www.jcpsky.netEqual Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities

May 2012

October 2013

Jefferson County

PublicSchools

Middle and high school application period starts Oct. 21

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Visit the JCPS Middle and High School Showcase—Oct. 18-19

Representatives from mid-dle and high schools—and from many Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District offices—will be available to answer your questions at the Middle and High School Showcase. It will be held on Fri., Oct. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m., and Sat., Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Kentucky International Convention Center, at the corner of Third and Market Streets.

The showcase offers detailed information for both parents and students. At many booths, students who currently par-ticipate in magnet or optional programs will be on hand to talk with you and your child. Key JCPS employ-ees will be available to talk about applying to

schools, transpor-tation, the Eng-lish as a Second Language (ESL) Program, and many other programs. The application pe-riod for JCPS middle and high schools is Mon., Oct. 21, through Fri., Jan. 10. See the next page for more infor-mation.

The Elementary School Showcase will be held on Sat., Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ken-tucky International Convention Center. The application period for JCPS elementary schools is Mon., Nov. 18, through Fri., Jan. 10. Watch for more information about the elementary application process in the November issue of Par-ent Connection.

Get answers to your questions about schools and programs

Get a free copy of Choices at the Middle and High School Show-case. The guidebook also is available on the Show-case of Schools page on the JCPS Web site at www.jcpsky.net.

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Mon., Oct. 21, through Fri., Jan. 10, is the on-line application period for middle and high school magnet programs, optional programs, magnet schools, and high school Open En-rollment for the 2014-15 school year.You will be able to complete the JCPS application online during this period. It will be available on the district’s Web site (www.jcpsky.net) and at registration centers at many JCPS of-fices and schools. For more information, visit the Web site during the applica-tion period or contact your child’s school. You also can

Middle and high school online application period

get more information from the district’s Optional and Magnet Programs Office at 485-3323 or the JCPS Parent Assistance Center at 485-6250.Please note that students who are currently enrolled in the fifth grade or the eighth grade at a JCPS school and are not inter-ested in applying to special-ized schools or programs do not need to go through the application process. These students will automatically be enrolled in the middle school or the high school that serves their home ad-dress. To find out which school serves your child’s

address, call the JCPS De-mographics Office at 485-3050 or use the online SchoolFinder at http://apps.jefferson.kyschools.us /demo-graphics/schoolfinder.aspx.Fifth- and eighth-grade students who are already enrolled in a traditional magnet school or program do not need to apply to a traditional magnet middle or high school if their tra-ditional school is a feeder school to the next level. Contact your child’s school for more information.

Science teacher Tim Brennan and his students worked for several years to create a nature trail on Moore’s campus.

Middle school programsMiddle school magnet pro-grams let students explore their favorite subjects in depth. The following programs ac-cept applications from stu-dents throughout the dis-trict, and transportation is provided for every Jefferson County address:• The Academy @ Shawnee:

Aerospace Program• Highland: International

Studies• Noe: Gifted and Talented,

and Visual and Performing Arts

• Thomas Jefferson: Com-munications

• Westport: Montessori• Farnsley, Meyzeek, and

Newburg: Mathemat-ics/Science/Technology (MST)—Students are as-signed to one of the three schools based on their home address.

JCPS also offers magnet middle schools and programs that provide specialized

learning environments:• Barret, Jefferson County

Traditional, and Johnson are traditional magnet schools. Students are

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assigned to one of them based on their home ad-dress.

• The Brown School offers self-directed learning in a kindergarten through grade-twelve environ-ment. (Note: Transporta-tion is not provided for Brown School students.)

• Olmsted Academy North is an all-boys school.

• Olmsted Academy South is an all-girls school.

• Western Middle is a Visual

and Performing Arts Mag-net School.

Some JCPS middle schools offer optional programs:• Crosby: Liberal Arts Acad-

emy• Highland: Fine Arts• Lassiter: Environmental

Education• Moore Traditional: Envi-

ronmental and Life Sci-ence

• Stuart: Health CareersAs in a magnet school or

program, a student who is accepted into an optional program becomes a full-time student of the school that offers it, and he or she attends the school for all classes—not just the op-tional program classes. But, unlike magnet pro-grams, transportation is provided for optional pro-gram students only if they live in the attendance area of the school that offers the program.

Westport's Montessori ProgramMagnet program spotlight

“Montessori education sup-ports the natural growth of children by helping them develop creativity, critical-thinking, and time-man-agement skills,” says Dr. Staci Eddleman, principal at Westport Middle. “The program also provides char-acter education and encour-ages students to make a positive contribution to the community.”Westport offers the only JCPS Montessori Program for middle schoolers, and it accepts applications from students throughout the district. Nearly 100 sixth graders were accepted into the program this year. Now in its third year, the pro-gram also has about 100 seventh- and eighth-grade Montessori Magnet stu-dents.Montessori education is

based on the work of physi-cian and educator Dr. Maria Montessori, who discovered in the early twentieth cen-tury that many students perform best in a school

that nurtures individual learning styles and offers the freedom to pursue self-directed education. Modern research supports Dr. Mon-tessori’s findings, and there are hundreds of schools throughout the United States that follow the Mon-tessori philosophy.Westport’s program allows students to continue to learn through that philoso-phy if they attended a Mon-tessori elementary school. JCPS offers two: Kennedy Montessori and Coleridge-Taylor Montessori. Students who have not attended a Montessori el-ementary school also are welcome to apply to West-port’s program.

Photo: Art teacher Katie Du-mouchelle paints a new mu-ral in the lobby of Westport Middle.

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Courses at most JCPS high schools are organized around one of five Profes-sional Career Theme Pro-grams that offer advanced college and career prepara-tion. Classes go far beyond lectures. Students partici-pate in hands-on, real-world projects in and out of the classroom.Local companies, commu-nity organizations, colleges, and universities partner with JCPS schools to support these pro-grams, so students get expert advice from professionals in the field. Many courses of-fer college credit as well as job shadowing, mentoring, professional certification, co-ops, intern-ships, or apprenticeships. Students graduate with the kind of diploma that gets noticed—a credentialed diploma representing dual-credit courses, authentic experiences, and industry certifications.JCPS provides transporta-tion for students who are accepted into one of these programs within the net-work that serves their at-

tendance area. If you don’t know your child’s network or attendance area, call De-mographics at 485-3050 or use the SchoolFinder on the JCPS Web site.Human Services, Education, and International StudiesThis theme offers courses for students who want to prepare for a legal career, learn the art of teaching, or explore the world. Students

What are 5-Star High Schools?

who take Human Services courses study the law, gov-ernment, and social issues. Service-learning projects give students real-world skills and experience that make their résumés stand out.JCPS education students learn the foundations of teaching and gain experi-ence by working with el-ementary and middle school students. Education stu-dents also learn about col-

leges and universities where they can continue their studies and career prepara-tion after high school.Students who take inter-national studies classes develop an in-depth under-standing of the global com-munity. They learn a world language, and they work with government agencies and international organiza-tions. Through the Inter-national Baccalaureate (IB)

Program at Atherton High, stu-dents can earn an IB Diploma that is rec-ognized for university admission at schools around the world. Fairdale High offers the Uni-versity of Cambridge

International Examinations Program, which gives stu-dents the opportunity to earn an international diplo-ma and college credit.Schools: Network 1: Fair-dale High, Network 2: Sen-eca High, Network 3: Ather-ton HighEngineering (Aerospace/Architecture/Manufacturing and Construction)JCPS engineering students build problem-solving skills

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and master a range of tools and technologies—the same tools and technologies that today’s professionals use.Students receive a broad introduction to the field by exploring real-world prob-lems. They study historical engineering achievements ranging from the Egyp-tian pyramids to the U.S. highway system to the Ohio River locks and dams. Courses are also available for students who want to focus on aviation, manufactur-ing, energy transmis-sion, or con-struction.Schools: Network 1: Iroquois High, Net-work 2:Jef-fersontown High, Net-work 3: The Academy @ ShawneeCommunication, Media, and the ArtsCommunication skills are in demand across occupa-tions. Courses at JCPS high schools are available in public speaking, radio and television production, stage and costume design, print media, graphic arts, and performing arts. Students work in well-equipped, state-of-the-art studios. They get many chances to practice their craft and

show off their skills. Wheth-er they’re painting murals, acting on stage, creating digital art, writing a short story or novel, editing news articles, anchoring a broad-cast, or directing a film, students receive both solid academic instruction and practical experience. Schools: Network 1: PRP High, Network 2: Fern Creek Traditional High, Net-work 3: Ballard High

Medicine, Health, and the EnvironmentJCPS health-care students learn about a range of pos-sible careers and develop basic skills in each medical field. Courses provide prep-aration for both an entry-level job and for additional study in college. Mentoring, real-world health-care en-vironments, job-shadowing experiences, and intern-ships show students how the pros do it. Many stu-dents earn professional

health-care certification before they graduate from high school.Career opportunities for experts on the environment are expanding rapidly. JCPS environmental students investigate the world in the classroom, the lab, and the field. They explore current issues and study possible solutions to environmental problems. Schools: Network 1: Valley High, Network

2: Moore Traditional School, Network 3: Waggener HighBusiness and In-formation TechnologyJCPS busi-ness stu-dents learn how to create and run a com-pany. Both business

and information technol-ogy students learn how to use technology to man-age business operations. Courses are available in banking, finance, business applications, marketing, ac-counting, computer repair, networking, Web design, geographic information systems, and programming. Many of these courses offer both industry certification and college credit. Schools: Network 1: Doss High, Network 2: Southern High, Network 3: Eastern High

Districtwide magnet high schoolsThe following magnet schools and programs ac-cept applications from stu-dents throughout the JCPS District. At most schools, transportation is provided for every Jefferson County address.• The Academy @ Shaw-

nee offers the Aerospace: Flight School Program and the Aerospace: Aviation Maintenance Technology Program.

• The Brown School is a self-directed learning school that serves kin-dergarten through grade-twelve students. (Trans-portation is not provided for Brown School stu-dents.)

• Butler Traditional High and

Louisville Male High offer traditional education.

• Central High School Mag-net Career Academy (MCA) offers business, technology, law, health care, and veterinary magnet programs.

• DuPont Manual High offers communica-tions, visual arts, college prep, and math/science/tech-nology programs.

• Western High offers the Early College Program and the Cu-linary Arts Program.

• The Youth Perform-ing Arts School (YPAS) offers dance, theatre, musical the-

atre, design and produc-tion (technical theatre), vocal music, instrumental music (band and orches-tra), and piano programs.

Ten JCPS educators were selected to be part of the 2013-14 McConnell Center Teacher Scholars Program. The JCPS teachers are among 30 Kentucky kin-dergarten through grade-twelve teachers who will participate in the yearlong lecture and seminar series with national experts on American history, govern-ment, and economics. The teachers will receive free books and other re-sources, interact with a

nationally recognized ex-pert each month, take part in a culminating in-depth intellectual and travel ex-perience, and be invited to bring their students to the nonpartisan McConnell Center and University of Louisville’s (UofL’s) Belknap Campus. The JCPS McConnell Center Teacher Scholars are:• Robin Buchanan, Denise

Dodge, and Daniel Pierce at Coral Ridge Elementary

• Aundra Lipscomb at Co-

JCPS educators named McConnell Center Teacher Scholars

chran Elementary• Sarah Cole McIntosh at

Louisville Male High• Dan Morgan and Meghann

Scharfenberger at Ballard High

• Randal Perkins at Westport Middle

• Deborah Thomas at Plea-sure Ridge Park (PRP) High

• Steven Welsh at Minors Lane Elementary

• Erin Woodham at Westport Teenage Parent Program (TAPP)

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JCPS will be first district to offer free eTranscriptsHigh school seniors soon will be able to send elec-tronic transcripts to Ken-tucky colleges and uni-versities, as well as some out-of-state schools, using the Kentucky eTranscript process.JCPS will be the first school system to make free eTran-scripts available districtwide. Eventu-ally, they should be available to students in public and private high schools through-out the state.“The statewide adoption of elec-tronic transcripts will streamline the col-lege admissions pro-cess, in some cases allowing students to complete the process totally online,” says Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson. “The eTranscript system will be easy for our students to use, and it will reduce costs and save time for all par-ties.”The eTranscript system is provided free to high school students, school districts, colleges, and universities by the Council on Postsecond-ary Education (CPE), the

Kentucky Department of Ed-ucation (KDE), and the Ken-tucky Higher Education As-sistance Authority (KHEAA). There is a nominal charge

for students to send tran-scripts to non-participating colleges or universities.“High school counselors and students will benefit by hav-ing a simplified request and delivery system available 24/7,” says Tommy Floyd,

New system will streamline college admissionsKDE’s chief of staff. Coun-selors and students also will be able to upload such documents as letters of rec-ommendation for paperless

delivery and track the entire transmission process, he says. The transcripts and other materials will be delivered in PDF for-mat to colleges and universities through a secure online portal.“This has truly been a collaborative effort that will benefit the students of Kentucky,” said Carl Rollins, executive director of KHEAA. “Hopefully it will make the entire col-lege admissions process easier and encourage more stu-dents to seek a post-secondary education whether that be at a two-year or four-year institution,” he says.The three state agen-cies worked on the

project with two private firms: Parchment and In-finite Campus. Parchment is the leader in eTranscript exchange in the U.S., and Infinite Campus is the larg-est American-owned stu-dent information system.

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Support the Metro United WayThe JCPS 2013 Metro United Way Campaign has be-gun. The student campaign will run until Fri., Nov. 8, but please note that Fri., Oct. 25, has been designat-ed as Metro United Way Day at JCPS schools. You may receive information from your child’s school about the importance of Metro United Way to our dis-trict and our community. The organization is an important partner with JCPS in many initiatives, and last year, about 32,000 school-aged children (ages 6 to 18) in Jefferson County ben-efited from Metro United Way-funded services.In addition, it’s estimated that one in three adults in our community will need services from the organization at some point in his or her life.By giving your child the opportunity to make a dona-tion and participate in Metro United Way Day, you’ll not only support the organization but also help your child learn about good citizenship and community service.

Board members are hosting Community ConversationsMembers of the Jefferson County Board of Edu-cation (JCBE) are hosting a series of Commu-nity Conversations at schools throughout the district. Parents and the public are invited to discuss the strategies that the board and JCPS are using to improve schools and raise student achievement.Community Conversations support the JCPS Strategic Plan: Vision 2015, which calls for increased stakeholder engagement and encour-ages parents and community members to help enrich students’ educational experiences and support their success.Board members will host Community Conver-sations in October, February, and March. For a schedule, visit the JCPS Web site at www.jcpsky.net.

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Ballard student/ tennis player wins Arthur Ashe Essay ContestBallard High student Charles “CJ” Crawford was the Ken-tucky winner in the 15th Annual Arthur Ashe Essay Contest. CJ is a member of the Bal-lard tennis team as well as the Rising Stars of Kentucky Tennis, a nonprofit program based in Newburg’s Peters-burg Park but made up of players from all over Jeffer-son County and beyond.CJ and a chaperone re-ceived an all-expenses-paid trip in August to the Win-ston-Salem Open in North Carolina, where CJ got a chance to interact with top-ranked tennis players. The open was held on the campus of Wake Forest University and was the final stop of the ten-tournament

Emirates Airlines US Open Series. The 15th Annual Arthur Ashe Essay Contest re-quired students to answer the following question: “If you could follow in Arthur Ashe’s footsteps and ‘give back’ to tennis, what would you do to give back to the game, and how would it im-pact others?”

Fourth grader com-petes in national track and field cham-pionshipJamarion Smith, a Range-land Elementary fourth grader, competed during the summer with the nation’s most elite student athletes at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic Track & Field Champion-ships at North Carolina A&T State University. Jamarion competed in the age 9-10 division in the long jump and the 100-yard dash. He was eligible to compete after winning strong victories at multiple state and regional meets. For instance, at a Kentucky USATF Region 5 Champion-ship on July 17 in Michigan, Jamarion won the boys’ 9-10 division with a 13-foot jump, beating competi-tors from several states. He competed with the Westside Track Club.

Rangeland Elementary of-fers the Health and Fitness for Accelerated Learning Magnet Program for stu-dents in Elementary Clus-ters 7 through 13.

Jamarion Smith

Farmer Elementary educator is Kentucky History Teacher of the Year The Kentucky Historical So-ciety named Christina Cor-nelius, a teacher at Farmer Elementary, the 2013 Ken-tucky History Teacher of the Year.Cornelius, who has been teaching Farmer fifth-grad-ers since 2007, sponsors an

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Are you getting the e-mail newsletter?Parent Connection eNews is a JCPS newsletter that offers new, brief articles in a monthly e-mail. You can view the latest issue and sign up for future ones on the Parent Connection Web site.

annual Historical Character Day and uses several of Kentucky’s historic sites to engage her students. “Experiential learning is a powerful tool which allows students to grow both aca-demically and socially, thus allowing the development of the whole child,” Cornelius says of her teaching style. “Students should be given the opportunity to exam-ine, analyze, and critique a variety of primary resources pertaining to various his-torical periods. This practice leads to enhancing critical-thinking skills,” she says.Cornelius will receive a $1,000 honorarium and will be in the running to be named the 2013 National History Teacher of the Year this fall. Farmer Elemen-tary’s library will receive a core archive of history books and educational ma-terials from the Gilder Lehr-man Institute of American History and HISTORY Net-work. Cornelius also will be in-vited to a 2014 Gilder Leh-rman Teacher Seminar, and

Farmer Elementary will be named a Gilder Lehrman Af-filiate.

Teachers earn National Director of Physical Activity Certification Seventeen JCPS teachers recently earned certifica-tion as a National Director of Physical Activity from the National Association for Sport and Physical Educa-tion.The certification qualifies teachers to implement the Comprehensive Physical Ac-tivity Program, to enhance their existing physical edu-cation programs, to coordi-nate physical activity across the curriculum, to com-municate and market their programs, to foster commu-nity collaborations, to train other adults to provide and supervise physical activity opportunities, and to plan physical activity events for students, staff, and families.The following JCPS teachers earned the certification:• Kisha Nail—Breckinridge-

Franklin Elementary

• Katherine Kunau—Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School

• Jennifer Zehnder—Carter Traditional Elementary

• Chris Corbin—Hawthorne Elementary

• Dan Johnson—Field El-ementary

• Janet Kanzinger—St. Mat-thews Elementary

• Carri Rogers—Chancey El-ementary

• Candace Foster—Kammer-er Middle

• Cecilia Lokits—Zachary Taylor Elementary

• Susan Dake—Wellington Elementary

• Allen Markja—Schaffner Traditional Elementary

• Robin Ratliff—Greenwood Elementary

• Erica McGowan—Johnson-town Road Elementary

• Kara Springer—Olmsted Academy North

• Shemaine Bridges—Range-land Elementary

• Chris Edge—Rangeland Elementary

• Ryan Connor—Tully El-ementary

The answers to the fifth-grade math questions in the last issue of Parent Connec-tion are 1. C. 2. B. 3. B. To review the ques-tions, visit the publication’s Web site (www.jcpsky.net/Pubs/ParentConnection/welcome.shtml) and select the September issue.The first parent to send the correct an-swers for the last quiz was Katrina Brown, mother of a student at Farnsley Middle. Other winners were Debbie Fleig (Knight Middle), Daniel Ledford (Tully Elementary), Emily Holder (Layne El-ementary), Ellen Cullinane-Spanyer (Atherton High), and Dejuana Bridgeman (Seneca High).This month, Parent Con-nection offers a quick quiz with seventh-grade science questions. The first three parents who send the correct answers to the Parent Connection of-fice via e-mail and the first three who send the answers via regular mail will receive a free JCPS T-shirt. Please include the name of your child’s (or grandchild’s) school.

The e-mail address is thomas.pack@jefferson.kyschools.us. The regular

mailing address is Thomas Pack,

Communica-tions and Publications

North, C. B. Young Jr.

Service Center, Building 4, 3001 Crittenden Drive, Louisville, KY 40209.

You don’t need to write the questions or answers. Just send the question numbers and the letters for your an-swers. Or you may cut out this quiz and mail it.1. In which part of a plant

does photosynthesis take place?

A. bark B. flowers C. leaves D. roots2. Two workers use a ramp

to help lift a box onto a dock as shown below.

Quick quiz for parents

Are you as smart as a JCPS seventh grader?

Despite the advantage gained by using the ramp, there is a loss of energy mainly due to

A. friction between the box and the ramp.

B. the length of the ramp.C. the rope stretching when

it is pulled.D. two people pulling the

rope.

3. What is the best conclu-sion you can make from the graph shown above?

A. The more rain there is, the better the corn will grow.

B. Corn needs rain to grow, but too much rain is harmful.

C. Different kinds of corn need different amounts of rain to grow best.

D. Corn can grow well even if there is no rain.