Email Express
May 10, 2019
The Lovejoy Independent School District
 
Welcome to Lovejoy ISD where Kids Come First.
 
Each day we are focused on doing our Best Today. Better Tomorrow .
 
We are One Heart. One Lovejoy.
News from Interim Superintendent
Dr. Dennis Womack

Dear Lovejoy Community:
  
Wednesday night the Lovejoy Board of Trustees recognized approximately 200 students for their tremendous accomplishments in the following areas:
 
Elementary UIL Academics
Duke TIP State
Duke TIP Grand
Computer Science
Cross Examination Speech and Debate
Theatre Arts
Bowling
Color Guard
Powerlifting
Journalism
Visual Arts
 
The Board also recognized community members graduating from this year’s cohort of Leadership Lovejoy. 
 
The Board approved the hiring of Puster Elementary School’s new Principal, Holly Haynes. Holly is serving in her 19th year as an educator. Her background as a K-3 elementary teacher, 3-5 Instructional Coach, Pre-K – 5 Instructional Specialist, K-5 Interventionist, and Elementary Assistant Principal will serve her well in her new role. We are Lovejoy proud of Holly and congratulate her on this new position. You may click here to read more.
While Wednesday was certainly full of numerous celebrations, it was also a very difficult evening as Lovejoy continues to face school funding shortfalls. Although the recent approval of HB 3 yields a positive result for many districts across the state, for Lovejoy, it is substantially negative.
 
Following the reduction of property tax rates by 1/3 in 2006, the Legislature provided ASATR (Additional State Aide for Tax Reduction) funding to maintain at least the same level of per-student funding for weighted average daily attendance. In 2011 the Legislature chose to significantly reduce funding for public education, including ASATR. Again in 2013, the Legislature passed an additional reduction to ASATR.
 
With the repeal of ASATR in 2017, and the repeal of Hardship Grants in 2019, Lovejoy ISD is poised to lose $3,000,000 + in state funding for the 2019-2020 school year. Past budget cuts due to legislative shortfalls have been made as far away from the classroom as possible; however, given the current funding structure and timelines dictated by the state, budget cuts must be made which will directly impact staff. As such, the Lovejoy ISD Board of Trustees has made the extremely difficult decision to implement staff reductions within the following departments:
 
  • Central Administration Student Support Services
  • Campus-Based Student Support Services
  • K-2 Gifted and Talented Structure
  • WSMS Course Delivery Structure
  • LHS Period Structure
 
The Board of Trustees has exhausted every available solution to avoid making this incredibly difficult decision. However, until a reasonable, necessary, and responsible funding system is put in place, this is the most prudent action for the district moving forward to remain financially stable. As it currently stands, Lovejoy is poised to be one of the lowest per student funded school districts in Collin County and well below the State’s average. 
 
There will be one last effort for the Lovejoy community to persuade 10 Legislators to rectify the cut to Lovejoy’s funding. We will send specific information out next week regarding the five Senators and five House members that will make the final determination. We are still hopeful to be allowed to keep at least the same amount of funding per student as we have this school year and save the programs listed above and the approximately 30 employees that will lose their jobs. 

With respect and admiration,
Dr. Dennis Womack
LISD Interim Superintendent

School Board Election
May 4 Unofficial Results

The May 4 School Board election was held this past Saturday. With 47 of 47 Vote Centers reporting, the unofficial results are as follows:
Journalism Student Wins State Championship

Junior Kelsey Carroll won the 5A state championship for editorial writing. This was her third consecutive trip to the state meet for journalism (she finished fourth in the state in feature writing last year as a sophomore and also qualified as a freshman in feature). She also competed in feature writing this year.

Sophomore Arushi Gupta also competed at the 5A state championship for Lovejoy in headline.
LHS Golfers Qualify for State

Lady Leopard golfer Allie Bianchi will travel to Georgetown to participate in the 2019 UIL State Girls Golf Tournament on Monday (May 13) and Tuesday (May 14) at the White Wing Golf Club.
 

Jay Pabin finished third place in the UIL Region II Tournament as an individual and qualified for the UIL State Golf Tournament, becoming the first Lovejoy male golfer to qualify for the State Tournament. Jay will compete in the State Tournament on Monday (May 20) and Tuesday (May 21) at the White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown.  

Good luck to Allie and Jay in their quest to bring home an Individual State Championship.
Lovejoy Track and Field Athletes Qualify for State

We are sending best wishes to the Lovejoy Track and Field Program as they compete in the 2019 UIL State Meet in Austin today.
 
Alaina Pierce will represent the Girls Team in Austin as she qualified in the High Jump (5’6” jump). The Boys team will be represented by Will Muirhead (3200M Champion), Jahi Rainey (Shot Put Champion) and the 4x200M Relay Team of Hunter Smith , Jake Chamberlin , Beau Iovinelli and Ryan Gordon (Regional Runner Up) with a new school record time of 1:26.65.  Ryan Gordon also qualified in the Boys 200M Dash with the State’s fourth fastest time of 21.26, another new school record.

Lovejoy Baseball Advances to Area Round of State Competition

Lovejoy defeated Frisco Reedy 6-3 in the first round of the UIL State 5-A Baseball playoffs at Princeton High School Stadium. Reedy scored one run in the top of the third. Lovejoy answered with three runs in the bottom half on two walks, a single by Luke Stine and Luke Finn, and on a fielder’s choice hit by Jacob Terwilliger . In the sixth inning, Lovejoy put the game out of reach with singles by Michael DiFiore and Luke Finn . Jordan Yoder took the win for the Leopards. Jordan lasted four and two-thirds innings, allowing nine hits and three runs while striking out three and walking one. Harrison Durow threw two and a third innings in relief out of the bullpen to earn the save.
 
Lovejoy easily defeated Frisco Reedy 8-1 on Friday to advance to the Area round of the UIL State 5-A playoffs. Lovejoy scored first in the 4th inning on singles by Jacob Terwilliger , Colton Lawrence , and a big 2 RBI hit by Zach Smith , which put Lovejoy up 3-0. Lovejoy put up four runs in the sixth inning, led by singles by Jordan Yoder , Luke Stine , and Lawrence to seal the victory.  Stine got the win for Lovejoy. He surrendered one run on one hit over seven innings, striking out six.
 
Lovejoy improves to 23-9 on the season and advances to the second round of the playoffs against Highland Park this Friday (7:30 PM) and Saturday (2:00 PM) at the home of the Texas Rangers, Globe Life Park. If necessary, game three will be held on Saturday at 5:00 PM. 

LHS Girls Soccer Accolades

Freshman Tatum Chester was named TASCO Honorable Mention All-State after a stellar first year in the program. Tatum scored 12 goals and had 8 assists. She was also named District 10-5A Midfielder of the Year. Congratulations, Tatum!

Junior Reagan Matacale was named TASCO 2nd Team All-Region. Reagan had a fantastic year, scoring 13 goals to go along with 11 assists. She was a part of the District 10-5A first team. Congratulations, Reagan!
WSMS Girls Soccer Named District Champs

Tuesday night, the 7th grade girls’ soccer team defeated Rockwall Cain 5-2. Hannah Daehnert scored the first goal outside the box after a pass from Natalie Knight . Cambry Patrick scored the second goal after receiving a pass from Annie Clay and going on a long solo run. Kailey Littlefield scored the third goal after an assist from Taylor Person . Taylor scored the fourth goal after an assist from Cambry Patrick . Taylor finished off the scoring for the Leopards after receiving a pass from Kiera Watson . The win on Tuesday brought the 7th graders' record to a perfect 6-0 on the season, which earned them a district title. Congratulations to the 7th Grade Lady Leopard Soccer players for a great championship season.
WSMS Students Excel at ILPC

Willow Springs Middle School students won five gold, five silver, and two bronze medals in the broadcast division of the UIL ILPD State of Journalism Contest. The students competed against 4A High Schools. Please click here for detailed information.
WSMS and LHS Color Guard Solo and Ensemble

On Saturday, the WSMS and LHS Color Guards competed in their Solo and Ensemble Competition. The students created their own routines, selecting music, costumes, props and equipment allowing the audience to see the personal style of the performers. The students did an incredible job, with 35 solos and ensembles earning a 1st Division Superior Rating.   
LHS Theatre to Present Award-Winning State Show to Community on May 21

Congratulations to Lovejoy High Schools' company of The Anatomy of Gray for a fourth place position at the State UIL Theatre Competition. Special awards at the State Competition were Honorable Mention All Star Cast, Luke Wild and All Star Cast, Marcie Sawyers .
 
The company will be performing a “home show” for the community on Tuesday, May 21 in the Lovejoy High School Auditorium at 7:00 PM. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door. 
Foundation Awards $403,593 in Classroom Grants

Because of the generosity of the Lovejoy community, the Foundation is awarding $403,593 in classroom grants to Lovejoy teachers and staff for the 2019 - 2020 school year. Forty-four grants were awarded last Friday at Puster, Hart, Lovejoy, Sloan Creek, and Willow Springs. Another 12 grants will be announced on May 24 at the Lovejoy High School senior signing day. These grants cover all grades and all subject areas and support professional development for the staff. They will impact the education of each child next year. A list of everything granted will be found soon on our website. And check out our Facebook page for some live footage of the grant patrol.
Each and every one of you, our Lovejoy Community, who supported the Foundation this year, are the reason this is possible. The Foundation directors would like to congratulate and say thank you for making 2018 - 2019 a successful year.
Timeline For Superintendent Search

Chad Collins, Board President, announced the timeline for the Superintendent search at the February 20 Board Meeting.
 
Friday, February 22, 2019 - Completed
Request for Proposal was submitted for interested search firms to apply.
 
March 8, 2019 - Completed
Deadline for interested search firms to submit their proposal.
 
March 18, 2019 - Completed
8:00 AM - Lovejoy ISD Administration Building
Special Board Meeting to select top three search firm candidates.
 
The following search firm candidates were selected to present proposals:
 
Texas Association of School Boards
JG Consulting
Bob E. Griggs & Associates
 
March 20, 2019 - Completed
2:30 PM – Lovejoy ISD Administration Building
Special Board Meeting to hear proposals from top three search firms.
 
3:00 PM – Texas Association of School Boards
4:00 PM – JG Consulting
5:00 PM - Bob E. Griggs & Associates
 
March 20, 2019 - Completed
7:30 PM – Lovejoy Elementary School Gymnasium
Board action will be taken during the regular Board Meeting to select a search firm.
 
The Board selected JG Consulting to lead the search for the next Superintendent of the Lovejoy Independent School District. Please click here to access the JG Consulting website for additional information regarding their firm.
 
March 28, 2019 - Completed
8:00 AM – Lovejoy ISD Administration Building
Special Board Meeting to meet with JG Consulting regarding the search for the next Superintendent of the Lovejoy Independent School District.
 
April 2, 2019 – Completed
An anonymous survey regarding the search for the next superintendent will be shared with the community for JG consulting to receive community input.
 
April 9, 2019 - Completed
6:30 PM – Lovejoy High School Lecture Hall
A Community meeting will be held on April 9 at 6:30 PM in the Lovejoy High School to gather community feedback regarding the search for the next Superintendent of Lovejoy ISD.
 
April 17, 2019 - Completed
5:30 PM – Lovejoy ISD Administration Building
The Board of Trustees will meet in Executive Session with JG Consulting to review the Superintendent Search Profile.
 
Summer 2019
The new Superintendent will be in place in preparation for the 2019-2020 school year.
 
We will continue to keep the community informed regarding the search for a new Superintendent.


Stay Connected
 
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.

Fine Arts News

LHS Choir Pop Concert
May 17 and 18
Tickets are on sale now at the Lovejoy ISD Box office:
 

WSMS Choir Pop Concert
May 20
Tickets are on sale now at the Lovejoy ISD Box office. https://tinyurl.com/LovejoyBoxOffice1819

Upcoming Concerts and Galleries

Lovejoy Summer Musical Theatre Camps
July 9-20
We are excited to announce our 2019 musical: Seussical KIDS! 
 
Acting, choreography, lighting, costuming, set building, and painting are just some of the fun activities taking place in Lovejoy’s Summer Musical Theatre Camps: Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre, and Intern Camp.
Athletic News
Click here for detailed information regarding summer athletic camps.
Annual registration is open for Lovejoy Leopard Athletes for the 2019 Summer Conditioning Sessions provided by Performance Course. All-important information may be found on the PC web site at www.performancecourse.com . Sessions are strictly voluntary and are not required by the Lovejoy Athletic Department.
Upcoming Events

WSMS Presents Parents Night Out
May 10 - Cancelled
WSMS announces the cancellation of Parent's Night Out.

Lovejoy Country Run
May 11
Join us for the 13th Annual Lovejoy Country Run on Saturday, May 11 at Lovejoy High School. This event benefits the Lovejoy athletic teams of LLI (Lovejoy Leopards, Inc.). Go to :


to register to participate in “Running with the Leopards” and to support your Lovejoy Leopard Athletes.


Lovejoy High School Recycling Event
DATE CHANGE: May 18
Lovejoy High School, in partnership with Renewed Solutions, invites you to clean out your closets and file cabinets to participate in an electronics recycling and paper shredding event on Saturday, May 18 from 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM in the front parking lot of the high school. Click here for more details.

Summer Enrichment Camps
Enrollment Now Open!
Click here to register now!


Kids 1st Summer Camp
Enroll Now!


Camp Invention
June 10 – 14


Summer Sewing Camp
June and July Offerings
Join the 12th year of summer sewing fun at a new location: Lovejoy High School! Click  SEWING  for details about the camp as well as details about a special project option: T-shirt quilt.

District-Wide News
Important News from Student Nutrition Regarding Student Meal Accounts
This is a courtesy message from Lovejoy Student Nutrition Services to inform households of an upcoming change in student meal accounts. In an effort to minimize negative balances at the end of the school year, beginning Wednesday, May 8 and for the remainder of the school year, students will no longer be able to charge meals which will result in the student incurring a negative balance to their meal account. Students may continue to use their lunch accounts as long as they have money in the account. Households with students who currently have negative balances will receive reminder emails and phone calls. Federal regulations prohibit us from rolling over negative balances to the next school year. Please make arrangements to remit payment for any negative lunch accounts your child may have incurred.
 
All positive balances will be rolled over to next school year. If you have a graduating senior, funds may be transferred to any sibling in the school district. To request a meal account refund, please complete a refund request form located on the Student Nutrition website. For assistance, please contact Student Nutrition at 469.742.8041.
 
Student Nutrition Services thanks you for your understanding and for allowing us to serve your student(s) this school year. 
 
 
 
Foundation for Lovejoy Schools Requests Assistance
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools is requesting your assistance in taking the following 3 minute survey.  The objective of the survey is to determine how best to share our accomplishments and progress, identifying the best avenues to share information, and increase participation.
 
The Foundation for Lovejoy Schools continues to award grants that help preserve and offer experiences, programs, equipment and education which support the educational goals in our district.
 
Because of your awesome support, $403,593 in innovative classroom grants is being awarded for the 2019 - 2020 school year.
 
You may access the survey at the following link:

 
The survey is active now thru May 10, 2019.

Share the News!
Lovejoy Scholars
Lovejoy Scholars, our K – 12 tuition-based enrollment program, is a great opportunity for families who live outside of our district boundaries, but want their children to experience a Lovejoy education. Will you help us share the news?
 
 
Pre-K Now Enrolling
Excellence Begins Early
Call Today!
Little Lovejoy Scholars is accepting applications for tuition-based Pre-Kindergarten.
SafeSchools App
SafeSchools has launched their new mobile application for anonymous reporting. You may click here for the SafeSchools Alert Mobile Application Download Instructions.
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.

Love Where You Learn