Fall Planning - 2020-2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change daily, our goal is to provide our Lovejoy families with consistent communication based on official information provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and state and local health officials.

While there are still many unanswered questions, we have heard the concerns of our parents, staff, and students. As we continue to work and plan for the upcoming school year, our students, staff, and community's safety is paramount.

Current information focuses on guidance provided by TEA on July 7, so our Lovejoy families may begin to make plans for the Fall semester. Please understand that this information and guidance may be adjusted as health information changes in our community and throughout our state.

Regardless of the changes we may experience in the coming weeks, we remain unwavering in our commitment and dedication to excellence for ALL our kids, teachers, staff, and community. We are looking forward to learning with our Leopards on August 17, 2020.

Student Learning Environments

To receive state funding, TEA requires that districts offer an on-campus learning environment and has permitted districts the ability to also provide a virtual learning environment option for our families.

Lovejoy ISD parents will have the opportunity to choose the learning environment that works best for their student(s) and their family.

Options for 2020-2021

Option 1 - On-Campus Learning (Typical Daily Bell Schedule): Students and teachers will attend class in-person five days a week while following public health guidance and safety measures from state, federal, and local health guidelines and recommendations.

Option 2 - Leopard Virtual Learning: Students will participate from home in virtual learning consisting of both synchronous (live) and asynchronous (independent learning) curriculum comparable to that of On-Campus learning. Daily student participation will be required, and structured schedules will be provided to students

PK - 2nd Grade - Students will receive a learning schedule that will allow for teacher-led instruction, independent work, and small group / individual teacher-led learning opportunities. Families should anticipate a grade-level appropriate schedule with a blend of time online and off-line with teacher interaction daily.

3rd – 12th Grade - Students will follow a schedule similar to On-Campus learning with a blend of both live instruction and independent learning. Families should anticipate approximately 3-4 hours (not including breaks, transitions, or lunch), depending on the grade level of daily instructional requirements.

Please review the Planning Guide 2020-2021 for detailed information about both On-Campus and Leopard Virtual Learning!

Please Note: Details are subject to change as directives from governing authorities, health officials, or environmental conditions may determine.

Lovejoy ISD Planning Guide

Lovejoy ISD Planning Guide_2020_October 8th - with Attendance Modifications for 2nd 9-Weeks

Frequently Asked Questions

Selecting your Learning Environment

Why did Lovejoy ISD decide to do three weeks of virtual learning? (added August 11, 2020)

The decision to transition the first three weeks of school virtually was made on July 15, as the District received updated information and guidelines from governing agencies such as Executive orders for masks from the Governor, operational guidelines from TEA, and public health guidance regarding increased cases in Texas.

As Lovejoy ISD received additional updates from TEA regarding ways instruction could be impacted; such as school closures and quarantine guidelines, we continued our focus to ensure all families were comfortable and able to navigate online learning successfully and facilitate transitions to online learning as needed throughout the school year.

The first three weeks of virtual learning will also ensure the District has the ability to test, practice, and train staff and students on new school procedures.

Are districts able to open in-person “normally” 5 days a week and meet TEA requirements? (Added August 6, 2020)

School districts are not able to open “normally.” Districts must follow public health guidance from various authorities, including CDC, TEA, EEOC, as well as comply with the Governor’s executive orders.

For K-8 students, On-Campus instruction five days a week is required for districts to receive funding for online instruction, and it is mandated that we also offer a virtual option. For 9-12th grade students, TEA recently changed its funding structures to allow high schools to offer hybrid On-Campus classes to better adhere to social distancing guidelines for high school students.

How are decisions made regarding school environments and the start of school? (Added August 6, 2020)

All decisions are made (as per our typical decision-making process) with a focus on the safety of our Lovejoy Community, ensuring instructional continuity / excellence and adherence to guidance from multiple agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Texas Education Agency (TEA), as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The TEA provided the learning environments that would comply with funding requirements. The TEA Commissioner granted the latitude for Superintendents to enable virtual learning for the first three weeks of school, while virus counts in Texas continued to increase.

Are all students starting remotely, August 17th? (Added July 31, 2020)

Yes, all students in Lovejoy ISD will start remotely on August 17th. Then, on September 8th (which will become an Instructional Day at the August Board Meeting), students will move into their selected learning environment, which can be changed after the first nine weeks of school.

How do I indicate my student’s learning preference for September 8th and for the remainder of the first nine weeks? (Added 8/1/20)

To indicate your preliminary preference:

Visit PowerSchool Parent Portal
Log in (You must make sure you are logged in as the parent)
Select your student
Scroll to the left and click on 2020-21 Learning Environment
Make your selection at the top of the screen and hit submit

What if I need to change the learning preference for my student? (Added 7/24/20)

For Hart Elementary, email Alis Brantl - Alis_Brantl@lovejoyisd.net

For Lovejoy Elementary, email Sondra Payne - Sondra_Payne@lovejoyisd.net

For Puster Elementary, email Kendra Card - Kendra_Card@lovejoyisd.net

For Sloan Creek, email Lori Esser - Lori_esser@lovejoyisd.net

For Willow Springs, email Carol Vik - Carol_Vik@lovejoyisd.net

For all other campuses, please email Nancy Lessner, Nancy_Lessner@Lovejoyisd.net

Once we have chosen either On-Campus or Leopard Virtual Learning, can we change our mind and chose the other type?

Yes, you may move between the two learning models. Changes can only be made at the end of each 9-week grading cycle.

Will teachers teach both online or virtually? (Added August 2, 2020)

Right now, we are working on class numbers and will be better able to answer this question, once we get our final counts after August 6th.

What will class sizes be for each grade level? (Added August 2, 2020)

LISD will follow TEA guidelines for class size. At this time, the class size requirements are the same as a regular school year. The maximum number of students per class varies by grade level and also varies by class at the secondary level.

Will I still need to buy school supplies for my student regardless of learning environment? (Added August 2,2020)

Yes, students will utilize school supplies for both the On-Campus and Leopard Virtual Learning.

Will students receive the week's worth of curriculum/work on Monday to do at their own pace throughout the week or is work given daily by teachers as if students were physically present in class daily? (Added August 11, 2020)

Unlike the spring students will not be given the assignments for the week on Monday. Virtual Students will have daily synchronous learning times and assignments will be due more frequently than weekly. Hybrid schedule students will have on-campus learning at least two days each week and for their two days of asynchronous learning (not physically on campus) students will have assignments to complete. Both virtual and hybrid students will have an experience very much like a traditional school with more frequent assignments and due dates.

High School Specific Questions

What learning options are available for High School Students? (Added August 2, 2020)

The choices offered to our high school families are:

On-Campus - Hybrid
Leopard Virtual Learning
On-Campus - Hybrid +

For all learning environments, LHS will still follow the “block” schedule.

Parents will have the opportunity to affirm their selection in the PowerSchool Parent Portal by August 6th for the first nine weeks.

Option 1 - On-Campus Hybrid - The student body will be divided into two groups alphabetically. Groups will be adjusted after all parent choices are submitted to even out the groups.

Student groups will then be scheduled to attend 2 days of On-Campus learning, followed by 2 days of Virtual learning, alternating which groups would be On-Campus in order to reduce the total number of students on campus at one given time.

Option 2 - Leopard Virtual Learning - Students will have the ability to learn from home following the “block schedule”. Students will still have the ability to attend athletics or extra-curricular courses that are facility dependent.

Option 3 - Hybrid+ - This option is for our families that may need to ensure technical connectivity or need their student to attend campus five days a week. Students who select this option, will continue to follow the On-Campus hybrid schedule but will have the option to attend LHS physically in assigned “learning center” classrooms on designated virtual learning days.

Learning centers will be staffed by Lovejoy ISD employees, not necessarily teachers, who will be present to monitor students while they work independently on their remote instruction.

Teachers will not be available to meet face to face with students attending the Hybrid+ virtual days, as they will be instructing another cohort of students. However, students may connect with their teachers via email, tutorials, or scheduled office hours.

When will the Hybrid On-Campus Start? (Added August 2nd, 2020)

The On-Campus Hybrid is scheduled to start on September 8th. All students will follow the A/B Block schedule starting on August, 17th.

Why are we doing Hybrid when others are not, in our opinion? Best practices? (Added August 8, 2020)

The hybrid option was released as an option by TEA as an alternative to 5 days face to face instruction on July 17. As districts are working through the logistics of how to socially distance students, especially large numbers like at the high school level, you may hear of a few other districts in the area who are transitioning to this method of instruction.

As LHS started to see the number of students who would potentially be on campus, it was evident that social distancing practices could not be followed by the number of kids planning to return to campus. Therefore, the Hybrid option was used to reduce the number of students to less than 600 per day, to adhere to social distancing guidelines and help ensure student and staff safety.

What does the Hybrid Schedule Work? (Added August 2, 2020)

Example

September Hybrid Calendar

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

8th

Group 1 - A Day

Group 2 - Virtual

9th

Group 1 - B Day

Group 2 - Virtual

10th

Group 1 - Virtual

Group 2 - A Day

11th

Group 1 - Virtual

Group 2 - B Day

14th

Group 1 - A Day

Group 2 - Virtual

15th

Group 1 - B Day

Group 2 - Virtual

16th

Group 1 - Virtual

Group 2 - A Day

17th

Group 1 - Virtual

Group 2 - B Day

18th

Group 1 - A Day

Group 2 - Virtual

21st

Group 1 - B Day

Group 2 - Virtual

22nd

Group 1 - Virtual

Group 2 - A Day

23rd

Group 1 - Virtual

Group 2 - B Day

24th

Group 1 - A Day

Group 2 - Virtual

25th

Group 1 - B Day

Group 2 - Virtual

28th

Group 1 - Virtual

Group 2 - A Day

29th

Group 1 - Virtual

Group 2 - B Day

30th

Group 1 - A Day

Group 2 - Virtual

What is Hybrid+? (Added August 2, 2020)

Option 3 - Hybrid+ - This option is for our families that may need to ensure technical connectivity or need their student to attend campus five days a week. Students who select this option will continue to follow the On-Campus hybrid schedule but will have the option to attend LHS physically in assigned “learning center” classrooms on designated virtual learning days.

Learning centers will be staffed by Lovejoy ISD employees, not necessarily teachers, who will be present to monitor students while they work independently on their remote instruction.

What about Dual Credit Classes? (Added August 2, 2020)

Dual Credit Classes will be offered virtually with Collin College.

What if things improve? Could we have more kids in school at the same time? (Added August 3, 2020)

Yes. Our current structure is designed to fit within TEA and CDC guidelines/recommendations. If things improve and we can safely social distance with more students we can adjust at that time. The current schedule would allow this to happen very easily.

Health and Safety Protocols

Will HEPA filters be added to all HVAC systems? (Added September 4, 2020)

No. The HVAC systems in the school are not compatible with HEPA filtration systems.
Staff are encouraged to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly, avoid touching
their face, and to keep a facial covering or mask on when in the building.

Do the HVAC systems in our building recirculate interior air, or do they consistently pull in fresh air from outdoors? (Added September 4, 2020)

District HVAC systems are capable of continuously pulling in fresh air and will be
programmed accordingly. Please realize and understand as the outside air becomes
hotter throughout the day, the inside of the building will become warmer. With the
outside air dampers open during the day, you should not expect a variance of greater
than 20 degrees from the outside temperature and the indoor temperature. For
example, if the outside temperature is 98, then the indoor temperature will be around 78
at best.

State and National Guidelines

Why was the mask requirements for grade levels changed to fourth grade? (Updated 8/7/20)

Students who are 10 years old can span various grade levels. To ensure compliance with the Governor's Executive Order GA 29, requiring masks for anyone age 10 and up, Lovejoy ISD will be adjusting the mask requirement to include all students in 4th grade and above.

Please remember that all students and staff are required to wear a mask or face shield as they transition into or out of the building or transitioning inside the building from one location to another. While wearing a mask, students should also maintain at least six feet of distance from others as much as possible (i.e. entering/exiting buildings, walking to/from classrooms in the hallway, etc.).

Students in grades 4th - 12th grade will need to plan to wear masks throughout the day in order to be in compliance with the Governor's orders, including within the classroom.

Will there be daily required COVID-19 checks for On-Campus staff and students?

Lovejoy ISD will require our families and staff to complete daily self-checks prior to arrival at campus each day.

What is the plan for our vulnerable students, such as students who receive special education, ESL, or 504 students?

This is a high priority, and the District is continuing to work on how to best continue to meet the needs of students through both On-Campus and Leopard Virtual Learning. Since each student has a plan specifically tailored to their needs, please direct your student-specific questions to the campus administrator.

Will my child be required to wear a mask?

Lovejoy ISD is required to comply with the Governor’s executive order regarding the wearing of face masks.

On July 2, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA 29, relating to the use of face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Governor Abbott’s current guidelines, every person 10 years of age or older is required to wear a face covering while inside a public building whenever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distance from another person not in the same household, with limited exceptions.

What about students, staff, and or families who are immunocompromised?

While the District plans to increase safety standards when students return to the classroom, it acknowledges that some will not feel safe to return to campus. Lovejoy ISD will provide families who are more comfortable with remaining at home the ability to select Leopard Virtual Learning for the 2020-2021 school year.

The District is also actively working on increased safety standards in hopes that families will feel safe to return to campus when they are ready!

Leopard Virtual Learning

Will lunches be provided to students who attend Leopard Virtual Learning? (Updated 7/24/20)

Yes, the district will provide lunches to students qualifying for free or reduced lunch under the National School Lunch Program.

How will Leopards Virtual Learning be different from the instruction provided during the school closure last spring?

Last spring, school districts had to make a very fast shift to teaching online. Since most of the curriculum standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), were already covered by March, instructional minutes were greatly reduced compared to a traditional school day.

This year, Leopard Virtual Learning will be a full course load of instruction and assignments comparable to students who are attending On-Campus instruction. Teachers delivering Leopard Virtual Learning will receive additional training and support in best practices which are effective in a virtual learning environment.

Why does the Elementary Leopard Virtual Learning schedule end earlier than On-Campus Learning? (Added August 3. 2020)

While the instructional content is the same for Leopard Virtual Learning and On-Campus Learning, it is important to know that the most significant difference between in terms of timing of the schedules is due to restroom breaks, hand washing breaks, additional transition times, Specials, etc. Additionally, virtual learning is designed to be a mixture of Synchronous and Asynchronous learning to fit grade and age level appropriate instruction.

On-Campus Learning

What safety standards will be in place for On-Campus Instruction?

The District will adhere to required guidelines and consider recommendations provided by several governing agencies including the Texas Education Agency (TEA), University Interscholastic League (UIL), Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Collin County Health Department and the executive orders of Governor Greg Abbott.

The district will implement safety measures such as:

Require the use of masks in accordance with executive orders
Daily deep sanitization of campuses and buses, especially high touch areas
Hand sanitizer stations
Signage encouraging social distancing
Regular hand washing procedures
Mandatory training for all staff on coronavirus preventative strategies
Mandatory training for students on proper hygiene practices
Pre-plated lunches which will likely include lunches in the classroom

What will the school day look like concerning recess, lunches, class-sizes, and social distancing?

Campuses will consider implementing practices, as needed, to limit the likelihood of students in close contact by staggering schedules and avoiding congregating in the hallways.

Athletics, Extra-Curriculars, Fine Arts (Updated on 8/27/20)

Click here to view Question and Answer Webinar from August 27th.

What will home athletics events and performances look like in Lovejoy ISD? Who will be able to attend athletic events and performances? (Added: August 28, 2020)

Athletic Events - Due to COVID, stadium and athletic venue capacity will be reduced by 50% to ensure proper social distancing. Therefore, season tickets will not be honored this year. Tickets will be sold online with a new system called Ticket Tracker and will be sold one game at a time. Priority for tickets will be given to LHS Senior Parents, Participant Families, and then released to the community. Tickets will be limited to 2 tickets per family.

While we encourage our students to attend all of our athletic events, due to spacing restrictions, we will be unable to have a dedicated student section. We will do our best to try to keep students as close as social distancing as possible.

Pep Rallies - We will not be holding traditional pep rallies in the gym this year due to social distancing. However, we are excited to explore different options, such as looking at outdoor celebrations, etc. to gather safely. Campus administration and our cheer program are working together to look at the possibility of outdoor alternatives.

Fine Arts Events -

Fine arts productions, concerts, and visual art galleries will be virtual through the end of November. We will evaluate opportunities for the Fine Arts Festival as well as Spring performing and visual arts activities and announce those plans at a later date.

At this time, we are tentatively planning an LHS musical experience for January. Details regarding the LHS musical will be shared at the end of September. We are considering all possibilities for our interested musical theatre students to provide an enriching experience.

The WSMS musical experience will be postponed until the Spring.

What are we doing to keep kids safe? (Added: August 28, 2020)

Fine Arts -

We are currently following the recommended guidelines from UIL music, UIL athletics, TEA, and CDC with regards to student safety in the performing arts classrooms. In addition, we are following recommended guidelines from the Performing Arts Aerosol Study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado.

For elementary specials for music and art, masks will be expected to be worn at all grade levels. This is the recommendation for singing and also for the safety of the art materials that might be shared between students in the on-campus classrooms.

For the Secondary Music Programs (6th - 12th) :

Choir students will be wearing both face coverings and face shields while singing. During the 90 minute class period, the students will sing for 30 minutes, complete non-singing activities for 30 minutes, and complete the period with singing activities. The choirs will be in flat forward-facing rows, as opposed to the traditional arc. The directors will also be grouping students in smaller ensembles to practice during their class periods.
Band wind ensemble students will play for 30 minutes in the band hall in a socially distanced, flat row block, facing forward with a personal music stand. They will then complete non-playing activities indoors or play their instruments outside for 30 minutes, and then play instruments in the band hall for the remaining 30 minutes. The band students will wear instrument appropriate face coverings and apply fabric bell covers to wind instruments, which decreases the emission of respiratory aerosol/droplets.
In orchestra, the students will wear face coverings during their class period. As orchestra instruments are not “wind instruments,” the students will remain in class for the duration of their class period. The orchestra students will be seated, facing forward, and socially distanced in a flat row block, as opposed to the traditional arc. Students will not share music stands.

In the movement performing arts:
The Majestics, Color Guard, and studio dance classes will be socially distanced and wearing face coverings during rehearsals. The face coverings will be removed for physical activity. In outdoor rehearsals, students may remove their face covering for consistent physical activity (ie: running a dance/guard show with the music and counts). All choreography will be socially distanced for the fall performances with 6 feet of set space between students. During a live performance, the students will remove their face coverings upon entering the performance field, perform without face coverings, and replace the face-covering after exiting the performance field. The Dance Locker room will be available for students only during their class period. Social distancing precautions will be in effect, as well as cleaning and sanitizing between classes.
The cheerleader program will also wear face coverings in practices unless engaging in physical activity. When attending games, the cheerleaders will remove their face coverings when actively engaged in a cheer, spirit-leading, or other physical activity such as tumbling or dancing. The students will replace their face coverings between these activities while on the sidelines during game days. The Cheer Locker room will be available for students only during their class period. Social distancing precautions will be in effect, as well as cleaning and sanitizing between classes.
The Lovejoy theatre program will be working on virtual productions this fall at both WSMS and LHS. Face coverings will be worn in all theatre classes. Face shields may also be worn while students are rehearsing scenes in the classroom, the blackbox, or on stage when blocking and movement is less than social distancing. The theatre directors will also be following recommendations for speaking roles and actors from the Performing Arts Aerosol Study.
Secondary Visual Arts will expect students to wear face coverings in all art classrooms. Some materials or supplies may be shared. Students will be encouraged to wash hands and use sanitizer during art if any supplies are shared.

Athletic Areas / locker rooms / showers

We are currently working within the TEA, CDC, and UIL guidelines on COVID-19 regulations. We will sanitize the athletic areas and athletic equipment after each practice/game use (Practice Facilities, Weight Rooms, Locker Rooms, Showers). We have entry/exit plans for our high traffic areas such as locker rooms and hallways. We have assigned lockers based on team levels to keep athletic team members socially distanced while dressing in the locker room. All players wear their masks while in the locker room areas unless showering. There will be coaches assigned to locker rooms to monitor and enforce the guidelines actively.

Will there be homecoming? (Added August 28, 2020)

Currently, Homecoming is October 9th. As long as we have a Homecoming Football game we will crown a homecoming King and Queen. Unfortunately, we will not have other activities that have been part of Homecoming week that are large group events like the Homecoming Dance.

What will off site games look like for our band, athletes, color guard, drill team, etc? (Added August 28, 2020)

Currently, District 7-5A (Football District) is reviewing the final details of these policies. The communication from schools within our district seems to be a common feeling of not having visiting bands, drill teams, or color guard at away games. Cheer groups would be allowed to travel to all away games (size of their group). Currently, our band, majestic, and color guard will have the ability to perform at all home contests.

Out of an abundance of caution for our student-athletes, every effort will be made to limit their contact with non-essential personnel. The sidelines will be strictly monitored to ensure that only necessary personnel are near the students. A rule change will be voted on to expand the player/coach box from 25 to 25 to the 10 to 10-yard lines. This will allow for an additional 30 yards of sideline space for social distancing. Football players and staff will wear masks/gators at all times on the sidelines.

Are parents responsible for off-site transportation? (Added August 28, 2020)

Athletics will provide bus transportation to all out of town contests (two athletes per seat fully masked). If the parents do not feel comfortable with this form of travel, they will have the opportunity to transport their student(s) to the scheduled athletic contest. Parents would need to provide the Sport Head Coach an Alternative Travel Release Form before the scheduled athletic contest trip. This form can be found on our athletic website (www.lovejoyleopards.net). These forms will be kept on file with the athletic sport.

Will tickets be sold for away games? What is the capacity? (Added August 28, 2020)

Yes, tickets will be sold online through the opponent ticket site. We understand there is 50% capacity for away games in our district. The seating for opponents is more limited than what we have at Leopard Stadium. The opponents will let us know how many tickets will be available for their stadium and provide our patrons with the necessary capacity number of tickets.

Will there be Half time shows? (Added August 28, 2020)

The Fine Arts Administration will determine the halftime show.

Fine Arts -

The Lovejoy Band, Guard, and Majestics will not be traveling to the away football games this season. These performance organizations will participate and perform at the home varsity football games. At this time, they will be seated, socially distanced, in the visitor section. All three groups are planning to perform a condensed spirit show during half time. Their performances will begin when 18 minutes remain on the half time clock. (i.e., Lovejoy fans have a 10-minute break to visit the concession stand!)
The Lovejoy Varsity Cheer Squad will cheer both home and away varsity football games. The cheer students will ride school transportation to and from the away games with two students per seat, fully masked. Parents may request to transport their students to an away game by completing the Alternative Travel Release Form. The WSMS and LHS cheer program will cheer the usual home games for the upcoming fall sports, which may include football, volleyball, and basketball. The squads may be condensed into smaller groupings for indoor home games as per the cheer coach. The cheer program will work closely with athletics to follow any related UIL athletic guidelines and rules as pertaining to cheer squads. Please work directly with your cheer coach for the game-day plans at your child’s respective campus.

Will orchestra be offered? What will it look like? (Added August 4, 2020)

Orchestra will be offered to students in the fall and spring for both synchronous and asynchronous students.

The students completed music for their teachers in the spring, and the Orchestra teachers placed all WSMS and LHS

orchestra students in the appropriate leveled orchestra best for their learning environment. A student's placement for the fall of 2020 is not determined by whether the student chooses at home virtual learning or face to face learning.

When face to face, the orchestra classes will practice social distancing and wear masks while playing their instruments.

At this time, there is not a plan to hold orchestra class outdoors.

If a family chooses at home virtual learning, their orchestra student may attend on-campus rehearsals as part of a UIL performance group.

What is the plan for extra-curricular activities such as choir, band, football, etc.? (Updated 7/17/2020)

As of July 8th, UIL has only provided guidance on summer athletics and marching band. The guidance is currently effective until the first day of instruction or the start of in-season activities, whichever is earlier. For complete details please see the UIL website, but updates are briefly summarized below:

Face Coverings - Executive Order GA-29 - All employees, parents, visitors, and students ten years of age or older must wear face coverings or face shields upon entry to an area where UIL activities are being conducted and when not actively practicing or exercising unless an exception applies, as outlined in the full document
Students may access locker rooms and engage in drills that involve one or more students on offense against one or more students on defense beginning 7/13/20
Updates of required protocols for individuals confirmed, suspected or exposed to COVID-19
Band -
Marching Season - Due to the drastically increased community spread of COVID-19 in Texas, there are too many associated risks and uncertainties with how, or if, marching competitions will take place this fall. Lovejoy ISD has made the very difficult decision to join other districts and not participate in competitive marching band activities for the Fall.

Are coaches permitted to discount a player because they did not play in a “recommended” amount of tournament/ games over the summer due to possible safety concerns? (Added August 4, 2020)

Our coaches are very sensitive to our student-athletes and their varying home and health situations. We do not cut kids based on their attendance at voluntary summer training/workouts. They will be judged on their performance during the tryout process.

Are sports permitted to have tryouts before school starting? (Added August 4, 2020)

Sports are permitted to have tryouts prior to school starting but within their UIL sports season.

For athletes moving into WS and athletics for the first time, when will we be receiving further information around what those days will look like? (Added August 12, 2020)

The MS athletic structure for the 20-21 school year can be found on the athletic web site and will be electronically sent to the parents this week. Sport-specific information will be delivered in parent meetings. Football is this Thursday Aug 12th at 6:00-6:45. Volleyball will be 6:00-6:45 August 19th. The XC parent meeting will be Tuesday, August 18th at 6:00-6:45.

For More Information, Visit the Athletics Website - https://www.lovejoyleopards.net/

Technology

We do not have good internet service, is there anyway the district can help? (Added August 2, 2020)

Lovejoy ISD will attempt to work with Internet Service Providers to use District property to possibly extend their services to help reach difficult areas.

What kind of Chromebooks and Laptops do you recommend for virtual learning, if families want to purchase one? (Added August 2, 2020)

Chromebook - Chrome OS, AMD Processor A4 or higher, 4GB RAM or higher, 32GB or higher eMMC Storage
Laptop - Windows 10 OS, Celeron Processor, 4GB RAM or higher, 500 GB Hard Drive or higher

Will Lovejoy ISD be providing loaner technology equipment prior to the first day of virtual instruction? (New - 7/21/2020)

Yes, Lovejoy ISD will be sending out information soon for families to sign up for loaner device distribution.

Miscellaneous

Will my student’s teacher be serving both On-Campus and Leopard Virtual Learning? (Updated 7/24/20)

We are currently watching the numbers as parents selected their preferred preference for learning after September 8th. Based on those numbers, we will be better able to schedule classes and create class lists.

What about Transportation?

We know transportation will look different this school year, even without COVID-19. For several years, the district has grappled with the decision to reduce and/or eliminate regular education transportation services. Due to continual educational funding cuts from the state and to adopt a 2020-2021 balanced district operating budget, LISD was once again faced with the difficult decision to reduce or eliminate regular education bus service. To avoid complete elimination of all regular education transportation, Lovejoy will significantly reduce the areas eligible for bus service. More detailed information with eligibility maps and a process to seek a student hardship exception will be forthcoming. Please note, this will not change Special Education transportation.

However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, providing regular education transportation services may contribute to higher levels of student exposure and significantly increase the likelihood of viral spread. Therefore, TEA guidance recommends families to drop students off, carpool, or walk with their student(s) to school (where there are safe walking pathways) to reduce possible virus exposure on the bus. Additionally, due to the confined space on a bus, TEA recommends the bus windows be open to allow outside air to circulate in the bus.

Only the students that choose On-Campus Learning and (1) reside in an area eligible for bus service, or (2) receive an approved hardship exception, will be allowed to ride the bus. For those eligible to ride a bus, there will be a limit of two riders per seat, face coverings will be required, and please use caution for allowing students that may be negatively impacted by the Texas heat (due to the open bus windows).

Since Lovejoy ISD is not offering an On-Campus learning option until September 8th, would I be eligible for a tuition refund or credit for the Lovejoy Scholars and/or Little Lovejoy Scholars Program? (Updated 7/24/20)

Lovejoy Scholars and Little Lovejoy Scholars students remain enrolled in Lovejoy ISD and will receive services through virtual learning during the first three weeks of school. Our teachers, administrators and staff are working diligently to provide an enriching and robust virtual learning experience for all of our students. As we continue to fund the day-to-day operations of the district, no refunds or credits will be issued.

What about the Kid’s First Afterschool Program?

The Kid’s First program is licensed through the Department of Family and Protective Services, State of Texas Child Care Licensing. We are currently awaiting licensing requirements and evaluating the opportunity to offer the program for our families in the Fall.

Learning Schedules - 7/31/2020