Connect with Katie.02.28.2025.Issue28 by Lovejoy ISD

Connect with Katie

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

PUSTER

SCIS MID-WINTER BAND CONCERT

SCIS ORCHESTRA CONCERT

SCIS PORTRAIT SHOWCASE

GIRLS SOCCER

JAVA & JAZZ

AP SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS

HOSA AREA COMPETITION

BOYS BASKETBALL HONORS

MAJESTICS CONTEST SUCCESS

MAJESTICS SERVICE PROJECT LEOPARD BASEBALL

LovejoyCommunity,

Great things are happening in Lovejoy ISD! Last night, we proudly celebrated academic excellence at Lovejoy High School with a truly special Academic Awards Celebration that showcased the hard work and achievements of our students. The evening was filled with excitement as we honored over 400 students and their dedicated teachers. The atmosphere was vibrant, with delicious food, lively conversations, and meaningful fellowship. This This level of excellence and achievement would not be possible without the supportofourparentsandthesignificantimpactofoureducators.

2025BondPropositionCommunityPresentations

The 2025 Bond proposition impacts every student and every school. We strongly encourage you to join us at one of our upcoming informational community presentations. For a list of upcoming community informational presentationsclickhere.

LOVEJOY2030StrategicPlanUpdate

AtMondaynight’sboardmeeting,wewereproudtoshareourannualprogress updateontheLOVEJOY2030StrategicPlan.Inthespringof2022,100Lovejoy ISDstudents,parents,educators,andcommunitymemberscametogetherand developedourstrategicplan.Ourstrategicplanhasprovidedcleardirectionby aligning our vision and goals. It has also guided resource allocation and communication, enabling us to prioritize key initiatives and foster organizationalalignment.YoucanviewtheLOVEJOY2030StrategicPlanhere.

LHSStudent-SuperintendentConnectionCouncilStudyTrip

BoardLegislativeSubcommitteeVisitsStateCapital

BoardPresidentBarrettOwens,VicePresidentJeffWood,andBoardLegislative Subcommittee Chair Jason Jaynes, Rodricka Taylor, and I spent Wednesday in AustinatourStateCapitol.WeengagedwithLegislatorstodiscusstheneedsof ourDistrictandthechallengeswearefacing.TheBoard’sLegislativePriororities canbeaccessedhere.Iwanttoexpressmyheartfeltappreciationforourboard members who sacrifice their personal time to advocate for our school district. Weareincrediblyfortunatetohavesuchacommittedandselflessboard,andI am deeply grateful for their continued state level advocacy. We want to thank theelectedofficialsandlegislativestaffthattookthetimetovisitwithus.

MyCommunityCreditUnion(MCCU)RealityFair

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of observing the My Community Credit Union Reality Fair in action at Lovejoy High School. Students had the opportunity to interact with financial professionals, learn about the importance of financial planning, and make real-world decisions about managing their money. A BIG Lovejoy thank you for MCCU’s continued partnership and exceptional support. Welookforwardtosharingmoreaboutthiseventwithyounextweek.

LegacyofExcellence:HighlightsandCelebrations

Swim&Dive

We had 14 state Qualifiers! Ava Easley was unstoppable, advancing to finals in both the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle, where she secured an impressive 4th-place finish! Kennedie Hummel fought hard in the finals and placed 15th overallasaFreshman,whileMariaFaorodominatedthecompetition,claiming herTHIRDStateChampionshiptitleandbringinghometheGOLDinDiving!Final Team Standings: Men's Team: 26th in the state! Women's Team: 16th in the state!

AllStateBandStudents(TMEASanAntonio)

Congratulations to these outstanding musicians on this significant achievement!

CalebBorn

MeganLyons MaxRattleff

HOSA(FutureHealthProfessionals)

BothofourHOSAteamsareadvancingtotheHOSAStateCompetitioninApril. Congratulationstothesededicatedstudentsontheiroutstandingachievement!

Robotics

Today and tomorrow, Robotics hosts their final hosted tournament of the season at Lovejoy High School, the Texas Region 5 Championship. Lovejoy is number1082with7teamscompeting.Let’sgoLeopards!Viewthefullschedule here.

Majestics

This weekend, our Majestics compete at State in Burleson. Lovejoy is cheering foryou!Accessthefullschedulehere.

TheDenimandDiamondsGalaistomorroweveningatSouthForkRanchandI hope to see many of you there. We send our gratitude to the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools for bringing our community together to support our precious students, teachers and staff. The Foundation, supported by the generosity of ourcommunity,makesapowerfulandtangibleimpactonLovejoyISD.

WishingyouaweekendfilledwithLoveandJoy!

ThereisonlyONELOVEJOYandweareALLLEOPARDS!

LovejoyProud,

KatieKordel Superintendent

Lovejoy Swim & Dive made waves at the State Competition with incredible performancesacrosstheboard!AllfiverelaysthatqualifiedforStatepowered theirwayintothefinals,rackingupmajorpointsfortheteam!

AvaEasleywasunstoppable,advancingtofinalsinboththe100backstrokeand 100freestyle,whereshesecuredanimpressive4th-placefinish!

Kennedie Hummel fought hard in the finals and placed 15th overall, while Maria Faoro dominated the competition, claiming her THIRD State ChampionshiptitleandbringinghometheGOLDinDiving!

FinalTeamStandings:

Men'sTeam:26thinthestate!

Women'sTeam:16thinthestate!

Lastnight,weproudlycelebratedacademicexcellenceatLovejoyHighSchool withatrulyspecialAdvancedAcademicAwardsCelebrationthatshowcasedthe hardworkandachievementsofover400studentsandtheirdedicatedteachers.

Thisyear,weembracedafreshapproachwhichincludedhostingtheeventat the high school. The atmosphere was vibrant, with delicious food, lively conversations, and meaningful fellowship. Students and families were in attendance, and we were overjoyed to see our community stay to enjoy the festivitiesandcelebratetogether.

This level of excellence and achievement would not be possible without the support of our phenomenal parents and the significant impact of our educators.Aspecialthankyoutothepeoplethatmadethisrecognitionevent possible: Principal Justin Wieller and the LHS Administrative and Counseling Team,andDr.TinsleyandtheCurriculumandInstructionTeam:CrystalGaddie MaryMullen,AngelaBridgesandTiffanyMurdock.

Board President Barrett Owens, Vice President Jeff Wood, and Board Legislative Subcommittee Chair Jason Jaynes, and Superintendent Kordel spent Wednesday in Austin at our State Capitol engaging with LegislatorstodiscusstheneedsofourDistrict and the challenges we are facing. We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for ourboardmemberswhosacrifice

sacrifice their personal time to advocate for our school district. Lovejoy ISD is incredibly fortunate to have such a committed board. We want to thank the electedofficialsandlegislativestaffthattookthetimetovisitwithus. TheBoard’sLegislativePriororitiescanbeaccessedhere.

On Tuesday, the Lovejoy High School Student-Superintendent Connection CouncilenjoyedastudytriptotheGeorgeW.BushPresidentialMuseum.This experience was part of our continued focus on leadership. Students had the opportunity to explore the themes of leadership and decision-making. The museum’s exhibits provided a unique, firsthand look at the challenges and responsibilities of leadership. Through interactive displays and historical artifacts,studentswereabletodelveintothecomplexitiesofleadershipduring times of national and international crisis. It was an inspiring educational experience and we were especially proud that several of the docents commentedthatourstudentswerepoliteandrespectful.

With a continued focus on leadership this school year, this unique experience providedstudentswithafirsthandlookatpresidentialhistory,leadership,and decision-making an opportunity that aligns with LOVEJOY 2030 Strategic Target 2.1.1: Provide learning experiences and opportunities for students todevelopagrowthmindset.

Thank you to Superintendent Kordel and Principal Wieller who made this trip possible!

March5,2025,11:30AM-12:30PM,LovejoyChildDevelopmentCenterLibrary

March7,2025,8:15AM-9:15AM,LovejoyChildDevelopmentCenterLibrary

March10,2025,6:00PM-7:00PM,HartElementarySchool

March13,2025,8:15AM-9:00AM,LovejoyHighSchoolAND 6:00PM-7:00PM,PusterElementarySchool

March26,2025,6:00PM-7:00PM,WillowSpringsMiddleSchool

March27,2025,12:00PM-1:00PM,SloanCreekIntermediateSchool

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

Lovejoy ISD is hosting an Instructional Materials Review and Selection (IMRA) parent information meeting Thursday, March 6, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The meeting will be held in the Lovejoy Child Development Center library. Information will be shared about the instructional materials review and selectionprocess.Thepreliminaryrecommendationsforthe2025-2026school year that have been moved forward by the IMRA committee for Phonics (K-3), ReadingLanguageArts(K-5)andMathematics(K-5)instructionalmaterialswill bepresented.

In addition, parents will have an opportunity to preview the preliminary recommendationsMarch3throughMarch13betweenthehoursof10:00AMto 2:00 PM. Extended preview hours are scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The instructional materials will be available for preview at the LovejoyISDAdministrationBuilding.

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

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

SloanCreekIntermediate WillowSpringsMiddle

LovejoyHighSchool

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 Puster PTO has been hard at work providing unique opportunities and enrichingexperiencesforourstudents.Recently,studentshadtheopportunity tobringtheirfamiliestoPusterforauniqueSTEMexperienceprovidedbythe Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Our Puster staff jumped in to volunteer andmanagemanyengagingsciencestations.OurlocalLucas,TexasBlackland PrairieRaptorCenterwasonsightaswellprovidingstudentstheopportunityto viewnatureupcloseandpersonal.

This week our Puster PTO provided our families the opportunity to start their daytogetheroncampus,hostingthefirstannualLatteswithaLovedOne.We hadgrandparents,parents,siblingsandotherrelativesjoinforahotdrinkand pastrybeforeshoppingthespringbookfairtogether.Itwastrulyaspecialstart totheday.THANKYOUPusterPTO!

The Sloan Creek Intermediate School Mid-Winter band concert was a huge success! Ms. Briana Weaver, Sloan Creek Band Director said, “It was a treat gettingtoperformagainforourfamiliesandcommunity,andweareinaweof howfarthebeginnerstudentshavecomesofarthisyear.Wecan'twaittosee whatamazingthingsthey'llbeabletodobyournextperformance!”

OnFebruary3rd,theSCIS6thgradeOrchestrahadafabulousconcertcomplete with an ice cream social for students and families afterwards! The beginner orchestra students played three pieces that were in five part harmony! The studentscontinuetoamazeuswiththeirprogress!Joinusforournextconcert onMay1stintheMainGymatLovejoyHS.ItisacombinedconcertwithSCIS andWSMSOrchestras!

Sloan Creek students were proudly showcased in the Lovejoy Visual Arts PortraitShowonFebruary26.We’reveryproudoftheincrediblecreativityand artistictalentondisplayfromouryoungartists!

The varsity girls soccer team is 14-1-1 (9-0-1) and first in district. They beat Denison 10-0, with goals by Chloe Reyna, Lainey Pierce (hat trick), Brenna Wallace,EllaYork,EmmaNelson(2),KatieMitchell,andRachelDobbs.Assists came from Emma Nelson (3), Ella York (2), AJ Self (2), Chloe Reyna, and Katie Manders. On Saturday, they defeated Anna 2-0 with goals from Emma Nelson and Chloe Reyna, assisted by Katie Mitchell and Emma Nelson. Kenlea Swadener recorded two clean sheets, backed by defenders Josselyn Schuler, Brenna Wallace, Cam Newhouse, Margo Chester, and Katie Manders. On Tuesday,thegirlstiedWalnutGrove1-1,withEmmaNelson’sgoalassistedby KatieMitchell.

TheJVgirlslost3-2toWalnutGrove.ClaireBeveridgescoredfirstoffaMegan Kinser throw-in, and Morgan Suder added a goal from a Claire Beveridge corner.TheJVteamisnow7-2-1(5-2)andsecondindistrict.

Joinustosupportthegirlsvs.MelissaonMarch4forFutureLeopardNightas weaimforasecondconsecutivedistrictchampionship.

JavaandJazzwasagreatnightofjazzmusic!Therewerelotsofsweettreatsto gowiththesweettunes!TheJazzBandandACappellaChoireachperformedfeaturing instrumental and vocal solos. We highly recommend joining us for JavaandJazznextyear!

Lastweek,theAPSeminarteamsgavetheirpresentationsintheLectureHallto peers,parents,teachers,andadministrators.Thispresentationcountsas10% of their AP Seminar College Board score. Over a 6-week period, teams chose their own topic to explore, separated the topic into lenses (a focus of study), researched their portion and wrote a 1200-word report to share with their team. The team then synthesized those reports to create an argument for a resolution or solution and created an 8–10-minute presentation of that argument.

Lovejoy High School students earned top honors at the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Area 3 Leadership Conference this weekend in Tyler,competingagainstschoolsfromacrossNorthTexas,includingFriscoISD, DallasISD,PlanoISD,AllenISD,andTylerISD.

FirstplaceResearchPoster: SaankyaJagarlapudiResearchPoster

SecondPlaceHealthEducation:

LayneDechant

MilaKamali

ShriBaidya

NoahKamali

KatePeabody

Both teams are now set to advance to the HOSA State Competition in April. Congratulations to these dedicated students on their outstanding achievements!

The Lovejoy Leopards Boys Basketball team had an impressive 2024-2025 season,finishingwitha28-6record.Afteraone-pointlossintheirfirstdistrict gametoWalnutGrove,theLeopardsbouncedbackwith13consecutivedistrict wins,clinchinganoutrightdistricttitle.Theyextendedtheirwinningstreakto 15gamesbeforeatough44-41losstoHallsvilleintheBi-Districtplayoffs.The Leopards' success was highlighted by six players receiving all-district honors.

Tate Ziemkiewicz was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Luke Modersohn and Maddox Johnson earned 1st Team All-District recognition. Pierce Patel and Alex Cheatham were selected to 2nd Team All-District, and Luke Lytle was named to the All-Defensive Team. Coach Wes Watson and his staffwerealsohonoredwithDistrict9-5ACoachingStaffoftheYear.

The Majestics Dance Team attended their second and final contest of the season on Saturday, February 15th. They competed at the Showmakers of AmericaRegionalDanceCompetitionhostedatRowlettHighSchool.Boththe teamanddanceofficershadaCLEANSWEEP,takinghomefirstplaceinevery category they competed in including first place in their division and overall. TheyreceivedbothSweepstakesandJudgesawardsforreceivinga90orhigher fromalljudgesonallroutines.BothgroupsalsowalkedawaywiththePinnacle Award being named the top scoring team and officer line of the entire competition.Wearesoproudoftheseincredibledancersforwinningsomany topawardsandrepresentingLovejoywithhighhonors!!!Pleaseseeafulllistof awardsandrecognitionsbelow.

TeamAwards PENNACLEAWARD–TOPSCORINGTEAMOFTHEENTIRECOMPETITION

Sweepstakes&Judge’sAward

1stPlaceHighSchoolVarsityTeamJazz

1stPlaceHighSchoolVarsityTeamContemporary

1stPlaceHighSchoolVarsityTeamHipHop

Showmanship,Choreography,andTechniqueHonors

OverallEntertainment–TeamJazz

HighPoint–TeamJazz(highestscoringroutineofthedayatcontestoverall)

OfficerAwards PENNACLEAWARD–TOPSCORINGOFFICERSOFTHEENTIRECOMPETITION FIRSTPLACEHIGHSCHOOLVARSITYOFFICERS

Sweepstakes&Judge’sAward

Showmanship,Choreography,Technique,andPrecisionHonors

1stPlaceHighSchoolVarsityOfficerJazz

1stPlaceHighSchoolVarsityOfficerContemporary

1stPlaceHighSchoolVarsityOfficerLyrical

1stPlaceHighSchoolVarsityOfficerOpen

EliteAwards

1stPlaceLargeEnsemble–ImperialEliteContemporary

Solos

9th–10thGradeSoloists:

1stPlace–SophomoreEllaClaborn

5thPlace–SophomoreChloeLong

11th–12thGradeSoloists:

1stPlace–SeniorAlisaSemenova

2ndPlace–JuniorJaynieSanovich

4thPlace–JuniorEmmaPierce

5thPlace–SeniorRobinCrigger

Pleasehelpusincongratulatingtheseoutstandinggirlsonasuccessfulcontest season!!!WehopeyouwillattendMajesticsSpringShowApril3rd-5thtosee alloftheseincredibledancesandmore!!!

This week, our LHS Majestics had the opportunity to strengthen their team bondwhilepackagingmealstobesenttoPeru.TheyteamedupwithFeedMy StarvingChildren(FMSC)inRichardson,anorganizationdedicatedtoproviding nutritiousmealstochildrenaroundtheworld.FMSC’smissionisrootedinthe belief that hope begins with food. The meals are carefully crafted by food science and nutrition experts to meet essential nutritional needs and help combat malnutrition. Proper nutrition enables children to grow, thrive, and reachtheirfullpotential.OnTuesdayevening,theMajesticspacked109boxes of meals, providing 23,544 servings—enough to feed 64 children for an entire year. The Majestics are proud to help make a meaningful impact and grateful fortheopportunitytogivebackandhelpchildreninneedaroundtheworld.

TheLeopardswouldn'tletalittleweatherslowthemdown!Tournamentplayis infullswingandbaseballisheadingintoacrucialweek–itistheirlastchance to fine-tune before district. Check out the impressive results from Saturday's (2/22)games:

Varsity: Dominant 9-0 victory over College Station, followed by a hardfought3-4lossin10inningsagainstProsper.

JVBlack:Twothrillingwins,5-4againstAllenand10-4againstJJPearce.

JV Red: A pair of decisive victories, 10-4 over Wakeland and 14-4 against Centennial.

Baseballwouldlovetoseeyouatthefield thisweek!

Lovejoy ISD is committed to providing consistent, transparent communication with ourcommunityandemployees.Wehopethis meeting summary will support you in staying connected and informed. Click the image on thelefttoopenthesummaryandpictures.

Regular Board Meetings and Workshops are nowrecordedandarchivedontheLovejoyISD website. You can access Regular Board Meeting and Workshop recordings by clicking theimageontheright.

The full Regular Board Meeting agenda with supporting documents may be viewedbyclickingtheimageontheleft.

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!