Central Office Parent Updates

The LifeLeader - February 2021 Newsletter
Welcome to The LifeLeader, Life School's new monthly newsletter. In these newsletters, we will bring you important district information as well as highlight stories from around the district.
NEWS
Winter Weather Advisory
The safety of students and staff is the number one priority for Life School. As the DFW area is expected to receive winter weather later today, we will be carefully monitoring the road conditions this evening and overnight.
In the event of cancellations, parents and staff will be notified via text, email, and a recorded phone message. Updates will be posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the Life School website in addition to local news media outlets. For more information, please visit the Weather Closures page on our website.
Life School will make every effort to make a final decision about school closure by 5AM, Thursday, February 11th. *Please note, no special messages will be sent if school is taking place as scheduled, only in the event of cancellations.*
Travel Notification
On January 21st, President Biden issued an Executive Order that requires anyone who travels outside of the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding a flight to return home and follow CDC guidelines for quarantine. These guidelines state that all individuals who have traveled internationally should obtain an additional COVID-19 test 3-5 days upon return and quarantine at home upon arrival for 7 days. If individuals do not obtain a COVID-19 test 3-5 days after travel, they should quarantine for 10 days.
We are aware that some families may have travel plans for spring break or otherwise. If your student is an in-person learner and is taking an international flight, please contact your campus registrar to inform them of your travel plans. Students who have traveled internationally will be asked to transition to remote learning during the quarantine period.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to protect the safety of our students and staff.
Life School Technology is now 1:1
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last March, few entities had to pivot harder or faster than schools. Faced with the need to provide online education to more than 5,500 students almost overnight, Life School worked quickly to meet a growing need.
Be sure to see other stories from around the district by checking out our News & Notes section on Life School's website.
OUR PURPOSE
World Read Aloud Day
February 3rd was World Read Aloud Day! Each of our elementary grade levels were given a book to read to celebrate. See how our classrooms and district leaders participated by clicking here!
Black History Month
February is Black History Month and many of our campuses are practicing #GlobalPerspective by celebrating. All across the district, students are creating artwork, learning about black historical leaders, and sharing inspiring stories of trailblazers who created a path towards equality. Be sure to see your student's campus newsletter to learn more about celebrations on campus.
LifeLeader Literacy Connections
In honor of Black History Month, Life School Mountain Creek created a Black History Month virtual library. Many of these important works create an excellent opportunity to exercise our #Self-Aware Attribute. We hope you and your students will enjoy exploring this virtual library together!
Click here for more LifeLeader Literacy Connections.
OUR PEOPLE
School Counselors Week
Last week, we celebrated School Counselor Appreciation week. Our school counselors work tirelessly to support the social and emotional wellness of students, teach valuable LifeLeader lessons, help prepare our students to be College, Career, and Military Ready, and much more!
Sub-Spotlight
Larry Griffin, a former Life School Graduate, returned to his alma mater after graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University. While he is completing his Alternative Teaching Certification, he has been substituting at our campuses. Mr. Griffin has been instrumental in supporting our classrooms. We appreciate his continuous leadership within our district. #LifeLeader.
Life School is hiring substitute teachers now! Click here to learn more and submit your application.
OUR PARTNERS
Partners for Life Activities
Many of our campuses have launched their Partners for Life parent organizations with tremendous success! Parents across the district have engaged by bringing staff their favorite drinks, stocking coffee bars, and attending virtual Parent Nights! We are so grateful for partnerships with our parents. To engage with your student’s campus, check out our Partners for Life Digital Platform! And be sure to click the “Become a Fan” button to be notified when new opportunities are posted for your student’s campus!
LifeHabits Parent Engagement Series
Have you checked out the February edition of the LifeHabits Parent Engagement Series: Love Languages of Children on our Partners for Life Digital Platform? This month, Life School Behavior Coach Kristen Nichols tells us why establishing routines can help our children feel safer and calmer.
Share a Meal
2020 was a difficult year for many of our Life School Families. Many found themselves unable to work during the height of the pandemic. Thankfully, Life School was able to implement a free lunch program for all students starting in November 2020. However, before that time, many families began to build up lunch balances on their accounts and found it difficult to pay.
Would you share a meal with our Life School families by making a small donation to eliminate their outstanding lunch balances? We have about 240 Life School students with an average balance of $10 per student. As you can imagine, this adds up fast for families with several children. Your generous donation will go directly to their lunch balance accounts and help remove this burden from them. Click here to participate!