Connect with Katie.12.18.2025.Issue20

Connect with Katie WEEKLY NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

DECEMBER 18, 2025

y o j e v o L s d r a p o e L

TABLE OF CONTENTS 04 LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

22 DISTRICT CALENDAR 24 WSMS ALGEBRA 25 WSMS ORCHESTRA LHS ORCHESTRA 26

06

MERRY GRINCHMAS

27 10

ROBOTICS DOMINATES AT TOURNEY

28 LJVA ARTISTS SCORE PERFECT 100 29 LJVA YOUNGEST ‘25 WINNER 30 LOJO TENNIS WRAPS UP SEASON 18 HERITAGE RANCH CHRISTMAS PARADE 31 BOARD MEETING SUMMARY 19 ATTENDANCE UPDATE 32 LEOPARD LIFE WEBSITE 20 TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS 35 DISTRICT & CAMPUS NEWSLETTERS FINE ARTS FESTIVAL

MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT Lovejoy Community, As we tie a bow on the first semester, we are proud of the growth and accomplishments of our students. Our secondary students showed focus and perseverance during semester exams, while our elementary students celebrated a successful semester with joyful holiday activities and class parties. Thank you to our teachers and staff for your dedication, our families for your partnership, and our community for your continued support.

Grinch Day at the Lovejoy Child Development Center, Hart Elementary and Puster Elementary One of the highlights of the week was Grinch Day. There is truly nothing more magical than surprising our youngest learners with a visit from the “real” Grinch, his loyal reindeer dog, Max, and a few cheerful residents from Whoville. The looks on students’ faces ranged from wide-eyed disbelief to laughter-filled excitement, with more than a few giggles and whispered questions of, “Is that really The Grinch?”

The Grinch read How the Grinch Stole Christmas and engaged students in conversations about kindness, generosity, and the importance of community. Our youngest Leopards eagerly shared their ideas and helped the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes as they explored what it truly means to care for others.

Heritage Ranch: Breakfast with Kordel I had the pleasure of joining residents of the Heritage Ranch Community for breakfast and meaningful conversation. We reflected on the many successes of our students, discussed the positive impact of the 2025 Bond, and gathered valuable input.

Attendees were invited to share the skills and attributes they believe are most important for students to develop, including critical thinking and problem solving, communication skills, work ethic, integrity, and resilience. This feedback will help inform the community input being collected as part of our strategic plan update.

As we prepare to enjoy the holidays and welcome 2026, I am filled with gratitude.

The new year brings fresh opportunities to grow, innovate, and reaffirm our commitment to excellence for every student. Together, we will build upon our strong foundation, keep students at the center of all we do, and continue investing in Lovejoy ISD as a place where students thrive.

Christmas is a special time for my family, and I am looking forward to slowing down, spending quality time together, and creating meaningful memories. I wish the same for your precious family. May your holiday season be merry, bright and filled with much love and joy.

There is only one Lovejoy, and we are all Leopards!

Lovejoy Proud,

Katie Kordel Superintendent

The Grinch’s heart grew three sizes at LCDC, Hart Elementary, and Puster Elementary during their annual Grinch Day! District Leadership spent part of the day spreading holiday cheer (and a little disbelief) as they visited kindergarten classrooms. While some students were initially unsure about Superintendent Kordel’s Grinchy ways, their frowns quickly turned upside down when they received their very own copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Fine Arts Festival The Lovejoy Fine Arts Festival is one of the most anticipated events of the year, bringing together all of our Fine Arts programs to showcase the talent, dedication, and creativity of Lovejoy ISD students. While our Fine Arts programs are nationally recognized for their rigor and excellence, their impact within our community goes even deeper. These classrooms are places where students feel supported, valued, and connected.

Watching our students perform and share their work is a true joy, and it is especially meaningful to see students from across programs come together to support one another. The Fine Arts Festival represents the largest annual event for each Fine Arts program and reflects countless hours of preparation, passion, and care.

We are deeply grateful to our Fine Arts teachers and directors for their commitment to our students and their craft. Thank you to the Lovejoy community for celebrating the arts and supporting our remarkable students.

Orchestra

Choir

Majestics & Color Guard

Theater

Visual Arts

Lovejoy Visual Art would like to thank our artists, families, and friends for joining us last week as we celebrated our Annual K-12 Visual Art Evolution Exhibit. The evening was filled with our artists sharing their work, posing for pictures, telling stories from the studio, sharing some hot chocolate with old friends, and exploring the incredible work from all 5 of campuses. We would like to thank our LJVA staff for the work that they do daily to create an unparalleled K-12 experience in the visual arts that is founded in learning and tradition, rooted in process and practice, and committed to exploration and student voice. Thank you to our Lovejoy Gallery Managers for curating and hanging this exhibition to showcase our student artists' journey from the first year in the studio to their last; providing a beautiful picture of the intentional experience our artists take on while in our Lovejoy studios. Thank you to our Lovejoy Orchestra for accompanying the artwork with their gorgeous instrumentation.

It was an unforgettable evening for our artists because of the love and care from all involved in the celebration. We wish you and all of your artists a Happy Holiday Season and cannot wait to see what they create next semester!

HERITAGE RANCH CHRISTMAS PARADE Lovejoy ISD was honored to participate in the Heritage Ranch Christmas Parade, a festive community tradition filled with decorated golf carts, holiday music, and seasonal cheer.

Lovejoy students proudly represented the district, spreading joy and connecting with the Heritage Ranch community throughout the celebration.

Thank you to Heritage Ranch for welcoming Lovejoy ISD and allowing our students to be part of such a special holiday event.

ATTENDANCE UPDATE Strong school attendance is correlated with higher academic performance.

Additionally, average Daily Attendance (ADA) is a metric that the State of Texas uses to determine funding for public schools. Each week, this attendance data will be updated so our community is aware of our most recent ADA.

TWELVE DAYS OF

CHRISTMAS

Holiday dress-up days and festive celebrations were in full swing across Lovejoy ISD! Enjoy more fun moments and photos from around the district.

DISTRICT CALENDAR

CALENDAR EVENT LINKS

STUDENT CALENDAR

DISTRICT CALENDAR

CAMPUS CALENDARS

ATHLETICS CALENDAR

FINE ARTS CALENDAR

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.

WSMS ALGEBRA: ADI INVESTIGATION Willow Springs Algebra students recently engaged in an ADI (Argument-Driven Inquiry) investigation called Brianna Burgers, where they applied linear math models to a real-world business scenario. Students collaborated in small groups, engaged in productive struggle, and participated in rich student discourse as they analyzed costs and revenue to determine when a business would break even and begin to make a profit. Through discussion, writing, and graphing, students actively connected mathematics to real-world applications, strengthening both their problem-solving skills and their ownership of learning.

WSMS ORCHESTRA SPREADS HOLIDAY CHEER The Willow Springs Middle School orchestras brought joy to campus last Friday as they hosted and performed at the first annual WSMS Staff Appreciation Holiday Breakfast.

Their music created a warm and festive atmosphere as teachers and staff were celebrated for their dedication to supporting students each day. The District is proud of these young musicians for sharing their talent, kindness, and gratitude in such a meaningful way.

It was a beautiful morning of music, community, and appreciation. Well done, WSMS Orchestra!

ORCHESTRA STUDENTS SHINE AT REGION 25 Lovejoy ISD is beyond proud to celebrate and congratulate its outstanding orchestra students who represented the program at the Region 25 Orchestra this season. Following a rigorous audition process in October, these students earned their placements and went on to participate in an intensive twoday clinic and a culminating concert this past weekend, a true testament to their talent, dedication, and resilience.

Symphony Orchestra • Evan Zhang – Viola Philharmonic Orchestra • Justen Mao – Violin • Christian Fiorello – Cello • Adrian Ngai – Cello • Nina Lin – Cello • Jacob Wang – Bass • Carson Dykstra – Bass Special recognition goes to Evan Zhang, who also earned a coveted spot in the Texas All-State Orchestra. Evan will represent Lovejoy Orchestra at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in February, performing alongside the top young musicians from across the state, an extraordinary and well-deserved achievement.

Lovejoy ISD is incredibly proud of these students for their hard work, dedication, and passion for music. They represented Lovejoy Orchestra with excellence, integrity, and heart.

LOVEJOY ROBOTICS TOURNAMENT RECAP Lovejoy Robotics had another outstanding showing at the Burkburnett tournament, wrapping up a long but incredibly rewarding day of competition.

Teams 1082E and 1082J teamed up as the top alliance, while 1082M paired with 74559D Daydream from Celina to form the second alliance. The two alliances battled it out in an exciting finals match, where Teams 1082E and 1082J emerged victorious, earning the Tournament Champion Award.

The accolades didn’t stop there. 1082M had an exceptional day, bringing home the top High School Excellence Award and being named Robot Skills Champion for the second week in a row.

1082E also added to the hardware collection with a well-deserved Amaze Award, recognizing their impressive robot performance and design.

FOUR LJVA ARTISTS SCORE PERFECT 100 Of the more than 82,000 AP Studio Art portfolios submitted to College Board in 2025, less than 1% received a PERFECT score of 100. Lovejoy Visual Arts is incredibly proud to announce that four artists received perfect scores for their work in the 2D, 3D, and Drawing Portfolios! This means that each of these artists received full marks in both sections of their Portfolio from 4 AP readers!

This is a testament to the depth and complexity of their personal inquiry, clear writing to support it, thoughtful curation of processes and revision, synthesis between their idea and work, and robust personal voice and skill.

Congratulations to these four artists for this rare honor!

Olivia Guarriello (‘25) - AP 2D Art & Design Caroline Matthews (‘25) - AP 3D Art & Design Mary Sheridan (‘26) - AP 2D Art & Design Veronica Ye (‘25)- AP Drawing

KESHAV SUBASH NAMED ‘25 YOUNGARTS WINNER Lovejoy Visual Art is proud to announce that Keshav Subash was recognized as 2025 YoungArts Winner with Distinction!

Keshav Subash (’26), was recognized out of almost 11,000 applicants for this prestigious honor in visual art. As one of only 20 visual artists selected for this incredible honor, Keshav will be traveling to Miami for an all-expenses-paid week-long learning intensive where they will learn from top artists and professors in their field, creating work, collaborating, and interviewing for the nation’s top art prize, The Presidential Scholar in the Arts award. Representing artists from across the globe, YoungArts award winners will have opportunities for financial, creative, and professional development support throughout their entire careers. Selected through the organization’s prestigious competition, YoungArts award winners are chosen for their caliber of artistic achievement by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. Lovejoy is incredibly proud of Keshav and cannot wait for him to represent our program and community in Miami! Mr. Subash is an incomparable exemplar of the intelligence, creativity, gumption, work ethic, leadership, and commitment that LJVA aims to instill in all of our artists, and we couldn’t be more excited for him in this well-deserved honor!

LOJO TENNIS WRAP UP A STRONG SEASON Lovejoy High School Team Tennis wrapped up a strong fall season during the 2025–26 school year, finishing with an 11–6 overall record and a 6–1 mark in district play. The Leopards earned a second-place district finish and advanced to claim the title of Bi-District Champions, showcasing consistency, teamwork, and competitive excellence throughout the season.

BOARD MEETING SUMMARY

Julie McLaughlin

Jeff Wood

Marvin Bobo

Aubrey Stock

Mark Wheelis

Jason Jaynes

Barrett Owens

President

Vice President

Secretary

Trustee

Trustee

Trustee

Trustee

2025 - 2026

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Lovejoy ISD is committed to providing consistent, transparent communication with our community and employees. We hope this meeting summary will support you in staying connected and informed. Click the image on the left to open the summary in Google Docs.

Regular Board Meetings and Workshops are now recorded and archived on the Lovejoy ISD website. You can access Regular Board Meeting and Workshop recordings by clicking the image on the right.

The full Regular Board Meeting agenda with supporting documents may be viewed by clicking the image on the left.

LEOPARD LIFE WEBSITE Lovejoy ISD has an unparalleled sense of community and connection centered on student opportunity. In support of this collective commitment, the Leopard Life website showcases a wide range of events, activities, and fundraisers organized by booster clubs, PTOs, athletics, fine arts, individual campuses, and more! Leopard Life is prominently featured across campus and district websites, highlighted in all newsletters, and easily accessible through the Lovejoy ISD mobile app.

This week's featured flyers are: Last Chance to be a Homerun Hero! (Jan 9) Junior Leopard Mini Cheer Camp (Jan 31st) Community News Please note: the information featured in the "Community News" section is submitted by local community members. Lovejoy ISD is not affiliated with the organizations and does not claim to endorse them.

Lovejoy Libraries are excited to announce the 2nd Annual Sora Reading Challenge! This November and December, all Lovejoy students and staff are invited to soar into reading using the district’s reading app, Sora.

This year’s theme, “Read like a Dragon: Fuel Your Imagination!”, encourages readers to dive into magical adventures and ignite their creativity. The top 20 readers from each campus will earn dragon-inspired keychains created by the Lovejoy librarians.

This year’s theme, “Read like a Dragon: Fuel Your Imagination!”, encourages readers to dive into magical adventures and ignite their creativity. The top 20 readers from each campus will earn dragon-inspired keychains created by the Lovejoy librarians. But that’s not all! The campus with the highest total reading minutes will be crowned the Top Winner! Standout readers from the winning campus will receive an exclusive 3Dprinted dragon!

To learn more and get started, visit t.ly/2mXWS. Lovejoy Libraries can’t wait to see which campus brings the fire and soars through the pages this holiday season!

Don’t miss your chance to grab your All SZNS gear! Orders will be available for pick-up at the Administration Building before Winter Break. Click Here to Order **After Thanksgiving break, stop by the administration building to grab a pair of our “Double L” or “Sprinkle” shorts! A variety of sizes will be available for purchase.

DISTRICT & CAMPUS NEWSLETTERS Lovejoy ISD is committed to creating strong connections and providing clear communication with our Lovejoy parents and families. Below you will find links to the most recent newsletters from each campus. Sign up for weekly Principal Newsletters here to stay informed!

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. December 18, 2025. Issue 20