(This link only works for teachers and staff. Please see the "For Parents" link at left on this page.)

This and other pages updated Feb. 10, 2012.

Upcoming events

Homecoming tonight; other changes made in basketball schedules

Homecoming is set for today (Feb. 10) vs. Carlisle County. The JV boys’ game is at 4:30 p.m., with ceremonies following immediately afterward (approximately 5:30). The varsity boys will play at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity girls at 7:30.

Due to weather and other factors, additional changes have been made in the basketball schedules. On Feb. 16, Fulton County has dropped the boys’ game; instead, Ballard’s boys will go to play at Paducah Tilghman starting at 6 p.m. The girls will remain at home against Calloway that night for senior night.    

For more information, please contact athletic director Dustin Roberts at 665-8400, ext. 2302, or email dustin.roberts@ballard.kyschools.us.

BCES competition continues in second annual Scripps Howard spelling bee

Ballard Elementary School will hold its second annual Spelling Bee, starting this week. The event is again sponsored by Ballard County Attorney Vicki Hayden, the Ballard County Education Association, and Ballard County Community Education.

Any student in grades 1-5 may participate. Organizer Michele Chandler said that bee winners from every class were determined on Feb. 3, and from among that group, from every grade on Feb. 10. The Ultimate Spelling Championship will be held on Feb. 17, with all grade-level winners competing for the overall title.

That winner would be eligible to compete in the state event, to be held in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville. The winner of the Derby Festival Spelling is the Kentucky state champion and advances to the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, held annually in Washington, D.C. The Derby Festival Spelling Bee champion receives an expense-paid trip to the National Spelling Bee, along with one parent, in addition to prizes from Merriam-Webster, a $100 savings bond and a Derby Festival trophy.

Chandler said that classroom teachers have word study lists for each grade. The lists also can be found here. If students have learned all the words from their grade’s list, Chandler suggested that they study the list for the next-higher grade level.

For more information, please contact Chandler at 665-8400, ext. 2223, or email her at michele.chandler@ballard.kyschools.us.  

Public comment invited on nutrition and physical activity report on Feb. 13

The public is invited to comment on the district’s annual nutrition and physical activity report, to be presented before the Ballard County Board of Education’s regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 13. The report may be found here. Public comments may be offered at 5:45 p.m. in the board room at the board office, 3465 Paducah Road, Barlow.

Superintendent screening will hold final meeting with board on Feb. 13

The superintendent screening committee will hold its final meeting with the Ballard County Board of Education on Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. at the board office at 3465 Paducah Road, Barlow.

At that time, all applicant files and notes from reference and background checks will be given to the board, and the committee will make its recommendations to the board. While the board must consider the committee’s recommendations, it is not bound by them, board chair Kim Terrell said.

Following the joint meeting, the board will set interviews. The interview period is expected to be between Feb. 20 and March 9. Only the board will be involved in the interviews, and under Kentucky law, the duty to hire the superintendent rests with the board. A superintendent is expected to be named on March 15.

The screening committee includes 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 their criteria for the superintendent’s position to the screening 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.

Terrell urged any Ballard County resident with input concerning the superintendent search to contact his or her board member. Other members of the Ballard Board of Education are Cara Mills, Tammy Scott and Karen Tilford.

Preschool/Head Start registration for new students set for Feb. 17, March 2, May 4

Ballard County Preschool/Head Start will hold its spring registration for new students on Friday, Feb. 17, Friday, March 2, and Friday, May 4, for children who are or will be 3 or 4 years old by Oct. 1, 2012.

All registrations will be held at the preschool at 455 Olive St., LaCenter, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and are for new students only. Parents/Guardians are asked to please call 665-8400, ext. 2100, to schedule an appointment; children will be given their developmental screenings while adults are completing the registration packet.

Parents should please bring the following information with when registering a child:

- Certified birth certificate of the child

- Proof of income for the family for 2012 (income tax return, W-2 form, last 12 months’ pay stubs, proof of child support, Social Security or SSI income, KTAP or student financial aid.

- Child’s Social Security card

- Proof of health insurance/medical card

- Custody orders (if applicable)

Transportation services are provided to and from preschool/Head Start classes during the school year. Head Start staff will assist families to understand and access transportation options in order to participate in Head Start program activities.

The school also has a home-based Early Head Start program. The full-year, comprehensive program serves pregnant mothers and children up to age 3. To apply, please bring proof of income, child’s birth certificate and Social Security number.

For more information concerning registration, please contact Trish Pickett at 665-8400, ext. 2104, or email trish.pickett@ballard.kyschools.us.

Students invited to attend Engineering Days on UK's Lexington, Paducah campuses on Feb. 25

Students from Ballard County's elementary, middle and high schools are invited to attend Engineering Day activities on both the Lexington and Paducah campuses of the University of Kentucky's College of Engineering.

In Paducah, the event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 4810 Alben Barkley Drive. Throughout the day, several contests will take place to help build an understanding of what engineers do. Favorites include the egg drop, popsicle stick bridge and edible car competitions. 4-H Agent at Large for Science, Engineering and Technology Torey Earle said some events required prior preparation, while others could be prepared during the day.

Earle said there also would be facility tours, demonstrations and more. For more information, contact him at 534-3105, or visit this website. A schedule of the day's events at WKCTC may be found here.

In Lexington, the open house will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. A drawing will be held for a $4,000 scholarship for a qualified high school student. There will be more than 20 contests with prizes, giveaways, engineering demonstrations, hands-on experiments, guided lab tours and industry representatives and displays.

For more information, visit this website.

BCES to hold March 15 screenings for some of next year's kindergarten class

Ballard County Elementary School will hold pre-kindergarten (DIAL) screenings on Thursday, March 15, from 8:15-11 a.m. at the school at 3383 Paducah Road, Barlow.

This screening is only for students who have not attended a public preschool, but plan to enroll in BCES kindergarten for 2011-12. Parents are asked to please call Elaine Morehead at 665-8400, ext. 2200, to schedule an appointment.

For more information on the screening process, please contact school counselor Vicki Fowler at ext. 2203, or email vicki.fowler@ballard.kyschools.us.

Deadline to order 2012 BMHS yearbooks is April 13

Ballard Memorial High School’s 2012 yearbooks are on sale now. This year’s theme is “Be All You Can B.” Copies may be ordered online at www.smart-pay.com, or payment may be sent to BMHS, c/o Lindsay Allen, 3561 Paducah Road, Barlow, KY 42024.

The book is $50, and may be personalized with a name for and additional $5. Deadline for orders is Friday, April 13. Allen said no extra copies will be ordered, so this is the only chance to reserve a copy. Yearbooks are expected to arrive in mid-summer or by August, she added.

Graduating seniors may be honored in a senior yearbook ad. Sizes and prices vary, but can include pictures and a personal message. Prices are $200 for a full page, $110 for a half-page, $75 for a quarter-page, or $50 for an eighth-page. To purchase, please contact Allen at 270-665-8400, ext. 2510, or email lindsay.allen@ballard.kyschools.us.

Scheduled fundraisers

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

FCCLA Beading to Beat Autism bracelet sales through Feb. 14

Baseball Boosters' bricks behind home plate, through Feb. 17

Project Graduation cookbook

BCES SchoolMall program

School calendar for 2011-12 year

The calendar for the 2011-12 school year is as follows:

There will be no school on Feb. 20 or March 16. Spring break is set for April 2-6, and the last day for students will be a half-day on May 18.

Director of Pupil Personnel Bob Wilson said that an addition to the calendar this year is designated make-up days for weather dismissals. Students will not have to make up time for the first weather day, but the second would change May 18, 2012, to a full day of instruction rather than a half-day. Other designated weather days, in order of their use, would be Feb. 20 (third weather day), March 16, May 21, May 23, May 24 and May 25 (eighth weather day).

State immunizations for 2011-12 include new requirements for kindergarten, sixth-graders

Students entering preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade, or transferring to Ballard County Schools for the 2011-12 school year must meet Kentucky’s health requirements. These regulations will be strictly enforced.

For the first time this year, kindergarten students will need a second varicella (chicken pox) injection before entering school. This provision became effective in February of this 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 (a change that removes the 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!

BCCTC welding students have a heart

(Please click thumbnails for larger images.) Cindy Martin of Cindy’s Flowers and Gifts in LaCenter had a vision for some Valentine’s decorations for the front of her store. She contacted the welding department at Ballard County Career and Technical Center and asked if they could fabricate the hearts she had in mind. In the first photo, students are shown working on the designs in Kevin Chatellier’s CTC class. After welding portion was complete, the hearts went to auto body instructor Joey Dillworth’s class for paint. The finished product is shown here with students (from left) Devan Walters, Tracy Armer, Justin Crabtree, Dustin Grief and Lance Aldridge.

(BCCTC photo)

Johnson serves as legislative page

Ballard County Middle School student Lexi Johnson is shown here with State Rep. Steven Rudy at the desk of the Kentucky Speaker of the House of Representatives in Frankfort. The seventh-grader was selected to be Ballard’s representative during Family Resource Legislative Page Day, held Feb. 1. She served as a page for Rudy that day. Johnson was selected for the program based on an essay and art work she produced that detailed what Family Focus Family Resources and Youth Service Center does at BCMS.

(Family Focus photo)

BCES students celebrate 100 days

(Please click thumbnails for larger images.) Students in the primary grades at Ballard County Elementary School celebrated 100 days of school on Jan. 31. In the first photo, John Rice and Emma Lehmann in Melody Bridges’ class are counting 100 fruit cereal pieces by fives; they also counted by tens and twos, and counted them to a teacher. Students also read books like "I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words." In the second photo, Amy Jones’ kindergarten students like Cloie Byas and Boden Lovelace counted by twos to make a 100-day snack. In the third photo, Maci Brewington and Kennady Alexander in Mary Ann Claxton’s first-grade class are wearing their 100-day crowns and looking for a secret message (that spelled out “one hundred”). Students also drew what they thought they’d look like in 100 years and ate a big cookie decorated with “100.” In the fourth photo, kindergarteners Calvin Busby, Angie Carter and Braxton Blankenship are making necklaces from 100 pieces of fruit cereal in Stephanie Joles’ class. Her students also played a SmartBoard game, and estimated where 100 steps would take them in the building – then took the steps to check their hypotheses. Other student activities included compiling 100-word lists, writing about what they’d buy with $100 dollars; being quiet for 100 seconds and making collections of 100 items at home.

(BCES photos)

BCCTC names Students of the Month

Each month, instructors at the Ballard County Career and Technical Center recognize one advanced and one introductory students in each of the programs offered at the school. In the business department, each teacher will select one student, for a total of four. Teachers nominate students from each area who are performing well in class, show improvement, and/or dedication to and leadership in his or her program. The honor is meant to be a reward for stand-out students.

(Please click thumbnails for larger images.) Awardees for January are, from left (photo 1) Tracy Armer, introductory agriculture; Rachel Kendall, intro carpentry; Jordan Rollins, advanced allied health; Peyton Cooper, advanced ag; Chelsey Childress, business; (photo 2) Grace Yarbrough, advanced carpentry; Kendra Summers, advanced welding; Maggie Denton, intro allied health; Sarah Naas, business; (photo 3) Chasity Sutton, business; Bethany Otey, intro welding; Dustin Grief, advanced auto body; (photo 4) Trevor Doom, intro auto body; Samantha Whittle, business.

 (BCCTC photos)

BCMS Academic Team wins First District Governor's Cup; competes Feb. 4 at regionals

Ballard County Middle School’s academic team brought home top honors in quick recall, math, science and arts and humanities categories at First District Governor’s Cup competition and was declared the overall winner. The team also was chosen to receive the Hume Sportsmanship Award.

The academic event, sponsored by the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition, was held Jan. 21. Other participating middle schools were Carlisle County, Hickman County, Fulton County and Fulton City.

Quick recall team members are Hayden LeFevre, Cutler Phillippe, Will Stewart, Noah Overby, Staci Henderson, Jenny Bourff, Olivia Mayberry and Hannah Morrow. Individual awards were won by Hayden LeFevre, first place, arts and humanities, third place, math; Noah Overby, first place, math, second place, arts and humanities; Will Stewart, fourth place, math; Hannah Morrow, third place, social studies; Matt Miller, fifth place, arts and humanities; Staci Henderson, third place, composition; Jenny Bourff, fifth place, composition;  Cutler Phillippe, first place, science; Brandt Marinelli, third place, science.

Other BCMS participants were Emily Beaubien, Josh Byerley, Jonnah McManus, Lauren Wheeler and Mason LeFevre.

District winners advance to the Governor’s Cup Regional competition, to be held at Fulton City High School on Feb. 4.

Cutline:

The Ballard County Middle School academic team was overall winner at First District Governor’s Cup competition, held Jan. 21. Shown from left are team members (first row) Emily Beaubien, Hannah Morrow, (second row) Josh Byerley, Noah Overby, Coach Susan Overby, Jonnah McManus, Lauren Wheeler, Olivia Mayberry, Jenny Bourff, Brandt Marinelli, Staci Henderson, Mason LeFevre, Will Stewart, (third row) Matt Miller, Cutler Phillippe and Hayden LeFevre. The team will compete at regionals on Feb. 4.

(BCMS photo)

Art students make banner for state meeting

Ballard Memorial High and Ballard County Middle school art teacher Mitch Kimball and students in his classes produced this banner for display at this year’s Kentucky School Boards Association meeting, to be held Feb. 3-5 in Louisville. The conference theme is “College/Career Readiness: Kentucky’s Real 2012 Olympics,” linking the worldwide attention on the upcoming Olympic Games in London, England, and Kentucky schools’ push to move more high school graduates to enter college and/or the job market adequately prepared. Shown from left are students Alivia Boulton, Temy Pullen, Tyler Stover, Ian Wilson, Emily Hargrove and Jacqueline Henrichs.

(BCS photo)

BCES name Students of the Week

(Please click thumbnails for larger photos.) Each week at Ballard County Elementary School, two students (one boy and one girl) from each grade will be selected and named Students of the Week. This means that these children have been utilizing the school’s Keys to Success: Respectful, Responsible and Ready. Throughout the week, the students will be rewarded by his/her teachers. Shown in the first photo, from left, BCES Students of the Week for Jan. 17-20 are Cloie Byas, Conner Ice, Lanea Sullivan, Wyatt Fondaw, Kanye' Wade, (back row) Emma Logsdon, Ty Draper, Karley Poloski, Logan Seaton, Jenna Thomas and Matt Mallory. Alyssa Cowsert is not pictured. Shown in the second photo, from left, BCES Students of the week for Jan. 23-27 are Kami Pearson, Jacob Irvin, Sean Weaver, Chloe Reed, Caleb Butrum, (back row) Alyssa Harrison, Ethan Langan, Jade Artis, Shawn Pratt, McKenzie Shirley and Gage Riddle. Jayden Fondaw is not pictured. Shown in the third photo, from left, BCES Students of the Week for Jan. 30-Feb. 3 are Konner Myatt, Caylee Jo Davis, Owen Feezor, Chloe Treiling, Shane Eaton, (back row) Mackenzie Hedrick, Abbi Gates, Sean Cox, Brook Edwards and Coy Cox. Not shown are Bailey Brown and Logan Hargrove.

(BCS photos)

BCMS Energy Teams helping school, students reduce consumption

“Going green” seems to be the catchphrase of the age. There are green lighbulbs, green cars and green jobs. What about green tickets?

Students in Jennifer Solomon’s science classes at Ballard County Middle School spent last semester learning about various types of energy and thinking about ways energy could be conserved. An Energy Team was formed, with 16 eighth-graders taking the lead in producing a plan to encourage students and teachers at BCMS involved.

This semester, folks following the plan get a green ticket with their names up on a wall of fame. Students and teachers seen not following the plan will get a red ticket to the wall of shame. The grade level with the best record at the end of each month will receive a reward.

Solomon said the students monitored the school to see where energy was being wasted, and where it might be saved. They met with the school district’s director of transportation and facilities, Kerry Fulcher, and its food service director, Amber Hayes, to see what those divisions were doing.

Fulcher said that in 2011, Ballard County Schools reduced actual electricity energy invoices by $10,048 from 2010. The district has updated the central plant at the elementary school and the HVAC at the preschool, conducted a complete overhaul of the preschool's electrical infrastructure and improved efficiency at the middle and high schools.

The district's first solar panel will be installed soon to preheat water at the elementary school, and the central plant at the career and technical center also will be updated, among other measures.

Their final project was to complete a plan to help the middle school save energy. They held assemblies for all three grade levels at BCMS, discussing their findings with their peers and administrators. Those students presenting in the assemblies were Hannah Morrow, Brandt Marinelli, Cutler Phillippe, Jonathan Thompson, Molly Stokes, Morgan Sanders, Dustin Bowles, Hayden LeFevre, Matt Miller, Olivia Robison, Sara Meinschein, Staci Henderson, Carra Pearson and Holly Doom.

Here are some of the tips they gave about saving energy at school:

· Choose an energy monitor for each class.

· Turn off computer monitors and all appliances when not in use.

· Turn off lights when not in the room.

· If able to, use manual pencil sharpeners.

· Give students tips on saving energy.

· Turning off one set of classroom lights during planning periods.

Here are some of the tips they gave about saving energy at home:

· Unplug anything in outlets when they are not in use.

· Replace at least one incandescent light bulb with a LED or fluorescent light bulb.

· Turn faucet off when not in use.

· Keep thermostat at 65 to 72 degrees, and only adjust in two-degree intervals.

· Use Energy Star products.

· When buying appliances check yellow energy labels for the smallest amount of energy used annually.

The secondary goal is to have 200 students, teachers, and staff to sign a pledge to save energy at school and to do something in their home to save energy. “We also are applying for a grant through the National Energy Education Development Project to receive up to $300 to help with the cost of items to help our building save energy,” Solomon said.

By the end of the second week back at school, Solomon said that the hallway posters already were full of green tickets.

Students will continue to work with Fulcher to monitor energy usage at the school, to see if their plan is making a difference. Reports on their progress will be shared with the public.

Cutlines (please click thumbnails for larger images):

Students in Jennifer Solomon’s science classes at Ballard County Middle School are shown in these photos.

In the first photo, students are studying endothermic and exothermic reactions by mixing chemicals (vinegar and baking soda; vinegar and calcium chloride) to watch reactions and record the temperatures.

In the second photo, students were recording the bounce of balls made from different materials. Then they would change the temperature by using warm or cold water water, bounce the balls again, and record the changes.

In the third photo, students are studying circuits and motors.

In the fourth photo, students studied energy transfer by connecting an apple to a power source (battery) and determined how much voltage traveled through the fruit.

Kerry Fulcher, transportation and facilities director for Ballard County Schools, spoke with Solomon’s students on ways the district is conserving energy around campus. He also discussed ways the Energy Team could help BCMS conserve energy.

(BCMS photos)

Hack is BCCTC's first female state-certified welder

Ballard County Career and Technical Center has offered welding classes for six years, and teacher Kevin Chatellier says that in that time, over 100 students have received state certification.

“We have had several young woman in the program, with many using their new skills more in the art area than the industrial field. However, we’ve been notified that our first female student has been state-certified.”

Sophomore Alexis Hack is shown here with her Mig welding certificate. The nursing student first took welding because she was interested in blending melted steel and creating things, Chatellier said. “She told me that if she was going to be in here, she wanted to learn how to weld well enough to pass her state test,” he added.

Within a month of starting the class, Chatellier said Hack was welding proficiently enough to start testing. The required two specimens from her 1-inch test plate were sent to Frankfort for testing the quality and purity of weld near the end of last semester.  

The test plate passed, and her certification qualify her for state jobs welding structural steel anywhere in the state of Kentucky, Chatellier said. “I don’t think she is going to give up her dream of being a nurse, but Alexis has achieved something some men never will, and most assuredly has proven that a person can accomplish anything if she sets her mind to it.”

(BCCTC photo)

District shares decision-making process for weather delays, closures

Kerry Fulcher sat studying a small bank of computer monitors. Weather information was up on all four screens.

Fulcher is transportation director for Ballard County Schools, and any time severe weather conditions threaten, his job becomes more difficult. “Sometimes, it’s an easy decision. If we’ve got major snow or sleet before 10 p.m., and the temperature isn’t changing, that’s simple.”

Sometimes, despite all observation and forecast data, that decision isn’t easy at all. Take last Nov. 29, for example. Light snow was forecast south of here, with rising temperatures during the day. But Mother Nature threw everyone a curve. Temperature and precipitation conditions collided in just the right way, and anywhere from 2-4 inches of snow fell during morning drive time in Ballard County. Incoming westbound drivers said it seemed to “just stop” at the McCracken County line.

Nearly all of Ballard County’s bus students already were at school before the heaviest snowfall began, minutes before 8 a.m. Forecasts were for warmer temperatures in the afternoon, indicating that all should be well before school was dismissed in the afternoon. The result? One later preschool bus with only one student on board began to spin its tires in a roadway near Wickliffe. Bus maintenance personnel were monitoring their radios, as always, to help in case there were students who are inadvertently stranded.

There was one minor incident with a student driver and a parking lot post. Everyone else arrived without incident. Afternoon preschool was canceled, to allow extra time for the already-melting snow to clear off.

Just how a school district decides whether or not to call off classes can be a very complicated process. However, one caveat is always followed, says interim Superintendent Casey Allen: “The safety of our students and employees is our number-one concern.” Fulcher, Allen, bus driver-trainer Mike Wright and Director of Pupil Personnel Bob Wilson form their final decision on a dizzying array of other factors.

Of course, they check the forecasts – but not just the overview available on radio or television. They study the probability of precipitation and the timing of a forecast weather event. They look at the big picture (like the type of precipitation forecast) and the details – data like dewpoints, wind direction and speed, cloud cover, pressure gradients and areas of circulation.

Fulcher said he even looks at things like pavement temperatures, the amount and kind of treatment that county or state road workers have put down, even whether there will be time for custodians and maintenance workers to pre-treat the parking lots, sidewalks and other paved areas on campus.  

He and Allen stay in contact with administrators in other school districts in the path of forecast weather, even as far away as Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. There are regular road condition updates from the Missouri, Kentucky and Ballard County road departments, as well as coordination with the Ballard County Sheriff and Emergency Management offices.

If the weather isn’t just forecast, but already here, these four take to the highways themselves. They check things like accumulation, drifting, and the potential for skids when braking or accelerating. “If there is snow or sleet, road conditions are personally checked by more than one person,” Allen said. Wright said bus drivers weigh in, too, on whether they think their routes are safe.

“We also have to take the human factor into consideration,” Wilson said. “We try to think about the abilities of our student drivers and what conditions our employees in surrounding areas might face if they’re coming to work.” The safety of parents who drive their children to school also is discussed, as well as what effect the final decision will have on ancillary parental responsibilities, like work and daycare, he said.

Even in events like last Tuesday, when roads were clear by 3 p.m., there are decisions to be made afterward. Temperatures were forecast to fall below freezing that night, so administrators were out as early as 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, checking for the potential of icing or refreezing.

As soon as the decisions are made, the district has several pathways for letting parents and the public know, Allen said. The district always advises local media outlets of any schedule changes. Parents always are welcome to check WPSD-TV, WKYQ-FM, their related websites, and/or www.westkentuckystar.com for any delays, closings or dismissals.

This year, Ballard County Schools implemented a new automated messaging service, One Call Now, that allows it to contact all families within minutes. Most families already have received messages from administrators via phone, email or text messaging, letting them know about a school closing or other event.

“We can send these notifications even when school phone lines are not operational,” Allen said. However, schools must have updated phone numbers and email addresses for One Call Now to work effectively and efficiently.

In order to receive these notifications, the most important thing parents can do is verify the accuracy of their contact information as it is found in the district’s student data system, Infinite Campus. The One Call Now system will call any phone number the family chooses (home, work or cell), but those numbers will be updated nightly from IC. Parents even may opt-in to a free text messaging service instead of a voice call.

All parents with internet access are asked to log onto the IC parent portal, which may be found via the “For Parents” link on the left side of the district website (www.ballard.kyschools.us). Parents who do not already have access to their child’s Infinite Campus information are asked to please contact IC Administrator Jennifer Robinson via email at jennifer.robinson@ballard.kyschools.us, or by calling 665-8400, ext. 2003.

Parents without internet access, are asked to please call their school at 665-8400 (ext. 2100 for preschool, 2200 for elementary, 2300 for middle and 2500 for high school), during regular school hours to verify their information. One Call Now keeps all information confidential and secure. All data is password-protected on secure servers accessible only by school administration.

The district also has 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. (Please see detailed story at the bottom of this column.)

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.