Message from Stu

Superintendent Message

Wow, we have some exciting things going on in our schools. Teaching and learning is at full speed and our kids are reaching new heights. At Cardinal Valley, for example, they set a goal to cover the walls of the school with examples of distinguished student work. Not only did they meet their goal, they are changing the postings every week! Principal Matt Perkins and the Cardinal Valley community are to be commended for setting high expectations for our students. We can never underestimate the importance of having high expectations for each and every one of our students – our youngsters will always rise to the challenge!

I am extremely proud of the work that is going on in our classrooms. Watching teachers utilize data to determine the strengths and needs of their students and then creating interventions to enhance teaching and learning is very exciting. I am thoroughly impressed with data showing places where students who started the school year at low levels are now doing proficient work! Many of our principals are having individual meetings with students to discuss their goals and objectives and our kids are responding extremely well.

During the last couple of weeks schools across the district have been celebrating Read Across America and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to read to many of our students. At Glendover Elementary, one of the students asked me if I was Dr. Suess! While I'm flattered, I don't think I could master the rhyme scheme in Stu's News.

When I went over to Dixie Elementary and read to the students in complex D, I met a group of kids who were super! They listened to the Suess book, Oh The Places You'll Go and they were so excited about their future choices that they sent me notes outlining their goals. I must admit that one of my favorites was a young man who said he planned to be a surgeon, but if that didn't work out, that his fallback choice would be to become an NBA Star!

Allow me to share a funny incident that happened while I was at Stonewall Elementary to read to a class there. It was one of those really windy days and I was cutting it pretty close on time. So I hopped out of the car, threw on my jacket and ran into the building.

A parent met me at the door and was so nice to introduce me to many of the parents who were at the school that day. She escorted me to the classroom where I read the book, My Favorite Pet Of All. The kids really got into it and shared many stories with me about their pets. I had to leave to get to another school, but one boy was waving his hand frantically so I could not leave without calling on him.

I thought he wanted to share his story about his pet. Instead he asked, "Why do you wear your tie that way?" I looked down to see that when I hopped out of my car the wind had blown my tie over my shoulder and in my rush, I had simply put my jacket over it. So, I spent all that time at the school with my tie hidden beneath my jacket and would never have known it if not for this one young man. He's the kind of friend you need when you have spinach in your teeth! Critical friends like him will continue to help our district move to new heights by being honest about our progress and pushing us to explore other avenues. Keep up the great work and don't be afraid to suggest ways we can get even better.

One program helps two schools

Last month, Henry Clay High School and Breckinridge Elementary School formed a unique partnership that has helped both schools blossom. The idea was a simple one – Henry Clay High would adopt Breckinridge, one of their feeder schools.

Three days a week, students from Henry Clay's Early Childhood program visit the elementary school and help mentor students. They will eventually assist the librarian and receive training from Breckinridge's Reading First coach to help the younger students with their reading. Central Baptist Church has also gotten involved and will work with the high school students to construct an outdoor classroom for the elementary school.

Angela Rey-Barreau, a third grade teacher at Breckinridge, has been involved in the project from the beginning and is excited about the possibilities. "Henry Clay students bring in information and help our kids seek higher goals," she said. "Our kids need to see successful high school kids."

She also recognizes the value for older students. "Kids need love and attention. Being able to provide that when you are 16 and 17 is a life impact," said Rey-Barreau.

Sam Simpson, a freshman at Henry Clay and center on the school's football and basketball team, has been volunteering his time at the elementary school. He admits he was a little nervous at first.

"I didn't realize it would mean so much to them," he said. "Kids ask for my autograph."

Earlier this month, he, along with Henry Clay principal John Nochta, Henry Clay Football Coach Sam Simpson (his dad) and other football players, read to students at Breckinridge. They brought along gift bags for the kids and answered questions. In return, the younger children sent thank-you cards to the high school.

Jody Cabble, a Henry Clay High social studies teacher, requires her students to do ten hours of community service each semester. The Breckinridge partnership fulfills that requirement.

"Henry Clay is a great resource for Breckinridge," she said. "Our students have the opportunity to provide a positive impact. We have 2,200 students and the elementary school has 600, surely we can make a difference."

Karen Smith, the principal at Breckinridge agrees. "It's a win-win for both of our schools," she said. "Kids can relate more to teenagers."

"We have an obligation to help other schools in our area to be a better place," Cabble said.

For schools interested in starting a similar partnership, Cabble has some advice.

"Decide beforehand who you want to impact, how you want to go about creating that impact and who you can use that would be best suited to really make it happen."

In this partnership, Cabble said, both schools "have created a climate of cooperation by removing barriers, by allowing us to explore ideas and try new approaches and by constantly supporting and cheering the work we are doing. Both principals have an on-going dialogue with the teachers at other schools. For example, Ms. Smith at Breckinridge regularly emails several faculty members at Henry Clay with updates and kudos and thanks and Mr. Nochta does the same. Mr. Nochta can tell you what Ms. Rey-Barreau's proficient reading percentage was in her room at the start of the school year and to what level she has moved her students. How many other high school principals can tell you about specific reading scores in elementary classrooms? They have taken this idea of building relationships to another level."

And both schools expect to reap the rewards.

Regional Science Fair winners announced

Congratulations to the regional winners of the University of Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair. A complete list of winners can be seen at http://www.as.uky.edu/Biology/faculty/cooper/CKYscience/awards.htm

Read Across America Day

The Cat in the Hat was seen throughout the district on March 2 as schools celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss on Read Across America Day. The day, which is sponsored by the National Education Association, is designed to generate enthusiasm for reading nationwide and intended to help motivate children to read. Several schools threw birthday parties, invited students to dress as their favorite Dr. Seuss character, and hosted celebrity readers as part of the celebration.

See some highlights from the day at http://www.fcps.net/news/feature/060303.asp.

Books for a bargain

Current and retired educators can save 25 percent on books purchased at Waldenbooks in the Fayette Mall from March 23 through 28. Proof of educator status is required to receive the discount.

Board of Education receives state honor

The Fayette County Board of Education has been named an Advancing Student Achievement to Proficiency (ASAP) Board by the Kentucky School Boards Association. To be named for the honor, school boards must meet ten requirements including: adopting or reaffirming a student achievement-based resolution, developing a student data-focused agenda calendar, regularly reviewing multiple student achievement data and using that data in budgetary decisions, and hosting at least one community discussion to gather feedback.

The Fayette County Board of Education joins just 26 other districts in the state (only 14 percent) chosen for this honor.

Future superintendents sought

Applications are now being accepted for the Minority Superintendent Internship Program (MSIP), which assigns minority educators to work as assistants to successful Kentucky superintendents. Interns will work closely with superintendents, receiving hands-on experience that may be beneficial as they apply for administrative positions in Kentucky public schools.

School district superintendents agree to host the interns, who will develop individual growth plans and have regular meetings and networking sessions with superintendents, board of education members and other groups.

Interns also will get practical experience with public relations, curriculum/assessment/instruction issues, labor relations, human resources, facility management and finance and budgeting.

Since the program's inception in 2003, two of the program's interns have been selected as Kentucky school superintendents: Elaine Farris of Shelby County and Diane Woods of Campbellsville Independent.

The program will begin in late June and run through June 2007. Applicants should be certified or close to fulfilling superintendent certification.

Applications will be accepted through May 26. Applicants may call the department's Division of Educator Quality and Diversity at (502) 564-1479 for more information and an application packet.

Fred sightings

Fayette County school employees are placing a renewed emphasis on excellent customer service. We have encouraged everyone in our district to put those little personal touches on their work by going the extra mile and showing the people we serve every day that we care about our kids and constituents.

We call folks who provide excellent customer service “Freds,” inspired by the book, “The Fred Factor” by Mark Sanborn about a very service-minded postman named Fred. Anyone can be a “Fred,” just by going above the call of duty in serving the public. If you spot a Fred, please call, write or send me an email.

Care for students is appreciated

I am a retired teacher/administrator. I have been substituting in the Fayette County Schools for the past three years. In these three years I have worked in nearly all the schools in the Fayette County System and have found Breckinridge Elementary to be the school that exhibits the most love and caring for its students.

When you enter the building and observe the interaction between the students and teachers it is obvious the students feel loved and secure in their environment.

The faculty and administration at Breckinridge work as a team for the benefit of all the students. Problems and concerns are shared by all.

Everyone at Breckinridge Elementary needs to be recognized for the great job they are doing. Providing not only for the educational needs of the students but also providing for their emotional growth with the love and compassion that is so evident in Breckinridge.

I salute Breckinridge Elementary for the great school it is.

Submitted by Alice Johnson
Substitute Teacher

Extra effort proves "It's About Kids"

My son at Lansdowne has a teacher, Mr. Brooks, who continues to go above and beyond the call of duty. I think that my son would gladly stay in third grade with him forever. He seems to connect and build a relationship with all his students individually. If my son is absent he emails to check on him. He called me personally to share how excited he was about my son's reading score.

At our conference we were given an individualized plan which listed the student's strengths, future goals, and activities to be worked on that my student, parents, and teacher signed. He had developed one for each of his students to meet their individual educational needs. This must have taken a tremendous amount of time and effort.

Lansdowne has received a new computer program that focuses on Math and Reading skills. In an effort to make this computer program more available to his students, two days a week Mr. Brooks has invited his students to meet him at 7:10 a.m. at the school. This is 20 minutes prior to when he has to be at school and 40 minutes prior to when he would have kids to supervise. He is an excellent example of a teacher that truly understands that "it's about kids". I want him to know that his efforts have not gone unnoticed and how much he has meant to my child.

Submitted by Christa Carr, Parent
Lansdowne Elementary

Helping students become more capable and confident

In working with special needs students, independence is always an important consideration. With the district Learning Checks, some students could work independently using the "Read and Write Gold" program and not require the services of an individual reader. Paula Whitmer has gone over and above the call of duty, even working evenings and weekends, to make these Learning Checks compatible with the program. The students were empowered and independent during their Learning Checks! This experience will also help these students be that much more capable and confident as they head into the KCCT on-line tests in April. Many thanks to Paula Whitmer from Julius Marks!

Submitted by Julia V. Banks, Special Education Teacher
Julius Marks Elementary

Thankful for weekend work

I think Mike Burke and the Technology Team deserve a Fred award!

Not only do Mike and his team not do maintenance during the week, but apparently they take into consideration that some of us use the Network on the weekend.

Last Saturday, Athens Elementary School hosted a Governor's Cup event and was able to enter the scores online at the end of the day. Had he shut down earlier we would have had to use a dial-up ISP.

I've always said we are very fortunate to have the best Tech Support Team in the state!

Submitted by Joy Lynn Cox Buckingham, Computer Lab Teacher, TRT, STC, STLP, Webmaster
Athens Elementary

Filling-in when needed

I want to give credit to a close "Fred" of mine, Jodi Jelinek. On many occasions our office has become so busy stuffing envelopes, sending out thousands of letters, answering phone calls and processing applications that we thought it impossible to get it all done. Jodi, forwarding her phone calls to our office, has come to help! On other occasions, I have been out of the office sick or attending to sick family members. I am always able to count on her to have my phone calls forwarded to her office. She answers the questions she's able to answer and the ones she's unable to answer she assures our callers that I will get back to the following day. To be sure our callers are taken care of she will follow-up with me each time to be sure I've had time to get back to them. Jodi not only helps our office but I see her volunteer when it's possible to help other offices as well.

Jodi is a true Fred!

Submitted by Anna Richardson, Gifted/Talented & Magnet Services
IAK Support Services

Nominations open for 2007 Kentucky Teacher Awards

Nominations are now open for the 2007 Kentucky Teacher Awards, sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Education and Ashland Inc.

Nomination forms can be found by visiting the Kentucky Department of Education's Web site at http://www.education.ky.gov and typing in "Teacher of the Year" in the search bar, or by visiting Ashland's Web site at http://www.ashland.com and clicking on the education link within the communities section.

Any full-time public school teacher in the state with at least three years of experience is eligible. Teachers may be nominated by students or their parents, teaching peers, principals or superintendents or anyone from the community who has an interest in honoring an outstanding educator.

The deadline for nominations is May 1.

Draw "Holiday Happiness" and help UNICEF help kids around the world

It's never too early to start thinking about the holiday season – especially when it could help kids in need. That's why Pier 1, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Weekly Reader magazine are inviting kids aged 13 and under to send in their best drawings of "Holiday Happiness." Two entries will be selected and made into UNICEF holiday greeting cards that will be sold exclusively by Pier 1 and Pier 1 Kids during the 2006 holiday season. Last year's winning designs were best sellers and helped raise nearly $2 million for UNICEF's lifesaving programs worldwide.

To find out how to enter, visit http://www.pier1.com/company/advertisingcampaign.aspx?_pG=CardContest06US Winners will be notified by phone and mail by May 15, 2006. Winners will also receive a free trip to New York City. Entries will be accepted through April 11, 2006.

This week's Kudos go to...

The Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Dance Team for winning the National Championship in Orlando. The team was also named Grand Champions during competition at Boyle County High School.

Tates Creek Middle School sixth-grader Andrew Watts and Morton Middle School sixth-grader Abby Leigh Omlor for placing first and second in the Bridge Building Competition held as part of the University of Kentucky Engineering Day.

Edythe J. Hayes Middle School eighth-grader Hayley Sternberger and sixth-grader Lindsey Baldwin for being chosen to perform at the State Speech Tournament at Western Kentucky University.

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School sophomore Neil Makhija for being named a state finalist in the AAA Travel High School Challenge. Neil will compete next month for a chance to win a $1,000 U.S. savings bond and for the opportunity to advance to the national level where he could compete for more than $100,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Henry Clay High School sophomore Annie Hill for being accepted to the 2006 National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, a ten-day program for young people planning careers in medicine. She was nominated and accepted for this honor based on her outstanding scholastic achievement, leadership ability, and promising career in the field of medicine.

Meadowthorpe Elementary School's K-3 Chess Team. The team won 2nd place in the State Championships held at Heritage Hall on Saturday, March 4th.

The following parent teacher associations for winning awards at this year's Kentucky PTA convention: Julia R. Ewan Elementary PTA ($200 Teacher – Member Scholarship), Lafayette High PTSA ($200 Teacher – Member Scholarship), Leestown Middle PTSA (Outstanding Local Unit Newsletter – Reaching Out – Hispanic), Millcreek Elementary PTA (Outstanding Programs and Projects), Tates Creek High PTSA (Outstanding Programs and Projects), and Veterans Park Elementary PTA (Outstanding Programs and Projects). The convention will be held on March 16 and 17 in Shepherdsville.

Jessie Clark Middle School teacher Stephanie Godby for being awarded the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children's Teacher of the Year Award.

The district's newest National Board Certified Teachers: Brenda Nally (Clays Mill Elementary), Brian Durham (Leestown Middle), Celia Dyer (Athens Elementary), Cynthia Van Dyke (Clays Mill Elementary), Deborah Niehaus (Beaumont Middle), Kari Kirchner (Veterans Park Elementary), Sandra Dunn (Beaumont Middle), Teresa Lambert (Lafayette High), and Joni Maloney (Julia R. Ewan Elementary).

The Morton Middle School Cheerleading Squads for placing first and second at the Bluegrass State Championships. In January, the team placed second at the Middle School State Championships.

Yates Elementary School for raising money for The Make a Wish Foundation and Pennies for Patients. Each organization will each receive a check for $538.01 from the school and St. Jude's Children's Hospital will receive a check for $761.90.

Crawford Middle School students Chad Boone and Natalie Pacheco for winning first and second in the Fayette County Conservation Essay Contest and to Rosa Parks Elementary School students Jordan Baker and Kyle Lamse for placing first and second in the Fayette County Conservation Art Contest.

The Henry Clay Blue Devils hockey club, for winning the Kentucky High School Hockey state tournament in Louisville. Although hockey is not a sport sanctioned by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association and is not affiliated with the high school, many of the athletes on the team attend Henry Clay High School. This is the team's second state championship in three years.

Local high school students who represented Fayette County proudly in the state wrestling tournament last month, including the following students who placed in their weight categories: from Henry Clay: Cliff Cornett, 6th place; from Lafayette: Alex Allman, 5th place, and Nick Coomer, 6th place; from Paul Laurence Dunbar: John Voth, 4th place, Tyler Voth, 2nd place, and Douglas Winter, 6th place; and from Tates Creek: Nick Griggs, 2nd place.

March is Music in Our Schools Month!

Celebrate by checking out these performances:

• The Henry Clay High School Symphonic Band will perform on Monday, March 13 at 7 p.m. in Norsworthy Auditorium at the It's About Kids Support Services, 701 East Main Street. The concert is free and open to the public.
• Henry Clay High School is hosting a Percussion and Jazz Band Extravaganza featuring a percussion ensemble, jazz band and steel drum band on Tuesday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school theatre. The concert is free and open to the public.
• Elementary students throughout the district will showcase their musical talent at the Fayette County Elementary School Choral Festival on Thursday, March 23 at 7 p.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church, located at 3100 Tates Creek Road. The concert is free and open to the public.

Students qualify to take national math exam

This year, six Lafayette High School students qualified to take the American Invitational Math Exam (AIME). Students invited to take the test were selected in two ways: those who took the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) and achieved a score of 100 or more out of a possible 150 and those who took the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) and were in the top one percent.

The following students have been invited to take the AIME: James Pendergrast, Jenny Ross, Seth Kirk, Chris Menard, Kevin McReynolds, and Jonny Meyer.

The AIME provides the exceptional students who are chosen to take it with another opportunity to challenge their mathematical abilities. Like all examinations, it is a means towards furthering mathematical development and interest. The real value of the examination is in the learning that can come from the preparation beforehand and from further thought and discussion of the solutions. The test will be administered in March.

Fayette students stand out in state
swimming and diving championships

Local teams and students performed "swimmingly" at the state swimming and diving championships held at the University of Kentucky last month.

Congratulations to the following schools and students:

• Paul Laurence Dunbar High School boys swim team: fourth place
• Tates Creek High School girls swim team: sixth place
• Paul Laurence Dunbar High School girls swim team: seventh place
• Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, "combined team" second place
• Tates Creek High School, "combined team": sixth place
• Kristen Wilson, an 8th grader at Beaumont Middle School who swam for the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School: first place 50 yard freestyle, second place in the 100 yard freestyle.
• Alexia Cornett, Lafayette High School, third place 50 yard freestyle
• Emily Woods, Lafayette High School, first place 1 meter diving
• Dunbar High School, 200 yard medley relay team: Kartik Anjur, Alvin Lin, Jonathan Giesen, Eric Bruck, third place

Elementary School District Governor's Cup competition results

Congratulations to Meadowthorpe Elementary School's Academic Team for being named the Overall Winner in the District 77 Elementary Governor's Cup competition. Rosa Parks Elementary School finished second overall.

Individual medal winners in written assessment and composition were:

Mathematics

• 1st Place (tie) - Jessie Li (Meadowthorpe)
• 1st Place (tie) - Vania Ma (Meadowthorpe)
• 3rd Place - Michael Halwes (Rosa Parks)
• 4th Place - Becca Williams (Meadowthorpe)
• 5th Place - Hansanki Warnakula (Garden Springs)

Social Studies

• 1st Place - Mike Yang (Meadowthorpe)
• 2nd Place - Evan Brough (Picadome)
• 3rd Place - Aaron Lynch (Picadome)
• 4th Place - Collin Laaker (Rosa Parks)
• 5th Place - Rob Schrader (Meadowthorpe)

Science

• 1st Place - Christian Wright (Garden Springs)
• 2nd Place - Ajay Lingireddy (Meadowthorpe)
• 3rd Place - Mike Yang (Meadowthorpe)
• 4th Place - Josh Schwab (Garden Springs)
• 5th Place - Connor O'Nan (Rosa Parks)

Language Arts

• 1st Place - Alex Lucus (Rosa Parks)
• 2nd Place - Derry Delventhal (Meadowthorpe)
• 3rd Place - Jessie Li (Meadowthorpe)
• 4th Place - Maddie Frank (Picadome)
• 5th Place - Zach Young (Picadome)

Arts & Humanities

• 1st Place - Jialin Zhang (Meadowthorpe)
• 2nd Place - Rob Schrader (Meadowthorpe)
• 3rd Place - Lauren Tallio (Rosa Parks)
• 4th Place - Olivia Cottrell (Meadowthorpe)
• 5th Place - Maria Wang (Rosa Parks)

Composition

• 1st Place - Julie Graf (Rosa Parks)
• 2nd Place - Paige Moscoe (Picadome)
• 3rd Place - Meredith Scroggin (Rosa Parks)
• 4th Place - Vania Ma (Meadowthorpe)
• 5th Place - Sabrina Pak (Clays Mill)

Winners will compete in regional competition on March 18.

Summer school opportunity for hearing impaired children

The Kentucky School for the Deaf's Academic Summer School will be held Sunday, June 4 through Friday, June 16. The program is open to hearing impaired students in grades K-8 who are attending public schools or the Kentucky School for the Deaf. Enrollment is limited. The application deadline is Friday, April 28.

If there are questions, contact Nancy Mann at (859) 239-7017, ext 2223 or via email at nancy.mann@ksd.kyschools.us or by fax at (859) 239-7006.

What's in a test?

Parents of third, fourth, and fifth grade students interested in learning more about the assessment process, subject content and how to interpret their child's test results are invited to attend a session on spring assessment on Tuesday, March 21 at 6 p.m. at the It's About Kids Support Services building in Conference Room D. The building is located at 701 East Main Street.

Leadership lessons from Sam

 

What is all this March Madness stuff about? It seems like every time I go by the T.V. it's on there. I asked Dad about it and you know him, he had this big lecture to share.

He started talking about basketball players and coaches setting goals, working as a team, and doing their very best. He said each team was entering a tournament to try to become the national champions. Dad talked about the need for perfect practice and always listening to your coach. He talked about having a plan, working your plan, and constantly looking for ways to refine the plan. I almost dozed off, but finally I had to ask my Dad, "What is a basketball?" You should have seen the look on his face!

Bow wow …