Issuu

Connect with Katie

DECEMBER 18, 2025 MAY 08, 2026

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

LovejoyCommunity,

This week was especially meaningful as we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week across Lovejoy ISD. Every day, our teachers pour their hearts into creating classrooms where students feel challenged, encouraged, valued, and deeply known.

AsbothsuperintendentandaLovejoymom,this week is deeply personal to me. I have seen firsthand the incredible difference our educators makenotonlyinthelivesofstudentsacrossthe district, but in the lives of my own children. The love, love, encouragement, and belief their teachers have poured into them over the years have helped shape who they are becoming, and for that, I will always be profoundlygrateful.

WearealsoincrediblythankfulforourPTOorganizationsforthemanycreativeways theyhaveshownourteachersloveandappreciationthisweek.

Today, students participating in the Lovejoy High School Student-Superintendent Connection Council took part in a mock City of Lucas council meeting, where they engaged in thoughtful discussions surrounding public safety, traffic concerns, and civic decision-making. This experience was designed to give students an authentic leadership opportunity and help prepare them to step forward with confidence as leaders both now and in the future. A special thank you to Mayor Kuykendall, City ManagerJohnWhitsell,andtheCityofLucas.

We also celebrated Fine Arts Signing this week, recognizing seniors who will continue their artistic journeys beyond Lovejoy High School. Their talent and dedicationhaveenrichedourschoolsincountlessways,andwearesoproudofall theywillaccomplish.

Inaddition,ourspringOrchestraconcertwasabeautifulcelebrationofthepowerof music and the incredible dedication of our students and directors. The evening showcased not only remarkable talent and artistry, but also the perseverance, passion,andheartthatdefineourFineArtsprogramsatLovejoy.

Wishingyouaweekendfilledwithloveandjoy.

ThereisonlyONELovejoy,andweareALLLeopards!

LovejoyProud,

KatieKordel Superintendent

CLASS OF 2026 TOP 10

Lovejoy ISD is proud to announce Lovejoy High School's Class of 2026 Top Ten studentsbyGradePointAverage.AspecialcongratulationstoourValedictorian, Bryce Brezette, and Salutatorian, Grace Hu! We look forward to celebrating all Classof2026graduatesonMay23rd!

OnWednesdaywecelebrated24FineArtsSeniorswhowillcontinuetheirFine Arts studies at the collegiate level! Some highlights of the students and programsinclude:

24SeniorspursuingFineArtsOptions

8istheaveragenumberofFineArtsclassestheyhavetaken

30,000hoursinrehearsalorthestudio

Approximately$3,741,132inscholarships

4.3istheaverageGPA

LovejoyVisualArts

CAROLINEBELLER

UniversityofArkansasHonors

OLIVIAGUARRIELLO

MIAD,MilwaukeeInstituteofArt andDesign

LAURENPERRY

TexasA&MUniversity

PETRAPIPINICH

Rose-HulmanInstituteof Technology

KESHAVSUBASH

CarnegieMellonUniversity

HANNAHXIE

ParsonsTheNewSchool

Cheer

KYLENNPALLOHUSKY UniversityofFlorida

Majestics

AUDREYMORGAN

UniversityofGeorgia

MusicalTheater

AUDREYMURPHY

SMU, Stephens Conservatory, SEMO

KATYPAYNE

OuachitaBaptistUniversity

Choir

LEAHFRUM

MartinLutherCollege

Orchestra

CAROLINEWILKINS

TheUniversityofTexasatAustin

ColorGuard

ASHTONSCOTT

TheUniversityofNorthTexas

Band&Guard

NOLACARROLL

TulaneUniversity

LUKEDAVID

TexasA&M-CollegeStation

SARAHGABLE

TrinityUniversity

LANDONHULL

EastTexasA&MUniversity

NOLANHUMMEL

ClemsonUniversity

ADAMKENT UniversityofTennessee

ANDREWLAMPING UniversityofAlabama

MEGANLYONS

SouthernMethodistUniversity

SAMANTHAMCCALL

UniversityofMiami(Ohio)

LUCASOSPINA

TexasTechUniversity

MAXRATTLEFF

VanderbiltUniversity

This week, Lovejoy ISD proudly celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week by honoring the incredible educators who make a difference in the lives of our studentseveryday.

Throughouttheweek,ourteacherswereshoweredwithkindness,gifts,treats, andencouragingwordsfromparents,students,communitymembers,andour amazing PTO organizations. Lovejoy ISD also highlighted teachers across district social media channels by sharing dozens of heartfelt submissions recognizing the educators who have made a lasting impact on students and families.

Onthefollowingpage,wehaveincludedasmallselectionofsubmissionsfrom each campus. We also encourage everyone to visit Lovejoy ISD social media pagestoviewandcommentonthemanyTeacherAppreciationWeekhighlights sharedthroughouttheweek.

Manysubmissionswerereceivedandhighlighted,however,ifyousubmitteda messageanddidnotseeitfeaturedonsocialmedia,pleaseknowitwillstillbe shareddirectlywithyourteacher.Thankyoutoeveryonewhohelpedmakethis weeksospecialforourLovejoyISDteachers!

PERSONNEL UPDATE

Lovejoy ISD is proud to announce Dr. Chad Burnett as ChiefLeadershipandLearningOfficer.

Dr.Burnettisadedicatededucationalleaderwithmore than 20 years of experience serving students, teachers, and school communities. He most recently served as Executive Director of Teaching and Learning in Eanes ISD, where he partnered with principals and instructionalteamstostrengthenteachingandlearning acrossthedistrict.Overthecourseofhiscareer,hehas principal served as a district leader, principal, assistant principal, and teacher with a focus on building strong schools through collaboration, relationships, and a sharedcommitmenttostudentsuccess.

PleasejoinusingivingawarmwelcometoDr.Burnett! Fullpressreleasehere.

PERSONNEL UPDATE

Wewouldliketoshareanimportantleadershipupdate regarding Dr. Travis Zambiasi, Chief Student Services Officer. Dr. Zambiasi has accepted an Assistant Superintendent position in Palmer ISD, and while we will certainly miss his leadership and presence in Lovejoy, we are excited for him as he takes this next stepinhiscareer.

We are deeply grateful for Dr. Zambiasi’s service in Lovejoy ISD as both High School Principal and Chief Student commitment Student Services Officer. His leadership and commitment have significantly impacted our schools and District, and we are grateful for the dedication and expertise he brought to Lovejoy ISD throughout his time in these leadership roles.

We wish Dr. Zambiasi and his family all the very best as they transition to the Palmerareathissummerandbeginthisexcitingnewpersonalandprofessional chapter.

Wednesday, May 6th, is National School Nurse Day! Lovejoy's six schoolnursesserveacriticalrolein supporting the health and wellness Lovejoy students. Thank you for helpinguscelebratethem!

CONNECTION COUNCIL

TheLovejoyHighSchoolStudent-SuperintendentConnectionCouncilrecently held their Mock Lucas City Council Meeting hosted at Lucas City Hall in partnership with the City of Lucas! This exciting civic leadership experience gave students the opportunity to tackle real-world topics like public safety, traffic concerns, and community decision-making while stepping confidently into leadership roles. Superintendent Kordel and Principal Wieller were incrediblyinspiredwatchingourstudentsthoughtfullycollaborate,shareideas, and use their voices to help make Lovejoy ISD even stronger. Their passion, creativity, and willingness to lead are a powerful reminder that the future is brightinLovejoy!

dtoannouncetheopeningofthe18th May16thfrom5-9!Wecannotwaitto oughtful collection of work with our processes, and creativity behind these helegacyofLovejoyVisualArts.

m5-9pm tohonortheseartistsand ir personal investigation and ideation. itytomeettheartists,hearabouttheir eartwork.

icipateinouryearlycharityauctionof

original work benefitting the Vogel Alcove, a non-profit organization on a missiontohelpyoungchildrenovercomethelastinganddevastatingeffectsof homelessness. The Lovejoy Visual Art program strongly believes in using our giftstogivebacktoourlargercommunityandwouldloveforyoutojoinusin thisyearlytradition.

18th Annual LJVA AP Studio Art Exhibition

Saturday, May 16th from 5 - 9 pm

183 Town Place, Fairview TX 75069

*Light refreshments will be served

Lovejoy ISD is excited to share the Summer 2026 Camp Catalog, featuring a variety of camps for students of all ages. From athletics andfineartstoSTEMandacademic enrichment, there is something for everyLeopardthissummer.

Families are encouraged to explore the catalog and register early, as somecampsmayfillquickly.

Lovejoy ISD is excited to introduce summercarethroughAlphaBest.Thisnew program is designed to provide an experience that blends structured enrichment with the joy and flexibility of summer. Each day will include hands-on activities, creative projects, outdoor play, and opportunities to build meaningful friendships.Whetheryourchildattendsfor afewdaysorthefullweek,they’llbepart of something special from the very beginning.

Beginning Wednesday, May 6th, students will no longer be able to "charge" meals if there is no money in their lunch account. Thiswillhelpminimizenegativebalancesat theendoftheschoolyear.Householdswith students who currently have negative balances will receive reminders by email & phone. Federal regulations do not allow us to roll over negative balances to the next schoolyear.Anypositivebalanceattheend oftheschoolyearwillrollovertonextschool year. To request a refund, please complete the Refund Form located on our Student Nutrition webpage. Student Nutrition thanks you for your understanding and allowing us the opportunity to serve your student(s).

ATTENDANCE UPDATE

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

DISTRICT CALENDAR

Third grade students at Puster Elementary recently brought history to life during their interactive “Living Museum” event. As part of the project, each student selected an influential figure from history or modern day, researched their life and accomplishments, and wrote a speech to present their findings. Dressed as their chosen individual, students confidently shared their presentationsandansweredquestionsfromparents,staff,andfellowstudents. The event provided a meaningful opportunity for students to strengthen their research and public speaking skills while celebrating the lasting impact of importantindividualsthroughouthistory.

The Sloan Creek Intermediate School Beginner Orchestra had an outstanding showing at the SunFest Performance Festival on Friday, earning Superior ratings from the judges and being named the Best Beginner Orchestra of the Day. The recognition reflects the students’ hard work, growth, and dedication throughouttheyear.

Whatmakestheaccomplishmentespeciallymeaningfulishowfarthestudents have come in just one school year. At the beginning of the year, many were learningthebasicsofhowtoproperlyholdandcarefortheirinstruments.Now, theyareperformingtogetherwithconfidence,musicality,andimpressiveskill.

Followingtheirperformance,studentscelebrated Adventure. Congratulations to these talented unforgettabledayandawonderfulconclusiontot

Lovejoy ISD looks forward to seeing many of

The Lady Leopard Track and Field team is the TEAM REGIONAL RUNNER-UP!!

Theyfoughthardover2dayswithraindelaysandschedulechanges.Through the ups and downs that the Regional Championship brings, they pulled togethertoaccomplishthisgreatteamachievement!

StateQualifiers!

SofiaDominguez-RegionalChampion-1600meter(StateQualifier)

TeniSegun-RegionalChampion-Discus(StateQualifier)

CarsonFox-RegionalChampion-PoleVault(StateQualifier) 4x400meterrelay-KateRoberts,CailynNewhouse,CaileeHorinek,EllaHangRegionalRunnerUp(StateQualifier)

EllaHang-3rdplace-400meter(StateQualifieronwildcard)

ScoringTeamPoints:

CamrynBenson-3rdplace3200meter

EmilyArmstrong-4thplacein3200meterand1600meter

KatieMitchell-5thplaceinpolevault

MichaelaMartin-5thplacein100hurdles

4x200 meter relay - Anna Akinfolarin, Brenna Wallace, Malia Law, Cailyn Newhouse-6thplace

The UIL State Track & Field Meet will take place May 18 at the University of Texas in Austin. Congratulations to all of our Lady Leopards on an incredible regionalmeet!

TheLovejoyLeopardsareadvancingintheUIL5ADivisionIIBaseballPlayoffs after a strong Bi-District sweep over Whitehouse. The Leopards secured the series with a hard-fought 6-5 victory in Game 2, highlighted by a 14-strikeout performancefromTylerScarboroughandaflawlessdefensiveeffort.

Lovejoy will now face Frisco Lone Star in the Area Round in a best-of-three series.

AreaRoundSchedule

Game2:Friday,May8atLovejoyHighSchool|7:00PMTheme:Neon Game3(ifnecessary):Saturday,May9atAlAlfordField,McKinney|2:00PM

In addition to postseason success, several Leopards have earned recognition for their accomplishments both on and off the field. Multiple student-athletes were named to the Academic All-State Team, recognizing excellence in the classroomandincompetition.

Lovejoyalsocelebratedtwoprestigioussummerall-starselections:

LoganCorley All-StateAll-Star

BrettHill NorthTexasAll-Star

Leopard Nation is encouraged to pack the stands Friday night at home as the Leopardscontinuetheirplayoffrun.

TheLovejoyLeopardsdeliveredanimpressiveperformanceintheAreaRound, defeating Frisco Emerson in dominant fashion. The Leopards’ offense was on fulldisplay,combiningforfivehomerunsinthegame.SeniorIzzyGuarrielloled thechargewithtwohomeruns,freshmanKatieKinzigaddedtwoofherown, andsophomoreToriiJohannescontributedanothertocapoffapowerfulnight attheplate.Izzyownedthecirclefor6inningscollecting14strikeoutsagainst theMavericks.

With the win, Lovejoy advances to the Region Semifinals and will face MidlothianHeritageinabest-of-threeseriesthisweek.

Fans are encouraged to come out and support both Leopard softball and baseballathomeonFridaynight.Besuretowearneonandhelp“Glowforthe Show”asourteamslooktocontinuetheirplayoffruns.

The Lovejoy ISD Band program celebrated an outstanding school year at the Spring Band Concert on May 30th. The evening began with the Sloan Creek Intermediate School Band under the direction of Briana Weaver, followed by theWillowSpringsMiddleSchoolBandledbyBryceWhitlingandKaitlynHarris. Our sixth through eighth grade bands delivered exceptional performances, showcasing a wide variety of music at an impressively high level, they were trulyajoytohear.

The Lovejoy High School Bands, directed by Marty Ball, Tyler Harris and Matt Joslin, closed the concert with stunning performances that highlighted the vibrantspiritofourprogramandpushedourstudentstonewlevelsofartistry, including vocal elements! From powerful full ensemble moments to delicate and expressive passages, the evening reflected the dedication of our students andtheguidanceofouroutstandingdirectors.

WeinviteyoutocontinuecelebratingwithusattheLovejoyHighSchoolJazz Band Spring Jazz Concert on Thursday, May 14th at 6:30 PM in the LHS Auditorium. This special performance will feature guest artist Chris Clark, jazz composerandarranger.Wehopeyouwilljoinusforanotherfantasticevening

Lovejoy was represented at the THSBA Regional Tournament at Possum Kingdom Lake with 8 Leopard Fishing Teams this past weekend. 7 of our 8 teamsweighed-infishoutofthe222boatsparticipating.

Congratulations to all of our teams for making it this far in the season with steepcompetition.Ontheweigh-instagewere:

OwenQuinlanandNickRowe

5fishwith12.45lbs.-27thplace

GusCurryandFinnMonda 5fishwith11.66lbs.-31stplace

PatrickAhearnandCarsonDaniels 3fishwith8.63lbs.-52ndplace

MacCurryandCohenMonda 3fishwith7.66lbs.-62ndplace

SuttonGriffinandPriceRiggins 3fishwith6.53lbs.-76thplace

AndyTurnbowandEvanWyatt 3fishwith5.88lbs.-82ndplace

JoelKnightandEvanWheeler 1fishwith2.01lbs.-144thplace

The top 4 teams above will be advancing to the THSBA State Tournament on May30-31 atLakeTexoma.With33anglersontheteam,in17boats,Leopard Fishing participated in 5 regular season tournaments with an average of 220 boats in each tournament. Leopard Fishing caught 135 fish total during the regularseasonforalmost366lbs.Thatis80poundsmorethanlastyearwith15 fewerangers!

LeopardFishingisexcitedtoannouncethattheyhavewonTeamoftheYearfor the North Texas Division of the Texas High School Bass Association with 490 points.CongratulationstotheentireLeopardFishingTeam!

LOVEJOYISD BOARDOFTRUSTEES

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 thelefttoopenthesummaryinGoogleDocs.

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 viewed by clickingtheimageontheleft.

LEOPARD LIFE WEBSITE

LovejoyISDhasanunparalleledsenseofcommunityandconnectioncenteredon student opportunity. In support of this collective commitment, the Leopard Life websiteshowcasesawiderangeofevents,activities,andfundraisersorganizedby boosterclubs,PTOs,athletics,finearts,individualcampuses,andmore! Leopard Lifeisprominentlyfeaturedacrosscampusanddistrictwebsites,highlightedinall newsletters,andeasilyaccessiblethroughtheLovejoyISDmobileapp.

Thisweek'sfeaturedflyersare:

CommunityNews

Please note: the information featured in the "Community News" section is submitted by local community members. Lovejoy ISD is not affiliated with the organizationsanddoesnotclaimtoendorsethem.

TheLovejoyHighSchoolGolfteamwill be hosting tryouts for incoming 9th graders and new members. Tryouts will be held on May 11, 12, & 13th at Watters Creek Golf Course in Allen, from 5:00-7:00pm. Please use the followinglinktoregisteryourathlete: LHSGolfTryoutRegistration

Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early on the first day to get signed in and warmup.

Ifyouhaveanyquestionscontact BrentMoseley (brent moseley@lovejoyisd.net)or KendylFord (kendyl ford@lovejoyisd.net).

ROBOTICSWANTSYOU!

We’re looking for current 8th graders and high school students who want to design,build,program,andcompete,noRoboticsclassrequired.

RoboticsClubisopentoanyonewithinterestandcommitment.Whetheryou’re intocoding,building,strategy,orteamwork,there’saplaceforyouhere.

We meet before school, after school, andduringLeopardTimethroughout the week. Some students may be asked to complete a brief interview, and we’ll share those details directly withinterestedstudents.

Ifyou’recurious,competitive,orjust want to try something new, this is yourchancetogetinvolved.

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!