June 1, 2009
Volume 31, No. 40

Leandra Torra, a fourth-grade teacher at Wheatley Elementary, started a lesson last year that will culminate this week with a home demolition. Read about her project in “Best Foot Forward.”

Prepare rooms, offices for summer

Before you leave your classroom or office for Summer Break, consider these suggestions to help the district save money and lessen its carbon footprint. Following these suggestions also will help you increase your chances of winning the Kilowatt Crackdown Competition. Each school in the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District is already registered in the Kilowatt Crackdown. The competition is put together by the Louisville Energy Alliance, which promotes energy conservation within Jefferson County. For more information about the Kilowatt Crackdown, visit http://www.louisvilleenergyalliance.com/ or send an e-mail to JCPSEnergyDept@jefferson.kyschools.us. The following steps will help save money:

  • Turn all lights off.
  • Turn thermostats up to a warmer setting.
  • Turn off and unplug all computers, monitors, printers, copiers, projectors, and electronics.
  • Unplug or take home classroom appliances, such as mini-refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee pots.
  • Shut all windows and doors.
  • Turn off all vending machines and unused water fountains.
  • Check all water faucets, and make sure none are leaking.
  • Take fish and other animals home for the summer. Turn off and drain aquariums.

From left, John Lee, director of Facility Planning; Robin Curry, student assignment project manager; Sonya Unseld, principal of Lincoln Elementary; and Pat Todd, executive director of Gheens Academy.

Building the arts magnet

District administrators unveiled plans on Tues., May 26, for curriculum and construction changes to create the Performing Arts Magnet Program at Lincoln Elementary during a special visit by U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-3rd District). Yarmuth served previously as an Every 1 Reads volunteer at Lincoln, which will open in the 2009-10 school year as a new arts magnet. This summer, the existing building will be modified to create studio spaces for instrumental, vocal, dance, and drama students, says John Lee, director of Facility Planning. Designs for a new performing arts media center will be created this summer with the goal of opening in the late fall of 2010. The Lincoln Magnet Team has assembled an impressive group of community groups and arts organizations that will work with students and staff members. For example, a representative of the Louisville Ballet will provide ballet instruction to students. Lincoln Elementary will become the first JCPS elementary performing arts concept school of its kind. In addition to performing arts, Lincoln will emphasize a strong academic program in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies that is integrated with drama, music, and dance.

Use JCPS Mail Center; save money

This year, several schools—including Meyzeek Middle, Shawnee High School Magnet Career Academy (MCA), and Central High School MCA—saved hundreds of dollars by sending their daily mail to the JCPS Mail Center. Instead of applying postage on the mail at school, the Mail Center can perform this service and save 0.106 cents for each one-ounce letter and 0.15 cents for every two-ounce letter. For more information about how your school could save money by using this service, call Kim Hight at 485-3325 or send her an e-mail at kim.hight@jefferson.kyschools.us.

School Garden Tour

A School Garden Tour will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thurs., July 16. The tour begins at St. Francis School in Goshen. Registration is limited to 30 teachers, and tour transportation will be offered on a school bus. The Kentucky School Garden Network sponsors the tour of six outstanding school gardens in metro Louisville. The selected school gardens are funded in part by the YouthBuild Louisville and E-Corp Grant from the Summer Youth Employment 2009 Program, which is made possible by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act. To register, call 228-1197. To print a flier or view an agenda, click here.

Funds help begin a garden

Schools that plan to begin a school garden during 2010 may be eligible for a Healthy Sprouts Award. The grants, offered by the National Gardening Association (NGA), offer funds and materials to help start school gardens. To be eligible, the gardens must involve at least 15 students and be used to teach about nutrition and hunger. Twenty schools or organizations will receive gift certificates to help with the purchase of gardening materials from Gardener’s Supply Company. The top five entries will each receive a $500 gift certificate, and 15 other schools will each receive a $200 gift certificate, seeds, and a literature package. The deadline to apply is Sat., Oct. 17. To apply or to obtain more information, visit http://www.kidsgardening.com/healthysprouts.asp.

PTA Executive Board

The 15th District Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has a new Executive Board for the 2009-10 school year. To view the new board members and their contact information, click here.

Blairwood joins JCPS Plus

The JCPS Plus Program has a new partner, Blairwood Tennis, Swim, & Fitness Club, 9300 Blairwood Road. JCPS employees can join without an enrollment fee and receive reduced monthly membership rates. The facility offers family-oriented fitness and fun activities. For more information, call Mike Boccieri at 426-8820, Ext. 105, or send an e-mail to bofitman@aol.com. To view the complete offer, visit http://www.jcpsky.net/Departments/HumanResource/
JCPSPLUS/Blairwood.html.

Monday Memo archives

Are you looking for a 2009 issue of Monday Memo? Each issue since mid-December is still posted online and will be accessible until mid-August. The archive section is always accessible through the orange box labeled “Archives” at the top of the Monday Memo Web site.

Make posters at CRC

The Curriculum Resource Center (CRC) has a new tool that will help teachers prepare for the upcoming school year. A new Canon ColorPro Poster Maker allows teachers to create large visual aids that can enhance instruction in all subject areas. Staff members at the CRC can offer assistance with the machine and with the creation of posters. Make plans this summer to visit the CRC at JCPS Gheens Academy. For more information about CRC equipment or materials, call 485-3132.

Football parking at Churchill Park

Churchill Park School is now taking reservations for parking spots during the 2009 University of Louisville (U of L) football season. The school is within walking distance of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium and offers a convenient parking location for home football games. A 2009 season pass costs $60, which provides a reserved parking spot for each home game. Proceeds benefit the students and programs at Churchill Park School. For more information, call Shannon Cook at 368-6609 or call the school at 485-8229.

Diversity words and actions

The JCPS Compliance and Investigations Office offers the following information. Tolerance, acceptance, and understanding are words that people may use without attaching any meaning to them because it has become politically correct to use them in everyday conversations. It is important to incorporate the ideas associated with these words into our everyday actions. Rhetoric is not enough because words cannot perform the work of actions. Diversity incorporates a range of beliefs, ideas, thoughts, and actions. We should carefully choose the words that we use to express our opinions about a person, place, or thing. We should also carefully choose the actions we take to express our opinions about a person, place, or thing.

Kentucky Virtual School summer PD

Multiple professional-development (PD) courses are available for JCPS teachers and administrators through Kentucky Virtual Schools. Courses are eligible for 6, 12, or 24 hours of PD or Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) credit. All courses have a $25 registration fee. To print a flier, click here. To view a course catalog or register online, visit http://www.kyvs.org/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_123_1. For more information, send an e-mail to elearningkyinquiry@education.ky.gov or call 1-866-432-0008, Ext. 4541. 

Surplus Auction

A JCPS furniture and equipment surplus auction will be held at 9 a.m. on Sat., June 20, at Farmington Warehouse, 358 Farmington Avenue. For more information, call Bruce Fowler at 485-3157.

Click image to enlarge.

Students design calendars

Students at the Audubon Youth Development Center will sell personalized calendars with artwork. Students at the school created the artwork using professional design software and can add specific dates or events to the calendars. Each calendar costs $10.50. All proceeds will benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The school will accept orders throughout the summer. For more information, send an e-mail to Michelle Thomason at michelle.thomason@jefferson.kyschools.us.

Seeking reading proposals

The Kentucky Reading Association will hold its annual conference on Thurs., Sept. 17, through Sat., Sept. 19, at the Galt House Hotel & Suites in Louisville. The deadline to submit presentation proposals is Tues., June 30. Keynote speakers include Dr. Tim Shanahan from the National Reading Panel and Dr. Alfred Tatum, who researches literacy issues of African-American students. Participants may register online at http://www.kyreading.org/. To print a presentation proposal form, click here.

Tour with a Ghost Walker

At 7:30 p.m. every Friday night through mid-November, join Robert Parker, Mr. Ghost Walker, for a 90-minute walk through downtown Louisville to hear history and ghost tales associated with Louisville’s most famous downtown addresses. The tours leave from the first-floor lobby of the Brown Hotel, 335 West Broadway. Parker, a teacher at Jefferson County Traditional Middle, offers a discounted price of $10 for JCPS employees. The typical price is $15 a person and $8 for children age 12 and younger. (The tour is not suitable for children younger than 8.) To receive the discount, mention this offer when making your reservation. Tours fill up quickly. To make a reservation, call 689-5117.

Learn with Technoversity

JCPS employees can improve their technological knowledge and skills in July with Technoversity, Computer Education Support’s (CES’s) three-week institute of technology workshops. Technoversity helps teachers integrate technology into their curriculum and helps employees improve their technology skills. More than 100 sessions are offered, including Teacher to Teacher, TabletPC, and Creating Literacy in Computer Knowledge (CLICK!). Sessions are also offered that explore Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Web page design, and JCPS Online. For more information, visit http://www.jcpsky.net/departments/it/CES/PD/Techno/CEStechno.html. To register for classes, visit pdCentral.

Waggener Class of 1979

The Waggener High School Class of 1979 is seeking alumni and school employees for an upcoming 30-year reunion, which will be held during the summer. If you would like to participate or if you have information about missing classmates or staff members, visit www.waggenerclassof79.com or send an e-mail to Terri Wheeler Buchart at tbuchart@insightbb.com. Fellow Class of 1979 graduates from Central High School are encouraged to attend the reunion. Did you teach or work at Waggener from 1975 through 1979? If so, send an e-mail to Doug Royer at dougroyer@insightbb.com. 

Back to top

Leandra Torra delivered a stack of student letters to Louisville Mayor Jerry E. Abramson on Nov. 20, 2007.

Change comes to Wheatley

Fifth-grade students at Wheatley Elementary will celebrate their last days of elementary school with an unconventional graduation gift—the demolition of a home across the street from their school.

The demolition—now scheduled for 1 p.m. on Mon., June 1— of the home at 1104 South 17th Street will culminate a 19-month campaign that began with a persuasive letter-writing exercise initiated by fourth-grade teacher Leandra Torra. Students wrote letters complaining about the home and its unwanted visitors and problems. What followed was a trip to court and an unforgettable lesson about community and government.

“It was a really cool, eye-opening lesson for the students,” Torra says. “They got to learn things that you just can’t teach from a textbook. These students cared about something, and they got it done.”

In the fall of 2007, Torra introduced her students to a persuasive letter-writing exercise. She asked them to remain silent as they walked around the school and to jot notes about what things they would like to change about their community. Seventeen students wrote about the home—directly across the street from school—which has been a problem location for many years. The students returned to class and brainstormed a course of action. A plan was hatched.

The home across from Wheatley as it appeared in November 2007. Visitors often asked students for spare change.

Students studied effective letter writing and attention-grabbing introductions. Students addressed their letters to Louisville Mayor Jerry E. Abramson. At least one student began a letter by asking how the mayor would feel if his child attended school across the street from such a home.

When Abramson visited Wheatley Elementary for a Mayor’s Top Apple Award Ceremony on Nov. 20, 2007, Torra presented Abramson with a stack of the students’ letters. Torra received a letter from Abramson in response to the students’ letters in which he vowed to send the letters to the appropriate department, which would investigate the complaint. That letter is now in a frame on the wall of Torra’s classroom.

The letters made their way to Beth Bishop, administrative coordinator with Jefferson County Inspections, Licenses, and Permits.

“I was tickled,” Bishops says about receiving the students’ letters. “They were very observant. They were talking about dogs and tires and mosquitoes and wiring that could start fires.”

The house had multiple compliance issues and a somewhat complicated history of occupancy. The home’s original owner had died. The late owner’s daughter lived at the home until she died. An acquaintance of the daughter was now the home’s occupant. The occupant was cited at least three times, and the case traveled in and out of court.

This 180-degree panoramic photograph shows the front doors of Wheatley Elementary, left, which are directly across the street from the problem home, which is seen boarded shut at right.

The problem home and the Wheatley students became a special project for Bishop. When a January court date approached, Bishop personally paid for school bus transportation so that the letter-writing students at Wheatley could attend the hearing. The students sat in the crowded courtroom and patiently awaited the case involving the home’s occupant.

“I wanted somebody from the school to come and show how important this was,” Bishop says. “The students sat in the front row of the courtroom. The prosecutor said, ‘I’ve got a row full of students here who are ready to testify.’”

The students did not testify, but their presence stressed the importance of the case. The students’ letters were presented to the judge. The result completely amazed the students.

“The judge sent the occupant to jail on the spot,” Torra says. “They put the cuffs on him right there and took him to lock-up.”

The process to initiate demolition on a house with multiple and longstanding infractions is lengthy and involves legal work and research. Once the occupant went to jail, the home was vacant and Bishop pursued demolition plans. The longer school year—caused by the  makeup days stemming from the September windstorm and the January ice storm—helped allow the demolition to occur before the students entered middle school.

“I have been adamant that this was going to happen before the students went to middle school,” Bishop says.

Leandra Torra’s 17 students who wrote letters about the home will celebrate the last day of school with a pizza party and a home demolition.

The demolition of the home culminates a long-term project for the students and will come as a relief to many staff members, including Wheatley bookkeeper Tammy Baechle, who has spent several years reporting various activities at the home to law enforcement authorities and elected officials. Mayor Abramson says the students’ efforts have introduced them to important lessons about democracy and justice.

"I love to see young people getting involved in the democratic process, and I was thrilled to see the impact the students had on removing this eyesore from their community,” Abramson says. “It’s important for our citizens—young and old—to know that they have a voice in government and that they can make a difference. This is a lesson they'll remember for the rest of their lives.”

The majority of Wheatley students are a diverse mix of minority students, many of whom live in the community surrounding their school. Torra hopes that the project gives students pride and a feeling of accomplishment that they improved their community with letters that most students wrote when they were only 10 years old.

“I think the most important thing is that they learned that their voice matters,” Torra says. “And that if we all stick together and put our minds to something, it will change for the positive.”

Back to top

Sarah Carmichael-Miller, third-grade teacher at Field Elementary, listens beside her students to a Jewish man whose family fled Belgium and the invading Nazis.

Field students probe oppression, survival

When Fred Gross visited Field Elementary last week to discuss his book about his family’s furious travels through France to evade the Nazis, a student asked a question hoping to settle what had become a classroom debate in recent weeks.

“Did you take your pets?”

Gross’s family did not have pets when they fled their native Belgium in 1939, leaving the classroom debate open and sides divided.

Gross, who recently authored One Step Ahead of Hitler: A Jewish Child’s Journey Through France, helped the students of Sarah Carmichael-Miller learn about a historical era they have studied during a family literacy project.

In the past month, Carmichael-Miller’s third-grade students have read Twenty and Ten—a story of 20 French children who hide 10 Jewish children from the Nazis—by Claire Huchet Bishop and Janet Joly. Students read the book with an adult, either at home or at school. To practice the food rationing the children performed in the book, Carmichael-Miller’s students were given two Hershey chocolate bars, which had to be shared among three students for the duration of the project.

Fred Gross describes his family’s flight from Belgium when he was a child.

To illustrate the plights of refugees, groups of students were asked to compile an agreed-upon list of items from their homes that they would gather if only given 15 minutes before fleeing and living as a refugee. Many of the students agreed on similar items: pocket knives, flashlights, photos of family members, pillows, and something to prevent boredom. The discussions about whether to take pets stirred a poignant debate that presented students with some of the tough choices that refugees must make.

The assignment was challenging, and no group compiled a complete list, Carmichael-Miller says.

A student’s parent read about Gross’s book in The Courier-Journal, found his home number, and invited him to speak to students.

During Gross’s visit to Field, he showed photographs of his family and a map that illustrated their travels out of Belgium and through France. Gross, who was 3 at the time, shared the road with at least 1 million other refugees, who were often fired upon by German planes overhead. Gross says that when the planes approached, his mother threw him into a ditch and covered him with her body.

In southern France, Gross’s family hid with a Catholic family for six weeks. Gross’s family eventually fled the home because of fears that a neighboring family would report the refugees. Gross presented the stories of these two neighbors and asked students which family they would be like: the family that offered support or the family that saw what was happening and did nothing. 

For more information about One Step Ahead of Hitler: A Jewish Child’s Journey Through France, click here.

The family literacy project culminated with a larger event in the school cafeteria on Thurs., May 28, in which family members were invited. The guiding question throughout the project has been: “Are children powerful?” Students addressed this question in their journals before and throughout the project.

Students have studied various refugee survival stories involving slavery in the United States and World War II, and have explored how themes of prejudice and racism have affected families. Learning about the history of oppression and survival has opened students’ eyes to the challenges of the present. Carmichael-Miller was presented with an unexpected teachable moment during a recent class field trip to Seneca Park when students noticed swastika symbol graffiti inside a park restroom.

“My students were livid,” Carmichael-Miller says. “They could not believe that someone put that symbol of hatred in the bathroom.”

Back to top

Kudos to Debra Osoffsky, Family Resource Center (FRC) coordinator of the STAR Center FRC. The Star Center FRC serves Stonestreet and Sanders Elementary Schools. Osoffsky was honored as the 2009 Jefferson County Environmental Educator of the Year Award by the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation (JCSWC) District. Osoffsky received the award during a school assembly that celebrated Stonestreet Elementary’s 50th anniversary. Cheryl Bersaglia, JCSWC educational director, says that Osoffsky was selected based on her work to bring outdoor classrooms to both schools. Students learn with the additions of wetlands, a rain garden, butterfly gardens, and Kentucky native plant gardens, and Osoffsky coordinated a PD session in which educators learned about outdoor classrooms with wetlands expert Tom Beibighauser. Osoffsky also received $500, which will be used to enhance the wetlands and native plantings. Earlier this spring, Osoffsky was also honored as the 2008-09 Peacemaking Educator of the Year by the Peace Education Program.

Kudos to Janet White, fourth-grade teacher at Hartstern Elementary. Each year, White’s students weave key chains for their mothers and present them as Mother’s Day gifts. This year, White’s students made extra key chains and sold them to raise money that would be donated. Students explored possible organizations and their missions and finally decided to raise funds for the American Red Cross to help tornado victims in Richmond, Kentucky, and the WHAS Crusade for Children because it benefits fellow children. Students charged $2 for each key chain and set a goal to raise $200 to donate at least $100 to each organization. White’s students have since collected more than $200.

Kudos to Kristine Larson, arts and humanities teacher, and Mary Sapienza, fourth-grade teacher, at Young Elementary. A student of Larson and Sapienza created a winning design in the 2009 Kids Salute Transit Authority of River City (TARC) Design-A-Bus Contest. The contest theme was Visit Possibility on TARC. There were about 400 entries this year, and the Young student was 1 of 12 winners. The student’s design will decorate the side of a TARC bus for one year. The student and his teachers are invited to an awards ceremony at the Louisville Zoo on Sat., July 25.

Kudos to Pam Misleh, health careers teacher at Waggener Traditional High. Misleh sponsors the Waggener Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) chapter, which recently conducted a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Pennies for Patients fundraiser. The HOSA students challenged their classmates to donate spare change and compete for a pizza party prize. The students created a unique fundraiser, Stuck for a Buck, in which students could donate money and tape a staff member to the wall of the school cafeteria during lunch. The staff members who volunteered for Stuck for a Buck were social studies teacher Jason Willis and English teacher Beth Kuhnell. For the second year, the students have raised more than $1,000 for this great cause.

Kudos to Nan Tate, choir director at Atherton High. The Atherton High Chamber Singers and Bel Canto will perform at New York City’s Lincoln Center in April 2010. This prestigious honor will allow Atherton students to perform with other talented singers from throughout the United States to form the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, a choir of distinction, which will be accompanied by Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International. Dr. Jonathan Griffith, artistic director and principal conductor for Distinguished Concerts International New York, says, “The Atherton High School Chamber Singers and Bel Canto received this invitation because of the quality and high level of musicianship demonstrated by the singers and the exceptional recommendations given by Ms. Tate’s choral colleagues. It is quite an honor just to be invited to perform in the Lincoln Center. These wonderful musicians not only represent a high quality of music and education, but they also become ambassadors for the entire community.” The Atherton students will spend five days and four nights in New York City to prepare for their concert. To read a press release about the spring 2010 concert, click here.

Kudos to Molly Williams, P2 (first grade) teacher at Greenwood Elementary. Williams was honored as a SMART Exemplary Educator by SMART Technologies, a technology company that creates SMART Boards and educational software. Greenwood was also recognized as a SMART Showcase School. For more information about SMART educational programs, click here. As a SMART Showcase School, Greenwood Elementary will serve as a school technology leader that provides input and feedback to SMART Technologies about educational technology and will:

  • Provide SMART with input on best practices.
  • Test new SMART products and services.
  • Share teachers’ best practices.
  • Be highlighted in SMART publications and marketing materials.
  • Receive special offers on SMART products and services.
  • Participate in PD from SMART’s team of education consultants.
  • Receive a $750 credit from SMART Training Services.

Kudos to all schools, staff members, and supporters who help make the 15th District PTA a thriving and successful organization. The PTA Awards Banquet was held on Tues., May 5, at the Fern Valley Hotel and Conference Center. To read each award, scholarship, and recognition, click here. Highlights of the Awards Banquet include the following:

  • Butler Traditional High has the largest Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) in Kentucky with 4,961 members.
  • The district’s largest elementary and middle school organizations are the Audubon Traditional Elementary PTA with 1,468 members and the Crosby Middle PTSA with 1,453 members.
  • Valley Traditional High recorded the largest increase in PTSA membership since the previous year. The school’s PTSA grew by 2,860 percent.
  • Three schools—Audubon Traditional Elementary, Barret Traditional Middle, and Butler Traditional High—have membership rates of 200 percent based on school attendance. There are at least two PTA members for every student.
  • Chancey Elementary received multiple awards for its outstanding programs, Web site, volunteer participation, and newsletter. Chancey also received the district’s Together We Can Award.

Kudos to Dan Bass, practical living teacher and coach of the Johnson Traditional Middle Girls’ Softball Team. The Johnson Girls’ Softball Team won the JCPS Fast Pitch Softball Tournament on Mon., May 18, at Ulmer Stadium at U of L. The team finished the regular season with a 10-1 record and was undefeated in tournament games to end their season with a 14-1 record.

Kudos to staff members at Young Elementary, which will receive a Garden Tool Kit from the Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment at the University of Kentucky. Young’s staff members proposed planting three small garden plots: one for pollinators, one for spring vegetables, and another one for fall harvest crops. All of the gardens will be used for instructional purposes. Work to begin the garden development will begin in August. Between the Garden Tool Kit and support from community businesses, the school will receive tools, soil, plants, seeds, landscape timbers, and mulch. The teachers and staff members involved in this project are Cabrina Bosco, Clifford Hibbs, Judy Pollom, Joni Collins, Stephanie Newbold, and Mary Sapienza.

Kudos to Bradley Harlow, Latin teacher at Louisville Male High. A student of Harlow’s—who is also the son of JCPS school social worker DaNielle New—won third place in the 2009 Kentucky World Language Association (KWLA) Competition, which was held on Sat., May 16, in Lexington. The student completed a scale-model design that represented the destruction of Pompeii. Students from JCPS were well represented in top awards for competitions in Latin, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, and Japanese. To view all of the results, visit http://www.kwla-online.org/festival/results.html.

Kudos to the Waggener Traditional High PTSA, which collaborated with the Waggener Classes of 1960, 1961, and 1962 to raise scholarship funds for the Class of 2009. Together, the groups raised enough funds to sponsor six $500 scholarships for deserving seniors. The scholarships, in honor of Class of 1962 graduate Walker Cunningham, will be awarded to seniors during Waggener Senior Night, which will be held on Tues., June 2.

Kudos to coordinators of the following Student Technology Leadership Programs (STLPs). The state’s top STLPs participated in the STLP State Championship, which was held on Thurs., May 21, in Lexington. These STLP coordinators had students participate in the State Showcase. They scored a 104 or higher in the Fall Regional Showcase and were invited to share their project and compete at the state level.

  • Michelle Thompson, Audubon Youth Development Center
  • Malissia Bell, Brandeis Elementary
  • Jerry Walker, Eastern High
  • Mark Bauman, Olmsted Academy South
  • Kathy Pierce, Meyzeek Middle
  • Janet Seibert, Noe Middle
  • Jad Salameh, Shacklette Elementary
  • Denette Brown, Stopher Elementary
  • Gregory Grazette, Westport Middle

Out of 337 showcases, the Brandeis Elementary STLP—led by Bell—placed in the Top 10 Runners Up, and the Eastern High STLP—led by Walker—placed in the Top 55. Bell, Seibert, and Brown have students who participate as Cyber Reporters, Podcasters, and Editors. Walker’s students at Eastern won a second-place award in Gaming and a first-place award in Bench Challenge. The Audubon Youth Development Center STLP and the Stopher Elementary STLP were honored as Gold STLPs. The JCPS CES unit provided technical expertise at the state competition to successfully display The Cyber-Gazette and Showcase areas.

Kudos to the teachers and schools that are involved with the Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools Program, a joint effort between the U of L Center for Environmental Education, Brightside, and the JCPS Center for Environmental Education. The program challenges schools to inventory solid waste, indoor air quality, hazardous chemicals, green spaces, health and safety, energy, water, and transportation issues. Then students and staff members will learn to transform the schools to operate at peak efficiency. For more information, click here. The participating teachers and schools are as follows:

  • Beth Inman, Ballard High School
  • Darleen Horton, Chenoweth Elementary
  • Bridgett Dean, Eastern High
  • Molly Woofter and Andrew Gray, Fairdale High School MCA
  • Marsha Buerger and Cynthia Boyles, Farnsley Middle
  • Elizabeth Ruhe, Indian Trail Elementary
  • Jerry Durall and Rachel Davis, Lassiter Middle
  • Shannon Balentine and James Fletcher, Moore Traditional School
  • Hawk Hart-Suk, Waggener Traditional High
  • Tim Baker, Meyzeek Middle
  • Nicole Bishop, Jeffersontown Elementary
  • Angela Page, Louisville Male High
  • Marlon Francis and Elizabeth Mansfield, Fern Creek Traditional High
  • Lorelei Trout and Kaki Robinson, Kennedy Montessori Elementary
  • Marla Paschal, Valley Traditional High

Kudos to Tammi Slaughter, business teacher and Future Business Leaders of America (SBLA) sponsor at Doss High School MCA. Slaughter sponsors the Doss financial team that won the Junior Achievement Banks in Action Computer Simulation. The Doss team will travel to New York City from Sun., June 28, through Wed., July 1, where they will compete against nine teams from throughout the United States for a chance to win scholarship money. A team from Jeffersontown High School MCA, led by history teacher Jim Mitchell, placed second in the competition, and the three team members will each receive $150. Banks in Action is a volunteer-led program built around eight classroom sessions. During each session, students learn the fundamentals of the banking industry and then have the opportunity to apply what they learn in a competitive environment.

Back to top

Planetarium camp

The Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium will host Planet Earth Camp during July and August. The hands-on program for students ages 9 to 11 explores the story of what makes the Earth special, from its beginnings to the latest scientific ideas. This fast-paced camp is a balance of work, play, teamwork, and creativity. The camp costs $150 for planetarium members and $200 for all others. Two sessions of the camp will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Mon., July 27, through Fri., July 31, and from Mon., Aug. 3, through Fri., Aug. 7. To register for the camp, visit https://louisville.edu/planetarium/events/summer-camps.html or call 852-6665.

Discounts to summer camps

Children of JCPS staff members will receive a 10 percent discount for summer camps at Jefferson Memorial Forest and a 30 percent discount on one joint summer camp partnership. Jefferson Memorial Forest offers a variety of summer camps for students, including Time Travelers—Adventure to the Past! a partnership between Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen Landing, and Jefferson Memorial Forest. The 30 percent discount applies only to Time Travelers. When registering, JCPS employees must provide their work location and job title. To view all of the camps, visit http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/parks/jeffersonmemorialforest/
educationalprograms/summercamps.htm. To receive a brochure, call 368-6856.

Louisville Nature Center camps

The Louisville Nature Center, 3745 Illinois Avenue, offers summer camps for children ages 4 to 12. For more information about the camps, visit www.louisvillenaturecenter.org or call 458-1328. To print a flier about the camps, click here.

  • Children ages 4 and 5 will enjoy It’s a Small World, a camp held from 9 to 11:45 a.m. from Mon., Aug. 3, through Thurs., Aug. 6. The program provides an in-depth education on the tiny plants and insects that inhabit the forest. Through a series of games, crafts, and forest activities, participants will see what is often missed on a normal hike through the woods. The camp costs between $100 and $115.
  • Children ages 6 to 12 will enjoy Exploring Kentucky Wildlife. Two sessions of the camp will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Mon., June 22, through Fri., June 26, and from Mon., July 13, through Fri., July 17. Participants will explore Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve to learn how local plants and wildlife are good for the environment. Participants will see, hear, and feel what lurks in the forest. The camp costs between $165 and $180.

JCC offers summer programs

The Jewish Community Center (JCC) offers summer memberships, access to a cultural arts department, and a competitive swim and dive team. Summer memberships include access to three outdoor pools, one indoor pool, a fitness center, gymnasiums, and a spinning class. To view all summer programs and camp options, click here. For more information, call 238-2718 or visit http://www.jccoflouisville.org.

Educators Consignment Sale

Do you have educational materials that you no longer use and that could be sold to someone else? Consider consigning them. An Everything for Educators Consignment Sale will be held from Thurs., June 18, through Sat., June 20, at the Fern Creek Fire Department. Consignors will receive a large percentage of the sale. This event is also a great opportunity for educators to purchase used educational items. For more information, visit http://www.everythingforeducators.com or call Jill Byrd at 939-1437.

Author leads student workshop

Mary Casanova, children’s book author of the popular American Girl Series starring Chrissa, will host a writing workshop for students. The workshop will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sat., Aug. 22, at the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Headquarters, 2115 Lexington Road. The workshop is limited to 40 participants and costs $25 a student. Casanova will discuss how students can become better writers and incorporate personal experiences into their writing. The Children’s Hospital Foundation sponsors the workshop. To print a flier, click here. For more information, call 629-8060 or visit http://nortonhealthcare.com/help/chf/index.aspx.

Back to top


Return to JCPS Web site