The Weekly Splash

Dear Dolphin Parents,

We’ve had a wonderful first full week of school! Thank you for helping us start the year strong. Our carpool lane is moving more smoothly each day, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as our transportation department works through bus challenges.

When we receive notice of bus delays, our campus immediately takes action to notify families. Unfortunately, in the past two incidents, we did not receive notice until after 2:00 p.m., which we know makes it very difficult for parents to adjust plans.

Dr. Rapp has shared this update regarding transportation concerns:

• The transportation team is working through route adjustments due to several bus drivers not returning to work. They are actively hiring and training new drivers to stabilize service.

• The Here Comes the Bus app has had functionality concerns, particularly with certain routes. While it is working for many, it is not yet consistent for all. LISD has already planned a transition to a new bus app later this fall to improve reliability. In the meantime, the district continues to work directly with the provider to resolve current issues.

• We deeply apologize for the impact these disruptions may have on your family. Please know that we are committed to improving communication and providing more consistent transportation service as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

April D. Kenely

Principal

Students and teachers can express a clear vision of essential learning outcomes and a shared understanding of success.

Students have clarity if they are able to answer the following three questions:

• What am I learning?

• Why am I learning it?

• How will I know when I have learned it?

Provide students with a clear and understandable vision of the learning with learning targets and success criteria. Use examples and models of strong and weak work to clarify expectations.

Mrs. Hudson sets her students up for success in each content area by clearly outlining what they are learning, why they are learning it and how they know they have learned it.

We had an incredible turnout this evening at Handel's Ice Cream Flower Mound! Thank you to all of the families who joined us-we truly appreciate your support! Special thanks to our WONDERFUL teachers and administrators for always making this such a fun time! 💙

Save the Date!

We’re kicking off the school year with our Back to School Bash on Thursday, September 4th! The evening will start with our PTA Meeting at 5:30 PM, and then we’ll roll right into the Bash with dinner (provided by the PTA), games, face painting, and time to connect with our school community.

We’d love some extra hands to help make the night a success. If you’d like to volunteer, sign up on Membership Toolkit or use the link below.

https://donaldpta.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/155840

We can’t wait to see everyone there!

Why It Matters:

• Required to receive district-issued iPads
• Required to participate in field trips
• Ensures we have the most up-to-date emergency and contact information

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!

For the 2025–2026 school year, LISD will increase student and adult meal prices to align with federal guidelines and rising food service costs. This marks the first student lunch price increase since the 22-23 school year. Breakfast and lunch prices will increase by $0.30. These adjustments help ensure compliance with USDA requirements and reflect the district’s efforts to maintain high-quality, sustainable meal services.

All students that qualify as receiving reduced price meals at the previous price of $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch will now get all breakfast and lunch meals for FREE at all LISD campuses for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years. Find out if you are eligible and apply HERE.

You must apply each year for the Free and Reduced Lunch program. Complete the application by clicking on the button to see if qualify.

To help us keep all students safe, please remember:

• If your child is a walker, you may not drive up and park on campus.

• If you choose to drive, your child must be picked up through the carpool line.

• The Staff Parking Lot is reserved only for:

  • Buses

  • Daycare vans

  • Reserved Parking- Auction Winers

  • Families with Pink Car Tags (students in our Communications Classroom who need extra assistance)

This change is necessary due to our larger student enrollment this year. We truly appreciate your kindness and patience as we adjust. While change can be hard, these steps are important for keeping our dismissal safe and efficient for everyone.

Thank you for your cooperation and support!

7:15 - School Doors Open!

Student safety is always our number one priority, so we have a very structured arrival and dismissal at Donald. Our students who walk or ride their bikes to school will always enter and exit the building through the main entrance. Students who ride the yellow school bus or daycare bus will enter the main entrance.

Staff is always monitoring campus entrances, the front crosswalk, and the carline during arrival and dismissal to make sure our students remain safe.

Carpool Lane

• All students in K-5 who arrive by car may be dropped off in the carpool lane at the back of the building.

• Parents/Guardians should pull forward as far as possible before letting the student exit the vehicle.

• A staff member and/or safety patrol student will assist your student with opening the car door.

• If possible, please ensure that your student can exit the vehicle from the driver's side to prevent walking between cars.

• When in car line loops, please drive slowly and avoid using technology/cell phones.

• A staff member and/or safety patrol student will assist your student with opening the car door.

• Please remain in your vehicle at all times while in the drop off loops.

Entrance Options, Arrival Locations, and Breakfast

• Students in grades K-2 who arrive prior to 7:35 will go to the cafeteria.

• 3rd-5th grade students will go to the gym

• Students wanting to eat breakfast may eat in the cafeteria.

• All students will go to the classrooms at 7:35.

• Students who arrive after 7:40 and want to purchase a breakfast will take the food with them to the classroom.

• As always, all visitors must enter through the front doors and check in at the front desk.

• Students are expected to be in their classroom, unpacked, and ready to begin learning by 7:45AM!

• Tardy slips are provided to students arriving on campus after 7:45 AM. For safety reasons, a parent must escort any tardy students into the building to receive a tardy slip.

Students are dismissed at 3:10PM according to how they will be going home for the day:

1. LISD Yellow Bus
2. Daycare
3. ESD
4. Carline
5. Walkers & Bikers

Car Line

• All students in K-5 who go home by car should be picked up using the car line.

• Parents/Guardians should enter the car line and have the Car tag visible with the student’s number

• A staff member will call the student to an assigned colored cone.

• When arriving at the back of the school by the colored cones, pull forward as far as possible to the next available cone.

• A staff member and/or safety patrol student will assist your student with opening the car door.

• If possible, please ensure that your student can enter the vehicle from the driver's side to prevent walking between cars.

• When in the car line, please drive slowly and avoid using technology/cell phones.

• If passing another vehicle is necessary, a staff member will guide you in doing so safely.

• Please remain in your vehicle at all times while in the car line.

Car Tags are REQUIRED for student pick-up in the carline!

• All families were be issued 1 car tags at Meet The Teacher

• If you need an additional car tag, check with the front office

• Car tag number must be prominently displayed on your rearview mirror prior to pulling in to the carline

• Please drive slowly as you enter campus so the staff member on duty is able to see your number!

LOST CAR TAG?

Contact the office to purchase a

replacement car tag for $1

Important Bus Info for Families

Transportation is now in-house through LISD

• Parent App- Here Comes the Bus

• The GPS function will update in the app every 1-2 seconds.

• Parents & students can track their bus by the bus number.

• The app will update in the fall - communication will come with directions for families at that time.

• Transportation Call Center

• Opens August 4th

• Purpose is to handle bus issues, answer questions, and provide customer service to families and the community.

• 469-713-5983

• A QR code will be posted on the district website daily with any bus changes.

  ✅ Visit the LISD Transportation Page

  www.lisd.net/transportation

  ✅ Click "View Bus Locator" to check if there’s a bus stop for their address and to access other important details about bus service.

Lawmakers recently passed House Bill 1481, which prohibits the use of cell phones and smartwatches during the school day.

Cell phones and smartwatches can be both a communication tool for families and a distraction to learning for our students. In order to focus our learning and instruction time with students, all elementary school students are required to put personal devices/cell phones away in their backpack from the time they enter the building in the morning until the dismissal bell. Smartwatches are not allowed at school.

Students are expected to use wired earbuds/headphones with their iPads. Please do not bring wireless earbuds/headphones to school.

You can reach your student by calling the front office at 469-713-5198. If your student needs to reach you, they can call you from the office phone.

Each family comes with a different perspective on device usage; these changes still allow for iPad and personal device parental controls that go above and beyond district settings and expectations. To learn more about parental control settings on district and personal devices visit lisd.net/ipads.

For this coming school year, there will be 5 absences allowed with a parent note for any reason. For pre-planned trips or outside school activity absences, parents will have 5 additional absences and will need to complete a pre-planned absence form. We will provide more information with back to school resources on how to access the pre-planned absence form. For additional details, view the May 2025 LISD RAPPort newsletter from Dr. Rapp HERE.

FRONT DOORBELL

Per district policy all visitors to the school must ring the doorbell and present their driver's license/proper identification to the camera before being granted access to the building. Without proper identification, we will not be allowed to enter. Thanks for understanding and prioritizing the safety of our students and staff.

Dear Parents,

Our staff at Friday Nite Live hopes you had a fantastic summer and are back in "school mode" with your children.

Friday Nite Live will be back this year, however, we will be at a new location! We hope you can join us for the same great program at Forest Vista Elementary! We are ready to entertain YOU most Fridays each month! For our first few weeks, we will have DJ Reggie spinning tunes and playing games with you! He will bring tons of fun, dances and pizzazz to the party!! Be sure to join us THIS Friday, August 22nd, starting at 7:00 p.m. for our "Back to School Bash"! Details are attached to our digital flyer below. Actual flyers should come to your home this week via the students' backpacks.

Our new staff at Friday Nite Live can't wait to see YOU!!!

Thank you!

Rita Bacque, Friday Nite Live Team Leader

This year's theme, "The Future of Water", invites students to explore how ongoing challenges and emerging opportunities shape the future of water. Communities that depend on the Trinity River face long-term challenges in efforts to protect and manage water resources. Droughts, floods, pollution, and growing demand place constant pressure on our water systems. At the same time, these communities and the Authority are taking action through innovation, conservation, and long-term planning. By reflecting on past progress and current efforts, along with the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, this theme encourages a thoughtful and creative vision for the future of water in Texas.

The contest is open to 1st - 8th grade students who live in or go to school in TRA Board Counties (Anderson, Chambers, Dallas, Ellis, Freestone, Henderson, Houston, Kaufman, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Navarro, Polk, San Jacinto, Tarrant, Trinity, Walker) and 1st - 8th grade students living in or going to school in TRA customer cities outside of those counties (Flower Mound, Argyle, Northlake, Roanoke, Justin, and Venus).

Winners will be chosen from each grade level and will receive prizes and recognition! Entries will close on September 30, 2025.

I have attached the full information packet, or you can view it on our website at https://trinityra.org/art. The packet includes the contest rules, resources to learn more about the theme, and the entry form.

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