Connect with Katie
NOVEMBER 7, 2025
Lovejoy Leopards Lovejoy Leopards
MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
LovejoyCommunity, Culture,community,andconnectionarethreeof the many reasons Lovejoy ISD is truly special. Tonight, at our annual Leopard Friday celebration,wewillexperienceallthree.
Each fall, the Lovejoy High School Courtyard comesalivewithfungames,excitingbooths,and delicious food trucks. Our cheerleaders, band, andMajesticsbringtheLovejoyLeopardspiritto life, leading a pep rally that unites our community.
After enjoying the festivities, we will head together to cheer on our Leopards undertheFridaynightlights.Joinustodayat5:00p.m.intheLovejoyHighSchool Courtyardforaneveningoffood,fun,festivities,andfootball!
AnnualVeteransDayCelebration
This week, the Lovejoy High School Student Council (STUCO) hosted our Annual Veterans Day Celebration, honoring and recognizing the service and sacrifice of our local veterans. Each year, I am deeply moved by the gratitude our students expressandthereverencetheyshowforthosewhohaveservedourcountry.
A heartfelt thank you to the Lovejoy High School Administrative Team, STUCO Sponsors Billie Jean Kelsey and Theresa Dollinger, our outstanding Fine Arts directors and students, and the Communications Department for making this eventsomeaningful.
ListeningCircles
AswepreparetoupdateourLOVEJOY2030StrategicPlan,ourfocusremainson listening, learning, and growing together. We invite parents and community members to join us on November 18th at 5:30 p.m. in the Lovejoy Child DevelopmentCenterLibraryforCommunityListeningCircles.
This is a meaningful opportunity to share your perspectives and help guide the futureofLovejoyISD.MoreinformationandthelinktoRSVPcanbefoundonpage 8.
Well done, Lovejoy High School Robotics! Our Robotics Team is celebrating a strongperformanceattheFortheLoveofBots(FTLOB)VEXRoboticsTournament.
Team1082Eand1082M-TournamentChampion!
Team1082M-ExcellenceAward
Team1082E-DesignAwardandSkillsAward
Team1082J-InnovateAward
Congratulations to Lovejoy High School Varsity Volleyball on their win against WoodrowWilsonHighSchoolintheregionalsemifinals!
ThereisonlyoneLovejoy,andweareallLeopards!
LovejoyProud,
KatieKordel Superintendent
STUCO HONORS VETERANS WITH HEARTFELT CELEBRATION
On Tuesday, Lovejoy High School Student Council proudly hosted the annual Veterans Day Celebration, honoring the courage and service of those who have servedourcountry.
Guests were warmly welcomed by the Lovejoy Color Guard, Majestics, Drumline, and Orchestra who set a tone of pride and gratitude as attendees arrived. The ceremony featured beautiful performances by the A Cappella Choir, creating a movingatmospherebefittingtheoccasion.Additionally, Bandstudentperformed Taps,offeringasolemntributetothosewhomadetheultimatesacrifice.
TheprogramalsoincludedheartfeltremarksfromStudentCouncilVicePresident Grace Peay, Superintendent Katie Kordel, and Board President Julie McLaughlin, eachreflectingonthemeaningofservice,sacrifice,andcommunity.
TheLovejoycommunityisdeeplygratefultoallveteransandtheirfamiliesfortheir dedicationandbravery.Thisspecialeveningservedasareminderthatfreedomis neverfree,andthatLovejoystandsunitedinappreciationofthosewhodefendit.
COMMUNITY LISTENING CIRCLE
LOVEJOY 2030
Join Superintendent Kordel for a Community Listening Circle: Shaping the FutureofLOVEJOY2030
As Lovejoy ISD enters year four of our LOVEJOY 2030 Strategic Plan, we are continuing our commitment to listening, learning, and growing together. Superintendent Kordel invites families, students, and community members to join herforanupcomingCommunityListening Circle, an opportunity to share your perspectives and help guide the future of ourdistrict.
Listeningcirclesprovideawelcomingspaceforopenandrespectfuldialogue.Each session is designed so that every voice can be heard, helping district leadership better understand the experiences, hopes, and concerns of our community. SuperintendentKordelandparticipatingTrusteeswillbetheretolistendeeplyand reflectonwhat’sshared.
Participantswillbeseatedinsmallcirclesof8-12peopletoencouragemeaningful conversation.Eachpersonwillhaveachancetospeakfromtheirownexperience whileotherslistenandlearn.Together,wewillexplorequestionssuchas:
WhatdoyouvaluemostaboutLovejoyISD?
Whatconcernsorchallengesdoyouseeinourschools?
Whathopesdoyouhaveforthefutureofourdistrict?
Insights gathered from these conversations will directly inform the LOVEJOY 2030 Strategic Planning Committee. Whether you are a parent, student, educator, businessleader,orcommunitypartner,yourperspectivematters.Wehopeyouall joinSuperintendentKordelandhelpshapethenextchapterofLovejoyISD’slegacy ofexcellence.
PleaseRSVPsowecanplanforyourparticipationinthisimportantevent!
Date:November18th
Time:5:30-7:00PM
Location:LovejoyChildDevelopmentCenter
NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY WEEK
Lovejoy ISD is proud to celebrate National SchoolPsychologyWeekandhonorthevital workofour SchoolPsychologists.
School psychologists partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behaviortohelpchildrenandyouthsucceed. Thankyou,LovejoySchoolPsychologists!
Gifted and Talented
2025-2026 REFERRALS & TESTING
Kindergarten
January
February
Grades 1-4
Grades 5-11
February 2-27 (during school day)
ANNUAL LOVEJOY LETTER CAMPAIGN
LovejoyFamiliesandCommunityMembers:
It’s the final week of the Annual Lovejoy Letter Campaign for teachers and staff members!Manyofyouarefamiliarwiththisbelovedtradition,butforthoseofyouwho are not, it is the time of year when we write letters of appreciation for each of our teachersandstaffmembersacrosstheDistrict.
Thelettersdonothavetobeelaborateorlengthy.Thegoalisforpeopletowriteanote of thanks to show appreciation to their teachers, the staff and our administration. It is theopportunityforustotakethetimetoleteachpersonwhomakesadifferenceforus throughout the school year know how much we see and value them. This year’s campaignhasbegunandwillrununtilMonday,November10th.
Pleaseplaceyourletterinaclearlylabeledenvelopeincludingthestaff/teacher’sfirst and last 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 Monday,November10th.
Let’sshowourteachersandstaffjusthowmuchweappreciatethem!
SOARING THROUGH THE PAGES
Lovejoy Libraries are excited to announce the 2nd Annual Sora Reading Challenge! ThisNovemberandDecember,allLovejoystudentsandstaffareinvitedtosoarinto readingusingthedistrict’sreadingapp,Sora.
Thisyear’stheme,“ReadlikeaDragon:FuelYourImagination!”,encouragesreaders todiveintomagicaladventuresandignitetheircreativity.Thetop20readersfrom eachcampuswillearndragon-inspiredkeychainscreatedbytheLovejoylibrarians.
Thisyear’stheme,“ReadlikeaDragon:FuelYourImagination!”,encouragesreaders todiveintomagicaladventuresandignitetheircreativity.Thetop20readersfrom each campus will earn dragon-inspired keychains created by the Lovejoy librarians.total reading minutes will be crowned the Top Winner! Standout readers fromthewinningcampuswillreceiveanexclusive3D-printeddragon!
Tolearnmoreandgetstarted,visitt.ly/2mXWS.LovejoyLibrariescan’twaittosee whichcampusbringsthefireandsoarsthroughthepagesthisholidayseason!
ATTENDANCE UPDATE
Strong school attendance is correlated with higher academic performance. Additionally,averageDailyAttendance(ADA)isametricthattheStateofTexas usestodeterminefundingforpublicschools.Eachweek,thisattendancedata willbeupdatedsoourcommunityisawareofourmostrecentADA.
Report an Absence
The District has implemented a new process to streamline absence reporting. To notify your campus attendance office about your student’s absence, complete yourcampuses"ReportanAbsence"form whichcanbefound:
CampusWebsite(toprightcorner)
DISTRICT CALENDAR
LEARNING SHINES BRIGHT AT PUSTER
Students at Puster Elementary explored how light interacts with different materials,discoveringwhichonesallowlighttopassthroughandwhichonesblock it completely. They also expanded their science vocabulary by learning the terms opaque,translucent,andtransparent.Itwasanilluminatingdayoflearning! Thank you,Mr.Knight,forleadingthisengagingenrichmentactivity!
HANDS-ON LEARNING IN FORENSIC SCIENCE
In Lovejoy ISD, active and engaged student learning is a non-negotiable, and last week, that priority came to life in our Forensic Science classrooms. Students stepped into the role of crime-lab investigators, testing evidence, analyzing patterns,anddevelopingclaimsgroundedindata.
The investigation began with a chromatography lab, where students separated blackinksfromdifferentmarkerstodeterminewhichonewasusedtowriteamock “ransomnote.”Ascolorsspreadacrossthepaper,studentsobserved,questioned, and debated why the inks separated differently and which marker matched the evidence.
Inasecondactivity,studentsconductedhandwritinganalyses,studyingreal-world samples for letter formation, line quality, and spacing to identify a potential suspect.
Later,learningshiftedtosubstanceidentification.Throughaclassroomsimulation, students performed qualitative tests on safe, everyday materials such as baking soda and Alka-Seltzer to model how forensic scientists analyze unknown substances.
Throughout each lab, students immersed themselves in evidence collection and interpretation, applying analytical methods, recording observations, and using resultstoformevidence-basedconclusions.
Through these authentic, hands-on investigations, students deepened their understandingofforensicchemistryanddocumentanalysiswhileembodyingwhat itmeanstobeactiveparticipantsintheirownlearning.
LOVEJOY VISUAL ARTS
9TH
ANNUAL GALLERY OPENING
Lovejoy Visual Art (LJVA) hosted its 9th Annual LHS Campus Exhibit on Tuesday, celebratingthecreativityandinnovationof9–12studioartists.Fromvibrantcactus sculptures to detailed narrative drawings and interactive performances, the show highlighted the individuality and talent of Lovejoy students. Families and communitymembersenjoyedexploringthegalleryandconnectingwiththeartists.
LJVAinviteseveryonetoreturnonDecember4thfrom5:00p.m.–7:30p.m.forthe K–12 Evolution Exhibit, the largest show of the year showcasing artistic growth fromKindergartenthrough12thgrade.
FOR THE LOVE OF BOTS VEX TOURNAMENT
LovejoyRoboticshadanoutstandingshowingattheFortheLoveofBots(FTLOB) VEX Robotics Tournament, hosted by Lovejoy Highschool. Competing against a strong field of 49 teams, Lovejoy students demonstrated incredible skill, innovation,andteamwork,andcameawaywithtophonorsacrosstheboard!
1082M (10-0) earned the prestigious Excellence Award, the top award at any tournament.Overall,theywereundefeatedatthetournament,butwhatwasreally impressive was how they scored in our new game. They scored a total of 1,011 pointsandtheiropponentsonlyscored214pointsagainstthem.Theyjoinedwith
1082E to take home the Tournament Championship. They also placed 3rd in the skillscompetition.
1082E (9-1) took home both the Design Award, Tournament Champion, and the Robot Skills Champion Award placing them in 45th place in the world in skills currently. They only lost one match on Saturday, going 9-1 overall for the entire tournament.
1082J (6-2) won the Innovate Award and made it to the quarterfinals in the eliminationbracket.
1082V(4-2)andteamedupwith1082Jtomakeittothequarterfinals.Thatmatch was1082Vwith1082Jversus1082Mwith1082E.
1082N(3-3)madeitintotheeliminationroundsbutlostagainstatoughopponent inthefirstround.
1082U (3-3) teamed up with 1082W (1-5) in the elimination rounds. They lost a toughmatchagainstthe2ndseedallianceinthatmatch.
1082T (0-6) did an excellent job of representing Lovejoy Robotics. They stayed positiveandgainedvaluableexperienceandknowledgetomakechangestotheir robotgoingforward.
The event brought together students, mentors, and volunteers from across the region to celebrate creativity and problem-solving throughrobotics.Ahugethank-you goesouttoallthecoaches,parents, and volunteers who helped make the tournament a success, as well as to the Lovejoy community for comingouttosupporttheteams.
Lovejoy Robotics continues to exemplify what it means to learn, lead, and innovate through STEM. Congratulations to all of the Robotics teams on an incredible weekend!
The Robotics program invites our Lovejoy community to join them at the Wylie High School Tournament onNovember15th.
LOVEJOY BOYS XC SHINES AT STATE
Congratulations to the Lovejoy Leopards Boys Cross Country team for an outstanding performance at the UIL 5A State Championship on Friday, October 31st! The team placed 10th overall, marking an incredible 18th consecutive year that the Leopards have qualified for the state meet, a true testament to the program’sconsistency,hardwork,andtraditionofexcellence.
A special congratulations goes to Tristan Arceneau, who earned CCCAT All-State Honors for his individual performance. Lovejoy ISD is proud of our athletes, coaches,andsupportersforrepresentingthedistrictwithprideanddetermination!
MAJESTICS EARN DIVISION 1 RATING AT TDEA
OnMonday,November3rd,theMajesticsDanceTeamparticipatedintheTDEAFall Field Assessment, an initiative led by the Texas Dance Educators Association to support the development of a standards-based state dance and drill team assessment.
TheMajesticsproudlyearnedaDivisionIrating,showcasingtheirhardwork,talent, and dedication. With more than 300 teams and 8,600 dancers participating statewide, this event plays a key role in shaping the future of dance and drill in Texas, and we are so proud of our Majestics for representing our school with excellence!
LOVEJOY BAND CLOSES SEASON WITH PRIDE
The Lovejoy Band proudly celebrates the conclusion of an incredible 2025 marching contest season! The ensemble capped off the year with a 12th-place finish at the Area Contest, a tremendous accomplishment that reflects the dedication,heart,andperseveranceofitsstudents.
From the first summer rehearsal to the final performance under the contest stadium lights, these students have shown remarkable commitment. They have grown as musicians and performers while learning lessons in hard work, accountability, and teamwork, and building friendships that will last well beyond theirtimeinthebandhall.
The band extends heartfelt gratitude to all parents and families whose tireless support, chaperoning, cheering, driving, feeding, moving equipment, and encouraging,madethisseasonpossible.
The group will give its final performance of Creatures of the Night at this Friday’s footballgameagainstMemorialHighSchoolonSeniorNight.
As the season comes to a close, the Lovejoy Band reflects on what truly matters: not trophies or placements, but the journey itself, the growth, resilience, and sharedjoyofcreatingsomethingmeaningfultogether.
LOVEJOY CODERS COMPETE AT UTD
OnSaturday,November1st,threemembersoftheLovejoyHighSchoolComputer Science Team represented LHS at the University of Texas at Dallas “Battle of the Brains” contest. This biannual competition, held each fall and spring, challenges studentstoapplytheirprogrammingandproblem-solvingskillsinarigorous,fastpacedenvironment.Theteamcompetedadmirablyandlooksforwardtoreturning forthespringcontestinApril.
Pictured(lefttoright):BenjaminCoad,AaronReynolds,andJettNguyen.
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.
Please note: the information featured in the "Community News" section is submitted by local community members. Lovejoy ISD is not affiliated with the organizationsanddoesnotclaimtoendorsethem.
Lovejoy ISD is excited to launch the Lovejoy x ALL SZNS Spirit Wear Collection!
Orderswillbeavailableforpick-upat the Lovejoy Administration building when filled. Lovejoy customers will not have to drive to Southlake for orderpick-up.
ClickHeretoOrder
Thiscollaborationnotonlyshowsoff your Leopard pride, but also generates revenue to support teachers, classrooms, and programs acrossLovejoyISD.
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
LOVEJOY CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Campus Newsletter
HART ELEMENTARY
Principal Newsletter
PUSTER ELEMENTARY
Principal Newsletter
SLOAN CREEK INTERMEDIATE
Principal Newsletter
WILLOW SPRINGS MIDDLE
Principal Newsletter
LOVEJOY HIGH SCHOOL
Principal Newsletter
Connect with Katie. November 7, 2025. Issue 15