Message from Stu

The buzz is about learning

Everywhere I go the conversations are about instruction. Our principals, teachers and support staff are talking about how we can enhance what we are doing to make sure our students are achieving at very high levels. We are sending principals and teachers to other schools around the state to pick up ideas that can be incorporated in our classrooms. The response has been very positive!

At a press conference today, Lexmark announced that they are donating approximately $500,000 to the new Bryan Station High School building for technology. We are very excited to have such a great corporate citizen right here in our community! Thank you Lexmark!

Many businesses have come forward to help us with the School Counts initiative and the Fayette Education Foundation. To reach our goal of having a world class school district it takes everyone working together to make this happen and our business community is stepping up to the plate. Thank you!

Our 2020 Vision initiative is about to get to the stage where each group will be presenting its recommendations. These recommendations, which build upon the foundation laid by One Community One Voice, will be our guiding force for the next 10 to 15 years. I recently read a column written by a Texas State University professor and published in an American Association of School Administrators journal entitled “What Does It Mean To Be an Educated Person?”, which discussed what kids will need in the years ahead and everything that was listed is being worked on in the 2020 Vision process! Be sure to check out our Web site at www.2020vision.fcps.net to see what is happening!

Our Board of Education continues to meet with representatives of our constituent groups to obtain input about what is working and what needs to be changed so that we can improve the district for kids. All in all, our Board will meet with more than 50 groups this year!

One day it was summer and the next it was fall! Someone told me once that only in Kentucky can you experience all four seasons in one week, and sometimes one day!

33 FCPS students named National Merit Semi-Finalists

Congratulations to the following seniors for being selected as National Merit Semi-Finalists. The honor is awarded to less than 1 percent of students nationally — those who earn the top scores on the 2004 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Across the state of Kentucky, 221 semi-finalists were named — 33 of those from Fayette County Public Schools students. That means that 15 percent of the state’s merit scholars came from our schools!

The winning Fayette County students are, from Henry Clay High School: Daniel H. Arnold, Michael A. Barnett, Julia L. Dauer, Samuel A. Hunter, Emily R. Prats, Rosanna K. Smith, Nathaniel C. Thomas-Stevens, Carson D. Van Sanford, and Aaron M. Wedlund; from Lafayette High School: Jordan E. Hussey-Andersen, and Chris P. Menard; from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School: Kara A. Albrecht, Meena P. Chelvayohan, Scott M. Douglas, Jordan T. Etscheidt, Rebecca R. Gallt, Adam D. Grasch, Miles S. Hopgood, Lauren O. Kleinert, Zachary C. Kratzer, Anupam A. Kumar, Benjamin M. Lawler, Winston Y. Li, Venkat M. Ramakrishnan, David Y. Tao, Austin Tzou, Jillian Wang, Lucas W. Wilcox, Rachael M. Winchester, Jason Wu, Alexander D. Zbrozek, and Fan Zhou; and from Tates Creek High School: Liam R. Mason.

The semi-finalists are now eligible for a share in roughly $33 million worth of college scholarships later this spring.

Students named semi-finalists for national honor

Cassandra R. Woodall from Henry Clay High School and Angela M. Jones from Lafayette High School have been named semi-finalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program’s 42nd annual academic competition for high-achieving African-American high school students. The honor allows them to compete for a share of $2.5 million in scholarship money to be awarded next spring on the basis of their abilities, accomplishments, and potential for academic success in college.

More than 130,000 students from all parts of the U.S. entered the 2006 National Achievement Program by requesting consideration in the program when they took the 2004 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as high school juniors. Only 1,600 students nationally were selected for the program; there were 15 semi-finalists named in Kentucky.

A Taste of Tinsel town

Paige Childers, a fourth grade drama major at SCAPA Bluegrass was an “extra” in the upcoming Cameron Crowe movie Elizabethtown, which was shot primarily in the Bluegrass. Paige got the opportunity to play one of the townspeople who welcomes the primary character back to town. Watch for Paige on the big screen when the movie is released on October 14.

FCPS ladies dominate Junior Miss competition

Fayette County Public School high school seniors represented the district well in the most Fayette County Junior Miss Scholarship Competition.

SCAPA Lafayette student Natalie Harrington was named the Fayette County Junior Miss 2006. Natalie will compete for the state Junior Miss title in January.

First runner up was Tates Creek senior Abbie Gaston, who also earned awards for self expression, talent and her interview. Second runner up was Dunbar student Jen Thomas, who also won scholastic and spirit awards. Third runner up was Dunbar senior Rachael Winchester, who also won an award for her interview. Lafayette senior Natalie Harrington brought home a fitness award and self expression award. Tates Creek senior Mara Farris won a fitness award, Henry Clay senior Drew Tipton earned a talent award, and Dunbar senior Maggie Jarley won a Scholastic Award.

Also competing were, from Henry Clay High: Mary Kate Estes and Liz Gullett; from Lafayette High: Rachel Kelly, Courtney Buchignani, Jesse Pavlovic, Meredith Shaw, Lena Lang, Lauren Bales, Ashley Benton, Lauren Milam, Kat Johnson and Jenny Jacoby; and from Dunbar High: Mohini Patel and Holly Allgeier.

Calling all crafters

Lafayette High School is having a craft fair on November 19 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.  The school is currently seeking crafters interested in having a booth. For more information, call the school at 381-3474.

Fred sightings

This school year, we have asked our staff throughout the school district to place a renewed emphasis on customer service. We must find ways to put personal touches on our work and show the public through our actions how much 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 holding themselves to a level of excellence in their work and going above the call of duty in serving the public. As we hear about or encounter “Fred’s” in our school district, I will highlight them here. Please help me find and celebrate the Fred’s in our school district. Just send me an email, drop a card or call me.

Deep Springs Fred cares for students as if they were her own

I am so very proud to send a note to say a huge “Thank You” to my daughter’s second grade teacher, Mrs. Wendy Jones at Deep Springs Elementary School. My daughter broke two fingers on her dominant hand two weeks ago and has a full cast to her elbow. Mrs. Jones has been so helpful and attentive to her needs. She continues to email me on her progress with her schoolwork and has done everything that she possibly can to accommodate her needs. My daughter adores Mrs. Jones and her dedication to teaching.

Prior to my daughter’s accident, Mrs. Jones still went out of her way to make her transition to a new school as smooth as possible. We are very proud to have her as a teacher this year and hope that all of our teachers can be like her! She goes over and beyond the call of duty. Keep up the good work Mrs. Jones and thank you again for taking care of my child as if she were your own!

Submitted by Vonda Richardson, parent of Nekari Richardson
Deep Springs Elementary School

Attitude is contagious at Bryan Station High

I would like to let you know that “Fred” has been spotted at Bryan Station High School in the form of Mr. John Barnes. Since Mr. Barnes arrival at Bryan Station, we have seen a marked improvement in student attitude and overall behavior. He is a no nonsense educator who has been supportive of teachers and staff. His positive attitude has proven contagious and helped to improve the overall climate of the school. He has been of personal assistance to me in classroom situations and has helped me increase the instructional atmosphere in my room. He has shown “Fred” qualities that have improved the Bryan Station Community.

Submitted by Cary M. Hull
Bryan Station High School

Leading by example

For a long time now I’ve felt that the JROTC at Henry Clay High School has been overlooked. So I’ve taken a lesson from that very group and decided to become a leader... to better a situation in which I can make a difference. With all of the media coverage of “teens gone wild” these days, there is a group of unsung heroes right here, in our very backyard. A group of students that is willing to step up to the plate and take responsibility. The JROTC at Henry Clay are amazing to me, did you know that they have raised almost $2,000 for Hurricane Katrina victims? They have earned this money with their leadership skills. They have donated money earned from Ice Missions at UK, they have asked the ice company to match the earned amount. They have had a push up contest for donations. They have asked for donations at football games. These students excel from not just God-given skills but from skills learned in this wonderful class. The JROTC is more that a class that you take for 4 years in high school. It is truly a family. They have withstood heartbreaking circumstances and still came out on top. I not only applaud the students but also the staff members, Sgt. Hunt and Major Larkin. The students have committed to bettering themselves and in doing so bettering the environment in which we live. The JROTC performs many duties for Henry Clay from directing cars at sporting events, to directing traffic in the mornings to insure everyone’s safety, to assisting in the open houses and practice days directing parents and students to their destinations. Every Wednesday they grace the Blue Devils’ halls in their impressive uniforms, which show off their metals of citizenship, leadership, athleticism, as well as academic achievements. My hats off to these young men and women, you make me proud and humble to know them. In a time of uncertainty all over the globe, we should all feel reassured that these are the young adults that will be running our country when we are old and gray.

Submitted by Lynette Tankersley

Gone but not forgotten

We have a FRED sighting at Breckinridge Elementary. Teresa Rushing, our attendance clerk, worked all year last year with a Kindergarten student to keep her from crying when entering school. (She really threw fits for a long time!) Teresa, being the wonderful person she is, took her under her angel wings and made it a pleasurable experience for the bright eyed little 5-year-old to come to school every day! She worked with her parents and teacher to make this happen and every day the little girl would come to school with a huge smile!

After redistricting, the child was transferred to Cassidy, which made many of us sad, especially Ms. Rushing. She got approval from the child’s parents and drove to Cassidy today to spend lunch with the little girl to let her know that we miss her and to make sure she is having a good year! We are honored to have such a caring person working with our children!

Submitted by Karen Smith, Principal
Breckinridge Elementary

Support during a difficult time

A mom of two at Southern Elementary School just called to let me know how kind and sensitive the staff were when she lost her mom in August (grandmother of the two children). She indicated that several staff called, took food (homemade) to the house, and expressed deep care and concern for her and the children. It really touched her and she wanted me to let principal Frieda Collins and Stu both know. Thanks and Whale Done to the Southern Elementary School staff.

Submitted by Bob McLaughlin
Fayette County Director of Elementary Schools

High praise for a high school principal

I just want to take a moment and share with you. My niece attends Lafayette High School where she is on the volleyball team. While she was setting up for a game last week, she severely cut her thumb to the point where she was sent to the ER, and eventually a hand surgeon. While waiting at the ER with two very nervous, not to mention queasy, parents, Mr. Mike McKenzie stopped by to visit and check on her. While this may be typical in an elementary school with several hundred students, I found it heartwarming that a high school principal with 2,000 students would take time out of his own evening to come and visit with this family. My sister-in-law called me the next day to share how special it made Kristin feel that her high school principal would visit to see how she was doing. I have already sent Mike an e-mail thanking him, and letting him know the positive influence he had on this family.

Submitted by Leslie R. Thomas, Principal
Rosa Parks Elementary School

Still time to support the United Way

FCPS employees have already pledged almost $30,000 to the district’s yearly United Way campaign. It’s not too late to get involved.  Pledges will be accepted until October 14th. To find out how to contribute, call Mike Kennedy at 381-4244, or make your pledge on the Web.

This week's Kudos go to...

Eastside Technical Center’s Automotive Department for being named one of the best registered secondary automotive programs in the nation by the Automotive Industry Planning Council. Eastside’s department is ranked 4th in the country. It placed 6th last year.

The Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Marching Band for being named Grand Champion at the Louisville Classic Marching Band Competition. In addition to being named Grand Champion, the band also brought home awards in their division for Best Color Guard, Best Percussion and First Place. In overall competition, the Marching Bulldogs were recognized for Best Musical Effect, Best Visual Effect and Best Overall Effect.

The Tates Creek High School Marching Band. The band received Overall Grand Champion and Outstanding Guard, Outstanding Percussion and First Place honors at the East Jessamine Jaguars Invitational Competition. Additionally, while performing at Music in Motion at Lloyd Memorial High School in Northern Kentucky, the band took home Best Color Guard, Best Percussion and First Place with a Distinguished Rating in preliminary competition. In the final competition, the band won Best Color Guard, Best Percussion, Best Overall Effect, Best Visual, Best Overall Music and Grand Champion with a Distinguished Rating.

The Lafayette High School Band for being named Grand Champion at the Madison Central High School Tournament of Bands in Richmond. Lafayette also won Best Overall Color Guard, Best Overall Percussion, Best Overall Effect, Best Overall Visual and Best Overall Music.

SCAPA Bluegrass fourth- and fifth-graders for being invited to perform at the Kentucky Music Educators’ Association (KMEA) state convention in Louisville in February. SCAPA Bluegrass was the only elementary school in the state chosen to perform at the event.

Lafayette High School’s Wind Symphony Orchestra for being asked to perform at the Kentucky Music Educators’ Association’s (KMEA) annual professional development conference in February.

SCAPA Bluegrass student Janie Herbener for having her “Picnic-a-go-go” recipes featured on the Web site spatulla.com. The site is designed for children to help other children learn how to cook.

Susan Marnatti, a teacher at Beaumont Middle School, for receiving the 2005 Kentucky World Language Association’s Outstanding Teacher Award for grades K-8. The award honors a world language teacher who has demonstrated long-term achievement and service to the profession.

Ainsley Wagoner, a vocal music student at SCAPA Lafayette, for being selected to sing a solo in the oratorio “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn recently. She was the only youth singing a solo in this epic two hour piece. All other soloists are professional opera singers from the Central Kentucky area.

Must-see TV

Don’t forget to tune in to the district’s cable Channel 13 on Tuesday, October 11 at 7 p.m. for “On the Line with Stu,” the live, monthly call-in show of Superintendent Stu Silberman. Callers can speak directly to Stu and ask him questions on the air by dialing 381-4610.

Reception to offer tips, resources

Barnes and Noble in Hamburg Pavilion will be hosting a reception for educators beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, October 15. As part of the event, children’s author George Ella Lyon will conduct a workshop entitled “Making Writing Exciting for You and Your Students.” The Lexington Children’s Theatre will also be on hand to explain what programs they have to offer to area educators and their students. For more information, contact Melissa Darsey at 543-8148 or crm2953@bn.com.

Relief efforts continue

Schools throughout the district continue to open their hearts and pockets to help people affected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. 

• Tates Creek High School recently hosted an event spotlighting student talents that included a silent auction, raffle and international cuisine. The event was mainly sponsored by local businesses and restaurants and raised $6,500 for the United Way Hurricane Katrina Response Fund.  You can still take part in helping the school reach its goal of $10,000.  To find out how call Tates Creek High at 381-3620.
• Julia R. Ewan Elementary School’s second and third grade teams took part in a two-week change drive and raised roughly $261 for the American Red Cross.
• Project Rebound raised $743.52 for victims of Hurricane Katrina by organizing a soup cook-off held recently at IAK Support Services. A silent auction organized by IAKSS employees brought in another $718.50 for the relief effort.
• SCAPA Bluegrass students Joey and Stella Sharpe and their parents, Linda and Larry Sharpe, have seized on a new fashionable way to help the newest SCAPA Lafayette students who relocated here after Hurricane Katrina struck.  The Sharpes own a business that prints banners and T-shirts and have donated many things to SCAPA over the years.  Taking a big chance, they produced 1,000 green “Hurricane Katrina Relief” bracelets that are now for sale for only $3 each.  All the proceeds will go to the SCAPA students here.  The Sharpes will sell the bracelets at school. To get a bracelet, call 433-1165 or 245-6156 or email sharpshooters2002@yahoo.com.  You can also help the SCAPA Lafayette students by donating household items, clothes and gift certificates.  To find out more, contact the school at 381-3474.
• Cardinal Valley Elementary School raised $455.50 for the American Red Cross by collecting change during their Change and Cheer Drive.

  Folks paid $5 a plate and lined up to sample the delicious international cuisine offered last week during a fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina at Tates Creek High School. The event, known as Creek Aid, drew a crowd of 600 and raised $6,500 for the relief effort.

• Millcreek Elementary School collected 200 gallons of water for hurricane victims.
• Picadome Elementary’s SOS…Share Our Spirit…Coins for the Coast campaign, we collected $3,005.13 for the Red Cross. Mrs. Johnson’s multi-age primary class adopted a new Picadome family who lost every thing in the hurricane. They talked to the three girls who are attending Picadome to find out which of their lost possessions they missed the most.  Mrs. Johnson, her students, and their families then created a basket of goodies tailor made to the family’s needs.  Each of the girls received a brand new replacement for their most cherished possession lost in the hurricane as well as gift cards to their favorite stores.
• Johnson Elementary students collected clothing for Hurricane Katrina victims living in a shelter in Jackson Mississippi. The clothing was picked up at Johnson by parents Bill and Kim Adams and taken to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, which provided a truck to take the clothing to Mississippi.
• Clays Mill filled four pick-up trucks with donations of personal care items for those who lost everything in the hurricane.
• At Rosa Parks Elementary, a “Beads for the Bayou” fund-raiser brought in $2,152 for the United Way Katrina Relief Fund.  Additionally, students, teachers and parents at the school provided $2,400 in gift cards to three families that enrolled at Rosa Parks and paid a year’s rent for a family who would like to stay.
• Yates Elementary School’s STLP’s “Bucks for the Bayou” collected $1,025, after challenging every student, teacher and staff member at the school to contribute at least $1 for the victims of the hurricane. The money will go to the American Red Cross and the Louisiana Humane Society.
• Morton Middle School collected $7,300 in the wake of the Katrina disaster and decided to give the money to a cause that hit close to home. The school has welcomed four “Katrina Kids” into the Morton family and two of the eighth graders will remain until the end of the school year.  These two students, Amber Thomas and Kent Lizana, had previously been students at West Wortham Middle School in Saucier, Mississippi, just a short way from Gulfport.  Principal Jock Gum has spoken on four different occasions with representatives of West Wortham, including principal Cindy Grimes, and Morton has decided to send its contributions directly to that school for use in any way they see fit.  Ms. Grimes said that they need carpet, some “high end” items, good basketballs and some general physical education equipment.  Morton purchased 10 new leather “game” basketballs (5 girls and 5 boys) and 50 new plastic jump ropes for the school and sent the rest of the collected money directly to West Wortham.
• Schools throughout the district collected money for hurricane relief, including Athens, which raised $3,562.31; Beaumont, which raised $6,849; Cassidy, which raised $2,604.04; Eastside, which raised $1,707.78; Glendover, which raised $2,361.11; Harrison, which raised $800.36; James Lane Allen, which raised $1,250; Mary Todd, which raised $233.70; Meadowthorpe, which raised $3,617.53; and SCAPA, which raised $2,108.

A complete list of completed and on-going relief efforts from our schools is on the Web.

Grant to help kids prepare for careers

School-to-Careers, an organization that aims to establish a regional system that offers Kentucky youth an opportunity to develop academic and job-related skills that allow them to participate fully in the labor market, has received a $15,500 grant from Staples Foundation for Learning to support its Enterprises program. This grant will help to expand the school-based business skill program in five Central Kentucky districts, including Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Harrison, and Scott counties.

Leadership Lessons from Sam

Building trust

Recently, Dad has been letting me go outside all by myself because he trusts that I will not run away and will always come back when I finish my business. He has not always let me do this but he said he really trusts me.

This week’s lesson is on building trust. Dad says that a leader must build trust among the people he or she works with. The big question to me is how in the world does a leader do that? Well, he said that there are two main factors to building trust: always doing the right thing and being totally consistent. People need to know that the leader will be consistent in doing the right thing and must be able to predict this behavior before it actually happens.

My best example of this is somewhat embarrassing but I do feel that it will best make the point. It had to do with my housebreaking. Before I could be trusted, I had to always do the right thing and be extremely consistent about it. If it could not be predicted that I would do the right thing, the trust would break down. Now, I did make some mistakes along the way, but I was lucky in that it was understood that I was going through a learning curve. Tolerance for mistakes after that learning curve decreased and trust tended to break down. So, you see, before a leader can build trust, he or she must first be trustworthy! …. Bow Wow!