Trail Blazer Bulletin Dec 16-20

Trailblazers! If you missed homeroom on 12/16, use this form (tinyurl.com/halldecor2024) to vote for the best-decorated hallway! The winner will be announced on 12/20 during the Winter Pep Rally.

Also, to vote for Teacher Winter Door Decorating, use this form (tinyurl.com/doorcontest2024). The winning teachers will be announced on 12/20 too!

Happy Holidays!

- LTHS StuCo '24-'25

Due to following school safety practices and student supervision requirements, we are unable to allow students who arrive at school earlier than 8:20 into the building. As it continues to get colder, consider adjusting your student’s arrival time to align closer to 8:20 entry time and encourage your students to dress appropriately for the weather to protect themselves from the elements.

As we approach the end of the first semester, we want to remind you about the importance of punctuality. Arriving at school on time sets a positive tone for the day and allows students to fully engage in their learning. To help ensure your child arrives at school on time, we encourage you to consider dropping them off a few minutes earlier than usual. This will provide a buffer for unexpected traffic, weather conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances. As the weather turns colder and rainier, please consider adding a bit more time to your morning routine. Even a few extra minutes can make a significant difference in avoiding tardiness. We appreciate your help and cooperation in helping our students learn this important life lesson.

A student at any grade level enrolled in a high school course will earn credit for the course only if the final grade is 70 or above. For a two-part (two-semester, 1-credit course), the student’s grades from both halves (semesters) will be averaged and credit will be awarded if the combined average is 70 or above. If the student’s combined average is less than 70, the student will be awarded credit only for the half (semester) with the passing grade.

As we approach winter break, let’s try to finish the semester strong! It’s important to come to school on the days both before and after a break.

• Preparation for the Future: Developing the habit of regular attendance prepares students for future responsibilities, such as employment or higher education, where commitment and consistency are key.

• Early Intervention: Consistent attendance enables early identification of learning challenges or emotional issues, allowing timely interventions that can prevent larger problems later on.

• Increased Graduation Rates: Studies show that students who attend school regularly are more likely to graduate on time and pursue higher education or career opportunities.

When your student is absent, we miss them! We love seeing our students every day!

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 21 - February 7, 2025.

If you did not pay for an AP exam or you are not enrolled in an AP course but want to take an AP Exam, you must contact your Campus Testing Facilitator, Lauren Phillips, at PhillipsL@friscoisd.org between January 21, 2025 to February 7, 2025 to have the $50 late fee and exam fee added to your Online School Fees account.

February 7, 2025 is the FINAL AP registration, payment, and refund request deadline for Frisco ISD. No exceptions!

All FISD students classified as 11th grade are automatically registered to take the official SAT during the school day on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. 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: SAT Digital Prep

Questions about the SAT on March 5, 2025 Contact Lauren Phillips at PhillipsL@friscoisd.org

Congratulations to the Lebanon Trail Percussion Ensemble on their upcoming performance at The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Convention. They are one of only 4 percussion ensembles in the world to be invited to this prestigious international music convention. On Thursday, December 19, they will perform at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL in front of thousands of students, educators, and professional musicians. Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment!

The Girls & Boys Swim Team competed at the North Dallas TISCA Invitational on December 13 & 14. The Boys team placed 1st in the 200 Medley Relay and 2nd in the 400 Free Relay. The boys team broke the school record in the 400 Free Relay by 4 seconds. Evan Fang placed first in 50 Free & 100 Free where he broke the school record and made a new meet record.

Hannah Bunion won the Girls 200 Free, and earned a personal best time. The girls medley relay finished 5th in the meet. The boys team finished 4th in the meet overall.

Kasey Dubester competed in the Lewisville Diving Invite on Thursday, December 12 and finished 6th in the meet.

LT AcDec are District Champs! The team finished 1st Place with a final score of 28,705.7. We are so very proud of this team! The following students received individual awards in certain categories:

Abish Kambala, Aakash Sundar, Manil Thakur, Darsh Podda, Rohan Kodibagkar, Dhiya Viswanatha, Shreyas Sharma, Aarav Podda, Karthik Duvvuri, Zaid Darraj & Isabella Hart.

Lebanon Trail NJROTC participated this weekend in the Joshua Owl Challenge drill competition at Joshua High School. Lebanon Trail finished 3rd overall amongst 10 competing schools. Specific team results of note consist of Armed Regulation (3rd), Mixed Color Guard (1st), Push-up event (2nd), Relay race (3rd), Academic test (1st) with Neureka Kundu achieving the highest individual score among all test takers.

This past Saturday, December 14, Lebanon Trail High School Speech & Debate Team made history at the Centennial High School TFA Speech and Debate Tournament, earning our first-ever Sweepstakes Award for Best Overall Team in Speech and Debate!

Here are the students who received awards for their outstanding performances:

Congressional Debate: Darsh Chauhan - 5th place

Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking: Ryea Mahansaria - 3rd place; Lalitha Chirala - 4th place

Impromptu Speaking: Ryea Mahansaria - 2nd place; Tanvi Ramkumar - 6th place

International Extemporaneous Speaking: Darsh Chauhan - 3rd place; Jasleen Kaur - 4th place

Novice Congressional Debate: Sai Dandamudi - 4th place; Joshua Ball - 5th place; Shraavanisree Jayendra - 6th place; Vibhum Pathak - 7th place; Areej Patel - 8th place

Novice Public Forum Debate: Vedaant Mahadevan & Ayan Dani - Semifinalists

Informative Speaking: Aairah Usmani - 3rd place; Aylin Muratli - 4th place

We are incredibly proud of all our students for their dedication and passion for civic engagement. Thank you for representing Lebanon Trail with excellence!

Our Best Buddies chapter participated in the All District Winter Social and it was all smiles from our Trail Blazers!

Special shout out to Addison Rosser & Aaditt Rishi, who were both named to the very exclusive, THSCA Super Elite Teams for 5A Team Tennis after tremendous performances during the team season.

Please click the link below to our Dual Credit Newsletter.

P-12 Partnerships December 2024 Newsletter!

Collin College campuses will be closed from December 21-January 1 for Winter Break.

The FEF Scholarship Application Opens on Tuesday, December 3rd at 10am!

2025 FEF Scholarship Application Window:

• Application Opens: Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 10am

• Application Closes: Friday, December 20, 2024, at 4pm

Application Instructions Available on FEF website on Tuesday, December 3rd at 10am. Link: FEF Scholarship Application 2025

Jostens was here today to visit with your senior about their 2025 graduation cap & gown and other senior year items.

In order to receive the best pricing of the year, please be sure to order by the date printed on the attached information sheet. When you order by this date, you will be a part of the Group Order Discount and save a lot of stress rather than waiting until spring. Click here to be taken directly to our school’s homepage at Jostens. Most items will be delivered to Lebanon Trail during a bulk delivery in the spring.

Senior Yard signs have arrived! Seniors, please stop by the front entry and pick up a sign and metal stake (if needed).

It’s Official! Graduation for the Class of 2025 will be Friday May 23, 2025 at 5:30 PM at the STAR in Frisco

• All graduates will be required to ride the bus to their graduation ceremony to assist with parking/ingress/egress traffic.

• Each student will receive 12 graduation tickets.

• As we get closer to the date, more information will be shared.

School closures are sometimes necessary to ensure the safety of Frisco ISD students and staff. FISD makes a final decision about whether to open schools no later than 5:30 a.m. each school day.

Frisco ISD will notify families via email and text. Parents and staff can subscribe to FISD text messages by texting “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. The District and campus websites will also be updated with alerts of school closures, as well as the District’s Facebook and X accounts. Learn more.

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.