School Matters - Bullitt County Public Schools
Transcription
School Matters - Bullitt County Public Schools
Bullitt County Public Schools School Matters April 2016 Look inside School Matters for the following: Student Attendance CO Profile Kindergarten Screener District Assembly April Employee Birthdays Bus Drivers of the Month Louisville Water Superintendent’s Column Bernheim Forest District Chess Championships Bullitt County Board of Education Chairperson Debby Atherton Vice Chairperson Darrell Coleman Board Members Dolores Ashby Lorraine McLaughlin Roger Hayes School Matters Page 2 Sixth Month Student Attendance Trophies Congratulations to the following schools for posting the highest student attendance for the sixth month of the 2015-2016 school year: Mt. Washington Elementary School—97.15% Mt. Washington Middle School—95.89% Bullitt East High School—94.05% Central Office Profile: Data, Assessment and Research The department of Data, Assessment and Research encompasses all areas of accountability and student testing. District DAR Coordinator is Jan Stone (pictured right). Her telephone number is 502869-8000 and her email is [email protected]. The DAR secretary is Tammy Tomes (pictured below left). Her telephone number is 502-869-8000 and her email is [email protected]. The DAR website includes the Unbridled Learning Accountability Model, Big Data Box, a data warehouse for the collection and processing of integrated sets of historical data on Bullitt County Public Schools, assessment dates for 2014-2015, and a litany of links to related pages concerning testing such as data reports for individual schools, EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT data, Kentucky Core Content Test data, No Child Left Behind reports, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and nonacademic data. Resources for staff and students include Rosetta Stone and Scholarships. This begins the new Kentucky Assessment which is a combined CRT and NRT assessment with Reading and Mathematics based upon Common Core Standards. The Kentucky-Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP) will be administered the final 14 Instructional Days of the District Calendar. School Matters Wants to Hear from You! Submit items for School Matters anytime by email to Communications Director John Roberts at [email protected]. Birth announcements, Adoptions, Weddings, Anniversaries, Business ventures, Safety tips, Cafeteria info, Energy information and Recipes are welcome! School Matters is a monthly electronic newsletter exclusively for the employees of Bullitt County Public Schools. School Matters Page 3 Kindergarten Screener Information All students entering Kindergarten are required by the Kentucky Department of Education to be screened using the Brigance© Kindergarten Screener. Being screened does not mean that a child cannot attend kindergarten. Kentucky’s Common Kindergarten Entry Screener, the Brigance Early Childhood Kindergarten Screen III, provides a quick and accurate assessment of a child’s development in five areas: Academic/Cognitive, Language Development, Physical Development, Self-Help and Social-Emotional Development. Screening scores fall into one of four categories: 1) Not Ready, 2) Ready with Supports, 3) Ready, and 4) Ready with Enrichments. Bullitt County Public Schools wants your child to be READY!!! Let us help! If you need some FREE MATERIALS to help your child at home, please stop by the Board of Education office or call 869-8000 and we will mail you the materials. March 2016 District Assembly Meeting The March 2016 District Assembly meeting featured an overview of pupil transportation by Director Staci Goedde. The meeting was held in the Overdale Elementary School ;library media center. Wedding Anniversary John Roberts, Communications Director for Bullitt County Public Schools, and his wife, Brenda, celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary April 3, 2016. Mark Your Calendars! April 4-8, 2016—Spring Break April 11, 2016—Teacher Planning Day—No School for students April 19, 2016—District Recruitment Fair at 4:00 p.m. at North Bullitt High School April 25, 2016—District Assembly meeting at 4:00 p.m. at Bullitt Lick Middle School April 25, 2016—Bullitt County Board of Education meeting at 6:00 p.m.—central office School Matters Page 4 Bullitt County Public Schools Employee April Birthdays Melanie Sparks (Teacher) Bullitt Central High School April 1 John Crocker (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 1 Elizabeth Rector (Teacher) North Bullitt High School April 1 Brenda Worner (Instructional Assistant II) Mt. Washington Middle School April 1 Kristen Kischnick (Teacher) Old Mill Elementary School April 2 David Bowen (Custodian Sweeper) Bullitt East High School April 2 Kristy Braun (Cook/Baker) Bernheim Middle School April 2 Jennifer Abnee (Instructor III) North Bullitt High School April 2 Virginia Buehler (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 2 Jordan Cox (Microcomputer Specialist) Central Office April 3 Kandice Dunnavan (Tutor—Instructor I) Mt. Washington Elementary April 3 Marlene Ward (Instructional Assistant II) Districtwide April 3 Adam Ritter (Exceptional Child Instructor) Old Mill Elementary School April 4 Christie Turbeville (Technology Integration Specialist) Districtwide April 4 Robert Warren (Instructional Assistant II) Bullitt Central High School April 4 Susan Smith (Cook/Baker) Crossroads Elementary School April 4 Christina Stidom (Teacher) Eastside Middle April 4 Ted Hightower (Exceptional Child Instructor) Eastside Middle School April 5 Lisa Holloway (Exceptional Child Instructor Overdale Elementary School April 5 Mary Blair (Exceptional Child Instructor Old Mill Elementary School April 5 Thomas Tellman (Custodian Sweeper) Crossroads Elementary School April 5 Cynthia Zuberer (Teacher) Overdale Elementary School April 6 Arthur Beaulieu (Custodian Sweeper) Eastside Middle School April 6 Benita Smith (Instructional Assistant) Maryville Elementary School April 6 Tammy Crowder (Teacher) Hebron Middle School April 6 Glenda Wright (Instructional Assistant) Lebanon Junction Elementary April 6 Sherry Hunter (Instructional Assistant II) Maryville Elementary School April 7 Continued on next page School Matters Page 5 Bullitt County Public Schools Employee April Birthdays Continued from previous page Angela Burnett (Tutor - Instructor I) Overdale Elementary School April 7 Katherine Goetzinger (Teacher) Shepherdsville Elementary April 8 Laura Coleman (Food Service Manager I) Maryville Elementary School April 8 Christopher Kelly (Exceptional Child Instructor) North Bullitt High School April 8 Donna Thompson (Cook/Baker) April 8 North Bullitt High School Tara Osbourne (Physical/Occupation Therapist) Districtwide April 9 Shirley Loudermilk (School Secretary I North Bullitt High School April 9 Elizabeth Noland (Teacher) Bernheim Middle School April 10 Brittany Gandia (Teacher) Crossroads Elementary School April 10 Melody Cravens (Teacher) Overdale Elementary School April 10 Staci Huff (Exceptional Child Instructor Bullitt Lick Middle School April 10 Dawn Breshear (Teacher) Eastside Middle School April 10 Melissa Henry (Instructional Assistant II) Crossroads Elementary School April 11 James Huffman (Teacher) Bullitt Central High School April 12 Carrie Wafford (Teacher) Bullitt East High School April 12 Deborah Brown (Kindergarten Teacher) Brooks Elementary School April 12 Michael Seago (School Nurse) Central Office April 12 Penny Terry (Teacher) Cedar Grove Elementary School April 12 Pat Smith-Darnell (Director of Pupil Personnel) Central Office April 12 Brenda Thornsberry (Teacher) Bullitt East High School April 13 Kylie Hornback (Tutor - Instructor I) Pleasant Grove Elementary April 13 Jennifer Wampler (Instructional Assistant II) Maryville Elementary School April 13 Brenda Cotton (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 13 Steven Frye (Custodian Sweeper) Roby Elementary School April 13 Louis Manning (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 13 Melissa Hensley (Cook/Baker) Maryville Elementary School April 14 Continued on next page School Matters Page 6 Bullitt County Public Schools Employee April Birthdays Continued from previous page Courtney Kean (Instructional Monitor 1) Riverview Opportunity Center April 14 Erica Burress (Teacher) Bernheim Middle School April 14 Borzena Williams (Tutor - Instructor I) Brooks Elementary School April 14 Lauren Kemble (Data Manager) Bernheim Middle School April 15 Robyn Clemens (Teacher) Lebanon Junction Elementary April 15 Alisha Bodner (Teacher) Roby Elementary School April 16 Timothy Phelps (Teacher) North Bullitt High School April 16 Bethany Griffin (Teacher) North Bullitt High School April 16 Susan Westerfield (Kindergarten Teacher) Pleasant Grove Elementary April 16 Joseph Hamilton (Teacher) Mt. Washington Middle School April 17 Tiffany Williams (Instructional Assistant Mt. Washington Elementary April 17 Michelle Crable (Instructional Assistant) Lebanon Junction Elementary April 17 Dina Gribbins (Clerical Assistant I) Shepherdsville Elementary April 17 Courtney Haggerty (Teacher) Roby Elementary School April 18 Christa Kyser (Teacher) Mt. Washington Elementary April 18 Christopher Kenney (Teacher) Overdale Elementary School April 19 April Roberts (Teacher) North Bullitt High School April 19 Keli Clack (Teacher) Bernheim Middle School April 19 Kyle Buege (Assistant Principal) Eastside Middle School April 19 Cindy McDougall (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 19 Shelia Cox (School Secretary I) Bullitt Alternative Center April 19 Brenda Pirtle (Director of Secondary Education) Central Office April 20 Wesley Stafford (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 20 Linda French-Smith (Education Evaluator) Districtwide April 20 Rhiannon Jones (Teacher) North Bullitt High School April 21 Melissa Speakman (Teacher) Bullitt East High School April 21 Continued on next page School Matters Page 7 Bullitt County Public Schools Employee April Birthdays Continued from previous page Melissa Yount (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 21 Shannon Clardy (Cook/Baker) Brooks Elementary School April 21 Shelly Bush (Teacher) Brooks Elementary School April 21 Melissa Allen (Tutor - Instructor I) Freedom Elementary School April 21 Kathy Terry (Instructional Assistant II) North Bullitt High School April 21 Justin Quartermouse (Custodian) Old Mill Elementary School April 22 Gregory McClure (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 22 Richard Dietrich (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 22 Angelina Marksbury (Teacher) Overdale Elementary School April 23 Ryan Sego (Exceptional Child Instructor) Overdale Elementary School April 23 Terri Miller (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 23 Sara Strange (Preschool Teacher) Crossroads Elementary School April 24 Ann McClure (Exceptional Child Instructor) Brooks Elementary School April 24 Christopher Verdow (Principal) North Bullitt High School April 24 Carla Wiedmar (Instructional Assistant) Old Mil Elementary School April 24 Larry Raymer (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 24 Stacena Bohannon (Teacher) Pleasant Grove Elementary April 25 Kristina Mudd (Other Central Office Positions) Districtwide April 25 Karen Russell (Instructional Assistant) Maryville Elementary School April 25 Janet Morgan (Custodian Sweeper) Shepherdsville Elementary April 25 Marsha Outlaw (Instructional Assistant) Pleasant Grove Elementary April 25 Amanda Tezel (Teacher) Shepherdsville Elementary April 26 Karen Gray (Library Media Clerk) Mt. Washington Elementary April 26 Lynn Walls (Instructional Assistant II) Bullitt Central High School April 26 Andilyn Korfhage (School Bus Driver) Transportation Dept. April 26 David Hasty (Preventive Maintenance Tech.) Maintenance Shop April 26 Continued on next page School Matters Page 8 Bullitt County Public Schools Employee April Birthdays Continued from previous page Edith Cawthorn (Custodian Sweeper) North Bullitt High School April 26 Daniele Reesor (Instructional Assistant II) Shepherdsville Elementary April 27 Emily Forgey Teacher) Roby Elementary School April 27 Alison Egan (Library Media Specialist) Pleasant Grove Elementary April 27 Jeffrey Scott (Exceptional Child Instructor) Mt. Washington Middle School April 27 Christopher Mason (Assistant Principal) Bullitt East High School April 27 Erik Huber (Assistant Principal) Bullitt East High School April 28 Nicole Henry (Teacher) Zoneton Middle School April 29 Amanda Wimsatt (Teacher) Bullitt Central High School April 29 Angela Duvall (Teacher) North Bullitt High School April 29 David Johnson (Computer Maintenance Tech.) Central Office April 29 Brenda Cummings (Food Service Manager 1) Freedom Elementary School April 29 Bralinda Farris (Food Service Manager I) Eastside Middle April 29 Peggy Schnellenberger (Cook/Baker) Cedar Grove Elementary School April 29 Carol Clemens (Cook/Baker) Bernheim Middle School April 29 Traci Moore (Teacher) Lebanon Junction Elementary April 30 Angel Stice-Miller (Instructional Assistant) Lebanon Junction Elementary April 30 Jessica Donaldson (Cook/Baker) Bullitt East High School April 30 Michelle King (Exceptional Child Instructor) Overdale Elementary School April 30 Tammie Swift (Food Service Manager I) April 30 Shepherdsville Elementary Doyle Thomas (Head Boys Basketball Coach) Eastside Middle School April 30 Kevin Baugh (Custodian) April 30 Districtwide School Matters 2016-2017 Kindergarten Registration Page 9 School Matters Page 10 Bullitt Central High School Health Screenings Bullitt Central High School seniors in the Medicaid Nursing Assistant class performed health checks during March Town Hall meeting. the School Matters Louisville Water Page 11 offers real-world educational ex- periences using water as a teaching tool. Using examples from Louisville Water’s history students will explore connections to science, social studies, practical living, math and literacy. Experience the WaterWorks Museum at its original Pumping Station and historic Water Tower at the Louisville Water Tower Park. For more details, or to book a trip, visit: LouisvilleWaterTower.com and click on “Education.” School Matters Page 12 The Redistricting Process Begins Again By Superintendent Keith Davis As a school community, we have a lot to be happy about. We have great schools filled with bright, energetic teachers; thoughtful, dedicated leaders; well mannered, curious, and motivated students; superior support staff; and wonderful volunteers. Our facilities are in very good, bordering on great, shape. Our transportation fleet is safe, efficient, and effective. Our assessment results are on the rise - moving up 68 places in just eight years and surpassing many traditionally high performing school districts. Our graduation rate is up, our College & Career Readiness rating is the 7th highest in Kentucky (out of 173 districts). Our tax rates are comparatively low and, though those rates yield the fifth lowest general fund revenue per pupil (which does limit our ability to provide opportunities), those funds are used efficiently to deliver a very good value for our citizens. Our energy use per square foot is ranked in the top 10 most efficient in Kentucky with 17 Energy Star certified buildings. As “they” used to say, “we’ve come a long way baby.” Just so you don’t think my head is buried in the sand, I know that we have problems, just like any school district. Not all of our students are successful, they do not all come prepared, and some of them don’t always come in sober or even come in at all very often. That said, our motto isn’t “We’re Perfect”. It is “Moving Forward” and that is what the evidence indicates is happening. Another area we are growing in is our student population, particularly in certain areas of the county. Continued on next page School Matters Page 13 The Redistricting Process Begins Again By Superintendent Keith Davis Continued from previous page We have sufficient overall capacity, but growth patterns do not always follow where we have the most available space in our schools. In fact, the eastern part of Bullitt County, particularly the area around Pleasant Grove Elementary, is quickly outgrowing the capacity of that elementary school, and it is putting a small strain on Bullitt East High School as well. In this, we are faced with a problem. It is not smart to construct new schools when we have room in other schools. That is unfair to our financial supporters, and also to our students because new facilities take away from the renovation budget for existing buildings. In a district that values our citizens’ financial contributions, we must efficiently maximize our instructional facilities, just like we maximize the efficiency of every other operation. In this case, that means adjusting attendance boundaries, which results in moving kids from the school where they have been going to a different school. This redistricting is neither simple nor usually popular. It brings out a lot of emotions, sometimes emotions one might consider uncharitable toward one’s fellow man - especially toward those who may have less in the way of financial means. My job to recommend to the Board the most efficient plan for redistricting possible. I have already laid out a timeline by which I will try to accomplish this. This timeline provides opportunity for public input, discussion, and revision. It is not set in stone and may be modified as our elected Board of Education sees fit. I will recommend to the Board that the plan go into effect for the 2017-2018 school year. That is not next year, but is the year after next. This long notice will give parents time to adjust their schedules and make the arrangements necessary to make this work. Continued on next page School Matters Page 14 The Redistricting Process Begins Again By Superintendent Keith Davis Continued from previous page I am a parent, and understand that disrupting established routines is difficult, both emotionally and logistically. I want to emphasize that there is no “done deal.” We are considering many options. There are many, many moving parts to this and the plan finally recommended may affect students in attendance zones far removed from the eastern part of the county. You might think of it as squeezing a balloon. When you squeeze one area to make it smaller, another area is going to get bigger, which might lead to other necessary adjustments, especially given the fact that our leadership team would very much like to keep our current feeder system, in which students from one elementary school go to one middle and on to one high school; it just aids in the transition between grades. Once we develop a plan internally with district staff, we will post it publicly, notify anyone affected, and then explain it clearly to the public and to the Board members. The Board members will then listen to comments from the public and provide direction to me on anything we need to revisit, consider, or change. The initial proposal will be based only on how best to get the numbers of students aligned to the current and future enrollment of our buildings, while maintaining reasonable distances and travel times. This is something I would rather not address. People will be upset with me and with our Board. However, to do nothing would not be doing the right thing for our community and our schools in the long run. Continued on next page School Matters Page 15 The Redistricting Process Begins Again By Superintendent Keith Davis Continued from previous page Wherever the attendance boundaries finally are drawn, it has been my experience that the kids will adjust more quickly than we adults and will go on learning and growing. All our schools are good schools and they are in a county that is becoming more and more supportive of our schools’ success. When you look at it that way, we can’t really lose. School Matters Page 16 2016 High School Graduation Date High School graduation ceremonies have been announced. Seniors will earn diplomas Saturday, June 4, 2016, at Broadbent Arena in Louisville. North Bullitt High School Commencement is 11:00 a.m. Bullitt Central High School Commencement is 2:00 p.m. Bullitt East High School Commencement is 5:00 p.m. Admission to graduation is free. The Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center charges $8 per vehicle for parking. Currently Looking for Host Families in the Bullitt County Public School Area Hosting an exchange student is a great step toward preparing your children for the 21stcentury. There are few experiences that can spark interest in new cultures like welcoming an international student into your home. Host families say the exchange experience has led them to create life-changing, lasting friendships, gain fresh perspectives on the world and enrich families and communities. More than 30 percent of host families are repeat hosts. The United States Department of State relies on American families like yours to serve as citizen ambassadors and help foster positive impressions of the United States. EF Foundation offers the strongest local and national support network in the industry to students, host families and schools. EF Foundation’s host families and schools have access to full-time professional staff located at our Cambridge, Massachusetts headquarters. National staff is available 365 days a year/24 hours a day and has overall responsibility for each exchange student while they are living in the United States. Trained coordinators and placement specialists have extensive experience working with thousands of families each year. Matching the right student with the right family is a top priority. Get Involved If you’re interested in learning more about hosting an international exchange student in the Bullitt County Area with EF Foundation, contact your local coordinator, Pamela & Steven Green, via email at [email protected] or by telephone 1-502-4390826.or call EF at 1-800-447-4273 or visit www.effoundation.org. School Matters Page 17 Kentucky Office of Highway Safety asks motorists and motorcyclists to ‘Share the Road’ Campaign highlights mutual safety responsibilities of all highway users As the warmer spring weather draws motorcyclists onto Kentucky roadways, the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) is launching its “Share the Road with Motorcycles” campaign to reduce crashes and save lives. “Safety is a mutual responsibility for motorists and motorcyclists alike,” said KOHS Executive Director Bill Bell. “We urge drivers to be extra cautious because motorcycles are difficult to see, and we urge motorcyclists to do their part in staying visible.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on a per vehicle mile basis, motorcyclists are 26 times more likely to die in a crash than occupants of cars, and five times more likely to be injured. The KOHS offers the following tips for drivers to help keep motorcyclists safe on our roadways: A motorcycle is a vehicle with all of the rights and privileges of any other motor vehi- cle. The person under that helmet is someone’s family member or friend; Always allow a motorcyclist the full lane width – never try to share a lane; Frequently check mirrors and blind spots before entering or exiting a lane of traffic and at intersections; Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic; Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – motorcycle signals are of- ten not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed; Allow more following distance – three or four seconds – when behind a motorcycle to give the motorcyclist time to maneuver around obstacles in the roadway, or stop in an emergency; Pay attention. Motorcyclists can increase their safety by: Wearing a U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant helmet; Using turn signals for every turn or lane change. School Matters Page 18 Spring Blossoms in Beautiful Bernheim Forest Bernheim: The Natural Muse through Saturday, April 9. This is a free event. Visit a selection of works from Bernheim’s Artist in Residence program on display at the Carnegie Center for Art & History. A variety of media will be on display, from sculpture to photography. Vanishing Acts: Trees Under Threat Exhibit: through July 15. Trees are essential to our health. Embark upon a global journey of trees from around the world and right here in Kentucky that are threatened with extinction. Learn how we can save and protect these endangered species. This compelling look at threatened and endangered trees is a traveling exhibit on loan from the Morton Arboretum, and will be installed in the Arboretum and is included with admission to Bernheim on the weekends. Vanishing Acts was created by The Morton Arboretum in partnership with the Global Trees Campaign and is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. Open Daily; Two Ponds Loop. Weekends $5 per car environmental impact fee still applies to Non-Members at entrance. FREE; Self-guided Exhibit First Sunday Nature Hike April 3 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Join Volunteer Naturalist Joe Rogers during the first Sunday of each month for an engaging 45-60 minute nature walk. Registration is not required; just show up with your curiosity and comfortable walking shoes. All ages welcome. FREE but a $5 environmental impact fee still applies to NonMembers at entrance. Walk With The Doc Saturday, April 9 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Join a KentuckyOne Health doctor on a walk in Bernheim’s beautiful arboretum each month April-November on the second Saturday of the month. The doctor and a representative from the Bullitt County Health Department will be on hand to answer your health questions, while a Bernheim Volunteer Naturalist will show you some of nature’s wonders along the way as you walk. The walk series is part of a nationwide program that empowers people to improve their health through physical activity while they exercise side-by-side with health care providers. Walkers have the opportunity to learn about important health topics, and they receive free health screenings, refreshments, and giveaways while in beautiful surroundings of Bernheim. Continued on next page School Matters Page 19 Spring Blossoms in Beautiful Bernheim Forest Continued from previous page Participants are encouraged to invite family and friends to walk together toward a healthier lifestyle. In the case of inclement weather, be sure to check our website for updates. Program is free of charge after weekend environmental impact fee, which is $5 for nonmembers, free for members. Volunteer Trail Ranger Training Saturday, April 30 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. This is a free event at the Education Center and organized by volunteer naturalist Don Spain. Love to hike at Bernheim? Want to help our trails to stay safe and beautiful? Join our group of volunteer Trail Rangers! Being a trail ranger is one of the easiest ways to give back to Bernheim. Timing is flexible – just come out for a hike any time during our regular hours – and hike a trail of your choosing. Along the way, check for any conditions that make the trail less safe and report those back to our staff. That’s it! This training will demonstrate the best ways to report on trail conditions, as well as how to read Bernheim’s trail maps and more. District STEM Challenge The first annual District STEM Challenge required students to use science, technology, engineering and math skills to create a tower using only newspaper, tape and scissors.