March 2006

It’s a pleasureto have been selectedto serve as your super-intendent of schools!

I am genuinelyexcited about theopportunity I have beenafforded by our boardof trustees. While con-ducting research inpreparation for my jobinterview, I quickly dis-covered why Laredo

ISD is regarded by many as oneof the most colorful, vibrant, andprogressive districts in Texas. Itgives me great pleasure to knowthat I will soon be a part of therich culture and tradition knownas the Laredo ISD Family.

My first objective as yournew superintendent is to simplylearn as much from each of youas I possibly can. From curricu-lum alignment to facilities con-struction, I am eager to becomeacquainted with the issues thatultimately affect us all.Additionally, I look forward totapping into the talent and expert-ise I know exists throughout thisgreat district. I am confident thatby working together we will takeLaredo ISD to new heights!

Con mucha esperanza,

Daniel Garcia, Jr.,Ph.D.

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Click here for informationon the Bond

The first official day ofspring means brighter days andwarm sunshine are ahead. Italso welcomes Dr. DanielGarcia, Jr. as the new superin-tendent of schools for theLaredo Independent SchoolDistrict.

The Laredo ISD Board ofTrustees selected Garcia assuperintendent during a specialcall meeting held March 8,2006.

“I believe that allchildren can in factlearn, provided that theyare given an opportuni-ty to learn and are pro-vided with the neces-sary and appropriateinstruction,” said Dr.Garcia. “My role willentail working withour board of trusteesto formulate a com-mon vision for thedistrict which mayconsist of four majorareas including cur-riculum and instruc-tion, humanresources, finance,and facilities.”

Most recent-ly, Dr. Garciaserved as AssistantSuperintendent forCurriculum and

continue pg.5

Garcia begins tenure as LISD superintendent

The last seven months have been an

extraordinary experience for me. We have worked

diligently at all levels to improve the quality of

education of all of our students. We realize that

we have great challenges, yet we know that our

commitment to continuous improvement is even

greater. During these months, I have grown as an

individual and an administrator and have come

to realize that our system is dependent on people that care and that we

must all come together to forge a new beginning full of hopes and

dreams.

I know that I am a better person and I thank you for the many

memories that we have made together. My highlights have been the

times that I spent reading to students, the time talking and interacting

with our youth and future leaders, the time spent to let them know

that we are going to be just fine and that our future looks bright. I

challenge each and every one of you to do your best and come together

to form a better educational system that focuses of student needs and

student achievement. I ask that you extend a warm welcome to our

new leader, Dr. Daniel Garcia Jr., and continue the efforts to improve

each day. I am appreciative of the opportunity to serve you, our par-

ents, our taxpayers, our community, our Board and our students.

Gracias por sus esfuerzos y dedicacion a nuestros estudiantes!

Su servidor de siempre,

Jesus J. Amezcua, CPA

BOND ELECTION MAY 13, 2006

The Laredo IndependentSchool District formally dedicatedthe Dr. Margaret G. CigarroaLiteracy Center located atCigarroa High School during arecent ceremony.

The ceremony was attendedby close to 80 Cigarroa familymembers and dignitaries.

Ashley Humphries SanchezArchitects designed the 9,375 sq.ft., building which includes anadministrative office, computerlabs, and classrooms.

LISD is also openingLiteracy Centers at Martin andNixon High Schools. Nixon’sLiteracy Center will be dedicated

on Wed., March 22. Funding forLISD’s Literacy Centers wasmade possible by the State ofTexas and LISD’s PublicFacilities Corporation.

The center will be used forreading instruction for studentsand staff development for read-ing teachers. The centers will beopened after hours for tutoring ofstudents and adult education.Each of the centers will serviceneighboring middle and elemen-tary schools.

Dr. Peggy, as she wasknown, delivered thousands ofbabies and provided medicalcare for three generations ofLaredoans. Dr. Peggy and herhusband, the late, Dr.Leonides Cigarroa,had six children.Three of herchildren alsobecame physi-cians. She prac-ticed medicineuntil her retire-ment in 1995.She passedaway in 2001.

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The LISD Tax Office proudly stands in front of their office located at 904 JuarezStreet. The office celebrated a collection rate of 82.71 percent for the year-to-dateuntil February. Tax Assessor/Collector Rodolfo “Rudy” Sanchez says the TaxOffice is on its way to breaking a new record of 97% by September.

The Laredo IndependentSchool District Finance Team hasreceived yet another DistinguishedBudget Presentation Award from theGovernment Finance OfficersAssociation of the United States andCanada. This is the ninth award tothe team has garnered from theorganization.

According to GFOA, the awardrepresents a significant achievementby the entity, reflecting the commit-ment of the governing body and staffto meeting the highest principles ofgovernmental budgeting. In order toreceive the budget award, LISD hadto satisfy nationally recognizedguidelines for effective budget pres-entation. These guidelines aredesigned to assess how well an enti-ty’s budget serves as a policy docu-ment, a financial plan, an operationsguide, and a communications device.Budget documents must be rated“proficient” in all four categories toreceive the award.

When a Distinguished BudgetPresentation Award is granted to anentity, a Certificate of Recognitionfor Budget Presentation is also pre-sented to the individual or depart-ment designated as being primarilyresponsible for having garnered theaward. This award has been present-ed to the LISD Finance Team.

“We have a good group ofknowledgeable people working inthe district’s Finance Department,”said LISD Board President Dr.Dennis D. Cantu. “This award rep-resents excellence in budget prepara-tion and it also serves as testament toour taxpayers whose dollars are care-fully and properly accounted for.”

The Government FinanceOfficers Association is a nonprofitprofessional association serving14,000 government finance profes-sionals throughout North America.The GFOA’s Distinguished BudgetPresentation Awards Program is theonly national awards program ingovernmental budgeting.

For more information, contactthe Office of Communications at ext.3295.

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March 2006

Your source for AdministrativeNews... Plus a whole lot more!Produced monthly for district employees by the Office ofCommunications and the Printing/Creative ServicesDepartment. Information may be submitted by calling theOffice of Communications at 795-3295.

Board of TrusteesDr. Dennis D. CantúPresidentJohn Peter MontalvoVice PresidentGeorge M. BeckelhymerSecretaryJesús J. GuerraParliamentarianGuillermina MontesMemberJorge L. RodríguezMemberJosé A. ValdezMember

Dr. Daniel Garcia, Jr.Superintendent of Schools

Office of CommunicationsMarco A. AlvaradoDirector of Communicationsmalvarado@laredoisd.orgVeronica Castillón, APRPublic Information Officervcastillon@laredoisd.orgVeronica “Roni” CantúCommunity Relations Specialistvcantu@laredoisd.orgJeannette G. MartinezITV Coordinatorjgmartinez@laredoisd.org

Mario PerezInterim Printing Supervisormarioperez@laredoisd.orgPaola ArcosPublications Designerparcos@laredoisd.orgMelissa GarzaSecretary/Translatormelgarza@laredoisd.org

It is the policy of the Laredo Independent School Districtnot to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national ori-gin, gender, religion, limited English proficiency, or hand-icapping condition in its programs.

NEWSA Parental Involvement Center andStudent Services Center, a new MiddleSchool, High School Science Labs, Pre-K Classrooms, and a new J.C. MartinElementary School are just some of theprojects that are included in the $57 mil-lion bond election. The election will bedecided by voters of the LaredoIndependent School District May13, 2006.

The Laredo ISD Board of Trusteescalled the election on January 25. Ifapproved, the bond would bring the dis-trict’s total construction investment to$360 million.

“The State of Texas will pay for 80percent of the bond’s debt service whileLaredo ISD residents will fund theremaining 20 percent,” said Laredo ISDChief Financial Officer Jesus J.Amezcua. “If passed, this bond issuecan help us complete the long rangeplan we began in 1999.”

Last year, Laredo ISD votersapproved the sale of $60 million in bondsfor school facilities including the renova-tion of Shirley Field and the Vidal M.Treviño School of Communications andFine Arts, as well as the construction offield houses at Nixon and Martin HighSchools, soccer and softball fields, anew fine arts complex, and new facilitiesfor transportation, the child nutrition pro-gram, and instructional support.

“Our vision is to bring this district intothe 21st century.” said Laredo ISD BoardPresident Dr. Dennis D. Cantu. “Our stu-dents, parents, and community deserve afirst class quality education with the build-ing and facilities to go along with it.”

Additionally, if approved, districtland owners would be levied an addition-al 5.8 cents per $100 of assessed prop-erty valuation. On a $50,000 home (theaverage homestead value within LaredoISD) the assessment in property taxeswould amount to $29.00 annually, or$2.42 a month. However, propertytaxes for residents age 65 and over whohave received a homestead exemptionwould not be affected.

Early voting will be held May 1-9with election day on May 13, 2006.

For more information on the upcom-ing bond election, contact the Office ofCommunications at ext. 3295.

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LISD employees can lace up their ten-nis shoes for the Juvenile Diabetes ResearchFoundation (JDRF) walk to be held Friday,March 31, at 10:00 a.m. The walk for LISD’sadministrative staff will be held at St. Peter’sPlaza.

The downtown walk is being organizedby Risk Manager Alvaro Perez with theassistance of Patricia Keck, VeronicaCastillon, Rosa Maria Torres, EvaristoOrtega, and Severita Sanchez.

Participants will be able to enjoy music,free refreshments, pedometers, diabetesinformation, glucose, and blood pressuretesting, plus the camaraderie of LISD co-workers.

A city-wide walk benefiting JDRF willbe held on Saturday, April 1, at 8:00 a.m., atTexas A&M International University. Formore information about the JDRF walk,please call Veronica Castillon at ext. 3293.

Nixon High School is organizing a teamfor the Juvenile Diabetes ResearchFoundation Walk to be held at TAMIU onSaturday, April 1, with the support of theLaredo Bucks. Seated from left are SteveSimoes, Philippe Lauze and DavidLemanowicz. Standing from left are JackSuneson and Les Norton representingJDRF, Nixon Principal Sylvia Rios, theMustang Mascot, and Dinorah Garcia,who is organizing the walk team for Nixon.

LISD employees to walk for JDRF

Notes fromHuman Resources

The LISD Human Resources web site is

a great place to check current vacancies,

employee benefits, and much more. Visit

the web-site at: http://www.laredoisd.org/

humanresources/default.htm

The Human Resources Department

reminds all employees to take the sensitivity

training via the district’s web site. Click

here to take the training. http://www.lare-

doisd.org/staffdevelopment/Sexualharas

sment_files/frame.htm

The Human Resources office will hold a

Teacher Job Fair & Reception at 4:30 p.m.,

Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at Tarver

Elementary School. For more information

call the Human Resources Office at ext. 3201

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New Mail Contractor for LISDFor any school or department wanting to send

overnight packages, the district will be using DHLas approved by the Board of Trustees onNovember 17, 2005 (RFP 05-100)

The following three locations have beendesignated as pick up/drop off sites:

• Procurement Department, 1702 Houston St.• Division of Operations, 900 E. Lyon St. • Information Technology, 2001 Cedar Ave.

To ensure timely delivery, packages must bedropped off on or before 4:00 p.m. each business day.

If DHL is contacted for overnight pick up to alocation other than the three mentioned above, a$3.00 fee will be assessed. Drop off costs will notbe incurred if overnight packages are taken to oneof the three assigned LISD locations listed aboveor to any DHL drop off location. DHL local drop offlocations are available on-line at dhl-usa.com.

To order supplies such as envelopes, boxes,printed air bills, etc., you can go online to www.dhl-usa.com or call 1-800-225-5345.

When entering a T-4 payment for DHL, pleaseinclude the assigned account number 852724642.

The DHL contact person is Esteban Alvarez.He can be reached at 722-6731.

For more information, call the ProcurementDepartment at ext. 3220.

The Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and FineArts was recently awarded a $2,500 tech award for integrat-ing interactive technology into their curriculum. The fundswill be used for technology purchases in order to enhancestudents learning experiences. Pictured with Best Buy rep-resentatives are Jose Cerda, director of the school and ScottRoberts, technology trainer.

Do you knowHilda Rodriguez?She is a library clerk at J.W. NixonHigh School. She has worked forLISD for 30 years. Rodriguez start-ed working at Nixon High Schoolin 1990 and has had perfect atten-dance for the last four years. Sheenjoys spending time with her fam-ily and her grandson.

The LISD Finance and IT departments teamed up to playbasketball against Cigarroa High School. Both teams did anoutstanding job but the Cigarroa Toros won the game.Pictured are the members of the Finance and IT depart-ments along with Cigarroa staff and faculty.

Paola Arcos, Publications Designer with the Office ofCommunications, proudly stands next to her painting which is currently on display at the Laredo Community College ArtGallery. Her painting was selected to be part of the semi-annual exhibition. Arcos enjoys taking art classes for enrichment in her spare time.

Fruits and Vegetables: Do You Get Enough?

The American Cancer Society recommends five ormore servings of fruits and vegetables each day to helpprevent cancer. These foods are the best source of help-ful vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phyto-chemicals that may help prevent disease. They also giveyou energy and help you feel great.

More healthful eating tips, recipes, and easy waysto squeeze in physical activity are found in LivingSmart: The American Cancer Society's Guide to EatingHealthy and Being Active. Call 1-800-ACS-2345 torequest the booklet from the ACS office nearest you, orvisit the website at www.cancer.org.

With the theme,“Learning with the ITVStars,” the Instructional

Television Department construct-ed a float for WBCA’s youth andgrand parade. The departmentwon third place in the grandparade. Here is how other LISDschools placed:

Grand Parade

J.W. Nixon High School SpursBest Dance Squad Unit

Milton Elementary SchoolSecond Place for Best DecoratedFloat

Youth Parade

Martin High School TigerettesBest High School Dance Squad

J.W. Nixon High SchoolBest High School Band

Milton Elementary School First Place Best Decorated Float.

Garcia begins tenure as LISD superintendentcontinue from pg.1

Instruction with the 47,000-student BrownsvilleIndependent School District, a position he held since June 2001.Other posts held at Brownsville ISD include AssistantSuperintendent for Human Resources and Area Superintendentfor the Hanna Cluster which consisted of the supervision of 11campuses. Additionally, prior work experiences include servingas Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction atProgreso Independent School District; Executive Director ofBilingual/ESL Education with the Multilingual EducationDepartment at Dallas Public Schools; Chair of the Departmentof Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas atBrownsville and at Texas Southmost College; and Director ofPrograms with the Division of Accreditation and SchoolImprovement with the Texas Education Agency.

A native of Brownsville, Garcia earned a Bachelor of Artsdegree in Latin American Studies from Austin College, aMasters in Education degree from the University of Texas atAustin, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum andInstruction with a specialization in Early Childhood/BilingualEducation from the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally,he holds a Superintendent’s Certificate, a Mid-managementCertificate, and a Texas Teacher Certificate in GeneralElementary Education.

According to historical documents, Dr. Garcia becomes thedistrict’s 14th superintendent since 1882.

A+ News wishes Dr. Garcia much success in his new posi-tion.

page 6Building Blocks

Building Blocks is a column designed to update employ-ees on construction projects within Laredo ISD. The follow-ing information is provided by the district’s constructiondepartment.

Cigarroa High School held a ribbon cutting ceremonyfor the Dr. Margaret Cigarroa Literacy Center. Cigarroa HighSchool students, staff, and administrators along with specialguests, and members of the Cigarroa family gathered to for-mally dedicate the new building. The Nixon Literacy Centerdedication will take place March 22. Martin High Schoolwill also have a literacy center once construction at the cam-pus has been completed.

School Construction Update:

Construction of Daiches and RyanElementary Schools continues to progress at afast rate, while construction is set to begin atHeights Elementary School. Construction atChristen Middle School, renovation at CigarroaMiddle School and construction of the “westwing” at Martin High School is also taking place.Additionally, construction of the Nixon HighSchool field house continues while the NixonHigh School Literacy Center and the CigarroaHigh School, library have been completed.

For more information on district construction projects, call ext. 3616.

March21 Finance Committee Meeting22 J.W. Nixon High School

Literacy Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

23 Regular Board Meeting

All campus/department budgets due

April3 Payroll Deadline

3-7 National Library Week3-7 Week of the Young Child

5 New Employee Orientation13-14 Easter Holiday

17 Pay Day18 Finance Committee Meeting20 Regular Board Meeting27 Secretary’s Day

CCaalleennddaarr ooff EEvveennttss

March 2006

Attention Teachers:Want to find a fun way to teachand incorporate the core curricu-lum into your lesson plans? Tunein to ITV on cable channel 18 andsee new shows produced for youand your students. Each showincorporates TEKS objectives.

WWaattcchh.. LLiisstteenn.. LLeeaarrnn!!

Are you experiencing depression oranxiety? Are you having relationship,family, or workplace conflicts? You candiscuss these and other issues that affectyour well-being with your Deer OaksCounselor provided to you by LaredoISD.

Your free confidential EmployeeAssistance Program benefit includesshort-term counseling and referrals foryou and your dependent(s).

Offices are in located Laredo andthroughout Texas. For more informa-tion, call the local office at 712-8820 ortoll-free at 1-877-865-9383.

Help available toemployees

The Laredo ISD Tax Office reminds taxpayers of the following:

AVOID PAYING ADDITIONAL PENALTYAND INTEREST CHARGES

on your 2005 property taxes.

Pay by Friday, March 31, 2006.

CALL ext. 3300 FOR MORE INFORMATION

On February 1, 2006, all 2005 taxes were assessed penalty, interest, and attorney collection charges.

A lawsuit will be filed on all delinquent accounts.

Month Percent of Taxes Due P & I Attorney Total

Penalty Amount Fees - 15% Amount

& Interest (if lawsuit is filed) Due

March 2006 9% $500.00 $45.00 $81.75 $625.75

April 2006 11% $500.00 $55.00 $83.25 $638.25

May 2006 13% $500.00 $65.00 $84.75 $649.75

June 2006 15% $500.00 $75.00 $86.25 $661.25

July 2006 18% $500.00 $90.00 $88.50 $678.50

Each month starting in August 2006, the interest charges will continue to increase at the rate of 1% per monthon unpaid balances of 2005 taxes and will continue to accrue until all taxes are paid.

NEW LOCATION: 904 JUAREZ AVENUE

Pay your taxes on-line at www.laredoisd.org

Ryan Elementary School teachers Sandra Gonzalez, Nora Astudillo,Carlota Benavides, and Eliza Sanchez are breast cancer survivors andwant to do their part by reminding all women to conduct their monthlybreast self-examination. Additionally, the local American CancerSociety is looking for cancer survivors to attend their annual “Relay forLife” event to be held May 5 & 6 at Texas A&M International University.For more information call the local office at 723-9682.

This month’s A+ Bonus Points columnfeatures the Laredo ISD Printing/CreativeServices Department. The department is cur-rently under the direction of Interim PrintingSupervisor Mario Perez. Perez has beenworking for the department for 27 years.The office consists of a supervisor, secretary,clerk, and six printers. In July 2001, theDepartment expanded to include graphicartists Luis Davila and Martin Rodriguez.The Printing/Creative Services Department islocated behind Cigarroa High School.

How long has the printing department beenin existence?

“The print shop has been in existencefor over 30 years. Many school districtshave their own print shop to offset the costsof commercially printed material. We doabout 95 percent of the printing for theschool district.”

What kind of work does the printingdepartment perform?

“Print jobs include publications,business forms, business cards, assess-ments, and other printed materials. Wealso do a lot of graphic designs with helpfrom our creative services clerk andgraphic artists. We’re helping the districtenhance its image.”

What are your goals for your department?

“We want to continue to be a cre-ative and resourceful department. Wewant to continue to meet the needs of ourschools and departments. We would like

to work on bigger projects suchas printing a magazine. Wewant district personnel to knowthe Printing/Creative ServicesDepartment is always ready toserve. Please call or come to ouroffice with plenty of time so wecan facilitate your request in themost efficient and professionalmanner.”

What have you learned aboutbeing interim print supervisor?

“The department hasmade great strides in our print-ing capabilities and in usingstate-of-the-art equipment. ThePrinting/Creative ServicesDepartment is always ready toserve.

The LISD Printing/Creative Services Department is comprised of an InterimPrinting Supervisor, Secretary, Clerk, and six printers. Pictured from left to right(back row): are Tomas Gomez, printer, Abby Alonso, secretary, Santiago Cavazos,printer, Tony Bernal, printer, Mario Perez, Interim printing supervisor. Front row:Agustin Dovalina, Jr., printer, Elias Mendiola, printer, Gilberto Martinez, printer andGricel Rodriguez, clerk. Perez, Gomez, Dovalina, Martinez, and Mendiola havebeen with the district’s printing department for over 20 years.

Printing/Creative Services Departmentpage 8

March 2006

The LISD Literacy Coaches recently got to together to plan and strategize for theircampus. Pictured are the Literacy Coaches with their Reading First CoordinatorHelen Edewu seated in the center.

• Kudos to Wes Evans and CathleenMcCracken for pioneering the TIP 2 proj-ect at Memorial and Cigarroa MiddleSchool campuses, respectively. The entire-ly new concept in educational technologyincludes total immersion of faculty andstudents. TIP steps reach far beyond sim-ple one to one computing experimentswhere computers are merely adjunct to theeducational process and instead completelyenvelope participants in technology.Teachers still facilitate learning, but theynow have the technology to transcendlearning beyond classroom walls andbeyond the school day.

Extra Credit

The Office ofCommunications,Instructional Television, andthe Printing/CreativeServices Department gar-

nered 15 awards for excel-lence in school communica-tions at the Texas School

Public Relations Associationannual conference held February 22-23 inAustin.

Each year, TSPRA, with more than800 members, recognizes school communi-cators for outstanding work in both printand electronic media. More than 1,000entries were received this year.

Entries selected as best in state werehonored with Silver Star, Gold Star, andBest of Category Awards.

The following awards were received:

Best of Category

1. Print – Published News or Feature (“High test scores help CHS student,” Veronica Castillon)

2. Video – News/Information (“Parenting Skills,” Jeannette Martinez/Joaquin Costilla)

Gold Star Awards

1. Print – Invitations/Announcements (“LISD Retirement Dinner - South of the Border Fiesta,” Veronica Castillon/Paola Arcos)

2. Print – Published News or Feature (“Vidaurri to the Rescue,” Veronica Cantu)

3. Print – Published News Release, Edited (“ITV garners national awards,” Marco Alvarado and “Laredo ISD announces ‘Dough for Dollars’ program,” Marco Alvarado)

4. Video – Documentary (“An Instructional Journey: From the Classroom to the Board Room,” Joaquin Costilla)

5. Video – Instructional (“Kitchen Lab: Earth’s Layers,” Debbie Leija/Esteban Borjas)

Silver Star Awards

1. Print – External Newsletter (“Las Escuelas de Laredo ISD,” Marco Alvarado/VerónicaCantu/Verónica Castillon/Paola Arcos/Mario Perez)

2. Print – Flyer/Brochure (“Guide to Effective Media Relations,” Marco Alvarado/Mario Perez and “Superintendent Search,” Marco Alvarado/Paola Arcos/ Mario Perez)

3. Print – Calendar/Planner (“2005-2006 Calendar, Directory & Map,” Paola Arcos/Mario Perez)

4. Video – Special Interest/Feature Series (“Back-to-School General Session,” Jeannette Martinez/Joaquin Costilla)

5. Video – Instructional (“Aventuras en Español: El Sistema Solar,” Ana Maria Montoya/Joaquin Costilla and “Reading Rocks! Advertisement,” Claudia Villarreal/Ruben Vela)

6. Electronic – Electronic Newsletter (“A+ News,” Marco Alvarado/Veronica Cantu/Veronica Castillon/Paola Arcos)

For more information, contact the Office of Communications at ext. 3295.

TSPRA

District PR efforts among best in state

The Child Nutrition Program celebrated NationalSchool Breakfast Week (March 6-10) with abreakfast at Macdonell Elementary School. Thenew superintendent Dr. Daniel Garcia Jr., joineddistrict administrators, school personnel, and stu-dents to emphasize the importance of eating agood breakfast. This year’s theme was “Goplaces with School Breakfast.” Macdonell kitchenstaff dressed up as martians as part of their outerspace theme to help them get into the spirit.

L.I.S.D.

L.I.S.D.