cafeteria expansion. The detailed plans for the high school renovations and additions are being prepared to go out for bid, and the plans at Lorena Elementary are in the works as well. Check the Construction link on our website for updates. 


Looking forward to an extraordinary spring semester!
S. Talbert
LISD Superintendent

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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

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

Note from Dr. Sandra Talbert, Lorena ISD Superintendent

The events at the elementary school in Connecticut on Friday deeply impacted everyone. Those of us who are educators feel a great responsibility for our students’ safety while they are entrusted to us. I want to assure you that Lorena ISD has a comprehensive safety plan in place. We constantly strive to review that plan and prepare our teachers and students by conducting drills. We will continue to evaluate our plan and discuss any modifications we might need to make or ways we might improve the existing plan. Counselors are available to visit with students on each campus. The counselors also can provide you with resources should you like guidance in speaking to your child about this tragic event.  Lorena ISD will not conduct large group discussions with the students as parents have chosen how much or little information to share with their child, and we want to honor that. Again, we take your child’s safety seriously.  You can rest assured that we do everything possible to ensure Lorena ISD students’ safety. We treasure your children.

Sandra Talbert
Superintendent of Schools

AYP Plans and Information

Dear Parents and Guardians of Students at Lorena ISD,

Lorena ISD is committed to providing every child with the best education possible, and we work hard to that end each and every day.  While Lorena ISD has been a recognized school district for the past several years, this year the state suspended ratings because of the new STAAR tests.  The state is still in the process of setting the standard for the grades 3-8 assessments.  However, there are different requirements for the Federal government under the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act.

Under the NCLB Act of 2001, a Title I, Part A-funded LEA (local education agency/LISD), or school district, that has not met AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) for two or more consecutive years in the same indicator (reading, mathematics, attendance rate, or graduation rate) is subject to LEA-level Title I School Improvement Requirements.  Based on the 2012 LEA AYP Status released August 8, 2012, Lorena ISD is subject to the LEA-level SIP (School Improvement Program) requirements for Stage 1 during the 2012-2013 school year. For additional information about the AYP definition please visit TEA’s website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/ayp/.

 Lorena ISD missed AYP in math for the past two years.  In 2010-11 we had more students pass the math assessment in Special Education than were allowed by the state imposed cap.  There is a 2% cap of special education students that are allowed to take a modified test; therefore, any student who passes over the cap counts as a failure.  This caused Lorena ISD to miss AYP in 2010-11.  In 2011-12 the standards were raised as the goal of 100% of all students passing was quickly approaching in 2014.  Requirements for math in 2011-2012 were 83% of all students and subgroups passing; next year the goal for all students will be 95%, and finally in 2014 the standard will be 100% passing for all students and subgroups. 

Johnny Can Spell Training for Parents (Kindergarten - Second Grade)

Have you ever wondered what language your child is speaking when he or she says,
"er  the /er/ of her"?  For help decoding phonograms, mark your calendar for Thursday night, October 6th!

Lorena Elementary School is proudly hosting a Johnny Can Spell training for parents. Alice Nine, author of our kindergarten through second grade phonics and spelling programs will be leading the event on October 6, 2011 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.

What is Johnny Can Spell?
Johnny Can Spell is a systematic, explicit phonics program.  It presents the phonograms (the sound-symbol correspondences) initially in isolation but develops mastery through daily application in spelling, reading, and writing.

Learn more about phonogram sounds and daily phonics practice to help your child learn to read.

Free Community Event!

The Greater Waco Community Education Alliance is hosting a free community evening on meaningful parent involvement on Monday, October 3 at the new University High School. 

Ako Kambon is the featured speaker – he will inspire and challenge you! For more information call the Lorena ISD administration office or see the fliers on the website under “Parent Resources.”

Family Math Games Night

Tonight is the Family Math Games Night at the Lorena Elementary Cafeteria presented by the award winning teacher consultant group: box cars and one-eyed jacks!  The fun begins at 6:30!

Students will have the opportunity to practice a wide range of math skills by playing various games with cards and dice, and parents can learn many strategies to help their children strengthen math skills.  Skills that games help reinforce include: addition, substraction, probability, counting, place value, estimation, problem solving and many more!

If you haven't RSVP'd, there's still time!  Call Lottie Donahue at the Lorena ISD Admin Building!   857-3616

Message from Dr. Talbert, LISD Superintendent

We are looking forward to a great new school year. The motto for Lorena ISD is “A Tradition of Excellence,” and our intention is to continue that tradition!

I consider it a privilege to serve as superintendent for the students in this extraordinary school district and to be part of such a supportive community. This year in Lorena schools we are continuing our quest for greatness. Our theme for this year is Teaming up for Greatness, and we will count on each person contributing to our team’s success. A team is defined as a group of people working together to achieve a goal. There are so many roles necessary for a team to function and perform to their fullest ability – the players, the coaches, the referees, the team managers, the fans, and MORE! We will focus on getting all of those involved (parents, community members, teachers, support staff and administrators) on the same page of the playbook so we can achieve our goal: VICTORY – SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS!

Working together we can reach our goals! We appreciate your commitment to our school’s continued success!

Dr. Sandra Talbert

LISD Superintendent