www.jcpsky.netEqual Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Offering Equal Educational Opportunities

Jefferson County

PublicSchools

January 2012

Are English and math harder this year? (page 2)

JCPS food rocks, and the whole country knows it(page 4)

Preschoolers learn best through exploring (page 8)

Are you as smart as a JCPS eighth grader? (page 14)

Are English and math harder this year?Yes. Here’s why: Throughout the school year, all Kentucky public schools are imple-menting the Common Core State Standards in math and English/language arts. These academic standards deter-mine what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. For in-stance, eighth graders should learn how to solve linear equations, such as –x + 5(x + 1⁄3) = 2x – 8.There aren’t as many of the new standards as there were of the old ones, but students now have to master material more quickly and learn les-sons in greater depth. This means your child may have more homework, quizzes,

and tests than last year. Plus, under the new stan-dards, students have to learn lessons at an earlier grade level than they did under the old ones. For example, all of the following lessons used to be introduced in the third grade, but now they’re intro-duced in the grade listed in parentheses:• Telling time to the nearest five minutes, learning odd and even numbers to 20, and counting by 5s, 10s, and 100s (grade two)• Telling time to the nearest half hour (grade one) • Learning the attributes of three-dimensional shapes (kindergarten)

In addition, students have to master more challenging skills at each grade level.For instance, under the old standards, third graders studying fractions learned about halves, thirds, and fourths. Under the new stan-dards, they also learn about sixths and eighths.Under the old standards, some math lessons were repeated year after year so students could review, but the new standards require new lessons and new skills every year. Under the new English/lan-guage arts standards, you may notice an increase in the amount of reading and

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Parent to ParentA New Year, a new resolve

3

writing that your child is do-ing—especially in nonfiction because the new standards specify that half of student reading will be nonfiction. The English/language arts standards are integrated with history, social stud-ies, science, and other

technical subjects in grades six through twelve. These standards also present a “staircase” of increasing complexity in what students read—a progression de-signed to make sure students are ready for college- and career-level reading by high school graduation.For more information, visit the JCPS 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 adjust

to the new standards. A link to the page is available in the “Helping Your Child Succeed” section on the Parents page at www.jcpsky.net/Par-ent.Brochures about the stan-dards are available at all Jef-ferson County public schools, and the 15th District Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is partnering with the JCPS Gheens Academy instruc-tional staff to offer standards workshops at JCPS schools. For information on schedul-ing a session for your school, call 485-3535.

The start of 2012 signals the approach of the half-way point of the school year. When school resumed on January 3, 96 days remained in the academic year. Those 96 days translate into ample time to help students be suc-cessful.The New Year is a time for a new resolve. It is a time for renewing our commitment to improving the quality of our lives. I encourage you to help your kids make a New Year’s reso-lution that will benefit their school performance. A few suggestions include:• Attend school every day

for the rest of the year (unless you’re sick). Nothing beats being in class hearing your teacher’s ex-planation and getting per-sonal feedback.

• Have a dedicated time to do homework every night. Scheduling time for home-work keeps students fo-cused and reduces the need for last-minute, late-night cram sessions.

• Get more sleep, eat healthy, and exercise. A healthy, rested body fuels a healthy mind.

• Work hard. Being successful takes ef-fort. Regardless of perfor-mance during the first half of the year, laziness will not produce good grades during the second half.

• Never give up! No one masters everything on the first try. It may take a little longer and students may need a little extra help, but students can mas-ter the thing they thought

too hard to do if they just stick to it.

Let’s all resolve to help our students make the most of the remainder of this school year!Sincerely,

Donna M. Hargens, Ed.D. JCPS Superintendent

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Food service director earns national recognition for the districtA Facebook page called School Meals That Rock praised JCPS food service operations for “plenty of fresh herbs” and “scratch cooking.”

The HealthierUS School Chal-lenge, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program, has recognized JCPS for menu planning and nutrition education.

Julia Bauscher, director of JCPS School and Community Nutrition Services, was one of seven U.S. school repre-sentatives invited in 2010 to meet with First Lady Michelle

Obama in Washington, D.C., to talk about healthy eating.

The HealthySchoolFoodsNow .org Web site has applauded the district’s use of locally

produced ingredients and noted that “in order to serve food that was both healthy and tasty, JCPS took an obvi-ous yet unconventional ap-proach: They hired a chef.”

That chef, Dan Thomas, who also operates the district catering program, received a top award at the American Culinary Federation National Conference last year.

JCPS has also contracted with a local chef, Jim Whaley, to review and revise recipes to make them healthier—specifically by making them lower in sodium and sugar. Chef Whaley has also worked with schools to improve the way meals are served and marketed.

And now Bauscher has been

JCPS food rocksand the whole country knows it

Julia Bauscher, National Food Service Director of the Year

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named the 2012 School Foodservice Director of the Year.

The award will be presented this month during the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA’s) national Child Nutri-tion Industry Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Before Bauscher became director, she was manager of the JCPS Nutrition Service Center, the district’s central kitchen, and she was able to help create a position for a coordinator of Nutrition Initiatives.

The SNA notes that “this position has had an impact in the local community by tackling nutrition-related issues, including aiding the Louisville Mayor’s Food Policy Council.”

Bauscher was recently elect-ed vice president of the SNA, which represents more than 55,000 school food service professionals nationwide.

She’ll serve on the associa-tion’s executive committee for three years. She’ll serve as president in 2014-15.

The association’s current president, Helen Phillips, points out that “under Ju-lia’s leadership, 77 Jeffer-son County public schools have attained a HealthierUS School Challenge designa-tion, so we can’t wait to see what [the SNA] can achieve with Julia on the executive team.”

Food for thoughtJCPS Nutrition Services uses several techniques to raise the nutritional value of school food. Recently, many of the central kitchen recipes have been revised to reduce sodium by adding fresh or dried herbs or other season-ings.

French fries, chicken nuggets, chicken patties, and simi-lar items are oven-prepared, not deep-fried. Cold cuts made from turkey are regular menu items. All canned fruits are packed in juice or light syrup. All juices con-tain 100 percent fruit juice.

Elementary students can choose from three entrées and five fruit and vegetable selections, including fresh fruits and vegetables, every day. Secondary students have even more entrée options.

More than 30 JCPS schools now have Student Nutrition Advisory Councils. They are groups of students who provide feedback on the school meal program and “kid-test” important recipe and menu changes.

Detailed nutrition information on JCPS menus is avail-able on the Web at www.jcpsky.net/Departments/NutritionServices/.

Elementary, middle, and high school lunch menus are available on the JCPS Parents page at www.jcpsky.net/Parent/index.html. Look in the General Informa-tion section.

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Jefferson County Public Schools

2012-13

Pull-Out Middle

and High School

Application

Inside!

Deadline to Apply:

January 6, 2012

Guide to Elementary, Middle, and High School Programs

Visit the JCPS elementary school showcaseThe elementary Showcase of Schools will be held at the Kentucky International Con-vention Center (KICC) on Sat., Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Representatives from every elementary school and many district offices will be avail-able to answer your ques-tions.

For parking information and directions to the convention center, visit www.kycon-vention.org.

The elementary applica-tion period for the 2012-13 school year will be Wed., Feb. 1, through Thurs., Mar. 1. Application forms will be available at elemen-

tary schools during this period.

Information on schools and programs is available in Choices, the district guide-book. Digital versions of the book are available on the JCPS Showcase of Schools Web site at www.jcpsky.net/showcase.

Please note: This newslet-ter was printed before the Jefferson County Board of Education voted on changes to the elementary student assignment plan on Mon., Jan. 9.

Information on student as-signment will be available at the elementary school showcase, at parent infor-

mation sessions that will be held during the week of Jan. 30, and in the Feb.-Mar. edi-tion of Parent Connection.

JCPS curriculum audit to be released this monthA report on how JCPS devel-ops, teaches, and evaluates its curricula will be released on Mon., Jan. 23. The report will be based on the findings of 25 auditors from the education associa-tion Phi Delta Kappa Interna-tional, which offers a distric-twide review process called a Curriculum Management Audit. The Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) hired Phi Delta Kappa last summer to conduct the audit, and the association’s auditors visited every JCPS school in the fall.

The report will compare the district’s performance against five standards: • Control of resources, pro- grams, and personnel • Establishment of clear and valid objectives for stu- dents • Internal consistency and rational equity in program development and imple- mentation• Use of test results to adjust, improve, or end ineffective practices • Improved productivity

The report will detail the ex-tent to which JCPS is meet-ing the standards and pro-vide recommendations for improvement. Go to www.jcpsky.net/Projects/CMA/index.html to get more details on the audit process and track the district’s progress on imple-menting the recommenda-tions.

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Winter weather policy Q&AQ: How can I find out if school is canceled, de-layed, or dismissed early because of bad weather?

A: Official announcements will be posted on the home page of the JCPS Web site (www.jcpsky.net) and broadcast by local radio and television stations. (WHAS11 also includes information on JCPS Early Childhood classes in the scroll at the bottom of the screen.)

In addition, JCPS has launched a Facebook page to immediately give parents news about weather-related closings, delays, and early dismissals. You can join at www.jcpsky.net/face-book. To get Twitter text updates on your smartphone or wireless device, just send a text that says “follow JCP-SKY” to 40404.

Q: When will buses run if school is delayed?

A: If schools open on a de-layed schedule, bus pickup will be delayed too. For ex-ample, if elementary schools open on a one-hour delay, bus pickup times will also be delayed by an hour.

Q: Will childcare services be offered if school is can-celed?

A: The Childcare Enrichment Program (CEP) snow sites will operate. (For informa-tion on registering with CEP for childcare during snow days, call 485-3834 or 637-1575.)

Q: When will childcare

sites open if school is de-layed or dismissed early?

A: If classes are delayed at any grade level—elementary, middle, or high—CEP sites will open at their normal time (7 a.m.).

If schools are dismissed early, CEP students will be transported to their regular CEP site and parents will be encouraged to pick up their child as soon as possible. The sites will remain open until all students have been picked up.

Q: Will Early Childhood classes be canceled if school is canceled?

A: Yes, Early Childhood class-es will be canceled too.

Q: Will Early Childhood students receive transpor-tation if school is delayed or dismissed early?

A: If schools are delayed, Early Childhood classes will be held as scheduled but bus transportation will not be provided for Early Childhood students. Parents will be re-sponsible for transporting the students to and from school.

If schools are dismissed early, students who receive bus transportation for full-day Early Childhood classes will be transported home after elementary students are delivered. If bus trans-portation was provided to an Early Childhood student for a half-day class, transportation home will also be provided when school dismisses early. If you have questions about these policies, call the Early Childhood Office at 485-3919.

Q: Will after-school activi-ties be canceled if school is canceled or dismissed early?

A: Most activities, classes, and programs—including Extended School Services (ESS), Community School Programs, tutoring pro-grams, Jefferson County High classes, and Adult Educa-tion classes—will be can-celed. Check with your child’s school to see if the cancel-lation or early dismissal will affect special events, athletic or academic tournaments, or competitions with non-JCPS schools.

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Research shows preschoolers learn best through exploring

In today’s society, many par-ents feel pressured to teach their children academics at younger and younger ages.They often use direct teach-ing approaches, such as flashcards and worksheets. However, studies show that preschool children actually learn best when they are giv-en opportunities to explore and discover things on their own.According to research, you can motivate your preschool-er to learn on his own if you:• Ask, don’t tell. When you

reveal everything to your child, there is little for him

to find out on his own. So instead of saying, “Put the cars at the top of the track and push them down,” ask a question. “Where can we put these cars so they will go really fast?”

• Set an example. Your child is more likely to want to learn if he thinks you want to learn. Show him the box from his jigsaw puzzle, for example, and say: “Wow, did you know we can make this picture? That’s so cool! Let’s put a couple of pieces together.”

• Offer support. Be ex-cited when your child fig-

ures out something on his own. “I love the colors you made when you mixed the paints!” Tell him that his preschool teacher would also approve. “I bet Miss Stacey would love to see your picture!” Express to your child that the adults in his life want him to explore and learn on his own.

Reprinted with permission from the December 2011 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Early Child-hood Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2011 The Parent Institute®, a divi-sion of NIS, Inc. Source: A. Gopnik, “Why Preschool Shouldn’t Be Like School,” Slate.com, www.slate.com/id/2288402.

Students in the French IV/AP (Advanced Placement) class at Ballard High met the Honorable François Delattre, ambassador of France to the United States, at a Brown Hotel luncheon in the fall.

The students were invited to the luncheon because they were competing in a contest sponsored by the French gov-ernment that commemorated the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.

The students chose to recre-ate the statue using recycla-ble materials, and they vid-eotaped the entire process. The video will be posted on the Web for students learn-ing English at French high schools.

The Alliances Françaises of Louisville and Chicago—or-ganizations that promote the French language and culture—were aware of the Ballard students’ efforts and

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Students meet French ambassador

invited them to meet Ambas-sador Delattre at the Brown during the Alliances Français-es USA annual convention.

“Each of the students who attended was thrilled with the opportunity,” says Ballard French instructor Ken Zeoli.

“None of them had ever met a dignitary from another country, and half had never been to the Brown.

“Two of them have an in-tense interest in foreign service, and this experience motivated them even fur-ther.”

The students spoke with the ambassador in French and “heard other speak-ers in French address areas such as the increased pres-ence of French TV in America and intercultural ties be-tween France and the United States,” Zeoli says.

“The practical application of French language in a French-speaking environment was an additional validation to what they have learned the past four years.”

Photo: Monsieur Delattre with Ballard students Erin Fuller, Mahala King-O’Bannon, Frederick Flemister, Aimee Turner, Rachel Spetz, Ashley Daly, Cynthia Song, and Mag-gie Miller

Two of the students have an

intense interest in foreign

service, and this experience

motivated them even further.

By Jen Adams, Family & Children’s Place, Family and School Services Program Manager

Family & Children’s Place is in its second year of support-ing the Collaborative After-School Program (CLASP), which serves students ages 10 through 15 at Meyzeek

After-school program boosts middle school success

Middle. The program pro-vides academic help, mentor-ing, and character-building activities.CLASP begins after school and ends at 5:30, Monday-Friday, throughout the school year. The program includes daily homework help, life skills development, enrich-ment activities, service-

learning projects, and groups that focus on managing an-ger and avoiding substance abuse. Educational field trips and Family Nights enhance parent and student engage-ment.What makes this program unique is its comprehensive approach. Staff members who provide after-school pro-

Magnet program spotlightAtkinson Academy for Excellence in Teaching and LearningAtkinson Elementary is the home of the Academy for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Magnet Program. Students throughout the dis-trict may apply, and JCPS will provide transportation from most Jefferson County ad-dresses.

In the Primary grades, At-kinson offers more teach-ers than most elementary schools, which enables Atkin-son to provide small classes and reading instruction tai-lored to each student. In addition, a partnership with UofL enables the staff to evaluate the most current teaching methods and ap-plies techniques proven to help students excel in read-ing, writing, math, and sci-ence. The Academy for Excellence Program also includes UofL social work interns, nursing students, student teachers, and medical students. These pre-service professionals become career models for Atkinson students and en-courage them to start think-ing about and preparing for college.College planning even is part of the Atkinson student

pledge: “Each day, I pledge to show how much I care, demonstrate character, meet all challenges, and get ready for college.”Principal Stephanie Nutter says Atkinson is known as “a school on the move” because “we expect our students to meet high expectations.” She also points out that Atkinson teachers “work to find your child’s learning style” and then provide instruction to match that style. Nutter notes that “everyone always says, ‘all children can learn,’ but here at Atkin-son we say, ‘each child will learn.’”Students will be able to apply to Atkinson during the Febru-ary elementary application period. Watch for more in-formation on the application process in the next issue of Parent Connection.

10

gramming also serve as case managers for entire families. These coordinators work with the families after program hours by assessing their needs and connecting them with social services. CLASP also works with many community partners. For example, the Blue Apple Players have lent their ex-pertise in character educa-tion through drama, and the men at Kappa Alpha Psi have shared their knowledge and experiences with the

young men in CLASP. Family & Children’s Place has also worked with the University of Louisville (UofL) Psychology Department to train interns to work with students in the program. The impact CLASP had on students and families during its first year was remarkable. Seventy-one percent of stu-dents improved their grades in at least one subject. With just three paid staff mem-bers, the program served 56 students and their families.

Thirty-six families attended at least one Family Night, and several came to all 12 sessions.The mission of Louisville-based Family & Children’s Place is to strengthen our community by promoting safe, healthy, and stable families and by healing the trauma of abuse, violence, and neglect. For more information, visit www.familyandchildrens-place.org.

Keeping kids safeBasic information on marijuanaThe following information has been excerpted from a Web site hosted by the JCPS Safe and Drug-Free Schools Office.

Marijuana overview• Marijuana is a mixture of

leaves, stems, and flowers of the hemp plant.

• It contains more than 600 chemicals, including the primary mind-altering chemical THC.

• It has been linked to an in-creased risk of depression.

• It is addictive, and it de-posits other chemicals in the lungs that could even-tually cause cancer.

• It affects memory, concen-tration, and energy level.

• It is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States.

Warning SignsWhat should you look for if you suspect your child might be using marijuana?

• Lack of energy• Bloodshot eyes• Giddiness• Paranoia• Forgetfulness• Appearing zoned out• Diminished sense of smell

and taste• Pungent odors

What can you do to prevent your child from using marijua-na?• Remain engaged in your

child’s life.• Keep your child involved in

activities so that he or she will not just hang out with-out direction.

• Praise and reward your

child’s positive behavior so that he or she will be a confident young adult who is capable of resisting peer pressure.

• Talk to and listen to your child.

• If substance abuse is sus-pected, take action to stop it.

For more information on pro-tecting your child from the dangers of marijuana, other drugs, and violence, visit www.jcpsky.net/Parents and click Keeping Kids Safe on the left side of the page.

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J-town senior selected for All-American March-ing BandJeffersontown High senior Elizabeth Epstein was se-lected to perform with the All-American Marching Band during the nationally tele-vised U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Sat., Jan. 7.

Elizabeth has played clari-net since third grade. She has served as the J-town drum major for two years, and she’s a member of the school’s Marine Corps Re-serve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), in which she over-sees logistics and manages $250,000 worth of equip-ment and uniforms.

She auditioned for the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band after learning about it

from the school’s director of bands, Charles Stewart. Eliz-abeth had to submit a video audition as well as a personal statement about why she should be selected.

Army representatives visited J-town High in November to announce that Elizabeth would receive an all-expens-es-paid trip to San Antonio to perform with 125 other top student musicians during the game’s halftime show on NBC.

Stewart began working as band director at Jefferson-town in 1998. He then held the position at other schools, including Ballard High, where he served for eight years. Two years ago, he returned to J-town, where the band continues to grow each year. Last year, the school had its

first student make All-State Band in ten years. Several members play in All-County Band.

For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band, visit www.goarmy.com/events/all-american-bowl/marching-band/elizabethepstein.

Central wins fourth state football championshipThe Yellowjackets football team at Central High School Magnet Career Academy (MCA) won the Russell Ath-letic/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl Class 3-A championship game.

It’s the team’s second con-secutive state title and the fourth in five years. The Yel-lowjackets earned this year’s championship on Sat., Dec. 3 by defeating Belfry County, 15-14.

The game was played in front of a crowd of 5,360 at the Houchens Industries-L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green.

Lowe Elementary re-ceives Winners’ Circle AwardAt the 17th Annual Safe Schools, Successful Students Conference in Louisville, Lowe Elementary was among ten Kentucky schools recog-nized for outstanding work-ing conditions, school safety, and student achievement.

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13

Jan. 16 . . . School not in session—Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan. 28 . . . Elementary school showcase

Jan. 28 . . . SATFeb. 1- Mar. 1 . . . Elementary

school applica-tion period

Feb. 11 . . . ACTFeb. 13 . . . No school for

students—Parent-Teacher Conference Day and elementary evening regis-tration

Mar. 2 . . . No school for students—Pro-fessional-Devel-opment Day for teachers

Mar. 6 . . . Statewide ACT for high school juniors

Mar. 8 . . . 15th District PTA Vendors Fair

Mar. 10 . . SATMar. 20 . . Statewide ACT

Make-Up Day for high school juniors

Apr. 9-13 Spring Break

Mark your calendar

The ten were selected based on data from the Teach-ing, Educating, Leading, and Learning (TELL) Kentucky survey, which was admin-istered to all public school teachers and principals last March.

Each of the ten winning schools received a certifi-cate, a plaque, and a school banner, and each was rec-ognized as being in the Win-ners’ Circle for working con-ditions and student success.

Several other JCPS schools were among 49 Honorable Mentions. These schools also will be used as models of best practices for other schools across the state:

• Audubon Traditional El-ementary

• Jeffersontown High• Kennedy Montessori El-

ementary• Schaffner Traditional El-

ementary• Westport TAPP• Wilt Elementary

For more information on the TELL Kentucky survey, visit www.tellkentucky.org.

Young Elementary stu-dents win state poster contest—againYoung Elementary student Loeyis Ramirez Jordi won a first-place award in the an-nual Kentucky Adopt-a-High-way Poster Contest. Loeyis’s schoolmate Darcirius Young won a second-place award.

The competition drew more than 2,400 entries from stu-dents throughout the state.

Loeyis and Darcirius received cash prizes at an awards cer-emony last month at the My Old Kentucky Home mansion in Bardstown.

This is the third consecutive year in which Young Elemen-tary students have earned first- or second-place honors in this statewide art competi-tion.

Students of Young art teach-er Kristine Larson also have won awards in more than a dozen other local, state, and national contests.

Larson says she never meant to become a “contest ma-ven.” She just wants “to show the world that we have some talented, amazing stu-dents at Young Elementary.”

Field hockey team wins state championshipThe duPont Manual High School Lady Crimsons Field Hockey Team won the 2011

State Field Hockey Champi-onship.

The team defeated Sacred Heart Academy 2 to 1, putting an end to Sacred Heart’s winning record. This is the first State Field Hock-ey Championship title for the Manual girls’ team.

Band earns top state honorThe Eastern High School Marching Band won third-place honors in the 2011 Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) State Marching Band Class 5A Championship.

The award entitled the band, directed by Mike Arthur, to compete in the Bands of America Competi-tion in Indianapolis.

The answers to the eleventh-grade science questions in the last issue of Parent Con-nection are 1: B, 2: B, 3: C.

To review the questions, visit the newsletter’s Web site (www.jcpsky.net/Pubs/ParentConnection/wel-come.shtml) and select the Nov.-Dec. issue.

The first parent to send the correct answers was Lee Lorimor, father of a student at Trunnell Elementary. Other winners were Kristy Holland (Greathouse/Shryock Tradi-tional Elementary and duPont Manual High) and Jing Zhou (Stopher Elementary).

This month, Parent Connec-tion offers a quick quiz with the type of math questions that eighth graders may need to answer on state tests in the spring. The first three parents who send the correct answers to the Parent Con-nection 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 grandchild’s) school.

The e-mail address is thomas.pack@jefferson .kyschools.us. The regular mailing address is Thomas Pack, Communications 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 the answers. Just send the question num-bers and the letters for your answers. Or you may print out this quiz and mail it.

1. At Lake View Middle School, there are 900 boys. The ratio of boys to girls is 5 to 4.

How many girls are there in the school?

A. 400 C. 720

B. 550 D. 975

2. Mary correctly used the order of operations to answer the following problem:

20 – 8 • 4 ÷ 2 + 6

What is Mary’s answer?

A. 0 C. 10

B. 6 D. 30

Are you as smart as a JCPS eighth grader?

3. Which spinner repre- sents that the probabil- ity of spinning an A is 1/3?

A. Spinner 1 C. Spinner 3

B. Spinner 2 D. Spinner 4

Lee Lorimor and his son, Blake