Connect with Katie.2.20.2026.Issue26 by Lovejoy ISD

DECEMBER 18, 2025 FEBRUARY 20, 2026

Connect with Katie WRESTLING

Lovejoy Leopards Lovejoy Leopards

MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

LovejoyCommunity,

Lovejoy ISD students continue to shine! This week brought championship celebrations, all-state performances, and meaningful progress on district projects.

WrestlingCompetesintheStateTournament

Congratulations to our Lovejoy Wrestling Team! The Lovejoy wrestling program wrapped up an outstanding season at the UIL State Tournament with Aro Ogle-Garza earning the title of UIL State Champion! Landon Davis and Nick Rowe each earned sixth-place finishes in highly competitive brackets. We are proud of Paxton Friesland, Ethan Bates,andAlexReedwhoalsoearnedtheir

MockTrialAdvancestoState

waytotheStateTournament.

LovejoyHighSchool’sMockTrialTeamisadvancingtotheStatecompetitionfollowing an outstanding performance this past weekend. Competing against some of the top programs in Texas, our students demonstrated exceptional preparation, confidence, and professionalism in the courtroom. We are incredibly proud of these outstanding studentsastheypreparetorepresentLovejoyattheStatelevel.

All-StatePerformances

LastweekattheTexasMusicEducatorsAssociation(TMEA)ConventioninSanAntonio, Lovejoy’s six All-State Band and Orchestra members delivered exceptional performances marked by dedication and artistry. Earning a place in an All-State ensemble is one of the highest honors in Texas music education. More than 70,000 band, orchestra, and choir students from across the state participate in this rigorous audition process, with approximately 100 students selected for each ensemble. Congratulations,Leopards!

LovejoyHighSchoolGirlsBasketball:Let’sGo!

Let’s cheer on our Leopards this evening! Lovejoy High School Girls Basketball has advanced to Area Rounds tonight at 6:00 p.m. at Rockhill High School against Frisco Memorial.GoLeopards!

BondImplementationUpdate

The Bond Implementation Committee met this week to review progress on projects already underway. Current and upcoming initiatives include school bus purchases, tennis court improvements, middle school classroom display technology refresh, safety communication upgrades, a high school wrestling practice gym, and equipment replacements. These strategic investments continue to support safety, efficiency,andanexceptionalstudentexperience.Pleasestayconnectedthroughour districtcommunicationchannelsforamoredetailedupdateinthenearfuture.

YoungArtsCongressionalAward

Thismorning,Mr.WiellerandIhadthedistinctpleasureofattendingthepresentation oftheCongressionalAwardtoLovejoyHighSchoolstudentMaxRatleff.Presentedby a representative from Congressman Keith Self’s office, this prestigious honor is a testament to Max's dedication and hard work. We are incredibly proud of this outstandingachievementandthecommitmentitrepresents.

Thankyouforyourcontinuedpartnershipandsupport.Wishingyouaweekendfilled withloveandjoy.

ThereisonlyONELovejoy,andweareALLLeopards!

LovejoyProud, KatieKordel

Superintendent

LOVEJOY WRESTLER CLAIMS STATE TITLE

TheLovejoywrestlingprogramwrappedupan outstanding season at the UIL State Tournament, highlighted by a State Championship performance from Aro OgleGarza at 110 pounds. Aro finished the season undefeated, earning the title of UIL State Champion.

LandonDavis(144lbs)andNickRowe(285lbs) each earned sixth-place finishes in highly competitivebrackets.Landonadvancedtothe semifinals after a strong opening day and continued to battle through the final rounds. Nick demonstrated remarkable perseverance, reboundingfromanopeninglosstofightback onematchatatimetosecuresixthplace.

Congratulations as well to Paxton Friesland (120lbs),EthanBates(175lbs),andAlexReed (215 lbs) on qualifying for the UIL State Tournament and representing Lovejoy at the highestlevel.

Leopard Nation is proud of the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of all our wrestlersthisseason.

LOVEJOY ALL-STATE MUSIC PERFORMANCES

Lastweek’sTexasMusicEducatorsAssociationConventioninSanAntoniowas acelebrationofexcellenceasLovejoy’sAll-StateBandandOrchestramembers deliveredoutstandingperformancesmarkedbydedication,musicianship,and teamwork. Earning a place in the All-State Band or Orchestra is one of the highest honors in Texas music education. More than 70,000 band, orchestra, and choir students from across the state participate in the rigorous audition process,withapproximately100studentsselectedforeachensemble.

The All-State experience reflects not only musical achievement, but also academic excellence. TMEA data consistently shows All-State students score wellabovestateandnationalSATaverages,reinforcingthestrongconnection betweenmusiceducationandacademicsuccess.

CongratulationstoSarahGable,IanMarshall,NolanHummel,DevinGoins,and MaxRattleffforproudlyrepresentingLovejoyBandatthestatelevel.

Congratulations as well to Evan Zhang, violist in the Lovejoy Orchestra, on earning a position in the All-State Orchestra, making him the first orchestra studentinLovejoyhistorytoachievethishonor.

WearesoproudofoursixAll-Statemembers!

STATE WAIVER APPROVED

On Monday, February 9th the LISD Board of Trustees approved submitting a state waiver for missed school days on January 28 and 29, 2026 due to inclementweatherbasedonthefollowingfactors:

Firsttwomisseddayscoveredusing additionalinstructionalminutes

Waiverpreventslow-attendance makeupdays

Maintainsinstructionalcontinuityand calendarstability

SupportscompliancewithTexas EducationAgencyrequirementshool

After receiving Board approval, Lovejoy ISD applied for and has been granted a missed missedschoolstatewaiver;therefore,atthistime,wewillnothavetoattend schoolontheMarch23andApril6,2026badweathermake-updays.

CONFERENCE CANCELED

The District received notification that theGTParentConferencescheduledfor February28th,hostedbyBaylorCenter forGiftedandTalentDevelopment,has been cancelled due to low registration. The Center hopes to offer online or recorded sessions for parents later this Spring for parents who registered for the conference. Baylor will notify participantswhoregistereddirectlyand refundswillbeprovided.

LovejoyISDvaluesthepartnershipwith Baylor TIP and looks forward to continued collaboration. We are committed to offering opportunities to engageourstudentsandfamilies.

ATTENDANCE UPDATE

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

DISTRICT CALENDAR

BUILDING CONFIDENT PROBLEM SOLVERS

In Mrs. Landers’ 1st-grade class, our students are showing off some seriously strong problem-solving skills! With story problems that include an unknown, students are learning to slow down, make sense of the situation, and plan a strategy,realmathematicalthinkinginaction.Theyreadtheproblemcarefully, identifywhattheunknownisandwhatthey’resolvingfor,thenrepresenttheir thinking using number bonds and strip diagrams. From there, they write an equationtomatchthestoryandsolveitwithconfidence.

The best part? They don’t just solve it, they can tell you how they solved it. You’llhearstudentssayingthingslike“Iknowtheunknownis…”or“Thispart isthewhole…”astheybuildtheirdiagramsandequations.Thentheywrapit up with a complete-sentence answer like pros. We’re seeing so many strong learning behaviors, students talking about their thinking, sticking with tricky problems,andusingwritingtoexplaintheirmath.

PUSTER TALENT SHOW SUCCESS

Puster Elementary recently hosted a wonderful talent show, showcasing the confidence,creativity,andcourageofitsstudents.Eachperformancereflected thehardworkanddedicationstudentsbroughttothestage,andtheaudience wastrulyimpressed.

AspecialthankyougoestoMrs.McKinleyfororganizingandcoordinatingthe event. Her efforts provided students with a meaningful opportunity to shine, celebratetheirtalents,andsharetheirgiftswiththeschoolcommunity.

WSMS TRACK & FIELD SEASON BEGINS

The Willow Springs Track and Field season is officially underway. Track and Field truly offers something for everyone, with events that highlight strength, speed,endurance,andjumpingability.Athletesfromavarietyofsportscome togethertoshowcasetheirtalentsandsupportoneanotherasteammates.

Middleschoolathleteshavebeenarrivingbeforesunriseeachmorning,putting in the work and learning new skills. Their dedication and determination to improve have already been impressive. It is shaping up to be an exciting and rewardingseasonahead.

LOVEJOY MOCK TRIAL ADVANCES TO STATE

Lovejoy High School’s Mock Trial Team is headed to the State competition following an outstanding performance on Saturday, February 14. Competing againstsomeofthetopteamsinTexas,thesetalentedstudentsdemonstrated exceptionalpreparation,poise,andprofessionalisminthecourtroom.

TheteammembersadvancingtoStateinclude:

Arwyn Eairheart (lawyer for both Defense and Plaintiff), Natasha Gittemeier (DefenselawyerandwitnessDr.SanV.Toral),KatyPayne(Defenselawyerand witnessKrisHanley),PetraPipinich(PlaintifflawyerandwitnessLuckyDutton), MakenaMount(Plaintifflawyer),NatalieHsiao(witnessJoWizcowski),Caroline Hays (witness Mylan Ryder), Rutvika Rao (witness Kash Sarger), Rohana Rao (Timekeeper),andCoraCraver(CourtroomArtist).

LovejoyISDextendssincereappreciationtoJasenEairheart,ChristyForte’,and Dawn Gittemeier for their continued support, and to Cheryl Anderson, Mock TrialTeamsponsor,forherleadershipanddedication.

Congratulations to these outstanding students as they prepare to represent LovejoyattheStatelevel.

LOVEJOY GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Lovejoy Lady Leopards closed out an impressive regular season witha24-9recordandsecuredaBiDistrictplayoffvictoryMondaynight overMt.Pleasant.

The Lady Leopards now advance to the Area Round and will face Frisco Memorial tonight at 6:00 p.m. at RockHillHighSchoolinProsper.

Fans are encouraged to come out and support the Lady Leopards. Clickherefortickets.

BOYS BASKETBALL SURGE INTO PLAYOFFS

On January 20, the Lovejoy Leopards suffered a tough 60-53 loss to districtleading Anna after surrendering a 17-point third-quarter lead, falling to 3-3 in district play and fifth in the standings. It would be the last time the Leopards tasteddefeat.

Since that night, Lovejoy has caught fire, winning eight consecutive district games to clinch a playoff berth and finish alone in second place with an 11-3 district record. During the streak, the Leopards avenged their earlier loss to Annawithathrilling62-58victoryontheCoyotes’homecourt.

TheLeopardscappedtheregularseasonTuesdaynightwithadominant78-44 winoverDenison,improvingto25-8overall.

LovejoywillfaceMt.PleasantinBi-DistrictplayoffactiononTuesday,February 24,atCaddoMillsHighSchool.Tip-offisscheduledfor7p.m.

LOVEJOY GIRLS SOCCER SWEEPS ANNA

The Lovejoy JV girls soccer team earned a dominant 9-0 win over Anna on Tuesdaynight.EmoryPaulledthechargewithfourgoals,whileLilyDeLuna(2), Allison Counts (2), and Reagan Streeter also found the net. Rachel Walsh secured the team’s 10th clean sheet of the season behind a strong defensive effort.TheJVLeopardsimproveto11-1overalland6-0indistrictplay.

On Senior Recognition Night, the varsity girls celebrated Bailee Neatherlin, LaineyPierce,andEllaYorkwithanimpressive8-0victoryoverAnna.EllaYork scored five goals, including her 32nd of the season, breaking the program’s single-seasonscoringrecord.Theteamrecordedits16thcleansheetoftheyear andremainsundefeatedat17-0overalland8-0indistrict.

Leopard Nation is invited to come out for Future Leopard Night on Tuesday, 2/24, as Lovejoy takes on Walnut Grove High School at home at 5:30 PM and 7:15PM.

LOVEJOY POWERLIFTING

Lovejoy High School’s Leopard Powerlifters delivered an impressive showing this past weekend at the ProsperInvitationalPowerliftingMeet.

TeniSegunearneda1stplacefinishin her division, highlighted by an outstanding 445-pound deadlift. Ty Smith secured 2nd place in his weight class, led by a remarkable 725-pound squat. In addition, all other Leopard competitors achieved new personal best total weights, demonstrating the team’s continued growth and dedication.

Regional qualifiers will be announced in the coming week. Leopard Nation looks forward to cheering on these student-athletesastheycontinuetheir season.

LOVEJOY BOYS SOCCER

Boys Soccer currently sits at No. 3inthedistrictstandingsandwill host Denison on Friday before heading into a challenging week against Walnut Grove and McKinneyNorth.

Come out and catch the Leopards at home while you can and support them down the stretch.

Girls Powerlifting Prosper Invitational Powerlifting Meet

Boys Powerlifting Prosper Invitational Powerlifting Meet

LOVEJOY SOFTBALL STRONG START

Lovejoy Softball opened the 2026 season with momentum and confidence, earningapreseasonClass5AstaterankingofNo.7andquicklybackingitupon thefield.TheLeopardsbegantheyearathomewithanimpressive7–5victory over No. 4 State-ranked Aledo Bearcats Softball, setting the tone for a competitiveseasonahead.

Early success has been fueled by dominant pitching, as the Lovejoy pitching staff, Izzy Guarriello, Gisela Boitmann, and Addy Seely, has already combined for58strikeoutsintheyoungseason.Thatdepthandconsistencyinthecircle haveplayedakeyroleincontrollinggamesandkeepingtheteamcompetitive againsttop-rankedopponents.

The softball squad now turns its attention to tournament play #2, competing this weekend in the Allen Varsity Softball Tournament at the Allen Station SoftballComplex,whereLovejoywillfacestrongcompetitionastheycontinue tobuildtowardpostseasonplay.

BOARD MEETING INVITATION

DearLovejoyCommunity,

As a Board, we are committed to strong and proactive communication with our community. Part of this commitment is sending an email invitation to our community prior to Board Meetings with a sincere desire for you to be involved andfullyaware,sowecancometogetherasacommunityforourchildren.

February23,2026PublicNoticeWebsite

You may find the full agenda with supporting documentation on our district's BoardBookPremierwebsiteHERE.

Sincerely,

Julie McLaughlin, President

Jeff

Wood, Vice President

Marvin Bobo, Secretary

TheLovejoyISDBoardofTrustees

Aubrey Stock, Trustee

Mark

Wheelis, Trustee

Jason Jaynes, Trustee

Barrett Owens, Trustee

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.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LOVEJOY PTO

Want to get Connected, Enrich our District and Serve?

LovejoyISDisauniquelyspecialdistrictinpartbecauseofour community partnerships. We want to take an opportunity to highlighttheimportanceoftheLovejoyPTOs,andtheircritical roleaswestriveforexcellenceineducation.

OurcampusParentTeacherOrganizationsarethecornerstone of our district, providing essential resources that support our students, teachers and staff. Through student and parent educational programs, family engagement activities and events,

providingteachersupportandappreciation,theirefforts directlyimpactourschoolsinsomanymeaningfulways.

AllofourLovejoyPTOsadheretothefollowingmissionandgoals:

Mission: The mission of this PTO is to encourage a thriving partnership between parents, teachers,andadministrationtoenhancetheeducationofeverystudent,whileaidingthemin achievingtheirhighestpotential.

Goals:ThespecificgoalsofthisPTOare:

To connect and promote collaboration among parents, students, educators, and the community

Toenrichallstudents’Lovejoyeducationalexperience

Toserveinvolunteerroleswhichbenefitstudents,teachers,staffandparents

The success of our PTO and, ultimately, the success of our students depends on the involvement and support of parents, guardians, and community members like you. When families and schools work together, we create a stronger, more connected learning environmentwherestudentscanthrive.

We encourage our community to consider joining one of our PTO’s in any way that fits your timeandinterests Whetheryoucangivealittleoralot,everycontributionhelpsbuildamore enriching and supportive educational experience for our children. If you’re interested in learningmoreabouthowtogetinvolved,pleasefeelfreetofilloutoneofourboardinterest formsandsomeoneinPTOleadershipwillreachouttoyou.Youcanalsoaccessthedistricts websitetoseeeachindividualPTOwebsiteformoreinformation.

FLA PTO Board Interest Form Hart PTO Board Interest Form

Board Interest Form

Sloan Creek PTO Board Interest Form

Willow Springs PTO Board Interest Form

Lovejoy High School Board Interest Form

Together, we can continue to make Lovejoy ISD a place where students feel supported, engaged, and empowered to achieve their best. Thank you for your partnership and commitmenttoourschools

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!