Connect with Katie WEEKLY NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
NOVEMBER 11, 2022
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Table of Contents 04
Superintendent's Message
06
Voter-Approved Tax Rate Election
07
District Highlights
16
District Calendar
17
Student Activities & Recognitions
29
Staff Recognitions
30
Staff Spotlight
31
Leopard Life: Lovejoy Links
32
Leopard Life: Community News
33
Featured Job Openings
34
Health and Safety
SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE Lovejoy Community, Congratulations to our back to back State Champion Girls Cross Country Team! Not only is our Girls Cross Country Team the 5A State Champion, they also broke the state record for having the lowest score in history for 5A girls with a score of 28 points. (In cross country you want the lowest score.) It was a privilege to watch them cross the finish line at the state meet this past Saturday. This is an extraordinary accomplishment and a testament to the grit, determination, and teamwork of these incredible athletes and their coach, Carly Littlefield. Lovejoy ISD is also celebrating our State Runner-Up Boys Cross Country Team. We are extremely proud of our boys team and Coach Logan Kelly for bringing home the silver. They performed extremely well at the state meet and earned their place on the podium. Performing at this elite level is rare and remarkable. Today, on Veterans Day, we are grateful for the military personnel, past and present, who have served our country. Last night, the Lovejoy High School Student Council held their annual Veterans Day dinner for staff and community members that have selflessly served our country. This dinner is an expression of our gratitude for the service and sacrifice of our veterans.
Superintendent's Message Continued I am the proud wife, sister, and granddaughter of military veterans. To me, Veterans Day is a time to reflect on this significant act of patriotism and to share our gratitude with veterans and their families. Please join me in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for the veterans in our district and community. There is only ONE LOVEJOY and we are ALL LEOPARDS! Katie Kordel
Superintendent
VOTER-APPROVED TAX RATE ELECTION November 8, 2022 Election Results Unofficial results for the November 8, 2022 Lovejoy ISD VATRE (Proposition A) have been posted by the Collin County Elections Office. Results are not official until canvassed on November 16, 2022. Proposition A: FOR: 39.13% 3,123 votes AGAINST: 60.87% 4,858 votes Vote Total: 7,981 votes Superintendent Kordel emailed current Lovejoy families with the results of the election on Wednesday morning. Ms. Kordel's email can be read HERE.
DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS Learning in Lovejoy 2.0 While our students enjoyed a break earlier in the week, the LISD staff engaged in powerful professional learning that focused on deepening and defining our commitment to the Lovejoy ISD culture that is grounded in Relationships, Learning, Collaboration, Results, and Fun. Teams were able to collaborate and learn together through formats that connected all of our team members PreK-12 as well as campus teams. Our LISD team understands the importance of setting aside time for our own continuous improvement and professional growth. The two days allowed time for staff to further explore how our actions and behaviors support our commitment to ensuring all students learn at high levels. Some of the most powerful moments of the two days involved a teacher panel and videos of our teachers during team planning. This offered insight for all staff to learn about how high functioning teams positively impact student outcomes. Many thanks to the Lovejoy ISD Education Foundation for funding a grant that allowed our staff and having the opportunity to learn together in the outstanding Collin College Conference Center.
Learning in Lovejoy 2.0 Continued
Learning in Lovejoy 2.0 Continued
Community 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. Coffee Talk Goals 1. Listen: We want to hear from you 2. Share: Discuss how we will go about budgetary decisions for the 2023-2024 school year 3. Open Dialogue: Give our community the opportunity to have open discussion with Lovejoy ISD Leadership Coffee Talk Dates, Times, and Locations Tuesday, November 15 Lovejoy High School, Library 8:30 am-9:30 am Tuesday, November 29 Hart Elementary School, Leopard Lair 8:30 am-9:30 am Tuesday, November 29 Puster Elementary School, Cafeteria 7:00 pm-8:00 pm Wednesday, November 30 Willow Springs Middle Spring, Band Hall 8:30 am-9:30 am Wednesday, November 30 Sloan Creek Intermediate School, Library 12:30 pm-1:30 pm
Capital Planning Committee Applications Lovejoy ISD’s Capital Planning Committee is an advisory stakeholder committee formed by the Board of Trustees and District leadership. The purpose of the Capital Planning Committee is to assess and make recommendations related to short and long-range capital needs. This could include items such as facilities, fleet, technology, furniture, fixtures, and equipment, etc. The Capital Planning Committee will kick off this year, with meetings on the following dates, from 4-6pm:
The applications link is provided below. Please reach out to Ceci Poe at cecilia_poe@lovejoyisd.net with any questions.
CAPITAL PLANNING COMMITTEE APPLICATION LINK
Veterans Day Across Lovejoy On November 11, we honor the wartime service and sacrifice of men and women in the armed forces. Originally proclaimed Armistice Day in 1919 to commemorate the end of World War I, it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to include American veterans of all wars. Many students in our district are the son, daughter, cousin, grandchild or other relative of a Veteran or current Service Member. As a district, we were honored to provide students an opportunity to learn about and celebrate our United States veterans this week.
HART
This morning Hart Elementary had an assembly featuring our second graders honoring Veterans. The second graders sang different patriotic songs for our country and Veterans. A highlight of the program was when they sang Salute to the Armed Forces and our Veterans stood for their branch.
This year was Hart's guest speaker Retired Captain, Nora Eyle of the United States Air Force. Mrs. Eyle, who is a parent to Ryan a 4th grader at Hart, shared about her service and challenged our fourth graders to have integrity and be strong leaders.
PUSTER
Puster Elementary celebrated Veterans Day by sharing the book America's White Table with students and recreating the white table. Our 2nd grade choir performed patriotic songs to thank all of our Veterans, including Puster parents, grandparents, staff and community members.
WILLOW SPRINGS
LOVEJOY HIGH
With the help of our Board President, Mr. Owens, Ms Kordel and Dr. Zambiasi, the Student Council honored our local Veterans for their service. It was a small token of our appreciation for their commitment to our community and our country. We hope that they enjoyed the feast as much as we enjoyed their conversation, and we’re looking forward to next year!
DISTRICT CALENDAR November 2022 Month of November Native American Heritage Month November 11 Veterans Day
November 18 Substitute Professional Day November 21-25 Thanksgiving Break November 28 Board of Trustees Meeting - LCDC Library
Closed Session @ 6:00PM in D100 Open Session is expected to begin at approximately 7:00PM
Student Calendar Link
Athletics Calendar Link
District & Campus Calendars Link Campus, District, and Athletics Calendars are linked above for the convenience of our community. *Please note event dates, times and locations are subject to change and should be verified by participants.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES & RECOGNITIONS Cross Country Brings Home Gold and Silver! The girls Cross Country team won the State Championship title for the second year in a row. Amy Morefield, Sara Morefield, Camryn Benson, Peyton Benson, Kailey Littlefield, Kate Carlson and Jocelyn Chapman made up the championship squad who crushed their competition and set a new UIL STATE RECORD for lowest points scored in 5A girls history! (28 points) They achieved this by placing 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, and 11th in the race. These young ladies are a special team and have worked relentlessly to achieve this goal. Congratulations State Champions!
Our boys Cross Country team had phenomenal success bringing home the State Runner-Up Title last weekend! Will Carslon, Joe Bluestein, Caden Gary, Devin Muaina, Henry Bennion, Andrew Poulton, and Nick Yared fought hard and earned the silver! We are proud of these young men for this great achievement!
Lady Leopards Volleyball are Area Champions The Lovejoy Varsity Volleyball team is working hard to achieve their goals of returning to the UIL State Tournament this year. They took on the Whitehouse Wildcats during the Area Playoff Round and swept the Wildcats in three sets! Tuesday night they battled the Forney Yellowjackets in four sets to secure their spot in the Regional Tournament this weekend! These athletes will take on the Wakeland Wolverines Friday night at Rock Hill High School, game time is 7:00pm! The girls are asking fans to wear Red, White and Blue to Friday's game to honor our Veterans! We hope to see you there! Follow us on Twitter (@leopardvb) and Instagram (lovejoy_leopardvb) for game updates!
National Letter of Intent Signing Day On November 9th we celebrated 12 athletes who are signing their National Letter of Intent to compete at the collegiate level. These Leopards have made important impacts in their respective programs, and we are so proud of them! Amy Morefield - University of Tulsa - Cross Country/Track and Field Emmy Wood - Lamar University - Soccer Emma Smith - Houston Christian University - Soccer Callan Snider - University of Central Oklahoma - Soccer Hannah Harvey - Kennesaw State University - Softball Jade Owens - East Texas Baptist University - Softball Sydney Bardwell - University of Texas San Antonio - Softball Elliott Pomeroy - Black Hills State University - Softball Aidan Smith - Mississippi State - Baseball Jaxson Lavender - Southern Methodist University - Football Kyle Parker - Louisiana State University - Football Karson Templin - Utah State University - Basketball
National Letter of Intent Signing Day Continued
Varsity Football Playoff Game Tonight! Tonight, Friday, November 11 our Lovejoy Leopards play the Whitehouse Wildcats at Leopard Stadium in our first 5A Football Playoff Game! Let's pack the stands and prove their is only #ONELOVEJOY! Tickets are available for purchase HERE.
Reading with the Leopards Our Leopard Athletes and LHS Robotics visited at Hart Elementary last week demonstrating leadership through learning and inspiring the next generation of Leopards!
Leopard Time Photo Credit: Becky Hand
LHS Robotics Lovejoy Robotics teams #1082C and #1082R competed on Saturday, November 5th and did AMAZING! #1082R won the highest award presented...the Excellence Award AND they won Skills Champion! Both R and C ended as finalists after a tough championship match and #1082C won the Design Award!
1082R
1082C The girls from teams 1082C and 1082R represented Lovejoy STEM with a picture in front of the Vex Robotics #WhyIAmGirlPowered banner. This initiative encourages female students into STEM. #LovejoyProud
AP Studio Art Field Study LJVA's AP Studio artists, Independent study students, and Gallery Curators spent last Wednesday on a field study exploring three amazing collections of work in preparation for the creation of their personal body of work. They started the day with an incredible tour of the Rachofsky Warehouse to experience some of the vast collection of work they have acquired in the past 25 years. From there we traveled to the Fort Worth Modern to further analyze and discuss the synthesis between works materials, processes, and ideas. Our students completed their tour of museums at the Kimbell where we spent time outside reflecting on the day and how the experience would serve as a catalyst for their own artistic practice. We are excited to see how the day influences our students artistic inquiry and the creation of their AP Studio Art portfolios.
LJVA Artist Creates Ornament to Hang in State Capitol Each year, House Members are invited to select a constituent to create an ornament to hang on the christmas tree that stands in the House chamber of the Texas Capitol. We are honored that LJVA AP Studio artist and Gallery Curator, Makenna Ford, created the ornament for District 89's State Rep, Candy Noble. We were glad for Rep. Noble to stop by to get a picture with Makenna and the ornament before she travels to Austin for the tree decorating ceremony on Dec. 3rd. Congratulations on this honor Makenna!
Third Grade Living Museum The Third Grade Living Museum held by Puster Elementary this week was historical (pun intended)! At this annual event, students transform into a historical figure and recite biographical information from their research! The Living Museum is an exciting way for students to learn research, writing, listening, and speaking skills essential to the third grade.
STAFF RECOGNITIONS National School Psychology Awareness Week From November 8-12, Lovejoy joined districts across the country in celebrating National School Psychology Awareness Week, a time to recognize the important work school psychologists do to support students and families. Lovejoy's Licensed Specialists in School ! Psychology (LSSP) serve students every day with dedication and compassion. School psychologists play an integral role in helping students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally by working to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments. Join us in celebrating Laura Allen, Laurie Chowning, and Jennifer Stinson! Thank you for your commitment to ensuring every student can pursue their highest levels of academic and personal achievement.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT Amanda Puckett Coordinator, Child Development Center Professional Background Started and developed a private early childhood preschool for ages 18 Months thru Transitional Kindergarten Taught 2nd and 3rd Grade Reading Interventionist for grades K-6 Texas A&M University Instructional Coach/Mentor for new educators during the first 5 years post graduation Masters Degree in Educational Administration Bachelors in Early Childhood Education Grades Pre-K- 4th English Language Arts and Reading with STR Grades 4-8 Certification Texas Reading Academies Completion Personal Highlights: My husband Scott and I have been married for over 17 years Mom of two proud Leopard boys, Barrett (9th) and Bennett (6th)! We have a Labrador retriever named Cane, after the University of Miami Hurricanes (Scott’s alma mater) even though I am an Aggie for life! Gig’Em! We love watching and cheering for our boys in the various sports they play Roles and Responsibilities Oversee the daily operations of the Carrie L. Lovejoy Child Development Center (LCDC), TEA High Quality Pre-K Program, Afterschool Academy, Summer Enrichment Programs and Camps Coordinate LCDC programs, curriculum, student safety, and parent communication Lead LCDC staff hiring and development Collaboration, Connection, Community My goal is to provide Lovejoy ISD families with comprehensive and collaborative early childhood education opportunities. By fostering a love of learning, the LCDC builds a strong educational foundation for our youngest learners and future student leaders. It is our privilege to create a positive learning environment and high quality early education experience while ensuring fiscally responsible growth and revenue generation in Lovejoy's early childhood, after school and summer programs. Contact Information Email: amanda_puckett@lovejoyisd.net
Work Phone: 469.742.8133
Leopard Life
LOVEJOY LINKS
NEW! HOME RUN HEROS
NEW! GREEN TEEM CLOTHING DRIVE
LOVEJOY GIFTED ASSOCIATION LOVEJOY CHILDREN'S CHOIR
Leopard Life
COMMUNITY NEWS
The Lovejoy ISD Community News website is intended to facilitate connections and raise awareness of local events, activities, fundraisers and organizations that might interest Lovejoy families. 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. Check out the new Community News format!
PRESCHOOL TEACHER
FEATURED JOB OPENING
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APPLY HERE
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The Texas Department of State Health Services released new guidance for the 2022-2023 school year regarding Covid-19 and schools. Key Take Aways Students and/or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 may return in 5 days if they have been fever and symptom free for 24 hours. (Change from 10 days for students) Students with a COVID-19 household member who has tested positive are no longer required to quarantine. The district will not maintain a local “dashboard”, reporting positive cases. The district is required to report positive cases to the state. A link will be provided on the website that reflects this information for the district. The health screener QR code will remain in place at each campus for volunteers and visitors to complete. Current Covid-19 Illness/Exclusion Protocols
Connect with Katie . November 11, 2022 . Issue 15