Connect with Katie.02.21.2025.Issue27 by Lovejoy ISD

Connect with Katie

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

LovejoyCommunity,

It has been a special week of community and connection in Lovejoy ISD! Last night, we had an outstandingturnoutforourTasteofCulturesevent which was held at Lovejoy High School. The food and hospitality of the families who hosted the tables were incredible. Those of us who attended ate delicious food, were delighted by musical and dance performances, and had the opportunity to learnmoreaboutourstudentsandtheirfamilies.

TasteofCultureswastrulyacelebrationofcommunity.Aspecialthankyouto CamilleSimpkins,JillLaTorre,Dr.LaurieTinsley,andthemanyvolunteersfor bringingtheLovejoyCommunitytogetherinthisnewandmeaningfulway.We werealsothrilledtohaveagroupfromtheHeritageRanchcommunityjoinus fortheevening.

This week, Puster Elementary School and Hart Elementary School hosted Diversabilities Day to raise awareness about disabilities and promote inclusivity, fostering empathy and understanding within our school community. Students engaged in interactive activities designed to help them experiencelifewithvisionandhearingimpairmentsorlimbdifferences.Weare grateful to the many volunteers, the PTO, campus staff, and our Special Education Department for making Diversabilities Day a success. Together, we remain committed to creating a supportive environment where every student feelsvaluedandincluded.

LegacyofExcellence:HighlightsandCelebrations

A BIG Lovejoy Congratulations to our 13 Merit Scholarship Program Finalists! Thisisaremarkableaccomplishment.

CongratulationstothefollowingstudentsonUILStateWrestlingplacements: AroOgle-Garza,2nd EliSilva,2nd BrockMcNight,5th

Congratulations to Lovejoy High School Girls Basketball and Boys Basketball strong seasons. Both teams finished the season as District Champions and foughthardintheplayoffs.

Lovejoy High School Alumni Makenna Ford (‘24) was one of 50 students, from over 80,000, selected to have her work showcased in the 2024 AP Studio Art DigitalExhibit.YoucanenjoyMaKenna’sincredibledigitalexhibithere.

This Saturday, our Swim and Dive Team competes in the UIL State meet in Austin.Congratulations!Lovejoyischeeringforyou!

WishingyouaweekendfilledwithLoveandJoy!

ThereisonlyONE

LovejoyProud, KatieKordel Superintendent

We are pleased to announce that TWELVEstudentsfromLovejoyHigh School have been named National MeritScholarshipProgramFinalists:

AliAhmad

VictoriaBurchett

LucaCampbell

AndyChoy

CodyDunlap(EarlyGraduate)

NeolaEdwin

LucasLiu

GarrettPayne

RobertSchnurr

MarissaWaldrop

AuburnaeWilliams

KevinZhang

SuperintendentKordelremarked,“CongratulationstoAli,Victoria,Luca,Andy, Cody, Neola, Lucas, Garrett, Robert, Marissa, Auburnae, and Kevin on this significant achievement. We are truly proud of the commitment, persistence, and self-discipline you have demonstrated throughout your journey to becomingaNationalMeritScholarshipFinalist.”

Ofapproximately1.3millionjuniorstudentswhotookthePSATNationalMerit Scholarship Qualifying Test. From there, the top 34,000 were identified as CommendedStudents.Asoneofthetop16,000studentstoearnNationalMerit Semifinalist standing, these students continued on to apply for Finalist standing. The students then submitted an application, essay, school-based recommendation, and verified their high academic standings as well as took anothertest-theSATorACT.

These Finalists will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about6,870MeritScholarship®awardstobeannouncedinthecomingmonths. CongratulationstoallofourLovejoyHighSchoolNationalMeritFinalists!

This past weekend Coach Todd Dodge was inducted into the 2025 Texas Sports Hall of Fame, honoring his impact as both a player andcoach.

A standout quarterback at Port Arthur Jefferson High School and the University of Texas, Dodge set records and helped shape Texas football history. However, his true legacy lies in coaching, where he led Southlake Carroll to four state championships, revolutionizing the game with his spread offense. He later found success at Austin Westlake, adding more titlestohisname.

Now the head coach and athletic director at Lovejoy High School, Dodge continues to inspirethenextgeneration.Hisinductionisa testament to his lasting influence on Texas football.Congratulations,CoachDodge!

Last night, we had an amazing turnout for our Taste of Cultures event at LovejoyHighSchoolwhichhadmorethan20countriesrepresented.Thefood and hospitality provided by our families who hosted tables were exceptional. Attendees enjoyed delicious and authentic dishes, were entertained by wonderfulmusicalanddanceperformances,andhadthechancetolearnmore aboutourstudentsandtheirfamilies. Itwasatrulymemorablecelebrationof culture and community. A special thank you to Camille Simpkins and Jill LaTorre for organizing and collaborating with district staff to bring this wonderfuleventtoourstudents,staffandfamilies. BRAVO!

Diversabilities Day offered a hands-on opportunity for students to experience whatitmightbeliketolivewithdifferentchallenges.Thedayfeaturesactivities focused on topics such as dyslexia, autism, ADHD, vision impairment, hearing impairment, limb differences, and more. This experience promotes empathy and fosters a sense of inclusion, helping to build a connected and supportive community. Our students participated with enthusiasm and asked many questionsofhowtheycouldbekindandhelpothers.

FebruaryisCareerandTechnicalEducationMonth

CareerandTechnicalEducationMonthisapublicawarenesscampaignthattakesplaceeach February to celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE), the accomplishments of CTE programsandtheimportanceofCTEforallstudents.

WhatisCareerandTechnicalEducation?

Career and technical education (CTE) is the practice of teaching specific career skills to studentsinmiddleschool,highschool,andpost-secondaryinstitutions.CTEprogramsoffera sequenceofcoursesthatprovidesstudentswithcoherentandrigorouscontent.CTEcontentis aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills neededtoprepareforfurthereducationandcareersincurrentoremergingprofessions

CTE prepares the workforce across a wide range of industries and occupations. Lovejoy ISD currently offers programs of study in the following career clusters on the middle and high schoolcampuses:

Arts,Audio/Video,Technology,andCommunications

Business,Marketing,andFinance

EducationandTraining

Engineering

HealthScience

InformationTechnology Manufacturing Transportation,Distribution,andLogistics

The role of CTE in middle school is to introduce students to options in a variety of career clusterstopreparethemtochooseapathwaytofocusonwhileinhighschool.

Atthehighschoollevel,studentstypicallypursueapathwayofcourseswithinasinglecluster likebusinessorSTEM.Manyofthecoursesculminateincertificationsbytheendofastudent’s senior year. Lovejoy prepares students for these assessments because certification demonstrateslearners’competencywithaparticularsetofskillsandsignalstheirreadinessto begin work as industry professionals. In the 2023-2024 school year, Lovejoy students earned 345industry-basedcertifications

TheAdvantagesofCTE

ThefocusandapplicabilityofCTEresultsintwoadvantages: CTEishighlyspecialized CTEisincrediblyversatile Students can develop a specific set of skills that are still applicable to a broad range of realworldcontexts,makingthememployableinavarietyoffields.

CareerandTechnicalStudentOrganizations(CTSO)

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) enhance student learning through contextualinstruction,leadershipandpersonaldevelopment,appliedlearningandreal-world application. The work of a CTSO is an integral component of the classroom curriculum and instruction, building upon employability and career skills and concepts through the applicationandengagementofstudentsinhands-ondemonstrationsandreallifeand/orwork experiencesthroughaCTEprogram

LovejoyISDcurrentlyhasthreeactiveCTSO’s:

HOSA-FutureHealthProfessionals

TSA-TechnologyStudentAssociation

TAFE-TexasAssociationofFutureEducators

UpcomingEvents

SomethingisalwayshappeningintheworldofCTE!TwoeventsinFebruaryincludetheReality FairandtheHOSAcompetition.

Reality Fair - StudentswillparticipateinaRealityFairhostedbyMyCommunityCreditUnion. Participatingstudentswilllearnaboutbudgetingandtheimportanceofestablishingcredit

HOSA - SpringLeadershipConference,February21-22,2025inTyler,Texas

Twenty-one students are registered to compete in the HOSA - Future Health Professionals (formerlyHealthOccupationsStudentsofAmerica)SpringLeadershipConference.HOSAisan international career and technical student organization endorsed by the US Department of EducationandtheHealthScienceTechnologyEducationDivisionofACTE.

CompetitiveeventsaredesignedtomotivateHOSAmemberstoimprovetheirknowledgeand skills, and recognize those students who are willing to pursue excellence by preparing for competition. Some of the events include healthy lifestyles, prepared speaking, health educationandmedicalinnovation

Lovejoy Visual Arts would like to invite you to the 10th Annual Portrait Show; February 26th from 5-7pm. This collection of work is an investigation of the conceptsofidentityandselfthroughtheeyesandhandsofstudentsofallages andstagesofexplorationinLJVA.Whetherdealingwithhonestrepresentation or the languages of abstraction and symbolism, the work chosen for this exhibition speaks to the ever-evolving idea of how we see ourselves and the world around us. This carefully selected exhibition is a celebration of the diversity and personal experience that is found within our student body and Lovejoy community. Please join us to celebrate these selected artists at the Lovejoy High School Gallery opening, Wednesday, February 26th from 5-7pm (light snacks will be served). If you are unable to attend the night of the opening,theexhibitionwillbeupforviewinguntilMarch5th.

Want to get Connected, Enrich our District and Serve?

LovejoyISDisauniquelyspecialdistrictinpartbecauseofour community partnerships. We want to take an opportunity to highlighttheimportanceoftheLovejoyPTOs,andtheircritical roleaswestriveforexcellenceineducation.

OurcampusParentTeacherOrganizationsarethecornerstone of our district, providing essential resources that support our students, teachers and staff. Through student and parent educational programs, family engagement activities and events,

providingteachersupportandappreciation,theireffortsdirectlyimpactourschoolsin somanymeaningfulways.

AllofourLovejoyPTOsadheretothefollowingmissionandgoals:

Mission: The mission of this PTO is to encourage a thriving partnership between parents, teachers,andadministrationtoenhancetheeducationofeverystudent,whileaidingthemin achievingtheirhighestpotential.

Goals:ThespecificgoalsofthisPTOare:

To connect and promote collaboration among parents, students, educators, and the community

Toenrichallstudents’Lovejoyeducationalexperience

Toserveinvolunteerroleswhichbenefitstudents,teachers,staffandparents

The success of our PTO and, ultimately, the success of our students depends on the involvement and support of parents, guardians, and community members like you. When families and schools work together, we create a stronger, more connected learning environmentwherestudentscanthrive.

We encourage our community to consider joining one of our PTO’s in any way that fits your timeandinterests.Whetheryoucangivealittleoralot,everycontributionhelpsbuildamore enriching and supportive educational experience for our children. If you’re interested in learningmoreabouthowtogetinvolved,pleasefeelfreetofilloutoneofourboardinterest formsandsomeoneinPTOleadershipwillreachouttoyou.Youcanalsoaccessthedistricts websitetoseeeachindividualPTOwebsiteformoreinformation

FLA PTO Board Interest Form

Hart PTO Board Interest Form

Puster Board Interest Form

Sloan Creek PTO Board Interest Form

Willow Springs PTO Board Interest Form

Lovejoy High School Board Interest Form

Together, we can continue to make Lovejoy ISD a place where students feel supported, engaged, and empowered to achieve their best. Thank you for your partnership and commitmenttoourschools

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 Sloan Creek Quiz Bowl team made a remarkable debut at their first tournament on February 8th. In NAQT’s Quiz Bowl national league, they compete in small teams in "Jeopardy" style matches covering diverse topics includingliterature,history,finearts,science,math,geography,currentevents, and sports. As the only public school team in the tournament, our two teams tied for an impressive 4th place out of 12 experienced elementary teams, competing against established programs from St. Mark's of Texas, Greenhill, andSt.Mark'sCatholicinPlano.Theteams’successisparticularlynoteworthy given they have only been practicing for two months, compared to other schools' years-long programs, with our students dedicating themselves to weeklyteampractices,dailyself-study,andpeerpracticesessionsviaZoom.

Congratstotheteammembers:

SriCheruku(5th)

EamonD’Arcy(6th)

ElliotDykstra(6th)

VivaanKotagiri(5th)

IanKwon(5th)

CarterRandall(5th)

8nextyearandisinterestedinjoining tactjason klotz@lovejoyisd.net.

Congratulations to our Lovejoy Wrestlers, Aro Ogle-Garza, Eli Silva, and Brock McKnight, on their outstanding performances at the 2025 UIL State Wrestling Championship! Weareimmenselyproudofyourdedicationandcommitment totrainingforthisseason. G.R.I.N.D!!!

CalebBorn,MeganLyons,andMaxRattleff had a great week at the Texas Music Educators Association conference in the AllStateBands!

LHS Band Director, Marty Ball said the followingabouttheirperformances:

“The 5A Percussion Ensemble played a fun and fascinating piece for 12 triangles called "Escape x 12" by Drew Worden. Max Rattleff was a real leader in the ensemble and we are so proud of him!”

Megan Lyon’s performance with the Sinfonietta Orchestra was absolutely beautiful with especially powerful moments from the horn section. It was stunning!

“Caleb Born’s performance with the 5A Symphonic Band was truly outstanding They demonstrated terrific programming and fantastic execution!”

y y y y, y , , g overallteamvictoryagainsttop-tiercompetitionfromacrossNorthTexas.The Junior Varsity (JV) Boys also put up a commendable effort, finishing in sixth placeoverall.

AmajorhighlightoftheeventcamefromtheSprintMedleyRelayteam,which shattered the school record with an impressive time of 3:32.80. The recordbreaking squad included Leandro Torres, Will Carlson, Caden Gary, and Jake Brunett,whoshowcasedtheirexceptionalspeedandcoordinationonthetrack.

TOPPERFORMANCESATMCKINNEYBOYDRELAYS

IndividualAchievements:

TylerMorefield–1stPlace,Varsity3200M

TristanArceneau–2ndPlace,Varsity3200M

JohnMichaelMartin–1stPlace,VarsityDiscus

RelayVictoriesandPodiumFinishes:

JV4x800MRelay–1stPlace

Jack Reid, Adam Morefield, EJ Morrow, Harrison Boyd

Varsity4x800MRelay–1stPlace

Aaron Wimbish, Jack Thompson, Ethan Murray, Will Carlson

Varsity Distance Medley Relay –2ndPlace

Jack Thompson, Zach Carlson, Devin Muaina, Aaron Wimbish

Varsity Sprint Medley Relay –1stPlace

Jake Brunett, Leandro Torres, Will Carlson, Caden Gary

Varsity4x400MRelay–2ndPlace

Beyer Toyooka, Leandro Torres, Jake Brunett, Caden Gary

Tournamentfevercontinues!

The Leopards are charging into another week of action, sharpening our claws for the district showdown. Come roarwithusatthefield!

LovejoyRoboticshadagreatturnoutattheSouthlakeSkillsOnlytournament onSaturday2/15.Ourteamsweretryingtoimprovetheirstandingintheregion inskills.Theseskillsonlyeventscanbeverystressfulforourstudentsasthey are only competing one at a time. They get 3 driver runs and 3 program runs witha2-minutetimelimiteachrun.Theyaretryingtoscoreasmanypointsas possibleduringeachrun.Ourteamsdidamazingandeachteamimprovedon pastperformance.

Hereweretheresults:

1082Ecamein1statthistournamentwitha112;1stinourregion

1082Mwas2ndandscored103points;2ndinourregion

1082Swas3rdwith84points;5thinourregion

1082G was 7th with 75 points; 11th in our region, and improved on their previousbestof32

1082Jplaced8thwith71points;12thinourregion

1082Tplaced10thwith57points;19thinourregion

1082Vplaced21with28points;47inourregion

The following teams will be attending the World Qualifying Texas Region 5 StateChampionshiphostedintheLovejoyHighSchoolmaingymonMarch1st: 1082E, 1082G, 1082J, 1082M, 1082R, 1082S & 1082T. The tournament is scheduledfrom8:30-5:45onMarch1st.Everyonehasworkedincrediblyhard throughouttheyear.Pleasecomeouttosupportthemasweattempttoqualify fortheWorldChampionshipinDallascomingupinMay.

LJVA isthrilledtoannouncethatthe2024APArtandDesignDigitalExhibit isnowlive,featuringoneofourincrediblestudents,MakennaFord('24)!

The 2024 AP Art and Design Digital Exhibit showcases 48 high school artists from five countries,selectedfromover80,000portfoliossubmittedforthe2024APArtandDesign Exam.Thesestudentworksareoutstandingexamplesoforiginalartbasedonpersonal ideasandexperiences.TheexhibitnotonlyhighlightstherigorandexcellenceoftheAP ArtandDesignportfolio,butalsoservesasavaluableteachingtoolforAPArtandDesign studentsworldwide.Lastyearsexhibitattractedover250,000views,makingitapopular platformforviewinghighschoolstudentart.

Participating in AP Art and Design involves a comprehensive process where students; work is guided by observation, research, experimentation, discussion, critical analysis, andreflection.Theydocumenttheirartisticideasandpracticestoshowconceptualand technical development, creating a portfolio that includes artworks, process documentation, and written information. In May, students submit their portfolios for evaluationbasedoncriterialiketheskillfulsynthesisofmaterials,processes,andideas, aswellasasustainedinvestigationthroughpractice,experimentation,andrevision.

Congratulations to Makenna for this incredible honor and for being such an extraordinary example of the humble leadership, commitment to personal goals, authenticity,andunwaveringworkethicthatLJVAhopestoinstillinallofourartists.

The stunning visual effects you see in each fall marching show are provided by our hard working, talented color guard. As soon as the marching season ends,thecolorguardbeginstheWinterGuardseason.InWinterGuard,guard membersputtogetherashowperformedindoorsthatshowcasestheirdance, acting and spinning skills! In addition to their daily rehearsals during class, these students meet twice a week to practice in the Sloan Creek gym until 9 pm.

OnFebruary14,theLovejoyGuardparticipatedintheirsecondcontestofthe seasonatEmersonHighSchool.TheLovejoyJVColorGuardwonthirdplace in the Regional A classification. Lovejoy Varsity Guard won first place in the Scholastic A classification. We are so proud of their beautiful, lyrical performances!Congratulations,Guard!

Due to anticipated weather concerns Tuesday night the game was moved to Mondaynight,butthatdidn'trattleyourLeopardsoftballteam!Thegirlstook on the Grapevine Mustangs resulting in a 1-0 WIN! The girls battled for seven inningsondefensetokeeptheMustangsfromscoring.WehavetogiveaHUGE shoutouttoourjuniorpitcherIzzyGuarrielloforOWNINGthecircleandearning FIFTEENstrikeouts!Onoffensewewereabletoscoreinthebottomofthe3rd inningwithabase-hitfromjuniorSameeraSaluja!

ThisweekendthegirlswillcompeteintheAllenVarsityTournament,schedule times may change due to weather. Make sure you're following us on X and Instagram@SoftballLovejoyforschedulechangesandupdates!

What an exciting week! Lovejoy Band started off with the Midwinter Concert. The first performance of our UIL/Carnegie programs was a success! The students will play these pieces at the UIL Concert & Sightreading Contest on April7.

TheLeopardLifewebsiteisanewadditiontoLovejoy’swaystostayengaged. SchoolrelatedflyersandcommunitynewswillbesharedontheLeopardLife.

Thisweek'sfeaturedflyersare:

LovejoyHighSchoolFineArtsEvents(Feb.2025)

LHSBowl-A-Thon(Feb.21st)

LovejoyGiftedAssociation:STEMEvent(Feb.22nd)

U90SoccerBoosterFundraiser(Feb.26th) 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!

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.

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!