Our Facilities Are Moving Forward!

• On April 20th, The Kentucky Board of Education approved BCPS' request related to using category 5 funding sources (outside of the general budget) for much-needed updates to some of our facilities district wide!

• What does this mean?

  • BCPS will not have to use our general fund dollars to pay for updates to non-curricular structures/spaces (i.e. athletics, infrastructure, visual and performing arts, etc.).

  • This allows BCPS to protect its general fund for items related to student success, staffing, etc., while still giving some of our facilities some long-awaited updates.

  • By May 2022, we hope to have an architect formally selected.

  • For the next 4-6 months after selection, we will begin the design phase of this project.

  • By December 2022, we hope to have our final general contractor bids designed and accepted.

  • By Spring/Summer of 2023, construction on these projects should be starting.

• In short, this is for the betterment of BCPS, and we are definitely #MovingForward!

Summer Learning 2022

• • Our Summer Teaching and Learning Application form is now open! Click here to learn more about the availability at each learning site.

  • Summer Learning report times will be 8-12 on the following dates:

    • • June 13-16

      • June 20-23

      • July 11-14

      • July 18-21

  • If you are interested in serving as a teacher, assistant, coordinator, or substitute during Summer Learning, please fill out the form below!

Application for KDE Assessment Committee Work

• • The Kentucky Department of Education is seeking Kentucky educators to assist in the many assessment-related tasks coming up in the next several months. The goal is to have assessments of the highest quality, accurately measuring the Kentucky Academic Standards, and above all, to be fair to all test takers. Applications are being accepted for each of these activities in reading, mathematics, science, social studies and writing. A large portion of this work will be accomplished virtually and participants will receive a stipend.

  • Click here to apply by April 28th!

  • Questions? Email dacinfo@education.ky.gov.

Upcoming: EL Community and Family Night

• • We encourage all of our EL students, their families, and our staff to attend our next EL Family Night on May 10th from 5-7 PM at Shepherdsville City Hall!

  • This event will include, fun, games, FREE T-SHIRTS, and an abundance of resources to help connect our families to healthcare, prevention services, wellness, our schools, and more. Vendors will be set up with activities and SEL games for students while providing families more information about their agency.

  • Want more information? Email maura.carson@bullitt.kyschools.us or jeff.walker@bullitt.kyschools.us.

REEL Action Video Contest Awards

• Seven Counties Services recently held their annual REEL Action Video Contest which encourages youth to create a 30-second video that highlights the dangers of underage drinking, tobacco use (specifically vaping), and marijuana use. BCPS had 31 students who submitted videos.

• Click here to learn more about the entries and winners!

Catch My Breath

• The current trends in our nation indicate a significant increase in vaping use among youth. In order to combat this trend, our drug-free communities grant coordinator, Allison Robinson, works with all middle and elementary schools to teach a vaping prevention curriculum for ages 10-13 year old students. This early intervention program is called "Catch My Breath", and Allison is trained as an instructor in this curriculum.

• Recently at Brooks Elementary School, Allison taught lessons and loved the experience, education, and relationships she built with her students. Students learned a great deal and made a commitment to stay drug-free. Betty Jo Davis, the principal at Brooks Elementary school commended Allison’s teaching and engagement with the students.

• We encourage all elementary and middle schools to reach out to Allison Robinson at allison.robinson@bullitt.kyschools.us so that she can come and teach at your school.

• Click here to read the full article!

Special Education Reminder

• Middle and high school teachers of students with disabilities need to submit their Scottish Rite Award nomination forms to Mr. Kolb or their building Special Education Instructional Coach by March 22nd.

4 Types of Assessment

• Assessment is essential to the teaching and learning cycle to help identify strengths and gaps in our students' learning. However, assessment can also allow students to think deeply and critically to prepare them for the future. High-quality assessments can actually create learning opportunities for students for them to develop our BCPS Graduate Profile competencies of communication, collaboration, innovative problem solving, and mastery learner. Below are four types of assessments that can allow our students to show what they know at higher levels. To read more about each type, click here.

  • • Open-Ended Assignments

    • Performance Tasks and Projects

    • Visual Learning Tools

    • Self-Reflection

Special Education Update

• The annual Scottish Rite Award Ceremony is scheduled for May 10th at the Paroquet Springs Conference Center. Middle and high school teachers of students with disabilities need to submit their nomination forms by March 22nd.

Professional Learning

• As we begin to enter the remaining months of the school year, it is important to make sure you have completed the required 24 hours of professional learning for certified teachers. As a reminder, PL hours must occur outside of the teacher contract day (before school, after school, weekends, summer). In addition, you can gain these hours on identified Professional Development days embedded into our school calendar (yellow highlighted days).

• The PL Tracker is the tool that we utilize to document and upload evidence of these hours. If you are logging into the PL Tracker for the first time, you will need to use the same username and password used to log into your school computer.

• To be credited with the required 24 hours, it is important to complete the reflection questions and upload evidence of participation in the tracker after attending the professional learning.

• Our district is looking to offer a professional learning opportunity on Tuesday, May 17th which is the last professional development day within the school year. If you are interested in participating, please complete this survey to help us plan.

Other Reminders

• Fred Award nominations closed on March 8th. Stay tuned for more information.

• Mental Health First Aid Training is March 22 and 23rd. Sign up at this link: bit.ly/march-mental-health

• We have an opening for a District Robotics Coordinator for our secondary programs. Apply at bit.ly/bcps-jobs

#MovingForward

• Just like our district emblem states “Moving Forward”, it is also a concept we work towards each day in our classrooms for each student. This has been especially true as we have transitioned from remote learning to in-person learning coming out of the pandemic.

• Four strategies to use with all students to keep them moving forward are (click here to read more in-depth):

  • • Reduce Stress - Stress impacts the executive functioning of the brain which can impact learning. Creating a strong classroom community that is positive and a risk-free environment for learning supports all students.

    • Use Stories - Using relevant texts with students when learning allows them to take their own experiences and make connections.

    • Value Local Knowledge - Allowing students to use their “funds of knowledge” that they bring to the classroom allows them to feel appreciated and respected.

    • Teach to the Edges - Using universal design for learning to that includes multiple opportunities to respond/be engaged and express learning through a variety of modes increases student motivation while meeting their individual needs.

Masking Policy Updates

Are Our Schools Safe?

• Kentucky enacted the school safety and resiliency act in 2019 that brought an intentional focus on school safety across the state. BCPS has prioritized school safety long before this legislation; therefore, our district has been, and still is, one of the models of safe schools in our state.

• This week, the regional state security marshal started visiting our schools performing a component of the law for school safety called "risk assessment". He will visit each of our schools. The security marshal, employed by the Department of Criminal Justice Training partners with the Kentucky Center for School Safety, works with the principal in ensuring we are compliant with the law by asking a series of questions in the areas of physical safety and security as well as other security measures. These include building access control, security cameras in the appropriate locations, visitor protocols, required badges for visitors, adequate doors with proper locking mechanisms, intercom systems for visitors, an updated emergency plan, and doors being locked and shut during instructional time in classrooms, school threat assessment procedures, and a threat assessment team in each building.

• In regards to social-emotional safety, the legislation requires a trauma-informed approach as well as a trauma-informed team in each building.

• Our schools continue to assess and evaluate safety measures in place and consistently work to improve in many areas other than just physical safety.

• Mental health, positive behavior interventions as well as multi-tiered systems of support are also components of school safety that our district is working to improve and align with fidelity. From the Director of school safety, I want to thank each and every one of our staff members for making safety a top priority in our district! It is noticed!

Student Self-Awareness

• As educators it is important to let our students know “I’m proud of you” for their accomplishments, hard work, etc. However, it is also crucial for our students to focus and “bask” in their own accomplishments/achievements for themselves and not through our eyes for approval or disapproval. A few ways to create this opportunity of trusting themselves and create self-awareness are to use the following strategies (to read about each strategy in detail click here):

  • • “Tell me more…”

      • • This allows an elated student to slow down their excitement for allowing them to savor their own achievement.

    • “You must feel…”

      • • When using this phrase, it allows students to really think about their own emotions connected to the accomplishment or situation.

    • “What did you do to make that happen?”

      • • This strategy helps to reinforce patterns of behaviors or actions that led to the success to be repeated.

    • “I appreciate” or “I admire”

      • • This strategy is focused more on acknowledging respect for qualities or talents as compared to pleasing someone.

Congratulations to Our District-Level Teachers of the Year!

• Elementary: Gina Weber

• Middle: Ashley Schell

• High: Dana Murphy

Masking Policy Updates

Random Acts of Kindness Week

• Bullitt County schools, staff and students are participating in Random Acts of Kindness Week from February 14-20, 2022! It is perfect opportunity to educate, empower, and embrace kindness, care, and compassion within the community. Acts may be as small as holding the door for someone or on a bigger scale such as volunteering time to help those in need. Several quick and simple kindness ideas are linked HERE. Think about random acts of kindness you can do , not only for your students, but your colleagues. Do something unexpected this week, and let’s focus on the positivity that surrounds us every day! To showcase the wonderful things going on at your school, please send pictures of the kindness being shown in your school and community to stephanie.warner@bullitt.kyschools.us.

• Use these hashtags when you post on social media:

  • • #bcpsrandomactsofkindness

    • #bcpsmakekindnessthenorm

Using Text To Teach

• Using text to teach is an essential strategy for all content areas and many times we utilize novels to teach the Kentucky Academic Standards in specific content areas. However, we know not all students are excited about reading nor enjoy reading for a variety of reasons, but we know that interacting with rigorous texts is essential to critical thinking and writing.

• The student that does not read and/or refuses to read might be referred to as an “extreme user”, in the business world, just as the student who reads voraciously falls in that category as well. Just as companies design products for the average user they also employ extreme user theory to create a more inclusive design for all users. As educators, we have to do the same to meet the needs of all students in our classrooms to design learning experiences that students can access learning at their entry point and move forward. Below are some strategies to support students in accessing novels/text for students who avoid reading (click here to read in detail):

  • • Analyze, read, and review quotes and chapters together.

    • Utilize audio versions of text as appropriate.

    • Build schema on broad skills or themes as tools for students to better understand text

    • Embed diverse and short texts to compliment and supplement the main text

    • Provide choice of texts for students teaching standards for increased student ownership of learning

Congratulations to our New Google Certified Educators!

Support Services Updates

• The BCPS Local Planning Committee and School Board both passed an amendment to the District Facility Plan and also a request for a “Waiver” to allow BCPS to use restricted funds for Category 5 items within the DFP (ie: athletic and extracurricular related items).

• Both the amended DFP and Waiver will be on the April 20th KBE agenda for final approval prior to BCPS moving forward.

KASA Principals Summit

• KASA’s Inaugural Principal’s Summit is scheduled to take place February 22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Louisville. The morning kicks off with keynote speaker Andrew Marotta who will share stories, tips, hacks, and experiences from his book, The Principal: Surviving & Thriving. The afternoon will consist of a myriad of concurrent education sessions designed for principals of all levels. Registration includes lunch and a copy of Andrew Marotta's book, The Principal: Surviving & Thriving.

• Click here for more information or to register.

W-2 Reminder

• If you haven't received a W2 for last year, please make sure your address is correct in Infinite Campus.

• Please remember to update your profile when that important information changes.

Classroom Community

• Need a new classroom community building idea? Have you ever tried Daily Dedications? Check out this video for a classroom community strategy that helps us learn who has inspired and impacted our students along with allowing students to learn of life experiences they may have in common with each other.

Support Services Updates

• We want to thank our maintenance and custodial departments for their collective efforts in snow/ice removal to ensure our facilities are safe and operational during the cold winter months. Completing these tasks amidst daily “normal” needs warrants recognition. Big thanks to everyone's commitments to BCPS!

• As a reminder we will continue to aim for a 5:00 AM deadline to start our communication efforts on the status of school operations during adverse weather days in the event school is delayed/canceled.

  • • Unless you receive direct notification from BCPS via phone, text, and/or email or from our district social media pages, we are open and operating as normal! Click here for more information on our notification process.

Special Education Updates

• As we navigate through this semester, you may notice that some students on your caseload are struggling either academically or behaviorally. If that is the case, it may be necessary to convene an ARC to review the student’s IEP or other plans to make sure the right supports are in place.

• As we have learned from the 2017 Endrew F Supreme Court decision, a child is entitled to FAPE in light of their circumstances; therefore schools need to be constantly using data to make necessary adjustments to the IEP to make sure this is happening. These adjustments should be happening as necessary based on data throughout the semester, not just during the annual review of student’s IEP.

Changing Perspectives

• For many, winter can be a time that feels cold, dark, and lonely. However, winter can also be a time for warmth, reflection, hope, and preparing for a new upcoming season. Winter allows more time with ourselves and can be less “busy” due to a variety of factors.

• Even in winter, there is a newness around us if we notice. For example, the anticipation of the first snow creates some excitement no matter your age along with experiencing the fresh and newly fallen snow.

• Winter can be a time to create change for ourselves and for our students by changing our perspective. As we continue to experience the winter season, provide yourself and your students time to practice a perspective change as we continue moving forward into spring.

Safe Schools Reminders

• Establishing strong relationships is the number one way to support students. All students need an adult at school who they know supports and advocates for them. As humans, we have the innate need to connect with others, to have trusting relationships, to feel safe and cared for. Many students do not have an environment outside of school that would allow them to develop this type of relationship. Identify a student in your building who is struggling and in need of support.

• Intentionally find opportunities to have meaningful conversations about things that interest them, build trust by following through with things you say you will do, encourage them and gently hold them accountable in areas where they struggle. You will find that most students will respond to your efforts and a difference will be made in their success. Building a relationship with a student exposed to trauma can be difficult, but they are ones who truly need it. Continued effort with that student will pay off, it may just take longer. You will find the joy you get from that relationship is as much and maybe more than the student gets. Make a difference!

BCPS' NTI Informational Site

Adult Meal Prices

• In order to be in compliance with this regulation from the USDA, BCPS must increase its adult meal prices.

• Beginning Monday, January 24th, these will be our new adult meal prices:

  • • Adult Breakfast Meal: $2.90

    • Adult Lunch Meal: $4.85

• To learn more about this pricing change, please view this letter from our School Nutrition Services Director, Todd Crumbacker.

Special Club Fitness Offer

• Click here for details!

Building Student Vocabulary

• How is teaching vocabulary embedded into your classroom instruction? We know that learning vocabulary is an essential aspect of students understanding content along with applying their learning across all content areas. In addition, teaching vocabulary explicitly is one way to remove learning barriers for students as they encounter new learning. However, teaching vocabulary has to be meaningful and applied in context for transference.

• Considering students have vocabulary words and definitions right at their fingertips with technology, it is important to be even more intentional in cognitively engaging students learning vocabulary. Below are some strategies to try…click here to read more about each one in detail:

  • • Informal Conversations

    • Anchored Word Learning

    • Tip Chart

    • Save the Last Word for Me

    • Snap Minilessons

    • Self-Collection Strategy

    • Word Talks

    • Digital Independent Study Tools

BCPS' NTI Informational Site

Refocus on PBIS

• It goes without saying that students need to feel safe and have supportive relationships for their social, emotional, and academic learning to be optimized.

• With this in mind, it is recommended the following six strategies for school teams ensure a safe, predictable, and positive school year:

  • • Re-teach, remind, and acknowledge positive school-wide expectations

    • Re-teach classroom routines

    • Focus on the positive, and avoid punitive approaches

    • Get to know your students - again

    • Look for signs that students might need more help

    • Re-engage families as partners in their child’s education

• For more information, click here!

Support Services Updates

• Transportation is actively seeking new bus drivers, if you know of anyone that might be interested in becoming part of our great transportation team, please have them contact our Transportation Department by calling 502-869-8031.

• In the event BCPS operates on a 2 hour delay, BCPS Food Service will NOT be able to provide breakfast on those impacted day(s) due to normal lunch serving time conflicts.

Setting Your Intentions

• Since the new year is upon us, this is always the time of year when many people set goals or resolutions to change habits such as exercising more, eating healthy, etc. I read a study that only about 46% of Americans who set New Year's Resolutions were still sticking to them 6 months later. Furthermore, 9% of the 46% report they have maintained their New Year's Resolution by the end of the year.

• As we begin 2022, I encourage you to set an intention for yourself and have your students do this as well. You may be thinking...why set an intention? An intention is more of a values based motive to encourage and inspire yourself. Shapiro (2021) states, " An intention, on the other hand, is more focused on inspiring you to be better, without implying that anything needs to be changed. It allows you to focus on your motivation and your purpose....think of intentions as planting seeds where you want your life to grow."

• For students, an intention can serve as a map to help them achieve where they are trying to be.

• To being setting intentions with students, it is important for them to reflect on the past year and use these questions to guide them:

  • • What is something you want to explore?

    • What is something you want to learn?

    • What is something that would make you feel proud?

    • What is something you want to continue?

(Source: Setting Intentions for the New Year, Meghana, 2021)

Ready to Relax?

• Christmas break is approaching and we are all so excited to have some time off. However, the holidays can bring their own levels of stress on us.

• If you need some time to decompress and establish a clear mindset for school in January please join us for some yoga sessions on Bullitt Day!

• Please click here for the flyer and registration link.

We're Stuffing a Bus!

• We're collected much-needed items throughout this week in order to try and help support the community of Mayfield, KY. You can drop off items at your school or the Board of Education office!

Instructional Strategies

• As we enter the last five days of instruction for 2021, it is important to keep to patterns for our students and ourselves. Make sure to keep the following strategies in mind and have a great week!

  • • Be consistent with your behavioral expectations

    • Have some SIMPLE holiday fun with students

    • Stick to routines and procedures

    • Practice one self-care strategy

    • End the week with goal setting for students and yourself

Support Services

• Our transportation dept is currently wrapping up CDL-B driver training with a cohort of new drivers. BCPS is still anxiously accepting applications for any person who wishes to gain their CDL-B and drive our great kids at BCPS!!

• We are proud of the creativity our Food Service Dept across the district has been able to display with making our menus work amidst the recent supply chain disruptions. Great job everyone!!

• BCPS is prepared for inevitable adverse weather conditions. Please update your Infinite Campus emergency messenger contact information (if warranted) to ensure proper mass communication means are conducted in the event of a weather related alteration to the school day.

60-Second Stand Up

• Have you ever thought about doing a 60-second stand up meeting with your students? You may be thinking what is that? It is actually a strategy that principals can use with teachers for a quick meeting to share news, celebrations, updates, etc. However, this strategy could be used for students to quickly share celebrations, morning news, weekend fun, etc. to help build community and let students share some of themselves.

• In addition, if students had jobs in the classroom they could provide updates related to the role and classroom operations.

• If you want to learn more, check out this video on how it can be used with teachers to try it out in your classroom with students.

Teaching Thanksgiving

• Thanksgiving is upon us! This time of year many educators provide learning experiences for students around Thanksgiving. However, teaching about Thanksgiving is based on alignment to our standards along with intentions set through the lesson for students.

• If you are wondering how to teach about Thanksgiving aligned to standards and intentions based on student outcomes, check out KDE’s article called “How Should I Teach about Thanksgiving?” here for strategies and resources.

Special Education Reminder

• Goal Monitoring Tab Reminders for Special Education Teachers:

  • Data should be up to date within two weeks

  • Data should be up to date with the end of the nine weeks before Progress Reports are sent

  • Data should indicate a change in instruction/intervention and any other pertinent information to the numeric score (illness, quarantine, etc.)

Helping Students Focus

• As we all continue to acclimate to school while making sense of what school was like prior to the pandemic, our experiences teaching and learning during remote and hybrid, and synthesizing all of that in the present, students and teachers are experiencing different learning and teaching behaviors in our classrooms.

• A frequent comment I hear from teachers across the district is concerns related to student attention and becoming much more easily distracted. I would say all of us could be experiencing these issues, students and adults, because sustained and structured learning and teaching was uninterrupted for a long period of time.

• As educators, we know that to improve our skills, we must practice, make mistakes, and practice more. This is the same for building our student’s attention as well...it must be practiced.

• Here are a few strategies that can be “practiced” in the classroom to increase focused attention (click here to read about these strategies specifically):

  • • Dedicate the One

    • Coregulating With Their Partner

    • Mirror Me

    • Dual Drawing

    • Sharing Worries and Celebrations

Support Services Updates

• Please be on the lookout for continuous updating/improvements with the new 21/22 Bus Finder Routing Sheet. We will continue to strive for proper modifications on a daily basis.

• As we enter into the colder phases of the school year, please take time and update any emergency contact phone numbers and emails within Infinite Campus to ensure proper communication can be applied as needed in the event we have weather-related impacts.

Instructional Strategies: Highlighting

• Do you often have your students using highlighters? Do you notice students are highlighting large amounts of text or content? Do you have some students that never highlight a document?

• We as educators see this quite often when we have students participate in close reading, identifying key phrases or words, reading to understand the main idea, etc. or any assignment in any content area. However, if students are just highlighting any and all important information then there is really no learning in that process.

• In reality, highlighting can be the beginning of deeper learning with content, However, it must be strategically used with students and here are a few strategies:

  • • Brain-Book-Buddy

    • Creative Annotations

    • Student-Generated Questions.

• To learn more about these strategies, check out this Edutopia article.

Transportation Updates

• We are excited to implement our new transportation routing system on Monday, November 1st!

  • • Families can find the link to the new system on our transportation page and or by clicking this link.

CSIP Process Updates

• Not only are we entering holiday season in November and December, but this is also the time of year when principals, schools, and SBDM councils are working on Comprehensive School Improvement Plans (CSIP) that run from January 2022-December 2022.

• The CSIP process has several phases that involve conducting a needs assessment, assessing the current CSIP, and creating a revised CSIP to be implemented beginning January 2022.

• The foundation of school improvement rests on each school’s vision and mission specific to student outcomes which is directly connected to state and local assessment data. In addition, school improvement is about quality, not quantity...success comes one step at a time along with strong implementation, monitoring of progress, and making adjustments based on that progress as needed. Continuous improvement is the name of the school improvement game.

• As we spend the next few weeks reviewing and revising our school improvement plans, stay focused on actionable activities that will create sustainable systems for students.

• If you are interested in learning more about the CSIP process, click here.

To Do List

• Feeling Stressed? Check out these resources!

• Let us know your thoughts about this Weekly Leadership Connection setup at this link!

• Complete your Open Enrollment by this Friday!

• If you haven't participated in our BCPS Communications Thought Exchange, please give your feedback here!

• Nominate a student for a Student Spotlight!

• Nominate a Very Important Partner (VIP) Student!

  • • More Information

    • Nomination Form

• If you'd like to utilize our TAPP Daycare program available at ROC, please complete this form!

Open Enrollment Ends Friday!

Updates

• Do you need some support helping students with disabilities engage in your class? Your school’s special education instructional coach would love to help you with that. Please reach out to these folks for any instructional support you need.

• We are excited to see building improvement continue across the district, including but not limited to new roofing at HMS/BCHS, new parking lot paving at BMS and a number of other ancillary projects within our buildings.

• Also our Transportation Department is hard at work with the assistance of our drivers, to create a more modernized and efficient routing system that we will release at the beginning of the week of Oct 25th once completed, and initiate beginning on Nov 1st. Our hope is this new system will create daily consistent routing solutions for our drivers, families, students, and schools.

Instructional Information

• You may have heard of the 3 R’s...Rigor, Relevance, and Relationship. This combination of words may be new to you, but the concept is something we know is essential to the learning of all our students.

• We must have positive relationships with our students from the start to set a foundation for teaching and learning.

• As teachers it is important for students to see the relevance of what they are learning as it relates to their interests, passions, future goals, careers, etc.

• In addition, we must provide rigorous learning experiences for our students so they are prepared for their upcoming years in K-12 education as well as for life after high school.

  • The word rigor is used quite often, but what does it really mean? Rigor is not about more work, but the depth of the learning or work. The three indicators of rigor are: (1) thoughtful work, (2) high-level questioning, and (3) academic discussion. We can promote rigor in our classrooms by establishing high expectations for EACH student, supporting all students, and allowing freedom to demonstrate high-order thinking and learning across the curriculum.

• Rigor, relevance, and relationships are embedded into our Graduate Profile competencies and the thinking-focus classroom framework for teaching and learning.

• Check out the following rubrics here from ICLE to assess rigor, relevance, and learner engagement in your instructional planning and implementation.

Reminders & General Updates

• Click here to check out our Open Enrollment Information - be sure to enroll by 10/29!

• We're getting closer to beginning our website redesign chats! We especially need Classified Staff members to join in! If you'd be willing to participate in some discussions surrounding redesigning our website, please let us know here!

• We are excited to implement our new efficient transportation routing system the week of November 1st! We truly appreciate everyone’s understanding and flexibility as we go through this process.

Important Information!

• Click here to check out our Open Enrollment Information - you can begin your enrollment today!

• Our transportation team has been hard at work over fall break making needed routing improvements which will begin on Oct 12th. Impacted routes will be communicated with prior to any changes being made.

• “Test to Stay” will begin on Oct 12th through Bluewater Diagnostics. This voluntary program is open to all school-related exposures for “close contact quarantined” students or staff who are not showing symptoms. Please see location details below:

  • • Mt Washington: 673 N Bardstown Road (Hours will be: 6A-10A for test to stay / site hours for all testing 6A- 4P)

    • Hillview: 1191 Hillview Blvd. (Hours will be: 6A-10A for test to stay)

• Nominate an outstanding education support staff member for the 2021 RISE Award before October 15th!

Reminders

• Are you familiar with HQIR? HQIR stands for High-Quality Instructional Resources meaning that resources used by teachers need to be high quality. Research shows that students demonstrate mastery on 77% of classroom standards which translates into 17% of students mastering grade level standards. The instructional resources used in the classroom by teachers can create an equity gap in student learning. To read more information on HQIR, check out this information from the KDE.

• Use this week to resolidify classroom procedures, PBIS expectations, and social-emotional learning objectives. Read more here!

• Don't forget about our new stipends for CDL-B and Lunch Monitor Sub positions. Click here to learn more!

Bluewater Diagnostics

• These positions (hired and managed by Bluewater Diagnostics) are available to BCPS Staff members as long as the timing doesn’t conflict with your regularly assigned hours and responsibilities for BCPS.

• These are NOT BCPS positions!

• To learn more, click here.

Reminders

• IEP Tip: The courses of study for students with disabilities age 16 and older must be reflected in the post-secondary transition planning goal on their IEP.

• Don't forget about our Yoga Opportunities for our staff! See this flyer for details.

Bluewater Diagnostics

• These positions (hired and managed by Bluewater Diagnostics) are available to BCPS Staff members as long as the timing doesn’t conflict with your regularly assigned hours and responsibilities for BCPS.

• These are NOT BCPS positions!

• To learn more, click here.

Staffing Updates

• Reminder: Therapists from outside agencies wanting to observe in classrooms should have updated paperwork filed with Central Office. If so, they will have a new, updated white badge for this school year.

• BCPS has a signed agreement with FMS to obtain needed sub custodians for our buildings in need. We hope to see staffing in place when we return from Fall Break.

Hispanic Heritage Month

• We celebrate to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans.

• Why September 15th? This date acknowledges the anniversary of independence for many Latin American Countries on or near this date.

• Observation of Hispanic Heritage started in 1968 with President Lyndon B. Johnson for a week and then was changed to a whole month by President Ronald Reagan. Lyndon B. Johnson stated in his inaugural proclamation of National Hispanic Heritage Week, “the great contribution to our national heritage made by our people of Hispanic descent -- not only in the fields of culture, business, and science, but also through their valor in battle.”

• We have many students that celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Bullitt County Public Schools. Check out the resources below to provide learning opportunities for all students:

  • • Hispanic Heritage Month

    • PBS-Latino Americans

    • Education Northwest

    • United States Census

    • Smithsonian-Latino Center

Website Redesign

• If you'd be willing to participate in some discussions surrounding redesigning our website, please let us know here!

Social and Emotional Support

• Kelsey Headden, Marjie Miller, and Tara Haddaway are providing Tier 1 universal support to all of our elementary students by reading and discussing social-emotional health.

• The team is also working with middle and high schools to provide social-emotional support by teaching classroom SEL lessons on request.

• If you would like your classroom to have a special guest please contact us and they will schedule a time to enjoy some class time with you!

• Click here to read more about this program!

Constitution Day

• Friday, September 17th, 2021

• All educational institutions that receive federal funding are required to provide students with some type of learning and/or programming about U.S. Constitution Day.

• Click here to learn about resources provided by the KDE to use in the classroom. If you have questions or need additional resources, please reach out to an instructional coach.

CDL-B Incentive Stipend

• Be on the lookout for incentive stipends for any BCPS employee willing to gain their CDL-B and operate a school bus for us on an as-needed basis (sub concept) throughout the duration of the year.

Legislative Session Updates

• KBE's masking regulation is null and void next week

• We will continue to follow the Board's vote to require masks for BCPS facilities

• 20 additional NTI days provided for targeted closures

• 18-19 ADA approved for working budget

• Retired educators can return and still draw full retirement

• Awaiting further clarification on President Biden's mandates

• Certified Staff - Reflections and PGPs are due 9/15

• THANK YOU to everyone and especially to our guest teachers, attendance clerks/secretaries, and transportation staff!

Support Services

• Transportation gained 11 drivers back in operation from the week before!!!! We are still actively pursuing long term solutions to driver shortages.

• The new OMES project is moving along on schedule, with promising weather in the near future, structural progress should commence as sought.

• The BCPS Maintenance Department is getting back normal processing with the positive outlook of additional cleaning assistance being fulfilled around the district.

Quarantine Leave

• Employees ordered to quarantine must submit a request form along with documentation stating the quarantine order and proof of having received the COVID-19 vaccine (unless exempt) prior to being ordered to quarantine.

• Employees who are or become COVID positive are not eligible for this leave.

• If you have any questions related to the emergency regulation, please contact BCPS Human Resources Department.

General Information/Updates:

• Let us know if you have any feedback on the WLC's new format!

• In BCPS, we continually work on the standards alignment process at all levels to systematically review and revise the prioritization and sequence of the Kentucky Academic Standards, with input from teachers, to ensure access for all teachers. This provides a “guide” for teaching grade level standards as teachers use formative assessment data to meet the individualized academic needs of students. You can access this resource by following these directions. If you cannot access the shared drive with all standards alignment documents, please complete this form so we can set up your access.

• Yoga Opportunities for BCPS Staff