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This and other pages updated Feb. 4, 2010.
Upcoming events
Cancellations and changes:
Freshman/JV Boys basketball @ Graves County Monday Feb. 8 has
been cancelled.
Little League Boys Basketball for Monday Feb. 8 has
been rescheduled for Fri. Feb. 12.
New GED FastTrack program
begins Feb. 8 at Adult and Family Education Center
A new,
two-week, no-cost GED FastTrack preparation course will be offered at Ballard
County Adult and Family Education Center beginning Feb. 8.
Anyone
interested in taking the course should call 665-8412, ext. 223, to register.
Orientation and enrollment will begin today (Monday, Feb. 1).
The class will be
taught at the Adult Education Center located at
the Ballard County Community Resource Center, 158 E. Third St. here (directly
behind Regions Bank). Eight sessions will be held, Monday through Thursday, from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on any of the
classes or registration, please call the number above, or email
marlene.fraser@ballard.kyschools.us.
BCMS, BMHS list remaining SBDM dates;
BMHS date changes to Feb. 9
Ballard County Middle and Ballard Memorial High schools have
set meeting dates for their respective Site-Based Decision-Making councils for
the 2009-10 school year.
At BCMS, meetings are the second Monday of every month at
3:30 p.m. in the office conference room. Dates are as follows: Feb. 8; March 8; April 12; May
10; and June 14.
At BMHS meetings also will be held on the second Monday of
each month at 3:30 p.m., in that school’s office conference room. The
February meeting has been moved to Tuesday, Feb. 9, because of schedule
conflicts. Other dates are as
follows: March 8; April 12; May 10 and June 14.
Graduated licensing classes
set for Feb. 22 at BMHS
Brian Gill will conduct graduated licensing classes at
Ballard Memorial High School on Feb. 22 from 4:30-8:30 p.m.
The class will be held in Room 211 of the school at 3561
Paducah Road, Barlow (Lindsay Jones’ 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 Gill at
brian.gill@graves.kyschools.us,
or counselor Lorry Beth Wilson at 270-665-8400, ext. 2503, or email
lorrybeth.wilson@ballard.kyschools.us.
For more information about Kentucky’s graduated licensing law, please visit
http://gdl.kytc.ky.gov/grad_summary.htm. This website also provides an
online permit manual and practice driving log sheets.
Preschool/Head Start
registration set for March 22-26 and April 19-23
Ballard County Preschool/Head Start will hold its spring
registration for new students on March 22-26 and April 19-23
for children who are or will be 3 or 4 years old by Oct. 1, 2010.
This registration is for new
students only. Parents/Guardians are asked to please call Mary Miller at
665-8400, ext. 2100, for an appointment call-back on either set of dates. Students do not
need to attend; they
will be screened on a different date: April 22-23 for March registrations and
May 17-21 for April registrations.
Parents should please bring the
following information with when registering a child:
-
Certified birth
certificate of the child
-
Proof of income for the family (income
tax return or W-2 form, child support order/proof of amount/SSI income/SSDI
income/proof of public assistance, KTAP, food stamps, etc.)
Income verification is required on the date of the
application.
-
Social Security cards
of child and SSNs for everyone in the household
-
Medical card or
insurance information
All of the following are required for school entry. If they
already have been completed, please bring them also:
-
Kentucky Immunization Certificate
-
Kentucky eye exam form
from an eye doctor (required for school
entry, to be done after child is 3)
-
Physical completed
since Aug. 10, 2008, by child’s doctor
The school also has an Early Head Start program here. It is a
home-based, full-year, comprehensive program serving pregnant mothers and
children up to age 3. Applications will be taken during preschool registration.
To be eligible, applicants must meet federal poverty guidelines. To apply,
please bring proof of income, child’s
birth certificate and Social Security numbers of all family members.
For more information concerning registration, please contact
Susie Nutt at the number above, or email
susie.nutt@ballard.kyschools.us.
Parents invited to view their
BCMS, BMHS students' ILPs
Parents are invited to access their students’ personal
Individual Learning Plans via the Internet. The ILP is a complete career
guidance program for students in grades 6-12 that is Internet-based. Students
can explore career and college options and develop their career paths.
Many parents already have a personal username and password
for this service. However, if you do not have or have lost your username and
password, please contact the following staff members: For Ballard County Middle
School students, please call guidance counselor Kim Grogan at 665-8400, ext.
2303, or email
kim.grogan@ballard.kyschools.us; for Ballard Memorial High School students,
please contact business teacher Renee’ McDermott at 665-8400, ext. 2402, or
email
renee.mcdermott@ballard.kyschools.us.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for students and we want
them and you to take full advantage of this free tool,” McDermott said. “We are
inviting you to look at your student’s progress and see what great things he or
she is accomplishing. Many universities are beginning to look at the ILP as a
reference in selecting students for scholarships and many other resources.”
The ILP is very easy to view. Parents are asked to review
their student’s information and add any comments to the ILP that they would
like. The student will be able to see the comments made when they access their
account. Parents are not able to change any information that students’ have
entered, but you are allowed comment, McDermott explained.
Simply use the link from the right side of the Ballard County
Schools’ home page at
www.ballard.kyschools.us or type
www.careercruising.com/ilp/
into your browser.
·
Enter your username and
password.
·
Under the Quick Links
section, go to Parent/Guardian Review of ILP
·
Click the link
·
Click “Yes” that you have
reviewed your student’s ILP
·
Make any comments
·
Click Save
Also, parents are able to see who their student has invited
to view their ILP under the Guest Views of the child’s ILP link under the Quick
Links menu.
“We encourage you to look and sign off that you have viewed this wonderful
information and help your student to make this a positive and good reflection on
themselves,” McDermott continued. “This also will benefit your student by
helping him or her understand that others are viewing the ILP, and will
encourage the student to put forth a best effort.”
21st Century program hosting weekly
Thursday parent computer sessions
Ballard County’s 21st Century Community Learning
Center program will host weekly Thursday computer nights for parents of students in the
program. The sessions will be held
from 4-5 p.m. in the library at Ballard Memorial High School, 3561 Paducah Road,
Barlow.
“Many of our parents would like to access their student’s
grades, the school’s website, or other information regarding their children, but
may not have the equipment they need at home,” said program director Dustin
Roberts. “We’re excited to be able to offer this opportunity to you while your
students are at school, participating in the 21st Century program.”
In order to participate in the computer nights, parents must
have a student enrolled in the 21st Century program at the
elementary, middle or high-school level. Roberts said that although there
currently were no openings at the elementary level, there were slots available
for students at the middle and high schools. The program combines homework help,
remediation and enrichment for students of all ability levels from 3-5:30 p.m.,
Monday through Thursday, at no cost. Bus transportation is available to
community drop-off points at the end of the day; $1 per day is requested from
students who use the service.
Roberts said he would be available during the sessions to
assist parents as needed; however, to access the district’s Infinite Campus data
system for student grades, etc., parents should have their log-in codes in hand
when they come to the session. He asked that parent who did not have this
information contact him before 2 p.m. on the first day they planned to come to
the library.
For more information on the computer nights or the 21st Century
program, please contact Roberts at 665-8400, ext. 2539, or email
dustin.roberts@ballard.kyschools.us.
KSP drivers' license manual now online
The Kentucky State Police have made the state’s official drivers’ license manual
available online to anyone, free of charge. It may be downloaded from the KSP
website
here.
Latest edition of KDE's ParentInfo
The February edition of the Kentucky Department of Education's online parent
newsletter, ParentInfo, may be found
here.
Stories in this issue include a comic website that helps with literacy, the
KHEAA's and Student Loan People's annual reports, and information about taking
the ACT.
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!
BMHS student honored at art
show

Emilee Steinbeck, a junior at Ballard Memorial High School,
received an honorable mention for her sculpture entry of the small sushi tray
(right) in this year’s Teen Spirit
exhibit at Yeiser Art Center, 200 Broadway, Paducah. BMHS student Molly Arant
also had a sculpture accepted for the annual show, which featured works from
students at 12 area high schools. The exhibit is on display at the Yeiser
through Feb. 20; gallery hours are from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
(Yeiser Art Center photo)
BCES now offering collection
of books online
Students at Ballard County Elementary
School have a new reading resource online. BCES librarian Rhonda Pace applied
for and was awarded a one-year school resource grant from Sylvan Dell
Publishing, which provides unlimited student and family access to books through
the Internet.
The publisher’s
online reading program offers 45 eBooks, each with selectable English
and
Spanish text
and audio. The books are fun, fictional stories involving
animals and nature, and offer spectacular art and much more. The back of each
book has a 3- to 5-page educational section called “For Creative Minds” that
parents can explore with their children.
Also, each title has its own homepage
loaded with 30-40 pages of cross-curricular teaching activities and three
interactive quizzes – all free online. A release from Sylvan Dell said, “We
think you’ll find this program an interesting integration of fun reading with
the option of serious science, math, geography and language learning.”
All offerings are online, so the books
may be viewed from any computer with broadband for a family reading and learning
event. For those teachers using the books in their classroom, it offers an
opportunity to involve parents and reinforce classroom learning.
Because BCES has this eBook site
license, students and their families have complete access to this resource from
their home computers. “We encourage you to enjoy it with your children,” Pace
said.
Links to the eBook license page have been posted on the school’s website. Please
click the “Schools” tab near the top of the home page. Click the Ballard County
Elementary Schools link and then look for the “Sylvan Dell eBooks site” link or
click
here.
The eBooks are fairly intuitive, but the document
here explains step-by-step how
to operate them.
Pace said that if students and teachers were enjoying the eBook site after the
grant expires in January 2011, the publishers had programs to help.
School board members to
receive training, attend annual meeting
Several members of the Ballard
County Board of Education will receive training at the 74th Annual Kentucky
School Boards Association Conference, scheduled for Jan. 22-24 in Louisville.
All Kentucky school board members are required to have 12
hours of training each year, said Ballard Superintendent Ed Adami. “Our KSBA
provides some of the most pertinent training for board members. We’ve been to
National School Board Association meetings, but these are more directed toward
what our members face here in Kentucky.”
Board members Kim Terrell and Haskell Sheeks will be
attending the Louisville meeting, Adami said. They will have the opportunity to
hear nationally-renowned speakers, and attend sessions on subjects as varied as
governance, instruction, facilities, law and legislation pending in the current
Kentucky General Assembly session, he added. KSBA also offers other trainings
throughout the year.
“There is an overwhelming amount of information that school
board members must absorb and retain,” Adami continued. “We appreciate their
dedication and the time they spend. Our board members don’t just serve this
community when they attend board meetings, or trainings, either. They attend
school events, support our academic and athletic teams, buy goods at booster and
student club fund raisers and volunteer in our schools, offering countless hours
most of the general public never sees.”
January is School Board Recognition Month, and Adami listed
the members of the Ballard Board: Kim Terrell has served on the board since
1999. Kelly Wildharber has served since 2005; Tammy Dennis, Haskell Sheeks and
Karen Tilford all took office in 2009.
“I
am proud to work alongside the members of our Board of Education in our joint
quest to follow our district mission statement: ‘In partnership with and in
service to our community, the mission of Ballard County Schools is to prepare
every student to be a successful individual,’” Adami said. “I encourage my
fellow community members to join me in thanking them for their selfless
service.”

Cutline:
Ballard
Middle School art teacher Mitch Kimball (left) and students in his academic
enrichment class produced this banner with student handprints for display at
this year’s Kentucky School Boards Association meeting in Louisville. The theme
for the annual conference is “Public Education – Kentucky’s Common Wealth.” The
organization solicits banners from all school districts. Kimball is shown here
with Ballard County Schools’ Superintendent Ed Adami.
BCMS students who worked on the banner were Jessica
Jones, Georgann Ingram, Scott Jenkins, Tanner Bertram, Justin King, Trevor
Langston, Devin Griffin, Devin Holmes, Katey Hargrove, Lyndsey Grief, Haley
Houston, Breana Koontz and Lauren Graves.
(BCS photo)
January students of the month chosen at BCCTC
 
Buchanan
Gill
Davidson
 
Naas
Basham
Cornett
Instructors at the Ballard County Career and Technical Center
have started a new program to recognize individual students in each of the six
programs offered at the school. Each month, teachers will nominate one student
from each area who is performing well in class, shows improvement, and/or
dedication to and leadership in his or her program. The honor is meant to be a
reward for stand-out students. Awardees for January are Ryan Buchanan,
agriculture; Amanda Gill, allied health; Matt Davidson, auto body; Sarah Naas,
business; Josh Basham, carpentry; and Jonathan Cornett, welding.
(BCCTC photos)
Preschoolers get second RIF book at school-wide
pajama party

(Please click thumbnails for larger images.)
Students at Ballard County Preschool and Head Start had a pajama party and
received the second of three distributions through the federal Reading is
Fundamental program on Jan. 14. Each child received a book. Regions Bank donated
$350 in matching funds to make the books giveaways possible; the program will
put 588 books into the hands of Ballard County children this year. The last
distributions will be in March. In the group photo, Murray Head Start Director
Carol Elder reads to students in Amy Metcalf’s class. Jaden Smith from Jessica
Buchanan’s class is shown with his teddy bear.
(BCPS photos)
BCES students 'juggle' a positive message
Students
at Ballard County Elementary school recently attended assemblies featuring
entertainer Paul O. Kelly, who taught them about “Juggling Up the Learning
Ladder. Students shown with him are Phillip McKee, McKenzie Laster, Jessica Wren
and Joshua Byerley.
His message to students was that they could do anything if they “took it one
step at the time."
(BCS
photo)
BCMS announces perfect attendance winner for
second quarter

Ballard County Middle School seventh-grader Carly Dodge was
the winner of the iPod Shuffle for perfect attendance during the second nine
weeks. She is shown here with Kelly Wray, director of Ballard’s Family Focus
Family Resource and Youth Service Center. Student names are drawn from the pool
of perfect attendees at the end of each grading period. The gifts are provided
by the Ballard County Board of Education; Family Focus also provides rewards for
classrooms with the highest attendance every month.
(BCS
photo)
BCES announces perfect attendance winner

Ballard County Elementary School third-grader Charida
Robinson was the winner of the bicycle for perfect attendance during the second
nine weeks. She is shown here with BCES Principal Phillip Harned. Student names
are drawn from the pool of perfect attendees at the end of each grading period;
there were 139 eligible this quarter. The gifts are provided by the Ballard
County Board of Education; Family Focus also provides rewards for classrooms
with the highest attendance every month.
(BCES
photo)
BCMS students take heart challenge

Students at Ballard County Middle School completed a heart
challenge course the week of Dec. 7, guided by health educators Jennifer Doom
and Kaleene Cornell of the Purchase District Health Department. Doom spoke to
the practical living classes in grades 6-8 about the importance of good
nutrition and staying away from junk food, staying hydrated and getting enough
milk servings each day. Cornell joined her at week’s end to show the importance
of physical activity by implementing the heart challenge course.
(BCMS photo)
FBLA spreads Christmas cheer at Life Care

(Please click thumbnails for larger images.)
Members of the Future Business Leaders of
America chapter at Ballard Memorial High School members went to Life Care
Nursing Home in LaCenter in December to spread a little Christmas cheer. Doors
were decorated by several members, and every resident and worker received a
Christmas card from FBLA. Shown in the first photo are students Kelsey
Donoho, Shelby Jo Windt and Erin Stewart. The second photo is of Daphne
Bommarito and FBLA co-adviser Renee’ McDermott.
(BMHS
FBLA photo)
Family Focus thanks community for supporting food
drive, 'Santa's Helpers'
Christmas was a little brighter in
many Ballard County households this year, thanks to an outpouring of community
support. Through donations to the “Santa’s Helpers” program, Family Focus Family
Resource and Youth Service Center provided assistance to 305 children in the
community last month. Wickliffe Masonic Lodge #625 and Family Focus teamed up
again for another successful Christmas food drive and distribution that served
160 families.
The annual food distribution is made possible by donations
from local businesses, merchants, industries, and the work of Ballard students
and Lodge members, Family Focus director Kelley Wray said. The Masons bring in
about half the total by donating money and collecting donations of food and
money from local entities; Ballard students bring in the other half. Specific
grocery items are assigned by class to kindergarten through 12th
grade. “The Masons have done this project for many years, and were pleased with
the amount of food that was collected by the students,” Wray said.
All families received several sacks of the groceries,
including items like peanut butter, fresh and canned fruit, potatoes, macaroni
and cheese, canned soup and vegetables, cereal, dried beans, spaghetti and
noodles, and crackers.
The Student Ambassadors group from Ballard Memorial High
School helped Lodge members and Family Focus staff put the bags together on Dec.
18, and students Jay Middleton and Abbey Shelley helped on Dec. 19 with
distribution to the 160 families.
“The
Masons and Family Focus would like to give a big thank-you to everyone who made
the project a success,” Wray added
“We also would like to thank everyone who supported the
Family Focus Santa’s Helpers program this year,” said Wray. “I want to thank
every contributor for his or her support and assistance to make this program
possible. The community really came together to help those less fortunate this
holiday season.”
The requirements were very similar to last year’s program. In
order to qualify, families had to be eligible for free school lunches and a
parent or guardian was required to attend at least one pre-holiday parenting
workshop. All qualifying families then received a gift card to Kohl’s for each
child. Younger children received toys in addition to the gift cards.
“The parents were thrilled to be able to do their own
shopping for their children,” Wray continued. “The community gave them a chance
to do something they really wanted to do for their kids.”
Parents were encouraged to complete a survey after each
workshop. Wray said that according to the surveys, both the workshops and the
shopping cards seem to be positives. “We look forward to continuing to serve our
families based on their needs and the needs of our community,” she added.
For more information on Family Focus and the programs the
center offers, please contact Kelly Wray at 665-8412, ext. 226, or email
kelly.wray@ballard.kyschools.us.

Cutline:
Shown from left, Family Focus assistant Kandi Foster and
Ballard Memorial students Jay Middleton and Abby Shelley prepare sacks of
groceries for distribution on Dec. 19 at Ballard County Elementary School.
Wickliffe Masonic Lodge #625 and Ballard students combined for the program,
which helped 160 families.
(Family Focus photo)
Ballard students assist with Christmas on the
River project
 
(Please click thumbnails for larger images.)
Students from several of Ballard County’s schools assisted Seamen’s
Church Institute with its Christmas on the River program again this year. Shown
here making cards are (from left) Kylie, Kennady and Lexie in Susan Bodell’s
class at Ballard County Preschool and Head Start. Bodell said the project really
hit home with her students this year, since one child in her class has a parent
who will be away from home at Christmas, working on a tow-boat. Janice Hays’
business class and her and Cindy Allardin’s academic enrichment classes at
Ballard County Career and Technical Center helped wrap scarves for the Christmas
on the River Project. The Future Business Leaders of America group also
collected items such as popcorn, hot chocolate mix, lip balm, playing cards and
puzzle books for the boat workers. First-graders at Ballard County Elementary
School also made cards, and Ballard Memorial High School students in the Future
Business Leaders of America collected items to be placed in the program’s
shoeboxes, which are distributed to river industry members who are working over
the holidays.
(BCS photos)
Preschoolers get dental check-ups as part of UK
program

Students at Ballard County Preschool and Head Start were
given dental exams and cleaning by the University of Kentucky’s dental team on
Dec. 10. The children all received toothbrushes and a fluoride varnish, and
parents received a report on whether their children needed additional dental
work. Shown here from left are hygienists Anne Matlock and Elva Bridges, and Dr.
Keith White.
(BCPS photo)
BMHS student organizations 'Unite to Read' with
elementary class
By Heather Mix, FBLA
Reporter, and
Janice Hays, FBLA Adviser
All five of the vocational student organizations at Ballard
Career and Technical Center recently took part in the fifth annual local Unite
to Read event. Students from Health Occupations Students of America, Future
Farmers of America, Future Business Leaders of America, Family, Career and
Community Leaders of America and SkillsUSA visited third-grade classes at
Ballard Country Elementary School on Nov. 23. The BCES students rotated from
classroom to classroom, where each of the student organizations were set up to
teach about the Kentucky Derby.
Each group contributed to students learning about the
Kentucky Derby in its own way. HOSA distributed copies of the book
Five True Horse Stories
to every third-grade student, and members read several of the stories out loud
to all students. FFA explained how a saddle is used. Members allowed students to
sit on an actual saddle and picked it up to the height of a horse’s back. FBLA
taught students about the Kentucky Derby’s history, distributed bookmarks they’d
made in advanced computer applications class, and had the third-graders design
their own jockey silks and horse. FCCLA treated everyone to traditional Derby
cookies and lemonade. SkillsUSA explained the different colors of horses.
Health sciences teacher April Jewell said, “I thought each of
the student-led organizations that participated in Unite to Read did a fantastic
job! Not only did third grade learn a lot of interesting facts, the high school
students excelled in each of their areas.”
  
Cutlines (please click
thumbnails for larger images):
This group of Ballard Memorial High School students recently
took part in the local fifth annual Unite to Read event at Ballard County
Elementary School.
HOSA students distributed copies of
Five True Horse Stories
to every BCES third-grader and read to the classes.
FFA explained how a saddle is used and lifted ‘riders’ to the
height of a horse’s back.
  
FBLA students told third-graders about the Kentucky Derby’s
history and distributed bookmarks they’d made.
FCCLA treated everyone to cookies and lemonade.
SkillsUSA explained the different colors of horses.
(BCCTC photos)
Proficient, distinguished students lists now
posted on school pages
Student results from last year’s Commonwealth Accountability Tests have been
posted on each school's web page. The school pages may be accessed by clicking
the "Schools" tab at the top of this page, and then clicking the appropriate
building's page link.
Student names are listed at their current grade levels, although test results
are from the 2008-09 school year. (In other words, results for last year's
fifth-graders are posted as sixth-grade students on the middle school page,
etc.)
There are no scores for last year’s freshman; ninth-graders take a different set
of standardized tests.
BMHS guidance office now on Twitter
Ballard Memorial guidance counselor Lorry Beth Wilson has
created a page on social networking site Twitter for scholarship updates and
deadlines. “It’s not solely for seniors, because I have Governor’s Scholars
Program and essay contest information on it as well,” she said.
Students, parents and teachers may log on to
www.twitter.com/BMHSguidance
and follow the posts, or “tweets.” Notes and handouts provided to students at
school sometimes don’t make it home, Wilson continued, so even if a parent
doesn’t have an email account or personal computer, he or she can pull up
Twitter from library or other public computers to see the updates.
Several teachers send home electronic newsletters, and the
district has asked for interested parents to share emails for newsletters and
other information. However, the guidance office is only the second entity at
Ballard County Schools to take advantage of Internet social networking as a tool
to reach students and parents, and the first to do it across the board.
Two years ago, BMHS Beta Club advisor Korrie Purcell started
a Facebook group for her club members. She posted practice schedules for the
group’s state talent show skit and fundraiser information. “I made it and the
sent the kids invitations to join, and then they sent invitations to other
members,” she said, so the group was controlled and contained. “We also placed
the video of our dance from the convention when we made second place at state.”
Purcell said she was going to update the group because they were planning
another performance for the Beta Convention talent show after fall break.
Use of the sites has been a topic of serious discussion, not
just in education circles, but also in other public uses like business or
organization accounts. While it’s a great way to reach certain segments of the
population, it also opens up the page “owner” to sometimes unwanted postings or
comments.
“Honestly, I chose Twitter because it seemed to be a safer
way to distribute the information without the accidental/purposeful extras that
others can post on other sites,” Wilson explained. “With Twitter, I am the only
one responsible for the content of the page and I can block people who don’t
need access or who abuse the page.”
Other than the login or screen name, information on
“followers” of the tweets is not recognizable in the listing, Wilson continued.
“I believe this is one of the safest forms of communication in this type of
media.”
All schools on track to reach 2014 state goals; major gains
seen in some areas
All of Ballard County’s schools met their annual national
goals and are well on their way to meeting the state’s goals by 2014, as
evidenced by test scores released last week. Major gains in at least one subject
area were seen at each school, with Ballard Memorial High School seeing
increases in every area.
The improvements have lead to the district rising in overall
ranking in the state from 88th among the state’s 174 school districts
in 2007 to 42nd in 2009, said Superintendent Ed Adami, easily in the
top 25 percent statewide. All schools also met adequate yearly progress goals in
every area under the federal No Child Left Behind act, he said – a feat only
60.2 percent of Kentucky’s public schools managed this year.
Scores on the annual tests are being calculated differently
this year, with the Kentucky Department of Education now reporting the
percentages of students who score proficient or distinguished in each subject
area. The change stems from the state General Assembly’s decision to rebuild
standardized accountability testing in Kentucky over the next few years. Only
parts of the Kentucky Core Content Test will be used through 2001.
In order to more accurately compare previous tests to future
ones, the Council for Better Education, Kentucky Association of School Councils
and the Pritchard Committee for Academic Excellence have come up with a
Transition Index that shows where the new calculations fall on the continuum to
proficiency originally set by the state. Under that system, all schools should
reach an accountability score of 100 by the year 2014.
The district’s overall transition index is 91. At BMHS, the
index is 85; at Ballard County Middle it is 99; and at Ballard County Elementary
it is 90. Additional information about each individual school follows.
Ballard Memorial High School:
The high school saw gains in every subject area this year.
They are above the national percentages in math and reading, above state
percentages in four of the five measured categories, and are tied for 26th
place overall among the state’s 231 high schools. In the region, only Mayfield
High School’s overall number of 86 was higher.
“We’re excited,” said Principal Donald Shively. “We talk
every day with our students about having pride in our school, pride in our
community and pride in our heritage, and test scores are one way to show that.”
He credited the hard work of teachers and the high level of student preparation
as reasons for the overall jump in scores.
The math marks came in with 54.17 percent of students scoring
at least proficient, ranking them first in the region and 29th in the
state. Science scores of 53.13 percent also ranked first in the region and 34th
in the state; reading scores of 74.51 percent ranked fifth in the region and
also 34th in the state. Social studies was 47.92 percent (sixth in
the region). On-demand reading was 26.96 percent, which was good enough for 15th
in the region, but was the only mark not to exceed the state’s overall score.
Ballard County Middle School:
BCMS saw major gains in many areas, including meeting and
surpassing the 100-point Transition Index mark required by the state by the year
2014 in multiple subject areas. At one point away from the overall 100-point
mark, they are the 36th highest-performing middle school in the state
out of 331 schools reporting scores, or in the top 11 percent of middle schools
statewide. In the region, only Lone Oak at 101 and Benton at 110 scored better.
“Our biggest gain was in science, where our scores went from
97 to 107 according to the Transition Index scale,” said Principal Casey Allen.
“As far as we know, 107 is the highest content score any school in Ballard
County has ever achieved.” The percentage score was 78.50, more than 15 points
above the state’s overall number of 62.72 percent.
The reading score was 102, and each grade level eclipsed the
100-point mark in setting it, Allen added. Sixth-grade reading was at 100 points
on the Transition Index scale, seventh at 104, and eighth at 102. The percentage
score of 75.88 is well above both the state and national numbers of 66 and about
67 respectively.
Math scores also went up on the Transition Index from 94 in
2008 to 97 this year, and both the seventh and eighth grades went over the
100-point proficiency mark at 104 and 105 respectively, Allen continued. Social
studies score remained solidly in the 90s for the fourth consecutive year.
Ballard County Elementary School:
At BCES, the news was more restrained this year, but they had
made great strides in previous years.
On-demand writing scores went up over five points to 96.8
percent, said Principal Phillip Harned. The score is the highest in the school’s
Transition Index. Social studies scores went up over three points to an even 90
in the Index. The reading score of 68.37 was just above the national percentage
of 67.04, and the math score of 57.14 also was several points above the nation’s
51.53 percent.
Private business doubles reward offered for information about BMHS vandalism
A private business has offered an additional $1,000 reward in
the case of vandalism at Ballard Memorial High School this week, bringing the
total to $2,000.
The Ballard County Sheriff’s Office and Ballard County Board
of Education announced a combined reward of $1,000 reward on Thursday, with each
organization offering $500. Ballard County Sheriff Todd Cooper contacted the
district on Friday about the business’ $1,000 match.
Cooper said the reward would be paid to anyone whose
information leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who shot
at the front of the school on Sept. 15. Ballard County Sheriff Todd Cooper said
that anyone who wants to give information may remain anonymous, although he or
she will have to provide his/her name and address to the sheriff’s office order
to receive the reward money. “They can all our crime line at 270-335-5385,” he
said.
Vandals apparently shot at
the front of BMHS some time during the overnight hours of Sept. 15. Nine bullet
holes were put in the two-story front window, and what appears to be another was
found on the back of the veterans’ monument that stands in front of the school
at 3561 Paducah Road, Barlow.
There were no students in
the building at the time of the incident, said BMHS Principal Donald Shively.
Custodians were working in the building until approximately 11 p.m., but they
were in other parts of the complex and did not hear any unusual noises, he said.
The school librarian reported the damage to him just after 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
The large stained glass
bomber that is featured in the window was not damaged. However, eight panels of
double-paned glass were pierced; their repair is scheduled for late next week,
said district facilities director Kerry Fulcher. The library also will have to
be thoroughly cleaned before it can be reopened, he added. Shards of glass
littered the floor in front of the window, and Fulcher said there were glass
slivers in the upstairs balcony as well.
“We
are treating this as a random act of vandalism,” said Superintendent Ed Adami.
Deputies from the Ballard Sheriff’s
Office continue to investigate the incident.
District seeks substitutes of all kinds
Ballard County Schools is
seeking substitutes for almost all district positions, from certified teachers
to classified bus drivers and monitors, cafeteria, instructional aid and
janitorial staff.
Some requirements differ
for certified and classified applicants, said Tina Jones, the school district’s
personnel/human resources director. All applicants must complete an application,
allow district staff to copy Social Security cards and drivers’ licenses, have a
current physical exam and skin test for tuberculosis, and must be approved by
the Board of Education at one of its regular meetings.
Those applying for
certified teacher substitute status also must provide an official
college/university transcript showing a minimum of 64 credit hours at a 2.45 GPA
or higher, or a valid Kentucky teaching certificate, she said. All certified
applicants must pass a state and federal criminal records check.
Those applying for
classified substitute status must pass a state criminal records check.
All applicants will
complete and intent and retirement forms, and an IRS W4 form, she added.
Both the certified and
classified applications are available on Ballard’s website,
www.ballard.kyschools.us. Simply
visit the site and click on the “Employee Information” link on the left side of
the home page.
For
more information, contact Jones at 665-8400, ext. 2008, or email
tina.jones@ballard.kyschools.us.
'Calling all email addresses'
- Parents who would like student info electronically asked to let school
personnel know
One of the focal points for Ballard County Schools this year
is simplifying and improving communication with students and families. “We want
to use all available means to accomplish that goal,” said district
Superintendent Ed Adami. “One important type of communication that we want to
use more often is email.”
With that in mind, each school is creating email groups to
let families know about upcoming events, announcements, scholarship and
application deadlines and other important information. “We will not use your
email for anything other than school information,” Adami said.
If you would like to receive these emails to help keep you
more informed, please follow these simple instructions:
For Ballard Memorial High School
students:
Counselor Lorry Beth Wilson would like to receive email
address from
both parents/guardians
and students. To enroll, simply
send an email to
lorrybeth.wilson@ballard.kyschools.us. In the subject line, please type the
words PARENT REQUEST, then the student’s name and what year he or she will
graduate (example: PARENT REQUEST: John Doe, 2012). This will help to ensure
that you receive the information for the grade level that you need, instead of
all emails for class information that may not apply to you.
If you want to receive emails for more than one student,
please send a separate email for each child.
For Ballard County Middle School
students:
Parents/guardians are invited to send an email to Principal
Casey Allen at
casey.allen@ballard.kyschools.us. In the subject line, please type the words
PARENT REQUEST, then the student’s name and grade level (example: PARENT
REQUEST: Jane Doe, Sixth Grade). This will help to ensure that you receive the
information for the grade level that you need.
If you want to receive emails for more than one student,
please send a separate email for each child.
For Ballard County Elementary School
students:
Parents/guardians are invited to send an email to computer
lab administrator Jayna Gholson at
jayna.gholson@ballard.kyschools.us. In the subject line, please type the
words PARENT REQUEST, then the student’s name and grade level (example: PARENT
REQUEST: John Doe, Third Grade). This will help to ensure that you receive the
information for the grade level that you need.
If you want to receive emails for more than one student,
please send a separate email for each child.
For Ballard County Preschool/Head
Start students:
Parents/guardians are invited to send an email to Head Start
Family Service assistant Trish Pickett at
trish.pickett@ballard.kyschools.us. In the subject line, please type the
words PARENT REQUEST, then the student’s name, teacher’s name, and “AM” for
morning class or “PM” for afternoon class (example: PARENT REQUEST: Jane Doe,
Ms. Kelly’s PM Class). This will help to ensure that you receive the information
for the grade level that you need.
If you want to receive emails for more than one student,
please send a separate email for each child.
To be involved in any of these email lists is strictly
voluntary, but school officials hope that this will help provide students and
parents with the most up-to-date information possible.
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