Lovejoy Independent School District

Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence in Education

Centennial Logo Designed by Hudson Samuels, LHS Student

A Message from the  Superintendent


Dear Lovejoy Community:

It was great to see so many of you at the STEM Festival this Saturday. We were pleased to have a strong turnout of our students and parents for this inaugural event. Special thanks to Dennis Muizers, Deputy Superintendent, and the Lovejoy ISD STEM Council for their hard work in securing great speakers and providing so many enriching, hands-on opportunities for all. We look forward to our 2nd annual STEM festival next year.



Spring Break is next week, March 12th - 16th. We hope you and your family enjoy a safe and happy break, and we look forward to welcoming students and staff back to school on March 19th.
 


Suicide Prevention



Willow Springs Middle School, in partnership with the Grant Halliburton Foundation, will present two important events focusing on suicide prevention.
 
Tomorrow evening, Thursday, March 8th at 7:00 PM, "Coming Together to Care: An Open Forum about Teen Grief, Loss, and Suicide"  will be presented in the Willow Springs Middle School Choir Room. This meeting is designed for Willow Springs parents and staff and is not recommended for students. You may click here for additional information.
 
On Thursday, March 22nd at 7:00 PM, "Lovejoy ISD Community Forum: Focus on Teen Suicide Prevention"  will be held in the Willow Springs Middle School Cafeteria. This presentation is designed for all community parents, Lovejoy ISD staff and students. We hope you and your family will join us for this important discussion.



School Finance



School Finance in the State of Texas is a complex system which remains a top priority for Lovejoy ISD. I came across an interesting article this week which does a good job of explaining how local school property taxes count for less as local property taxes rise. You may click here to read this information.
 
In Lovejoy, we continue to look for creative ways to increase revenue such as our tuition-based enrollment program, private Pre-K, and summer camps. We also continue our pursuits to save money. We received notification last week that Lovejoy has been awarded grants from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to replace five older buses. The TCEQ grant is for $277,000, and the EPA grant is for $80,000. Both grants serve to remove five older buses from service and replace them with newer, more efficient units, which will reduce emissions. In order to receive the combined $357,000 in grants, the district is required to order and take delivery of the new buses, destroy the five old buses, and then apply for the reimbursement from the grant award. Special thanks to David Dillon, Senior Director of Operations, and the Operations team for their hard work in applying for and receiving this significant grant money.



Lovejoy Alumni Receive Recognitions





Congratulations to 2017 LHS Graduate Sarah Dunham on her recent recognition from The College Board. Sarah is among only 176 students worldwide who earned every point possible on her AP Research Exam last spring. She earned full points on both her research paper and her oral defense.






Congratulations to 2017 LHS Graduate Brady Duke whose AP Research report is being published in the April 2018 issue of the Journal of Correctional Education.




We would also like to extend congratulations to Cheryl Anderson, Sarah and Brady's AP Research teacher last year.


Lovejoy Bowling 
Regional Champion


This past Sunday, the top bowlers from the North Texas area bowled in the regional tournament in Rowlett, including one of our own, Sophomore Noah Cooper.
 
Noah was the sole representative for Lovejoy High School in the singles tournament with 15 other boys from area high schools. The boys bowled 5 games, switching lanes after each game. Noah bowled an incredible first game of 247, starting him in a tie for first place. During his second and third games, Noah fell down in the standings, bowling a 170 and 197. Noah regathered himself with the help of the coaches and his teammates who came out to support him. Special thanks to Senior Michael Stephens, Junior Sam Oates, and Sophomore Mason Melendez for being there to support Noah. Noah made a major come back, bowling a 248 his fourth game and reclaiming his 1st place standing. His fifth and final game of 235 was the icing on the cake as Noah became Lovejoy's first ever singles regional champion.
 
Next up for Noah is the State Championship in San Antonio the weekend of March 24th and 25th.




Speech and Debate


This past weekend, the LHS Speech and Debate team traveled to La Vernia, Texas, to compete in the Texas Forensics Association (TFA) State Championship. This competition is the only true state championship in which both public and private schools compete against each other without divisions based on size. Congratulations to the following students:
 
Clay Parker was a semifinalist in Humorous Interpretation, placing him in the top 18 in Texas.
 
Clay Parker and Grant Dennis were semifinalists in Duet Acting, placing them in the top 18 in Texas.
 
Luke Wheatley was a quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation, placing him in the top 36 in Texas.
 
Clay Parker and Grant Dennis were also quarterfinalists in Duo Interpretation, placing them in the top 36 in Texas.



Foundation for Lovejoy Schools


Online Auction Results

The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2018 Online Auction. The auction raised over $30,000. Thanks to your support, these funds will be used towards the mission of providing innovative classroom grants to benefit the students of Lovejoy ISD.
 
If you did not get a chance to purchase a ticket to the K-4 Spring Fling Beach Bash Socials, it is not too late. There will be a sign-up sheet at each campus office for you to purchase a ticket for students to attend their grade-level party.

The success of this auction would not have been possible without the staff of Lovejoy. The campuses and teachers so graciously donated over 200 experiences for your students and your family.



Denim and Diamonds - Lone Starry Night
April 7th

Through your generosity and support, the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools awarded grants totaling $451,100 to teachers for use in their classrooms this year. The Foundation is funded primarily from Annual Appeal and the Denim and Diamonds (D&D) Gala and Auction. The Foundation's goal this year is to cover D&D costs with sponsorships prior to the night of the event so all monies spent at the event go directly to fund classroom grants.
 
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools will host its 12th annual Denim and Diamonds Gala and Auction on Saturday, April 7, 2018, at the Marriott at Legacy Town Center in Plano. This year's theme is a Lone Starry Night. Foundation for Lovejoy Schools Chair, Carrie McClure and Co-Chair, Aimee Peay welcome you to a night featuring dinner, entertainment and live auctions.
 
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools will host a raffle for three great prizes, which includes:  
  • $2500 VISA gift card - Donated by Owens Realtors 
  • EZ Go Golf cart - Completely Remodeled and Refurbished Model 2014 TXT-PDS with 2014 upbody with flip seating, new batteries, tires and LED head/tail lights. New factory-painted, flame-red body. EC Custom Carts - value $5,000 
  • Arcade Game Table - Designed like original arcade table from the 80s. Table can be customized, featuring officially licensed graphics of favorite college, pro team, etc. - value $4,400 
Raffle tickets are $100. Only 500 tickets will be sold. A drawing will be held for each item, giving each ticket a chance to win one of these prizes. The winners will be drawn at the Denim and Diamonds Gala. You do not need to be present to win. Click here for additional information. You may purchase tickets from any Foundation director, via the Foundation's website, or at the LISD administration building. See the Foundation website for a list of directors or click here to purchase tickets online.
 
Tickets for the Gala are currently on sale for $135 each. The ticket price will increase to $150 beginning Friday, March 9th. This year, we will seat guests at tables of 12. For additional information, visit FoundationForLovejoySchools.org or contact Cindy Booker at:

469.742.8043

Click here to purchase tickets to the gala. 

 

Fine Arts News


Puster Pride Choir Performs at Hockey Game

Congratulations to the Puster Pride Choir on their great performance of the National Anthem at a recent Allen American's Hockey Game. Click here to view their performance.


WSMS Theatre One Act Play

Congratulations to the cast and crew of the WSMS One Act Play, "I Never Saw Another Butterfly." The students competed in the Find Your Light One Act Play Festival on Saturday, March 3rd. The cast earned several awards which included:
 
Best Stage Manager: Avery May
All Star Cast: Jack Gaines, Hope Corbitt, Lauren Burgess, and Brindley Eaton
Best Actress: Ellis Smith
Outstanding Technical Crew
Champion Production



One more very special award was given to Deanna Mixon, the WSMS and LHS OAP bus driver. The Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Technical Theatre crew had not ever seen a bus driver back into their loading dock. The "alley" which leads to the theatre loading dock is narrow, intricate, and has a turn. They simply were in awe of her driving skills. The GPFA Academy OAP staff gave her the "Best Bus Driver" Award. Congratulations, Mrs. Mixon.


WSMS and LHS Color Guard

The WSMS Color Guard earned 1st place this weekend at the Frisco Wakeland Competition. The LHS Guard earned a 7th place finish. Congratulations to the teams for their hard work and preparation.


LHS and WSMS Percussion

This weekend, the LHS and WSMS Percussionists traveled to Forney High School to compete in the North Texas Percussion Festival. Lovejoy High School percussionists placed 13th and 14th out of the 5A schools with their pieces. Willow Springs Middle School percussionists placed 3rd and 5th.
 
You may click on the following links to hear recordings of their performances:
 



Please join us in congratulating these students, and supporting them tonight at 7:00 PM in the LHS Auditorium for the LISD Percussion Concert. This concert is FREE and open to the public.


LHS Orchestra

On March 5th and 6th, the Lovejoy High School Orchestra program competed in the Region 25 Concert and Sight Reading contest. The orchestra program entered three orchestras, Varsity, Non-Varsity and Sub Non-Varsity. The orchestras were judged in two categories; a concert performance of prepared music and a performance of a never-before-seen piece.
 
We are proud to announce all groups received Sweepstakes; that is, Superior ratings from all judges. Please help us congratulate all of the orchestra students on their great accomplishments.


Athletic News


Lovejoy Baseball

The Varsity team played in the highly competitive Jesuit Baseball Classic this past weekend. The Leopards went 4-2 in the tournament against some solid teams. The Varsity Leopards will conclude their tournament season this week at the Sherman ISD Tournament. The Leopards will return home on Tuesday, March 13th to open 15-5A District play against the Highland Park Scots at 7:30 PM.



The JV Black went to 2-1 in their tournament at McKinney North High School this past weekend. The JV Black will open 15-5A District play at home on Tuesday, March 13th against the Highland Park Scots at 5:00 PM
 
The JV Red went 2-0-1 in the Lewisville JV Tournament and showed much improvement. The Red team played Frisco Independence last night at Leopard Park and lost 9-2. The JV Red will return to Leopard Park Saturday for a doubleheader against Rockwall High School beginning at 10 AM, and then open 15-5A play with a doubleheader at Highland Park. Game times are 5:00 & 7:00 PM.
Lovejoy Basketball
 
The Boys Basketball Team was honored this past week with All-District and Academic All-District honors. Click here for a full listing. Congratulations to all recipients.


Lovejoy Golf
 
The Lovejoy Varsity 1 Boys Team competed in the Glenn Rose Classic at Squaw Valley Golf Course. The team finished in second place with a new two-day team total record of 628. This week, the Varsity 2 boys play at the Dallas Athletic Club and the JV 2/3 boys play at Sherrill Park in Richardson. The Varsity 1 Boys and JV 1 Boys teams play Thursday at Indian Creek Golf Course in Carrollton.


The Varsity Girls' Team played their best golf of the year at the Lady Pirate Classic. The girls finished 9th from a field of 14 teams. The girls shot a day one team total of 389, and followed with a day two 374, for a combined tournament total 763. Captain Allie Bianchi set new school records with a day one score of 75 and a 3-under-par 69 on day 2 for an even par weekend total of 144.


Lovejoy Powerlifting
 
Ally Carraway competed in the Region 6 Girls Regional Powerlifting meet. She finished 5th in her weight class and hit the automatic qualifying total of 800 pounds to qualify her to compete in the state powerlifting meet in Waco on March 16th. She did this by setting (personal) records in the squat 315 and the deadlift 335.


Senior Kade Ashley finished 4th place in the 242 pound class. His combined total of 1500 pounds was good enough to qualify for the state meet on March 24th in Abilene.




Lovejoy Boys Soccer
 
The Varsity Leopards defeated the Forney Jackrabbits this past Friday night 2-0. The Leopards returned to Leopard Stadium last night for their annual Senior Night celebration and lost 3-2 to the Wylie East Raiders. The Varsity Leopards will travel to North Forney High School this Friday to take on the Falcons at 7:30 PM.



The JV Leopards traveled to Forney and defeated the Jackrabbits 6-0. The Leopards also return home last night and defeated the Wylie East Raiders 3-0. The team will travel to North Forney High School to take on the Falcons this Friday. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 PM.
 
For additional news regarding the Boys Soccer team, please access the following news stories shared by Lovejoy High School's award-winning online newspaper, The Red Ledger.
 
 
 
 

Lovejoy Girls Soccer
 
The Varsity Girls Soccer Team lost to the Forney Lady Jackrabbits this past Friday night at Leopard Stadium 3-0. The Lady Leopards were in action Tuesday night in Wylie, taking on the Lady Raiders of Wylie East. The Varsity Leopards lost to the Lady Raiders 4-2. The Varsity Girls will return home on Friday for their annual Senior Night contest against the North Forney Lady Falcons. Game time is scheduled for 7:15 PM.



The JV Girls Soccer Team beat the Forney JV 1-0 this past Friday night. The JV Leopards lost to Lady Raiders of Wylie East 6-0 this past Tuesday night in Wylie. The girls return home this Friday against the Lady Falcons of North Forney. Game time is scheduled for 5:15 PM.


Lovejoy Softball
 
The Lady Leopards Varsity Softball team participated in the Northwest ISD Tournament this past weekend. The team went 4-2, with wins over 5A Northwest, 5A Canyon Randall, 5A Frisco Independence, and 4A Bonham. Both Varsity and JV teams played the Highland Park Scots in the 15-5A District opener at Leopard Park. The Lady Leopards came away with a 15-5 victory. The Varsity will travel to Mesquite to take on West Mesquite Friday at 7:00 PM.



The JV Lady Leopards opened 15-5A play with an exciting 11-10 victory over the Lady Scots. The JV team will return to action tomorrow at the Kaufman ISD Tournament and then will be back in 15-5A action Friday against West Mesquite.


Lovejoy Tennis
 
The Varsity Tennis team competed in the Abilene Cooper Classic last weekend. This tournament consisted of 16 of the top teams in the State. Overall, Lovejoy finished 8th out of 16 as a team. The best result came in girls' doubles as Samantha Hayward and Daniela Benigno finished 2nd out of 32 teams. The Varsity Tennis Team will be in action again at the Allen Eagle Invitational, scheduled for March 23rd and 24th. The JV Leopards will return to action this Thursday at the Allen Invitational. Matches are scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM.




Lovejoy Track
 
The Boys Varsity Track Team started their season off by winning their home meet this past Saturday at Leopard Stadium. They scored a combined team total 181 points for the Boys Varsity Team Invitational Title. Michael DesJardins won the pole vault event with a new school record jump of 14' 7", and James Rainey won the shot put event with a school record throw of 51' 11.5". The Varsity will be back in action tomorrow at the Argyle Track Meet at Argyle High School. The meet is scheduled for 3:30 PM.
 
The JV Boys Track Team finished 3rd in the JV division behind Argyle and Dallas Jesuit.
 
The Leopard Distance Team will be competing in the annual Lovejoy Spring Distance Festival this Saturday at Leopard Stadium. The meet will begin at 5:00 PM.



The Varsity Girls Track Team also started their season off by winning the Girls Division of the Lovejoy Invitational by 62 points over their closest competitor, Colleyville Heritage High School. The top performers for the Lady Leopards were Grace Ridgeway in the Pole Vault and 300M Hurdles, Kassidy Litchenburg in the 400M Run, McKinley Chaney in Shot Put, and Ally Carraway in Discus. The JV Girls also won their division by an impressive 169.5 points over their closet competition. The Varsity and JV Leopards will travel to Argyle tomorrow for the Argyle Meet at 3:30 PM.


In Case You Missed It


This section of Email Express highlights news reports/articles featuring Lovejoy over the previous week.


District-Wide News


Safety and Security

Safety and security remains one of our highest priorities. We have specific plans at each campus in response to a security breach. We continue to consider additional measures to address both the perception of safety, as well as the actual safety on every campus.
 
We would like to ask for your assistance. If you have information about a threat to the safety of a student, staff member, campus, or the district, we ask you to report it. SafeSchools is our online safety compliance program, which is specifically designed for school use, incident management, and bullying reporting. This program allows students, staff, and parents to report tips on bullying, harassment, intimidation, weapons, drugs, or other threats to school safety by e-mail, via website, text, or by calling 469.919.5861. This system allows us to stay connected and to prevent incidents before they occur. Staff are immediately notified of every tip, and can effectively track and manage incidents to resolution in this web-based system. Multiple administrators throughout the district monitor submissions to assure entries are addressed in a timely manner. Once a tip is entered, tipsters can easily check on the status of their tip and remain anonymous. School officials are notified through e-mail when tips are created and/or updated.

Posters are displayed in every classroom and hallways throughout each of the Lovejoy campuses, providing information as to how to enter a tip.


If you have information about a threat to our safety, do your part and report it. Please remember, you may remain anonymous.
 
As always, your questions, concerns, and suggestions regarding school security are welcome. Please email, text or call me with your thoughts. My cell number is 972.415.8129.


Flats for Bats
Lovejoy Baseball Fundraiser

Lovejoy Baseball is hosting its annual flower sale, Flats for Bats. Please help support Lovejoy Baseball and buy your spring flowers from one of the high school players. Flowers will be delivered to your house on April 8th. Find any Lovejoy Baseball player and place your order, or email lovejoybaseball@gmail.com and a player will contact you to take your order. Orders will be accepted through March 21st.

Gifted and Talented Referrals for 2018-2019

The referral window for gifted and talented services is open for students in grades 1-12 through March 31st.
 
Click here for the referral forms located online in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. All referrals must be completed in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. A line is included to type the name of the individual referring the student (parent, teacher, other educator, or student).
 
Testing is scheduled for Saturday, April 14th and 28th.
 
For questions regarding referrals, please contact Kari Lockhart (469.742.8015) or
Brie Smith (469.742.8032) .


The Lovejoy Running Club

The Lovejoy Running Club meets every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 6:00 PM near the Duck Pond at Celebration Park. All ages and ability levels are welcome to attend, from novice walkers looking to shed a few pounds, to elite runners gearing up for the next race. If you have questions regarding the running program, you may contact:  greg_christensen@lovejoyisd.net . P.S. Dogs are welcome. 


Upcoming Events


LHS Band
Tonight

The 10th Annual LISD Percussion Concert is tonight at 7:00 PM in the LHS Auditorium. Admission is free.
 
The percussionists will present their 10th annual concert featuring new, as well as classic, percussion literature. The LHS Percussion Ensemble has commissioned a new work for Marimba Quartet by composer Caleb Pickering and will be giving the world premiere during this concert. We hope to see you there for this wonderful evening of music making.




WSMS Orchestra UIL Concert and Sight-Reading
Tomorrow

WSMS Orchestras will compete in the UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Competition at Allen High School tomorrow. Please come support our orchestra students as they showcase their playing abilities during competition.
 
March 8th - Philharmonic Orchestra
9:45 AM - Concert; 10:10 AM - Sight-Reading
 
March 8th - Chamber Orchestra
1:35 PM - Concert; 2:00 PM - Sight-Reading

Orchestra Spirit Night
Tomorrow

The Lovejoy Orchestra Spirit night will be held at Zoe's Kitchen tomorrow night from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Please plan on joining the orchestra for delicious food and good company in support of the Lovejoy Orchestra. 15% of the proceeds will benefit the Orchestra Booster Club. When ordering, please let the cashier know you are with Lovejoy Orchestra. This includes dine in and take out. Zoe's Kitchen is located at 102 Prairie Road, in the Villages of Fairview.

24th Annual Young Masters Exhibition
Now Through April 15th

Congratulations to the following Lovejoy High School visual art students for being selected to participate in the 24th annual Young Masters Exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art. It is a prestigious honor for these students to have their work selected to hang among the halls of contemporary and historic masterpieces in an exhibition demonstrating the most extraordinary work created within AP Studio Art programs from ten of the areas highest performing high schools.
 
Taite Borozny -  AP 3D
 
Kathryn Felton -  AP 3D
 
Tad Greenwald -  AP Drawing
 
Lindsey Hammond -  AP 3D
 
Carly Johnson -  AP Drawing
 
Anna Redman -  AP Drawing
 
Eli Ruhala -  AP Drawing
 
Emma Wigginton -  AP Drawing
 
Of the 54 chosen works, these 8 Lovejoy students were chosen (from over 560 applicants) as representatives of the highest level of excellence in AP Studio work. The time, commitment, practice, personal voice, and care they embed into the creation of their work gives us pride beyond description.  Please mark your calendars to visit the exhibition:
 
24th Annual Young Masters Exhibition
Dallas Museum of Art, Concourse Gallery
February 24 - April 15, 2018

Majestics Cruise to Mexico
March 14th - 19th

Anchors Away. From March 14th through March 19th, the Lovejoy Majestics are embarking on a performance tour cruise to Mexico aboard the Royal Caribbean, Vision of the Seas. The team will perform an extravaganza for the cruise passengers, along with 3 other Texas High School dance teams. The Majestics will also take a dance class from the on-board professional dancers who are cast in the various cruise productions. The cruise will dock in both Progresso and Cozumel, allowing the Majestics an opportunity to explore historic sights and spend time together. If any of our Lovejoy families are traveling on this tour, the Majestics hope to see you on board. Best wishes to our Majestics Dance Team as they represent Lovejoy on the Vision of the Seas.

SCIS and WSMS Art Show
March 22nd

The WSMS and SCIS visual art departments will host an art show in March. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 22nd from 5:30-7:30 PM in the LHS Art Gallery and will feature artists from both campuses. Please plan to join us and celebrate these selected artists.

LHS Baseball Presents Little Leopard Night
April 6th

The Lovejoy Varsity baseball team will host Little Leopard Night on Friday, April 6th. The team will play Wylie East High School. The Lovejoy Elementary Choir will perform the National Anthem. All elementary students attending will receive free admission into the game, and will have the opportunity to join the Varsity players on the baseball field for the National Anthem. All participants will receive popcorn and baseball pennants. Please arrive at 7:00 PM, as the game will begin at 7:30 PM. For questions, please contact Alicia Pool at 817.999.0719.


Relay for Life
April 6th

Relay for Life is an annual event which will be held at Willow Springs Middle School to raise awareness of cancer and to donate to cancer research. This year's initiative is to bring the Lovejoy community together as a whole to promote a sense of unity and caring. We hope you will save the date of April 6th and join us for Relay for Life.
 
Relay for Life Dinner
A dinner in honor of survivors, caregivers, and their families will be held in conjunction with the Relay for Life event. If this applies to you or to someone you know, please RSVP to Katherine Guo .
 
Relay for Life Stories to Share
The high school Relay for Life committee is also organizing a tribute to those who have been affected by cancer. If you have a story to share, please contact Katherine Guo .
 
Relay for Life Gallery Wall Opportunity
To encourage participation of students at the elementary and intermediate school levels, the LHS Relay for Life organizers are hosting a coloring page activity. Students may click here to print the coloring page and decorate it as creatively as they can. They may then turn the page into the receptionist desk at their campus to receive a pencil, sticker or other prize. The event organizers will use all coloring pages to create a gallery wall for the event, which will represent loving support for those whose lives have been affected by cancer.
 
Relay for Life Luminarias
Relay for Life is selling Luminarias for the Relay for Life event on April 6th at Willow Springs Middle School. Luminarias honor those whose lives have been affected by cancer. You may dedicate a Luminaria to loved ones who lost their battles with cancer, someone currently battling cancer, or anyone who has overcome cancer. When you attend the Relay event, you will see the Luminarias placed around the track, decorated with names and sometimes messages to whom they are dedicated. Luminarias are $10. If you would like to purchase one, please click here .  





Friends of Fairview Firefighters Pancake Breakfast
April 21st

Where Are They Now?



If you would like to provide us with accomplishments of a Lovejoy graduate, please click here.  We will share this information in the "Where Are They Now?" section of Email Express. It is a pleasure to report the successes of Lovejoy graduates during their college years and beyond.


Stay Connected


Lovejoy ISD App
The Lovejoy ISD App is available for download on both Apple and Android devices. To download the app for Apple devices, please  click here . To download the app for Android devices, please  click here .  



Twitter and Facebook
Are you following the district on Twitter ?  Have you liked us on Facebook ?  Join us on social media for news and announcements.

Love Where You Learn


As always, please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns.
 
With Respect,
 
Ted Moore
Superintendent
Lovejoy ISD
972.415.8129 (mobile)
469.742.8011 (office)