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ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE TOGETHER
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December 17, 2015
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Quick Links
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Board of Education Meetings
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SEASONS GREETINGS |
The Boone County Schools have implemented a 5-Year District Strategic Plan for ensuring that all graduates of our schools are Career, College, and Life Ready. At the plan's core are three objectives: providing students a World Class Education, Student Empowerment, and Resource Optimization. In January, we will be implementing #Boone2020 - a social media campaign to connect and dialogue with you and the community about what the strategic plan means for your child. In order to measure and improve the effectiveness of our communication with you, we ask that you take a short survey so that we can determine what you already know about the 5-Year District Strategic Plan. Thank you for your willingness to partner with us on this exciting journey! The short survey can be found by clicking here.
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SCHOOL BOARD NOTES
Break The Mold Award
Beth Kamradt, teacher at Conner Middle School, is the recipient of the December 2015 BREAK THE MOLD award! Beth was nominated by Jennifer Warford, Vice Principal. Beth eagerly stepped up to teach in the Project Based learning (PBL) Academy at Conner Middle School this year. The goal of the PBL Academy is to re-engage learners through project based learning and help students see the value of education. Beth works with her 22 students in the academy every day for every core. Additionally, she works with them and for them on nights, weekends and even over the summer. She has raised over $20,000 to fund drones and other initiatives to enhance the PBL Academy. Administrators have received positive feedback from the parents of the children in the program. The PBL Academy has caused a positive change in the attitudes of the students in the academy. They are now excited about school and learning and their performance reflects this change. According to Beth "In the Bucking Bronco Family, we do Thank You! You Rock! notes every Wednesday. Students can give them to each other or anyone. Surprised parents have even gotten a few!" Beth indicates she has never felt more fully "utilized" doing anything in her life than she does this year in the academy. She is a dedicated and reflective teacher who does whatever it takes to assist her students in learning. Congratulations to Beth Kamradt!
Achieving Excellence Award presented to Robert Bosch Automotive Steering LLC
Bosch is a pacesetter and trendsetter in the field of steering systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. They have a national alliance with the national non-profit For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology or FIRST. Their local office in Florence, KY ended a joint venture with another company this year which allowed them to look for a local robotics team to sponsor in FIRST Robotics Competitions. We are so pleased that they chose to partner with Boone County Schools. They have donated $40,000 to the District's High School Robotics Program. Receiving the award is Mike Hirsch - VP Operations Passenger Car Steering Systems, Andy Davis - Sr Controls Steering LLC and Mary GraceCassar - HR Organizational Development Process Manager. Congratulations to Robert Bosch Automotive Steering LLC on winning the Achieving Excellence Award!
Sportsmanship Award
The Sportsmanship Award is given to high school students who:
* demonstrate outstanding school spirit and leadership
* work hard in the classroom
* sets the standard for good sportsmanship, demonstrating unselfishness and fair play at all times.
* And are excellent ambassadors for his/her individual school, as well as for the entire district.
The December Sportsmanship Award recipients are:
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| Ryan Gott
Boone County High School |
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| Zane Dennler
Conner High School |
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| Caleb Watson
Cooper High School |
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| Justin Reed
Ryle High School |
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 ELEMENTARY
Erpenbeck Elementary
Erpenbeck kindergarten students kicked off Hour of Code early this year as the youngest of our programmers when they tested out their programming skills on the new KIBO from KinderLab Robotics. KIBO is a robot kit specifically designed for young children aged 4-7 years old. It is different from any other kit out there because it appeals to both technically minded kids and those that connect more to arts and culture or physical activity. Students developed a sequence of tasks in their notebooks for KIBO to complete in order to avoid obstacles and get "home" safely. They then programmed KIBO and tested their programs. Students helped to revise their programs until they helped KIBO reach its goal.
Erpenbeck 5th Grade Hour of Code
After receiving a DonorsChoose grant funded by the new Burlington Coat Factory, 5th Grade also began Hour of Code early in to showcase how programming can be used to solve problems, tell stories, and use robots to test their designs. Several students even had their work and videos featured on the Ozobot Facebook page!
All-State Choir:
Erpenbeck Elementary had 9 students selected for All-State Choir this year! These students prepared, mastered, and recorded an audition piece. The audition recording was sent off to judges from around the state where they were judged by 4 different judges. They will now learn a more advanced, very high level, piece of music and travel to Louisville in February where they will perform at the Kentucky Center of the Arts as a part of the Kentucky Music Educators Convention. 600 plus students auditioned and approximately 205 were selected. The Erpenbeck students selected were Chloe A., Chloe F., Lacey G., Ellie K., Lydia G., Ella L., Alexis S., Riley K., and Shelby S.
Burlington Elementary
This is Hour of Code at Burlington Elementary. This is their third year participating in this worldwide event. Every student at Burlington (K through 5) participated in computer science.
Florence Elementary
Everyone, both young and old participated in the Florence Elementary Fun Run which promotes character traits through Big World Recess. The Fun Run is a fundraiser for student technology incorporating fitness throughout the world then within the walls of the Florence Elementary gym. Family, friends, and staff supported the school by giving pledges for the number of laps during the run. The top class earned the privilege to silly string the principal and assistant principal.
The Boosterthon crew motivated the students for 9 days and during this time introduced new character traits from real global kid athletes. Starting in America, the basketball athlete stressed how to 'win with teamwork', win together by using other strengths. They traveled to Australia where the scuba diver athlete showed how to explore, 'live with curiosity', ask big questions and discover the answers to a new world. They boarded their portal able plane and soared to Brazil where the soccer athlete reinforced 'score with practice', get better by trying over and over wherever you go. Next, the baseball athlete from Tokyo taught how to 'play with humility', showing a winning attitude with every victory and defeat. 'Ride with confidence', make a big challenge little by starting small, was displayed by the Switzerland snowboarding athlete. The final destination was Kenya when the running athlete stated 'run with endurance', go a little farther. Strength is on the other side of not giving up.
First Grade Service Learning Project
The Florence Elementary School Bus Driver's wheels go round and round transporting precious cargo to and from school every day.
The first graders honored their bus drivers with a hearty breakfast and some entertainment. The drivers received a warm welcome in an area that was decorated with buses that the students made out of a yellow painted paper plate with black windows and wheels. The entire school signed customized posters, one for each bus driver.
The first graders lined up and recited a poem. Bus Drivers: "You drive us safely every day, You always wear a smile, So here's the thanks that you deserve, For each and every mile!"
Afterwards the students delivered personalized cards. They worked diligently to color each unique card, making sure every driver felt special and appreciated for taking care of them.
The students loved giving back to the drivers during their service learning project because these drivers watch over them at the beginning and end of the day, making sure they are safe.
Holiday Show
To usher in the holidays, Florence Elementary presented their annual "Holiday Show". The Florence Elementary Chorus was the featured presentation made up of 52, third, fourth, and fifth graders. Second graders sang "We Wish you a Merry Christmas, Deck the Hall, and Joy to the World." First graders rang in the season as they paraded across the gym floor playing their rhyme sticks and jingle bells. The Art Club made all the wall decorations to bring the North Pole to life. |
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle School students from Northern Kentucky attend Gifted Student Leadership Symposium at Thomas More College
The Keynote speaker was a clown. Not just any big foot, red afro, red nosed clown. Paul Hallinan Miller is the clown from Circus Mojo. Circus Mojo focuses on three things: entertainment, education and community development. Circus Mojo's programs and performances are designed to unlock personal talent, confidence, drive and spirit. Circus
Wellness is one of its ongoing programs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital and Rush Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Paul has been a guest and keynote speaker
on his work in hospitals at arts and healthcare conferences in Berlin, Jerusalem, Stuttgart, Sydney and Tampere, Finland. In 2014 he received the Distinguished Fellow Award from the
Arts and Health Alliance. His worldwide connections are putting Ludlow, Kentucky on the global map. Paul created the International College Circus Festival and hosted it at The Ludlow Theatre in 2013
and 2014 and in March of 2015, he produced the festival in Mexico City. He also has maintained an educational exchange and partnership with Circus Pimparello, a youth circus
in Germany, for 10 years. To date, students, performers and trainers have visited The Ludlow Theatre from 19 countries: Antigua to Argentina, Germany to Ghana and Sudan to Suriname.
Students from Camp Ernst, R.A. Jones, Gray, Ockerman and Conner Middle School were in attendance along with several other Middle School students from all over Northern Kentucky. Mr. Miller took many questions from the students and even taught them some circus tricks as you will see in the pictures below. Afterwards the students then went into breakout assignments in individual leadership classroom presentations. The symposium ended with leadership group sessions. The pictures below are from the days activities.
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| | Balancing a chair on his chin |
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| Dakota D.
Camp Ernst Middle School |
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| Nigel D.
R.A. Jones Middle School |
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Camp Ernst Middle School
Camp Ernst Middle School held their first Blazar Dads event last week. Fathers of all students were invited to this continental breakfast to promote, praise and celebrate father/student relationships. The first Blazer Dads was such a success with more than 200 fathers in attendance that it will become an annual event. Father's were told about how their influence in their child's life leads to their child's success in school and in life. Fathers were also encouraged to get further involved in Camp Ernst's Blazer Dads group. Pictures from the event are below.
Gray Middle School from the Community Recorder Gray Middle School's Dance Team participated in a toy and craft holiday drive for Rob's Kids.
A wide assortment of toys were donated by the Gatorette dance team families.
Rob's Kids Inc. was formed by the Potter family to help other families. They are passionately committed to making a difference in the lives of children who struggle with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Each year Rob's Kids collects toys through Nov. 30 makes 150 bags and delivers them to Cincinnati Children's Psychiatry at College Hill.
Conner Middle School
Conner Middle School's Colts Care group recently completed a service learning project with the HOSEA House in Newport, Kentucky. Not only did students research cost efficient meals to create for more than 150 people, they were given a $400 budget with which to plan a dinner for the HOSEA House. After the budget was created, the students went to Kroger to purchase the dinner. They didn't stop there, students prepared a dinner for the HOSEA House and served the community.
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HIGH SCHOOL
Boone County High School
These gifts were provided by students at Boone County High School for the CITI BEST Giving Tree Project. BCHS provided gifts for 100 tags on the trees.
Conner High School
Mock interviews for seniors were recently conducted by CHS BEST Partner, Citi. This idea came about at the Conner-Citi Advisory committee meeting last month. Morgan Edmonds, a senior at Conner and one of the committee members, suggested the idea since many times students do not have the opportunity to practice interviews with the outside business community. She felt it was an important time for seniors who were gearing up for scholarship interviews, along with future job interviews. Read the entire story here in Cincinnati.com
Paws for a Cause
Students at Conner High collected food donations and gifts from November 30th to December 4th to be distributed this week in time for the holidays.
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 Calling all Boone County School Alumni
We are looking for former graduates of Boone County Schools to tell us their stories of professional career success after graduating from this district. If you are one of those students or if you have a son or daughter with post college graduate successes that should be celebrated, please contact us. You will need to email a j.peg-only picture of your student as well as information on their success story to bcbe@boone.kyschools.us. We will post it in the Alumni Spotlight section of this school district newsletter. |
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