Connect with Katie.03.22.2024.Issue30

Connect with Katie

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

MESSAGE

from the Superintendent

LovejoyCommunity,

Ihopeyouenjoyedqualityfamilytimeoverspringbreak.

The Lovejoy High School Visual Arts program made lifelong memories over spring break when they traveled to Italy for an immersive learning experience. Pictures and a summary of their trip are included in this newsletter. We are grateful to have visual arts teachers dedicated to creating incredible experiences for our students.Iwasproud,butnotsurprised,whenMs.Beller, AP Art History Teacher, shared that throughout the trip our students were repeatedly complimented on their polite, respectful, mature, and gracious behavior. A special thank you to Ms. Beller, Mr. McCasland, Mr. Seidel,andMs.Riveraformakingthisprofoundlearning experiencepossible.

Lovejoy ISD’s Legacy of Excellence in academics, the arts, and athletics continues with yet another accomplishment. Lovejoy ISD is the proud home of the 5A State Champions in CrossExaminationPolicyDebate!CongratulationstoStateChampionsPaariPalaniandDavidWiseon theirremarkableaccomplishment.TheTexasUILCross-ExaminationPolicyDebateMeetdates back to 1910 and is the largest high school debate tournament in the nation. Academic extracurricularprogramsofthiscaliberwouldnotbepossiblewithoutdedicatededucatorslike Ms Morrison-Tuason Congratulationsandthankyou,Ms Morrison-Tuason

ItishardtobelievewhenteachersandstaffwelcomedstudentsbackonMondaymorningthat we were beginning the final quarter of the 2024-2025 school year This season is filled with banquets,springconcertsandshows,athleticcompetitions,prom,andofcourseAPandSTAAR testing. I look forward to seeing and celebrating our students, staff, and families at these upcoming events. This afternoon, the Lovejoy High School Theater Program competes in the One Act Play Bi-District Competition and on Tuesday evening both our Boys and Girls Soccer Teams will compete in their playoff match. Go Leopards! Lastly, a quick reminder that next weekend,March29-April1st,willbeafourdayweekendforourstudents.

Ihopeyouandyourfamilyhaveawonderfulweekend.

ThereisonlyoneLOVEJOYandweareallLEOPARDS!

LovejoyProud,

KatieKordel Superintendent

POLICY DEBATE

STATE CHAMPIONS

To conclude an intense debate season, Lovejoy High School's Policy (or CX) Debateteamclinchedthe5AStateChampionship!PaariPalaniandDavidWise spent part of their Spring Break debating at the stunning University of Texas campus in Austin, facing off against eight tough rounds of competition from teamsallacrossTexaslikeArgyle,Austin,Lubbock,andSaginaw.Thiswincaps offastellarseasonforWiseandPalani,whoalsoscoredbigattournamentsat theUniversityofNorthTexas,Stanford,theUniversityofHouston,andtheUIL districttournament. ABIGthankyoutoMs.Morrison-Tuasonforherleadership! Congratulations!

LOVEJOY’S SOLAR

ECLIPSE EXPERIENCE

On April 8th, the DFW Metroplex will be in the path of totality for a once-in-a-lifetime solareclipse.LovejoyISDisexcitedtoshare thiscelestialopportunitywithourstudents andstaff!

Weather permitting, students in kindergarten through high school will be allowed the opportunity to go outside to investigatethephenomenaduringtotality.

BecauselookingdirectlyattheSunisunsafe,Lovejoystudentsandstaffwillbe providedcertifiedISO12312-2eclipseglasses.Studentswillberequiredtowear the glasses provided at all times except when given teacher permission to removethemduringtotality.SolarEclipsepermissionslipswillbesenthomeby yourcampus.Ifyouwouldlikeyourstudent(s)toparticipateintheoutdoor activities,pleasecompletethepermissionslipandreturnittoyourcampus byApril2nd.

Prior to April 8th, LISD students will engage in developmentally appropriate activitiestolearnmoreabouttheeclipse.Forexample,somestudentswillread informationaltextwhileotherscreatemodelsoftheSun,Earth,Moonsystem. We look forward to some of our students investigating the geometry of the eclipsealongwiththevarietyofadditionallearningexperiencesthisopportunity provides.

AdditionalLISDSolarEclipseDetails

Campus Access: For safety purposes, campuses will not be open to the public for solar eclipse viewing. All Lovejoy campuses will be closed to visitorsbetween12:00p.m.and2:00p.m.onApril8th.

Absences:Parentswishingtopickuptheirchildtoviewtheeventathome may do so between 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 pm. Students checked out after 10:30 a.m. on April 8th will be marked present for the day. Absences or dismissalbefore10:30a.m.willberecordedinaccordancewiththedistrict attendancepolicy.

SolarViewingGlasses:Forsafetyreasons,studentswillberequiredtowear thesafetyglassesprovidedbyLovejoyISD.Studentswillnotbepermittedto useglassesorviewersbroughtfromhome.

Lovejoy Total Eclipse T-Shirts: A special Lovejoy Eclipse t-shirt has been created to commemorate this rare event. Shirts may be purchased hereandworntoschoolonApril8th!

Lovejoy Eclipse FAQ’s: Click here to learn more about Lovejoy’s solar eclipseexperience!

During a total solar eclipse, the MoonmovesbetweentheEarthand the Sun, just at the right distance and angle to block out the Sun's light. Beginning about 12:20, the moon will start moving in front of the Sun. Those living in the DFW metroplex will begin to notice the lightoutsidediminishing. Thelight outside diminishing. The light will continue to grow dimmer until about 1:40 whenitwillbecomedarkoutsideoncethemoonisfullycoveringtheSun.This momentiscalledtotality.InNorthTexas,totalityisexpectedtooccurbetween 1:40and1:44pm.Thenasthemooncontinuesitspath,thelightwillbeginto increaseuntilitreachesfullbrightness.Duringtheeclipse,weshouldbeable to observe changes in temperature and animal behavior along with the changesindaylight.Clickheretolearnmoreaboutthesolareclipse.

The last time DFW experienced a totalsolareclipsewas1878,anditis not expected to happen again for almost 200 years. Lovejoy ISD is privileged to make this a special eventforourstudents.Thistrulyisa onceinalifetimeexperience!

YouthSmallshirtshave

GT REFERRALS

GRADES 1-11

Lovejoy Gifted and Talented (G/T) Testing Referral window isnowopen. Referralsaredue Thursday, April 18th by 5:00p.m.

Learn more about the G/T program and referral process on the Gifted and Talented website. For student specific questions, contact Brie Smith atbrie smith@lovejoyisd.net.

PTO PRESENTATION CALM PARENTING

ATTENDANCE

UPDATE

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

KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UP

Calling all future Lovejoy Leopards!!! Hart and Puster Elementary Schools invite parents and rising kinders to our 2024 Kindergarten Sneak Peak on Tuesday, March 26th from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

During the hour long event, students will rotate through activities in kinder classes, while parents receive kindergarten informationfromcampusadministrators.

Don't wait! Children 5 years of age by September1stareeligibleforKindergarten registrationonlinetoday!

CONNECTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THE LOVEJOY COMMUNITY

WHILE SUPPORTING LOVEJOY ISD THROUGH REVENUE GENERATION

TheLovejoyISDCommunityPartnerprogramisanew way for local businesses to support Lovejoy ISD and connect with the Lovejoy Community! Community Partner advertisements are featured in our weekly Districtnewsletter,ConnectwithKatie,LivingLovejoy videos,andDistrictSocialMedia.

InterestedinbecomingaCommunityPartner? ClickHEREtolearnmore!

LJVA EMMERSIVE

EXPERIENCE IN ITALY

This Spring Break Lovejoy Visual Art traveled to Northern Italy for a first-hand experience,studyingworksfromtheirAPArtHistorycanonandcreatingartwork inthefootstepsoftheRenaissanceartists.Fromseeingthemasterpiecesatthe Uffizi and the Bargello, to drawing and painting on Michelangelo’s Hill in Florence and reflecting on Medieval Byzantine Church mosaics in Ravenna…it was an unbelievable experience for the students. LJVA took trains across the coast, gondolas through Venice, and a boat on Lake Como. They did guided walkingtoursthroughVenice,Ravenna,andLucca,andhalfofthegrouptookin a soccer game of Florence vs Rome. In Lucca, some students and teachers rentedbikesandrodealongthepathsoftheMedievalcity,whileothersdidan arthistorywalkingtourofchurches.ThereisnothinglikedrawingMedievaland Renaissancevillagesfromlife,anddelvingintoGreekandRomanarchitectural influenceswhileinsidea12thcenturycathedral.

It was a truly life-changing experience for these students, parents, and our chaperones. The opportunity for our students to immerse themselves in the history,artworks,andculturethattheyhadonlyexperiencedinbooksorona screen was truly indescribable. This annual opportunity for our students to explore their passion in connection to the world around them and build memories around their learning is a beautiful and unique facet of our LJVA experience.

Travelingwithourstudentsisanincredibletestamenttojusthowwonderfully distinctourLovejoystudentsare. Fromthemomentourjourneybegan,ourkids stood out as mature, well-mannered, kind, and thoughtful. During the tour we wereconsistentlypraisedforhowinquisitive,patient,reflective,andreliableour kids were. Whether exploring the streets of Florence, studying the architecture ofacathedral,paintingonahillside,orwaitingforournextflight,ourLovejoy studentsalwayssetthemselvesapart.

A special thanks to Amanda Beller for all of the incredible planning and thoughtful work that went into making this an unforgettable learning experience for our students! If your LJVA student is interested in joining us on ournextadventure,beonthelookoutfornewsaboutourdestinationfor2025!

1ST GRADE

MARKETPLACE

1st Graders at Hart elementary wrapped up their economic unit with their annualMarketDay! Studentslearnedabouttheexchangeofgoodsandservices aswellasmakingchoiceswithmoney.Theymadeproductsincludingbracelets, keychains, and pet rocks to sell to their classmates and made commercials to advertisetheirproducts. Forthreeweeks,studentsalsoearnedticketsinclass tobuyproductsonMarketDay.Studentsthenhadtomakechoicesaboutwhat they would buy with the tickets they had earned. What an amazing hands on waytolearnaboutoureconomy!

BOYS SOCCER

DISTRICT RUNNER UP!

TheLovejoyBoysVarsitysoccer team finished the season with an overall record of 14-5 and finished district as the second seedwitha9-3record. Thebidistrict playoff game will be held on 3/26/24 at Terrell Memorial Stadium starting at 8:00 p.m. The game will be played as part of a double header following the Lovejoy girls soccer game which is scheduledfor6:00p.m.

BEST BUDDIES

CHILI COOK-OFF

The Best buddies program at Lovejoy High School hosted their annual chili cook-off last Sunday. Funds made will be used to host a prom for our special needsstudents. ABIGthankyoutoeveryonewhocameoutandsupportedthis importantstudentorganization!

GIRLS SOCCER

WINS DISTRICT!

TheweekbeforeSpringBreakboththeVarsityandJVgirlssoccerteamswondistrict outrightforthefirsttimeinprogramhistory.

IntheseniorslasthomegameonTuesday,theVarsityteambeatPrinceton4-0.Goals werescoredbyEmmaNelson,KatieMitchell,andBaileeNeatherlin(2).Assistswere byEmmaNelson(2),KyleeDziubinski,andKenzieLavender.OnFriday,vs.McKinney North, in the district championship matchup, Varsity won 1-0. The lone goal was scored by Emma Nelson and assisted by Kylee Dziubinski. Kenlea Swadener was in goalforour18thand19thcleansheetsoftheyearwithhelpfromdefendersMargo Chester, Brenna Wallace, Katie Manders, Nicole Young, Ainsley Johnson, Josselyn Schuler,NatalieBurns,BaileeNeatherlin,andKieraWatson.

On Tuesday, the JV team beat Princeton 3-0 to secure the district championship despitethe2-0losstoMcKinneyNorthonFridaynight.GoalswerescoredbyClaire Beveridge, Riley Pulley, and Chloe Smith. Assists were by Claire Beveridge, Rachel Dobbs, and Shayli Breithaupt. Kirsten Yoakum and Ava Perrin were in goal for the clean sheet Tuesday night with help from defenders Kitan Balogun, Scarlet Cole, SophieBustillo,PariGupta,andTaylorDent.

Terrell Memorial pm.

A CAPPELLA CHOIR

On March 9th, the Lovejoy A Cappella choir competed for the first time at the The Varsity Vocals International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) competitionandplaced4th. Welldone,ACapella!

BASKETBALL

ALL-DISTRICT

CongratulationstothefollowingboysbasketballplayerswhoreceivedDistrict13-5A Awards:

1stTeamAll-District

SawyerBlack

TateZiemkiewicz

2ndTeamAll-District

LukeModersohn

RyanRogers

HonorableMentionAll-District MarkMassey

AcademicAll-Distict

BrendanCooper

LukeLytle

MarkMassey

LukeModersohn

PiercePatel

MaddoxJohnson

AbhiMahil

GriffinHanenburg

WyattUnderdahl

CongratulationstothefollowinggirlsbasketballplayerswhoreceivedDistrict13-5A Awards:

1stTeamAll-District:

PeytonNovicke

SidneyCarr

2ndTeamAll-District:

SamanthaDaniels

BrinleyLudlow

HonorableMentionAll-District:

OliviaEltz

LaurenDolberry

NewcomeroftheYear:

TatumNovicke

AcademicAll-Distict

PeytonNovicke

LaurenDolberry

SamanthaDaniels

CailynNewhouse

AevaHaas

BreeannaHoffman

LexiGalloway

Texas Association of Basketball CoachesAll-Region:

SidneyCarr

COLOR GUARD

NTCA CELEBRATIONS

CongratulationstoourLovejoyColorGuardMembers!

TheLovejoyJVandVarsityColorGuardscompletedinanNTCAGuardContestatThe Colony High School on Friday, March 8th. Once again, Lovejoy Guard had an outstandingshowing!

LovejoyJVGuardonwinningSecondPlaceinyourdivision

LovejoyVarsityGuardonwinningSecondPlaceinyourdivision

TheWillowSpringsColorGuardcompetedonFriday,andwon5thoutof12groupsin theirclassification!Weareallsoproudofyou!

directionthisWinterGuardseason!

TOM LANDRY

GIRLS POWERLIFTING SCHOLARSHIP

Join us in congratulating Brianna Murphy on being awarded the Tom Landry Scholarship!

The Tom Landry Scholarship is open to senior high schoolers in various extracurricularactivitiesandpositions.The applicants are selected based on their commitment to academic excellence, leadership among their peers, and service totheircommunity.

STATE SUCCESS

Girls powerlifting had their State Championship over spring break. All of the girlsworkedhardtogetthereandcompeted verywellintheirrespectiveweightclasses.

Reese Wallace finished 5th in the state forthe148lbsweightclass

Teni Segun finished 6th in the state for the148lbsweightclass

Natalie Lenart finished 10th in the state forthe165lbsweightclass

Carys Evans finished 6th in the state for the123lbs(unequipped)weightclass

The boys State Championship coming up in Abilene this weekend, March 22 and March23.

PERCUSSION CONCERT

Big congratulations to Mr. Joslin and all the students of the Lovejoy Percussion SectionontheiroutstandingLovejoyPercussionConcertonMarch7!Studentnames andperformancesaslistedintheprogram. Weareveryproudofyourhardworkand dedicationtoyourinstruments!

LHS SOFTBALL

SEASON UPDATE

TheLHSSoftballteamhasbeenbusythisseason. Lovejoysoftballis4-1indistrict play! Belowisaquicksummaryoftheirrecentgames:

March8th:aDistrictWinvsGreenville14-0,GiselaBoitmannrecordedaNoHitter

March12th:aDistrictWinandgreatteamperformancevsatoughShermanteam 6-1

March15th:aDistrictWinvsDenison12-2,GiselaBoitmannrecordedher100th strikeoutoftheseasoninthe2ndinningofthegame.

March 19th: another District win vs Princeton 13-0, Addison George leading the offensivechargewith2HR’s,GiselaBoitmannwithanotherNoHitter

Upcomingsoftballmatchups:

March22nd:HomegamevsMcKinneyNorthat6:15pm

March28th:HomegameshowdownvsMelissaHighSchool@6:15pm

OF TRUSTEES

INVITATION

DearLovejoyCommunity,

As a Board, we are committed to strong and proactive communication with our community. Part of this commitment is sending an email invitation to our community prior to Board Meetings with a sincere desire for you to be involved andfullyaware,sowecancometogetherasacommunityforourchildren.

March25,2024PublicNoticeWebsite (Public ntoice will be posted a minimum of 72 hours in advance)

You may find the full agenda with supporting documentation on our district's BoardBookPremierwebsiteHERE.

Sincerely,

Barrett Owens, President

Amy Smith, Vice-President

Jeff Wood, Secretary

TheLovejoyISDBoardofTrustees

Marvin Bobo, Trustee

Jason Jaynes, Trustee

Julie McLaughlin, Trustee

Mark Wheelis, Trustee

Leopard Life

LOVEJOY LINKS

SOFTBALL: FUTURE LEOPARDS NIGHT

SOFTBALL: FUTURE LEOPARDS NIGHT

Leopard Life

LOVEJOY LINKS

BASEBALL FLOWERS

MARCH STUDENT NUTRITION NEWS

PTO SERVICE AWARD NOMINATIONS

IfyouwouldliketonominatesomeoneaPTOServiceAward,pleasefilloutthe form below. The recognition committee will carefully consider each candidate. Nominations are due by Friday, March 29, 2024. Additional information about theawardscanbefoundhere. PTOCouncil HighSchoolPTO WSMSPTO

Leopard Life

LOVEJOY LINKS

STEM BREAK

LCDC REGISTRATION

DENIM & DIAMONDS

Leopard Life

LOVEJOY LINKS

EXTENDED DAY LEOPARD ACADEMY

LeopardAcademyisanopportunityforyourchild to participate in enrichment activities on his or her campus before and after school. Our goal is that these enrichment opportunities will allow our Lovejoy Leopards to develop creativity and criticalthinkingskillsthroughactivitiesrelatedto theirpersonalinterests.

Registration is open for the following academies for students in first through 6th grade. Choose fromoneofthelinksbelowformoreinformation.

BoardandCardGameAcademy

YoYoAcademy

Y COFFEE TALKS

This is an opportunity for parents and community members to connect with Lovejoy ISD Trustees and Superintendent Katie Kordel in an informal setting. During Community Coffee Talks, Lovejoy ISD leadership listens, shares and engagesin opendialogue/discussionwithourcommunity.

August29,2023

6:00p.m.-7:00p.m.

SloanCreekIntermediate

November30,2023

12:00p.m.-1:00p.m.

HartElementarySchool

February28,2024

8:00a.m.-9:00a.m.

LovejoyHighSchool

April30,2024

9:00a.m.-10:00a.m.

WillowSpringsMiddleSchool

Leopard Life

LOVEJOY LINKS

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Calling all Lovejoy Alumni! The Lovejoy Independent School District is excited to engage former LISD students and our community through Alumni spotlights in the district newsletter, as well as LISD social media. Alumni spotlights are a fun way for the district to celebrate our students' educational, professional, and personaljourneysaftergraduation.Ifyou wish to participate, please complete this form for our LISD Communications Department.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT INTEREST FORM

LovejoyISDisproudtocontinuefacilitatingstudentopportunitiesthroughthe Professional-to-StudentEngagementPortal. Sign-upandshareyourtalents!

WhoareLovejoyCommunityProfessionals?

Industry&BusinessLeaders

Parents

LovejoyAlumni

LovejoyNeighbors

SeniorCommunityMembers

HeritageRanchCommunityMembers

FamilyMembersofLovejoyStudents

LovejoyCommunityProfessionals: Engage with students by sharing their expertiseandknowledge Mentor students through various careerandcollegereadyexperiences Strengthenstudentsskillsintheareas of communication, collaboration, criticalthinkingandproblemsolving Build leadership skills, develop self confidence

DISTRICT & CAMPUS

NEWSLETTERS

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!

DISTRICT NEWSLETTER

Connect with Katie

HART ELEMENTARY Principal Newsletter

PUSTER ELEMENTARY Principal Newsletter

SLOAN CREEK INTERMEDIATE Principal Newsletter

WILLOW SPRINGS MIDDLE Principal Newsletter

LOVEJOY HIGH SCHOOL Principal Newsletter

COMMUNITY NEWS

TheLovejoyISDCommunityNewswebsiteisintendedtofacilitateconnections and raise awareness of local events, activities, fundraisers and organizations thatmightinterestLovejoyfamilies.

The information featured on the Community News website is submitted by community members Lovejoy ISD is not affiliated with the organizations and does not claim to endorse them