Connect with Katie.02.14.2025.Issue26 by Lovejoy ISD

Connect with Katie

FEBRUARY 14, 2025

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

LovejoyCommunity,

A heartwarming act of kindness touched Sloan CreekIntermediateSchoolforValentine’sDay,asa grandmother anonymously and generously purchased Valentine grams for every student to ensure no one would be left out. Her thoughtful gesture brought smiles to faces across the halls, remindingusallofthepoweroflove,kindness,and community. We are so grateful for this sweet surpriseandthereminderthatactsofkindnesscan makeab makeabigdifference!

WehopefamiliesofallageswilljoinusThursday,February20thforPTO’sTaste of Cultures event. This is an opportunity to enjoy some delicious food and foster connection and community. The event takes place at Lovejoy High Schoolfrom6:00p.m.to8:00p.m.

Lovejoy ISD’s Legacy of Excellence continues. We are #LovejoyProud of the following programs that have students heading to State competitions. Congratulations!Lovejoyischeeringforyou!

SwimandDive

Wrestling

Majestics,DanceOfficers

MockTrial,CourtroomArtist

Lastnight,February13,theLovejoyISDBoardofTrusteesunanimouslyvoted tocallforaMay3rd,2025bondelection.Thebondpackagewasdevelopedbya community-basedBondPlanningCommitteemadeupof49parents,students, andcommunitymembers.Thecommitteemetforfourmonthsandengagedin a facilities and capital asset study that included facilities tours. The Bond Planning Committee’s work followed two facilities assessment studies and a community-based capital planning process that began in 2022. We sincerely appreciate the time and personal sacrifice of our stakeholders who served on boththeCapitalPlanningCommitteeandtheBondPlanningCommittee.

In the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing more information about the bond propositions through in-person community engagement sessions as well as on our District website and social media channels. We hope to have the opportunitytoengagewithyouatoneofourin-personcommunityengagement sessionswhichwillbeadvertisedsoon.Additionally,inthenearfuture,youwill beabletorequestaBond2025informationalpresentationandQ&AforyourHOA or community group through the District website. For more information and to readmyfullbondelectioncommunicationthatwassharedtoday,clickhere.

WelookforwardtoseeingourstudentsbackatschoolonTuesdaymorning. MayyourweekendbefilledwithLoveandJoy!

ThereisonlyONELOVEJOY,andweareALLLEOPARDS!

LovejoyProud,

KatieKordel Superintendent

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, LOVEJOY!

Valentine’s day celebrations were full of LOVE and JOY this year at our elementarycampuses!Thankyoutoourroomparentsfororganizingactivities thatmadethedayexceptionallyspecialforallourstudents.ThankyouPTO’s andparentsforyourgenerousgiftsthatmadethedayspecialforourteachers!

LastFriday4th,6th,and8thgradersparticipatedinLovejoyISD’sAnnualBump UpDayatSloanCreekIntermediate,WillowSpringsMiddleSchool,andLovejoy High School. Bump Up Day is a unique Lovejoy tradition that assists students withtransitioningtotheirnextcampusandhelpsgenerateexcitementforthe new experiences they will have. Students traveled to the campus they will be attending for the 2025-2026 school year and had the opportunity to tour the campus,askquestions,andeatlunch.

JoinusaswecelebrateSchoolMarshalAppreciationDaytomorrow,Saturday, February 15th! Lovejoy's School Marshals build relationships with students, protect our school communities, provide safety education, continuously lead by example, and promote a positive image of peace officers to students and community stakeholders. We are grateful for their presence on campus each day.

Director of Safety and Security, Casey Littlefield stated, “I couldn't be more proudofourSchoolMarshalteam.Theirdedication,loyaltyandserviceforthe Lovejoy community far exceeds anyone's expectations. Our team motto is ‘If notus,thenwho’.Thismottodrivesuseachdaytobecomebetterandbetterin ourcapabilities,andremindsusthatwemustcontinuetostriveforexcellence inallthatwedo.”

DirectorLittlefieldisproudtosharethefollowingabouteachofourMarshals:

Chris Smith - Hart Elementary - "Chris simply loves this community. His ability to build lasting connections is amazing, and there is nothing he wouldn't do for the success of our kids."

StevenEmory-PusterElementary- "Steven is a strong leader. It is evident that he loves his students and staff, and there is nothing he wouldn't do to keep them safe."

ShaunTomlinson-SloanCreekIntermediate- "Shaun has found a home with Lovejoy ISD. I always notice and appreciate the joy he has in getting to do exactly what he is meant to do each and every day."

PhilAnderton-WillowSpringsMiddle-"Phil is exactly where he is meant to be. He believes in our mission, and is ready to serve our Lovejoy community."

ReganAguirre-LovejoyHighSchool- "Regan has the biggest heart of any School Marshal. I've personally witnessed him fist bump hundreds and hundreds of our students and staff. He truly loves to build relationships with our students and community."

JorgeJacquez-LovejoyHighSchool- "Jorge is the most proud member of our Marshal team. He will always bring a smile to your face, and his service for this district is unwavering."

PleasejoinusinrecognizingandthankingourphenomenalLovejoyISDSchool Marshalteam!

Please join us for “Taste of Cultures” on Thursday, February 20, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Lovejoy HighSchool.

Experience the rich cultural fabric that makes our community unique, including: International Cuisine, Cultural Performances, InteractiveArtsandCrafts,Lovejoy Fine Arts Displays, Student Presentations.

Lovejoy ISD proudly congratulates our Athletic Director and Head Football Coach,ToddDodge,onhisselectiontotheTexasSportsHallofFameClassof 2025! Coach Dodge's remarkable career includes seven state championships and over 230 wins, underscoring his significant impact on Texas high school football.CoachDodgewillbeinductedthisSaturday,February15th.

Texas Sports

The Lovejoy Council of PTOs will be recognizing two special individuals who havegivenoutstandingservicetoourchildrenthisyear.Thisrecognitionisone of the highest honors which can be bestowed upon an individual by our PTO. The only requirement for receiving this honor is that the recipient has promotedstudents’well-beinganddemonstratedcareforchildren.

Anomineeforrecognitionmaybeaparent,volunteer,teacher,administrator, oracommunityleader.TherecipientisnotrequiredtobeaPTOmember.

Ifyouwouldliketonominatesomeoneforthisaward,pleasefillouttheform below. The recognition committee will carefully consider each candidate. Recipients can only receive this honor once while at Lovejoy. A list of people who have previously received this honor can be found at http://bit.ly/LovejoyPTORecipients.

NominationsareduebyMonday,March3,2025.

Council

FutureLeopardAssosciation

HartElementary

PusterElementary

Strong school attendance is correlated with higher academic performance. Additionally,averageDailyAttendance(ADA)isametricthattheStateofTexas usestodeterminefundingforpublicschools.Eachweek,thisattendancedata willbeupdatedsoourcommunityisawareofourmostrecentADA.

Reality Check

As a valued stakeholder, we know how much our district matters to you. Therefore, we believe it is important that you have accurate and transparent informationaboutLovejoyISD.WiththeintroductionofRealityCheck,weare taking proactive steps to address misinformation and disinformation. It is our hope that this resource will serve as an informational tool for our community andfurtherLovejoyISD’scommitmenttocommunication.

The Lovejoy Child Development Center was happy to recognize their School Marshal/DirectorofSafety&Security,CaseyLittlefieldtoday.MarshalLittlefield visited all the classes and talked about safety, showed off the cool tools he carries,andbroughtalongMr.GeorgeandCrypto,therobotdog.Classesmade cardsandsignstoshowMarshalLittlefieldhowmuchtheyappreciatehimand howthankfultheyarethathehelpskeepthemsafeeveryday.

PeytonMorgan,a4thgraderfromHartElementary,recentlysubmittedtwoof her poems for Art Meets Poetry, an event hosted by the Mockingbird Poetry Society in collaboration with the Art Club of McKinney. To her delight, both poems were selected by local artists to inspire original artwork. On February 1st,Peytonhadthehonorofperformingherpoemsattheofficialevent,where she was joined by fellow poets and artists. She was proudly supported by her dedicated teachers—Mrs. Finnigan, Mrs. Scott, Mrs. Goff, Mrs. Baker, and Mrs. Gardiner,herTakeFlightinstructor.Astheyoungestpoetattheevent,Peyton's talent stood out, and she’s been invited to return next year. As Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen,” perfectly capturing the harmony of her artisticjourney.

Leopards continue their playoff journey, once again adding to the already historic season with a 62-26 Bi-District win against Mt. Pleasant. The team hasn't seen a playoff win since the 2017-18 season. Senior Sidney Carr and junior Tatum Novicke each scored 13 points. Junior Peyton Novicke added 14 pointsgoing4-for-4fromthethree-pointlineandaBIGnightfromseniorAeva Haaswith17pointsgoing7-for-7fromthepaint.JuniorOliviaEltzpostednine rebounds with Peyton adding five. Leopards continue their playoff run with a Valentine'sDayAreamatchupatHebronHighSchoolagainstFriscoMemorial.

We’reexcitedtosharethatWillowSpringsMiddleSchoolplaced3rdinOneAct Playthisweekend!Ahugecongratulationstoourtalentedstudentswhoearned individualawardsfortheiroutstandingperformancesandtechnicalskills:

GabbyMauriello–All-StarCast

RileyDaigle–All-StarCast

SydneyKlein–HonorableMentionAll-StarCast

MisriDesai–OutstandingTechnician

Wearesoproudofourcastandcrewfortheirhardworkanddedication.Wayto go,WSMSTheatre!

Lovejoy Wrestling will be represented at the 2025 UIL State Championship Tournamentby3statequalifiersand2statealternates.

UILStateQualifiers

AroOgle-Garza107lbs

EliSilva157lbs

BrockMcKnight190lbs

UILStateAlternates

BennettSecor165lbs

NickRowe285lbs

We are very proud of their accomplishments this season and excited for their opportunity to compete in the UIL State Tournament at the Berry Center in Cypress,Texasthisweekend.Goodluck!

Aro Ogle-Garza 107 lbs UIL State Qualifier

Brock McKnight 190 lbs UIL State Qualifier

Eli Silva 157 lbs UIL State Qualifier

Lovejoy Swim & Dive wrapped up a strong performance at the regional competition! Both the Men's and Women's teams secured 3rd place overall, with the women's team qualifying two relays and four individual events for State.AvaEasleyclaimedfirstplaceinthe100Freestyle,whileMariaFaorotook thetopspotindiving.

On the Men's side, all three relays earned State qualifications, along with five individual events. Sean Easley dominated the 100 Freestyle, finishing in first place. The men's team also made history by winning the 200 Freestyle Relay andbreakingtheschoolrecord onethatwassetjustlastyear!

Februrary8th,SixSoloistandOne EnsembleparticipatedinUILSolo andEnsembleandALLReceived Superior1stDivisionRating56sand haveadvancedtoTexasStateSolo andEnsembleContest!

February8th,LovejoyVocalSolo andEnsembleContest:

56FirstDivisionSoloists

3SecondDivisionSoloists

1FirstDivisionPianist

2FirstDivisionEnsembles

ACappellanamedasaquarter finalistinICHSA(International ChampionshipofHighSchoolA Cappella)

-ACappellahasperformedover20 gigsthisschoolyear

-Over70studentsparticipatingin soloandensemblecontest

-ChoirstudentsadvancingtoTSSEC

-9studentsadvancingpastTMEA districtauditions,7makingthe regionchoir,3pre-areacandidates, oneareacandidate.

Please join us in congratulating Lovejoy High School for their success at last weekend'sUILAcademicsProsperInvitationalB!Ahugethankyouto:Mr.and Mrs.Bognot,Mrs.Mao,CyndiAnderson,andCherylAnderson,UILCoordinator. DistricttakesplaceonMarch28-29atProsperWalnutGrove.Congratulations, Leopards!

2025ProsperInvitationalBResults

ComputerScienceWritten(CoachGinaPayne):

ShilohkNavaneethakrishnan-2nd

JustenMao-4th

TopoftheTournamentShilohkNavaneethakrishnan-4th

ComputerScienceProgramming(CoachGinaPayne): Team-2nd

CurrentEvents(CoachCherylAnderson):

AndyChoy-1st

LilyBednar-5th

TopoftheTournament-AndyChoy3rd

FeatureWriting(CoachElliotParkman):

AvaMiller-3rd

HeadlineNews(CoachElliotParkman):

AvaMiller-6th

LiteraryCriticism(CoachJasenEairheart): Team-2nd

OliviaLong-2nd

CarolineWilkins-3rd

AnnaFrost-4th

AudreyCasey-5th

JuliannaGarcia-6th

NewsWriting(CoachElliotParkman):

AnnaFrost-4th

NumberSense(CoachJosephRasca):

JamesBognot-6th

Prose(CoachParkerTuason-Morrison):

SophiaOgle-Garza-3rd

ReadyWriting(CoachCherylAnderson): JennaLi-1st

Spelling(CoachCyndiAnderson):

AndyChoy-6th

SocialStudies(CoachesDeborahAdams/DavidMuller): BryceBrezette-1st

Incredible Achievement by Lovejoy Mock Trial! On Saturday, February 8, our Mock Trial team competed against 12 teams, winning their Semi-Final round withaunanimousjurydecision!Theyadvancedtothefinalroundof6teams, showcasing their incredible skill and dedication. A huge congratulations to HannahGapp,whoisgoingtoStateasacourtroomartist!

A special thank you to Ms. Cheryl Anderson, our outstanding Mock Trial sponsor, for her instruction and guidance throughout the season. We are so proudofthisteamandtheiroutstandingaccomplishments!

Thevarsitygirlssoccerteamfinishedthefirsthalfofdistrictin1stplacewitha 9-0 win vs. Sherman. Goals were scored by Emma Nelson (5 - tying her own programrecordforgoalsinagame),KinleyShort(2),ChloeReyna,andLainey Pierce.AssistswerebyLaineyPierce(2),AJSelf,JosselynSchuler,EllaYork(3), andRileyPulley(2).KenleaSwadenerwasingoalfortheteam's9thcleansheet this season with help from defenders Josselyn Schuler, Brenna Wallace, Cam Newhouse,andKatieManders.

TheJVgirlssoccerteamfinishedthefirsthalfofdistrictin2ndplacewitha10-0 winvs.Sherman.GoalswerescoredbyBeccaDenham,KitanBalogun(3),Claire Beveridge,MorganSuder(2),BerkleyBeal(2),andSophieBustillo.Assistswere byClairBeveridge(5),KateHobbs,DrewChevalier,ReaganStreeter,andRory Harrington (2). Kirsten Yoakum and Emma Jarboe were in goal for the clean sheet.

FutureLeopardNightisonFriday,2/21,vs.Denison.JVkicksoffat5:30PMand Varsityat7p.m.

Varsity

Junior Varsity

This past Saturday the Majestics Dance Team attended Crowd Pleasers Regional Dance Competition hosted at Lebanon Trail High School. Three team routines, 4 officer routines, 1 elite routine, and 13 solos later...the girls won many top awards, representingLovejoywithhighhonors!!!

TeamAwards

*HighPlatinum–TeamContemporary–1stPlace(category)

HighPlatinum–TeamHipHop–1strunnerup(category)

HighPlatinum–TeamJazz–2ndrunnerup(category)

OutstandingAcademicAchievement

OutstandingChoreographyAwardinContemporary,HipHop,andJazz

OutstandingPerformanceQualityinContemporary,HipHop,andJazz

OutstandingTechniqueAwardinContemporaryandHipHop

*2ndrunnerupforGrandChampionTeam(intheselectmediumteamcategory)

*MostAdmiredTeamAward(votedonbytheotherteamsatcontest)

OfficerAwards

*HighPlatinum–1stplace–OfficerLyrical

*HighPlatinum–1stplace–OfficerContemporary

HighPlatinum–1strunnerup–OfficerOpen

HighPlatinum–2ndrunnerup–OfficerJazz

OutstandingChoreographyAwardinLyrical,Contemporary,Open,andJazz OutstandingTechniqueAwardinLyrical,Contemporary,Open,andJazz OutstandingPerformanceQualityinLyrical,Contemporary,Open,andJazz

OutstandingExecutionContemporaryandOpen

*“CrowdPleaser”specialjudgesawardforOfficerOpen

*1strunnerupforGrandChampionOfficerGroup(selectmediumteamcategory)

*Our Majestics Dance Officers placed 2nd runner up Grand Champion OVERALL rankingusinthetop3officerlinesoutofthewholecompetition!!!

EliteAwards

HighPlatinum-1strunnerup-Imperials(EliteContemporary)

OutstandingChoreography,Technique,andPerformanceQuality

Solos

AllSoloistsreceivedaPlatinumratingorhigher

Junior,JaynieSanovichreceivedaHighPlatinumratingandplaced3rdoverallin thepublichighschool11thgradesolodivision.

SeniorAlisaSemenovareceivedaHighPlatinumratingandplaced9thoverallin thepublichighschool12thgradesolodivision.

Please help us in congratulating these outstanding girls on a successful first contest!OurnextcontestisthisSaturday,February15thatRowlettHighSchool.

And a SPECIAL shout out to our Dance Officers who are headed to STATE on Saturday,March1st.

Scrimmages are over, and the real action begins! The Lovejoy Leopards have put intheworkandarereadyto showcase their skills in tournament play this week. Come out and support the team–wehopetoseeallour Leopardfansinthestands!

TheLeopardLifewebsiteisanewadditiontoLovejoy’swaystostayengaged. SchoolrelatedflyersandcommunitynewswillbesharedontheLeopardLife.

Thisweek'sfeaturedflyersare:

LovejoyHighSchoolFineArtsEvents(Feb.2025)

LovejoyGiftedAssociation:STEMEvent(Feb.22)

U90SoccerBoosterFundraiser(Feb.26th)

Majestic’sSpringDanceClinic(Mar.8) CommunityNews

Can't remember where you saw a flyer? Not a problem! Leopard Life is connected to all campus newsletters, Connect with Katie, campus websites, ANDLovejoyISDmobileapp!

Join Lovejoy ISD and the Council of PTOs for this parent presentation at the LHSAuditoriumonFebruary19that6pm.

PleasejoinusforapresentationandpaneldiscussionwithRecoveryResource andtheAllenPoliceDepartment.Youwillhavetheopportunitytolearnabout trends in vaping, understanding THC, and marijuana usage with our youth. Staying on top of trends is important for parents so that you can educate, recognize,andintervenewithyourownchildasneeded.

Target Audience: 5-12 grades but all parents (age appropriate students) are welcome.

Executive Skill Development in children is essential for preparing them for life. Weareexcitedtosharea90minutepresentationwithColinGuare,contributing member to the Smart but Scattered and Stalled book. Colin’s talk will be devoted primarily to practical, naturalistic ways for parents to support their child’s executive skill development. We will cover the overall approach, how to identify opportunities and troubleshooting. Colin will then contextualize these by walking the group through some examples. The final 30-45 min will be devotedtoaudiencesubmittedscenariosandquestions.

Target Audience: While valuable for any K-12 parent, the presentation will includeextraemphasisonthelateelementary,middle,&earlyhighschool(1015)agerange.

JoinUsatLovejoyChildDevelopmentCenterintheLibraryat6pmonMarch4th. ThankyoutothecampusPTOsatLHS,WSMSandSCISforfundingthisprogram forourparentsinthedistrict.

Beforethepresentation,weencourageyoutograbthebookandread:Smartbut Scattered--andStalled:10StepstoHelpYoungAdultsUseTheirExecutiveSkills to Set Goals, Make a Plan, and Successfully Leave the Nest by Richard Guare, ColinGuare,andPegDawson.Theauthorsofferseveralbookswithsimilartitles butwiththefocusofthebookbasedonage:kids(4-13),teens(13-18)andyoung adults (18+). Choose the book that is age appropriate for your situation. While thebookswillhavedifferentreferences,thecontextwillbesimilarinallbooks. WehopetoseeyouonMarch4th.

Thisisanopportunityforparentsandcommunitymemberstoconnectwith LovejoyISDTrusteesandSuperintendentKatieKordelinaninformalsetting. During Community Coffee Talks, Lovejoy ISD leadership listens, shares and engagesin opendialogue/discussionwithourcommunity.

February26,2024 6:00p.m.-7:00p.m. WillowSpringsMiddle(Cafeteria)

April29,2024 9:00a.m.-10:00a.m. HartElementary(LeopardLair)

Lovejoy SAT Prep classes are open for registration. Click heretoregister!

ExtendedDayLeopardAcademyisan opportunity for your child to participate in enrichment activities onhisorhercampusbeforeandafter school. Our goal is that these enrichment opportunities will allow our Lovejoy Leopards to develop creativity and critical thinking skills through activities related to their personalinterests.

Registrationisopenforthefollowing academies for students in kindergarten through 6th grade. Choose from one of the links below formoreinformation.

Lovejoy ISD is committed to creating strong connections and providing clear communicationwithourLovejoyparentsandfamilies.Belowyouwillfindlinksto the most recent newsletters from each campus. Sign up for weekly Principal Newslettersheretostayinformed!