FamiLEE Focus

The Weekly Newsletter of Lee High School…

Where Great Things Are Happening!

Website: https://www.huntsvillecityschools.org/o/lhs
Phone: 256-428-8150
Facebook: facebook.com/leehighhsv
Twitter: @leehighhsv

Thank you to everyone for the beautiful birthday wishes. I love celebrating with my FamiLEE.

We are moving toward being ready for our state accountability testing on April 9, 2024. Please continue to discuss with your child the importance of focusing in class, completing assignments on time, and the goal to do their personal best on all testing.

The Artemis Virtual Academy application is open now. If you and your child are considering being virtual next year, please apply. You will not have another virtual option after school starts.

We have started 2024-2025 class registration meetings for each grade level. Please discuss with your child classes they are interested in taking for next year. If they are interested in Dual Enrollment, please reach out to your child's counselor.

School is closed on Monday, February 19, 2024 in celebration of President's Day.

Have a good weekend!

If you need to send in absence excuses, please email lee.attendance@hsv-k12.org.

Have a great weekend!!!

Sincerely,

Kitrise Torain

LHS Principal

#GreatThingsHappeningAtLee

Saturday, 2/17

• HCS Curriculum Showcase @ the VBC East Hall: 9:00am-12:00pm

• Varsity Baseball vs. St. John Paul II @ St. John Paul II HS: 4:30pm

Monday, 2/19

• President’s Day, No School

• Varsity Girls Soccer vs. West Limestone @ West Limestone: 5:00pm

• Varsity Boys Soccer vs. West Limestone @ West Limestone: 7:00pm

Tuesday, 2/20

• Senior Panoramic Picture in the Gym: 10:00am
  

• Varsity Baseball vs. St. John Paul II @ Lee HS: 4:30pm

• Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Hazel Green @ Hazel Green: 5:00pm

• Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Hazel Green @ Hazel Green: 7:00pm

Wednesday, 2/21

Thursday, 2/22

• LHS Theatre Presents Antigone Now in the Black Box Theatre: 6:00pm

• Varsity Baseball vs. Columbia @ Lee HS: 4:30pm

Friday, 2/23

• Varsity Girls Soccer vs. West Point @ Lee: 5:00pm

• LHS Theatre Presents Antigone Now in the Black Box Theatre: 6:00pm

• Varsity Boys Soccer vs. West Point @ Lee: 7:00pm

Saturday, 2/24

• LHS Theatre Presents Antigone Now in the Black Box Theatre: 1:00pm

• LHS Theatre Presents Antigone Now in the Black Box Theatre: 6:00pm

Two Weeks Ahead

Monday, 2/26

• Varsity Baseball vs. East Limestone @ Lee HS: 5:00pm

Tuesday, 2/27

• Varsity Baseball vs. Mae Jemison @ Lee HS: 5:00pm

Wednesday, 2/28

• Black History Program in the Gym: 2:30pm

Thursday, 2/29

• Varsity Baseball vs. Westminster @ Westminster HS: 4:30pm

• Choir All-State Festival @ the BJCC

Friday, 3/1

• Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day

• Co-Op Assembly for 10th Grade Students in the Theatre: 11:30am

• ACT WorkKeys Retest Day: 8:30am

• Varsity Baseball vs. Wilson @ Lee HS: 4:30pm

Happy Birthday to the following students who have birthdays this week!

• February 19 - Tyler Hill and Alayah Williams
• February 20 - Aaliyah Fredericks and Emma Fisher
• February 21 - Jonathan Garcia, Linda Mathis, Pierre Spears, and Tatiana Mills
• February 22 - Jordan VanDenBerghe
• February 23 - Braylon Hives and Dawson Moore
• February 24 - Esmeralda Hernandez, Juana Jose-Mendez, and Benjamin Morgus
• February 25 - Jaden Bailey

Attention FamiLEE! One of our 2023-24 goals is to keep our overall attendance rate at 95% or higher for the entire school year. We were at 92.29% last week are currently at 94.07% for the year. We need your help to continue to improve and reach our goal! Attendance is one of the most important factors that influences how students do in school, and we need each student with us at school every day!!!

*Attention Seniors! Senior Portraits need to be taken at Prestige if you have not already had them done. Please call 855-918-2930 to make an appointment or click this link.

*Yearbooks are on sale now! Now - January 10th the price is $40 for standard and $45 for Personalized. January 11th -March 30th the cost is $45 for standard and $50 for personalized

The deadline to order is March 30th. Order online only on MySchoolFees.

*Check student fees online! LHS student fees can be viewed and paid online anytime by visiting https://secure3.myschoolfees.com select AL-HUNTSVILLE CITY-LEE HIGH, and register as a New User. You will need your student’s PowerSchool ID Number. You may also pay by cash or check at the school. Remember to check fees periodically for any changes that may occur. If you need help or have any questions, please contact our Bookkeeper at 256-428-8150 or by email at tamala.swopes@hsv-k12.org.

• Shout-out to our Freshmen of the Week from this week! A'Riyla Briggs comes to us from ASFL Middle School. Here at Lee, she is a part of the tennis team, plays volleyball and tennis, and is a member of the Dance magnet. In her free time, she likes to paint willow trees, sing, bake. After graduating from Lee, she wants to go to college and get a really great job so she can get rich. She wants to become a dentist a 7th grade teacher. Here at Lee, her favorite teacher is Ms. Bacik because she is understandable, inviting, and she can talk to her about anything. Brayden Abrams comes to us from Chapman Middle School. Next year, he wants to get into the CTE Culinary Program. In his spare time, he enjoys playing history games as well as cook and bake. After graduating from high school, he wants to go to college and study computer science so he can get a career in IT. Here at Lee, his favorite teacher is Ms. Thompson because she lets them read and participate in fun group activities. Shout-out to both of them for living out our FamiLEE values!
• Thanks to the representatives from Delta Sigma Theta sorority for coming to help our seniors get registered to vote Thursday!
• Shout-out to our PE teacher Coach Brandie Paseur! She is the New Century Athletic Director and was named the AHSAA District 8 Athletic Director of the Year for 2024! Congratulations Coach B!
  
• Shout-out to our Blue Thunder Drumline for doing a great job performing at the First Missionary Baptist Church Discipleship Weekend Tailgate!
  

Congratulations to Ms. Meochia Jackson and Ms. Debra Williams, our staff spotlights this week! We are thankful for their support in helping make everyone's day more smooth.

Ms. Jackson is a very dedicated custodian that works to help us have a clean building. She builds relationships with students and helps support our overall culture. She is dedicated to the school's vision. Thank you Ms. Jackson for making sure all students are appreciated and loved and keeping our building looking great.

Ms. Debra is a paraprofessional in one of our self-contained (a/k/a Shining Stars) classroom. She works hard both inside and outside of the classroom. Ms. Debra is always willing to lend a helping hand feeding the faculty, working extracurricular activities, and taking care of her students. We are very thankful to have her as part of the FamiLEE!

Upcoming Events

• Antigone Tech + Performance week upcoming Mon 2/19- Sat 2/24

• Film & Video on location filming for Math Nation at Forced Inductions in Hazel Green, AL is being rescheduled due to conflicts with the Math Nation team.

Parent Volunteer Opportunities

• Music Library Reorganization - We are seeking parental support to assist students in organizing the Vocal Magnet/Choir Music Library. The music library is housed in the choir room. If you’re able, please email ashley.daniel@hsv-k12.org.

From the Desk of the Magnet Directors

Vocal Magnet Director- Ms. Daniel

This has been great! We have several projects in the works.

In Show Choir/Musical Theater , Mr. Kisor started a study on a piece from the musical Working called Something to Point to. We will continue to work on the music, then Mr. Kisor will add choreo in the upcoming weeks.

Our Show Choir Captains have been cleaning Ain’t No Mountain High Enough for our upcoming performance at Chaffee Elementary for their Black History Program on February 23, 2024.

I am very proud of our show choir choreographers Linda Mathis, Brianne Polk, Erin Duus, Yasmin Tyes, Savannah Walker. They are doing an amazing job teaching our students. Our show choir is growing stronger daily.

We started and finished the choreography to Aretha Franklin’s “Think” .

Thank you to all of our performing arts parents that supported our performance at the 22nd Annual Black History Program on 2-10-2024. Our students did an outstanding job and represented Lee High School well. Vocal and Dance Magnet

Our students are excited to perform at the Lee High School Soul Cafe on February 20, 2024. Our students will perform NeoSoul pieces in honor of “Black Creativity” Black History Month Celebration. They will perform with N’General (Lee High Jazz Band & Ryan Felton of RnB Vibes) Lee Alumni Recording Artist Chelsea Who?

Congratulations to the following students that passed auditions!

Madyson Agun

Yasmin Tyes

Kennedy Freeman

Emylee Drummond

Marli Waldon

Destiny Simons-Patton

Torey Rice

We are excited about our performance on Sunday! The Evening of Spirituals

Director of Theatre- Mr. Kisor

Our students have been busy all across multiple arts components this week. Vocal students have been prepping for concerts this weekend, SCPA and the black history program. Theatre and film students have been working on group video projects and tech has been building our sets for both Antigone Now and Little Mermaid. We have also been rehearsing pieces that will be performed this weekend at the VBCs Community Fair. Along with all the things happening with our programs we also begin our load in for IMPs The Color Purple this weekend that will open next weekend. There are a lot of exciting things happening on campus!

Creative Writing Magnet Director- Ms. Sisson

We are still riding high from our ASPA and POL wins! Six of our poets are heading to the STATE Poetry Out Loud competition on Wednesday, 3/6.

Photography Magnet Director- Mr. Willmarth

Students are comparing the works of Stieglitz’ “Equivalents” series to non-objective Abstract paintings of Frankenthaler, Rothko, and Motherwell and interpreting how they can use photography to make artworks that are more painting like.

Students are also working with the works of Duane Michals and experimenting with Narratives through portraiture, using the personality or “profession” of the subject to create more significant portrait

Film and Video Director- Mr. Lee

This week, we released our Antigone Now teaser video and full length behind the scenes videos. Please check those out on our youtube channel and plan to come see the show next Thursday- Saturday in our Black Box!

https://youtu.be/_axV0vJozio

The Math Nation Team has requested to delay our on location shoot on 02/22. We are looking at dates in early March. An announcement will be made on the newsletter as soon as it is book. Encourage your student to participate in this professional video that will be seen nationwide.

Attention Seniors! The Huntsville Council of PTAs annually awards up to 12 (twelve) $500 scholarships (a maximum of two scholarships per high school in the Huntsville City Schools system) provided such schools are in good standing with the Huntsville Council of PTAs and with Alabama PTA.

Scholarships are awarded to Huntsville City School seniors who plan to pursue higher education at any accredited institute of higher learning, including vocation and trade schools as well as two-year and four-year universities/colleges.

The funds for these scholarships are raised through the contributions of our local units and concessions at Milton Frank Stadium.

Scholarship deadline: March 1st

Apply at this link!

Please click here for the PowerPoint from the February Senior Parent Meeting.

It is our goal that all seniors will be enrolled, employed, and/or enlisted by the end of the summer. We are here to help!

• 12th Grade Counselor: Chris White (chris.white@hsv-k12.org)
• Graduation Coach: Patrick Holder (patrick.holder@hsv-k12.org)
• Senior Sponsor: Nicole Fields (nicole.fields@hsv-k12.org)
• HCS College Counselor: Lacey Guthrie (lacey.guthrie@hsv-k12.org) – at Lee every Monday, available for students and parents/guardians.
• HCS Career Counselor: Cary Watkins (cary.watkins@hsv-k12.org – at Lee every Thursday, available for students and parents/guardians.
• National Guard Recruiter: Wendell Williams (205-746-4155) – can help with all branches of the military.

Monday, February 19: Presidents' Day, No School

Friday, March 8: E-Learning Day for Students

Monday, March 11-Friday, March 15: Spring Break, No School

Friday, March 22: 3rd Quarter Report Cards Go Home

Tuesday, April 9: ACT Plus Writing Test for Juniors, 8:30am

Tuesday, April 9: E-Learning Day for 9th, 10th, and 12th Grade Students

Thursday, April 25: 4th Quarter Progress Reports Go Home

Thursday, May 23: Last Day of School, Half Day

Friday, May 24: Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony @ the VBC, 3:00pm

Tuesday, May 28: 2nd Semester Report Cards Mailed Home