The Weekly Splash

Dear Donald STEM Academy Families,

A huge thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who helped make Elf Alley such a success last week for our students. It was heartwarming to see so many of you dressed in festive holiday attire, guiding our students as they created the most beautiful crafts. Your energy, kindness, and creativity truly brought the magic of the season to life.

Our PTA is absolutely AMAZING, and we are so grateful for your partnership and the joy you bring to our campus. Thank you for helping make this tradition so special for our kids.

Mrs. Kenely

Proud Principal of Donald Elementary 🐬💙

A heartfelt thank you to all of our amazing families who donated to our first annual Cookie Table for teachers and staff. Your generosity filled our lounge with the most delicious assortment of holiday cookies, and our staff were so excited to take home a festive treat!

Your kindness brightened their day and helped make this busy season feel a little more joyful. We are grateful for your continued support and for making Donald STEM Academy such a special community. 💙

A huge thank you to our Theater Club sponsors Michele Emmett, Devin Esch, Victoria Hamilton, and Erin Pierce for working with our students to produce the most amazing holiday review! The students truly shined on stage, and it’s remarkable what they were able to accomplish with just a few weeks of rehearsal.

We are so grateful for the time, talent, and heart you pour into our Dolphins. I can’t wait to see the spring production of Peter Pan. It’s going to be spectacular!

We encourage you to take a few minutes this week to fill out a Recognize Someone form! This is a wonderful way to share your appreciation for a teacher, staff member, or even our Principal or Assistant Principal. A few kind words can go a long way in brightening someone’s day and reminding them of the impact they are making.

Dear Donald Elementary Community,

We have an incredible opportunity to make a meaningful difference right here in our own backyard. Medical City Lewisville ER, a critical part of our community’s healthcare system, is running extremely low on donations of new toys for children who visit their facility.

For many kids, a trip to the ER can be scary and stressful. A small gesture, like receiving a new toy, can bring comfort and joy during a tough moment. This is where we can step in and make an impact.

As a medic for Medical City Lewisville, I see how donations truly help children. Small gifts or distractions ease fear and build trust. This changes a child’s outlook on medical care and creates a positive experience and lasting impact.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful for Donald Elementary to rally together and give back locally? Our students, families, and staff can be the reason these children feel a little brighter during a difficult time.

We’re calling on our Donald community to participate in a Toy Drive for Medical City Lewisville ER. Here’s how you can help:

• Donate new toys: Please bring unopened, unwrapped toys suitable for children of all ages.

• Collection period: 12/8-12/18

• Drop-off location: Donald STEM Academy front foyer- there will be a box

Together, we can teach our students the power of kindness and community while supporting a local cause that truly matters. Let’s show that Donald Elementary’s heart is as big as our ambitions!

Thank you for joining us in this effort to bring smiles to children in need.

Our much anticipated skating unit is coming soon! All 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students at Donald will have the unique opportunity to learn how to in-line skate during PE class. Our skating unit will begin January 6th and end January 22nd. Each student will get to skate 4-5 different times during PE. The cost of the skating rentals for those 3-4 hrs of skating is $12. In order to participate, students must submit BOTH permission and payment. We will be collecting permission and payment BOTH digitally. The permission slip digital form is HERE. When you press submit on the form it will take you immediately to Revtrak where you can make the payment $12. If you need to make payment at a later time, here is the payment link. Both permission and payment are due Friday 12/19.

Donald 25-26 Yearbooks are on sale! They are $25. Go here to buy yours now!

https://www.buytheyearbook.com/

If you are wanting to attend your child's field trips, help with events, or volunteer on campus you MUST have a VOLY background check complete. It is a very easy process and nice to get out of the way early before it's too late!

Lewisville ISD's VOLY site is open and ready to accept volunteers for the 2025-2026 school year. All volunteers on LISD campuses must have an approved background check on file. LISD uses LewisvilleISD.voly.org to post volunteer opportunities and to process background checks. Please go to the site and either create an account or update your account from a previous year. VOLY also has an app! You can find it in the app store for either Apple or Android products. Be sure to select that you want to work with Lewisville ISD. We look forward to having you on campus as a volunteer soon!

Forest Vista Elementary Chess Tournament

Attention All Chess Players! Come to Forest Vista Elementary School for their first ever Chess Tournament on December 13th! Complete with other students from around the metroplex! Those who sign up will play 5 rounds of chess, and trophies will be awarded at the end! See flyer for more details. To sign up, click here, or scan the QR code on the flyer.

On January 19, 2026, we will celebrate our 33rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Festivities. The theme for this year is Better Together: Making the Dream a Reality. As we prepare for this significant event, we kindly request that you extend the invitation to engage and empower every student.

The documents attached detail our student competition guidelines for Art, Essay, 3D Art, and Graphic Design/Photography entries. We encourage students in our community to display their gifts and talents as a way to connect with Dr. King's legacy. We aim to have students from each LISD campus take part in the contest. In the past, many have used this contest as a class assignment, extra credit, or club projects. Feel free to display these posters around your campus.

Please note the 2025-2026 student submission requirements. Please follow these steps when preparing your contest entries:

1. Write or attach student name, school, and grade level on the art or essay.

2. Scan the QR Code on the poster to complete a brief submission form to confirm your entry. A submission form must be completed for each entry. You may find the submission form here: https://shorturl.at/NEBuf

All entries must be turned in at the Lewisville Administration Building Welcome Center, Room 338. Please note, the deadline for contest entry is Friday, December 12, 2025.

Please save the date for the 334d Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration:

Date: Monday, January 19, 2026

Time: 6:00 P.M.

Location: Marcus High School

Additional details can be found at https://www.mlkofnorthtexas.org/.

Thank you for your assistance and willingness to support students with this opportunity!

Website: https://donald.lisd.net/
Location: 2400 Forest Vista Dr. Flower Mound, TX 75028

Phone: 469) 713-5198

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donaldelementary

Twitter: @Donald_ES