Message from Stu

A very busy week

This weekend was a whirlwind of student activities. I was able to get to the Henry Clay state football playoff game Friday night to watch the Blue Devils win their first-round game on the newly constructed field! Dunbar also won on Friday night in a thriller and I wish I could have been there to see that ending. On Saturday night I was able to watch the Dunbar boys soccer team win the state championship at Georgetown College! Wow, this was a phenomenal game and our boys made us very proud in bringing home the state championship trophy! Congratulations to all!

I was also able to do some cycling this weekend in the beautiful weather. A 27 mile ride in Midway and a 22 mile ride in Russell Cave among the beautiful colors was amazing. There are not many places where you can ride and observe the fall colors and watch horses grazing next to the road. Other than a few mean dogs chasing us, it was great!

Last week was a great week for teaching and learning. Our elementary principals participated in two excellent events. First we had a leadership team from Johnson County come to share their best instructional practices with us. That same afternoon we had a meeting where our principals shared what is working in their schools with each other. Our directors developed a book of these suggestions and shared them with all of our elementary principals. Additionally, each school will visit a high performing school in our state and bring back ideas to share with one another.

We are excited that John Maxwell will be in town on December 2 to give a full day presentation on teamwork. Maxwell is one of our country’s top leadership gurus. We are sending all of our leaders to this event, which is a wonderful opportunity because for the last year and a half we have been studying Maxwell’s 21 Laws of Leadership with all of our principals and other administrators.

The 2020 Vision workgroups have completed their work and will be presenting their recommendations to our Board of Education on December 12th and 13th. Please be sure to come to these meetings or watch them on Channel 13 beginning at 5:30 p.m. each night. We are very excited about hearing these recommendations. The hundreds of people who served on these 21 groups worked extremely hard and never let up! Their enthusiasm and passion never ceased! And the reports they present to us will paint the picture of what a world class school district looks like.

Floods of compassion continue

Fayette County staff, students and parents continue to raise money and supplies for those devastated by the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast this fall. Efforts include the hard work at Stonewall Elementary, where the school raised $3,455.62 for American Red Cross and $1584.38 for the Salvation Army. The fifth grade then did a cookie sale and raised another $723.61, for a total of $5,763.61 in Katrina donations. Penny drives at Julius Marks Elementary raised $816.15 and $2,220.60 Lansdowne Elementary. Northern Elementary raised $700 in donations and books for the victims of Katrina. The grand total at James Lane Allen for the Red Cross was $1,900. And at Ashland Elementary, students, parents, teachers and other employees raised $500.50.

Special thanks to Lexmark, for its generous donation of a complete desktop computer and printer set up for the families of each of the roughly 60 students who relocated to Fayette County Public Schools after fleeing the hurricane destruction on the Gulf Coast. Community partners like LexMark make a difference for our kids every day.

Call for entries

Who better to warn teens about the risks of underage drinking than their peers? Central Kentucky high school students are invited to make a commercial with a “don’t drink” theme and compete for a chance to have their work shown on MTV.

The Mayor’s Alliance on Substance Abuse, the Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy’s Fayette County Board and the Fayette County Safe Schools Office are jointly sponsoring the “KEEP IT REAL – DON’T DRINK” campaign and contest.

The deadline for submitting commercials is December16. For registration and contest rules, go to www.keep-it-real.us. All entries will be posted on this website for viewing and voting.

The winning commercial will be announced in late January and will be aired on MTV, Comedy Central and ESPN during the week of the Super Bowl.

Middle School students can also get involved by participating in the “Keep it Real” poster contest. Students are encouraged to create original artwork focusing on underage drinking prevention. Winning posters will be on display throughout the area and will be reproduced and distributed to schools. Deadline for poster entries is March 24, 2006. For more information contact Lynsey Sugarman at lsugarman@insightbb.com.

A night of coffee and culture

SCAPA Bluegrass will be hosting a coffee house and art show on Friday, November 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Original art will be available for viewing and lease and coffee, juices, snacks and baked goods will be available for purchase.

After the event, make plans to attend the SCAPA Lafayette performance of “Our Town” at the Beeler Auditorium on the Lafayette campus. For more information on the performance contact Donna Rowland at 381-3332, ext. 1102.

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 holding themselves to a level of excellence in their work and going above the call of duty in serving the public.

Making a difference in the life of a child

I would like to recognize Lynn Clark at Maxwell Elementary School. Ms. Clark was my son’s Kindergarten teacher at Russell Cave Elementary in 2003-2004. I know how difficult it is for a child to develop good reading skills. Ms Clark has skills and strategies that enhanced my son’s ability to be a fluent reader. By the end of Kindergarten, he was reading second grade level books. He went on to J.R. Ewan where his achievements got him recognized for Top Tiger for his great effort. In January of 2004 his reading test score came back as a level ‘H.’ This is one level below second grade reading. Then by the end of school in May 2004 his reading test score came back as a ‘J’, which is two levels into the second grade reading. My son is now in the second grade at J.R. Ewan and when his test scores came back in September he had scored an ‘R’ which is a high 3rd grade level in reading. When I heard this news I cried. I was so proud of my son for his achievement. I also remembered Lynn Clark and contacted her on the phone and thanked her for caring about my child and showing me games and strategies to play with my son to help him in his reading. Her effort and big heart has made a great influence on my son’s life and I thank God that Fayette County Schools has a teacher like Lynn Clark who cares about her students as well as her students parents.

Submitted by Lolita Godoy, parent

Who needs a GPS?

I want to relay to you a wonderful story about one of our Administrative Assistants, Gloria Tompkins. A parent who had just moved to Lexington was looking for Edythe J. Hayes Middle School using Map Quest and was totally lost in Andover. We do not know how he knew the phone number for Dunbar, but Ms. Tompkins became his On-Star navigator. She stayed on the phone with him until she delivered him right to the front door of Edythe J. Hayes! We are so proud of her and her willingness to go the extra mile for a stranger in need. She is in our eyes a true Fred-sighting.

Submitted by Fay Isaacs, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Account Specialist

Speedy Delivery!

Taken from an email to warehouse Administrative Assistant Mavis Burton.

Thanks so much for delivering and picking up the red mat tunnel. I also want to brag on the two guys that drive the truck and do all the pick ups and deliveries. Those guys always have a great attitude, they are always smiling and they are really easy to work with. I really want you to know what great employees they are. I have had numerous interactions with them over the years and I always get great results! Those two guys deserve a raise!

Submitted by Billy Noble, teacher
Tates Creek Elementary School

Editor’s Note: The “two guys” are Brian Buckler and Domingo Leon.

Here a Fred, There a Fred, Everywhere a Fred

I want to write about the great learning community at Maxwell Elementary. Freds are everywhere. The front office staff is extremely warm, welcoming and always ready to lend a helping hand. The custodial staff, likewise, is friendly and helps maintain the wellness, safety and security of our children. The cafeteria staff readily advises parents about what our children are purchasing to help us, as parents remain abreast of the balanced choices (or not so balanced) our children are making. The administration is consistently available and ready to serve. They are making steady strides to move us to the next level of excellence. Our teaching faculty, staff and parents are second to none! My experiences with all my son’s teachers from K (until the present) have always been positive. We work collaboratively to ensure his success. What is most exciting is that parents are busy providing and promoting ongoing service and support. My son is soaring. I commend the school community for a job well done! Sra. Ortiz, Sra. Vasquez, Ms. Young, Sra. Vaca-Pollard, Ms. Hicks, and the Assts. Ms. Grimes, Sra. Bernhard; Sra.Hildago, and Ms. Hoch -- you are great!

Submitted by Deneia Thomas, Parent

Simply wonderful night for families

Now that the leaves have fallen and thoughts turn to turkey and pumpkin pie, families are invited to remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving during an upcoming event. The Dixie Elementary School Family Resource and Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning have partnered together to offer a program called “Simple Gifts.” The activity will be held at the Carnegie Center, 251 West Second Street, on November 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It is free and open the public.

The night’s focus is related to Thanksgiving and developing gratitude for the simple things in life. Students and their parents will have the opportunity to create three crafts -- handmade thank-you cards, memory boxes and bookmarks. At each station, the purpose and history behind each object will be explained.

Dinner will be included (everything is free) and served “family style.” During dinner families will be given cue cards to foster a discussion on those things for which they are most thankful. Each family will create a square for a large “quilt of thankfulness.”

The event will also feature a live musical performance by a local Bluegrass band, door prizes and a storyteller providing a history of the Thanksgiving holiday.

This week's Kudos go to...

504/KECSAC coordinator Ruthanne Dobbins for being named Administrator of the Year by the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children.

The Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Marching Band for placing fourth at the Bands of America Regional Championship in Indianapolis.

The Tates Creek High School Marching Band for placing seventh in the Bands of America Super Regional in St. Louis.

The Henry Clay High School Marching Band for winning the Mid-States Band Association AAA Championship.  They also won Best General Effect, Best Music Effect and Best Percussion.

The Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Boys Soccer Team for winning the state championship at Rawlings stadium in Georgetown this past weekend.  The Bulldogs finished the season 22-2-1.

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School varsity academic team coach Charles Dean for his 1,000th win as a coach.  Dean, a Spanish teacher at Dunbar, has been coaching academic teams for 20 years.

Lafayette High School’s physical education department, consisting of teachers Paula S. Lewis, Allison Tate Denton, Stephanie Adams and Mary Kay Sliney, for being awarded the 2005 Kentucky STAR Physical Education Award by the Kentucky Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Morton Middle School’s Ronda Runyon, who was recently named the Kentucky Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance 2005 Secondary Teacher of the Year.

The Paul Laurence Dunbar Girls Cross Country Team for winning the Class 3A, Region 5 Cross Country Meet.  They advance to Saturday’s state meet at the Kentucky Horse Park. Teams also advancing to the state meet are Tates Creek Girls (3rd), Dunbar Boys (2nd), Henry Clay Boys (3rd), and Tates Creek Boys (4th).

The following students for their individual achievements in the Class 3A Region 5 Cross Country Meet races this past weekend. Each of these individuals qualified to compete for the individual state championship: boys – Drew Addessi, Dunbar (1st), Justin Smith, Dunbar (3rd), and Joe Evans, Dunbar (5th); girls – Laura Steinmetz, Dunbar (1st), Colleen Davis, Dunbar (2nd), Natsuko Yoshiki, Dunbar (5th), Bridget Stichnot, Tates Creek (6th), Hayley Travis, Dunbar (7th), Leslie Davis, Dunbar (8th), Julie Rotramel, Lafayette (10th).  Other individual qualifiers for the state meet are Rosanna Smith, Henry Clay; and Lindsey Fleischer, Lafayette.

It is easy being green!

The Fayette County Public Schools has partnered with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government and University of Kentucky in the Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community, an alliance designed to commit three of Fayette County’s largest organizations to finding ways to improve the environment.

Toward that end, we’d like to remind everyone that November 15th is America Recycles Day. Please encourage everyone you know to recycle paper, plastic and other products that our city collects. Together we can preserve our natural resources and be good citizens of our planet.

The Ultimate Home Visit

The following guest column was submitted by Kimberly Burris, Drop Out Prevention Coordinator for the Fayette County Schools.

The Ultimate Home Visit (UHV) is a unique professional development opportunity available to educators and community service providers in Fayette County who work with Latino families and their children. Participants attend a two-week immersion program consisting of weekly classes focusing on language, culture and the school and social service systems in Mexico. Classes are held at the University of Michoacan in Morelia and program participants live with a host family for the duration of the program. In addition, participants visit representative schools in the area, community centers, hospitals, clinics and noted cultural sites in the region-home of the indigenous Purepecha or Tarascan peoples. This year’s UHV took place June 3 to June 16. I was asked to share some of my experiences as a member of the 2005 UHV program. What follows is a small piece of what I saw and learned:

The light is fading across the foothills of the Sierra Madres as we walk into the small airport that serves the city of Morelia. We take a shuttle van and Mexico tumbles out in all directions to greet us — such colors, vibrant and distinctive, movement everywhere. There is nothing placid here; a sort of organized chaos is the rule. Day by day I become keenly aware of the richness of daily life here. Along with the colors, a whole assortment of smells greet me — tortillas frying over small wood fired ovens, fruits of every imaginable variety, piled high and dripping, collecting swarms of eager, grateful bees. The countryside we travel through is stunning in places, much like parts of the North American west — stark stretches of land and then a brilliant red canyon wall or a burst of color from a flowering tree of deep coral, bright yellow or white.

I begin utilizing my limited Spanish as soon as my host family comes to retrieve me. They speak very little English, although they understand a great deal more than they feel comfortable saying, much the same way I am with their language. After a few days of language immersion my head is pounding. I get frustrated and then anxious because I am certain I am missing something important or even something funny or insightful that I would appreciate knowing. I begin to relax after the first few days and realize that listening is (as the wise ones often remind us) the key, that there is much more that I need to hear than I need to say.

I am struck again and again by the level of my country’s wealth, our easy access to resources and our subsequent level of waste. For example, the basic materials that I take for granted to work with children are scarce or non-existent at many of the school and community programs we visit. One set of school children proudly showed some of us their soccer field, which consisted of makeshift goals at the end of concrete rubble and dirt. They had leveled it out enough to be able to run back and forth. There is greater freedom of movement for students and many more physical activities that take place outside of the classroom in the central schoolyard.

Finally, I note the level of U.S. influence in terms of products, music and entertainment, while the Mexican cultural, social and religious traditions remain firmly intact. The sense that progress and success is judged by the larger family or social good becomes apparent. This differs from our emphasis on individual prosperity and the tendency to equate success with material gain. One example of this is manifested in how cities and villages are organized. All the places we visited maintained El Jardin or El Centro, a central gathering place for the community — to play, to talk, to watch street performers, to listen to music or even dance if a local mariachi band begins playing. Every night of the week El Jardin comes alive with neighbors and tourists alike, gathering to visit or linger, enjoying ice cream or some vendor fare from one of the many families that haul their carts and baskets in each night to work the crowd.

There is much I took away from my experience in Mexico, but most important was the generosity of spirit of the people I met. I was reminded, yet again, of how despite our differences (whether these be of a political or social nature in the same nation, or across borders that include language and heritage) people of all nations have so much in common, the same yearnings, the same tender hopes and fears. It is this reminder that helps me sustain my hope for a brighter future for my child and all the children of this precious planet.

The 2006 Ultimate Home Visit will be June 2 to June 17. Anyone seeking information about this opportunity should contact Russell Cave Elementary Family Resource Center Coordinator Cathy Sutphen at csutphen@fayette.k12.ky.us or 381-3574.

“The Wolf and its Shadows”

The Lexington Children’s Theatre will be performing “The Wolf and Its Shadows” at the Lexington Children’s Theatre main stage located at 418 West Short Street.

School performances will be held on November 11th and 16th at 11:45 a.m. and on November 18th at 10 a.m. Public performances will be held on November 12th at 7 p.m. and November 13th at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8.25 for children. For more information call 254-4546.

Opportunity is knocking!

High school juniors and seniors — don’t let Opportunity College pass you by! Did you know you can earn college credit while still attending high school? Bluegrass Community & Technical College District (formerly LCC and Central KY Technical College) is committed to helping high school students get a head start on college. Under the Opportunity College program, high school students can enroll in transferable general education courses required for a degree at one of their six campuses and pay only $80 per course!

To enroll, an applicant must be a high school junior or senior and:

• Submit completed, signed application along with $20 fee
• Submit results of ACT (students who do not have ACT scores can contact (859) 246-6669 to schedule the COMPASS placement exam at no cost)
• Submit official high school transcripts
• Submit letter of recommendation from high school teacher, counselor or other appropriate official

                                   
Enrollment for new students begins November 21, 2005. Courses are transferable. For more information visit their Web site or contact Rebecca Simms at (859) 246-6761 or rebecca.simms@kctcs.edu.

Leadership Lessons from Sam

Focus

Dad has been talking about this thing called focus. He said that it is very important to focus our energy in the right places. Of course he has been talking about teachers, parents and kids focusing on making sure that outstanding teaching and learning take place. You know I had to ask him what this had to do with me.

Well, Dad said I did not have any problems with focus and that I am very good at it. He said I am focused on three things and all of my energy goes to them. First, he said I am very focused on food. He is right about that — I love to eat and will do anything to make sure I get my breakfast, dinner and snacks. Next he said I am focused on my toys and he is right about that too because after I eat I love to play with my toys. I have this one little dog that squeaks and I love it when it does! I can squeak that toy all night long (but Mom and Dad don’t like that too well)! Lastly, he said I am focused on making sure that no one intrudes my territory. He said I am always checking out the window to make sure no strangers come near the house. He is right about that too because there is no way I want anyone to get my food and toys! I like this focus stuff! ...Bow Wow.