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This and other pages updated May 18, 2012.

Upcoming events

Graduation ceremonies set for tonight

Graduation for Ballard Memorial High School is on May 18 at 7 p.m.

The last day for students will be a half-day on May 18.

Ballard offers 'Football Players for Hire," raising money for camp

Ballard Memorial High School football players are raising money for summer camp. Head Coach John Elliott says the players are hiring themselves out for chores: “You can hire a player for any projects at home, and any donation you make for the work will go to cover camp costs.”

Elliott suggested some jobs such as garage cleaning, weed pulling and car washing. To hire a player or for more information, please contact Coach Elliott by email at john.elliott@ballard.kyschools.us, or phone at 812-760-4311.

Second 'Ride for the Refuge' bike event will be held May 19

The second “Ride for the Refuge” bicycle tour of Ballard County is set for Saturday, May 19, from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. The 25- and 50-mile tours will start and finish at the Ballard County Fairgrounds here; a family event will be held beginning at 9 a.m. on the paved portion of the fairgrounds loop.

Like last year’s inaugural event, the ride is sponsored by Ballard County’s COMPASS Coalition, the Purchase District Health Department and Ballard County Community Education. BCCE Director Julie Thomas said, “Unlike last year, we’ve only had to schedule this one once.” Last year’s historic flood levels caused the ride to be postponed twice.

An entry brochure may be found here.

She reminded potential participants that this is not a race, but a ride. “You don’t have to be a big-time cyclist to come out and join us.” The family events on the fairgrounds loop are free, and there will be plenty of activities for the little ones. “So bring your bike or trike and come on out!” she said.

Organizers have a nice side benefit for those attending: a CycleOps stationary trainer kit, complete with riser block, mat and coaching video, will be given away on ride day (a $500 value). Other door prizes include gift certificates from BikeWorld in Paducah and Gear Up Cycles in Murray, insulated Polar water bottles, gear bags and other bike-related items. Also, a limited number of souvenir t-shirts will be available for purchase on ride day. These shirts may be purchased for $10 each.

Both tours start at the fairgrounds. All riders will start at 8 a.m. and use the same route for the first 16 miles, then the routes divide until the last 5 miles or so. Both the 25- and 50-mile routes are mostly flat. Both go west out of LaCenter on Hazelwood Road, then north on KY 1105, and east on KY 473. The 25-mile route goes south on KY 358 through Bandana and back to LaCenter. The 50-mile route continues on KY 473 into McCracken County to the Heath area before returning on KY 725 and 473 to Bandana, and 358 back to LaCenter.

Thomas said that even riders fairly new to the sport could complete the 25-mile route in the allotted time. “If you can ride a bike for 7 or 8 miles, you can stop, take a break, and do another 7 or 8 and a break, then finish the last 7 or 8. There’s no rigid itinerary, so riders can choose the pace and route best suited to their abilities.” Links to both route maps can be found by searching Facebook for Ballard County Ride for the Refuge.

From a safety standpoint, lines of sight on those roads are long, and traffic is light. There are wide expanses of almost-empty state roads bordered by green fields and pastures, small lakes, and some of the largest cypress tree stands in Western Kentucky. “With a little luck, you might even see one of our bald eagles!” Thomas said.

Both routes will have rest areas with food, drink and toilets. Drivers in follow vehicles will rotate through the routes to assist in case of difficulties. Routes will be clearly marked, and each rider will get a route map. Ballard County Judge-Executive Vicki Viniard has offered the assistance of the county road department to help mark the routes.

Riders who only want to participate in the ride and activities on the paved loop at the fairgrounds may do so for free. They will have access to the rest area and toilets on-site. Long-route entries postmarked on or before May 11 will be $15 for individuals and $30 for families. Entries postmarked May 12 or after will be $20 for individuals and $35 for families. REGISTRATION FEES WILL BE RETURNED to the addresses listed on entry forms IF heavy rain cancels this event.

Any proceeds from this event will be used to hold additional fitness activities in Ballard County. Thomas said she’d like to extend special thanks to the Ballard County Extension Homemakers and 4-H, the Purchase District Health Department, Bike World in Paducah and Gear Up Cycles in Murray.

Boys' basketball 'Camp of Champions' will be May 22-24 for rising grades 1-9

Boys’ basketball camp for rising first- through ninth-graders is May 22-24 from noon to 4 p.m. at the “Green Palace” gym at Ballard Memorial High School. Cost is $45 per camper to preregister, or $50 per camper at the door.

The camp will be conducted by Bombers’ Head Coach Nick Chaykowsky and his staff, along with both former and current Ballard Memorial basketball players. This fundamental camp will involve daily instruction and both individual and team competitions. It will help improve players’ overall skills. All campers will receive a camp t-shirt.

A camp brochure and registration form may be found here. For more information, please contact Coach Chaykowsky at 665-8400, ext. 2533,  or email nick.chaykowsky@ballard.kyschools.us.

Graduated licensing class to be May 23

Jeff Dunn will conduct graduated licensing classes at Ballard Memorial High School on Wednesday, May 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The class will be held in Room 211 of the school at 3561 Paducah Road, Barlow (Lindsay Allen’s room). Students with driving permits should receive a letter about the class; that is their registration ticket. Students should bring their permits and another photo ID to the class.

For more information about this class, please contact Dunn at jeff.dunn@graves.kyschools.us, or call the Kentucky Department of Transportation at 502-564-6800, ext. 1.

Permit tests in Ballard County are given on the first, third and fifth Tuesday of every month, starting at 8:30 a.m. at the circuit clerk’s office at the courthouse in Wickliffe. No appointment is needed. Students must have the following in order to take the test:

·       A parent/guardian must be with them.

·       Social security card

·        Birth certificate

·       School Compliance Verification form (this may be obtained from BMHS guidance counselor Leslee Davis prior to the day of the test)

·       $12 (if test is passed)

Driving tests also are given the first, third and fifth Tuesday of every month. Students must call the clerk’s office at 335-5123 and make an appointment to take the driving test. Students must have the following in order to take the test:

·      Proof of insurance for the car in which they are taking the test

·      Completed driving log

·      Valid permit

·      Proof of completion of the 4-hour driving class

For more information about Kentucky’s graduated licensing law, please visit the official website. This website also provides an online permit manual and practice driving log sheets.

HOSA offering physicals on June 1

Students in Ballard Memorial High School’s Health Occupations Students of America will be offering athlete and staff physicals on Friday, June 1, in the Ballard County Career and Technical Center, 11 Vocational School Road, Barlow. Staff may come from 8-11 a.m.; athletes may come from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

No appointments are necessary. Cost is $15, payable as a donation to HOSA.

New KHSAA physical forms may be found on the school’s website, here.

For more information, please contact HOSA adviser Cindy Allardin at 665-8400, ext. 2405.

GED tests free through June 30; Ballard ALC offering free pre-tests, prep

The GED test will be free in Kentucky through June 30. Kentuckians taking the test during this time will not have to pay the usual $60 fee. Kentucky Adult Education, a unit of the Council on Postsecondary Education, will pay the fee.

To be eligible to take the GED, students first must complete the GED Official Practice Test successfully to make sure they are prepared for the actual test. The Ballard County Adult Learning Center, located at 158 E. Third St., LaCenter, offers this pre-GED testing, as well as basic skills classes and free GED preparation.

The center also offers some classes on parenting, budgeting, and job preparation skills. Anyone 16 years of age or older who is not currently enrolled in a public school is eligible for the center’s services.

GED tests provide adults who did not finish high school with the opportunity to certify their attainment of high school-level academic knowledge and skills. The GED consists of five parts – reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. Completing the entire test battery takes just over seven hours. The tests currently are offered only in a paper-pencil format at official GED Testing Centers – the tests cannot be taken online. The closest test location for this area is West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah.

The Ballard ALC is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. It also offers classes in the evenings on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The center will be closed for Ballard County Schools’ spring break, April 2-6.

For more information or to make an appointment at the Ballard ALC, please contact Marlene Fraser at 665-8412, ext. 223, or email marlene.fraser@ballard.kyschools.us.

Football boosters to open memorial wall at Bomber Field

The Ballard Football Boosters are offering stainless steel memorial plaques to family members or friends for loved ones who were part of Ballard’s football program and have passed away.

These 2 ½-by-8-inch plaques of brushed stainless steel will be engraved with the name, graduating class and jersey number (if applicable) of former players, coaches and assistant coaches, and filled with black enamel. They will be installed on a wall beneath the scoreboard on the west end of the field. One-time cost is $100 per plaque.

Plaques will be dedicated in a ceremony at the Aug. 17 home game with Heath High School. The wall on which they will hang was made possible when late Bomber football supporter Bill Coplen’s family asked that donations be made to the boosters as memorial to him.

Deadline to order plaques for this year is July 1, said booster representative Vicki Gough. The group will offer the plaques only once a year after that, so the next time to order would be July 2013, she said.

“We’re hoping our local folks will share this information with anyone outside the area that they think might be interested,” Gough said. “We’d really like to make this a place of honor for all of our late players and coaches.” There is room for two lines of engraving, she added, with 20 characters per line, including spaces.

For more information or an order form, please contact Gough at 270-665-8400, ext. 2202, or email vicki.gough@ballard.kyschools.us.

Members of the Coplen, Gibes and Bobo families are shown at the dedication of a memorial wall last fall at Bomber Field. The wall was made possible when the late Bill Coplen’s family asked that donations be made to the boosters as memorials. The boosters now are offering engraved stainless steel plaques to honor other late Bomber players, coaches and supporters.

(Family photo)

New service allows district job applications to be submitted online

Ballard County Schools has partnered with TalentEd Recruit & Hire to offer online applications for any available job in the district. This service is available immediately by clicking this link: https://ballardky.schoolrecruiter.net.

Once there, applicants may click the "Apply" button on the right side of the page. They will be taken automatically to a full description of the position, and may click another button to the right of the page marked "Apply for this Position."

Unless applicants have an existing username and password in the system from another district, they must first create a new account. Existing accounts may be transferred to this district.

After an applicant's information is completed, he or she will receive a confirmation number, and may return any time to submit additional applications.

Paper applications no longer will be accepted for any jobs in the district, according to personnel contact Tina Jones. Anyone who does not have internet access may come to the Ballard County Board of Education office at 3465 Paducah Road and make an online submission there. Normal office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information, visit the weblink above, or contact Jones at 665-8400, ext. 2008, or email tina.jones@ballard.kyschools.us.

Thursday class added to zumba schedule in preschool gym

A Thursday class has been added to the zumba schedule at Ballard County Preschool and Head Start. 

Trecy Chaykowsky, a teacher at Ballard County Elementary School, will be leading both the new class and the Monday zumba class, both held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the gym at 455 Olive St., LaCenter.

Cost is $2 per session for school district employees and $3 per session for the public. The class is sponsored by Ballard County Community Education.

For more information, please contact Chaykowsky at 665-8400, ext. 2211, or email trecy.chaykowsky@ballard.kyschools.us.

Scheduled fundraisers

(Click underlined type to follow link; scroll down page.)

HOSA barbecue sandwich plate lunch, moved from May 13 to May 20.

Journalism Department lollipops, candles

Project Graduation cookbook

BCES SchoolMall program

Group seeks host families for exchange students

Have you ever thought about traveling to another country but can't find the time? How about bringing part of another country into your home and community? According to one local family, hosting a foreign exchange student can be very rewarding: The visiting student learns part of west Kentucky’s culture and local people learn part of his or hers.

Becky Baucum said her family had a wonderful experience with their student, an 18-year-old young man from Sweden. In fact, she said that at mid-year, she decided to become a coordinator for the area for the EF Foundation (www.effoundation.org) which has been placing students since 1979. “We work very closely with our students, host families and schools to insure the students have a good experience, as well as the school and host parents,” Baucum said.

“Both of my children graduated from Ballard Memorial, and I know it is a wonderful school,” she continued. “It would provide a wonderful learning experience for an exchange student, as well as allowing the exchange student to share some of his or her culture with the students there.”

Students from 15-18 years old are available now for the upcoming year, Baucum said. “I will try to match a student with a family’s preferences,” she said. She said that once the student was placed, she would call and check on the student and host family every month.

Host families will go through a screening and background check. The hosting school also has to approve the family for hosting, and the student they choose, Baucum said; Ballard would prefer students who are at least sophomores, and who can come for the full school year (from fall 2012 to May 13).

Prospective students also go through a screening and background check. They are required to take English and either American history or American government while they are here, and must maintain at a grade average of at least a C. She said that f the student does not maintain a C average, he or she is put on academic probation to see that the grades are brought up.

Baucum said that the host family was to provide a room for the student, but that if the host family had a teen of the same sex, they could share a room. Other stipulations may be found at EF’s website. “There is an online application for the host family to fill out, which I will be happy to help with,” Baucum said.

Students are from 25 different countries, and are flown in to Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah near the end of July.

Baucum said she would be happy to speak to civic or church groups about this opportunity. For more information, please contact her at 270-554-0855, or email rsheeks@msn.com.

School calendar for 2012-13 year

The Ballard County Board of Education has approved the calendar for the 2012-13 school year. A printable version may be found here.

The first day for students is set for Aug. 9. Fall break will be Oct. 1-5, with Oct. 8 a professional development/planning day with no school. There will be another PD/planning day on Nov. 5, followed by Election Day on Nov. 6, with students dismissed across the state. Students also will be out for a PD/planning day on Nov. 21, then on Nov. 24 and 25 for Thanksgiving.

The last day before Christmas break will be a full instructional day, instead of a half-day. Winter break will be Dec. 19-Jan. 1, 2012, with students returning for the second semester on Jan. 2, 2013. There will be no school on Jan. 21, Feb. 18 or March 8. Spring break is set for April 1-5, and the last day for students will be a half-day on May 17.

Designated make-up days for weather dismissals were set again for 2012-13. Students will not have to make up time for the first weather day, but the second would change May 17, 2012, to a full day of instruction rather than a half-day. Other designated weather days, in order of their use, would be Feb. 18 (third weather day), March 8, May 20, May 21, May 22, May 23 and May 24 (ninth weather day). A 10^th weather day would push the last day of school past Memorial Day, to May 28.

As of Feb. 20, the last day of classes for the 2010-11 school year is set for a half-day on May 18, although that could change if school is dismissed for bad weather. Spring break is set for April 2-6.

State immunizations for 2012-13 include requirements for kindergarten, sixth-graders

Students entering preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade, or transferring to Ballard County Schools for the 2012-13 school year must meet Kentucky’s health requirements. These regulations will be strictly enforced.

Kindergarten students will need a second varicella (chicken pox) injection before entering school. This provision became effective last year.

Incoming sixth-graders also will need a second varicella (chicken pox) injection, as well as a vaccine for meningococcus. Students also will need a tetanus-diptheria-pertussis (TDaP) booster (there is no longer an exemption for boosters given within the last 5 years).

All students required to have a physical this year must use the new Kentucky School Medical Examination Form. Complete requirements for each grade level may be found here.

Parents will be asked to provide a Social Security number and a birth certificate for each child.

For more information, please contact Bob Wilson, district director of pupil personnel, at 665-8400, ext. 2014, or email bob.wilson@ballard.kyschools.us.

District, school report cards now online

The district and school report cards for Ballard County Schools are available now on the Kentucky Department of Education’s website at http://applications.education.ky.gov/schoolreportcardarchive/. They are dated 2010-2011, the most recent year for which the information is available.

News from around the district

Notice: Because of increased site traffic, the page has become increasingly slow to load. Stories on this section of the page will be posted for no more than one month. If you would like emailed or hard copies of the stories, please email julie.thomas@ballard.kyschools.us with your request. Thank you!

District installs first solar panels

Kerry Fulcher, transportation and facilities director for Ballard County Schools, recently installed the first solar panel at Ballard County Schools. The 260-square-foot collector was placed on the roof at the back (south) elevation of Ballard County Elementary School. It will be used to preheat water for the water heater in the school’s central plant, which feeds the entire building. It was designed to reduce annual natural gas consumption (CCF) for heating the water by 25 percent. In the first photo, the panel is lifted off the trailer using a crane from Kaler Signs. In the second, some BCES students were allowed to view the installation from the football bleachers across the parking lot. In the third, Fulcher helps settle the panel in the rails prepared for it.

(BCS photos)

BCES students win at regional Governor's Cup competition

Four Ballard County Elementary School students were winners at recent regional Governor's Cup competition. Shown from left are Mason Purcell, fourth place in mathematics; Parker Feezor, second place, math; Emma LeFevre, first place, arts and humanities; and Preston Reno, fifth place, social studies. Their team also took fourth place in the region among 12 schools. There is no statewide competition for elementary students.

Eight HOSA students qualify for national competition in June

Students in Ballard Memorial High School’s Health Occupations Students of America recently attended the state conference. Eight students qualified for national competition, to be held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in June, and several others had top-five finishes.

The team of Clayton Walker, Anthony Armstrong, Trent Taylor and Layken Moss earned first place for public service announcement. All members of HOSA also received first place for their entry in the talent competition. The CERT team of Kaitlin Bell and Erika Ray earned second place, and the career health display team of Maggie Denton and Michelle Lain earned third place. All of these individual students qualified for national competition.

Other state conference winners were the CERT team of Allison Bohn and Meagan Mays, and the forensic medicine team of Brooke Forrester and Kelcie Burnett. Both groups earned fourth-place awards.

Cutlines (please click thumbnails for larger images):

From left, the HOSA public service announcement team of Clayton Walker, Trent Taylor, Layken Moss and Anthony Armstrong won first place at recent state competition, qualifying the group for nationals in June. The PSA was shown on the BMHS News last week.

From left, the CERT team of Erika Ray and Kaitlyn Bell placed second in the state and will be competing at nationals.

From left, Ballard HOSA members Maggie Denton and Michele Lain are shown with their career health display, which won third place in the state. They will compete in nationals in June. The display was dedicated to late Ballard Superintendent Ed Adami.

All of the Ballard HOSA members, shown with advisors Cindy Allardin (far left) and April Jewell (far right) at recent state competition.

(BCCTC HOSA photos)

BCMS in top 13 percent on state EXPLORE scores

Ballard County Middle School was one of only six schools in the region to score above the national and state averages in every category on this year’s EXPLORE test. The annual tests are mandated by state law for all eighth-graders.

That puts BCMS in the top 13 percent in the state on composite scores (42^nd out of 325). In 2009, it was 151^st in state, and in 2010, it was 143^rd. BCMS is fourth in this 22-school region.

EXPLORE is a high-school readiness examination designed to help eighth-graders look into a broad range of options for their futures. The exam assesses four subjects (English, mathematics, reading and science) and provides needs assessments and other components to help students plan for high school and beyond. 

The assessment helps schools pinpoint areas of weakness for individual students and school-wide curriculum and make changes to improve learning.

Scores moved up slightly overall in Kentucky this year, with the statewide composite increasing 0.2 points to 15.2. Ballard’s growth of 1.2 points is the 26^th best in the state and second-best in the region. BCMS scores since 2009 are as follows:

       English     Math       Reading      Science      Composite

2009          14.1         14.5         14.2            16.2           14.9

2010          13.7         15.6         14.0            16.4           15.1

2011          15.9         16.2         15.5            17.1           16.3

2011 US av.  14.7      15.5          14.6           16.6            15.5

2011 KY av. 14.3       15.3          14.4            16.3           15.2

The testing company sets benchmarks in each subject. Students achieving these scores are expected to be successful in high school.

The benchmark for English is 13. The percentage of Kentucky eighth-graders meeting or exceeding that benchmark increased from 59 percent in 2010 to 61 in 2011. BCMS students’ score of 15.9 bested the benchmark, with 73 percent of students reaching or exceeding the score.

The percentage of Kentucky eighth-graders meeting or exceeding mathematics benchmarks dropped from 32 percent in 2010 to 31 in 2011. In this category, 43 percent of BCMS students reached the benchmark.

The percentage of Kentucky eighth-graders meeting or exceeding reading benchmarks increased from 39 percent in 2010 to 42 in 2011. In this category 50 percent of BCMS students reached the benchmark.

The percentage of Kentucky eighth-graders meeting or exceeding science benchmarks remained unchanged at 14 percent from 2010 to 2011. In this category, 16 percent of BCMS students reached the benchmark.

Scores like these did not come overnight, or in one year,” said BCMS Principal Kevin Estes. “This is the fruit of hard work by our teachers.” Estes said that BCMS was not just succeeding on the state level, but also now consistently at a national level. “We are helping to get all kids college- and career-ready,” he said.

“As I look back on the past 5 to 7 years, there are several things I believe have allowed BCMS to get to this level,” Estes continued. He credited the culture of the faculty and students, including a standard of high expectations, not only in the classroom, but also in extracurricular activities and in behavior.

Students are guided to use material they’ve already learned and apply it to new situations,” Estes continued. “It’s more of a thinking process, rather than just rote learning by lecture.”

Teachers have engaged in very focused professional development, grouping together to use state standards to analyze the material covered in class on the basis of results, then adjusting teaching to make necessary changes, Estes said. “We’re ‘beginning with the end in mind,’ working backward from assessments to develop lesson plans and activities,” he explained.

He also said teachers worked every day, believing in the school’s mission and vision. The missions statement says, “BCMS is committed to being a school of excellence where everyone is self-motivated, takes pride and ownership in achievement, and fosters responsibility and independence.” Vision statements say that everyone can learn, must be dedicated to excellence, must be open to change, must know staff cares, and that a positive school culture creates pride.

Public can dispose of old medications in new box at Sheriff's Office

This new medication disposal box is located in the Ballard County Sheriff’s Office, behind the court house in Wickliffe. The public may dispose of unused or out-of-date medications – no questions asked – during regular office hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The facility cannot accept liquids or needles. Users are asked to please remove labels, or mark out names and any other identifying personal information before disposal. According to Ballard County Agency for Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator Kandi Foster, unused or out-of-date medications pose several risks. Medicines can lose their effectiveness or become unstable over time, making them dangerous or unpredictable to use. They can be targets for criminals, who sometimes break into homes just to steal certain prescription drugs. Foster also said family medicine cabinets are a major source for users to obtain drugs illegally, including young people who could accidentally overdose or break the law by giving or selling them to others. For more information about substance abuse prevention, please contact Foster at 665-8400, ext. 2400, or email kandi.foster@ballard.kyschools.us.

(BCASAP photo)

Allen chosen as Ballard superintendent

The Ballard County Board of Education named Casey Allen as its successful candidate for superintendent in a special called meeting Tuesday evening at the board office.

Allen was named interim superintendent on Nov. 28, 2011, following the death of Ed Adami. Mr. Adami had been in that post since 2004. Prior to that posting, Allen had served as the district’s supervisor of instruction since 2010. His first full year on the job officially will begin on July 1, 2012, pending a successful contract negotiation.

He was principal at Ballard County Middle School from 2003 until 2010. Allen is a 1990 graduate of Paducah Tilghman High School, and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky in 1993. Allen also holds a master’s degree and professional certifications from Murray State University.

“The board is looking forward to working with Casey in achieving the district’s goals, and improving the educational opportunities for every Ballard County student,” said board chair Kim Terrell. “We appreciate the support and direction he will provide to all district faculty and staff.”

The hiring is the culmination of several weeks of work, beginning with the board establishing criteria for the job in late January. A screening committee was selected in February, with members being voted on by their peers.

The screening committee included the following: one Board of Education member, appointed by the board (Haskell Sheeks); one district principal, elected by the principals (Dana Rohrer, BCCTC); two district certified employees, elected by certified staff (Michele Chandler, BCES; and Amber Parker, BCMS); one district classified employee, elected by classified staff (Reta Renfrow, district technology coordinator); one parent representative (Tim Goodin) and one minority parent representative (LeToun Bledsoe), for a total of seven members.

The board met with the screening committee on Feb. 2 to give its criteria for the superintendent’s position to the committee; the committee also selected its chair and vice-chair, and received applicant files at that time. The screening committee met in closed session immediately after the joint meeting, pursuant to KRS 61.810, Section F. The committee met alone on Feb. 7 to assign reference and background checks of three applicants.

The screening committee held its final meeting with the board on Feb. 13. At that time, all applicant files and notes from reference and background checks were given to the board, and the committee was allowed to make its recommendations. While the board must consider the committee’s recommendations, it was not bound by them, board chair Kim Terrell said.

Following the joint meeting, the board set interviews. Only the board was involved in the interviews, and under Kentucky law, the duty to hire the superintendent rests solely with the board. In addition to Terrell, other members of the Ballard County Board of Education are Cara Mills, Tammy Scott and Karen Tilford.

BMHS FFA program in state Top 10 for academics

Students in last year’s Future Farmers of America program at Ballard Memorial High School met or exceeded either the schools’ average and/or the state’s average in the percentage of students scoring proficient or distinguished in all tested areas, and in the state’s top 10 of all agricultural education programs in the state for reading and writing.

An email from Brandon K. Davis, ag ed consultant and state FFA advisor, congratulated “your students, your Ag Ed program and you as a teacher.” Long-time ag teacher Mark Williams retired after the 2010-11 school year.

“We have always known that agriculture education is a key to the acquisition of technical knowledge, leadership development, and the skills needed in real-world application,” Davis’ email continued. “I firmly believe the enrollment and involvement in agriculture education courses and the FFA allows students to perform above the norm in their academic/core classes, and your data supports that.”

Overall scores at BMHS were above the state average in reading, writing, math, science and social studies last year.

BMHS honored in statewide surveys

Ballard Memorial High School has been selected as one of 49 honorable mentions regarding teaching conditions, school safety and student achievement in a statewide program based on the Teaching, Educating, Leading and Learning Kentucky survey, which was administered to all public school teachers and principals in March of this year.

There were 1,395 schools participating. Of those,1,245 met the 50-percent response rate that qualified them for this award, and for data to be made available to the public. “That puts BMHS in the top 4 percent of schools in the state among those in competition,” said Principal David Meinschein.

Student test scores from the 2010-11 school year were analyzed from those qualifying schools, and a cut-off point was set to ensure that successful schools were included in the next phase of selection. Next, those schools were examined for details regarding their survey results, as well as other criteria (such as school safety), using a rubric designed by the New Teacher Center and the TELL Kentucky advisory team. The NTC is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders.

Quarterfinal schools which met all of the minimum criteria for selection were narrowed by the advisory team to 49 exemplary schools across the state. From those 49 honorable mentions, one school in each of Kentucky’s State Board/Judicial Districts, two at-large schools and one area technology school were awarded Winners’ Circle honors at the 17^th annual Safe Schools, Successful Students conference held Nov. 7 in Louisville.

According to a press release from the Kentucky Department of Education, winning schools and honorable mentions will be used as examples of best practices for other schools across the state. “The intent of this work is to provide schools, districts and the state with data that can be used to enhance school improvement efforts,” the release said. “The Kentucky Board of Education is using the results of the 2011 TELL Kentucky Survey in policy discussions and has included a request for continuation of this initiative in its 2012-2014 biennial budget request. The Kentucky Department of Education also is using the findings to guide its assistance to persistently low-achieving schools.”

The Purchase area school named to the Winners’ Circle of working conditions and student achievement was Benton Middle School in Marshall County.

School, district and statewide results, as well as the New Teacher Center’s Preliminary Findings, Guides, and Tools for Using the Data, may be viewed at www.tellkentucky.org.

New mobile app allows parents, students to check Infinite Campus account

The student data system used in Ballard County Schools now has a mobile application. Infinite Campus has released a new application for Apple devices like the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad called Infinite Campus Mobile Portal. Developed in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education, the app gives parents and students mobile access to the same IC Portal content they have may view via computer.

Apple iOS devices must have the 4.2.1 operating system (or later) in order to install the app. Unfortunately, the first generations of iPhone and iPod Touch are not supported.

The app contains a daily planner that lets students know exactly where they need to be and when; a summary and detailed attendance information; grades; a schedule; a detailed list of assignments (if used by their teachers); other notifications (as posted by the district or teachers, and subject to users’ individual preferences).

Parents or students must have an IC portal account in order to use the application. If you do not already have a portal account, please e-mail system administrator Jennifer Robinson at jennifer.robinson@ballard.kyschools.us to request a username and password.

Users must go Apple’s App Store to download the Infinite Campus Mobile Portal. Once downloaded, users may launch the app. They should go to their device’s “Settings” menu and enter this case-sensitive access code: CQFBJF. They click the “Go” button, and enter their individual IC usernames and passwords in the appropriate spaces, and select “Go Sign In.”

Ballard schools see improvements in test scores, still some miss NCLB targets

Every Ballard County school showed improvements in this year’s Kentucky Core Content Test scores in at least two subjects, with the district as a whole beating state averages in 13 of 15 areas. However, for the first time, Ballard failed to meet more than one Adequate Yearly Progress goal under the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

AYP determinations are based primarily on the KCCT scores in reading and mathematics. Schools are required to have specific percentages of students reaching proficiency or above in reading and mathematics each year and to meet other criteria in order to make AYP. The state of Kentucky’ has requested a waiver from NCLB requirements, but it has not been approved or denied yet.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said, “Kentucky’s schools and districts continue to make progress; however, it is apparent that NCLB is broken when 152 school districts fail to meet AYP. This is a signal that the NCLB system is no longer fair, valid or reliable.

The district met eight of its 10 NCLB goals, but under the reporting guidelines, 80 percent is not good enough. “It’s an all-or-nothing measurement, so unfortunately, our district did not make AYP. That is a first for us,” said Ballard Instructional Supervisor Casey Allen. State data indicate that only 42.6 percent ‑ 489 ‑ of Kentucky's 1,148 accountable public schools made 100 percent AYP in the 2010-11 school year.

Ballard County Elementary school missed two targets of 10; Ballard County Middle School missed only one of 10. It was a first for both of those schools, as well, Allen said. Ballard Memorial High School also made 8 of 10 goals.

At Ballard County Elementary School, students made improvements over 2009-10 scores in science (78.3 percent scoring proficient or distinguished, 70.53 for state), social studies (55.0, 59.75 for state) and on-demand writing (62.0, 59.74 for state). They also bested state scores in reading (77.51, 76.0 for state). Their math score fell from 73.8 to 67.47 this year.

“Last year’s third-graders did very well in reading (88.24 percent proficient or distinguished) and math (83.53), and our fourth-graders improved in science by 9.2 percent,” said BCES Principal Phillip Harned. “We missed AYP by just a couple of percentage points in reading and math in our free and reduced lunch category.”

Harned said that with Kentucky’s new Common Core Standards as a benchmark, they brought in an expert in assessment before school started and have adopted several improvement strategies school-wide. “Our teachers are using new techniques in every subject, every day, to check our students for understanding and retention of the new Common Core Standards,” he said. “Teachers are able to review key concepts and vocabulary daily to ensure our students retain essential fundamentals.”

BCES also continues a school-wide writing program. Teacher Krystal Walker works with students in grades K-5 on writing skills that focus on the three types of writing. Walker also works with all teachers to give them age-appropriate activities to help students be successful at an early age, Harned said. “Our social studies scores are still too low at 4.75 percent below the state average,” he said. “We have shifted some staff to remedy the shortfall.”

Harned added, “We continue to purchase technology for our teachers and students to use to make learning more interactive and interesting. Four years ago, we only had one interactive white board; through lots of fundraisers, grants, and technology funds, we now have 34 SMART Boards that are used daily by our students. We also have purchased IPods, IPads and laptops for some of our teachers to use with small groups of students. We know that our students are using computers, game consoles and smartphones daily at home, so we have to keep pace with how they learn best and use the immediate feedback and success that technology provides.”

At Ballard County Middle School, student scores were better than state averages in reading (78.55, 69.9 for state), math (71.9, 65.11 for state), science (86.14, 64.04 for state) and social studies (67.54, 60.09 for state). BCMS Principal Kevin Estes said that represents a gain of 20.39 percent in science from last year, with teacher Amanda Farley helping students rank third among regional schools. Reading also was up 1 percent from last year.

On-demand writing scores fell from 42.2 last year to 38.6 this year, below the state average of 45.22. Estes said they also had created a writing position to focus on all grades and all writing. “Students will get specific writing instruction every year, and not just in language arts classes,” Estes said. “In the past, language arts classes focused on reading, sentence structure, writing techniques, etc. These classes still will focus on the same foundation, but the writing classes will focus on pre-writing, thought process, specific forms of writing, and other strategies to get students to put thoughts and ideas correctly on paper.”

He said much progress had been made in the free and reduced lunch student category, with over 60 percent meeting benchmarks. “We will continue the one-on-one relationships with teachers and students, increase rigor and relevance in course work, provide immediate and focused feedback to students, and foster student ownership in their learning,” he said.

Students also will be reading for meaning and writing across the curriculum, Estes continued. “We are making sure that students know the expectations and what it means to be good readers and writers. With this focus, students understand what they have read, whether it is a book or a question. Then they can develop a writing strategy and thought process to answer any questions.”

At Ballard Memorial High School, students beat state averages in every category, including reading (81.44, 65.91 state), math (51.06, 45.98 state), science (48.94, 41.37 state), social studies (47.87, 41.49 state) and on-demand writing (52.43, 40.89 state). New principal David Meinschein said those scores represented a gain of 11 percent over last year in reading, and an 18 percent gain in writing.

“The instructional plan at BMHS is focused on providing strong teaching and learning for all students,” he said. “We have several current initiatives for improvement. One is to align instruction around the new Common Core Standards and end-of-course exams which replace KCCT this year. Another is to focus academic enrichment time on preparing for ACT and end-of-course exams, as well as enrichment activities.”

Meinschein said two more initiatives focused on teaching, including redesign of learning teams to support Senate Bill 1, and focusing on formative assessment to create a framework for instruction. “The bottom line is that our focus is on creating an environment where we ensure all of our students are college- and career-ready,” he said.

In August of this year, the Kentucky Board of Education finalized its criteria for college and career readiness. To be considered college-ready, students must meet benchmarks on either the ACT, COMPASS or Kentucky Online Testing program scales. To be considered career-ready, students must meet benchmarks on either the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ACT WorkKeys, and benchmarks on one career technical requirement.

BMHS students scored 34 percent on the college- and career readiness scale, four points below the state average of 38 percent. Senate Bill 1 has set an improvement goal of 40 percent readiness at Ballard for 2010-11, and 67 percent by 2014-15.

Food service begins accepting online payments for student, staff meals

Ballard County Schools has a new school nutrition director, and she already has added several new items to the schools’ “menus” – not only on the serving line, but in other areas, as well.

Amber Hayes unveiled a new online payment portal where parents can pay cafeteria bills, view student balances and cafeteria purchase, and even make online automatic payments.

“The website is www.myschoolbucks.com, and it is extremely user-friendly,” Hayes said. “I hope that this new payment system will help us to better serve our students and staff.”

To use the system, parents or guardians must first establish a user name and password. Next, a confirmation will be sent to an existing e-mail account. “You will be able to log in from there,” Hayes continued. There is an operational cost of $2 for each payment. “This is a fee that the banking system associated with this program charges, and there is no way for me to get around it,” she said. However, parents may still pay by check or cash as well.

For more information on the system, please click here or contact Hayes at 665-8400, ext. 2530, or email amber.hayes@ballard.kyschools.us.

Delay/dismissal notices now available via email, text message

Ballard County Schools has activated an account with School’s Out, an Internet provider of email and text messages to parents that lets them know immediately if school has been delayed or dismissed.

Sign-up for the email service is free; the company charges an annual fee of $19.95 for the text (SMS) message service. As soon as a determination to delay or dismiss classes has been made, administrators will enter a notification on the School’s Out site. Parents who are signed up for the service will be sent an email or text immediately. The notification also will be posted on the School’s Out site.

At this time, BCS intends to use the service for delays in start times, closings and early dismissals only.

To subscribe to the service, parents may visit www.schoolsout.com and click the “Sign Up!” button. To subscribe to the free email service, please look for a link under the “Price” box on the right side of the web page; filling out the boxes on the left side will lead directly to the paid text link.

A few minutes after the visitor enters a name and email address, the company will send a confirmation email. Subscribers then click a link in the email to complete the subscription service. Signing up for the text service is similar: Visitors enter their school name, phone and carrier, and the company texts a confirmation code to the phone.

Users may unsubscribe from either service at any time; however, the company’s terms of service say that they do not issue refunds for the text service. Text subscribers also are liable for any regular texting charges from their service providers.

School's Out was created in 1996 when a group of parents in Frederick, Md., were unable to find information on school dismissals during Hurricane Fran. The service now has nearly 300,000 email subscribers, and millions of page visits a year.

The district will continue to notify local media outlets of any schedule changes, as well. Parents always are welcome to check WPSD-TV, WKYQ-FM, their related websites, and/or www.westkentuckystar.com for any delays, closings or dismissals.