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Meghann Clem Mattingly, a health and wellness teacher at Cane Run Elementary School, has been awarded the Excellence in Classroom and Educational Leadership (ExCEL) Award. Representatives from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and from the award sponsors — LG&E KU and WHAS11 — honored the teacher last week during a ceremony at the school.
“Visiting Ms. Clem Mattingly’s classroom is a relaxing and rewarding experience,” said Cane Run Principal Kimberly Coslow. “Her creative teaching techniques enhance classroom learning, and she fosters academic success through mindful movement, self-regulation and focused attention, all through the lens of compassion.”
A leader with the Compassionate Schools Project (CSP) Professional Learning Community, she frequently collaborates with the University of Virginia’s CSP project director as well as the District’s CSP resource teacher and the school’s physical education teachers to ensure the unique CSP curriculum is implemented with fidelity. She has been featured in numerous national media outlets advocating for the project, including National Public Radio and the Christian Science Monitor.
“Meghann is a force to be dealt with,” said Heather Watson, a counselor with JCPS. “She exudes positive energy and calmness throughout the building. She is the compassionate vision of what we need to have in place for our students to thrive in life.”
In addition, she is a strong advocate for the school, serving as a member of the Site Based Decision Making Council, the Instructional Leadership Team and the Interview Committee, and regularly meeting with guests and community leaders about the CSP and its impact on her students. She is also the school lead for the American Heart Association fundraising initiative.
As an ExCEL Award winner, Clem Mattingly will receive a $1,000 instructional grant from LG&E KU.
The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation Academic Challenge Presented by Sullivan University is set for this Saturday, March 25. Hosted at a new location, the Hyatt Regency Hotel Downtown, this year’s quick-recall tournament, produced by Jefferson County Public Schools is scheduled for 9 AM to 3PM.
“We add more teams to the competition every year,” said Jeff English, President of the KDF Foundation. “The Academic Challenge lets us showcase the academic achievements of both the local students and the public schools.”
The Academic Challenge Presented by Sullivan University represents an opportunity for elementary students from all over the county to test their intellect by answering questions pertaining to math, science, social studies, language arts and humanities. This year’s competition will feature 14 teams from local elementary schools and more than 200 students.
“Sullivan University is pleased to sponsor the Academic Challenge,” said Glenn Sullivan, President of Sullivan University. “We often look for ways to support events that encourage and celebrate academic achievement. We wish all the participants well in the tournament and in their future endeavors.”
The top four schools will be awarded trophies, with the champion and runner-up also receiving monetary awards. It’s free for spectators. For more information contact Doug Wilham at douglas.wilham@jefferson.kyschools.us or (502) 485-3702.
Credit: Louisville Metro Police
Mayor Greg Fischer appointed former U.S. Attorney Kerry B. Harvey to conduct a wide-ranging special investigation into allegations surrounding the LMPD Explorer program.
The Mayor also ordered a separate extensive inquiry into all city programs that involve children and teenagers. This inquiry will determine if adequate steps are in place to protect youth and will review and recommend national best practices and policies.
Mayor Fischer has also asked the FBI’s Louisville Office to investigate potential violations of federal law related to sexual abuse allegations in the LMPD Explorer program.
“We have to get to the bottom of these disturbing allegations — for ourselves, for our citizens, for the thousands of LMPD officers who are honest, compassionate, courageous people of integrity,” Mayor Fischer said. “We need to know the truth. And, most importantly, for the victims of anyone who may have committed a crime while wearing an LMPD uniform.
“We have to get the whole story — and we will.”
Special investigator appointed
Until this year, Harvey served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, a position from which he oversaw the high-profile investigations of former state Personnel Cabinet Secretary Tim Longmeyer and state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer.
Louisville Metro Government today contracted Harvey to examine the allegations of sexual abuse in the LMPD Explorer program, and also actions of city employees and others regarding the alleged abuse.
Mayor Fischer’s office began discussion with Harvey on Tuesday and signed a contract today. Harvey will also periodically update the Metro Council Government Accountability committee on his work.
“Kerry Harvey has a reputation for conducting dogged investigations and holding public institutions accountable,” Mayor Fischer said. “That’s exactly what I expect he’ll do here — conduct a full, comprehensive investigation that will lead to accountability.”
Harvey is being commissioned to look into LMPD and other city entities — conducting interviews, reviewing documents and other activities — to fully ascertain what happened within and around the Explorer program. His investigation will parallel a criminal investigation of the allegations underway by Louisville Metro Police.
“The allegations surrounding the Explorer program, if true, represent unacceptable conduct involving children, and the citizens of Louisville deserve to know what happened,” said Harvey, who assumed the U.S. Attorney post in 2010 and currently is with the Lexington office of the Dickinson Wright law firm.
Citywide inquiry to ensure safety
A separate inquiry will examine all city departments and agencies that have programs for children and teens — or interactions with youth — to determine if adequate steps are in place to protect youth.
The inquiry will also lead to recommendations of national best practices and policies.
“I believe the vast majority of our programs operate effectively, safely and are following best practices, but I am extremely disturbed about the allegations that have surfaced in the Explorer program,” Fischer said. “My concern is that children are protected – and I want parents and grandparents to know that we are taking the welfare of their children seriously.”
The review will be wide-ranging because many departments offer programs for or interact with youth, from Metro Parks to LMPD to Youth Detention Services. The inquiry will also appraise the policies of agencies that partner with Louisville Metro Government, to ensure that they align with the best practices followed by the city.
The first step will be an inventory of all programs involving youth, which the city’s Human Resources Department will undertake. Then, the city will hire an outside national agency to review the programs.
The Mayor said the inquiry is necessary because Louisville Metro Government offers programs or partners with many local agencies on children and youth programming – and a fresh perspective is important. He will direct that the inquiry is both comprehensive and undertaken swiftly.
Fischer said that “no stone will be left unturned” as the city investigates the allegations that have surfaced in the Explorer program. The Mayor also said that transparency is of utmost importance. That is why he asking the courts to unseal the civil lawsuit while the criminal investigation continues.
Nine students from the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District are national award recipients of the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades seven through 12. The nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers announced the names of the more than 2,500 national award recipients today.
“This is the Oscars of the teen art world, so we are very excited to see these talented JCPS students recognized on the national stage,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens. “The arts are important and truly have the ability to energize classrooms and inspire the students inside them. Congratulations to our national recipients—we’re excited to celebrate their creativity and achievements.”
The recipients, which include students from Atherton, Butler Traditional, duPont Manual and Pleasure Ridge Park, are:
Gold Medal
- Morgan Betsill, DuPont Manual High School, Mixed Media – Jasmine, Art Teacher: Alana Alford
- Morgan Betsill, DuPont Manual High School, Sculpture – Who Are You?, Art Teacher: Cyndi Young
- Teanna Courtney, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Ceramics – Clifton’s Tea Time, Art Teacher: Tammy Podbelsek
- Jordan Heller, Atherton High School, Drawing & Illustration – Imprisoned, Art Teacher: Rachel Gibbs
Silver Medal
- Grace Bradley, DuPont Manual High School, Photography – Grasping for News
- Megan Dyer, Butler Traditional High School, Art Portfolio – Sun Tea, Art Teacher: Becky McClinton
- Mackenzie Smith, DuPont Manual High School, Drawing – Outdoor Portrait, Art Teacher: Alana Alford
- Abigail Stewart, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Ceramics – Decorative Bone, Art Teacher: Tammy Podbelsek
- Celeste Stokes, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Sculpture – My Urban Queen, Art Teacher: Tammy Podbelsek
- Tammy Trieu, Atherton High School, Painting – Beneath, Art Teacher: Rachel Gibbs
American Visions Medal
- Morgan Betsill, DuPont Manual High School, Sculpture – Who Are You?, Art Teacher: Cyndi Young
All submissions are judged based on the program’s three criteria: originality, technical skill and emergence of personal vision or voice. Student works are first judged regionally, with students receiving Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions or American Visions & Voices Nominations.
Gold Key works are then judged nationally by a panel of creative-industry experts to receive Gold, Silver, American Visions & Voices, Portfolio Silver with Distinction or Portfolio Gold Medals.
An online gallery of artwork from the JCPS students is available here.
Sixteen seniors from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) have been awarded the 2017 Vogt Educational & Leadership Scholarship, which recognizes the students for their academic achievements and leadership in and out of the classroom. The students will be celebrated for their accomplishments during the annual awards luncheon, held yesterday at The Olmsted, 3701 Frankfort Ave.
Prior to his death in 1999, Henry V. Heuser Sr. established the endowed scholarship fund at the Community Foundation of Louisville to provide $10,000 college scholarships annually to remarkable JCPS high school seniors. This special award honors exceptional students throughout Jefferson County who have demonstrated high standards of scholarship, leadership, character and citizenship. Including this year, more than $2.7 million has been awarded to 278 students.
Henry V. Heuser Jr. will host the annual awards luncheon to present the scholarships. He will be joined by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, JCPS Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens, JCPS principals, more than 100 business and community leaders, and several university and college presidents from the region who have contributed additional scholarship incentives if the awardees attend their colleges.
Student winners are selected based on SAT/ACT scores and cumulative GPAs, as well as demonstrated community and campus leadership, participation in extracurricular activities, and recommendations from principals and community leaders.
The 2017 Vogt Educational & Leadership Scholarship recipients are:
- RyAnn Schoenbaechler, Atherton High School
- Laina Meyerowitz, Ballard High School
- Sylvia Ramsey, Butler Traditional High School
- Matthew Sato, Brown School
- Jasmine Scott, Central High School Magnet Career Academy
- Lydia Mason, duPont Manual High School
- Evan Conder, Eastern High School
- Shan’Taya Cowan, Fairdale High School
- Mary Daniels, Iroquois High School
- Anna Nelson, Jeffersontown High School
- Cameron Fontes, Louisville Male High School
- Johnathan Frech, Pleasure Ridge Park High School
- Julia Easley, Seneca High School
- James Painter, Southern High School
- Kelsey Gatton, Valley High School
- Ethan Taylor, Waggener High School
Photo From KDF
Women who want a relaxed setting to learn more about the outdoors can now register for a special one-day Beyond BOW (Becoming an Outdoors-Woman) seminar being held April 8 at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort.
Women who want to learn an outdoor skill or build upon their basic skills can sample from a variety of topics, including basic fishing, fun with air guns, beginner crossbow, bow hunting, tricks of the trade and more. A special class titled “Teaching Conservation with Live Animals” will give participants a behind-the-scenes look at how the Salato Center staff use animals to educate people about nature.
The event is limited to 50 women and classes are filling fast. Registration is open through March 27 by applying online at www.fw.ky.gov. Search under the keyword “bow” for registration and more information. Participants must be 18 or older.
The $50 registration fee includes two classes, equipment to use during classes, materials and lunch.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources offers the BOW program through its educational outreach efforts. The department launched Kentucky’s BOW program in 1995.
64 Students from Kentucky and Southern Indiana to Compete
Students from around Kentucky and Southern Indiana will compete in the 24th annual Ford Motor Company Kentucky Derby Festival Spelling Bee today at 11 a.m. in the Bomhard Theater at the Kentucky Center for the Arts (501 W. Main Street in Louisville). 64 students representing 62 counties will compete on Saturday. They qualified by winning their respective school and county bees.
Said Kimberly Hofmann, Ford Zone Manager for the Cincinnati region: “As one of the top employers in the state, Ford is proud to help recognize the dedicated and talented students from all over the region in the Kentucky Derby Festival Spelling Bee.” Ford’s commitment to driving a brighter future in Kentucky is well served by supporting this important educational event.
The overall champion of this year’s Spelling Bee will receive the John & Joan Murphy Memorial Scholarship Fund, a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond at maturity. 2nd Place receives the Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship, a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond at maturity. The next three top finishers also receive savings bonds – $3,000 for third, $1,500 for fourth and $1,000 for fifth. The prize money will be provided by the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation – the Derby Festival’s charitable arm.
“Spelling is a skill that never goes out of style, so we’re happy to be able to support these outstanding students and showcase their skills,” said Mike Berry, KDF President and CEO. “The Spelling Bee is one of the Festival’s more far-reaching events, with participants from around Kentucky and Southern Indiana, and it’s always a nail-biter up until the final word is spelled.”
In addition to a $10,000 saving bond, the overall Spelling Bee champion will receive a Britannica online subscription gift certificate, Blue Orange Games: Speedeebee, an Amazon.com gift card and a trophy. The winner will also have the opportunity to ride the Winner’s Float in the 62nd annual Republic Bank Pegasus Parade on May 4th.
The Kentucky Derby Festival Spelling Bee is sponsored by Ford Motor Company, with Media Sponsors Kentucky Monthly and 840WHAS.