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Email Express
July 23, 2010
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Dear Lovejoy Community:
I used to find it humorous when my dad would talk about the good old days especially related to how much things used to cost. As I grow older, I am beginning to think that the apple did not fall far from the tree at my house. My wife and I enjoy going to the movies and I have complained through the years about the increased cost of admission especially after it passed $10. I finally gave in and went to Gold Class Cinema last Saturday. I did not think I would ever pay $25 to get in to see a movie; however, I finally did just that. I think that the best indicator of my age may be that as I sat there during the movie I was beginning to think that maybe that comfortable recliner and the attentive service was almost worth $25—maybe the good old days were not really that good.
Football Season is Approaching
As long as I am reminiscing about the good old days of my youth, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine was a sign that the start of school was approaching. (I am sure it did not cost $15 back then either) Most coaches I know hate to be saddled with a #1 ranking going into the season because everyone loves to beat the guy on top of the rankings. This publication did rank the Lovejoy Leopards as #1 based on their crystal ball. The author of the article did say some nice things about the Leopards including “They also have one of the biggest student bodies in Class 3A and an active and supportive fan base.” He went on to highlight the accomplishments of QB Michael Means and running back Blake Martin. On the defensive side of the ball, he shined the light on linebacker Matt Kotecki, linemen Ticer Havens and Nate O’Connor, and defensive back Blake Westback. Preseason rankings mean very little and the 2010 Coaches’ Poll in the same publication rank the Leopards #8 behind our district opponent Prosper at #7. My hope for this season is that our kids stay healthy, develop a strong work ethic, and a highly collaborative team culture. Winning is a nice thing, but athletics also serve to teach our young men and women many important life skills that will remain important to them throughout their adult lives.
Learning@Lovejoy
Many of your Lovejoy teachers have returned to the high school to participate in our summer professional development known as Learning@Lovejoy. We had a great week with almost 650 participating in this week. We have two more weeks of professional learning scheduled. Of course, Lovejoy teachers and staff attend these sessions at no cost to them, but we have such good learning that we open our sessions up to any teacher in any district. We charge the outside folks $100 for a day of professional development which helps to defray our costs and is a bargain compared to most trainings in the range of $250 per day. This summer we have almost 450 outside teachers coming to learn with us. This high quality professional development is partially funded by a $30,000 grant from the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools (FLS), The Foundation funded this grant from the car raffle they did last April as a part of D&D. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Foundation and this community for providing this opportunity for the Lovejoy ISD Team.
Survey is Coming—Tell Us What You Think
As promised, my Email Express next week will include a survey based on your experience with the Lovejoy ISD. I will ask you to grade us in about 10 areas and then you will have the opportunity to give us feedback in those areas that we need to “Keep Doing” and those areas you want us to “Quit Doing.” We have had some third party validation of our work this year as we have won the HEB Excellence in Education Award, the Lone Star Cup, and the Comptroller’s Gold Award for Transparency. From my perspective, these awards indicate that we are doing some things well. We need your help to pinpoint those areas that are in need of additional study and attention. I will send the survey out on July 30th and leave it open for 10 days for you to complete.
Another Incredible Accomplishment—Ivana Hong
In addition to our school athletic accomplishments, our kids also have some extraordinary success in other arenas. LHS soon-to-be Senior, Ivana Hong, was chosen to be on the cover of Inside Gymnastics magazine. In 2009, Ivana took second place at U. S. Nationals and a bronze medal at the World Championships on the beam. The publisher of this magazine referred to her unique sense of style and incredible artistry. Regarding the cover photo, he went on to highlight her attention to detail, bodyline, and toe point. Ivana has her sights set on the 2012 Olympics.
As we approach the start of school, please let us know what you need to be ready for the first day of school. We look forward to your kids coming back to our campuses.
With Respect,
Ted Moore
Superintendent
Lovejoy ISD
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