Jefferson County Public Schools
May 2012
You can pay for your child’s school meals online (page 2) Have you signed up for the Parent Portal? (page 3)
2013-14 Back-to-School Issue
Bus information (page 6)
www.jcpsky.net Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
You can pay for your child’s school meals online You don’t have to send your child to school with cash or a check to pay for meals. All Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District cafeterias let you use a debit or credit card to create an account for your child through a secure online system. During the last school year, the system was called EZPay, but JCPS is now using School Payment Solutions (www.schoolpaymentsolutions.com). Once you sign up, you can deposit funds into your child’s account and replenish them anytime. You’ll receive payment verifications through e-mail, and you even can choose to receive low-balance reminders. 2
There are no charges for registering with the system, checking your balance, or receiving e-mails. There is a $2.50 fee each time you make a deposit, but you can deposit money into multiple student accounts at once and pay only one $2.50 transaction fee. Please note that deposits are typically posted to your child’s account within 24 hours. To create an account, you’ll be asked for your child’s district ID number, birth date, home address, and school name. You’ll also
need an e-mail address, and you’ll receive an e-mail to confirm the account before you can log in and begin making deposits. For more information, contact the cafeteria manager at your child’s school. See the article on the next page if you need to set up a Parent Portal account.
Have you signed up for the Parent Portal? You can use the Parent Portal—a secure online system available through the JCPS Web site—to check on your child’s school schedule, test scores, report cards, attendance, bus information, and immunization records. You also can receive school notices, send e-mail to teachers, pay for school meals, and check on your child’s daily assignments and grades. To sign up for a Parent Portal account, send an e-mail message to campus.portal@jefferson.kyschools. us. Include your name, your child’s name, the school, and your phone number. After your information is verified, you’ll receive an e-mail message with Parent Portal log-in instructions.
The Parent Portal is located at www.jcpsky.net/ Parent/ParentPortal/index.html. When you have a Parent Portal account, your child’s information will be available when you click See my student’s profile (Infinite Campus).
Community centers sponsor eLearn Olympics The JCPS District’s partners at Louisville Central Community Centers (LCCC) have been offering students an additional incentive to use the Study Island and SuccessMaker educational software programs this summer.
Students can win gold, silver, and bronze medals as well as such prizes as iPads and notebooks.
For more information, visit www.elearnolympics. com.
After students hone their academic skills with the programs, they can participate in the LCCC’s eLearn Olympics, an Internet-based competition. 3
JCPS is now completely tobacco-free The JCPS District’s tobaccofree policy went into effect on July 1. The new policy applies to everyone—employees, students, parents, and visitors. No one may use any type of tobacco product anywhere on JCPS property. Here are some more things you need to know about the new policy: • JCPS schools and office buildings do not have smoking areas. Smoking is completely prohibited on all district grounds as well as inside JCPS facilities and district vehicles. • Tobacco use is prohibited even after school hours. In fact, it’s prohibited 24/7. • Because of the 24/7 policy, smoking is prohibited even at such outdoor events as football games—even in the parking lot. • The new policy also applies to community groups that use JCPS facilities. Members of community groups are not allowed to use tobacco products anywhere on JCPS property. • Adults are not allowed to use tobacco products when students are present even if they are away from school property on field trips. The Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) created 4
the policy to ensure that students are never exposed to secondhand smoke on district grounds. The new policy also will ensure that adults model a tobacco-free lifestyle, which is especially important considering these statistics: • The average age when someone first tries tobacco is 13. About 3,000 children in the United States start smoking every day. • About half of all teens who experiment with tobacco become addicted to nicotine. • Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in Kentucky and across the nation. • Research shows that schools with a tobaccofree policy have 40 percent fewer youth smokers than those that don’t, so the new policy may help reduce the number of teens who smoke outside of school.
• The new JCPS policy may even reduce the number of Louisvillians who smoke in the future. Ninety percent of people who stay away from cigarettes before they turn 18 will not start smoking later in life.
Free stop-smoking classes The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and the Kentucky Cancer Program offer free stop-smoking classes. They include 12 one-hour, weekly sessions and relapse prevention. At most classes, materials and nicotine replacement products, as well as the classes themselves, are free, but registration is required. Call 574-STOP (7867) or send an e-mail to stopsmoking@louisvilleky.gov. More information is available at www. louisvilleky.gov/Health/.
JCPS launches Back-toSchool page JCPS has created a Web page that offers all the back-to-school information you need in one place—including a link to the Bus Finder, an interactive tool that instantly displays pickup times at the bus stops closest to your home. Available through a link on the homepage of the district’s Web site (www. jcpsky.net), the Back-toSchool page also offers links to schools’ Web sites as well as breakfast and lunch menus, a school calendar, and health information. There’s even a video that shows what it’s like for a
kindergarten student to ride the bus on the first day of school, and there are many
other tools that will help you get off to a great start in the new school year.
District information—however you want it Web site (www.jcpsky.net)—The JCPS site offers general information on the district, links to individual school sites, maps, forms, lunch menus, and much more. There’s a page just for parents and another just for students, which provides online homework help. District news is posted on the homepage. Facebook (www.facebook.com/JCPSKY)—The Facebook page offers district news and alerts. During inclement whether, the page provides school closing information. YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/jcpsweb)—The JCPS YouTube Channel offers news videos, feature stories, and the Our Kids television program. JCPS on Twitter (https://twitter.com/JCPSKY)—The district’s Twitter feed provides school and district news, including school closing information. To follow JCPS tweets on your mobile phone or wireless device, send a text that says follow JCPSKY to 40404. Superintendent on Twitter (https://twitter.com/JCPSSuper)—Tweets from JCPS Superintendent Donna Hargens include information on events and student success as well as brief district news. On your mobile phone or wireless device, send a text that says follow JCPSSuper to 40404. 5
Bus information
Beginning Fri., Aug. 2, JCPS bus information will be available through the Bus Finder feature on the district’s Back-to-School Web page (www.jcpsky.net). When you enter your address in the Bus Finder, you’ll see the closest stops. Please check the Bus Finder a few days before school starts to confirm your stop. Your child’s bus number or the bus arrival time may have changed since last year. Parents should anticipate that buses will run late during the first few days of the new school year. Some parents like to take their child to school on the first day, but if your child is going to be a bus rider most of the time, it’s a good idea for him or her to ride it on the first day to help the driver establish a routine. If you’re the parent of a young child and you want to be part of his or her first school day, you may want to follow the bus and meet your child at the school.
Elementary parents: Have you confirmed your child’s transportation arrangements? Earlier this year, parents of incoming first- through fifth-grade students were asked to fill out information cards about their child’s transportation arrangements. If you received and returned this card last spring, a confirmation letter will be mailed to you in early August. You should contact your child’s school if you’ve moved since you returned the card. Parents of incoming kindergarteners were asked to provide their child’s afternoon drop-off address when they completed the JCPS enrollment form. If you provided this information, a confirmation letter will be 6
mailed. If you didn’t provide this information, please contact the office staff at your child’s school to let them know where your child should be dropped off in the afternoon. The staff will help you find your bus stop. Kindergarteners and new English as a Second Language (ESL) students will receive a sticker with the name of the child’s school on it. Please remember to put this sticker on your child’s clothing on the first day of school. Luggage tags will be placed on each elementary student’s backpack on the first day. The student’s name,
bus number(s), school, and afternoon bus stop will be printed on the tag. For security reasons, student phone numbers will not be included. Students who do not have a backpack on the first day of school will receive lanyards for temporary use.
Bus safety tips • Make sure your child gets to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. • If you live on the opposite side of the road from a bus stop, tell your child to wait on your side of the road until the bus arrives and the driver gives the signal to cross. • Students are allowed to get off the bus only at a regular, designated stop. Temporary changes—for instance, if your child wants to get off at a friend’s house instead of the regular stop—must be requested by parents and approved by the school principal. • Tell your child to walk several giant steps away from the bus after he or she has been dropped off, but remind your child to wait for a signal from the driver if he or she has to cross a road to get back to your house. Teach your child to never cross the road behind a bus.
Riding the bus on the first day of school—the video
What’s it like for a young student to ride a JCPS school bus on the first day? A video that simulates the experience is posted in the Bus Information section on the Backto-School Web page.
Transportation Hotline 485-RIDE (485-7433)
JCPS staff members will be available at the following times to tell you your child’s bus number and find the stops closest to your house. • Sun., Aug. 18—5 to 7 p.m. • Mon., Aug. 19—6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. • Tues., Aug. 20—5 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Wed., Aug. 21—6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Requesting teacher qualifications Parents of a student attending a Title I school may request information about the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers. Contact your child’s school for more information. 7
Getting Ready for For parents of preschoolers:
Eight ways to help your child learn
There are many simple things you can do to help your child get ready to learn and have fun in preschool:
him or her to make up a story and act it out with dolls, stuffed animals, or toy cars and trucks.
• Draw and color together. This not only gives you a chance to teach colors and shapes but also helps your child develop the small muscles that he or she needs to hold a pencil.
• Read together as often as possible. Make sure your child has at least a small collection of simple picture books.
• Help your child learn as he or she plays. For example, you and your child could build something with blocks. This helps your child begin to understand how to plan and carry out a project. • Fire your child’s imagination by encouraging 8
• Point out letters and sounds when you read. For instance, you could say, “That’s a mouse. It starts with m. It sounds like mmm.” • Trace letters on your child’s back with your finger. Ask your child to guess which letters you wrote.
• Choose a word for the day (a simple word, such as go or stop), and ask your child to see how many times he or she spots it on signs, in books, on television, or anywhere else. • Help your preschooler start learning to take on responsibilities. For example, you could ask your child to set the table, sort clothes, and clean up after bath time. Preschoolers who help at home gain independence and self-confidence, which will help them succeed in school.
the First Day
For parents of kindergarten students:
Five ways to build your child’s confidence One of the best ways to help your child get ready for kindergarten is also one of the easiest: Just talk about what to expect on the first day of school and on an average day. Talk about the things your child might do and how the school schedule works. Also, talk about the opportunities your child will have to work and play with other students. Here are some more tips: • Tell your child that it’s okay to be nervous. Point out that everyone— even the teacher—will be a little nervous but that learning and doing other
fun stuff will soon help evfirst and last name. eryone get over the first- — Say his or her telephone day jitters. number and address. • Eliminate as much — Recognize basic colors: stress as possible from red, blue, yellow, green, the getting-ready-fororange, black, brown, school ritual. For exand purple. ample, you can lay out — Recognize numbers from clothes and get supplies 1 to 10, count from 1 to ready the night before so 20, and recognize all the the morning routine will uppercase and lowercase be less hectic. letters of the alphabet. • Talk to your child about — Hold pencils, crayons, the importance of sharmarkers, and scissors ing, getting along, correctly. paying attention, and — Use the bathroom on his waiting in line patientor her own. ly. — Zip, snap, tie, button, and fasten Velcro. • Make sure your child knows how to: — Say and write his or her 9
Three publications rank JCPS schools among nation’s best State officials commend JCPS principals and teachers JCPS schools were included on 2013 lists of the best U.S. high schools in not just one but three national publications: Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, and The Washington Post. The Newsweek list of the best 2,000 public high schools includes five JCPS schools:
taken per student (25 percent); average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent); average AP, IB, and AICE scores (10 percent); and percentage of students enrolled in at least one AP, IB, or AICE course (5 percent).
• Manual (ranked no. 50 nationally) • Brown (426) • Ballard (651) • Male (919) • Eastern (1,778) This summer, principals at the five schools received congratulations from Kentucky Board of Education Chair David Karem and Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Commissioner Terry Holliday. In a joint letter, Karem and Holliday said, “We commend you and the teachers at your school for their focus on college and career readiness.” Newsweek’s list is based on six components: graduation rate (25 percent); college acceptance rate (25 percent); Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) tests 10
JCPS had four of the top five schools and six of the top ten. U.S. News & World Report awarded schools medals based on state reading and math results, the performance of at-risk students, and college readiness. JCPS high schools earned the following awards: • Gold Medal: DuPont Manual, Ballard, and Brown • Silver Medal: Eastern, Louisville Male, and Atherton • Bronze Medal: Butler Traditional, Central, Fairdale, Fern Creek Traditional, and Western The Washington Post’s list of America’s Most Challenging High Schools includes four JCPS schools: • Manual (ranked no. 176 nationally) • Eastern (445) • Ballard (458) • Brown (995)
On the U.S. News & World Report list of best schools, more than half of JCPS high schools received recognition for their efforts to provide equitable and rigorous education for all students. Three of the schools recognized are designated as Priority Schools. Statewide,
The list ranks schools through an index formula that’s a simple ratio: the number of AP, IB, and AICE tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year.
School starts Tues., Aug. 20— Are you ready?
Have you registered your child or verified his or her school assignment? To find out which school your child will attend, visit the JCPS Web site (www.jcpsky .net) or call Demographics (485-3050) or Student Assignment (485-6250). Have you confirmed your child’s transportation arrangements? See page 6 for bus information. Do you know how much school meals cost? The price hasn’t changed from last year. Lunch is $2.40 for elementary students and $2.50 for middle and high school students. It’s $4.25 for adults. Breakfast (available at most schools) costs $1.75 for elementary students and $1.85 for middle and high school students.
If your child qualifies for free or reduced-price meals under USDA guidelines, have you filled out an application? A new one is required each year. Call 485-3186 for more information. Have you checked with your child’s school about the supplies he or she will need? Does your child have a backpack? Call your child’s school if you need help purchasing one. Do you know if your child’s school has a dress code? Will your child need different clothes for physical education (PE) or art classes? Have you filled out emergency contact information and other forms for
your child’s school? Have you contacted your child’s pediatrician to acquire a complete immunization and shot history? See page 13 for information on health requirements. If your child needs to take medication during school hours, have you made arrangements? Do you know what time school starts for your child? At most JCPS elementary schools, the hours are 9:05 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. At most middle and high schools, the hours are 7:40 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. Have you established an earlier bedtime to help your child get back on a school schedule? 11
ECE services meet special needs Exceptional Child Education (ECE) services are available to JCPS students with disabilities. The students receive specially designed instruction to meet their individual needs as described on each student’s Individual Education Program (IEP).
work in partnership with their child’s school. Other contact numbers include ECE Programs (485-6270) and ECE Assessment (4856052). If your child is new to JCPS and already has an
IEP from a previous school, contact ECE Placement (485-3215). The ECE Web site is located at www. jcpsky.net/Programs/ ECE/index.html.
IEP development and placement are determined by the student’s Admissions and Release Committee (ARC), which includes parents. To the maximum extent possible, students with disabilities are educated with non-disabled peers. JCPS offers a placement continuum that includes regular classes with coteaching, resource rooms, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals. Most JCPS schools serve students with disabilities. JCPS also offers specialty groupings of students with similar needs at specific schools. Specialty groupings include Visually Impaired (VI), Hearing Impaired (HI), Functional Mental Disability (FMD), Autism (AU), and Multiple Disabilities (MD). The ECE Parent Resource Center (485-3215) offers information on special education services. Parent liaisons help parents 12
ECE tips
Tips for parents from the ECE Department: • Start back-to-school routines at least a week in advance. • Encourage your child to ask questions about the school schedule. • Participate in orientation and other back-to-school events at your child’s school.
• Share information with your child’s teacher (e.g., health issues, likes, and reinforcers). • Encourage your child to read often, regardless of his or her reading level. • Encourage and foster independence. • Request an IEP meeting early in the school year if concerns arise.
Health information How do you know if your child is too sick to go to school? According to general JCPS guidelines, students should stay home when they have any of the following symptoms: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, undiagnosed rash, or a fever of 100.5 or greater. Of course, students also should stay home if they have been diagnosed with a contagious disease. Students at all Kentucky schools must follow state health regulations. Contact JCPS Health Services at 485-3387 if you have questions about the following requirements. You also can get more information and download forms at www.jcpsky.net/Schools/ Health_Descriptions.html. Dental Examinations—5and 6-year-old students entering kindergarten or first grade for the first time need to have a Kentucky Dental Form on file at the school they’re attending no later than Jan. 1, 2014. A dentist, dental hygienist, physician, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, or physician assistant must complete the dental screening or examination.
Medical examinations— Students entering a Kentucky school for the first time and all students entering the sixth grade need to have a Kentucky Preventative Health Care Examination Form on file within 60 days of entering it.
For asthma/allergies, diabetes, seizures, respiratory disorders, G-tube/swallowing/feeding disorders, or any other health condition, parents need to submit the appropriate Primary Care Provider (PCP) Authorization Form to the school or directly to JCPS Health SerVision examinations—3-, vices. PCP and Medication 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old stuAuthorization Forms are dents entering school for available through the Web the first time need to have a Kentucky Vision Examina- page mentioned above, or you can access the forms tion Form on file no later directly at www.jcpsky.net/ than Jan. 1, 2014. An optometrist or ophthalmologist Departments/HealthServicesPromotions/Healthmust complete the examiServMedAdmin.html. nation. Health/Medication concerns—Parents of a child who has health problems or requires health services while in school should notify JCPS Health Services as well as the child’s school. Students who need prescription medication and/ or over-the-counter medication during school hours must have a Medication Authorization Form on file with the required signatures.
Vision/Hearing screenings—Elementary school students participate in vision and hearing screening programs. Parents receive a nonconsent form to return to the school if they do not want their child to participate. Scoliosis screenings— Middle school students participate in scoliosis screening programs. Parental consent is required.
Immunizations—Every student needs to have a current, valid immunization certificate on file at his or her school within two weeks of entering it. 13
JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
School Calendar 2013-14
First and Last Days for Students
AUGUST MON TUE
8/20, 6/4*
*6/4 will be the last day of school unless there are days to be made up. Inclement weather may alter the school calendar, grading periods, and report card distribution dates.
First and Last Days for Teachers (No School for Students) ................................8/16, 6/5
No School for Students Labor Day ................................................................9/2 Thanksgiving Break ...................................11/27–11/29 Winter Break .................................................12/23–1/3 Martin Luther King Jr. Day .....................................1/20 Spring Break ...................................................3/31–4/4 Primary Election Day..............................................5/20 Memorial Day .........................................................5/26 Professional-Development Days .........10/4, 10/7, 10/8, 11/11, 2/24, 2/25, 5/2
Make-Up Days for Students Missed school days will be made up in the following order: 2/26, 2/27, 2/28, 6/5, 6/6, 6/9, 6/10, 6/11, 6/12, 6/13. If 2/26, 2/27, and 2/28 are not used as make-up days, individual schools will decide whether to use those days to host enrichment activities for some students or to have a no-school day for all students.
Parent-Teacher Conferences Conferences will be scheduled on the following dates: 10/8, 2/24.
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
WED THU
1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
WED THU
FRI
7 14 21 28
SEPTEMBER MON TUE
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
WED THU
FRI
OCTOBER MON TUE
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24 31
4 11 18 25
WED THU
FRI
NOVEMBER MON TUE
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
WED THU
FRI
6 13 20 27
DECEMBER MON TUE
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24 31
FRI
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
JANUARY MON TUE
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
MON TUE
3 10 17 24
4 11 18 25
MARCH
MON TUE
3 10 17 24 31
4 11 18 25
APRIL
MON TUE
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
MAY
MON TUE
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
MON TUE
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
FRI
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24 31
WED THU
FRI
FEBRUARY
JUNE
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
WED THU
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
WED THU
FRI
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
WED THU
FRI
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
4 11 18 25
WED THU
FRI
1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
WED THU
FRI
7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
www.jcpsky.net