Connect with Katie.03.07.2025.Issue29 by Lovejoy ISD

Connect with Katie

MARCH 07, 2025

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

LovejoyCommunity,

We are extremely proud of our students. Lovejoy ISDSpecialOlympicsathletes,rangingfrom2ndto 12th grade, brought their A-game to basketball competitions this month, competing with heart anddeterminationateventsinbothAnnaISDand Van Alstyne ISD. The Special Olympics basketball skillsprogramisdesignedtohelpathletesdevelop fundamental skills while promoting teamwork, confidence, and sportsmanship. We are Lovejoy Proud Proudofourathletes!

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.

Denim&Diamonds:TheFoundationforLovejoySchools

This past Saturday, The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools hosted their annual fundraisinggala,Denim&DiamondsatSouthforkRanch.Itwasaneveningto remember, filled with connection, community, and generous support for LovejoyISD.368ticketstotheeventweresold,andnearly$72,000wasraised toward our Safety and Security program. These funds help support school marshalsalaries,aswellasequipmentandtoolstohelpkeepourstudentsand staffsafe.ThegenerosityoftheFoundationandtheLovejoyISDcommunityisa truetestamentofourcorevalue:OneHeart.OneLovejoy.Aspecialthankyou to Donna Johnson, Denim and Diamonds Chair, as well as Sarah Brown, Kim Hoover, and Brian Dale for the work they put into hosting this event. We appreciate the entire Foundation Board for using their time and talents to supportLovejoyISDstudentsandeducators.

CommunityandConnection

WewereexcitedtohavePamLittle,StateBoardofEducation,visitHart ElementarySchoolclassroomsthisweek.Ourstudentswerethrilledtoshare theirlearningwithMrs.Little.LeadershipLovejoyClassof‘25visitedLovejoy HighSchoolandHartElementarySchool.Leadershipclassparticipantstoured classroomsandengagedwithourstudents,campusprincipals,assistant principals,counselors,fineartsandathleticdepartments.Thisweek,wealso enjoyedthefellowshipofconnectingwithHeritageRanchcommunitymembers.

LegacyofExcellence:HighlightsandCelebrations

RoboticsRegionalChampionship

LovejoyRoboticshostedtheRegionalChampionshipthispastweekendandsent 7teamstotheregionaltournament.Roboticshasearnedatotalof37trophiesat only10tournaments!

LHSTheatreOneActPlayUILResults

CongratulationstoourLHSTheatrecastandcrewforadvancingtodistrict!

ColorGuard

TheLovejoyColorGuardprogramhadabannerweekendparticipatinginthe NTCAWylieColorGuardCompetition.TheWillowSpringsColorGuardwon2nd place,theLovejoyJVColorGuardwon3rdplace,andtheLovejoyVarsityColor Guardwon2ndplace!

WSMSChoirSweepstakes

WillowSpringsMiddleSchoolChoirearnedsweepstakesyesterdayattheUIL ConcertandSight-ReadingContest.Theywereawardeda1(superior)ratingby allsixjudges.ThisisthefirsttreblechoirtoreceivesweepstakesfromWillow SpringsMSsince202 s

ThereisonlyONELO !

LovejoyProud, KatieKordel

Superintendent

LovejoyISDstudentsingrades2-12participatedinSpecialOlympicsBasketball competitions this month in both Anna ISD and Van Alstyne. The Special Olympics basketball skills program is designed to help athletes develop fundamentalskillswhilepromotingteamwork,confidence,andsportsmanship. It provides opportunities for individuals with special needs to participate in basketball at their own pace, whether they are beginners or experienced players. Our students competed in dribbling and passing and shooting exercises. Many ribbons and medals were won, however, the highlight of the event may have been the celebratory dance party at the end proving that while competition is exciting, the joy of community and camaraderie is what trulymakestheseeventsspecial.

Congratulationstoallourathletesfortheirachieveme

LovejoyISDwithpride!

Lovejoy ISD is proud to announce Mr. Sean McMurry as Head Volleyball Coach at Lovejoy High School. Coach McMurry joins Lovejoy ISD with seven years of experience as a high school volleyballcoachandclassroomteacher.Hemost recently led A&M Consolidated High School's volleyball team to an undefeated district record and earned Coach of the Year honors in 2024. With extensive experience at the Houston Skyline Volleyball Club, he has coached over 30 futureDivisionIathletes.CoachMcMurryholdsa degreeinBiologyfromtheUniversityofTexasat Austin and a Physical Education certification. Readthefullpressreleasehere.

March10,2025,5:00PM-6:00PM,HartElementarySchool (New Time)

March10,2025,6:30PM-7:30PM,PusterElementary (New Date & Time)

March13,2025,8:15AM-9:00AM,LovejoyHighSchool

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

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

LovejoyISD,don’tloseyourspotwhile you read! Lovejoy ISD Libraries are excitedtochallengereaderstodesigna bookmark that celebrates reading and centers around the theme of spots-your favorite reading spots, Leopard spots, or whatever "spots" means to you. Use the theme to jumpstart your ideas; be creative. Two winners from each grade level (PreK-12) will have theirbookmarkprintedandavailableat every Lovejoy ISD school, admin building, and library. We can't wait to see your designs and share the love of reading readingonebookmarkatatime!Getstartedhere--->t.ly/GR1Wo

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.

After reading Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, Pre-K students at Lovejoy Childhood Development Center talked about trying or tasting different foods. Teachers then prepared green eggs and ham and students got to taste them. Theycreatedgraphsshowingwhethertheylikedthem,andthencountedand talkedabouttheresults.Itwasafunandengagingliteracyextension.

Hart PTO brought magic to life as they hosted the annual Daddy-Daughter Dance.Dressedtoperfectioninlinewiththe"FairytaleDance"theme,dadsand daughters enjoyed an evening filled with dancing, raffles, capturing special memories,andindulginginicecream.

AhighlightofthenightwastheDaddyDance-Off,wheredadsshowcasedtheir best moves while their daughters cheered them on in the finals, making the event even more memorable. Ms. Shah, Hart’s PTO organizer for this event, alongwiththeMajestics,didanincrediblejobcreatingatrulyspecialevening forourdadsanddaughters.

Mrs.Stewart,PusterElementary’sLibraryMediaSpecialist,providedanenriching experienceforstudentsbyintroducingthemtotheworksofauthorDianaAston. Through these hands-on stations, students connected books with art, research, and writing activities, deepening their appreciation for the author’s work. This interactiveapproachnotonlyfosteredaloveforliteratureandbuiltexcitementfor DianaAston’shighlyanticipatedvisittoPuster!

6th grade artists at Sloan Creek recently had the opportunity to travel to the “Real Unreal” Meow Wolf Universe in Grapevine, TX! This immersive, multimedia art experience showed them that Visual Arts can change your world. Students engaged in a creative scavenger hunt and used curiosity as theircompasstosolvethemystery!Manyleftplanningtheirownfuturequest to return. This opportunity further enriched their artistic community, imagination, and connections to our Sloan Creek Visual Arts curriculum and instruction.

Please join in congratulating the Willow Springs Middle School Choir for their outstanding achievement at the UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Contest yesterday,wheretheyearnedSWEEPSTAKES!Thechoirreceiveda1(superior) ratingfromallsixjudges.Thismarksthefirsttimesince2022thatatreblechoir fromWSMShasearnedsweepstakes,andtheWSMSisincrediblyproudofthese 10talentedandbravegirlsfortheirhardworkanddedication!

The Lovejoy Color Guard program had a banner weekend participating in the NTCAWylieColorGuardCompetition.ThisisaHUGEcompetitionandallthree of our teams faced more competitors than in any other contest so far this season.TheWillowSpringsColorGuardwon2ndplaceoutofsixteamsintheir class! The Lovejoy JV Color Guard won 3rd place out of twelve teams in their class! The Lovejoy Varsity Color Guard won 2nd place our of eleven teams in their class! We are so proud of all of our guard students and grateful for Ms. Garcia,whowrotealloftheirshows!

Lovejoy Robotics had an amazing weekend hosting our Region 5 Championship,with33teamsfromasfarasAbilene.Ourorganizationhadthe most teams, with 7 qualifying for the regional tournament. To put this in perspective, only one other organization had 4 teams, and two had 3 teams, whilemosthadonly1or2.

Of our 7 teams, 5 are now World Qualified, a huge achievement for our students. We are proud of all the teams, but especially the volunteers who madetheeventpossible.AspecialshoutouttoourJudgeAdvisor,TrishCook, who received the Volunteer of the Year Award for her dedication in helping prepareteamsforinterviews.

Herearetheteamhighlights:

Team 1082R: Excellence Award, Tournament Champion, and Worlds Qualifier.

Team 1082E: Tournament Finalists, Skills Champions, and Worlds Qualifiers.Theirdriver,JamesBognot,earnedoneofthetop9driverskill scoresglobally(63).

Team1082M:DesignAwardandWorldsQualifier,advancedtoSemi-finals.

Team1082S:InnovateAwardandWorldsQualifier.

Team1082J:CreateAwardandWorldsQualifier.

Team1082T:Winningrecord,reachedQuarterfinalswith1082J.

Team 1082G: Winning record, reached Quarterfinals, missed Worlds by 5 pointsinskills.

All teams performed exceptionally well and should be proud of their achievementsthisyear.

On Friday, February 28, 2025, students from AOPA Introduction to Aerospace andAviation(Sections1&2)andPLTWAerospaceEngineeringcompetedinan excitingindoordronecompetitionatLovejoyHighSchool.

Thecoursefeaturedmultiplefly-throughrings,requiringprecisionandcontrol, along with two mandatory touchdowns, testing each pilot’s ability to land accurately.Thefinalchallengedemandedskillandstrategyascompetitorshad toknocka4-inchdiameterrubberballoffapedestalusingtheirdrones.

Students from all classes showcased their piloting skills, problem-solving abilities, and adaptability under pressure. The event highlighted the importance of aerodynamic control, flight stability, and mission planning all criticalconceptsinaerospacestudies.

The competition was a thrilling experience for participants and spectators alike,fosteringcamaraderieandhands-onlearningindroneoperations.

LHS Theatre is excited to share their incredible success! Their production has advanced to the next level of the UIL competition, and they are proud to announce that they brought home five awards: Ella Snyder and Clare ChristensonreceivedHonorableMention,SophieKonecnyandKatyPaynewere named to the All-Star Cast, and Galilea Ramirez-Cardenas was recognized as the Best Technician. They will be competing at the district level on March 26 and27atRockHillHighSchoolinProsperISD.Bestoflucktotheteamasthey continuetoshowcasetheirhardworkandtalent!

The varsity girls soccer team defeated McKinney North 2-1 last Friday, with Lainey Pierce scoring both goals, assisted by Emma Nelson, as they near a back-to-backdistrictchampionship.OnTuesday,theywon4-0againstMelissa, withgoalsfromPierce,EllaYork,andNelson(2).AssistscamefromChloeReyna and Margo Chester, and Kenlea Swadener recorded her 12th clean sheet, supported by defenders Josselyn Schuler, Brenna Wallace, Cam Newhouse, MargoChester,andKatieManders.Theteamisnow16-1-1(11-0-1).

The junior varsity team also triumphed, winning 3-1 against McKinney North last Friday with goals from Morgan Suder (2) and Becca Denham, assisted by MeganKinser,TatumRunions,andClaireBeveridge.OnTuesday,theywon3-0 against Melissa, with goals from Denham, Suder, and Kinser, and assists from AlexaDavisandAddyGreen.KirstenYoakumandEmmaJarboekepttheclean sheet.TheJVteamisnow9-2-1(7-2),sitting2ndinthedistrict.

The final home game, Senior Night, is on 3/14 against Sherman at 5:30/7:15. Comesupportthegirlsintheirpursuitofaback-to-backdistrictchampionship!

Districtseasonishere,andwe'rekickingitoffwithanexcitinghomeopeneron Wednesday,March12th,astheLovejoyLeopardsfaceAnnaHighSchool.

ThisgameisextraspecialasBaseballwillbecelebratingTeacherAppreciation Night.Eachplayerwillrecognizeateacherwhohashadasignificantimpacton theirlife.Joinusaswehonorthesededicatededucatorsbeforethefirstpitch.

In addition, Lovejoy HS Principal, Mr. Justin Wieller, will throw out the ceremonialfirstpitch.Let’sgivehimawarmLeopardwelcome!

Toshowourteamspirit,we’regoingallinwithaBLACKOUTtheme.Wearblack andhelpusfillthestandswithLeopardprideaswecheeronourteam.

Lovejoy Softball closed out their tournament season in the Mid-Cities Turf Wars tournament this past weekend. The girls went 4-1 on the weekend, meaning they won 4 games and lost 1! Following the tournament seasonwehaveafewcareermilestones to celebrate! Freshman Tori Johannes hit her first high school home run, and juniorIzzyGuarriellocollectedher24th career home run! Izzy also has earned 255+ career strikeouts and sophomore Gisela Boitmann has collected 200+ career strikeouts! We are so proud of ALL of our girls and everything they haveaccomplishedandwillaccomplish this this season! Wednesday night softball celebrated WSMS & SCIS Night, we love seeingourfutureleopardsinthestands.BesuretomarkyourcalendarsforMarch 11thforElementarySchoolNightasthegirlstakeonWalnutGrove!

TheLeopardLifewebsiteisanewadditiontoLovejoy’swaystostayengaged. SchoolrelatedflyersandcommunitynewswillbesharedontheLeopardLife.

Thisweek'sfeaturedflyersare:

LHSFineArtsMarchEvents

LGAGuestSpeaker:AndiMcNair(March10th)

Upper90LovejoySoccerBoosterClub-Fundraiser(March26th)

Majestics-EggMyYard(April19th) 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!

PTOParentPresentation

Join us for our last parent program of the school year, Stress and Anxiety Management:SupportingourYouth.

ThankyoutoHartPTOandPusterPTO for sponsoring the Grant Haliburton Foundation on March 26th. We look forwardtobringingyouaninformative 90-minute presentation targeted for parents of children that are juggling school and academics, multiple extracurricular activities and being a family familyonthego.

Youngpeoplefacechallengeswithstressandanxietymorethaneverbefore. This presentation will provide strategies and practices to help adults guide theirstudentstoreduceandmanagesymptomswhilerecognizingwhenthey needtoseekprofessionalservicesformentalhealthconcerns.

March26that9:30am LovejoyChildDevelopmentCenter–Library

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

April29,2025 9:00a.m.-10:00a.m.

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!