December 18, 2023

A message from Principal Villavaso

Happy Holidays Cardinal Families,

As we approach the holiday season, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the wonderful community we have here at Life School Carrollton. The Fall Semester has been filled with growth, achievements, and shared experiences that have strengthened the bonds within our school community.

This upcoming week is jammed packed with activities. Here is a list of events:

Monday: Pictures with Santa
Tuesday: Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night 5pm to 7 pm
Thursday: Holiday Program at 1:45 pm to 2:30 pm (Register Now! Everyone must have a visitor badge when in the building!)
Thursday: Holiday Classroom Parties from 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm (Register Now! Everyone must have a visitor badge when in the building!)
Dec 25 to Jan 5: Winter Break! Our campus will be closed. Classes will resume January 9.

Click here for the Cardinal Connection Newsletter!

Thank you for being an integral part of the Life School Carrollton community. May your holidays be filled with joy, and may the new year bring prosperity, good health, and continued success.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Warm regards,

Principal Villavaso

Campus Updates

Tiff's Treats Cookies for community

We are partnering with Tiff's Treats to raise funds for Life School Carrollton! From December 11th to December 24th, all purchases made online or via the app using our unique code: CARDINALS will give back 20% to our LSC campus. The highest fundraising campaign sales this month will win an additional $1,000 and the highest for the year will win an additional $10,000 donation. Let's make LSC the big winner for the month and maybe the year! Start planning those yummy holiday treats/gifts now for your friends, family, staff, etc. and support your favorite school at the same time!

DECEMBER WINTER DRIVE

Join us for our December Winter Drive! You may remember one of our guest speakers from the Veteran's Day assembly, Jessica Wentz. She is associated with the Dallas Life Recovery Center helping homeless Veterans and their families. All donated items will be given to the Dallas Life Recovery Center, benefiting homeless Veterans and their families. See below for items needed. The front office will have drop-off boxes for these items or students may drop them off with their teachers. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Mr. Perry at edward.perry@lifeschools.net or give us a call at 469-701-1355.

ITEMS NEEDED:

Beanies / Stocking Caps
Gloves
Scarves

WHEN:

December 4th - December 14th

Pictures with santa & chirpie- dec 18

Life School Carrollton and Ed's Media, LLC have partnered together to bring you Christmas Pictures with Santa & CHIRPIE! On Monday December 18th, your students will have an opportunity to take a picture with Santa and CHIRPIE! This fundraiser will help raise funds for school-wide activities in 2024. We will only be taking online payments. Please review the prices below and complete the form/payment by Sunday December 17th. If you have any questions, please email Mr. Perry at edward.perry@lifeschools.net or give us a call at 469-701-1355.

*Students will receive (1) 4x6 physical print and you will receive a digital copy via email - Same Day Delivery on both!*

$3 Per Student
$5 For Siblings (Individually and together)

THIS TUESDAY!!!

annual holiday program & holiday parties

Mark your calendars for our Annual Holiday Program happening on Thursday December 21st from 1:45pm-2:30pm! Holiday Classroom Parties will be taking place immediately after the program from 2:30pm-3:00pm. Make sure to pre-register for the event. Visitor badges are required every time you are on campus.

Link to Pre-Register

A.P. Avenue with Mrs. merry

What a great week we have coming up; photo's with Santa, visit's to Briarview Senior Living, Chick-fil-A Spirit Night, Tiff's Treats fundraiser, clothing drives, staff appreciation breakfast, holiday programs, classroom parties....WOW, this week is full! Thank you to all our parents who are helping with showing thankfulness to our staff on Thursday morning with breakfast and beautiful decorations and then helping celebrate their student with class parties. If you are interested in helping with either of these events, please reach out to your classes room parent/guardian; they are always looking for extra help. If you are wondering about getting something special for your student's teacher, our room parents/guardians also have a list of our teachers & staffs favorites. Here is the link: LSC Staff Favorite

Thank you to those of you who have already supported us with our Tiff's Treats Fundraiser (information above). This fundraiser is all done via online ordering and will go until Christmas Eve. Don't forget to use our fundraiser code: CARDINAL.

Our attendance goal is 98% each week, and we have not been making that goal as a whole, however, some classes have. Congratulations to our 4th grade team who had an 99% attendance and received an extra recess this week. Please remember that Texas has a 90% attendance law, where a student must attend 90% of the school year or risk being retained. Students also can not miss 10 days in a 6 months period, without risk of retention. 3 tardies or early pick-ups count as 1 day of unexcused absences and this adds up. Our goal is is never to go to truancy court, but we do have to follow attendance & truancy laws. Remember, it's critical that your student is on campus on time and for the full day and that all absences should be excused with a doctor's note.

As we begin to wrap up 2023, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be your school's Assistant Principal and to help your student grow in their LifeLeader Attributes. Please remember, if you haven't yet joined our LSC Galaxy Digital as a "FAN", it's super important to our Campus Improvement Plan that you do. Please click: Fan of LSC.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to click here: email Mrs. Merry. Thank you, as always, for being a Partner for Life in your students education! Mrs. Merry

Spelling Bee- Dec 18

We are excited to announce that for the first time ever we are having a campus Spelling Bee. Winners will advance to Regionals (and then possibly Washington DC for the final competition-all expenses paid). Here are the spelling lists if you would like to help your child prepare for the campus competition.

Re-enrollment Begins January 1st

Life School re-enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year will begin January 1, 2024. With the introduction of the 4-day school week calendar, we are experiencing increased interest in enrollment. If your child attends Life School, please watch your email for re-enrollment instructions so you can act quickly to reserve your child's seat for next year.

attendance matters!

Congrats to our 2nd Grade Team for having 99% attendance last week. They have won either a popcorn party or extra recess, their choice!! Who is going to win this week?

Studies show how critical it is for students to be at school everyday, all day, all the way! To help support our LSC attendance, we are going to host a weekly competition. The class with the highest attendance percentage each week will earn either extra recess or a class popcorn party. Please make sure to help your student's class be the top class by making attendance a priority.

Updates to Student Handbook

The 2023-24 Student Handbook has undergone recent updates to reflect legislative changes. These revisions were approved by the Life School Board of Directors on September 20, 2023. Click here to see the letter to parents.

Counselor Corner

In the Midst of Conflict--Strategies to help your child practice effective communication

(Excerpt from: Teaching Kids How To Deal With Conflict: https://childmind.org/article/teaching-kids-how-to-deal-with-conflict/)

Conflict may not be pleasant, but it doesn’t have to feel catastrophic. Teaching kids practical skills to manage it in a healthy way will help them navigate everything from small squabbles (“She took my doll!”) to big issues (“I don’t know if I want to be your friend anymore”) both now and as they grow up.

In order to resolve a conflict, kids need to learn to communicate their feelings clearly, without lashing out or making accusations. It’s tough to practice communication skills when tensions are running high, so consider talking over these skills with kids when they’re not already in the midst of a conflict. Then, you can provide gentle reminders and guidance when things do get heated. Werley and Dr. Lee recommend the following strategies:

Using “I” statements to name feelings. You’ve heard it before, but it’s still true: Saying something like, “I felt embarrassed when you posted that on Instagram” is usually more helpful than something like, “You posted that picture just to embarrass me!”
Writing out talking points. “Even if it’s just planning out a conversation in their journal, thinking through what to say ahead of time can help kids get their points across effectively,” says Werley.
Role-playing with an adult. “Having a safe space to practice tricky conversations can be a huge help,” says Dr. Lee. You can also offer your child insight on nonverbal communication that they might not be aware of — e.g., “What you said was really kind, but I had a harder time appreciating it because you were looking at the ground.”

Teaching Kids How To Deal With Conflict: Click here for entire article

FAMILY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE HOLIDAY BREAK: Link to DFW Opportunities

TO CONTACT ME: Questions or concerns-- Feel free to contact me by phone 469-701-1355 ext 9204 or email me at rachael.ren@lifeschools.net

LifeLeader

LifeLeader: Problem Solver

When you are ready to lead, you think about the information and tools you have to find a solution to a problem. You ask questions, listen to what others think, identify the problem, and then take action. By doing these things, you are using the LifeLeader attribute, PROBLEM SOLVER.

COMMUNITY Resources/Library Events

Check out this link for fun events happening in the community. Full calendar here!

Christmas at the Perry

https://www.cityofcarrollton.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/46394/20

Thursdays: December 7, 2023 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

December 14th, 2023 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Free for all ages

Perry Museum

Coffee with a Cop – Christmas Edition

Joe’s at Amici located in Downtown Carrollton

Saturday, December 9, 2023 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Carrollton Wind Symphony Concert

https://www.cityofcarrollton.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/46928/20?curm=12&cury=2023

Friday, December 15, 2023 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Free for all ages

Newman Smith High School

Christmas Assistance:

https://metrocrestservices.org/services/seasonal-programs/holiday-program/

www.alihsedu.org

https://www.facebook.com/UNIDOSCarrollton/

LIFELEADER SPOTLIGHT

Jaxon Hawkins

5th Grade

Kamryn Diamond

5th Grade

Jake Tchankwe

1st Grade

Sophia Cifuentes

1st Grade

Carter Sims

3rd Grade

Lena Tchankwe

3rd Grade

Teacher Newsletters

Safety and Security

Check out the District Safety and Security Newsletters on our website.

Safety Bulletin

Please click here to view the October Life School Safety Bulletin.

Refer a friend while space remains

If you know someone who needs a home school that genuinely loves and cares for students, some spaces remain. Please complete this Form and we will be happy to reach out to them.

Upcoming Events

December 1st thru 14th GT Identification Window

December 11th Girls Empowered & Boys 2 Men

December 18th Girls Empowered & Boys 2 Men

December 18th LSC Spelling Bee

December 21st Semester Ends, Birthday Thursday, Christmas Program & Classroom

Christmas Parties

Bring out the storyteller in you

As a way to celebrate our 5 year anniversary as a Cardinal Family, we want to hear from YOU! Tell us about your LSC Story. You could've joined the Cardinal family yesterday or 5 years ago; at the end of the day, we all are family and we have a story. Below are some things you can talk about:

How you heard about LSC.
Why you enrolled your child here.
How the journey has been since enrolling your child here.
How LSC has grown your student/family.
The impact LSC faculty and staff have made on you, your student and your family.
Any shoutouts to teachers/staff.

We cannot wait to hear from you! If you would like to share your story, complete click here! If you have any questions or concerns, email Mr. Perry at edward.perry@lifeschools.net.

Parent Resources - Helpful Links

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