Trail Blazer Bulletin Nov 10-14

Dear Trail Blazer Community
November is Native American Heritage Month. The month is time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories, and to acknowledge the important contribution of Native American people.
Teacher of the Year Nominees
Congratulations to our Teacher of the Year Nominees: Ms. Marusik, Ms. Reding, Coach Carmichael and Ms.Manning. We are so grateful for all you do for the students of Lebanon Trail High School.
Reminder- Lesson Mastery - Recoup Credit
Students, If you were enrolled in a Lesson Mastery course to improve your grade up to a 70 from the 1st 9 weeks, this is just a friendly reminder that you will need to complete your course work by November 13th. Students only get one attempt at the final exam, and you will do the exam in a proctored environment during Thursday Night Reflection or Saturday School. Their last opportunity to test is November 18th.
Students Need to Dress for the Weather
It’s getting colder, and students must dress accordingly to protect themselves from the elements. Due to drills, planned and unplanned, students may be required to move outdoors for a period of time and should have appropriate clothing available for such instances. Please be mindful of this as you send your students to school.
2025 Trail Blazer Techer of the Year!
Congratulations to our Teacher of the Year, Coach Scott Carmichael. With 35 years of service on the field and in the classroom, Coach Carmichael embodies the standard for commitment and enduring passion. While his career has touched the lives of countless students, his philosophy has always transcended the curriculum. His true focus is, and always has been, on building character, instilling life skills, and guiding students to become good people, ensuring their success extends far beyond any final exam. Coach Carmichael is the kind of educator who demonstrates unwavering commitment to his students and colleagues. He never hesitates to step up, whether it involves taking on extra leadership duties to support a new district initiative, providing essential mentorship to new employees starting in the Professional Learning Community (PLC), or consistently showing up for students by offering after-school support and tutorials. Congratulations Coach! We are honored to call you our very own Trail Blazer!
EOY Vacation Scheduling
Every instructional day counts. Unlike in recent years, student grades and assessments will now be collected through the very last week of school. The final instructional day of the 2025-2026 school year is on May 22, 2026. We know that families often plan trips in advance, but please avoid scheduling family travel before that date, as absences can affect learning and final grades.
You can review the 2025-2026 academic calendar here. Thank you for helping your student finish the year strong!
Military Academies, ROTC, & Recruiting Night - November 19
This event is for middle school students and high school students who are interested in learning more about the NJROTC program at Lebanon Trail HS, and other post-secondary military or ROTC programs.
Military Academies, ROTC, & Recruiting Night
This event will showcase military academies, college ROTC programs, and military branches. Learn what it takes to join a US Military Academy and speak to representatives from various military branches to learn more about the leadership and post-secondary opportunities in these groups.
Rising 9th graders and current FISD high school students and parents are invited to come to learn about joining the FISD Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program housed at Lebanon Trail High School.
View Participating Organizations: bit.ly/FISDMilitary2025
Advanced Academics Webinar
Students in Grades 8-11 and their parents are invited to learn more about Advanced, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Credit, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings in Frisco ISD.
📅 Wednesday, November 12, 2025
🕕 6:00–7:00 PM
FISD Takes All Threats Seriously
When students make a threat to a campus, even via social media, the District and campus move quickly to address them. Watch Frisco Police discuss why words matter.
Parents are encouraged to remind children that while they may be “joking” about having a weapon or threatening harm to a school campus, the punishment by law is, at minimum, a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail. The punishment can be as severe as a third-degree felony, punishable by up to $10,000 and two to 10 years in prison.
Frisco ISD supports the Frisco Police Department's full prosecution of any individual who threatens harm to our students, staff, and campuses.
Sign up for Emergency Alerts
Frisco ISD utilizes a text messaging service on a limited basis to communicate timely information such as school closures/delays or campus emergencies. Opt-in by texting “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. This system is maintained separately from Remind, which some teachers and coaches use to text message students and parents.
Congrats to Mrs. Nodes!
Congratulations to Mrs. Jennifer Nodes, Visual Art teacher at LTHS for receiving an FEF Grant for her innovative project “Moisture Matters.” With this grant, her ceramics students will construct damp boxes for the art department. These clear sealable containers lined with plaster at the bottom retain moisture and preserve in-progress clay projects. This simple tool gives students more time to explore new techniques, refine their skills, and create their best work as well boost student engagement and elevate the quality of ceramic work across the art department!
Testing Updates
Attention Juniors! SAT School Day - March 4, 2026
All FISD students classified as 11th grade are automatically registered to take the official SAT during the school day on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. There is no exam fee and students do NOT register for this exam through the College Board website. Students will receive exam details via email closer to the exam date. There is no make-up date for this exam.
How to Prepare:
Questions about the SAT on March 4, 2026 Contact Lauren Phillips at PhillipsL@friscoisd.org
Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Fee
Students who paid for a fall semester or full year AP Exam will receive exam-specific information through their school email in April.
For AP courses that begin in the spring semester, exam payment will be available in Online School Fees January 20 - February 6, 2026.
Students who did not pay for an AP exam OR are not enrolled in an AP course BUT want to take an AP Exam must contact Lauren Phillips at PhillipsL@friscoisd.org between January 20 and February 6, 2026, to have the $50 late fee and exam fee added to their OnlineSchoolFees account.
February 6, 2026 is the FINAL AP registration, payment, and refund request deadline for Frisco ISD. No exceptions!
For questions about AP Exam payment, please contact Campus Testing Facilitator Lauren Phillips at PhillipsL@friscoisd.org.
The ASVAB Test - Rescheduled
Due to the Government Shutdown the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) has been rescheduled. New Date: January 13, 2026
More Information to come.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Campus Testing Facilitator, Lauren Phillips, at phillipsl@friscoisd.org.
Student Spotlight
Congratulations to Trail Blazer Band on punching their ticket to STATE. We had so much fun celebrating our Band and cheering them on! Special thanks to Clark & Fowler Middle Schools for helping send off our amazing band.
These Trail Blazers spent some time competing at Bowling Olympics with their Best Buddies and brought home some medals. Everyone had a great time.
Lebanon Trail High School Debate Team Shines at Two Tournaments!
UIL Congress Tournament Success
Competing in the largest-ever UIL Regional Congress Tournament at Plano West, six students—Alex Ramirexz-Rascon, Ryan Sibi, Jasleen Kaur, Darsh Chauhan, and Ayush Bose—fought for a spot at the State meet.
Darsh Chauhan qualified for the UIL State competition in Congressional Debate, placing 5th out of over 75 debaters. He will compete in Austin in January.
Jasleen Kaur & Ayush Bose also advanced to the final rounds.
George Bush Online Tournament
On November 6, seven members of the Speech & Debate team competed against eight Texas high schools in the George Bush Online Tournament, earning numerous awards and advancing toward state and national qualifications.
Darsh Chauhan:
1st Place in International Extemporaneous Speaking.
Qualified for HARVARD and TFA State!
Vai Putla:
1st Place in Program of Oral Interpretation (POI). (2/3 of the way to HARVARD and TFA State qualification.)
6th Place in Informative Speaking.
Tanvi Ramkumar:
2nd Place in International Extemporaneous Speaking. (1/3 of the way to HARVARD and TFA State qualification.)
Josh Ball:
2nd Place in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking. (2/3 of the way to HARVARD and TFA State qualification.)
Aairah Usman:
5th Place in Program of Oral Interpretation (POI).
Emerald Elite Celebrates LT Ten year anniversary- Family Style
Congratulations to Ms. Cook & Emerald Elite for organizing and putting on a fantastic 10-year celebration that demonstrated the importance of family. It was a precious moment, and if you missed it, here is an opportunity to enjoy the sheer joy on display.
Coming Up on the Trail
Counseling Corner
Collin College EDGE (Experiential Dual-Credit Growth & Exploration) Program
Presented by Frisco ISD and Collin College - Discover an exciting new opportunity launching in the 2026-2027 school year! Join to learn more about Collin College’s innovative project-based learning program, designed to help students collaborate on real-world projects while earning both high school and college credit. Participants can earn up to 42 college credit hours through this unique dual credit experience.
November 11, 2025 - 6:00pm-7:00pm - Registration Link
We're Here for Your Family
Our campus school support specialist is ready to provide personalized, hands-on support in securing assistance from community organizations or government agencies. Contact our campus counselor if you’d like help addressing needs related to mental health, food insecurity, medical and legal services, and much more.
Want to know about all the amazing programs offered in FISD? Join us in our Informative Webinars as we begin the conversations and course planning for the 2026-2027 school year.
Senior Section
Cap & Gown Presentation
Jostens will be on campus Monday, November 17th during Homeroom to pass out cap & gown information to the senior class. Please be sure to be present that day to hear the presentation!
Senior Yard Signs
Class of 2026 yard signs have arrived! Please stop by the front of the school to pick on up (and metal stake if needed).
PTSA
PTSA Sponsored Teacher Thanksgiving Meal
Reminders
Hope for Our City
Fellowship Church Frisco is excited to host their annual Hope for Our City event, a community outreach dedicated to supporting local families in need during the holiday season. For the past four years, they have partnered with Frisco coaches and principals to connect families with free groceries and essential supplies. This year, they are continuing that mission with a drive-thru event where families can receive food and household items completely free of charge.
📅 Date & Time: Sunday, November 23 | 2:00–3:00 PM
📍 Location: Fellowship Church Frisco, 12277 Dallas Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75034
To participate, families simply need to sign up using the QR code on the English/Spanish flyer.
Middle School CTE Night
Have a middle school student? On December 3rd at 6:00 pm, LTHS CTE Department will be hosting a Career & Technical Education night. Discover hands-on activities, meet our passionate instructors, and learn how our CTE programs can help your student explore future careers, develop valuable skills, and engage in real-world learning experiences. Families and students are welcome! Don’t miss this chance to see, try, and experience what CTE has to offer.
Staff Shout Outs
We encourage you to use this form to nominate a teacher or staff member who you believe deserves special recognition for their contributions. I look forward to sharing your “Staff Shout Outs” with the LT staff.