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Elementary school students at six schools in District 6 will get a special present this year when Councilman David James (D-6) and his holiday helpers once again host the Winter Wonderland on Friday, December 15th.
“This year we will continue our effort to give warm coats to students in need and help them stay warm during the winter so they can achieve great things at school,” says James. “This is the time of year when it is better to give than receive and I have some great sponsors to help me achieve that goal.”
On Friday, December 15th, Councilman James will be distributing coats to students who attend Frayser, Englehard, Cochran, McFerran, Brandies and Wheatly Elementary Schools at First Gethsemane Center for Family Development, 1221 First Gethsemane Avenue.
The students who have the greatest need were identified through their Jefferson County Public Schools Resource Counselors.
The giveaway was made possible through some very generous sponsors who have helped out at many seasonal District 6 events this year.
Councilman James has partnered with Kosair Charities and Kohl’s will also be on hand for the distribution. The company is sending some very helpful store elves (employees) to assist. This collaborative effort also includes these additional sponsors: Ronaldo Designer Jewelers, Dr. & Mrs. Thomas and Nancy Woodcock, Bruce Blue, Dr. Alexander Digenis and Emily Digenis, Todd Roman of Play Louisville and Hunter Sattich.
“These sponsors have joined with me to make sure the children in our area that are in need will have a special holiday,” says James. “Our main theme is a special one for the Winter Wonderland: The list has been made and checked twice, no naughtiness here, just to be nice!”
The fun begins at 5:00pm on Friday, December 15th.
A group of students at Olmsted Academy South will turn poems they’ve written into music with the help of My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and the Louisville Orchestra’s Teddy Abrams. The students will showcase their work on Friday, December 8, at 1 p.m. at the school, 5650 Southern Parkway.
Last March, Young Authors Greenhouse, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating young authors and publishing their works, began working with sixth-grade students at Olmsted Academy South to help them publish worthy pieces. In November, the students were invited to read their written works on stage during a concert featuring nationally acclaimed author Dave Eggers and musician Jim James. The students were so impressive that James and Abrams have been working with the girls this week to turn their writing into music.
Olmsted Academy South opened in 2008 and is the only all-girls public middle school in Kentucky.
James, a Louisville native, is a vocalist, guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter of the rock band My Morning Jacket. Abrams is a conductor, pianist, clarinetist, and composer and is currently the music director of the Louisville Orchestra.
The Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) has received nine applications from candidates interested in serving as the superintendent of the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District after an open application process concluded on December 1, 2017.
The Superintendent Screening Committee, whose role is to provide recommendations to the board, will meet December 8 to initiate a review of the candidate applications. The board will begin its own review of applications during its executive session scheduled for December 12.
The recommendations of the screening committee will be one source of information the board will use in selecting the new superintendent. In addition, the board will consider community perspectives following extensive public outreach over the next two months.
The board will seek input from multiple district stakeholders, including parents, students, teachers, principals, and other district administrators and employees, as well as community organizations and groups. This input will be provided through multiple methods of community outreach, including surveys, community meetings, focus groups, social media, and the district’s website. The board contracted Louisville public relations firm Bandy Carroll Hellige to manage the outreach, and more details about different opportunities for public feedback will be announced in the coming weeks.
The board expects that the process of reviewing applications will take place through December and January and that the finalists for the superintendent position will be interviewed in February with the goal of the selected candidate beginning work by April. These dates are not intended to set a fixed timeline.
Updates will be provided throughout the process.
W.E.B. DuBois Academy Principal Robert Gunn is holding a series of upcoming parents’ nights for students and their families interested in applying to be a part of the new program in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) next school year.
The DuBois Academy, which is open to all males entering the sixth grade, is currently enrolling up to 150 students for its inaugural class. Over the next two weeks, Principal Gunn will hold the following five parents’ nights across Louisville for families to learn more about the program:
- December 4—Wilder Elementary (1913 Herr Lane), 6:30 p.m.
- December 5—Louisville Urban League (1535 W. Broadway), 6 p.m.
- December 7—Mill Creek Elementary (3816 Dixie Highway), 6 p.m.
- December 11—Brandeis Elementary (2817 W. Kentucky Street), 6 p.m.
- December 12—Greenwood Elementary (5801 Greenwood Road), 5:30 p.m.
“At the DuBois Academy, our young men will learn leadership and teamwork skills in a culture committed to the values of compassion, respect and responsibility and reflective of our One Pride. One Brotherhood. motto,” Principal Gunn said. “As principal, I’ll work tirelessly to ensure students receive a quality educational experience from a school community that believes every young man has the ability to succeed—and I look forward to sharing more with parents about how the DuBois Academy can be a right choice for their son.”
The DuBois Academy will offer an Afrocentric, multicultural curriculum and an innovative learning environment, with each student receiving a Chromebook or an iPad. The core tenets of the program will emphasize academic skills such as leadership, literacy, numeracy, social sciences, technology usage and speaking a foreign language.
W.E.B. DuBois Academy is currently accepting applications for the 2018-19 school year. Families should apply here.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Acting Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio announced the hiring of a director of school choice and diversity hiring specialist.
“JCPS will continue aggressively pursuing the goals outlined in Vision 2020, and these positions will allow us to strategically prepare and plan for the future,” Dr. Pollio said.
Cassiopia Blausey will join the district as the director of school choice. She will be responsible for supporting the Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) in its role as a charter school authorizer. Her role will also include providing administrative leadership, management, and implementation of district processes and procedures as they relate to charter school authorization.
Blausey is currently a policy advisor for the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) Office of Continuous Improvement and Support. She is a former teacher in Nevada, assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Jefferson County, and research analyst for the state’s Office of Education and Accountability. Blausey is a graduate of Centre College and earned her master’s in education from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and legal degree from the University of Louisville.
Ashley Duncan will join the district as the diversity hiring specialist, providing support and guidance for minority recruitment and retention in the hiring of JCPS employees. She will collaborate with human resources, recruitment, principals, and hiring supervisors to ensure a fair, inclusive, and equitable hiring process. Duncan will implement practices designed to widen and diversify the pool of candidates considered for employment openings, including vacancies in upper-level management.
She joins JCPS from Transit Authority of River City (TARC). During her career at TARC, Duncan served as a director of diversity and inclusion, civil rights program manager, an equal employment opportunity manager, and ombudsman. She also serves the community through volunteerism, contributing to several local boards. Duncan is a JCPS graduate and earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Spalding University.
“We are proud to welcome our new team members, who appreciate the opportunity to build something special here at JCPS,” Dr. Pollio said. “Every day, we are focusing on improving culture and climate, increasing student learning, and providing organizational coherence. These two additions to our staff help move us even closer to our goals.”
Blausey and Duncan will begin their positions on January 2.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Acting Superintendent Marty Pollio and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer cut the ribbon today on a new JCPS satellite office that will better serve students and families in west Louisville communities.
“Creating an office that would provide equitable access to district services and resources for our families in west Louisville was a top priority for me when I became acting superintendent,” Dr. Pollio said. “By taking our services directly to the community, as this new office will do, we can engage with families and promote family involvement in a much greater way.”
The new office, located inside the California Community Center on West Saint Catherine Street, officially opens on January 4, 2018. The office will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The community center is operated by the city of Louisville, which is allowing JCPS to use the space free of charge.
“This is another example of JCPS bringing services directly to its customers – students and their parents – in the neighborhoods where they live,” said Mayor Fischer. “The city is honored to partner with JCPS by offering space in one of our community centers.”
JCPS will provide services to families at the new office through a variety of departments:
- Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Programs—Staff will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays to connect parents with resources that strengthen educational access and student achievement, which will include out-of-school-time learning opportunities, volunteer recruitment, Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) groups, homeless education, and foster care services. The department will also facilitate meetings with families, community stakeholders, and organizations at the satellite office with the purpose of improving student learning.
- Exceptional Child Education (ECE)—Staff will be available on Thursdays to focus on the individual needs of students who are eligible for special education and related services according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The department will help with assessments that determine special education eligibility. ECE staff will schedule student Admissions and Release Committee (ARC) meetings at the satellite office to review progress and develop a new Individual Education Program (IEP). The ECE Service Delivery staff includes one placement specialist as well as a parent liaison assigned on a rotating schedule.
- Student Assignment—Staff will be at the satellite office each Thursday to assist families with applications for students who are entering kindergarten or who have a change of address. They will also help families who wish to submit a student transfer request or learn more about optional and magnet programs in the district.
- Student Relations—Staff will be available on Tuesdays to meet with students and families on Tuesdays who are recommended for choice and alternative school placement. They will work with the case manager, school staff, parents, and students to make appropriate decisions regarding student placement in choice and alternative behavior support schools.
- Title I—Parents will find information provided by the Title I Office on topics that include getting involved at their child’s school and how to find counselling, tutoring or other related services. Parents will also be able to learn more about the topics presented at the monthly Parent Advisory Council meetings. Title 1 will hold some parent meetings at the site.
“Being able to build a bridge from school to home is integral when talking about the success of our students,” Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) Member Diane Porter said. “I appreciate Dr. Pollio and all of the JCPS staff for making this investment of time and resources in west Louisville—our students and their families are worth it.”
Students at the Binet School, 3410 Bon Air Avenue, have been studying the novel Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr and will host an Exposition Day at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, to showcase their learning experiences.
There will be student demonstrations of work (they have been doing character studies, water sampling and much more) and they will host visitors from Goldsmith Elementary School, as well as other community members and groups.
The projects are great examples of the Deeper Learning initiative that is at the forefront of the district’s strategic plan. The framework was adopted by the Jefferson County Board of Education in June 2016 as a way to encourage students to be more independent and take a more active role in their learning process.
Binet School serves students who have a combination of disabilities that can result in significant learning, developmental, or behavioral problems. Teachers and staff provide successful learning experiences through a highly structured and supportive environment.