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OWENSBORO FAMILY INVITES COMMUNITY TO ENJOY HALLOWEEN DISPLAY

Paul and Lauren Westerfield, along with their two boys Cooper and Eli, love fall and growing pumpkins. When their oldest son wanted to start putting out Halloween decorations, the Westerfield family went all in.

"We grow a pumpkin patch every year and they along with my wife help me with that and the decorations," Paul said. "All of the pumpkins we use in our yard are grown from our pumpkin patch. The boys like to help pick out decorations for us to put up. A few of the decorations out there were made by me and my son, Cooper." This year, Paul came across a group on Facebook called Skeletons for St Jude, a nation wide organization that uses Halloween displays to raise money. "We have always donated to St. Jude and thought this would be a perfect opportunity to use our Halloween display to raise money for them," Paul said. The Westerfields invite the community to drive by their spooky home on Carlsbad Lane in east Daviess County. Those interested in donating can find a link on Paul's personal Facebook page. There is also a sign with a QR code in their front yard.

"We know the yard decorations bring lots of smiles to children and that’s why we do it!" Paul said.

CRAVENS STUDENTS LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE TO SUPPORT DEAF 2NDGRADER

Zariah Williams, a 2nd-grader Cravens Elementary Schools, was born deaf. Over the last week, she and her interpreters taught Cravens students the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language. The students’ desire to learn a new way to communicate and be more inclusive doesn’t stop there. Cravens Principal Courtney Inklebarger said the desire to learn the pledge in sign language came from the students. “Students are naturally curious, and so when they see somebody doing all of these things with their hands [signing], they start asking questions,” Inklebarger said. The sign language lessons didn’t stop there. Tara Jones, a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, placed displays under common areas such as the cafeteria and gym with instructions on how to sign those words. Zariah’s mother LeShawn Williams said she was very happy when she heard about the extra mile the school was taking to help her daughter feel included. And this single instance isn’t the only time she feels her daughter has been included in the day-to-day activities. “They’ve been supportive. Her teacher is on the bus, and when she misses they ask if everything was okay. They’re really supportive and they care a lot about her,” LeShawn said. LeShawn said that while Zariah is deaf in both ears, she has had a cochlear implant since she was 2 years old to help her. In addition, Owensboro Public Schools dedicated an interpreter to help her take in the lessons throughout the day.

MEADOW LANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IS JOINING A NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO TEACH EVERY CHILD HOW TO RIDE A BIKE IN THEIR KINDERGARTEN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS.

The school is seeking help raising the remaining funds to participate in the All Kids Bike program that provides training, bicycles, and more. “Learning to ride a bike is a developmental milestone,” said Amy Bouchard, PE teacher at Meadow Lands. “MLES is in a rural area without sidewalks and is a Title 1 school with over 71% of our students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. So, our students have limited access and resources to learn how to ride a bike.” The All Kids Bike program, led by the national nonprofit Strider Education Foundation, is an 8-week curriculum that is aligned with national physical education standards. Bouchard said MLES has raised $1,800 but needs to raise an additional $4,200 to cover the cost of the program. The funding covers the curriculum, teacher training and certification, 24 child size balance bikes, pedal conversion kits, 25 bike helmets, and an instructor bike. The All Kids Bike will be an ongoing program with a 5-year support plan. “Any donation amount towards our remaining $4,200 will be appreciated,” Bouchard said. “We are excited about this opportunity for our students but need community support.”

Student Spotlight:

Mallory Albers, is a sixth grader at Daviess County Middle School. She has started sixth grade doing all the right things. She is kind to all of her classmates. She is helpful and very respectful to the adults. Her pleasant smile and eagerness to participate in every activity makes her deserving of a shout out!"

- Amy Blades, teacher

Owensboro High School student Mya Kelly recently received the National African American Recognition Award from the College Board National Recognition Program. Mya earned this recognition because of her academic achievements in school and outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10 and/or AP Exams. She accomplished this milestone during an immensely demanding period of their high school career.