Connect with Katie.10.11.2024.Issue12 by Lovejoy ISD

Connect with Katie

OCTOBER

11, 2024

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

from the Superintendent MESSAGE

LovejoyCommunity,

Last Friday was our best attended Leopard Friday in Lovejoy ISD history! A special thank you to LovejoyHighSchoolforhostingthiseventandour many booster clubs, student organizations, and community partners for their support. It was so muchfunwatchingourstudentsandfamiliesenjoy games, booths, the art gallery, a community pep rally, food trucks, and fine arts performances beforeheadingtoLeopardStadiumforanexciting win.

OctoberisPrincipalAppreciationMonth,atimetorecognizethehardworkand leadershipofouramazingLovejoyISDprincipals.Ihavetremendousgratitude and respect for Shannon Acosta, Holly Haynes, Amanda Puckett, Caitlin Eldredge, and Justin Wieller. They are at the forefront of creating and maintaining strong academic programs, ensuring that teachers have the resourcesandsupporttheyneedtodeliverahigh-qualityeducation.Principals work hard to foster a positive learning environment for students while addressing challenges and driving school improvement. Their leadership impacts everything from student learning to school culture, and their dedicationiskeytothesuccessofourschools.Weappreciatetheirhardwork, vision, and commitment to educational excellence. I hope you will join me in expressinggratitudefortheirleadership.

Asweapproachthemuchanticipatedfallbreak,Iwantedtotakeamomentto express my gratitude for the incredible dedication and support you provide Lovejoy ISD. The start of the school year has been filled with excitement, growth, and many achievements, and we couldn’t have done it without your involvement.

Fall break is a wonderful opportunity for students, families, and our dedicated stafftorechargeandspendqualitytimewiththosetheylove.Whetheryouplan to travel, enjoy the slightly cooler temperatures outdoors, or simply relax at home, I encourage everyone to take this time to enjoy the changing of the seasons.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready to dive into thenextphaseofourschoolyear.Thankyouforyourcontinuedsupport,andI wishyouallasafeandenjoyablefallbreak!

ThereisonlyONELOVEJOY,andweareALLLEOPARDS!

LovejoyProud, KatieKordel

Superintendent

Game Day Teachers of the Week:

Ms Melissa Fritzsche, 6th Grade Science

Ms. Stephanie Chaney, 6th Grade Math

Sloan Creek Intermediate School

LEOPARD FRIDAY

A LOVEJOY TRADITION

Thankyou,LovejoyCommunity,foratrulywonderfulLeopardFridayeventlast week!OurfamiliesshowedupinaBIGwayandenjoyedanincredibleafternoon ofschoolprideandfunfestivities.WearesogratefulforthisLOJOtraditionand ouruniquelyspecialschoolcommunity!

DISTRICT

RECOGNITIONS

Last week, at Friday’s varsity football game, Lovejoy ISD honored three very importantcommunitymembers/groupsthateachhaveanincredibleimpacton Lovejoy’s students and programs. We are proud to share the following celebrations:

FoundationforLovejoySchools

The Foundation for Lovejoy school presented a ceremonial check to Lovejoy ISD. The Foundation has contributed $6.6 million to date to help enhance the educational experience of our students. The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools Board encourages you to join them in donating to this year’s Annual Appeal Campaign.

JameyBrumley,JimBobPuckettAward

Lovejoy ISD was proud to recognize Mr. Jamey Brumley as the 2024 Jim Bob PuckettSpiritofaLeopardAwardrecipient.Mr.Brumleywasjoinedbyhiswife Angelee, sons Brantley and Beau, and daughter Ella. Jamey has overseen our Friday Night football gameday production for the last several years. He has generouslygivenLovejoyISDcountlesshoursofserviceandhasplayedamajor role in creating an incredible atmosphere during the Leopard football games and other athletic events. Jamey has always been dedicated to giving the LovejoycommunitythebestpossibleTexasHighSchoolfootballexperience.

Lovejoy ISD awarded Jamey Brumley the Jim Bob Puckett Spirit of a Leopard Award in honor of his numerous contributions and unrelenting support of LovejoyAthletics.ThisawardispresentedannuallyatLeopardFridayhonoring someonewhoembodiesCoachPuckett’spassionandcommitmenttoLovejoy ISD. Thank you Jamey Brumley for making a positive impact on the lives of countlessstudentathletes,coaches,andcommunitymembers.

RobertsonOrthodontics,AnchorSponsor

Lovejoy ISD was proud to introduce our Game Night Sponsor, Robertson Orthodontics. As an Anchor Sponsor, Robertson Orthodontics represents Lovejoy'shighestlevelofadvertisingsponsor.Wearedeeplyappreciativeof Dr. Michael Robertson and his team for their support and contribution to the community for the past five years. Dr. Robertson was joined by his mother, Johnnieatthegameandhewaspresentedacertificateofappreciation.

APPRECIATION

October is Principal Appreciation Month and we are proud to continue celebrating our incredible campus leaders! This week we are highlighing Ms. Puckett,SloanCreekPrincipal,andMs.Eldredge,WillowSpringsPrincipal!

O N O R I N G

Amanda Puckett

Q:HowManyYearshaveyouworkedineducation? A:16

Q:Whatisthebestthingaboutbeingaprincipal?

A: Working with students and teachers each day! Helpingstudentsbelieveinthemselvesthattheycan dothehardthingsandmakeadifference!

Q:Whatisa"funfact"ortalentthatstudentswould besurprisedtoknowaboutyou?

A:AfunfactisIhavetwoboysandIshareabirthday withoneofthem!

Q:Whatsongdoyouknowallthelyricsto?

A:TinyDancerbyEltonJohn

Q:Ifyoucouldhaveasuperpower,whatwoulditbe andwhy?

A:Iwouldliketomanipulatetime.Youcouldpause, rewind, or fast-forward moments, giving me the chance to relive experiences. Plus, I could witness historicaleventsfirsthand!

Caitlin Eldredge

Q:HowManyYearshaveyouworkedineducation? A:16

Q:Whatisthebestthingaboutbeingaprincipal?

A: I enjoy that no two days are the same. This challenges me to be a lifelong learner. We have incrediblestudentsinLovejoyandtheymakemydays brighter,evenwhenwewalkthroughchallenges.Ifeel thesamewayaboutmyamazingstaffmembers

Q:Whatisa"funfact"ortalentthatstudentswouldbe surprisedtoknowaboutyou?

A: I was a University of Alabama Crimsonette, Roll Tide!Icantwirlbatons,flags,andsabers.Iwasalsoin thebandandplayedthetrumpetandthefrenchhorn (notverywell!).

Q:Whatsongdoyouknowallthelyricsto?

A: Every song in the classic Disney Princess movies, TheLittleMermaidisafamilyfavoritewithmygirls.

Q:If you could have a super power, what would it be andwhy?

A:Teleportation.I'veneverbeenafanoflongdrivesor airportsbutIenjoytraveling.

FALL BREAK

REMINDER

Leopard Reminder: No School October 1418th for Fall Break. All campuses will be closedMonday-Friday.

AdministrationOfficeHours:

ClosedMonday

Tuesday-Thursday8:00a.m.-3:00p.m. Friday8:00a.m.-5:00p.m.

Wishing all our Leopards a safe and enjoyablebreak!

NATIONAL COACHES DAY

This week we celebrated National Coaches Day and honored the Lovejoy educators/coaches who make a truly significant impact by developing high performingstudentathletes,aswellasexceptionalhumans! Belowisasmall numberofourmanycelebraions. Thankyou,Coaches!

“Agoodcoachcanchangeagame.Agreatcoachcanchangealife.” –JohnWooden

HUMAN RESOURCES APPRECIATION

Join us in celebrating our fabulous Human Resources team! This group is dedicatedtocaringforourmostvaluableandimportantresources,ourLovejoy ISDteachers,staff,andguesteducators!Hiring,onboarding,training,benefits, compliance,andstaffappreciationarejustsomeoftheirareasofexpertise.We appreciateyou,HumanResources!

LOVEJOY LETTER

CAMPAIGN

LovejoyFamiliesandCommunityMembers:

The Annual Lovejoy Letter Campaign for teachers and staff members is just aroundthecorner!Manyofyouarefamiliarwiththisbelovedtradition,butfor those of you who are not, it is the time of year when our community writes appreciation letters for each of our teachers and staff members across the District.

The letters do not have to be elaborate or lengthy. The goal is to share your gratitude for Lovejoy teachers, the staff and administration. It is a wonderful opportunity for students and parents to let each Lovejoy staff member know howmuchtheyarevaluedandthedifferencetheymakeeachday.Thisyear’s campaignwillrunfromMondayOctober21st toFriday November15th.

After the Fall Break, please place your letter in a clearly labeled envelope including the staff/teacher’s name, the campus, and LLC (Lovejoy Letter Campaign). There will be collection boxes available at all campuses in the District. The last day for drop off is Friday, November 15th. Please feel free to sharethismessageaswespreadthewordaboutthecampaign.Let’sshowour teachersandstaffjusthowmuchweappreciatethem!

BOND PLANNING

COMMITTEE

The Board of Trustees approved the formation of a Bond Planning Committee at the September 30, 2024 Board Meeting. The Bond Planning Committeewillbeastakeholderbased committee that studies District capital needs and recommends priorities for a possible future bond election. Learn more about the committee and apply here: https://www.lovejoyisd.net/page/bond -planning-committee.

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.

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.

UNDERSTANDING

THE TEEN BRAIN

LHSPTSOwouldliketoinviteallparentsin theDistricttojoinusforapresentationby the Grant Haliburton Foundation on “Understanding the Teen Brain: A Work in Progress.” The teen years are a critical brain development stage. It’s a time for establishing good mental hygiene routines and coping skills to support positive life outcomes. We will be discussing brain developmental changes, learn practices thatsupporthealthyhabits,andexplore

strategies for fostering resilience to navigate life’s challenges. Join us on October22ndat6pmintheLovejoyChildDevelopmentCenterLibrary.

DISTRICT CALENDAR

FAIRVIEW FIRE

VISITS LCDC

Students at the Lovejoy Child Development Center (LCDC) had an exciting morning as they welcomed the Fairview Fire Department. Students have been learningabouthelpersinthecommunityandOctoberisalsoFireSafetyMonth. Each class made cards for the firefighters, received stickers and fire hats, and werethrilledtoexplorethefireengine.ManythankstotheFairviewfirefighters fortakingtimetomakeourday!

FAMILY FOLK

DANCE NIGHT

HartElementary’s3rdgradestudentspresentedtheirannualFamilyFolkDance Night on Thursday, October 3rd. The students presented dances from around the world, sharing their learning from the first eight weeks in music class. Studentsperformeddancesinalargecircle,doublecircle,partneredcircle,and longways set formations. After performing the Russian dance, Sasha, students invitedtheaudiencetolearnthedance!

LOJO BASEBALL

VISITS HART

HartwasvisitedlastweekbyCoachLeechandtheLOJOBaseballTeam.They helped with carline, greeted students, and read to kindergarten, 1st grade students, and 2nd grade classrooms. These interactions are wonderful opportunities for our high school students to engage with their community as role models. Our littlest leopards always look forward to when the “big kids” visit!

BOYS XC DISTRICT

CHAMPIONS X 18!

The boys Cross Country team took the team title for both the JV team and VarsityteamonTuesday!Thisisthe18thyearinarowtowintheJVandVarsity District Championship for Lovejoy boys Cross Country. In fact, they have been DistrictChampionseveryyearsincetheinceptionoftheprogram!!

Thank you, Coach Logan Kelly, for your phenomenal leadership! We wish the BoysVarsitysquadgoodluckastheyadvancetotheRegionalChampionshipon October22ndat9:00a.m.atLynnCreekParkinGrandPrairie.

VarsityAllDistrictTeam

JoeyReid-2nd

WillCalrson-3rd

AaronWimbish -4th

JackThompson-6th

TylerMorefield-7th

5thManRunneroftheYear andNewComerAward

TylerMorefield

JVBoysTop10

ArjunSharma-1st

JoeO'Brien-2nd

AdamMorefield-3rd

AdamRogers-5th

CarterEwing-6th

AllDistrictFreshmenTeam

EvanWheeler

DylanWelch

DistrictCoachoftheYear

LoganKelly-Boys

CarlyLittlefield-Girls

GIRLS XC DISTRICT

CHAMPIONS!

The Lovejoy Girls Cross Country team swept the District Championship on TuesdayatMyersPark.Notonlydidtheywin-wehad2PERFECTscoresof15 points!

Both the JV and Varsity teams put 7 runners at the front, making this the best DistrictfinishLovejoyhaseverhad.ThegirlshaveworkedtirelesslysinceJune 1st,andtheycametoCOMPETE!

Thankyou,CoachCarlyLittlefield,foryourremarkableleadership!Wewishthe GirlsVarsityteamgoodluckastheyadvancetotheRegionalChampionshipas well.

VarsityAllDistrictTeam

CamrynBenson-1st

SofiaDominguez-2nd

CampbellLester-3rd

SophieBrooks-4th

JocelynChapman-5th

TaliaOrshalick-6th

HarperJaynes-7th

DistrictMVP

CamrynBenson

DistrictNewComer oftheYearAward

SofiaDominguez

5thRunnerAward

JocelynChapman

AllDistrictFreshmenTeam

LeilaBailey

KateRoberts

MadisonSimpson

ROBERT SCHNURR

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT

RobertearnedhisEagleScoutrankthisweek.AspartofearninghisEagleScout, hehadtocompleteaprojecttogivebacktoanorganization.HisEagleproject was to build and install trophy shelves in the Robotics lab at Lovejoy High School. Thankyou,Robert,forthiscontributiontheRoboticsprogram!

ORCHESTRA

ALL-REGION

This past Saturday the Lovejoy High School Orchestra program, under the directionofMs.Vanhook,sent15studentstoauditionforAll-RegionOrchestra. These students auditioned against over 450 orchestra students from Plano, Allen,Wylie,andSherman.Pleasecongratulatethefollowingstudentsontheir signficantaccomplishmentofearningapositionintheRegion25Orchestra:

JustenMao,1stChairViolin,Philharmonic DavidWang,19thChairViolin,Philharmonic CarsonDykstra,10thChairStringBass,Philharmonic TeniSegun,1stAlternateStringBass,Philharmonic

TENNIS BI-DISTRICT

CHAMPIONS!

CongratulationstotheLovejoyLeopardTennisTeamforsecuringtheBi-District Championship with an impressive 10-1 victory over Tyler High School! The match was played in Sulfur Springs, where our Leopards dominated by sweepingthedoublesmatches,jumpingouttoacommanding7-0lead.

In singles, Adnan Dohwadwala (6-3, 6-3), Vishruth Bathini (6-0, 6-0), and LaurenPerry(6-2,6-1)clinchedkeywins,withPerrysealingthevictoryforthe Leopardsbywinningthe10thmatch!

Way to go, Leopards and Coach Denham! #BiDistrictChamps #LovejoyTennis #Champions

FOOTBALL WINS

BY A FIELD GOAL!

LastweektheLeopardscompetedagainstanothertoughdistrictopponent-the MelissaCardinals.BothteamsplayedhardandtheLeopardswononawalkoff field goal from our kicker Cooper Ryan. The atmosphere in Leopard stadium was amazing and we will need that same home field advantage energy in our away game tonight against Frisco Independence at The Star in Frisco. Lovejoy Footballcan'twaittoseethecommunitytonight!

VOLLEYBALL IS

#ONAMISSION

Lovejoy Volleyball added another program sweep last Friday night against the ShermanBearcats.Tuesdaynighttheystartedtheirsecondroundofdistrictat AnnaHighSchoolandgainedanotherprogramsweep!Tonighttheytakeonthe Denison Yellowjackets at home, make sure to WHITE OUT the stands! RemembertomarkyourcalendarsforOct22ndforeveryone'sfavoritenightof the district season, JUNGLE NIGHT! Lovejoy Volleyball is #OnAMission for anotherdistrictchampionship!

LOVEJOY HS

SPORTS MEDICINE

LovejoySportsMedicineisproudtopresentthefollowingstudentsasStudent AthleticTrainersoftheMonth;FreshmanAddySeely,SophomoresSkylarSmith andSadieBraithwaite.Thesestudentshavegoneaboveandbeyondtheirroles as Student Athletic Trainers. They are always on time, provide valuable assistance, and they are leaders within the program. We are proud of their accomplishmentsandcannotwaittoseethemimprove.Congratulations!!!

LOVEJOY SPORTS MEDICINE

STUDENT ATHELTIC TRAINERS OF THE MONTH

Addy Seely - FR

Sadie Braithwaite - SO

Skylar Smith - SO

SOFTBALL

Lovejoy Softball celebrated their half-day last Friday by giving back to the community!Fridayafterearlyrelease,thesegirlshelpedoutatFeedMyStarving Children!Puttingothers'needsbeforetheirownissomethingtheystrivetodo onadailybasis.Getreadyfortheseasonopenerinmid-January!GoLeopards!

LEOPARD LIFE

TheLeopardLifewebsiteisanewadditiontoLovejoy’swaystostayengaged. SchoolrelatedflyersandcommunitynewswillbesharedontheLeopardLife.

Thisweek'sfeaturedflyersare:

BaseballHomerunHerosK-6Registration

LHSCheerAnnualHolidayGreenerySale(Deadline11/12)

Upper90SoccerBoosterCane'sFundraiser

JuniorLeopardsMiniCheerCampRegistration

ModPizzaOrchestraFundraiser(10/24) 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!

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.

Lovejoy SAT Prep classes are openforregistration.Clickhere tolearnmoreandregister!

Lovejoy High School students are invited to audition for Lovejoy Theatre’s upcoming musical, Cinderella! ClickheretosignupforCinderella Auditions!

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!