Preston Smith Stars News

We have had a fantastic start to school at Preston Smith! Here is some helpful information & reminders for the upcoming weeks.

If you would like to refer your 1st-5th grade student for gifted and talented testing, the district referral window is September 2nd-October 3rd. Parent referrals can be made by completing this digital referral form: https://bit.ly/GTreferLISD

If you have any questions, please email our school counselor and G.T. coordinator, Mrs. Darbara Popanz, at darbara.popanz@lubbockisd.org or you can reach her by phone at 806-219-6886. The window for kindergarten referrals will be in the Spring.

Parent information and newsletters are available online at https://www.lubbockisd.org/o/lisd/page/gifted-and-talented-information

We are excited to once again host a monthly All Pro Dads meeting at Smith Elementary!

Our first meeting will be on Friday, September 5th at 7:00 a.m. in the library.

This monthly gathering is led by several parent volunteers from our school family who work through a curriculum and facilitate a meaningful time each month for Dads (or those who are like a Dad) to join together at school with their student. This character based curriculum provides a time for Dads to come together at school and strengthen their relationship with their student!

Check out this overview video to learn more: https://youtu.be/6of1Yg_UHXY

This year's All Pro Dad shirts are now available to order!

Please fill out the form below if you are interested in buying a shirt!

Youth shirts are: Small-XL are: $15 each

Adult Shirts Small-2XL are: $15 each

Thank you so much for your support!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeP9c6J8FM43NRFvVoTQ4w99IURQKT6dlc5iAvoQqTugKoz2w/viewform

We are excited to kick-off a exciting new opportunity in partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Extensions--Walk Across Texas! This 8 week challenge is geared towards building teamwork and collaboration within classrooms as they increase their physical activity in a fun competitive way to virtually "walk across Texas" and log over 832 miles together. More information will be coming soon along with some fun days in PE was we work to encourage physical activity and promote overall health and wellness for our students. Check out more information about this program by here. Our program will kick-off on September 22nd in each student's PE class.

Beginning September 15, 2025, all students in Lubbock ISD will participate in the national “Start with Hello” Week. According to the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, the event is a national call-to-action week dedicated to making social connections and creating a sense of belonging among youth.

The Start with Hello curriculum begins on Monday, September 15th and will last for the duration of the school week, ending on Friday, September 19th. During this week, students across the district will participate in 10-15 minute lessons with their classroom teachers and on Wednesday, September 17th, students and staff are encouraged to wear green in support of this national movement and our dedication to building a socially inclusive community within our district.

All curriculum materials are available for parents and guardians to review on our Lubbock ISD Safety and Security website under Parent Resources > Lesson Plans. Parents and guardians have the option to change their preference about their child's participation in the curriculum by logging into Gradebook and making a change to the SB 11 (Senate Bill 11) form prior to the week of September 15. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Department of School Safety and Security at 806-219-0229.

We are looking forward to individual picture day for all students on Tuesday, September 23rd. Look for a preorder form coming home a few weeks before the event. Remember that students will have their photos taken starting right after 8:00 a.m., so it's important for everyone to be on time and dressed to impress!

Our school-parent compact is an agreement between the school, student and parent(s) as we work to support and encourage our Smith Stars. This document was developed with input from our parent engagement committee and is adjusted each year. You will get more information about this document in your goals conference, but a copy is included below for you to review with your student. All parent documents and resources can also be found on our Smith Elementary website

Lubbock ISD provides badges to each student as part of our safety protocols. Below is more helpful information for you to know about badges at Smith Elementary.

We are thrilled to be using the Leader in Me curriculum this year to support and grow our students skills. Read below to know what to expect from this new opportunity and check out the

Leader in Me website to learn even more.

If you haven't already, please consider joining our amazing PTA by visiting the Preston Smith PTA webpage. Your involvement and time commitment can be as big or as small as you desire!

If you haven't ordered your Smith spirit shirts yet, visit https://www.prestonsmithpta.com/s/shop to order by September 7th!

Email: jaci.underwood@lubbockisd.org
Website: https://lubbockisdtx.sites.thrillshare.com/o/smith
Location: 8707 Dover Avenue, Lubbock, TX, USA
Phone: 806-219-6800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmithStars1/