LISD Expect Excellence Newsletter
March 24th, 2025
Superintendent's Message
We are so thankful for our relationship with South Plains College. They offer so many opportunities for our students from dual credit, to associate's degrees, to certifications of many types. We thank you South Plains College for giving our students this amazing opportunity. We are so proud that so many of our LHS students take part in the dual credit offered through the SPC & Collegiate Academy that is funded by the LIFE Foundation. Because of our connection with SPC, we had two outstanding LHS seniors graduates South Plains College on Friday. Nathan Ellis and Hailyn Grant both earned their SPC diplomas while continuing at LHS to complete their high school degrees as well. This accomplishment takes extra effort, dedication, and a strong commitment to personal growth. They’ve shown all of that and more.
Hailyn Grant plans to apply to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center this spring to begin her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After completing her BSN, she intends to pursue a master’s degree and become a pediatric or labor and delivery nurse practitioner.
Nathan Ellis will continue attending SPC during the spring semester. After graduating from high school, he plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin to study mechanical engineering.
We are incredibly proud of these two high-achieving LHS seniors.
Congratulations, Nathan and Hailyn!
https://files.smartsites.parentsquare.com/8579/spcgradvideo25.mp4
Blessed to be a Lobo,
Dr. Donald Heseman, Superintendent
Levelland ISD
Tasting Books?....Yes!
Capitol students were caught in the library with Librarian Pam Alexander this week, eating books.........not really! They were, however, enjoying a book tasting of Christmas books. This activity engaged students in a fun, low-pressure activity where participants “sampled” a variety of books to discover Christmas literature and spur new reading interests. Mrs. Alexander had books placed all around the library and kids rotated from book to book, spending a few minutes with each one. They browsed the cover, read the blurb, flipped through pages, and read a short excerpt from the book. This helps students explore genres they might not normally pick up, builds excitement about reading, and supports independent reading. LISD is so proud of our amazing librarians who continue to encourage students to be lifelong learners!
LMS eSports
LMS eSports Coaches Reba Griggs and Kayla Kelly share that their eSports teams competed in the Vanta eSports Middle School Varsity Virtual Playoffs tournament over the weekend.
Super Smash Bros – Team 3
(Rebel Hill, Braxton Bray, Zachariah Castillo, Jessie Gomez)
Entering the tournament as the #2 seed, Team 3 delivered an outstanding performance in their quarterfinal match, defeating Stephen F. Austin Middle School (Bryan) in a thrilling 3–2 victory. They advanced to the semifinals, earning a forfeit win over iUniversity Prep (Grapevine) and securing their place in the FINALS later this week. We are behind you, cheering you on!
Super Smash Bros – Team 1
(Christopher Marquez, Mathew Lara, Logan Magee)
Competing as the #3 seed, Team 1 fought hard in a competitive quarterfinal matchup but ultimately fell 3–1 to iUniversity Prep (Grapevine).
The LMS Rocket League Team
(Hunner Tomasini, Ian Tucek, Hayes Howard, Declan Jaramillo)
The Rocket League squad entered the tournament as the #2 seed and opened strong with an impressive 4–0 quarterfinal sweep over Central Junior High School (Cape Girardeau, MO). In a high-energy semifinal, they battled Jubilee Academies (Harlingen), narrowly dropping the series 4–3 after an intense back-and-forth contest.
LISD is incredibly proud of these LMS students for dedicating themselves to something challenging outside the classroom. We recognize the powerful, positive impact eSports can have on students, both personally and academically!
LHS Choir Honors
Our LHS Choir participated in the Pre-Area Choir Auditions and they were an awesome success! Levelland's 5 Region Choir singers got a better chair/rank in Region Choir! Jesus Alvarado, Paula Castellanos, Isaiah Mora, MJ Niederhauser, and Darian Rico-Serna spent extra hours preparing State music selections to audition against eight schools for a spot at the last audition to make the State Choir. MJ (1st chair Soprano) and Paula (5th chair Alto) are moving on to the last audition in January! Paula says, "The auditions were quite difficult this year. However, it was because it was difficult that we got to see each other improve so much. Every time I heard any of us sing, I couldn't help but think, 'Wow I can tell they worked very hard to be here.' There's something so great about auditioning with your peers because we all know we're in the same boat together. Being with my friends helped me gain the confidence to go to that audition room and do my absolute best. I believe all of us gained something from this audition." Congratulations to these amazing vocalists on a job well done!
LMS All-Region Band and All-Region Honors Band
LMS Band Director Meghan Baern shares that 18 of her Symphonic Band members have qualified for the All-Region Band, three of them in the All-Region Honors Band! Congratulations to All-Region Honors Band Members Aaron Cook (oboe), Julian Exparza (tenor sax), and Hattie Hiederhauser (trumpet). Earning a spot in the All-Region Band are Katherine Bunker, Charlotte Edwards, Alayna Garcia, Abigail Gilley, Amy Martinez, Matthew Lara, Noah Bermea, Jaycie Wheeler, Adriana Bejerano, Nythaniel Blassingame, Jorge Valdez, Chloe Edwards, Reese Lopez, Elizabeth Tienda, and Logan Magee. These musicians will join other Middle School students from across the state to perform a concert. Congratulations to all of these LMS kids for a job well done!
Winter Choir Concert
Our LHS Choir performed earlier this month with the South Plains College Choir for an audience in a Winter Concert. Santiago Vidales says, "Getting to perform with the SPC choir was an amazing experience, and it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was such a fun time, and it felt like a dream performance. Many people enjoyed the show and I really hope we get an opportunity like this again soon." Thank you, Mr. Ballard for giving opportunities to our students that make a difference in their future!
Capitol GT Presentations
Capitol Gifted and Talented students proudly presented their GT research to parents and friends this week! These scholars researched, studied, designed, practiced, and then delivered impressive oral presentations—no small task, even for adults!
Fourth graders engineered and designed their own food trucks after sampling dishes from real food trucks in downtown Levelland. They explored engineering concepts, learned to manage budgets, created menus, and even experienced taking out a $10,000 startup loan from a bank.
Third graders dove into Texas Historic Sites, discovering their history and why they still matter today.
Second graders studied habitats and animals, invented their own creative creatures, and then selected three real habitats and animals to research and present to the crowd.
Speaking confidently in front of an audience is an invaluable life skill! These students are mastering it early. Great job, Capitol kids!
LHS Office Staff Are Wreaths
A Christmas wreath is a circle of welcome—where every evergreen branch whispers, ‘You belong here.' And that's what the LHS Office Staff tell kids every day! "You belong here!" These ladies had fun wearing their Christmas Wreath sweaters this week.
LHS students in Mr. Hill’s Business classes had the wonderful opportunity to learn from Esmerelda Medrano today! Mrs. Medrano, an entrepreneur in the beauty industry, shared valuable insights on what it takes to build a successful business. She emphasized the importance of clearly defining the values you want your brand to reflect before opening your doors. Esmer Lashes Brows & Beauty proudly serves both women and men, and Mrs. Medrano’s journey is truly inspiring. Thank you, Mrs. Medrano, for motivating our future business leaders.
Learning Leadership Early
Capitol and South third graders were spotted ringing the Salvation Army bell with Officer Mateo Lopez! How amazing are these students? They’re already learning the importance of giving back and showing true leadership. Great job, kids! We are so proud of you!
Softball Team Gives Back
LHS Softball Coach Adrian Holland is proud to share that his Softball Team participated in the “LOVE Levelland” Christmas project. The girls adopted five kids ages ranging from 1 to 10 years old and provided them with Christmas gifts. Coach Holland says, "They make me so proud!" They make us proud too! Way to give back girls. We love it!
Pulling Together with KLB!
Keep Levelland Beautiful and Levelland ISD partnered once again this year for the Pull Together Tabs contest on each campus. After gathering all the tabs on each campus, Levelland ISD collected and donated over 100 pounds of pull tabs, with South Elementary leading the way at 35 pounds! We thank all the parents for collecting those for us! All collected tabs were donated to the Ronald McDonald House so they can turn them in for cash! South Elementary students will be rewarded with an ice cream party this week, donated by United Supermarkets and BlueBell!
A Big Thank You!
Our Cactus Campus sends out a huge thank you to local business owner Rusty Rose! He was generous to donate a holiday lunch to the staff at Cactus Academic Center. Cactus Academic Center houses the district DAEP/AEP Programs, Migrant Program, Special Education, and Technology. The meal of smoked turkey, pork ribs, beans, and potato salad was enjoyed by all. Levelland ISD is forever grateful for our generous community that steps up to help in many ways throughout the school year.
Young Emerging Leaders of Levelland!
Lobos Win!
Our Lobos swept 24th Annual Gym Bice Tournament with a 4-and-0 record. Our Lobos extend their win streak to 13 games in a row and an overall record of 13-and-2.The Lobos have 1 more game on the schedule before the Christmas Holliday, as they will play host to the Lubbock Christian Eagles on Thursday, December 18th. (Story courtesy KLVT)
1,000 Point Club
Congratulations to LHS Senior Presley Smith on earning 1,000 points. She recently earned this milestone playing against Kermit! Way to go Presley! Keep up the work for the Loboettes!
Loboettes
Packing Christmas Boxes...........
Thank you to ABC's Mrs. Branch and Mrs. Turner for helping to pack the Christmas Boxes to send home with our kids.
Levelland ISD
Email: dheseman@levellandisd.net
Website: www.levellandisd.net
Location: 704 11th Street, Levelland, TX
Phone: 806-894-9628
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LevellandISD/
Instagram: levellandindschooldistrict