Connect with Katie
Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards
from the Superintendent MESSAGE
LovejoyCommunity,
It has been a busy and exciting week in Lovejoy ISD!Ihopeyouenjoyreadingthehighlightsbelow.
KindergartenStuffedAnimalSleepover
While we were asleep in our beds last night, the precious stuffed animals belonging to Hart and Puster Elementary School kindergarten students had a sleepover in the school library. Ms. Dawson and Ms. Stewart treated the stuffed animals to popcorn popcornandamovie.Thismorning,kindergartenstudentsenjoyedahighlight videooftheirstufftieshavingabigtime.Wearefortunatetohavesuchcreative librarianswhogoaboveandbeyondforourstudents!Ms.HaynesandIevengot tostopbytoshareabedtimestory.
HeartoftheTeacherandHeartofSupport
Everymonth,wecelebrateateacherandsupportstaffmemberateachofour schools through our Heart of the Teacher and Heart of Support recognition program. This morning, we had so much fun surprising our amazing teachers and staff with this recognition. We hope you enjoy their pictures in this newsletter and take a few moments to read about the incredible impact they are making. A special thank you Tonya Walker for generously sponsoring the giftcardsthatarepartofthisrecognition.
HighSchoolStudent-SuperintendentConnectionCouncil
Another highlight this week was meeting with the Student-Superintendent Connection Council. This is one of my favorite opportunities because I get to knowourstudentsandlearnabouttheirexperiencesinLovejoyISD.The9th12thgradestudentsservingonthiscouncilprovideuswithimportantfeedback and ideas for growth and improvement. At our meeting, we discussed the impactofcellphoneuseonlearning.
NationalMeritRecognitionBreakfast
Thursday morning, we held our annual National Merit Recognition Breakfast to celebratethe36LovejoyHighSchoolstudentsthathavebeenrecognizedbythe National Merit Scholarship Program. 13 of these students are National Merit ScholarshipProgramSemifinalists.Thisputstheminagroupoflessthan1%of U.S.highschoolseniors!Weareextraordinarilyproudofthewaythesestudent scholarshavecontributedtoourlegacyofexcellence.
CapitalPlanningCommittee
The Capital Planning Committee is hard at work developing a clear vision for Lovejoy ISD’s physical learning environments and capital asset needs. This dedicated community-based committee met again on Tuesday evening to discuss educational adequacy assessments of each of our campuses. The process utilized driving questions that reviewed basic conditions for learning, learner centered environments, and student opportunities. More information canbeaccessedhere.
WishingyouaweekendfilledwithLoveandJoy.
ThereisonlyONELOVEJOY,andweareALLLEOPARDS!
LovejoyProud, KatieKordel
Superintendent
NATIONAL MERIT
BREAKFAST
On Thursday, September 26th, Lovejoy ISD hosted a breakfast celebrating 36 NationalMeritrecognizedstudentsintheLovejoyHighSchoolLibrary. Campus and District administrators addressed students to congratulate them on their big accomplishment. Students were able to introduce themselves and state what their post secondary plans were going to be. The students also took a photo together to commemorate the occasion. For a list of Lovejoy ISD’s NationalMeritrecognizedstudentsclickhere.
SAFETY &
SECURITY
DirectorofSafetyandSecurity,CaseyLittlefield,spoketoPTOCouncilmembers this week about Standard Response Protocols (SRPs) and how Lovejoy ISD utilizes them during campus incidents. Each protocol, as well as the roles of students and staff during the protocol were discussed. PTO Council members asked for more information about the “Hold” protocol. "Hold" is used in scenarios where it's important to keep hallways and common areas clear. Business as usual continues in the classrooms. Holds are not uncommon and canarisefromsomethingasminorastheneedtocleanupaspillinthehallway. Another common reason for a "Hold" is to keep hallways clear for medical personnelwhoareprovidingassistance.PTOalsoprovidedfeedbackregarding communicationwithstudentsandparentsregarding“Hold”protocols.
EDUCATION
TECHNOLOGY (IT) DAY
Education Technology Day takes place on September 23 every year. It celebrates and appreciates the technology that helps students to learn better andeducatorstoteachbetter.Italsocelebratestheprofessionalswhosupport the use of this technology and make sophisticated learning happen through technology. Lovejoy ISD is incredibly grateful for the dedicated technology professionalsinLovejoyISDwhohelpstudents,teachers,andstaffdotheirbest learningandworkeveryday. ThankyouLovejoyTechnology!
ATTENDANCE UPDATE
Strong school attendance is correlated with higher academic performance. Additionally,averageDailyAttendance(ADA)isametricthattheStateofTexas usestodeterminefundingforpublicschools.Eachweek,thisattendancedata willbeupdatedsoourcommunityisawareofourmostrecentADA.
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.
LEADERSHIP
LOVEJOY
Leadership Lovejoy is designed to provide community participants with a comprehensive overviewoftheschooldistrictbydepartmentand district leadership. The objective is to provide information as well as an opportunity to ask questionsinaninteractiveformat.Thestructureof Leadership Lovejoy is in-person, full-day, workshops. All meetings will take place from 8:30 a.m.to2:00p.m.Thereisacostof$90.00tocover the cost of the program. Applications are now openthroughTuesday,October1stat9:00a.m.
*Meeting Dates Listed on Application
BOARD ACADEMY
REGISTRATION
The Lovejoy ISD Board Academy is designed for anyone considering public service on the Board of Trustees as those that would like to learn more about local school district governance. School Board Members will explain the roles and responsibilities of serving on the Board, review the state-
state-required training requirements, and discuss the difference between Boardoversightandday-to-dayoperationsofthedistrict.Informationwillalso be shared on the guidance, logistics, and timelines to run for a Board of Trustees seat. The Board Academy will be on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 from1:00p.m.to3:00p.m.
DISTRICT CALENDAR
PUSTER PRIDE!
HART READING
AND WRITING
2ndgradestudentsatHartElementaryarefocusedontheirreadingandwriting. As students engage in publishing their stories, they are learning to hook their readers at the beginning of the narrative. 2nd grade has also been utilizing shared reading time during Reader's Workshop to focus on retelling, phonics, andfluencythisweek.
SCIS BOOK CLUB
ILLUSTRATIONS
5th Grade students have identified the theme of their book club book and createdanillustrationtoportrayitwithchalk!Lookatouramazingartistsand creativityintheirReadingLanguageArtsClasses.
WSMS FINE ARTS
PINSTACK SOCIAL
The Willow Springs MS Orchestra, Band, and Choir had a great time at the Pinstack Fine Arts Social on Wednesday, September 18th! Students went bowling,playedarcadegames,atepizza,andhadunlimitedaccesstoallofthe attractions: laser tag, rock climbing wall, bumper cars, and high ropes course. ThefineartscommunityissospecialinLovejoyandwelovebringingeveryone togetherforfunevents!
AEROSPACE & AVIATION
Students in Mr. Morgan’s Introduction to Aerospace and Aviation classes at LovejoyHighSchoolconstructedandlaunchedtissuepaperballoonsthisweek! During their unit on Early Flight Innovators, students learned about the effect temperature has on buoyancy and lift and performed some of the same experimentsastheFrenchinnovators,theMontgolfierbrothers.
ROHR BALLOONS
LIFTS UP LOVEJOY
A heartfelt thank you to Rohr Balloons for volunteering your time with our TransitionAcademystudents!Yourinsightsintohowhotairballoonsworkand the various careers associated with the industry were very inspiring. We appreciateyourdedicationtoeducatingandempoweringthenextgeneration. Thankyouformakingsuchapositiveimpactand"lifting"usup!
SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS AWARD
Congratulations to Lovejoy High School Senior, Hannah Schnurr, who was recognized by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and Takis at last Friday’s footballgameandreceiveda$250scholarship!
Hannah was nominated by the LHS Science Department and Administration Team and received the Sustainability Champions Award, honoring students whohaveapassionforpursuingaSTEMfieldafterhighschool.
LJVA AP STUDIO SUMMER SHOW
ThispastWednesdaytheLJVAAPStudioSummerAssignmentShowopenedas the first exhibition of the 24/25 school year in the Lovejoy Gallery! We were thrilled by the support of our Lovejoy community in this showcase of our AP StudioArtistsrevisedsummerassignmentsandpathtotheirpersonalbodyof work.ThisbeautifullycuratedexhibitisagorgeoustestamenttoourAPArtists practice, grit, resolve, and follow through as they take feedback from critique and apply it to their Summer work as practice across a wide array of media, techniques,andapproachesinserviceoftheirpersonalvoice.
Thank you to everyone that was able to make it out to the Opening of the exhibit!Ifyoudidn’tgetachancetomakeit,wewouldloveforyoutocomeand visitthegalleryforanencoreopeningnextFriday,Oct.4duringLeopardFriday aswekickoffanotheramazingyearintheLJVAStudios.
SWIM & DIVE’S FIRST COMPETITON
LastweekLovejoySwim&Divefinishedtheirfirstcompetitionoftheseason!
Starting on Thursday with our divers, Maria & Kennedie, placing 1st and 6th, respectively.Trulyafantasticshowingforourdiversandgreatfirsthighschool meetforKennedie!
On Saturday our Lovjeoy swimmers had blast! The Girls placed 3rd and the Boys placed 5th. Braiden Stewart, Freshman, had an incredible swim and got 1stinhisheat!Furthermore,ourteamplaced6thinthe50freeshootout!
LOVEJOY INVITATIONAL
On Wednesday, September 25, Lovejoy girls and boys golf hosted the Lovejoy InvitationalatWattersCreekGolfCourse.Thiseventhadfiercecompetitionas athletescametogethertodisplaytheirskillsandsportsmanship.Thegirlsteam finished strong, securing 4th place with a combined score of 368. Meanwhile, theboysteamalsogaveanimpressiveperformance,finishingin5thplacewith ascoreof308.
MATCH WITH
MEMORIAL
The Match with Memorial held at Timberlinks Golf Course showcased the skill anddeterminationofyounggolfers.LovejoyAplaced3rdoverallandSophmore ZayneZwaagstraplaced2ndintheindividualrankingswithascoreof80.
LLI GOLF
TOURNAMENT
We had a great turn out at the annual LLI Golf Tournament this past Monday. A huge thank you to many sponsors and individuals who contributed to making this event a success. Congratulations to FreshmanEmmaBallardforwinning the women's longest drive contest. Kudos to Freshman Veer Dev, Reid York, Carter Kowalski, and Kaleb Orshalick for placing 3rd as a team withanimpressivescoreof-21.
VOLLEYBALL
SOFTBALL PROGRAM SWEEP
Lovejoy Volleyball earned ANOTHER program sweep against a VERY talented McKinneyNorthVolleyballprogram.ThiswasabigwinforourLeopards!Friday nighttheywilltakeontheMelissaCardinals(anothertalentedprogram)andwe wouldLOVEtohaveyoursupport!Varsitywillplayat5pmandsub-varsitywill follow.OurJVteamcompetedintheTexasClassicthispastweekendandcame outontopasthetournamentchampions!WeareSOproudofthesegirls!
BLANKETS
Lovejoy Softball kicked off their off-season team bonding events this past week making blankets for Project Linus! The girls enjoyed some time together, growing all while making a difference for our community. We are working hard this off-season and are anxiousforJanuary2025toget heresoourseasoncanstart!
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.
September30,2024PublicNoticeWebsite
(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, TheLovejoyISDBoardofTrustees
Barrett Owens, President
Jeff Wood, Vice-President
Amy Smith, Secretary
Marvin Bobo, Trustee
Jason Jaynes, Trustee
Julie McLaughlin, Trustee
Mark Wheelis, Trustee
LEOPARD LIFE
TheLeopardLifewebsiteisanewadditiontoLovejoy’swaystostayengaged. SchoolrelatedflyersandcommunitynewswillbesharedontheLeopardLife.
Thisweek'sfeaturedflyersare:
LovejoyWrestling:SpiritNightatChipotle(10/1)
LovejoySwim&DivePumpkinPatch(10/4&10/5)
SAGECoffee7-12thGradeParents(10/10)
LacrosseFallSeasonRegistrationisOpen
LovejoyGiftedAssociationMembershipRegistration
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!
❓❓WhatistheBreakfastClub❓❓
�� TheLovejoyFootballBreakfastClubisanopportunitytojoinCoachDodge andhearhimtalkthroughthepreviousweeksgameanddiscussourupcoming opponent.
�� It’s a wonderful opportunity to get insight and perspective from our own headcoach.
�� Wemeetat8:30everyTuesdaymorningatRudy’sBBQinAllenintheback room.
�� Cost is $20/person and all proceeds go directly back to the program for coachesdevelopment.
�������� TheBreakfastClubisopentoallmembersoftheLovejoycommunity. We have had football dads, football moms, football grandparents, cheer parents,fineartsparents,aunts,unclesandalotoflocalretireesthatjustwant to come hear about Friday night football in Texas! You do NOT need to be a footballparentorrelativetoattend.
�� Spreadthewordtoanyoneyouthinkwouldbeinterested!
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 1st through 6th grade. Choose from one of the links below for more information.
Come meet and connect with other parents and district personnel to learn about our SAGE (Special and Gifted Education)programplansfortheyear! Coffee and light snacks will be provided.
September 24th 9:00am - 10:30am (PreK-6thGradeParents)
October 10th 9:00am - 10:30am (7th-12thGradeParents)
Location: Lovejoy Child Development CenterLibrary
Lovejoy SAT Prep classes are open for registration. Click here to learn more andregister!
Lovejoy High School students are invited to audition for Lovejoy Theatre’s upcoming musical, Cinderella! Click here tosignupforCinderellaAuditions!
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
Thankyou Thankyou AnchorSponsors! AnchorSponsors!
