Connect with Katie.12.06.2024.Issue18 by Lovejoy ISD

Connect with Katie

DECEMBER 06, 2024

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

from the Superintendent MESSAGE

LovejoyCommunity,

This morning, we dealt with a theft at the Lovejoy Child Development Center. Our PreK-3 students left their big gingerbread man cookie bakingwhentheywentoutontheplayground. When they returned to the classroom, wouldn’t you know it? the Gingerbread Man himself was gone, but he left the students a notewithasurprisetreat!A3yearoldwitness reported the Gingerbread man saying "Run, run, run,asfastasyoucan!Youcan'tcatchme,I'mtheGingerbreadman!"Hewas laterspottedinthehallwayandstoppedbyclassroomsforaquickvisit.

Restassured,theGingerbreadManleftuswithplentyofcookiestoshareand enjoy, and this playful caper made the activity all the sweeter. Our students have shared various theories about the Gingerbread Man’s identity, and, between you and me, Ms. Daniels-Dixon, Coordinator of the Lovejoy Child DevelopmentCenter,wassuspiciouslymissingduringtheincident!

ThisweekhasbeenatruecelebrationofcreativityandtheartsasourFineArts Festival takes center stage! Each year, our gifted students and dedicated fine arts directors come together to present the community with captivating performances, stunning showcases, and breathtaking artwork. I enjoyed attendingtheDanceandColorGuardShowcase,theVisualArtsK-12Evolution Gallery Opening and look forward to attending the Theater Department's performanceofCharlotte’sWebonSaturdaynight.Thefestivalcontinuesnext week and a detailed calendar of events can be found on page 11. We look forwardtosharingmorepicturesnextweek.

City of Lucas Fire Department, and Chief Bell with the Town of Fairview Fire Department, so kindly gave their time to impact our students. All five spoke aboutleadership,service,andhowourstudentscantakeanactiveroleintheir safetyaswellasthesafetyoftheirfamiliesandpeers.

The Board of Trustees held their annual Board Academy this week. We had severalcommunitymembersinattendanceincludingour2024-2025Leadership LovejoyClass.RepresentativesfromourBoardofTrusteesspenttimediscussing the roles and responsibilities of serving on the Board. Information was also sharedontheguidelines,logistics,andtimelinestorunforaBoardseat.

The Lovejoy High School Varsity Football Team is advancing to the Regional Championshipsthisevening!WeplayArgyleHighSchoolattheChildren’sHealth Stadium in Prosper at 7 p.m. Let’s continue our proud LOJO spirit and strong communitysupportforourLeopardsandshowuptocheerthemonthisevening.

RealityCheck

It is important to us that our stakeholders have accurate information. We are adding a new community information resource, Reality Check, to address misinformationanddisinformation.YoucanaccessRealityCheckhere.

Wishing our Football Team victory tonight and you a weekend filled with love andjoy.

ThereisonlyONELOV

LovejoyProud,

KatieKordel

Superintendent

4 LJVA YOUNGARTS

AWARD WINNERS

LovejoyVisualArtisproudtoannouncethat4LJVAArtistswererecognized as2025YoungArtsWinners!

Lane Beller (‘24), Dana Colston (‘25), CarolineMatthews(‘25),andVeronica Ye (’25), were recognized among 800 of the nation’s most accomplished emerging artists in the visual, literary and performing arts. Out of more than 11,000 applicants, these Lovejoy artists were selected as 4 of the 33 winners selected for this prestigious honorinvisualartanddesign.These4 distinguished award winners set a newrecordforLJVAinthisworldwide competition;travelingtoMiamiforan all-expenses-paid week-long learning intensive where they will learn from top artists and professors in their field, field, creating work, collaborating, and interviewing for the nation’s top art prize; The Presidential Scholar In the Arts award. Representing artists from acrosstheglobe,YoungArtsawardwinnerswillhaveopportunitiesforfinancial, creative, and professional development support throughout their entire careers. Selected through the organization’s prestigious competition, YoungArtsawardwinnersarechosenfortheircaliberofartisticachievementby esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudicationprocess.

WeareincrediblyproudofLane,Dana,Caroline,andVeronicaandcannotwait forthemtorepresentourprogramandcommunityinMiami!Thesefouryoung women are incomparable exemplars of the intelligence, care, gumption, work ethic, and commitment that LJVA aims to instill in all of our artists, and we couldn’tbemoreexcitedfortheminthiswell-deservedhonor!

Dana Colston

Caroline Matthews

Veronica Ye

Lane Beller

12 DAYS OF

CHRISTMAS

Holidaydress-updaysandfestivitieshavekickedoffaroundLovejoyISD! Enjoy thesefunphotosfromaroundtheDistrict!

FIRST RESPONDER STUDENT CONNECTIONS

On Tuesday, the Lovejoy High School Student-Superintendent Connection Council facilitated a panel discussion with our local First Responders. We are grateful that Captain Campbell with the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, Special AgentPermenterwiththeFBI,ChiefStephensandAssistantChiefGantwiththe City of Lucas Fire Department, and Chief Bell with the Town of Fairview Fire Department, so kindly gave their time to impact our students. All five spoke aboutleadership,service,andhowourstudentscantakeanactiveroleintheir safetyaswellasthesafetyoftheirfamiliesandpeers.

LOVEJOY ISD

Fine Arts Festival

December 3rd - 12th, 2024

Tuesday, Dec. 3, - Dance & Color Guard Showcase

6:30 pm, Lovejoy High School Auditorium

Thursday, Dec. 5th - Visual Arts K12 Evolution Gallery Opening

5:00 - 7:30 pm, Lovejoy High School Gallery

Dec. 6th - 12th - Visual Art K12 Evolution Gallery Exhibition

5:00 - 7:30 pm, Lovejoy High School Gallery

Dec. 5th, 6th, & 7th - LHS Theatre Charlotte’s Web

7:00 pm, Lovejoy High School Auditorium

Saturday, Dec. 7th - LJVA K12 Holiday Art Fair

8:00 am - 2:00 pm, Lovejoy High School Courtyard

Monday, Dec. 9 - Lovejoy Choir Program

Lovejoy High School Auditorium

5:30 pm Hart & Puster Elementary Combined Choirs

6:15 pm Sloan Creek Choir Concert

7:00 pm Willow Springs & Lovejoy HS Choir Concert

Tuesday, Dec. 10 - Lovejoy Orchestra Concert

Lovejoy High School Auditorium

5:30 pm Sloan Creek Orchestra

6:00 pm Willow Springs & LHS Orchestras

Thursday, Dec. 12 - Lovejoy Band Concert

Lovejoy High School Auditorium

6:00 pm SCIS Band

6:30 pm WSMS

7:30 pm LHS Band

G/T REFERRAL WINDOW

The Lovejoy ISD G/T referral window is opening soon! Forms will be available in PowerSchool.

Kindergartenreferrals:January1-31 Grades1-11referrals:February1-28

Aninformatonalzoommeetingwillbeheldon December16th. Thezoomlinkwillbeshared incampusnewsletters.

Please email any questions to crystal gaddie@lovejoyisd.net.

THIS WEEKEND!

K-12 ART FAIR

Join us for the 1st Annual K-12 LJVA Holiday Art Fair on December 7th from 8 AM - 2 PM, where the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship of Lovejoy artistswillbeonfulldisplay!Pleasenote:thelocationhasbeenupdatedto theLHSCommons.

Featuringartworkandbespokegoodsfromstudentsacrosseverycampus,this exciting new tradition offers a unique opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind giftsfortheholidayseason.Enjoycoffee,hotchocolate,andlightbreakfastfare as you explore an inspiring collection of art and handcrafted items, all while supportingtheincredibletalentwithinourLovejoycommunity. Don’tmissthisfestivecelebrationofstudentartistry!

THIS WEEKEND!

ATTENDANCE CHARLOTTE’S WEB

LovejoyTheatrewouldliketoinviteyouto an enchanting evening featuring a beautiful, knowing play about friendship, "Charlotte's Web." Lovejoy Theatre will perform"Charlotte'sWeb"thisweekendon Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th at 7:00 pm in the Lovejoy High School auditorium. Bring the whole family! Tickets are $5.00 for students, seniors,andstaffand$10.00foradultsand will be available starting November 13th here.

UPDATE

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

DISTRICT CALENDAR

SEMI-FINAL

CHAMPIONS!

The Lovejoy Leopards are Regional Semi-Final Champions with a win over district opponent Anna, 52 - 49. This was another competitive game and the Leopards battledfiercelyinallphasesofthegametowin.

The Leopards are moving on to the Regional Final game tonight against the Argyle Eagles at Children's Health Stadium in Prosper. Kickoff will be at 7:00 p.m.andtheywouldloveforthecommunitytoshowupandsupportthem!

MACY’S DAY

PARADE

The Majestics Dance Team is excited to share an incredible performance opportunity our seniors recently had. During the Thanksgiving Holiday our seniorstraveledtoNewYorkCityandperformedwithover700SpiritofAmerica Dance Stars in the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. These ladies spenttimeexploringthecity,seeingtheRadioCityRockettes,attendingashow onBroadway,andofcourserehearsing,walking,andperformingintheparade. They were grateful for the opportunity to spread Leopard Spirit and represent ourcommunityonsuchalargestage!!!

NORTHPARK HOLIDAY

CHOIR CONCERT

The Hart Beats Choir and The Puster Pride Choir performed their holiday concertatNorthParkCentreinDallasonThursday,December5th.Over1004th gradersfromHartandPusterElementarySchoolssharedChristmas,Hanukkah, andWinterthemedmusicduringthisannualperformancefieldtrip.Theconcert concluded with the combined choirs singing together for "Night of Silence" continuingatreasuredholidaytraditionforourLovejoyISDelementarychoirs. Ms. McKinley and Ms. Hebert would like to thank all of the parents from our choirprogramsfortheirsupportinmakingthisspecialdayasuccess!

KINDER TEACHERS

COLLABORATE

Lovejoy eductors use many methods to continuously check learning progress and make adjustments to instruction based on each individual student’s learning needs. This week, Hart's Kindergarten team and MTSS lead analyzed studentwritingsamplestocalibratethewritingprogressiontheyareseeingin our Kindergarten writers. This conferring helps teachers plan next steps to continue differentiatingtheirinstructionwitheachstudent!

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT

CongratulationstoALLvarsityvolleyballplayersontheirTEAMachievementof District 9-5A Academic All-District! This achievement shows these athletes collective commitment to excellence both on the court and in the classroom! #LegacyofExcellence#OnAMission

ROBOTICS WYLIE

TOURNAMENT

Robotics Varsity teams competed at the Wylie High School tournament on November 16th. Team 1082J and 1082E were tournament finalists which qualified them for the UIL State Competition. Team 1082M won the Innovate Award. Team 1082R won the Excellence Award. Team 1082E won the Skills award.Team1082Smadeittotheeliminationroundsof16.

Our JV teams are traveling and competing at the Joshua, TX robotics tournament on Saturday 12/7. Our Varsity teams will be traveling to the Wave Signature Event at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA this weekend,December5-7th!

Team 1082E with Skills Award

1082M Bot with Innovate Award

1082E Bot with Skills Awards

Team 1082J (front) and 1082E (back) compete in the finals

Team 1082S challenges scoring during their match

WRESTLING

LovejoyWrestlingisproudtoshareresultsfromWarriorInvitational:

JuniorVarsity

1stPlace–

WillBrownlow

ThadenBone

BlakeJones

LawsonNitschke

Varsity

1stPlace–

AroOgle-Garza

2ndPlace–ConnerStubblefield

AustinStratmeyer

AlexReed

2ndplaceBarrettBennett

EliSilva

Lovejoy Wrestling will be competing in Rockwall at the Rumble at the Rock tournament tonight, Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th. Wrestlingbeginsat1:30pmonFridayand10:00amonSaturday.Ticketscanbe purchasedatthedoor.ComeoutandsupportLovejoyWrestling!Goodluckto allofourwrestlersthisweekend!

LOVEJOY THEATRE NATIONAL QUALIFIERS

HIGHER ED

SYMPOSIUM

Brice McCasland and Eli Ruhala (‘18) present at the 2024 Higher Ed SymposiumonAPArtandDesigninChicago

AfewweeksagoBriceMcCasland,K12LovejoyVisualArtCoordinator,hadthe honorofpresentingattheCollegeBoard2024HigherEdSymposiumonAPArt and Design in Chicago. As a member of the AP Art and Design Development Committee,Mr.McCaslandledthreesessionsontheframework,methodology, rigor, and alignment between the AP Art and Design portfolio and Higher Ed foundation courses to over 100 college and university faculty from across the country. The highlight of this experience was joining current TCU Faculty and Lovejoy Alumni, Eli Ruhala (‘18) for an hour-long panel discussion around the impactoftheLJVAStudiosandAPStudioArtonhisownpractice,preparation for college, and pedagogy as an educator. Eli's authentic commentary on inclusion, ownership in learning, and vital collaboration amongst his high school cohort in the LJVA studio was a true highlight of the weekend. Hearing Eli’sfirst-handaccountoftheintentionalexperiencesLJVAprovidesforourK12 artists was an incredible testament to the work of our art educators and communitytosupportandcelebrateourartists'individualityandvoice.

LEOPARD LIFE

TheLeopardLifewebsiteisanewadditiontoLovejoy’swaystostayengaged. SchoolrelatedflyersandcommunitynewswillbesharedontheLeopardLife.

Thisweek'sfeaturedflyersare:

Napoli'sSoccerBoosterNight(Dec.11th)

LovejoyBandHolidayRaffle(PurchasebyDec.12th)

ChoirCarol-O-GramFundraiser(StudentCarolersDec.12-13)

JuniorLeopardsMiniCheerCamp(RegisterbyDec.13th)

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!

Lovejoy SAT Prep classes are openforregistration.Clickhere tolearnmoreandregister!

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 kindergarten through 6th grade. Choose from one of the links below formoreinformation.

Thisisanopportunityforparentsandcommunitymemberstoconnectwith LovejoyISDTrusteesandSuperintendentKatieKordelinaninformalsetting.

During Community Coffee Talks, Lovejoy ISD leadership listens, shares and engagesin opendialogue/discussionwithourcommunity.

February26,2024 6:00p.m.-7:00p.m.

WillowSpringsMiddle(Cafeteria)

April29,2024 9:00a.m.-10:00a.m.

HartElementary(LeopardLair)

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!