www.jcpsky.netEqual Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Offering Equal Educational Opportunities

Also in this issue:• JCPS is accepting middle and high school applications• Atkinson educator named Elementary Teacher of the Year • Are you as smart as a JCPS high school junior?

Jefferson County

PublicSchools

Nov.-Dec. 2011

Ten ways to help your child meet the new state standards

Ten ways to help your child meet the new state academic standards

Academic standards determine what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. For instance, third graders learn about weights and liquid volumes, and they should be able solve word problems with them—according to the new Kentucky Core Academic Standards (KCAS) in math.

Throughout the school year, JCPS teachers will implement the new math standards as well as new English/language arts standards. They’re based on the Common Core State Standards, which have been adopted by more than 40 states.

There are three key things you should know about these standards: • They’retougherthantheoldones. Students learn skills more

quickly and study lessons in more depth.

• They’redesignedtomakesureallstudentsarecollege-andcareer-ready.

• Theyaffectallgradelevels. There’s a clear progression of skills and knowledge from kin-dergarten to high school gradua-tion.

To help your child meet the new standards:• Bepatientandunderstandingifyourchildcomplainsabouthavingmorehomework,quiz-zes,andteststhaneverbefore. Show your child how to set up a homework schedule and budget time wisely. You also may need to check homework and help more often than last year.

•Reassureyourchildthatheorshewillbeabletohandlebothhomeworkandclassworkonceheorsheadjuststothepaceanddepthofthelessonsunderthenewstandards.

•ReviewtheJCPScurriculummapsatwww.jcpsky.net/de-partments/gheens/CurrMaps.html.They show what students learn at each grade level through-out the year. When you have a clear understanding of what your child needs to know, you can eas-ily monitor and support progress.

• Talktoyourchild’steachersregularly. Don’t wait for parent-teacher conferences. Ask the teacher for ideas and strategies to help you work with your child at home on specific skills.

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Parent to Parent

Parent engagement is key to achievementOur school district is fortunateto have so many parents actively engaged in their children’s educa-tion. I’ve had the pleasure of visit-ing 50 schools since August 17, and I see many parents volunteer-ing in classrooms and helping at school events.

As a former principal, I know firsthand the difference parent in-

volvement makes. When children see their parents taking time out of their busy schedules to help schools, they know that they should make education a priority too.

Of course, many parents stay en-gaged just by regularly talking to their children about what they are learning, helping with homework, participating in parent-teacher con-

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• Encourageyourchildtoaskquestionsaboutschoolworkbothatschoolandhome. Ask-ing questions helps students learn to think critically. If you don’t know the answers to your child’s questions, do some re-search together.

•Unlessyourchildissick,makesureheorshegoestoschooleveryday—withnotardies. Because students learn skills more quickly under the new stan-dards, they can fall behind more quickly if they miss class.

• Ifyourchildneedsextrahelp,askhisorherteacherabouttu-toringorspecialprograms.

• Ifyourchildjustwantstolearnmoreaboutsomething,planatriptothelibraryorfindsomegoodWebsitesonthesubject.You also could encourage your child to get involved in school programs, projects, or clubs fo-cused on the subject—a math club, for instance, or a creative writing club.

•Dosimplelearningactivitiesathome.For instance, you may want to come up with some real-

life examples of math word prob-lems, such as asking your child to figure out how many cups of milk are in a gallon.

•Helpyourchilddevelopaplan

toreachlong-termcollegeandcareergoals. Review the plan regularly with your child and with a counselor.

JCPS has created a Web page called the Parents’ Guide to the New State Standards. You’ll find general information, specific questions you should ask your child’s teacher, and tips on helping your child ad-just to the pace and depth of the new standards. The page is available at www.jcpsky.net/Pubs/ParentConnection/standards.html.

Brochures about the standards will be available at all Jefferson Coun-ty public schools.

JCPS launches standards page for parents

In addition, the 15th District PTA is partnering with the Gheens in-structional staff to offer standards workshops at JCPS schools.

For information on scheduling a session for your school, call 485-3535.

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ferences, and providing general support and encouragement. Study after study has shown that parent involvement has a profound effect on student achievement. Good students and good schools become even better students and better schools when parents are engaged. High levels of parent en-gagement lead to not only higher grades and test scores but also the following:• Higher attendance• More consistently completed

homework assignments• Less misbehavior• Higher graduation rates and col-

lege enrollment

And now parent engagement is even more important than ever before. Kentucky is pioneering the statewide implementation of rigorous new national academic standards in math and English/lan-guage arts. All JCPS students—like their peers across the state—will have to learn to even higher levels.

If you need more information about the new standards, it’s avail-able. Brochures, developed by the National PTA, describing the standards for each grade level are available on the district’s Web site and from your child’s school, cour-tesy of the 15th District PTA. And the first article in this newsletter lists several tips for helping your child adjust to the new standards. Many of these tips are just com-monsense suggestions, but the new standards require parents as well as students and teachers to renew their focus on high-quality work and their commitment to reaching a deeper level of knowledge. The students who will achieve the most under the new standards are those whose parents and teachers

work together to create a support-ive learning environment that ex-tends from the school to the home.

Maintaining this partnership will continue to be important through-out your child’s education because the new math and English/lan-guage arts standards are just the beginning. Next year, JCPS will implement new science and social studies standards. In 2013-14, the district will implement new stan-dards in art, music, practical living, and world languages.

That’s why one of the most impor-tant tips in the front-page article is to reassure your child that he or she will be able to handle both home-work and classwork under the new standards.

A little parental encouragement will go a long way toward helping

your child adjust to the pace of the new lessons.

You also can tell your child that more effort now will pay off in the long term because the new standards ultimately will provide many benefits. They’ll ensure les-sons progress smoothly not only throughout the year but also from grade to grade. They’ll help your child build the confidence to take on challenging work. And they’ll better prepare your child for col-lege and the most rewarding ca-reers.

Sincerely,

Donna M. Hargens, Ed.D. JCPS Superintendent

Superintendent launches new video seriesSuperintendent Donna Hargens launched a weekly series of video messages last month called Beyond the Headlines. Available on the Web at www.youtube.com/user/jcpsweb, the videos let Dr. Hargens share information about what our schools are doing and why. Look for a new video each Friday afternoon. You can send a question that could become the topic of a future video message. The e-mail address is jcps.generalaccount@jefferson.kyschools.us.

Another new feature on the district’s homepage is a set of sliding photos with headlines. Click any photo for the latest JCPS news or a feature article about the district.

JCPS is accepting applications for middle and high magnet schools, mag-net programs, optional programs, and high school open enrollment for the next school year. The deadline to apply is Fri.,Jan.6,2012.

See the article below for a high school overview. See page 7 for a sum-mary of middle school programs. Detailed information and an application form are available in Choices, the district guidebook. Digital versions of the book are available on the Showcase of Schools page at www.jcpsky.net/Showcase. The application period for elementary schools for the next school year is scheduled to begin on Wed.,Feb.1,2012. Application forms will be available at elementary schools. The JCPS Elementary School Showcase will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center on Sat.,Jan.28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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JCPS is now accepting middle and high school applications

5-Star High SchoolsCourses at most JCPS high schools are organized around one of five Professional Career Theme Pro-grams that offer advanced college and career preparation.

Classes go far beyond lectures. Students participate in hands-on, real-world projects in and out of the classroom.Local companies, community orga-nizations, colleges, and universities partner with JCPS schools to sup-port these programs, so students get expert advice from professionals in the field. Many courses offer college credit as well as job shad-owing, mentoring, professional certification, co-ops, internships, or apprenticeships.

Students graduate with the kind of diploma that gets noticed—a credentialed diploma representing dual-credit courses, authentic expe-riences, and industry certifications.

JCPS provides transportation for students who are accepted into one of these programs within the net-

work that serves their attendance area. Don’t know which network your child lives in? Call Demo-graphics at 485-3050 or use the SchoolFinder on the JCPS Web site at http://apps.jefferson.kyschools.us/demographics/schoolfinder.aspx.

HumanServices,Education,andInternationalStudiesThis theme offers courses for stu-dents who want to prepare for a le-gal career, learn the art of teaching, or explore the world.

Students who take Human Services courses study the law, government, and social issues. Service-learning projects give students real-world skills and experience that make their résumés stand out.

JCPS education students learn the foundations of teaching and gain experience by working with elementary and middle school students. Education students also learn about colleges and universi-ties where they can continue their

Video overviews of the 5 Star Profes-sional Career Theme Programs are avail-able on the JCPS YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/jcpsweb.

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studies and career preparation after high school.

Students who take international studies classes develop an in-depth understanding of the global community. They learn a world language, and they work with gov-ernment agencies and international organizations. Through the Interna-tional Baccalaureate (IB) Program at Atherton, students can earn an IB Diploma that is recognized for uni-versity admission at schools around the world.

Schools: Network 1: Fairdale High, Network 2: Seneca High, Network 3: Atherton High

Engineering(Aerospace/Architecture/ManufacturingandConstruction)JCPS engineering students build problem-solving skills and master a range of tools and technologies (the same tools and technologies that today’s professionals use).

Students receive a broad intro-duction to the field by exploring real-world problems. They study historical engineering achieve-ments ranging from the Egyptian pyramids to the U.S. highway sys-tem to the Ohio River locks and dams. Courses are also available for students who want to focus on aviation, manufacturing, energy transmission, or construction.

Schools: Network 1: Iroquois High, Network 2: Jeffersontown High, Network 3: The Academy @ Shawnee

Communication,Media,andtheArtsCommunication skills are in de-mand across occupations. Courses at JCPS high schools are avail-able in public speaking, radio

and television production, stage and costume design, print media, graphic arts, and performing arts. Students work in well-equipped, state-of-the-art studios. They get many chances to practice their craft and show off their skills. Whether they’re painting murals, acting on stage, creating digital art, writing a short story or novel, editing news articles, anchoring a broadcast, or directing a film, students receive both solid academic instruction and practical experience.

Schools: Network 1: Pleasure Ridge Park High, Network 2: Fern Creek High, Network 3: Ballard High

Medicine,Health,andtheEnvironmentJCPS health-care students learn about a range of possible careers and develop basic skills in each medical field. Courses provide preparation for both an entry-level job and for additional study in col-lege. Mentoring, real-world health-care environments, job-shadowing experiences, and internships show students how the pros do it. Many students earn professional health-care certification before they gradu-

ate from high school.

Career opportunities for experts on the environment are expanding rap-idly. JCPS environmental students investigate the world in the class-room, the lab, and the field. They explore current issues and study possible solutions to environmental problems.

Schools: Network 1: Valley High, Network 2: Moore Traditional School, Network 3: Waggener High

BusinessandInformationTechnologyJCPS business students learn how to create and run a company. Both business and information tech-nology students learn how to use technology to manage business operations. Courses are available in banking, finance, business ap-plications, marketing, accounting, computer repair, networking, Web design, geographic information systems, and programming. Many of these courses offer both industry certification and college credit.

Schools: Network 1: Doss High, Network 2: Southern High, Net-work 3: Eastern High

Jeffersontown students work on an engineering project.

Districtwide magnet high schoolsThe following magnet schools and programs accept applications from students throughout the JCPS Dis-trict. At most schools, transportation is provided for every Jefferson Coun-ty address.• The Academy @ Shawnee of-

fers the Aerospace: Flight School Program and the Aerospace: Aviation Maintenance Technol-ogy Program.

• The Brown School is a self-di-rected learning school that serves kindergarten through grade-twelve students. (Transportation is not provided for Brown School students.)

• Butler Traditional High and Louisville Male High offer tradi-tional education.

• Central High School MCA offers business, technology, law, health care, and veterinary magnet pro-grams.

• DuPont Manual High offers

communications, visual arts, col-lege prep, and math/science/tech-nology programs.

• Western Magnet High offers the Early College Program and the Culinary Arts Program.

• The Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS) offers dance, the-atre, musical theatre, design and production (technical theatre), vocal music, instrumental music (band and orchestra), and piano programs.

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Middle school programsMiddle school magnet programs let students explore their favorite subjects in depth. The following programs accept ap-plications from students through-out the district, and transportation is provided for every Jefferson County address.• Farnsley, Meyzeek, and New-

burg: Mathematics/Science/Technology (MST)—Students are assigned to one of the three schools based on their address.

• Highland: International Studies

• Noe: Gifted and Talented, and Visual and Performing Arts

• Thomas Jefferson: Communica-tions

• Westport: Montessori Program

JCPS also offers magnet middle schools and programs that provide specialized learning environments:• Barret, Jefferson County Tradi-

tional, and Johnson are tradition-al magnet schools. Students are assigned to one of them based on their home address.

• The Brown School offers self-directed learning in a kinder-garten through grade-twelve environment. (Transportation is not provided for Brown School students.)

• Olmsted Academy North is an all-boys school.

• Olmsted Academy South is an all-girls school.

• Western Middle is a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School.

Some JCPS middle schools offer optional programs:• Crosby: Liberal Arts Academy• Highland: Fine Art• Lassiter: Environmental Educa-

tion• Moore Traditional: Environmen-

tal and Life Science• Stuart: Health Careers

As in a magnet school or program, a student who is accepted into an optional program becomes a full-time student of the school that offers it, and he or she attends the school for all classes, not just the optional program classes.

Unlike magnet programs, how-ever, transportation is provided for optional program students only if they live in the attendance area of the school that offers it.

YPAS students perform.

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Elizabeth Ann Fuller, a third-grade reading and writing demonstration site teacher at Atkinson Elemen-tary, has been named the 2012 Elementary School Teacher of the Year in the competition presented by Ashland Inc. and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).

Fuller is an eight-year teaching veteran who has taught at Atkin-son for three years. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Bellarmine University and a master’s degree at Indiana University Southeast (IUS).

Fuller also has achieved National Board for Professional Teaching

JCPS educator named Elementary Teacher of the Year

Standards certification, and she has taken Harvard Graduate School of Education Wide World Learning online courses. She serves as an in-structional coach and has mentored students and student teachers.

She’s a Louisville Foundation grant recipient and was nominated for the 2011 Gheens Innovation and Outstanding Young Educator Awards.

Fuller was honored with the Ele-mentary Teacher of the Year Award at a ceremony in Frankfort last month in the State Capitol Building Rotunda. She received $3,000 and a customized art-glass vase.

Two other JCPS educators also were honored at the ceremony.

Central High School Magnet Career Academy (MCA) teacher James A. Gilbert was one of nine semifinalists in the Kentucky Teacher of the Year competition.

Ramsey Middle teacher Valerie Sue Rueger was one of the 24 Ashland Inc. Teacher Achievement Award winners from which the semifinal-ists were chosen. This is Rueger’s second Teacher Achievement Award.

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JCPS parents and students now can access Parent Portal information through a free app for the iPhone and other devices that run on iOS (Apple’s mobile operating system).

The app allows users to view the five main areas of Infinite Cam-pus—Daily Planner, Assignments, Attendance, Grades, and Schedule.

To download the app, log in to In-finite Campus on the district’s Web site at www.jcpsky.net/Parent/ParentPortal/index.html. Then click the black Available on the App Store button, which is lo-

JCPS offers Parent Portal app

Students at Western Middle, a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School, got a big surprise late last month. A group from the Fidelity Investments Louisville Investor Center unveiled a donation of new band and orchestra instruments, including one baritone saxophone, two euphoniums, three trumpets, and four cellos.

“This gift will greatly improve the student instrument inventory at Western Middle School,” says Principal William Anderson, “and it will contribute to the musical education of many, many students in following years.”

Western band director Eric Allen says the gift “has literally put us 10 years ahead in our instrument inventory and development.”

Students performed for the Fidelity visitors before and after receiving the new wind and string instru-ments, which were decorated with green ribbons emblazoned with the Fidelity logo. Valued at more than $23,000, the donation is part of Fi-delity’s ongoing efforts to support public school music programs.

The gift was facilitated by the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, an or-ganization established by Michael Kamen, who composed the score for the film Mr. Holland’s Opus. Last year, the foundation presented an award that included a $17,000 French horn to a Butler Traditional High student.

Surprised students receive $23,000 worth ofmusical instruments

cated directly below the inbox.

For help setting up an Infinite Cam-pus account, send an email tocampus.portal@jefferson.kyschools.us. Include your name, phone number, and the student’s name.

An app for devices that run on the Android operating system should be available before the end of the year. An app for the full district Web site is also being developed.

Louisville is one of best communities for young peopleFor the fifth year in a row, Lou-isville has achieved national rec-ognition as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, an honor presented by America’s Promise Alliance and ING. The award recognizes communities that focus on reducing high school dropout rates and providing service and support to their youth.

Louisville was selected, in part, because of innovative programs and partnerships involving JCPS, Louisville Metro Government, Metro United Way, local busi-nesses, and nonprofit organizations. These collaborations are commit-ted to improving local education by supporting college preparation initiatives as well as helping young readers and promoting youth vol-unteerism.

“In a nation where 7,000 students drop out of high school every day, we hope Louisville’s initiatives inspire other communities across the nation to take action to solve the challenges facing their young people,” said Marguerite W. Kond-racke, America’s Promise Alliance president and CEO.

“Louisville is especially deserv-ing of this recognition due to their efforts to ensure that their young people graduate high school and go on to lead healthy, productive lives.”

Louisville is one of only 22 cit-ies recognized all five times that the awards have been presented. For more information, visit www.americaspromise.org.

Students win oratorical contestElliott Kelly, a student at Barret Trad- itional Mid- dle, won first- place honors in the Louis- ville Urban League’s Achieve- ment Matters Oratorical Contest, which was sponsored by Kentucky State University (KSU). Adrein Taylor, a student at Kammerer Middle, won third place.

The purpose of the contest is to en-courage young people to participate in public speaking and to enhance the development of leadership skills. Contestants are required to choose one of four topics and write a two-page paper on it.

The papers were judged on the stu-dent’s overall response to the topic as well as grammar and punctua-tion.

The winners were then required to make a three-minute presentation to an independent panel of judges, who evaluated the contestants’ poise, content, delivery, and overall

effectiveness of their speech. Stu-dents made their presentations last month at the 2011 Doing the Right Thing Youth Expo.

Indian Trail students fea-tured in national newslet-terA newsletter distributed by the national nonprofit MicroSociety or-ganization featured an article about two students who won Gheen’s Institute for Innovation and En-trepreneurship Awards because of entrepreneurial ventures they de-veloped as students in Indian Trail Elementary’s MicroSociety Magnet Program.

One student, Shelby Ford, created a business repairing bicycles and delivering safety lessons.

The other student, Cydney Pepper, developed a day spa that offered hand massages, manicures, nail art, and “perfume squirts.”

The article quotes Cydney as say-ing, “Here I thought I was going to be doing nail art, and I rarely did that. Most of the time I was doing bookkeeping, training my employ-ees, or researching new ways of doing things.”

Indian Trail’s program has been featured in a video on the Micro-Society Web site at www.microso-ciety.org.

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Nov. 23–25: Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 3: SAT

Dec. 6 : PTA Reflections Awards Ceremony

Dec. 10: ACT

Dec. 19–Jan. 2: Winter Break

Jan. 6: Deadline for middle

and high school applications

Jan. 16: No school—Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan. 28: JCPS Elementary Showcase at the Kentucky In-ternational Convention Center

Jan. 28: SAT

Feb. 1: Elementary application period begins

Mark your calendar

Students stay healthy by walking, jumping, and even carrying potatoes

Coleridge-Taylor Montessori Elementary kicked off a day of healthy activities last month by participating in International Walk to School Day.

“Nearly one-third of our student body walks to school from the surrounding neighborhood,” says Nicole Nash, vice president of the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

But even the students who don’t usually walk got a chance to stretch their legs. At 10:30 a.m., all 570 Coleridge-Taylor students went on a police-escorted walk of nearly a mile to the Central High Stadium. The students then ran a relay race in which they did jumping jacks and hopped side-to-side across a rope. At one point, they even had to run while wearing an oven mitt and trying to hold onto a potato.

The event had several sponsors, in-cluding Kosair Children’s Hospital, FedEx, and the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement. Jefferson County Board of Education Vice-Chair Diane Porter and Louisville Councilman David Tandy talked to the students at the stadium. Tandy said families that walk together get not only exercise but also the chance to spend quality time to-gether and to learn more about their neighborhoods.

He also pointed out that it’s im-portant for parents to teach their children how to walk safely—a message that was reiterated when the students walked back from the

stadium chanting “left, right, left, right, keep on looking ’til you cross the street.” Nash says the event also helped the students understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and “how small things like walking every day make a big difference.”

Coleridge-Taylor Principal Yvette Stockwell says, “It was wonder-ful watching our students walking, skipping, and smiling all day long. Thanks to Central High for the use of their stadium and to our spon-sors for creating such a special experience for our children.”

The answers to the eighth-grade math questions in the last issue of Parent Connection are 1: A, 2: C, 3: D. To review the questions, visit the newsletter’s Web site at www.jcpsky.net/Pubs/ParentConnec-tion/welcome.shtml and select the October issue.

The first parent to send the correct answers last month was Dengzhi Wang, mother of a student at Wild-er Elementary. Other winners were Dina Metzger (Field Elementary) and Caroline Reddington (Okolona Elementary).

This month, Parent Connection offers a quick quiz with eleventh-grade science questions. The first three parents who send the correct answers to the Parent Connec-tion office via e-mail and the first three who send the answers via regular mail will receive a free JCPS T-shirt. Please include the name of your child’s (or grand-child’s) school. The e-mail ad-dress is thomas.pack@jefferson.kyschools.us. The regular mailing address is Thomas Pack, Commu-nications and Publications North, C. B. Young Jr. Service Center, Building 4, 3001 Crittenden Drive, Louisville, KY 40209. You don’t need to write the questions or answers. Just send the question numbers and the letters for your answers. Or you may print out this quiz and mail it.

1.Staticelectricityhappenswhenelectronspassfromoneobjecttoanother,suchasfromyourhair

toacombasyoucombyourhair.Ifyouthenholdthecombnearyourhair,strandsofhairap-peartomoveforwardand“sticktothecomb.”ThehairandthecombA. attract each other because they have the same charges.B. attract each other because they have opposite charges.C. repel each other because they have the same charges.D. repel each other because they have opposite charges.

2.WhichstatementaboutDNAiscorrect?A. A child’s DNA will be unrelated to the mother’s or father’s DNA.B. A child’s DNA will show sim- ilarities to both the mother’s and father’s DNA.C. A female child’s DNA will ex- actly match the mother’s DNA.D. A male child’s DNA will exactly match the father’s DNA.

Are you as smart as a JCPS high school junior?

3.Whichgraphbestrepresentstherelationshipbetweentheden-sityofasubstanceanditsstateofmatter(phase)formostEarthmaterial,excludingwater?

Dengzhi Wang and her children, Michael and Amy