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| Issue 44 Volume 4 |
December 2009 | |
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Superintendent's Message
This time of year I am reminded of the classic story, A  Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This story highlights how lessons of the past coupled with sound decision making in the present positively affects the future. This month we have been highlighting our school district's commitment to innovation through the new construction of Turkey Foot Middle School featuring high performance building design, our nationally recognized Energy Management Program, and our district-wide culture of sustainability.
Our school district continues to learn from our past in order to make sound decisions in the present to affect positive change for our students' futures. Lessons learned through the construction of our first two high performance buildings, Twenhofel Middle School and Caywood Elementary, affected positive change for the new construction of Turkey Foot Middle School. Through the work students did collecting daylight harvesting data from Caywood Elementary the architects were able to change the window glass size of the new Turkey Foot resulting in energy and monetary savings.
Lessons learned from our Energy Management Program have resulted in our district-wide energy consumption being down 27.7% compared to our baseline year 2005-2006. So far this year we have prevented 4,880,029 lbs of CO2 emissions compared to our baseline year 2005-2006. This is equivalent to removing 336 cars from the roads or planting 683 acres of trees.
This month's Excellence Report highlights our lessons learned so that our schools can stay committed to innovation. In the Mileage Report you will read how our schools are using the results of state testing in conjunction with screening information from GRADE and GMADE to develop individual plans to assist students. In the Quality Instruction Report you will read about how the available resources for teachers to learn and use the new professional practices rubric (PPR) are constantly being added and revised.
The Innovation Update introduces our school district's new Automatic Vehicle Locating, a live "web enabled" service product, combining GPS, Cellular and application specific technologies to record vehicle locations for real time tracking. Our Business Partner Feature highlights our upcoming Education Celebration sponsors and how Hanner's Heroes partnered with Coldwell Banker West Shell to collect nearly 2,000 toys for needy children. Please refer to our Events section for upcoming meetings and activities. Don't forget to refer to our Scholarships link for the latest opportunities as well as our new web page, www.kenton.kyschools.us.
We are pleased to bring you this month's Excellence Report as it demonstrates the power of learning from our past, making the most of our present to bring brighter futures to our students and community at large.
Our Beyond the Classroom features a special message from Deputy Superintendent Terri Cox-Cruey as we look toward the future in 2010.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to share suggestions about The Excellence Report, please email Dr. Terri Cox-Cruey at terricox.cruey@kenton.kyschools.us.
Happy Holidays,
Tim Hanner
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On November 9th and 10th each principal presented their annual council report to the School Board of Education. During these meetings, principals reviewed the results of recent assessment data and school plans to address areas that were needed to assist students. The Board reports can be viewed on Channel 20 on December 15, 17, and 19 from 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
It was obvious from the reports that throughout the district there is wide-spread support of the principles to implement the Response to Instruction model. Schools are using the results of state testing in conjunction with screening information from GRADE and GMADE (our annual screenings to determine grade level performance of students in literacy and numeracy) to develop individual plans to assist students. Each student receiving additional services will have their results monitored and adjustments made throughout the school year, based on improved performance.
The following is a listing of instructional practices that are specifically being addressed by our schools:
- Expansion of Response to Intervention Training and Support
- Common Core Curriculum Maps across grade levels
- Common Assessments across the district
- Elementary & Middle School Coaching Support
- PPR Walks to Improve Instructional Practice
- Examining Data to Inform Instruction and Drive Decision Making Process
- Progress Monitoring Training by school psychologists
Click here to return to the top of The Excellence Report.
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Resources for teachers to learn and use the new professional practices rubric (PPR) are constantly being added and revised. At the September Superintendent's Student Leadership committee meeting, students from each of the three high schools and the Success Academy identified the following three teacher attributes as the most important things teachers need to do in order for students to succeed:
1) The teacher must show that he/she cares about their students
2) The teacher is passionate about what he/she is teaching
3) The teacher is innovative and adaptive to meet the needs of all learners and uses various instructional approaches.
At the October 2009 meeting of the Superintendent's Student Leadership committee, the students were at work again assisting the district staff by identifying how teachers can demonstrate the three attributes through their action. For instance, students were asked to reflect on previous learning experiences where teachers showed them they 1) cared about the students; 2) were passionate about their teaching and 3) used innovative instructional approaches to meet the needs of all learners. The following is the list students generated that will be used to further assist teachers in improving the quality of instruction in our classrooms every day:
A. Teacher shows he/she cares
- Know each student on a personal level
- Get involed in extra-curricular (sponsor, coach, attend)
- Explain why you do what you do
- Emphasize don't pity (understand but don't accept garbage)
- Tell us about your personal life and ask us about ours
- Don't allow your students to fall behind
- Provide productive criticism with encouragement
- Listen to your students
- Talk to students outside of the classroom
- Talk to us as adults, and expect us to behave as adults
- Respect us - Talk and Actions
B. Teacher is Passionate about what he/she is teaching
- Make your own lesson plan - Demonstrate knowledge of content (not just textbook or free google plans)
- Prepare lessons based on students in front of you - (Not just lesson to cover information)
- Make lessons relevant (real world connections)
- Be more flexible and responsive to your students
- Customize lessons to fulfill the requirements of the curriculum (find a way to bring your passion into the lesson)
- Find a way to access students' passion in the lesson
B. Passion continued...
- Master your craft (stay current with content PLUS - How you teach it - Keep all student moving - manage behavior and convey your ideas - facilitate learning)
- Share responsibility for how your students perform
- Reconnect with why you love the subject and share with students
- Get Pumped to deliver the lesson!
- Never quit on your students
C. Teacher is innovative and adaptive to meet the needs of all learners...various approaches
- Survey students to analyze how your students learn best
- Give students freedom/w/options in the assignment to demonstrate their learning in different ways
- Group students based on how they learn
- Recognize and use different student learning styles to plan lessons
- Recognize when students aren't getting it so you can build in more time or different activities
- Engage students to learn their own learning style
- Offer incentives/motivators
- Present really important stuff in different waysKeep students guessing for how the lesson will unfold (Don't be too routine - Ex. notes on Monday, test on Friday, etc.)
These action statements developed by students will now be built into the resource document for teachers to be able to see what students view as necessary actions for them to succeed.
Click here to return to the top of The Excellence Report |
Look what the future holds for Kenton County!
Automatic Vehicle Location (Live GPS Tracking of District Vehicles)
Automatic Vehicle Locating is a live "web enabled" service product, combining GPS, Cellular and application specific technologies to record vehicle locations for real time tracking. Individual vehicles are identified and "tracked" through the use of an onboard vehicle device that combines GPS, Cellular, and Communication capabilities. In our solution we are using a communication modem as opposed to a common cell phone integrated with GPS, the modem is capable of forwarding (or storing and forwarding later if out of cellular coverage) position reports every second. The device is also capable of reporting other events on the bus such as door opening and closing, crossing arm extension, and panic conditions.
The GPS mapping and location software also has the ability to email specific managers , based on events that are triggered by any of the above sensors, or by other events triggered within the modem. We will have the capability to playback the route and all specific events generated by that vehicle over the course of a specified time. This feature would be a tool in determining whether a driver stopped at a specific location, the speed of the bus at different times of the day, and how often the bus is on time.
The AVL system will be a tremendous safety tool for our arsenal. We will now be able to locate buses without tying up the all important radio system. This tracking ability will give our families a new level of service, partnered with our computerized routing system to become even more efficient.
Click here to return to the top of The Excellence Report.
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Coldwell Banker West Shell and students from the Kenton County School District teamed up to help the US Marine Corps Reserve in their annual Toys for Tots program. The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community.
The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.
Students from the school district's student leadership group, Hanner's Heroes, led school-wide promotions that resulted in the collection of nearly 2,000 toys. Promotions included incentive breakfast with the Ben-Gal cheerleaders, cash prizes, pizza parties, etc. Congratulations to Coldwell Banker West Shell and the Kenton County School District for a job well done.
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Tribute to Superintendent Hanner and Student Engagement
by Dr. Terri Cox-Cruey
Deputy Superintendent
At a very special ceremony on December 8, I had the pleasure of watching Mr. Tim Hanner accept the 2010 Kentucky Superintendent of the Year award. Mr. Hanner consistently demonstrates the epitome of an instructional leader. He has a deep understanding of current educational policy and works diligently to address all challenges in a professional manner.
During his first year as superintendent, he established three goals to guide and focus the district. The three goals have remained intact and are now able to be articulated by nearly all employees in the district. Goal #3 states, "Beginning in the fourth grade, all students will participate in at least one activity providing a meaningful connection to school beyond the regular classroom." Mr. Hanner's leadership in Goal 3 is apparent from the first time you meet him.
When Mr. Hanner realized that mentoring was needed for students, he established a mentoring program, first with adult volunteers and employees. When the district needed more tutors, Mr. Hanner organized student volunteers and trained them how to work individually with elementary-aged students to improve reading skills across the district. Mr. Hanner also participated in the training and serves as both a mentor and one-to-one reading instructor with students. He established and regularly meets with several student groups including the Superintendent's Student Leadership committee, Student Ambassadors and Hanner's Heroes.
Mr. Hanner was recognized by the rest of the state for his ability to lead and serve as Superintendent. Part of the reason for his success is his ability to work with others, and to take action to make changes. He is a model of an action-oriented superintendent. As we head into 2010 we are pleased that others have noticed what we already knew about our Superintendent.
Congratulations Mr. Hanner on your selection as the Kentucky Superintendent of the Year from the staff and students of The Kenton County School District!
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Tuesday, December 15, 4:00 p.m. Ambassdors Meeting at Woodland Middle
Monday, January 11 - 23, 2010 - Education Celebration "Live the Dream"
High School Athletics schedule - Click here: http://scoreboard.khsaa.org/
To view individual school web sites, click below.
Simon Kenton High
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