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As the fight continues against drug abuse and addiction in Metro Louisville, Metro Council members applaud the Dixie Area Business Association for pulling together a first of its kind information forum and encourage residents to attend.
“Drugs in our Community: Awareness and Resources” will not only pinpoint which drugs are impacting our community; the forum also brings together many resources and agencies involved in fighting the problem to speak directly with residents seeking help.
“Our area of the county is the hardest hit with numbers of overdoses and overdose deaths. We must educate ourselves on this epidemic that is impacting our families at an alarming rate;” said Councilwoman Marianne Butler (D-15). “Hopefully one of the resource agencies can make a connection that helps someone seek treatment to overcome this disease.”
The event is Tuesday, April 17th at Holy Cross High School from 6pm – 7:30pm.
LMPD, Metro Safe, Louisville Health & Wellness, The Healing Place, Volunteers of America, Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, Young People in Recovery and Celebrate Recovery are among those that will have representatives that can speak directly with those seeking help and information. The Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition will be on hand showing people how to safely administer Naloxon and have samples to share with residents.
“The problem our community is facing with overdoses and drugs is truly a community health problem,” says Blackwell. “That is why it is important that the entire community engage themselves with the knowledge and resources to combat this heartbreaking problem,” says Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12).
In addition to educating one’s self on this subject, Louisville Metro Police will conduct a “Drug Toss” for residents to safely discard old medications.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to dispose of unused drugs at the Drug Toss to keep them out of the wrong hands. I greatly appreciate DABA having this most insightful forum for public education on drug abuse,” says Councilwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13).
“Every person is affected by the opioid epidemic. I have encouraged naloxone trainings throughout our community after the first one I hosted saved the life of a dear friend’s son,” said Councilman David Yates (D-25). “I thank DABA for their leadership to bring all of these great groups together to educate our community and save lives.”
Unwanted or expired drugs can be a dangerous problem. I appreciate DABA giving seniors and others a way to dispose of these drugs in a safe way. This helps keep these drugs out of the hands of those who might abuse them and gets them out of homes that might otherwise become a source for abusers,” says Councilwoman Cindi Fowler (D-14).
Holy Cross High School is located at 5144 Dixie Highway.
Registration is now open for Camp Ready4K, the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District’s kindergarten readiness camp serving incoming students the summer before they start school.
Applications must be completed by May 11 in order to be considered for Camp Ready4K. Camp will be held July 9 through July 27, from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., at the following locations:
- Alex R. Kennedy Elementary School (4515 Taylorsville Road)
- Dawson Orman Education Center (900 S Floyd St.)
- DuValle Education Center (3610 Bohne Ave.)
- Hazelwood Elementary (1325 Bluegrass Ave.)
- McFerran Early Childhood (1900 S 7th St.)
- Shacklette Elementary (5310 Mercury Dr.)
- Unseld Learning Center (5216 Ilex Ave. )
Families can complete an application online here. During the camp, incoming kindergarten students receive instruction from early learning teachers to ensure that they have the skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten. Students are also provided with breakfast and lunch.
For more information, families may call the Dawson Orman Education Center at 485-7121.
Photo: Neighborhood Place
Neighborhood Place partners offer healthy events and services in April to benefit the entire family including a month-long athletic shoes collection for JCPS students; employment recruitment opportunities with FedEx Ground, ElderCare 4 Families and Sodexo; a Family Spring Fling at Portland Community Center and much more. To learn more about these offerings and several others please refer to the list below.
Now through May 4, Athletic Shoe Collection for JCPS Students at Neighborhood Place locations
Donate new or gently used athletic shoes now through May 4th to benefit JCPS students in need, grades Kindergarten through 12th grade Drop off at any of the eight Neighborhood Place locations (find addresses here) or at the Edison Center, 701 W. Ormsby Ave., 2nd floor, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Sample items include running shoes, basketball shoes, Chuck Taylors or sneakers. Sponsored by the 15th District Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Clothing Assistance Program (CAP) in partnership with (JCPS) and other community partners.
April. 3, FedEx Ground Employment Opportunities at First Neighborhood Place, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd. Call (502) 313-4700 for more information. A FedEx human resources recruiter will talk one-on-one with individuals interested in a career as a package handler with FedEx Ground.
April 3, ElderCare 4 Families Employment Recruitment at Ujima Neighborhood Place, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Located at 3610 Bohne Ave. Call 244-8446 for more information. An employment recruiter will be on-hand for ElderCare 4 Families, a non-medical in-homecare service for seniors provide help with cooking, cleaning, laundry and personal care.
April 3, Car Seat Safety Check at Ujima Neighborhood Place, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Located at 3610 Bohne Ave. Call Norton Children’s Hospital at 629-7358 to make an appointment. Learn how to install your child’s car seat or booster seat. Find out if it’s time for a change. Car seat-fitting by appointment only.
April 3, 10 and April 17, Free Tax Preparation Services at First Neighborhood Place, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd., side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Call 502-305-0005 or visit louisvillekyvita.cascheduler.com to make an appointment and to check out IRS documentation needed. Sponsored by VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) with support from First Neighborhood Place.
April 5 and 9, Sodexo Hiring Opportunities
Sodexo, a food-service agency, will provide on-the-spot interviews for positions with Jewish Hospital, Our Lady of Peace and University of Louisville Hospital. Bring your resume and be prepared for an interview. This is one of Sodexo’s busiest hiring seasons. Stop by if you are looking for employment that can lead to a full-time or part-time position.
- April 5, First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Road (T.J. Middle School in the W.D. Bruce Building – door #24), 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Call 313-4700 for more information.
- April 9, South Central Neighborhood Place, 4255 Hazelwood Ave., 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Call 313-4089 for more information.
April. 5, Community Dental Care Information Sessions at First Neighborhood Place, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Road (T. J. Middle School in the W.D. Bruce Building – door #24). Call 502-366-4442 for more information. Community Dental Care is a full-service dental organization designed to increase access to health care in communities with the goal of improving the overall health of the population. Representatives will be on site to provide information about services offered and to assist in scheduling appointments for dental needs or for pediatric health needs.
Mondays and Thursdays, YMCA’s “Caring and Learning with Me” program at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd., side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Call Keyonna Humphrey at 974-8457 for more information and to register. This free program provides a wonderful learning environment for children ages 3-5 years old and their caregivers focusing on play and exploration. The adult caregiver is required to attend with the child/ren and you may also bring other children ages (0-2).
April 10 and 29, Foster Parent Recruitment Meeting
Call 595-5437 (KIDS) for more information. Detailed information will be provided on the requirements and process of how to become a foster or adoptive parent. Information such as an explanation of foster care, special needs adoption, and information on foster parent training classes will be provided. Sponsored by Kentucky Foster Care and the training classes will be provided. Sponsored by Kentucky Foster Care and the Special Needs Adoption Program.
- April 10, First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Rd., side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 6 – 8 p.m.
- April 29, NorthWest Neighborhood Place, 4018 W. Market St., at the Academy of Shawnee, 6 – 8 p.m.
April 12, A Healthy Journey for Two Educational Baby Shower at First Neighborhood Place, 1 – 3 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd. Call 341-5400 for more information. A Healthy Journey for Two is an educational baby shower open to any expectant mothers. The class will include a range of information and resources, as well as free baby items, gift cards, prizes, and snacks. Hosted by Seven Counties and KIDSNow. Fathers are welcome but must be registered.
April 12, 25 and 26, Weekly Resource School at Bridges of Hope Neighborhood Place
Located at 1411 Algonquin Pkwy. Contact Nannette Bertram Dix at 634-6057 to RSVP and for more information. The Bridges of Hope staff is teaming up with an array of service providers to provide weekly programming and resources focusing on substance prevention, self-sufficiency, health, safety and resiliency. All workshops are free and open to the public.
- April 12 and 26, CHOICES, presented by the Center for Women and Families, is an educational and support program for people affected by and/or sexual violence, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- April 25, ADHD, presented by Our Lady of Peace, will explain how Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) impacts children beyond impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattentiveness. Open to parents, grandparents, teachers, counselors and other concerned individuals, 5 – 8 p.m.
April 14, Family Spring Fling at the Molly Leonard Portland Community Center, 12 – 4 p.m.
Located at the Portland Community Center, 640 North 27th Street. Call 776-0913 for more information. Join us for a day of free fun and games, prizes, food, vendors, “Rec on the Go”, nutrition education, free health screenings and more. Sponsored in collaboration by Portland Community Center, Kentucky State University, 4H, NorthWest Neighborhood Place, JCPS Family Resource Youth Services Centers of Byck Elementary, Portland Elementary, Atkinson Elementary, Kammerer Middle, Western Middle, Ballard High and Academy at Shawnee schools.
April 19, Passport Health Care Informational Table at Ujima Neighborhood Place, 1 – 3 p.m.
Located at 3610 Bohne Ave. Call 313-4635 for more information. A community engagement representative is onsite to answer any questions that Passport members have regarding their plan, benefits and updates on the upcoming waiver.
April 21, Second Annual Spring Parkhill Community Resource Fair at St. Ann’s Campus
Located at 1515 Algonquin Pkwy. Contact Nannette Bertram Dix at 634-6057 for more information. Themed “Sowing the Seeds of Hope”, this event invites community members to come together to connect with agencies and individuals providing helpful resources and services.
April 26, Park DuValle and Parkland Bring it Back Meet Up at Ujima Neighborhood Place 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Located at 3610 Bohne Ave. Call Brianna Harlan with the Center for Neighborhoods for more information at 724-9486. All residents are invited to this opportunity to meet neighbors and to socialize. The Center for Neighborhoods has a great team of people that bring a diversity of skills and perspectives to the work of neighborhood engagement, education and planning.
On March 27, the Jefferson County Board of Education approved two major initiatives led by Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio that will strengthen support to students and schools: create a centralized location for the Newcomer Academy and implement the phase-one reorganization of the district’s central office.
“Both of these initiatives build on the day-one priorities I announced as acting superintendent: strengthening culture and climate, boosting student learning and improving organizational coherence,” Dr. Pollio said. “These are innovative, needed changes in our district that will continue to move JCPS forward and allow us to support students and schools more efficiently and effectively.”
Newcomer students are currently served at four different locations (Academy @ Shawnee, Phoenix School of Discovery, Iroquois High School and Gheens Academy). For the 2018-19 school year, a consolidated Newcomer Academy will open at the current Phoenix School of Discovery building on Pulliam Drive. Phoenix will move to the Jaeger Education Center on Wood Road.
“When I was named acting superintendent, I made it clear that a centralized school for Newcomer students and teachers would be a priority for the 2018-19 school year,” Dr. Pollio said. “For far too long, our district has served our growing population of Newcomer students at four separate locations. Tonight’s vote will improve services for students and is a continued investment in and commitment to our English language learners.”
The facilities changes approved tonight are in addition to those approved at the Feb. 27 board meeting, which combined the district’s two Teenage Parent Programs (TAPPs) and created an early childhood education center and a temporary home for the new W.E.B. DuBois Academy.
“This facilities plan is the result of months of planning as well as parent, teacher and community input—providing us with the opportunity to present our board with the best possible plan for students,” Dr. Pollio said.
Central office reorganization provides strengthened support to schools
In January 2018, Dr. Pollio sought recommendations from the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) on how the district’s central office structure could better support schools and reflect those of “best-practice” urban districts. The full report completed by the CGCS is available on the district’s website here.
The CGCS report provides a framework that led to the first phase of central office reorganization recommendations, which were approved tonight by the school board. The changes provide a better balance to the district’s central office and deliver resources to students and schools in a more effective and efficient way.
“I believe these initial changes in the cost-neutral reorganization will help bring about organizational coherence, better support our schools and increase student achievement,” Dr. Pollio said.
Recommendations include:
- Adding a general counsel, chief of staff, chief human resources officer and chief of schools position.
- Eliminating achievement area superintendent positions. Assistant superintendents will report to the chief of schools and be reorganized by each grade level.
- Three elementary assistant superintendents serving schools divided into zones (one through three)
- One assistant superintendent for middle schools
- One assistant superintendent for high schools
- Assistant superintendents will report to the chief of schools.
- There will be an assistant superintendent of climate and culture.
- Eliminating evaluation transition coordinator (ETC) positions and providing assistant superintendents with executive administrator positions.
- Athletics will report to the chief of schools.
- All chief positions will be the same grade.
The plan is cost neutral by eliminating the chief business officer position and other vacant positions throughout central office. Additional recommendations will be brought to the board at future meetings.
The National Archery in the Schools Program State Tournament aims to bring 6,600 student archers grades four through twelve to the Kentucky Exposition Center March 30-31. The record breaking registration makes the Kentucky NASP tournament the largest state archery tournament in the country.
NASP promotes archery as part of in-school curriculums, with the goal of improving motivation, attention, behavior, attendance and focus. It originally began as the Kentucky Archery in the Schools Program in 2001, and has grown to include 14,000 schools in five countries. More than a million students will have learned archery by the end of this school year.
The NASP Kentucky State Tournament runs 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily. A full schedule can be found online at www.nasptournaments.org.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 13-18). Children 12 and under, registered archers and coaches are free. Parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center is $8 per vehicle and $20 per bus.
For more information about NASP and the tournament, visit www.nasptournaments.org.
Mayor Greg Fischer was joined by officials from LMPD, Louisville Free Public Library, the Kentucky Science Center, Louisville Parks and Recreation and Jefferson County Public Schools to encourage local children to take advantage of the dozens of free and low-cost activities offered by those organizations during the upcoming spring break April 2-6.
“We want kids to enjoy the time off with their family and friends, and to come back ready to finish the school year strong,” Fischer said. “If parents and kids are looking to keep their minds and bodies stimulated the week of April 2, we have some great local programming that’s being offered through parks and recreation, the library and JCPS at low or no-cost.”
Those include camps run through parks and recreation community centers, including a free basketball clinic by former University of Louisville basketball player Robbie Valentine on April 4-5 at the South Louisville Community Center; activities that include free movie viewings, STEAM instruction, workshops, classes and more at local Louisville Free Public Library branches; and literacy classes for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders through JCPS.
“We want kids to have fun, stay safe and out of trouble during the break from school,” Fischer said. “There are several opportunities daily for them to remain active and engaged through guided programming. Hopefully the weather’s nice and they’ll be able to spend some time enjoying the outdoors as well.”
Metro Government has created a guide to the assorted spring break activities.
The Kentucky Arts Council invites Kentucky schools to be part of the fun and excitement of the Kentucky Derby by decorating canvases for the Governor’s Derby Celebration.
Picnic tables on the Old State Capitol grounds will be fitted with horse heads and tails, and the canvases, or “Derby blankets,” will be placed over the tabletops like a blanket over a horse. Any Kentucky school, public or private, can participate.
Schools must provide their own supplies to complete the project. Blankets need to be 36 inches wide and 60 inches long and made of durable, water resistant material. Paint must be outdoor latex and able to withstand inclement weather.
There are no theme requirements, but painted canvases must be sent to the arts council by April 23 for consideration to be part of the Governor’s Derby Celebration. The arts council reserves the right to select which canvases to display at the event, but each blanket will appear in an online slideshow on the arts council website as well as on arts council social media platforms. Schools that participate are acknowledged at the celebration.
Ship blankets to:
Kentucky Arts Council
1025 Capital Center Drive
Third floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
For more information contact Jean St. John at jean.stjohn@ky.gov or 502-892-3124.
