Family Matters—Winter 2019

JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND POVERTY PROGRAMS

Family Matters Winter 2019

A PUBLICATION OF THE 15TH DISTRICT PTA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Celebrating Reflections

Scholarships and Awards

New Year, New Potential

TM

Painting by Cassidy Given, Louisville Male

15th District PTA Contact List 2018-19

FROM THE PRESIDENT We are at the halfway point and rolling toward the end of the school year. I hope that the first half of the year was wonderful and you are looking forward to ending the year strong. The 15th District Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has lots of fun and exciting things going on.

We hope that you will join us.

The Spelling Bee will be held on February 6 at Louisville Male’s Sallie Phillips Durrett Auditorium at 4:30 p.m. On March 14, we will have our vendor fair at Waggener High School. This will give you the opportunity to meet vendors and choose one before the fundraising forms are due in to the district in May. We will also be doing some training and other fun things. Look for more information on social media and in our March newsletter. On May 7, we will have our Awards Banquet. This year, it will be at a new location, so save the date and be prepared to enjoy yourselves.

Speaking of the Awards Banquet, please go to our website and apply for our awards. We have gone digital for both our awards and scholarships. We will accept paper copies but prefer you apply online. Both awards and scholarships are due March 15!

This is also an election year, and we look forward to electing in a new board at our awards ceremony.

Our nominating committee is looking for individuals who would like to join the 15th District PTA Board. The nomination form is also online at 15thdistrictpta.org/nominations.

Lastly, the legislative session has started, so please keep watch on any educational bills that may affect our schools and students. Look for alerts from Kentucky PTA, and keep up with our Facebook page as we try to keep up with the fast-moving session. You can also join us on February 13 for Children’s Advocacy Day. As always, please remember we are here to help you if you have questions or concerns. Thank you for all you are doing for our schools and our children!

Autumn Neagle, President (502) 718-2590 | 15thdistrictpta.president@gmail.com

On the Cover: A painting by Cassidy Given, a senior at Louisville Male High, was selected as the high school visual art winner in the 15th District PTA 2018 Reflections Art Program.

The acrylic painting, Standing Strong; Looking Up, represents Cassidy’s realization through time and experience that she has more strength and resiliency than she ever imagined. The piece has progressed to the Kentucky Reflections Program.

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Calendar of Events February 6 ������������������ 15th District PTA Spelling Bee 12 ����������������� Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) Meeting 13 ����������������� Children’s Advocacy Day 15 ����������������� Membership Dues Deadline 15 ����������������� No School for Students 18 ����������������� No School for Students 26 ���������������� JCBE Meeting

March 12 ����������������� JCBE Meeting 14 ����������������� Vendor Fair at Waggener High 15 ����������������� Membership Dues Deadline 15 ����������������� Awards and Scholarship Application Deadline 28 ���������������� No School for Students 29 ���������������� No School for Students

President Autumn Neagle (502) 718-2590 15thDistrictPTA.President@gmail.com President-Elect Adam Kesler arkesler24@gmail.com (502) 413-1639 First Vice President—Program Sienna G. Newman sgnewman77@gmail.com (502) 410-9117 Second Vice President—Membership Shawn Summerville daaville@yahoo.com (502) 386-1455 Third Vice President—Ways and Means Eddie Squires pta.eddie@gmail.com (502) 930-3516 Fourth Vice President—Communication Liz Cannon Anncannon1968@gmail.com (502) 905-1233 Legislative Chair Taylor Everett teverett@teachfund.com (502) 640-8323 Nutrition Initiatives Coordinator Andrea Wright andrea.wright@jefferson.kyschools.us (502) 485-3199 Male Engagement Cliff Irons ironsclifford@gmail.com (502) 807-5695 Treasurer Brittney Bolyard 15thdistrictpta.treasurer@gmail.com (502) 608-0839 Secretary Anna Elder 15thDistrictPTA.Secretary2017@gmail.com (502) 432-3023 Past President Heather Wampler hkwampler@gmail.com (502) 671-9451 Parliamentarian Sharon Whitworth swhitwo1@aol.com (502) 592-4185 JCPS Parent Relations Justin Willis justin.willis@jefferson.kyschools.us (502) 439-8782 Title I Representative Zina Harris zyt.hars27@gmail.com (502) 807-1878 Recycling Chair Sharon Kesler sharonkesler24@gmail.com (502) 413-1652 High School and Scholarship Chair Robin Weiss robin.e.weiss@gmail.com (502) 314-2401 Health and Safety Chair Colene Williams (917) 340-0476 cdingens@gmail.com Hospitality Chair Erika Plantz (502) 724-8541 pjerika27@yahoo.com Diversity Chair Laquisha George (786) 274-3789 laqgeorge@hotmail.com Middle School Awards Chair Bobbi Jo Kingery bkingery07@gmail.com (502) 299-9749 (502) 314-2401

Five Tips for Creating the Body of Your Dreams

By Sabrina DeWalt

It’s that time of the year again. ‘Tis the season for the 3 Fs: family, fun, and food. Time to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. We all are familiar with the “New Year, New Me” phrase. We promise ourselves to quit bad habits, lose more weight, eat less food, and immediately transform on the stroke of midnight. Here are five tips to help you keep that promise.

Motivation

The first thing you should do before taking on any challenge or new goal is to find your motivation. This is the reason you are striving for a change and the reason you won’t give up easily.

Routine

It takes 21 days to break or form any habit.

Creating a simple everyday routine that you stick to for three weeks straight will make the transition smoother. The routine will automatically become a lifestyle.

Organization

When it comes to weight loss, organization is everything. The more you plan it out and write it down, the more likely you are to succeed.

Meal prepping and gym scheduling must be a priority.

Confidence

If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else is going to do it for you. You must know that you can accomplish your goals without a single doubt. Take the word can’t completely out of your vocabulary.

Whether you believe you can or you think you can’t, you are right.

Praise

Be proud of yourself for the small things—running longer, lifting heavier, or maybe knocking a couple numbers off the scale. Do not have a party, but maybe go to the spa or do something fun to celebrate the hard work. Everybody deserves a break.

Sabrina DeWalt is an AAIA Master Personal Trainer as well as a Ballard High and Berea College graduate.

Evangeline J. Sansome Scholarships Did you know that the 15th District PTA gives scholarships to graduating seniors for college? Last year, we gave out 19 scholarships!

It’s time to apply, and this year, it is completely online. Just go to our website at http://15thdistrictpta.org/programs/scholarships/.

Awards It is now time to apply for awards that will be given out at our Awards Banquet on May 7. This year, we are offering the option to fill out the forms completely online at http://15thdistrictpta.org/programs/awards/. If you can’t fill it out online, a hard copy is available for download on the website.

We offer the following awards: • Sharon Whitworth Advocacy Award • Special Project Award • Outstanding Volunteer Award • Volunteer Participation Award

• Outstanding Male Involvement— Participation Award • Outstanding Membership Campaign • Hall of Fame Educator Award

• School Nurse Award • Outstanding Local Unit Newsletter • Outstanding Website • Outstanding Social Media 3

A Celebration of

Y T I V I CREAT

The 2018 Reflections Program attracted 162 entries from 34 schools. Students explored the theme of “Heroes Around Me” with creations in Film Production, Dance Choreography, Music Composition, Film Production, Visual Arts, Literature, and Photography. Students and families participated in a celebration on Tues., Dec. 18, at Polly St. Clair Hall at the Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS). Thirty-two students’ works progressed to the Kentucky PTA Reflections Program, where they will be judged among the state’s top entries.

“HEROES AROUND ME”

Student Art Awards and Exhibition

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Visual Arts Primary

Preschool–Grade 2 Creative Interpretation Khloe Acevedo Wilkerson Elementary

Award of Excellence Bria Soni Lowe Elementary

Award of Merit Himani Deo Norton Commons Elementary Nevaeh Ward Wilkerson Elementary

Intermediate— Special Artist

Devangi Kuriyai Lowe Elementary

Grades 3–5

Julia Farrior Jeffersontown Elementary

Hussein Khamis Camp Taylor Elementary

Award of Merit Easton Noe Wilkerson Elementary Harper Mohlman Bowen Elementary Marley Williams Cochran Elementary

Intermediate Grades 3–5

Creative Interpretation Mira Matthews Dunn Elementary

Award of Excellence

Creative Interpretation

Award of Excellence Braylen Ware Wilkerson Elementary

Middle

Grades 6–8 Creative Interpretation Esha Kanakapura Meyzeek Middle

Award of Excellence Madison Harvey Noe Middle Zahra Chasmawala Meyzeek Middle

Kaylee Matthews Dunn Elementary

Zach Probus Meyzeek Middle

Riley Cravens Dunn Elementary

Award of Merit

Ruthie Nelson Dunn Elementary

Baylor Chapman Crosby Middle Anna Pace Stuart Academy

Middle— Special Artist

Grades 6–8 Creative Interpretation Mark Kurtz Phoenix School of Discovery

Award of Excellence Kendall Jenkins Phoenix School of Discovery

High

Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation Cassidy Given Louisville Male High

Award of Excellence Jayela Davis Seneca High Madeline Mattheu DuPont Manual High Brianna Beaumont Jeffersontown High

Award of Merit Lauren Newland Louisville Male High

High—Special Artist Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation Ellana C. Wright DuPont Manual High

Award of Excellence Georgie-Raye Trueman Seneca High Abhay Madhavarap DuPont Manual High Isreal Jay Cornett DuPont Manual High

Award of Merit Ben Paragon Phoenix School of Discovery

Photography Primary

Preschool–Grade 2 Creative Interpretation Nathan Kolb Bowen Elementary

Award of Excellence Phillips Nelson Dunn Elementary Cora Hicks Norton Elementary Noah Townsley Jeffersontown Elementary

Primary—Special Artist Preschool–Grade 2 Creative Interpretation Dylan Jackson Wilkerson Elementary

Intermediate

Grades 3–5 Creative Interpretation

Literature

Award of Merit

Preschool–Grade 2 Creative Interpretation

Leila Reilly Noe Middle

Primary

Jocelyn Kirk Wilkerson Elementary

Award of Excellence Chryssy Diggs Brandeis Elementary

Berkley Humphries Noe Middle

High

High

Iqra Pervez Norton Elementary

Caden Taggart Ballard High

Intermediate

Cassidy Given Louisville Male High

Katie Ross Nelson Dunn Elementary

Award of Merit Madden Thornton Bowen Elementary Ethan Wright Brandeis Elementary

Middle

Grades 6–8 Creative Interpretation Madelynn Danzinger Noe Middle

Award of Excellence Sharayu Deo Meyzeek Middle Autumn Kingery Stuart Academy

High

Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation Micha Bell Seneca High

Award of Excellence Sneha Patil DuPont Manual High Allie Senn DuPont Manual High

Katie Ross Nelson Dunn Elementary Ruthie Nelson Dunn Elementary

Award of Excellence Allen Phillip George Lowe Elementary Gracelynn Willis Tully Elementary

Award of Excellence

Kennedy Kniffley Louisville Male High

Award of Excellence

Grades 3–5 Creative Interpretation

Trent Bowman Noe Middle Audrey Hamilton Noe Middle

Evelyn Watson Bowen Elementary

Ruthie Nelson Dunn Elementary

Grades 6–8 Creative Interpretation

Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation

Willa Perito Dunn Elementary Lily Ench Bowen Elementary

Middle

Award of Excellence

Award of Merit Zoe Simmons Iroquois High

High—Special Artist

Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation Daniel Childers DuPont Manual High

Award of Excellence

Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation Delena Hooper Iroquois High

Phillips Nelson Dunn Elementary

Intermediate

Grades 3–5 Creative Interpretation Channing Rivera Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School

Award of Excellence

Music Composition

Ivy LaRocco Wilkerson Elementary

Grades 3–5 Creative Interpretation Fern Henderson Tully Elementary

Award of Excellence Dylan Jackson Wilkerson Elementary

Middle

Grades 6–8 Creative Interpretation Christopher Brown Crosby Middle

Award of Excellence Estella Smith Meyzeek Middle Suchita Tipirneni Meyzeek Middle Jonathan Kepnes Barret Traditional Middle

Preschool–Grade 2 Creative Interpretation

Lucy O’Brien Stopher Elementary

Cadence Diggs Brandeis Elementary

Award of Merit

Jocelyn Kirk Wilkerson Elementary

Ruthie Nelson Dunn Elementary

Intermediate

Middle

Ethan Tang Dunn Elementary

Gillian Jarett Noe Middle

Award of Excellence

Award of Excellence

Grades 3–5 Creative Interpretation

Primary

Preschool–Grade 2 Creative Interpretation Cason Cherry Cochran Elementary

Award of Excellence

Intermediate

Emma Lyons DuPont Manual High

Primary

Film Production

Preschool–Grade 2 Creative Interpretation

Primary

Award of Merit

Intermediate— Special Artist

Deonna Duncan Seneca High

Phillips Nelson Dunn Elementary

Anthony Wagner DuPont Manual High

Joshua Kepnes Stopher Elementary

Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation

Dance Choreography

Lucy Bowles Field Elementary Jonathan Ramsey Tully Elementary

High

Grades 6–8 Creative Interpretation

Hannah Abell Bowen Elementary

Addison Witucki Noe Middle

Abigail Coomes Bowen Elementary

Danica Clark Noe Middle

Wally Riedling Field Elementary

Lauren Rowe Meyzeek Middle

Award of Merit Savannah Townsley Carrithers Middle

Holden Cheney Dunn Elementary

Grades 3–5 Creative Interpretation Ian Cook Chenoweth Elementary

Award of Excellence Nikita Nair Greathouse/Shryock Traditional Elementary Jacqueline Luber Dunn Elementary Jake Rydberg Stopher Elementary

Award of Merit Scott Meiman Price Elementary Ruthie Nelson Dunn Elementary Parker French Bowen Elementary

Middle

Grades 6–8 Creative Interpretation Emerson Jones Noe Middle

Award of Excellence Tristan Newland Kammerer Middle

High

Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation Kaitlyn (Caden) Allen Eastern High

Special Artist—High Grades 9–12 Creative Interpretation Summer Reilly DuPont Manual High 5

Dreams, Goals, and Achievement

By Julia Royston

Goals are the feet that move you closer to the dream and vision for your life. Some goals need the right timing, setting, people, and resources to get done, but if you never have a goal, those dreams may never be realized. A dream without achievement goals is a fantasy. Just like your thumbprint is unique, so should your dreams and goals.

How do we get there?

• Decide exactly what you want to accomplish.

• Do research on what it takes, or ask someone who has already done it.

• Write down exactly what you need to do. These are your goals.

• Assign due dates next to each item in step three.

Finally, start. Begin and don’t stop until you’ve reached the goal. Let’s go!

Julia Royston is a retired JCPS teacher, author, and motivational speaker.

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Above, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer attended the Dec. 8 clothing giveaway, where he posed for a photo with volunteers Madalyn Marables, left, Youth Services Center (YSC) coordinator at Atherton High, and Krista Campisano, Family Resource Center (FRC) coordinator at Luhr Elementary.

Take What You Can Tote! Clothing Giveaway Almost 600 people were served at the Take What You Can Tote!

Clothing Giveaway, held Sat., Dec. 8, at the 15th District PTA Clothing Assistance Program (CAP). This annual community giveaway offered much more than clothing and accessory basics. Guests at the first-come, first-served event collected several bags each of gently used clothing, accessories, shoes, books, and toys. Attendees also collected new hats and scarves, as well as holiday gift items, and selected from more than 1,000 items of new makeup. Thanks to a significant donation of new dress shoes, 202 women received new boots, heels, or flats. Many of the items distributed at this event are excess items that are donated to CAP. No student uniforms were distributed.

All of the items were provided free to guests, thanks to the generosity of donors, large and small. The event attracted 95 volunteers who served five hours that day, and CAP volunteers worked dozens of hours for two months to make the event organized and efficient.

Media organizations attended the event along with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Jefferson County Board of Education Chair Diane Porter, who also volunteered.

24 states

National PTA’s STEM + Families initiative, launched with the generous support of Presenting and Founding Sponsor Bayer USA Foundation, now reaches over 6,200 families in 250 schools across 24 states.

Bayer has awarded grants within 24 states to implement Science Festivals

6,210 parchilentdres +n

50,000+ times

6,210 parents and children have participated in handson STEM + Families events throughout the country

2,296

The STEM + Families Facebook Live videos about the Bayer STEM + Families Grants have 50,000+ combined views

390,797

PTAs

2,296 PTAs have applied for STEM + Families Grants and game packages, with 220 PTAs receiving awards

views

Families have interacted with STEM + Families online materials 390,797 times

220 awards

National PTA’s STEM + Families initiative works collaboratively with our Presenting and Founding Sponsor Bayer, Founding Sponsors Mathnasium and Microsoft, and Supporting Sponsor ThinkFun.

spark . i nspirsep.aerkn.gai ngsep.sipr ea.rke.nignasgpeir. e. engage.

Spark initial STEM interest in all students at the critical elementary and middle school grade levels

Inspire students and families to grow their interest in STEM into a pursuit of STEM education pathways and careers

parents and children in shared, enjoyable and meaningful STEM learning opportunities

spark . i nspir e. engage.

15th District PTA 319 South 15th Street Louisville, KY 40203 www.15thDistrictPTA.org

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Louisville, KY Permit No. 1049

Dated Material Deliver Immediately Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities

SAVE THE DATE

15th District PTA

www.15thdistrictpta.org 485-3535

Kentucky PTA www.kypta.org 226-6607

National PTA

www.pta.org (703) 518-1200 or 800-307-4PTA (4782)

Plan Ahead!

Attend the 15th District PTA Vendor Fair.

3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 14 Waggener High 330 South Hubbards Lane This event will connect your PTA/PTSA and school with a variety of local vendors for your 2019-20 needs. Information will be posted on the 15th District PTA website when it is available.

The 15th District PTA Awards Banquet Tuesday, May 7

Louisville Central Community Center 1300 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard Award nominations are open now through March 15.

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Twitter 15th District PTA @15thDistrictPTA twitter.com /ky15thdistpta

Put Your Skills to Service Nominations are now being collected for people who have a variety of roles and talents and are interested in serving on the 15th District PTA Board. For more information or to nominate yourself or someone else, visit http://15thdistrictpta.org/nominations.

Clothing Assistance Program @PTA_CAP twitter.com/PTA_CAP

Facebook Get Connected!

15th District PTA

www.facebook.com/15thDistrictPTA

Kentucky PTA

www.facebook.com/KentuckyPTA

National PTA

www.facebook.com /parentteacherassociation

15th District PTA Channel

Pinterest 15th District PTA

https://www.pinterest.com /15thdistrictpta/