Connect with Katie.04.11.2025.Issue33 by Lovejoy ISD

Connect with Katie

APRIL

11, 2025

Lovejoy Lovejoy Leopards Leopards

LovejoyCommunity,

We are remarkably proud of our students. Last night, Lovejoy High School held its annual National Honor Society Induction. Lovejoy ISD’s proud legacy of excellence was evident in the recognition of over 224 student inductees for exemplifying the pillars of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. This recognitionistheculminationofchoices,actions,and sacrifices.OurNationalHonorSocietystudentsmodel thewayfortheirpeersandmakeasignificantimpact onourculture.

MajesticsSpringShow–“UpintheAir”

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Majestics’ annual Spring Show, themed “Up in the Air.” The performances were absolutely outstanding a shiningexampleofthededication,talent,andhardworkourstudentsconsistently bringtothestage.

LovejoyHighSchoolStudentsat“Eggs&Issues”

Three Lovejoy High School students attended the Allen Fairview Chamber of Commerce Eggs and Issues eventalongsidemembersofourBoardofTrusteesand myself. The event spotlighted the upcoming May 3rd elections and included insightful discussions about the role of local governance, including school boards andcity/towncouncils.OurstudentswereincredibleambassadorsforLovejoyISD.A heartfeltthankyoutoLinebargerAttorneysforsponsoringourstudenttableandfor theirongoingsupportofLovejoyISD.

CelebratingAssistantPrincipals

This morning, we honored National Assistant Principal Appreciation Week. Our AssistantPrincipalsareavitalpartofourcampusleadershipteams.Theyleadwith deep care, commitment and selfless service each and every day. From supporting teachers and students to attending games, competitions, community events, and more, they are present and passionate every step of the way. Thank you for your unwaveringdedicationandleadership.

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CampusTeachersoftheYear

WearecelebratingoursixcampusTeachersoftheYear:TerrieRoberts(PES),Brittney Crews (HES), Kelsey Drummond (SCIS), Heidi Gambrell (WSMS), Deborah Adams (LHS), and Sarah Peralta (LCDC)! We are incredibly proud of these OUTSTANDING educators who embody professionalism, model our core values, and have a deep commitmenttoourstudents.Theyplayapivotalroleintheeducationalexperienceof ourstudents,andwelookforwardtohonoringthemfortheirhardworkanddedication attheMayBoardofTrusteesMeeting.

2025BondPropositionInformation

LovejoyISDBond2025willimpacteverystudentandeveryschool.Wehavecreateda websitewithinformationthatcanbeaccessedhere.Wealsoencourageyoutovisitour 2025BondFrequentlyAskedQuestionsfoundatthislink.

LegacyofExcellence:HighlightsandCelebrations

UIL Academics had another huge success as they received 2nd place in the Sweepstakes!Welookforwardtocelebratingtheminnextweek’sissueandwillbe cheeringontheRegionalQualifiersattheendofthismonth!

Our track and field teams head to compete at the Area Track Meet today. Let’s go Leopards!

CongratulationstoourstudentsinOrchestrafortheirUILStateSoloandEnsemble competitionatRegionals!WaytogoLeopards!

The Girls Golf team competes at Regionals this Monday - We are cheering for you, Leopards!

The Lovejoy Color Guard celebrated a standout season at the April 3rd Showcase, with WSMS winning Cadet Championships, JV placing second and Varsity earning 6thinNationalAClass congratstoall!LovejoyProud Wishingyouaweekendfilledwithloveandjoy.

ThereisonlyONELOVEJOYandweareALLLEOPARDS!

LovejoyProud, KatieKordel

Superintendent

Lovejoy ISD proudly announces the 2024-2025 Campus Teachers of the Year: Sarah Peralta (LCDC), Brittney Crews (HES), Terrie Roberts (PES), Kelsey Drummond (SCIS), Heidi Gambrell (WSMS), and Deborah Adams (LHS)! These outstanding educators were nominated by their peers for their exceptional instruction, strong relationships with students and colleagues, and leadership within their schools. Please join us in celebrating their dedication and impact onourLovejoyISDcommunity!

This week is National Assistant Principal Appreciation Week! Please take a moment to thank Jamie Flemmer, Kelly Schirf, Kimberly Kane, Shawn Lewis, Taylour Reeder, Lindsey Radford, Fernando Ocampo, Chasity Lynch and Elyse Pollard for their remarkable dedication and impact on students and staff in LovejoyISD!Thankyouforyourfearlessleadership!

We were #LovejoyProud to celebrate our phenomenal librarians on National SchoolLibrarianDay!OurLovejoyISDlibrarianshaveanimportantroleinthe education of our students and the support of our classroom teachers. Thank youLISDlibrarians!

Lovejoy ISD is proud to share our second annual edition of Living Lovejoy: Who We Are! We invite you to learn more about Lovejoy ISD and help us celebrate our LegacyofExcellence!

Kindergarten Sneak Peek for the Lovejoy Leopards Class of 2038 was an incrediblesuccess!FamiliesgatheredontheeveningofApril10th,2025atHart and Puster Elementary Schools, and their excitment and energy was contagious. From welcoming smiles to engaging activities, the event gave futurekindergartnersandtheirfamiliesawarmandexcitingintroductiontothe Lovejoycommunity.Teachersandstaffwentaboveandbeyondtocreateafun, informativeexperience,anditwasheartwarmingtoseethejoyandcuriosityon thefacesofourlittlestlearners.Withregistrationnowopenforchildrenturning five by September 1, 2025, the 2025–2026 school year is already off to a fantasticstart!

Lovejoy Theatre is proud to present the awardwinning one-act play, We Are the Sea, by Laura Lundgren Smith. This gripping production, whichhasearnedaccoladesasZoneandDistrict Champions, will be performed on Friday, April 11th at 7:00 PM in the Lovejoy High School Auditorium. Best of all, admission is free! Don't miss the chance to experience this captivating, award-winning performance by our talented students. Mark your calendars, bring your friends, and enjoy an evening of exceptional theatre. Most appropriate for students aged 14 and above.

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

Reality Check

As a valued stakeholder, we know how much our district matters to you. Therefore, we believe it is important that you have accurate and transparent informationaboutLovejoyISD.WiththeintroductionofRealityCheck,weare taking proactive steps to address misinformation and disinformation. It is our hope that this resource will serve as an informational tool for our community andfurtherLovejoyISD’scommitmenttocommunication.

Mrs.Peralta'sprekclassreadaloudHaroldandthePurpleCrayon,astoryabout alittleboywhocreateswonderfuladventureswithhiscrayon.Afterdiscussing thestory,theyimaginedthemselvesasHarold,sharingtheirthoughtsandideas withoneanother.Then,theygottowork,usingpurplecrayonstocreatetheir ownimaginativeadventures.Eachprojectturnedoutveryunique,showingoff thestudents'differentpersonalities.

ThispastSaturday,mostofourWSMS&SCISOrchestrastudentsparticipatedin theSoloandEnsembleContestatWillowSpringsMiddleSchool.Wehadover 250entries!ItwasourbiggestSolo&EnsembleContestyet!Everystudentwas required to learn a solo and perform at the contest for a judge or perform for the class. Some students even chose to do an ensemble, as well! We were so very proud of all the students! It is not easy to put yourself out there. We are pleasedtoannouncethatoutofthe251TotalEntries-210ofthemreceiveda SUPERIORrating(highestrating)and29receivedanEXCELLENTrating.

The following musicians were recognized by the judges as being EXEMPLARY MUSICIANS- this means that they stood out among their peers musically and wereconsideredthe"bestoftheday"intheirroom!JettAdams(SCIS),Dalton Berkely(WSMS),LaurenBurnett(SCIS),AbigailContreras(SCIS),CamillaCubas (WSMS), Ella Hang (WSMS), Brayden Hourigan (WSMS), Angie Huang (SCIS), Ashley Ing (SCIS), Aidyn Kaufman (SCIS), William Kaufman (SCIS), Audrey Le (WSMS), Victoria Liang (WSMS), Nina Lin (WSMS), Adrian Ngai (WSMS), Muna Osuagwu (WSMS), Cara Pipe (SCIS), Srineha Varri (WSMS), Geneveve Wallace (WSMS),SophiaWang(WSMS),VictoriaWong(WSMS),AdamXu(SCIS),Natalie Young (SCIS), Natalie Zetterqvist (SCIS), Jacob Zhu (WSMS), and Violetta Zhukovskiy(WSMS).

Thank you to Mrs. Reeder, Mr. Klotz, and the custodial staff for making this eventasuccess.We'reincrediblyproudofourstudents!

OnSaturdayMarch29th,WillowSpringsChoirparticipatedintheTMEARegion Choirauditions.Ourstudentscompetedwithothersingersacrossourregionfor a spot in one of the esteemed region choirs. We are proud of ALL of our studentswhoauditioned.Wearepleasedtoannouncethatwehad4students namedtotheregionchoirthisyear,thisis3morethanlastyearaswehadone place in the 23-24 school year. Please join me in congratulating Shreyaa Krishna, Natalie Hsiao, Dorothy Sailor, and Emily Myers for their incredible work!

The Lovejoy High School Choir participated in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Concert and Sight Reading Evaluation on April 1st and 2nd. Lovejoy HS brought four choirs and ALL four choirs earnedcleansweepstakes,meaningtheyreceiveda Superiorratingfromallsixjudges.

ThisisthemostSweepstakesearnedbythechoirin a single year since 2018. Additionally, our JV men's choir earning Sweepstakes means they are the second secondNon-Varsitymen'schoirtoearnSweepstakesfromLovejoyHighSchoolever.

Our students worked incredibly hard and represented Lovejoy very well. Judges' commentsincludementionsoftheirprofessionaldemeanorandrespectfulcharacter inadditiontotheirmusicianship.Onejudgewentsofarastosay“IwishIcouldbein HighSchoolagainandcomebeapartoftheLovejoychoir.”

WiththeadditionofWillowSpringschoir'sUILsuccess,everyLovejoyISDchoirearned cleanSweepstakesthisyear!

2025hasbeenanincredibleyearforLovejoyVisualArts(LJVA)department!Our students have continued to pour their work ethic, innovative processes, and thoughtfulideationintotheirprojects,andithasbeennoticednationwide!We are extremely proud of the latest recognition of our students’ efforts through oneofourcountry'slongestrunningvisualartscompetition;ScholasticArtand Writing. Of the 23 works, created by 14 artists, that awarded regionally (our regionincludes7states),9pieces/portfoliosreceiveda“GoldKey”andmoved ontothenationalcompetition.

Outofthese14artists,2ofourLJVAartistswonanationalmedal!VeronicaYe (‘25) is Lovejoy’s first Silver Portfolio winner (only 12 nationwide!) for her painting portfolio, and Keshav Sebash (‘26) won a national Gold Key for his piece “Simplified Mantra”. Both Veronica and Keshav are invited to Carnegie Hall for the National Award Ceremony with the other highest award winners fromaroundthecountry!Pleasejoinusincongratulatingbothoftheminthis incredible honor! We could not be more proud of all of our students’ vision, workethic,andpersonalvoicewithintheirartwork.

The Girls Track and Field team had an outstanding performance last Wednesday and Thursday! Our JV team dominated, winning the JV District title by over 100 points.Despitesomesetbacks,ourVarsityteamstayedstrongandtiedMcKinney North where ourgi proud ofthe

The f April 11th:

CamrynBenson–DistrictChampioninthe2-mile,mile,andpolevault

MiaReaugh–DistrictChampioninthe800meters,2ndinthe400meters

BridgetBernal–2ndinthe2-mile

SophieBrooks–2ndinthemile

SiennaFranks–2ndinshotput

TeniSegun–2ndindiscus

CaileeHorinek–3rdinthe800mand400m

AnnaFrost–3rdindiscus

CampbellLester–3rdinthe2-mile

HarperJaynes–3rdinthemile

TaliaOrshalick–3rdin300mhurdles

CarsonFox–3rdinpolevault

KatieMitchell–4thinpolevault

BrennaWallace–4thin100m

MichaelaMartin–4thin100mhurdles

AddyMcCaffity–4thin400m

4x200 Relay – 4th: Cailyn Newhouse, Anna Akinfolarin, Camryn Newhouse, BrennaWallace

4x400Relay–DistrictChampions:CailynNewhouse,TaliaOrshalick,Campbell Lester,CaileeHorinek

Both the Varsity Boys and JV Boys teams secured 2nd place overall at the District 9-5A Championship last week, finishing strong behind the always competitiveMcKinneyNorthteam.TheLeopardswillnowcompeteattheArea ChampionshipatAnnaHighSchooltoday,Friday,April11 . th

AreaQualifiers:

3200M–TylerMorefield,TristanArceneau,andJoeyReid ShotPut–MarshallBranum,JohnMichaelMartin,andLexingtonHarper TripleJump–TyMuaina PoleVault–CashDardano Discus–JohnMichaelMartin

800M–CadenGaryandAaronWimbish

400M–BeyerToyookaandZachCarlson

1600M–CadenGary,JoeyReid,andWillCarlson

4X400M Relay – Beyer Toyooka, Leandro Torres, Jake Brunett, and Zach Carlson

This past weekend, the Majestics Dance Team captivated audiences with their annualSpringShow, Up In The Air.HeldintheLovejoyHighSchoolauditorium, theshowhighlightedtheincredibletalentanddedicationoftheMajestics,the Majestic Rookies, and featured special performances by members of the LovejoyACappellaChoir.

The evening was a vibrant celebration of creativity, passion, and school spirit, with each performance showcasing the countless hours of hard work our studentshavededicatedthroughouttheyear.Thetheme Up In The Air brought energyandexcitementtothestage,leavingtheaudienceinspiredanduplifted.

Thisyear’sshowwasespeciallymeaningfulaswecelebratedthefinalmoments on stage with our nine incredible Majestic Seniors. Their leadership, commitment,andgracehaveleftalastinglegacyontheteam,andtheywillbe deeplymissedastheybegintheirnextchapters.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you show and supported the Majestics Dance Tea gratefulforyourcontinuedloveandunwavering

TexasInstruments'CalculusCrewVisitsLHStoEquipAPCalculusStudents forExamSuccess

On March 27th, LHS had the privilege of hosting Texas Instruments' Calculus Crew, who brought their expertise and enthusiasm to our AP Calculus AB and BC students. This interactive session focused on maximizing the power of the TI-84calculatortotackletheAPCalculusExamwithconfidence.

Students engaged in hands-on problem-solving, exploring strategies for Free ResponseQuestions(FRQs)thatarelikelytoappearontheexam.Thesession emphasized how to justify answers, explain reasoning effectively, and use technology appropriately for calculator-active problems helping students avoidcommonpitfallsandsharpentheirresponses.

With a mix of expert guidance and student participation, this session ensured thatourfuturemathematiciansarewell-equippedtonavigatetheAPexamlike pros onejustifiedansweratatime!

LeopardBaseballContinuesStrongDistrictRun!

Despite some chilly weather last week, our Leopards had a fantastic week, achieving a program sweep against McKinney North with all teams securing victories! Baseball hopes to keep that momentum going as district play nears itsconclusion.

Baseball also had a special night honoring our amazing Lovejoy School Marshals, with Coach Smith throwing out the first pitch – thank you for your service!

MarkYourCalendars!

JVRed:

Weds,April16that6:00PMvs.WalnutGroveHS(away)

Thurs,April17that6:00PMvs.WalnutGroveHS(home)

JVBlack/Varsity:

WHITE OUT NIGHT! Weds, April 16th at Lovejoy HS vs. Greenville HS (JVBlackat4:30PM,Varsityat7:30PM)

Thurs,April17thatGreenvilleHSvs.GreenvilleHS(JVBlackat4:30PM, Varsityat7:30PM)

ThereareonlyafewmoreweekstocatchourLeopardsonthediamond,solet's rallyandfinishtheseasonstrongwithgreatfansupport!Comeoutandcheer onyourLeopards!Let'spackthestands,especiallyforWhiteOutNight!

The JV softball team showed out Wednesday at McKinney North! Freshman AveriBearearned7strikeoutsin5-innings,theteamhadacombinedtotalof15 RBI's, each athlete got on base and ZERO defensive errors! The varsity girls followedtheJVgameupwitha4-inning,15-0runruleagainsttheBulldogsof McKinneyNorth!JuniorIzzyGuarriellodominatedinthecircleonceagainwith 8 strikeouts allowing only 1 hit late in the 4th to add to her total of 195 strikeoutsfortheseason.FreshmanToriiJohanneshitaleftfield overNorth's 230 fence earning her 5th high school career homerun! The Leopards take on MelissaathometonightforourLovejoySoftballCommunityNight,wehopeto seeyououtthere!!MakesuretowearyourRed,WhiteandBlue!

Congratulations to Davin Pacio at Willow Springs Middle School! Davin competed in the #1 Boys Singles flight against Rockhill and walked away withthegoldmedal!

Afterwinningbacktobackundefeateddistrictchampionships,finishing21-2-1 (13-0-1), and qualifying for the regional final for the first time in program history,thefollowinggirlssoccerplayersreceivedDistrict9-5Ahonors:

District9-5AMVP:EmmaNelson

District9-5ANewcomer:KinleyShort

FirstTeamAll-District9-5A:MargoChester,CamNewhouse,LaineyPierce, KenleaSwadener,BrennaWallace,EllaYork

SecondTeamAll-District9-5A:KatieManders,KatieMitchell,RileyPulley, ChloeReyna,JosselynSchuler,AJSelf

HonorableMentionAll-District9-5A:BaileeNeatherlin

District 9-5A Academic All-District: Shayli Breithaupt, Margo Chester, Rachel Dobbs, Kylee Dziubinski, Kenzie Lavender, Katie Manders, Katie Mitchell, Bailee Neatherlin, Emma Nelson, Lainey Pierce, Riley Pulley, Josselyn Schuler, AJ Self, Chloe Smith, Morgan Suder, Kenlea Swadener, BrennaWallace.

TheLovejoyColorGuardprogramcelebratedasuccessfulWinterGuardseason at the Guard Showcase on Thursday, April 3rd. Featured performers were the Willow Springs Middle School Color Guard with their show Sweet Treats, the Lovejoy JV Guard with their show Any Other World, and the Lovejoy Varsity guard with their show Trapeze. The WSMS Guard won Cadet Guard Championships,LHSJVGuardtooksecondplaceattheJVChampionshipsand theLHSVarsityGuardwaspromotedtoNationalAClass,wheretheytook6th place at Varsity Championships. We are remarkably proud of these amazing studentsandtheirdirector,GloriaGarcia.Congratulations!

Leopard Fishing’s last THSBA tournament of the regular season on Lake Tawakoni was this past Sunday. Leopard Fishing had 18 teams fishing with 6 teams weighing in fish out of 185 boats. It was a cold and windy day but our teamspersistedandshowedgreatdetermination!

Congratulationstoouranglerswhoweighedinfish!

10thPlace-GradyBootsandNicholasRowe-12.43lbs

25thPlace-GraysonCoxandCarstenDunn-7.41lbs

WillCraunandDiegoNguyen-6.06lbs

MatthewLopezandCalebWashko-5.35lbs

PatrickAhearnandCarsonDaniels-2.35lbs

BooneHarrellandPriceRiggins-2.26lbs

Lovejoy ISD is committed to providing consistent, transparent communication with ourcommunityandemployees.Wehopethis meeting summary will support you in staying connected and informed. Click the image on thelefttoopenthesummaryandpictures.

Regular Board Meetings and Workshops are nowrecordedandarchivedontheLovejoyISD website. You can access Regular Board Meeting and Workshop recordings by clicking theimageontheright.

The full Regular Board Meeting agenda with supporting documents may be viewedbyclickingtheimageontheleft.

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!

Are you ready to build, innovate, and compete with a team of passionate roboticsenthusiasts?OurhighschoolVEXRoboticsprogramisrecruitingnew& existing members,andwewantyoutobepartoftheexcitement!

This year, we are proud to have five teams traveling to the VEX World Tournament on May 6-8, showcasing our talent on a global stage. Whether you'reinterestedincoding,building,strategy,driving,notebooking,orproject managementthere'saplaceforyouonourteam.

WhyJoinUs?

Hands-onSTEMlearning

Teamworkandleadershipdevelopment

Competeatstate,national,andgloballevels

Scholarshipandnetworkingopportunities

Ifyouareinterested,scantheQRcodeandfillouttheinformation.Bepartof somethingamazing.Build,compete,andsucceedwithus!

All spirit wear 50% off now through May 23 . Want more time to shop? The Leopard Store will be open late on April 16th. Everything is 50% off! rd

Thisisanopportunityforparentsand communitymemberstoconnectwith Lovejoy ISD Trustees and Superintendent Katie Kordel in an informalsetting. DuringCommunity Coffee Talks, Lovejoy ISD leadership listens, shares and engages in open dialogue/discussion with our community.

April29,2025 9:00a.m.-10:00a.m.

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!