

Kristen Gallagher, a seventh-grade science teacher at Newburg Middle, helps a Bates Elementary student with an experiment. Gallagher’s students visit elementary schools to promote science. Read about it in “Schools That Work.”

Monday Memo deadline

The next issue of Monday Memo will be posted on Mon., Jan. 4. The deadline to submit items for this issue will be at 12 noon on Tues., Dec. 15.

Fern Creek cinema

The student-run independent movie theater at Fern Creek Traditional High will host a screening of the Independent Lens film Young at Heart at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 17. The Fern Creek Traditional High Film Club, the Louisville Film Society, and KET partner to bring a film to the school one month before it will be broadcast on KET. The film is the third in a free, monthly Community Cinema series. Young at Heart is the entertaining story of a New England senior citizen’s chorus that specializes in rock and roll. The film series will continue with a different film each month at the school. For more information about the Community Cinema series, visit http://www.louisvillefilm.org/community-cinema.html or call Brian Miller at 485-6362.

Binet students seek office jobs

Students at Binet School are looking for office-related jobs to perform for district schools or offices during 2010. The special needs students are part of a worklab in which they gain real work experience. All work is performed for free. Among other things, students are able to copy, collate, staple, bind, organize, address, label, and stamp. For more information or to schedule a job, call Kristan Castillo at 485-2017 or send him an e-mail at kristan.castillo@jefferson.kyschools.us.



A Lincoln Elementary student created this image for a holiday card.

Holiday card sales

Students at Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School have created sets of holiday cards. To purchase a set, visit Lincoln, call Lincoln at 485-8291, or call teacher Bev Blankenbaker at 445-7338. The holiday cards feature winter scenes in addition to Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa scenes. The sets cost $5 and include ten cards and envelopes. Lincoln students have also created sets of 15 all-occasion cards and sets of 10 derby cards. Both of these sets cost $5 and would make nice gifts during the holiday season.

Cochran students perform

Students at Cochran Elementary will perform Melton the Warm-Hearted Snowman at 10 a.m. on Fri., Dec. 18. The performance is free. All of the students in the school will sing in the performance, and many students will have acting roles. For more information, call 485-8230.

Seneca sells cinnamon brooms

Students in Seneca High’s marketing and entrepreneurship classes are selling cinnamon brooms for $15 throughout the holiday season. The brooms are handmade, and styles vary. To purchase a broom, call 485-8323 and place an order. For more information, send an e-mail to Jerry Davis at jeremiah.davis@jefferson.kyschools.us.

Diversity conference

The ninth annual Diversity Conference at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) will be held on Wed., Feb. 10, and Thurs., Feb. 11. The conference features multiple workshops and a keynote speech by William Turner, a Kentucky native who is currently the National Endowment for the Humanities Chair in Appalachian Studies at Berea College. The registration deadline is Sun., Jan. 31. To print a flier, click here. For more information, visit http://www.coe.eku.edu/Field_Services/.

Winter Break scheduling changes

The Professional Library and Curriculum Resource Center at Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Gheens Academy will be closed on Sat., Dec. 19, and throughout JCPS Winter Break. It will reopen on Mon., Jan. 4.

The Exceptional Child Education (ECE) Materials Center at Churchill Park School will be closed on Sat., Dec. 19, and throughout Winter Break. It will reopen on Mon., Jan. 4.

JCPS administrator and leadership development

During the 2010-11 school year, JCPS will offer nine leadership-development programs for employees. In order to apply, you must attend an informational briefing session. The sessions will be held at 4:45 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 27, and Wed., Feb. 10, at Newburg Middle. The briefing session will explore the leadership-development programs and application guidelines. Three of the programs—Introduction to School Leadership, Preparing for Principal Leadership, and Counselors for Tomorrow—are opportunities for JCPS educators to develop leadership skills. Four of the programs—Bellarmine University Principal Cohort, Indiana University Southeast (IUS) Cohort, University of Louisville (UofL) IDEAS, and Spalding University Cohort—are principal certification programs. The last two programs, Principals for Tomorrow and Internship, are designed for employees who have completed, or nearly completed, a principal certification program and want to further develop their skills. For more information about the programs, click here, call the Administrator Recruitment and Development Office at 485-6696, or send an e-mail to Lynne Wheat at lynne.wheat@jefferson.kyschools.us.

NOAA, Toshiba grants

Each week, the JCPS Resource Development Office provides information about grant opportunities. For information about additional grant opportunities, call 485-3290.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 Field Season of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Teacher at Sea (TAS) Program. The TAS Program gives teachers insight into the oceans, provides a greater understanding of maritime work and studies, and increases environmental literacy through interdisciplinary research experiences. The program engages teachers in first-hand experience by sending them to sea aboard NOAA research and survey ships to work under the tutelage of scientists and crews. For more information, visit http://teacheratsea.noaa.gov/index.html. Applications for the 2010 Field Season must be received by Thurs., Dec. 31.
Applications are now being accepted for grants from the Toshiba America Foundation. Toshiba offers grants to teachers of grades seven through twelve for projects that enhance science and mathematics education. For more information, click here. The deadline to apply is Mon., Feb. 1.

Tickets to Globetrotters

JCPS employees and students can purchase discounted tickets for the Harlem Globetrotters 2010 World Tour, which will be held at 7 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 16, at Freedom Hall. Students from Wilt Elementary will sing the national anthem. Discounted tickets are available for $16 to $20, and all ticket purchases include a $6 handling fee. The deadline to order tickets is Fri., Jan. 8. To print a flier, click here.


Above, the Jefferson County Traditional Middle Band performs on the set of Our Kids. Below, Mary Wolf, a teacher at Jefferson County Traditional Middle, performs with students during the band’s taping for Our Kids.

Our Kids holiday program

The annual Our Kids holiday program features musical performances by JCPS students from elementary, middle, and high schools. The program will be broadcast many times throughout December on Insight channels 2, 15, 25, 98, 138, and 191. Performances include students from Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School and Jefferson County Traditional Middle and by such groups as the Eastern High Madrigal Singers, the Farnsley Middle Band, the Newburg Middle Band, and the Tully Elementary Choir. The first broadcast will be at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 3, on Insight channel 15. To print a television schedule, click here. To contact the show’s producers, click here or here.

JCPS invited to fitness challenge

JCPS students and employees are encouraged to participate in the Kentucky Fitness Challenge on Sat., Jan. 9, at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Men, women, and children from throughout Kentucky and the surrounding states will participate in fitness events that test cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. JCPS employees and students ages 15 and older can compete in 24 different age divisions and participate in open or elite challenges. Students ages 5 to 14 can also compete in several fitness challenges. Top performers will receive cash and prizes. A discounted registration fee encourages a large number of JCPS students and staff members to participate. To print a flier, click here. To register or for more information, contact Sanders Elementary physical education (PE) teacher Kelly Cable at 689-2116 or visit http://www.metrocrosstraining.com. (This site is blocked on JCPS computers.)



Kristen Gallagher, a seventh-grade science teacher at Newburg Middle, reads the side of a die after a Bates Elementary student rolls it during a game that explores the water cycle. Students act as water droplets and visit such stations as ground water, ocean, glacier, or cloud.

Newburg has formula for ‘science heroes’

If you need help understanding the basic principles of rocket science, just ask a student at Newburg Middle. A small group of seventh- and eighth-grade students in Newburg’s Mathematics/Science/Technology (MST) Magnet Program regularly travels to district elementary schools to perform science experiments that involve rockets or the water cycle.



Two Newburg Middle students illustrate what happens when gas builds inside a beaker attached to a balloon. This experiment preceded the rocket experiment.

The interactive lessons are rich with advanced science content that is presented in a way that elementary students can remember. Having middle school students acting as the guest instructors also adds a degree of coolness that even the hippest teacher couldn’t muster.

“The looks on the elementary students’ faces, it’s as if the Newburg students are rock stars,” says Barbara Rogers, MST coordinator at Newburg. “They think if the middle school students think that it’s cool, then it really must be cool.”

Newburg’s traveling science program is in its second year, and students conduct about five visits each year to visit Bates, Watterson, Wheeler, and Price Elementary Schools. Students from each of these schools have the option to attend Newburg.

The program began as a Newburg recruiting tool, and it has evolved into a program with multiple benefits for students and schools. The Newburg students who participate in the program are energetic and outgoing students who are truly excited about science and have fun with science experiments. These students are developing a love for science and are sharing that contagious energy with younger students, Rogers says. Students help develop the program’s content, are involved in lesson planning, and understand the need for assessments.



A student studies his bracelet. Each bead reflects a different station where he traveled as a water droplet.

“What it’s giving them is more confidence,” Rogers says. “They have to present and speak. I think it’s also given them a new appreciation of their teachers and for teaching and learning.”

On Fri., Dec. 11, several Newburg students visited Bates Elementary to offer a water cycle presentation to the fourth-grade students and a chemical reaction presentation to the fifth-grade students. Students learn the principles of chemical reactions by studying what happens when an Alka-Seltzer tablet is mixed with water and sealed within a film canister. Each student at Bates mixed the concoction and laughed in amazement as nearly 30 canisters shot off their desks with a loud pop. The gasses inside the canisters follow the same basic principles as chemical reactions in rocket science. Students also learn the importance of safety equipment and procedures.

Fourth-grade students learn about the water cycle by playing a game with dice and obtaining beads to eventually make bracelets. Students act as a water droplet and travel to different tables that serve as stations in the life of a water droplet, such as a cloud, ocean, or ground water. Students acquire a bead at each station.

The Newburg students will demonstrate the water cycle lesson to students at Watterson Elementary on Mon., Dec. 14. Students from Price Elementary will visit Newburg in the spring to conduct electrical experiments with Gallagher's students.

Kristen Gallagher, a seventh-grade Newburg science teacher who operates the traveling MST program, says the program is especially popular at Newburg. Gallagher watched student enthusiasm peak with her classroom experiments involving slime, rockets, and chemical reactions.

“I love science,” Gallagher says. “I think my energy is contagious. I do a lot of hands-on things. The students love it so much that we decided, why not share the energy with younger students?”

Only a small number of students can participate in the traveling program. The students are not always the smartest in the class, but those who have a true passion for sharing the science lessons.

“My students just beg me to be chosen as the ones to go, especially if they’re going to their old elementary school,” Gallagher says. “The thing that surprises them is how incredibly excited the elementary students are to see them. My students are almost like little heroes to fourth and fifth graders.”

Rick Caffee, night custodian at C. B. Young Jr. Service Center, is a JCPS Star Performer. A colleague nominated Caffee for the award for exceptional customer service when he was working as the night custodian at VanHoose Education Center. Caffee worked for Philip Morris USA before joining JCPS about eight years ago. He has worked previously at Central High School MCA and Louisville Male High. Caffee says that he did nothing exceptional on a July evening and that anyone else would have done the same. The nomination contained the following narrative.

“On the evening of Mon., July 13, Rick Caffee was making his rounds on the first floor at VanHoose and looked into the computer room window. He saw a man lying on the floor. Caffee ran into the computer room and attempted to see what he could do to help the man. Then, he went to seek further help. He first talked with Pam Stone, the second floor custodian, and she went to get Carolyn Meredith. An ambulance was summoned, and the man was taken to the hospital. We in Management Information Services (MIS) are so grateful that Rick Caffee was in the right place at the right time and came to someone’s assistance.”

Have you enjoyed exceptional service from a JCPS employee? Nominate him or her for a Star Performer Award.

KidTrax helps students

A child’s education doesn’t begin and end with the school bell. That’s why each school day and throughout the summer, thousands of JCPS students participate in structured after-school programs at dozens of locations. From the end of the traditional school day often until 8 p.m., these students participate in safe and supervised athletic or creative activities, receive targeted tutoring, and work with mentors to explore conflict-resolution programs or social skills. JCPS partners with Louisville Metro Government, Metro United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, and many other organizations that provide youth programs. The partnership is the only one of its kind in the nation, and it fulfills a shared community mission to offer students the best academic and extracurricular options. These efforts are among the nation’s most innovative and accountable education programs because of what students do when they arrive: they scan a small card.

KidTrax, a software program designed by nonprofit nFocus of Phoenix, Arizona, provides the technology that allows JCPS to join forces with community-based organizations so that students receive targeted assistance and guidance. To participate in KidTrax, each student must obtain parental permission. With a swipe of the card’s bar code, educators and after-school directors have immediate access to a student’s academic information, school and after-school attendance rates, free and reduced-price meal status, disciplinary information, and hobbies and interests. The card tracks how much time the students spend at the after-school centers and what they do there. Educators rely on KidTrax to identify patterns and to ensure that program development and funding are used wisely and efficiently.

KidTrax is especially beneficial in a large urban school district in which students who participate in a neighborhood after-school program may attend schools scattered throughout the county. The collection of data provides consistent records about a student’s strengths, weaknesses, and interests so that educators and program directors can target those areas effectively. During the school year, students may receive after-school tutoring with a certified teacher in whatever subject they need improvement. Many students use this time to improve their reading proficiency by reading with an Every 1 Reads tutor. KidTrax data indicates that students who attend these after-school programs outperform their peers in academic and nonacademic areas. They are stronger readers, have better school attendance, and have fewer suspensions.

After every school day, about 100 students visit the Meyzeek Middle Community School to play in one of the basketball leagues, receive piano lessons, complete their homework, prepare for college admissions tests, or work with volunteers from area nonprofit agencies. About 80 percent of the after-school participants receive free and reduced-price meals, and most of them walk to the facility from the nearby Sheppard Square Housing Projects or other neighborhood homes and apartments. In an area plagued by gangs, drugs, and poverty, Meyzeek Middle Community School Coordinator Cecilia Omdal takes pride in a massive mural on the side of the building that her students painted years ago. Unlike many of the neighborhood buildings, the mural has never been defaced with graffiti. It represents a proud achievement that brightens an otherwise bleak parking lot. The students are not bad children; they are just needy, she says. They need individual attention, they need to belong to a group, and they need to produce something that demonstrates success. “If they didn’t come here, where else would they go?” Omdal says.

Aaron P., 14, a freshman at Seneca High, participates in after-school programs at St. George’s Community Center and Freedom School.

Photography and acting are the highlights of Aaron Payne’s three-year involvement with the St. George’s Community Center and its summer program at the Freedom School at Maupin Elementary. The programs offer peace of mind to Aaron’s mother, who works long hours and knows that he is in a safe environment. Aaron has enjoyed field trips to a waterpark and bowling alley and receives tutoring and homework assistance. When he struggled with his writing assignments in his eighth-grade language arts class at Myers Middle, he received help from a targeted tutoring session at St. George’s. A certified teacher worked after school with Aaron to improve his writing skills, and as a result, Aaron raised his C grade to an A by the end of the school year.

Aaron confesses to being bored with typical reading and writing assignments, but he has enjoyed participating in fun book discussions at St. George’s that rely on acting as a news reporter or fielding questions in a mock talk show format. Since sixth grade, Aaron has explored his burgeoning love for photography while working with a local attorney who volunteers at St. George’s. Aaron’s photography has been published in The Courier-Journal, and his photographs appear in an annual St. George’s calendar. Aaron hopes to explore more photography in high school.

Math is his favorite subject, and he is most passionate about basketball at UofL, where he hopes to pursue his dream of becoming a pediatrician.

Tyriesha D., 15, a sophomore at Central High School Magnet Career Academy (MCA). For several years, she has participated in after-school activities at Meyzeek Middle Community School.

The Meyzeek Middle Community School is a beacon of freedom and expression for neighborhood resident Tyriesha Doyle. She’s been one of the center’s most loyal attendees ever since she first ventured into the after-school program as a sixth grader after hearing positive comments from her fellow Meyzeek students. As a resident of the nearby Sheppard Square Housing Projects, Tyriesha visits the after-school center each day to get a break from her four siblings. While there, she learns how to knit, works puzzles with other students, and receives assistance with her homework. Since seventh grade, Tyriesha has excelled with her weekly Wednesday keyboard lessons offered by The Music Box, a nonprofit organization that provides free lessons. Tyriesha has an affinity for any piano piece—from the tunes of contemporary star Rihanna to Bach’s minuets—and performs duets with her best friend in school recitals.

As a sixth-grade student, Tyriesha was too shy to make eye contact with adults or other students. Now as a high school student, Tyriesha has evolved into a confident leader and mentor for the center’s younger students. On Thursdays, she helps younger students prepare for their weekly piano lessons and she often serves as a greeter for visitors. She is trusted to take a keyboard home, and she has taught her younger sister how to play piano to better practice her duets.

Tyriesha is a B student who enjoys mathematics. She dreams of making a difference in the lives of others. She says that after she graduates from Harvard Law School, she hopes to practice family law and prevent families from being split up.

Julia Foster, teacher at Liberty High, wrote the following article about a unique partnership between two district schools and an equine education program. A grant from Churchill Downs provided eight weeks of classes with Upside Therapeutic Riding during September and October for students from Churchill Park School and Liberty High. Representatives from Churchill Park, Liberty High, Upside, and Churchill Downs will gather with students and parents/guardians at 10:45 a.m. on Wed., Dec. 16, to celebrate their creative partnership. To find out how you could be featured in a “Notes From the Classroom” article, click here. Reed’s article is as follows.

A partnership anyone can bet on

Churchill Park and Liberty High School are not strangers when it comes to service-learning partnerships. Most recently, they won the trifecta when Kim Wheatley, founder and executive director of Upside Therapeutic Riding, applied for and received a $7,500 grant from Churchill Downs for an eight-week equine education program project and included the two schools.

Wheatley, whose daughter is a student at Churchill Park, has a degree in physical therapy from UofL. She is a native of Louisville and has been using equine movement in therapy for the past two years.

“This has been a dream of mine for several years, and to finally see it come to fruition has been a wonderful gift for everyone involved,” Wheatley says. “Churchill Downs has given our children an incredible opportunity that would not have been realized without their generosity.”

Janet Krekel, a teacher and athletic coordinator at Churchill Park, was anxious to see the project come together as well. Krekel lets nothing stop her when it comes to providing her students with the best and brightest educational opportunities. She has taken her students on weekend ski trips, on weeklong camping excursions, and to the lake for water activities, including rafting.

“We are all persons of differing abilities, and it is those abilities that we focused on for this and every program we undertake,” Krekel says. “When you look at the positive abilities, there is nothing anyone can’t do.”

While discussing the logistics, Krekel suggested that they add some support by including students from Liberty High. Students from Liberty High’s Freshman Academy program, along with two seniors, joined the Churchill Park students and created an invaluable mentoring partnership.

“I don’t know who benefited more, the Liberty students, the Churchill students, or the adults who saw unlikely and occasionally unwilling parties learn to take risks and give more than they knew they had to offer,” says Julia Foster, supervising teacher at Liberty High.

Kudos to Dan Torpey and Missy Davis, teachers at Farmer Elementary. The two were featured in an article in New Growth, the periodic newsletter of the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District (JCSWCD). The article, “Flora, Fauna and Farmer’s Fifth Graders,” features the collaborative partnership between Farmer Elementary and the JCSWCD. The school has partnered with JCSWCD to explore educational possibilities at the school’s large outdoor classroom. JCSWCD provides assistance with educational programming, materials, and equipment to enhance environmental exploration for teachers and students. Farmer is featured on page 4 of New Growth.

Kudos to Dena Armbruster, fourth-grade teacher at Shacklette Elementary. Armbruster’s class collected 290 canned and nonperishable food items for the school’s recent Dare To Care Food Drive. Armbruster’s class donation earned her the title of Queen Turkey. Altogether, Shacklette students collected more than 1,500 food items for the Dare To Care Food Drive.

Kudos to Lindsey Christensen, teacher at Crosby Middle. Christensen received a $500 MAC Grant from McDonald’s, and she will use the grant to begin a community garden at Crosby. Students in her food literacy classes will use the garden to grow fruits and vegetables that they study in class. Science teachers are also excited about using the garden as an outdoor classroom to enhance their science lessons about plants.

Kudos to Brandeis Elementary Student Technology Leadership Project (STLP) coordinator Malissia Bell and computer teacher Meg Wilson. Students of the two teachers were invited by UofL Professor Steve Swan to present their Race to 500 video podcasting project to a group of Swan’s students, who are also teachers. The UofL Technology in Education class was thrilled to learn about the Brandeis award-winning student project, which qualifies them for state competition in Lexington in May. The fifth graders explained their project to the class using video materials and their presentation skills. The UofL students were excited, and several plan to record their own podcasts for the project. The Brandeis Race to 500 project was featured in a Mon., Sept. 28, “Schools That Work” column.

Kudos to Gina Kimery, P1 (kindergarten) teacher at Farmer Elementary. Kimery presented a workshop about the use of SMART Boards to UofL staff members and students. UofL student teachers and instructors participated in the workshop to enhance their technology skills and to provide better instruction to elementary students. This presentation also addressed adaptive uses of the SMART Board and ways to increase student participation.

Kudos to Carla Burton, counselor at Olmsted Academy South. Burton was selected as the Kentucky Middle School Counselor of the Year by the Kentucky Counseling Association.

Kudos to Amanda Warren, a clerk II in Materials Production. Warren acted as a munchkin in Oz The Musical, which was performed on Thurs., Dec. 10, at the Brown Theatre. The production featured actors from such popular productions as High School Musical, That’s So Raven, American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance. The production travels around the nation and features local talent as the munchkins and monkeys. For more information, visit http://www.ozthemusical.com/.

Kudos to Kariane Ransdell, broadcast teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle. Ransdell and her students in the Communications Magnet Program were featured on the WHAS Crusade for Children telethon on Sat., Dec. 12. Ransdell and 15 of her students presented the Crusade with a check for $830—roughly 10 percent of the profits generated from the fourth annual Patriot Walk. Thomas Jefferson communications students coordinated the walk on Thurs., Oct. 29.

Kudos to Naresh Keswani, mathematics teacher and sponsor of the Seneca High Green Club. The Green Club coordinated Greenhawks Week, which was held from Mon., Nov. 30, through Fri., Dec. 4. During this time, Keswani invited various guest speakers to discuss environmental issues. One such visitor was Louisville Mayor Jerry E. Abramson. Keswani tirelessly promotes environmental issues. He sells Green Club polo shirts and environmentally friendly aluminum water bottles, he provides extra recycling for beverage containers, and he coordinates various environmental-themed events, such as an optional Lights Out Day on Fri., Dec. 4. Many Seneca students have a heightened environmental awareness following Greenhawks Week.

Kudos to Greg Hair, Debbie Weber, and Shelly Durbin, teachers at Doss High. The Doss High Transition Room operates a coffee cart each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The proceeds of the coffee cart from Wed., Dec. 2, were earmarked for the Mint Jubilee Cancer Research Center. A total of $102.88 was collected, and Hair, Weber, and Durbin matched those funds. A check totaling $206 will be donated sometime this week to the Mint Jubilee Cancer Research Center.

Kudos to Price Elementary teacher interns Demetria Collier, Andrea Romans, and Jennifer Reese. The three coordinated a Literacy Night Around the World on Thurs., Dec. 3. Price students and families enjoyed a pizza dinner, received door prizes, and participated in drawings for children’s books and gift cards. Price staff members operated various stations where families could learn cultural and historical lessons about five countries. Each station offered a 20-minute presentation that allowed the families to sample some of that country’s native food.

Environmental film contest

Short film submissions from students in P3 (grade two) through grade six are needed for the Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA) Video Contest. All films must be 2.5 minutes in length or less, and they must explain why protecting Beargrass Creek is important. The best videos will tell a story and encourage others to protect the waterway. All videos must be submitted by Fri., Feb. 5. The top eight videos will be shown at the children’s program during KWA’s Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, which will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 27, at the Clifton Center. A judge’s panel will vote on the top three videos. To print a flier, click here. For more information, call 589-8008.

Derby Dinner student matinee

Tickets are now available for a Thurs., Jan. 14, matinee performance of Death & Taxes at Derby Dinner Playhouse in Clarksville. A small town council meeting turns into a murder mystery in the comedy by Pat Cook. The performance is appropriate for students in grade six through grade twelve. Tickets cost $6 a student, and one adult will be admitted free for every 20 students. The show has a 9:30 a.m. seating and a 10 a.m. performance, which lasts for about two hours. For more information or to reserve tickets for your school, call (812) 288-8281 or visit http://www.derbydinner.com.

Field trips on the Belle

The Belle of Louisville is now scheduling field trips for May, June, and July. This unique educational experience is appropriate for students in P1 through grade eight and special education groups. All groups may receive a packet of information and student activities that are based on Kentucky Core Content and academic standards. Social studies is the prime content area, but cross-curricular activities are included for science, math, and art. Field trips cost $5 a student, and one adult is admitted free for every eight students. For more information, call 574-2992.

Macy’s donates for letters

Every Macy’s in the United States offers a special mailbox to collect letters for Santa Claus. For each stamped letter placed in the Macy’s mailbox that is addressed to Santa, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Macy’s will donate as much as $1 million. For more information, click here. To view an activity guide, click here.

Louisville Soccer

Boys and girls younger than 8 can now sign up for the 2010 Winter Session with Louisville Soccer. Registration will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon on Sat., Dec. 19, at Westport Middle and Kennedy Montessori Elementary. To print a flier, click here. For more information, visit http://www.louisvillesoccer.com.

Spalding offers MFA study in Argentina

Are you a writer? During the summer semester, Spalding University will offer a brief-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program, which fits a teacher’s schedule. Semesters begin with a ten-day residency of classes in an international location. After the residency, students work from home by correspondence with an experienced writing mentor for nine months. The upcoming summer semester will be held from Mon., June 21, through Sat., July 3, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The curriculum includes workshops, lectures, literary reading, and panel discussions. Cultural events include a tango show, walking tours of the city’s diverse neighborhoods, and visits to Villa Ocampo and to an estancia—a ranch estate near San Antonio de Areco. Students may concentrate on fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, screenwriting, or playwriting. Spalding also offers spring and fall semesters that take place in Louisville. The application deadline for the summer semester is Mon., Feb. 1. For more information, call 585-9911, Ext. 2423; send an e-mail to mfa@spalding.edu; or click here.

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